Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ANKARA6919
2003-11-05 14:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

Tags:  OPRC KMDR TU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006919

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
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2003


THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER
THREE THEMES:


HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION


HEADLINES


MASS APPEAL


Attack Against Turkish Embassy in The Hague - Milliyet
EU Commission Says Turkey Hasn't Finished Its Homework -
Milliyet
Cyprus Condition Causes Tension in Ankara - Sabah
Goodwill Gestures From Greece in Western Thrace - Sabah
Last-minute Cyprus Condition Added to EU report - Hurriyet
Parliament Discusses Corruption Report - Turkiye


OPINION MAKERS


Cyprus Condition From EU - Radikal
Verheugen: An EU That Includes Turkey Means Peace - Radikal
Ray of Hope for Guantanamo Prisoners - Radikal
Cyprus Pressure from EU - Cumhuriyet
Turkey Decides to De-Mine Syrian Border - Cumhuriyet
US Senate Approves $87 Billion Budget Request - Yeni Safak
Ambassador Logoglu Asks US Not to Favor Kurds in Iraq -
Zaman


BRIEFING


Attack Against Turkish Embassy in The Hague: A molotov
cocktail was tossed into the courtyard of the Turkish
Embassy in the Hague yesterday. Dutch police announced that
the attack had not been carried out for political reasons.
While Turkish officials blame the Netherlands for
insufficient security measures, the Dutch press claimed that
embassy staff had exaggerated the incident.


EU Commission Report: "Hurriyet" reports that the EU
commission has added a last minute `Cyprus condition' to its
progress report on Turkey, which is due to be released
today. The condition, which appears in the report's
strategic annex, says that `the deadlock in Cyprus could
become a serious obstacle to Turkey's accession.'
"Hurriyet" draws attention to the Copenhagen Criteria for EU
entry, noting that the Cyprus issue was not among the
criteria conditions. "Zaman" says that the Cyprus condition
has stirred tension in Ankara. The MFA issued a statement
criticizing the move, noting that `meeting the Copenhagen
Criteria is the condition for Turkey's accession, and
linking the Cyprus issue with EU accession is not
acceptable.'


Goodwill Gesture From Greece in Western Thrace: "Sabah"
reports that the Greek government is planning to give new
rights to the Turkish minority in Western Thrace. Last week
the Greek government adopted a new decision to allow the

teaching of Turkish as a second language in secondary and
high schools.


Ambassador Logoglu Comments: "Zaman" reports that Turkish
Ambassador to Washington Faruk Logoglu asked called on the
US not to show favoritism toward the Kurds in Iraq. Logoglu
claimed that all other groups in Iraq except for the Kurds
are in favor of a Turkish troop deployment. Unfortunately,
the US has not exerted sufficient effort to convince the
Kurds in the Iraqi interim government. Washington, he said,
apparently `lacks the will' to persuade the Council.
Logoglu said that Turkey would send troops only with a
specific invitation from the IGC. He also criticized the
United States for not taking action against the PKK/KADEK in
Iraq. On this issue, Logoglu concluded, `the patience of
the Turkish people is wearing thin.'


EDITORIAL OPINION


"President Bush's war on two fronts"
Semih Idiz commented from the U.S. in the mass appeal Aksam
(11/5): "A considerable number of the Americans I have met
are not, in principle, against the war in Iraq. The absence
of WMD in Iraq has not affected their opinion very much, for
they believe Saddam Hussein would definitely have supported
WMD attacks in the future had he been allowed to remain in
power. The issue is not the toppling of Saddam. Americans
are angry that the US rushed into the war at the cost of
alienating its allies, with a false self-confidence
incompatible with the facts. They also complain that
possible post-war problems were not adequately considered.
President Bush's recent remarks tying the escalation of
attacks to US success in Iraq has further fanned that anger.
. Although deeply concerned by the recent attacks,
Americans understand that a US withdrawal from Iraq in the
short term is impossible. . They also know that casualties
are inevitable in war, but they can't understand why their
soldiers are dying for nothing. President Bush is trying to
show that everything is under control, but it is difficult
to say that he is being successful."


"Staying out of Iraq"
Mim Kemal Oke observed in the conservative/mass appeal HA-
Tercuman (11/5): "The history of the Turkish experience in
Iraq, just like the Armenian Question, is being distorted in
such a way as to cause animosity toward Turkey.
Unfortunately, Turkey has always regarded its neighbors as
enemies, and has chosen not to try to win them over. .
Developing a greater interest in the region will not cause
Turkey to be perceived as pro-Saddam, nor will it destroy
our secularism. Turkey's secular and democratic qualities
should serve as a model for the Middle East. Being
successful in the fight against terror is not a commodity to
be sold cheaply. Instead, we must become a country of
freedoms and progress in democratization. Turkey's identity
can become a center of attraction. We haven't understood
that the quality of our democratization is what we have to
offer to the region."
EDELMAN