This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006728
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL JCS PASS J-5/CDR S. WRIGHT
E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2003
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES:
HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION HEADLINES
MASS APPEAL Washington's strongest man [Wolfowitz] narrowly escapes attack - Sabah Rockets miss Wolfowitz by two floors - Hurriyet Rockets make `the Hawk' tremble - Aksam Wolfowitz: Turks in Iraq would be risky - Hurriyet Bremer warns Washington on Turks to Iraq - Sabah 10/25 Powell: We Don't want to rule Iraq forever - Hurriyet 10/26 Turkey will give $50 million for Iraq - Milliyet 10/25 Tens of thousands of Americans march against war - Milliyet Protesters urge White House to `bring boys back home' - Hurriyet US soldiers given training on Ramadan - Milliyet 10/26 `Second Berlin Wall' in Palestine draws protests - Sabah CHP grassroots back Dervis - Hurrriyet 10/26
OPINION MAKERS Missiles rain down on Wolfowitz - Cumhuriyet `Ramadan missiles' delivered to Wolfowitz - Radikal Wolfowitz emerges from rocket attack unhurt - Zaman WP claims Bush `hiding' coffins from Iraq from public - Cumhuriyet Talabani: Turkey is our friend - Cumhuriyet Iraq Donors' Conference results disappointing - Radikal 10/26 IGC member al-Hakeem opposes Turkish troops in Iraq - Yeni Safak Tens of thousands protest Bush - Yeni Safak Rectors march under placards calling for military coup - Zaman 10/26 Turks on the march against fundamentalism - Cumhuriyet Washington DC, Virginia declare October 29 `Turkey Day' - Zaman
BRIEFING
Turkish troops to Iraq: Commentators in the leading mainstream papers believe that Washington, for the time being, has shelved the issue of Turkish peacekeepers to Iraq. Monday's "Sabah" says that Washington is working to find a formula for transferring sovereignty to the Iraqi people. Turkish diplomatic sources expect the peacekeeping issue to be discussed again after Ramadan, acording to "Milliyet." Saturday's "Hurriyet" claims that the US is concerned by Ankara's insistence on sending its troops to Salahaddin instead of to the Al-Anbar region. US supervisor Paul Bremer agrees with Kurdish leaders Barzani and Talabani that Turkish troops should not be allowed into Iraq, according to "Hurriyet." Bremer has reported to Washington that Iraq's neighbors' object to Turkish soldiers, and has voiced concern that the Turks might be engaged in fighting instead of stabilization activities. Weekend papers also report that Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz considers a Turkish troop deployment in Iraq to be `very risky.'
Weekend papers report a strong response from Prime Minister Erdogan to Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) officials who have objected to a Turkish presence in the region. `The IGC is not a legitimate administration that is backed by all Iraqis,' Erdogan said. Erdogan noted that talks with the US over the dispatch of troops have not been cut off, but that the US has asked Turkey for a pause of 10-15 days before resuming discussions.
Mass demonstration supporting secularism: Over 20,000 people attended a mass rally by university staff and students in Ankara in support of secularism on Saturday. Almost all newspapers, especially the Islamist-oriented press, criticized protesters for walking with banners urging the army to `do its duty' amid a dispute over education reforms that the protesters believe undermine the principle of secularism. "Yeni Safak" strongly criticized the media owned by the Dogan and Uzan groups for applauding such calls for military intervention. Dervis now stronger in CHP: Opposition politician and former economy minister Kemal Dervis won more support than CHP party leader Deniz Baykal in voting for the CHP Party Council at last week's Republican People's Party (CHP) convention. Dervis was elected to the council by the votes of 1,021 delegates, while Baykal carried only 973 votes in being re-elected as CHP party chairman. (Note: Baykal ran as the only candidate for party chairman. End note.) AKP lawmakers may boycott Republican Day reception: Monday's "Vatan" claims that the AKP administration is advising lawmakers not to attend the Republican Day reception to be hosted by President Sezer on October 29. The AKP deputies are expected to boycott the reception to protest Sezer's decision not to invite their wives who wear headscarves. Ankara turned down Vatican request on churches: A column in the weekend "Hurriyet" says that Ankara has turned down a request by the Vatican to allow the repair and renovation of Catholic churches in Turkey. The GOT also will reportedly not allow the construction of new churches. The Vatican has submitted similar requests to Egypt and Tunisia, both of which were met with a swift, positive response. The Vatican has taken the issue to the European Union.
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq
"Time for making a decision in Washington" Mass appeal Milliyet's Washington correspondent Yasemin Congar observed (10/27): "The current phase of the decline in President Bush's popularity might end up costing him the election. Therefore, Republicans have concentrated their efforts on reversing the current trend to Bush's benefit. That means a series of revisions, including to the administration's Iraq policy. . The Iraq issue, however, poses a serious dilemma for Washington because of the growing public opposition and the increasing need for more soldiers and more money to ensure security. It remains to be seen when and how this serious dilemma will be resolved by the Bush administration. . Given the circumstances, Washington is now close to a decision to change its earlier decision about dissolving the Iraqi national army. There is growing speculation in Washington that the US will ask the Iraqi army to return to the barracks. Such a decision would not include Saddam's Republican Guards. . The coming weeks will determine the Bush administration's vision. But in questions regarding the timing about these decisions, the most common answer is `sometime after Ramadan.'
"Whirlpool" Asli Aydintasbas wrote in mass appeal Sabah (10/27): "The US administration is following an uneven path in its Iraq policy, which remains indecisive. Things in Iraq, at least on the `micro' scale, are not too bad. There are many things visibly improved as far as social life is concerned. But the fact is that the big picture is not encouraging. The growing danger of instability is serious enough to cast a shadow over the accomplishments in other fields. The Iraq issue is the number one priority on the agenda for Washington. Policy makers have intensified their thinking to do something about Iraq so that President Bush can win the 2004 election. It seems that whatever the details of the new policies will be, their essence will be to give more sovereignty to the Iraqis."