ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000838 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, FEBRUARY 3, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL Gul: U.S. stepping up pressure on us - Milliyet NSC passes the `Iraq ball' to government - Sabah 2/1 Government utters a reluctant `Yes' to U.S. - Aksam Gul: War inevitable - Turkiye Gul: Iraq operation after Sacrifice Holiday - Vatan NSC gives green light for `Northern Front' - Milliyet 2/2 3,000 bombs on Baghdad in 48 hours - Hurriyet $14 billion to Turkey in return for transit of 50,000 U.S. troops - Hurriyet 2/1 TGS deploys Hawk missiles to cover airports against Iraqi attacks - Sabah Erdogan rejects NSC criticism about Cyprus - Hurriyet 2/2 OPINION MAKERS Washington impatient, demands immediate authorization - Cumhuriyet Washington uneasy with NSC decisions - Cumhuriyet 2/2 Decision week for Turkey - Radikal Yakis: Turkey asks NATO for Patriot, AWACS protection - Radikal 2/2 Rice: We'll run Iraq `temporarily' after Saddam - Zaman 3200 American poets declare February 12 `Poetry Day Against War' - Yeni Safak UN Cyprus plan to bring $7.8 billion cost - Yeni Safak 2/2 Columbia crashes, U.S. in shock - Zaman 2/2 FINANCIAL JOURNALS Turkey, Syria tie $300 million trade deal - Dunya Iraq crisis increased Turkey's energy bill by 14 percent - Finansal Forum BRIEFING Iraq: Papers report Prime Minister Gul's announcement of the government's decision to give support to the U.S. on Iraq. The long-term interests of Turkey oblige us to provide support to the U.S., Gul said. He added that the U.S. wanted to begin upgrading Turkish bases and ports before February 10, and that a related draft would be submitted to the parliament in two or three days. If approved by the parliament on February 6, the government will ask the TGS to sign a related protocol with the U.S.. The U.S. will step up pressure on the government for a swift parliamentary approval, whereas the AKP will delay a decision to avoid reaction from its grassroots, according to dailies. Opposition CHP's leader Baykal said his party would approve deployment of Turkish troops in Northern Iraq, but would object to the stationing of U.S. troops in Turkey. The Turkish military's buildup on the Iraqi border continued over the weekend. Friday's National Security Council (NSC) meeting advised the government to get parliamentary approval for deployment of U.S. troops in Turkey, and for sending Turkish troops to Northern Iraq. Reports speculate that the government will seek parliamentary approval for war only after all peace attempts are exhausted and a new UN decision is reached. Sunday's dailies write that the U.S., unhappy with the GOT's intention to wait for a resolution by the UNSC, is urging the Turkish side to make a decision before the Sacrifice Holiday that begins this weekend. Cyprus: In an exclusive to "Sabah," U/S of State Marc Grossman has urged the sides to exert effort for the approval of the UN-sponsored Cyprus peace plan before the February 28 deadline. Grossman refrained from criticizing Denktas. If the Cyprus issue is resolved, Grossman said, the EU's full membership negotiations with Turkey might even start earlier than the scheduled date of December 2004. Grossman made clear that the U.S. would oppose any agreement that would carry the island back to the pre-1974 situation. In response to a NSC warning that statements which might weaken Denktas' hand should be avoided, AKP leader Erdogan said that Turkey's interests require a compromise in Cyprus, and that the Annan plan was an opportunity that must be seized. Edelman slated as new U.S. envoy to Turkey: Dailies cite a NYT story which claimed that Vice President Cheney's advisor, Eric Edelman, was the candidate to replace U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Robert Pearson. A specialist on Russia, Edelman could be assigned to Ankara this summer. Erdogan critical of autonomous boards: In response to press reports criticizing the Banking Supervisory and Control Board (BDDK) protocol with the bankrupt Pamukbank, which relieves the owner Mehmet Emin Karamehmet of his $5.2 billion debt, AKP leader Erdogan said that the government had nothing to do with the operation. `We prefer autonomous boards to be subject to political authority. Bankrupt banks have already put a $50 billion burden on the economy, and such moves add to that amount,' Erdogan complained. EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq "The plans for northern Iraq and Ankara's delay" Washington correspondent of mass appeal Milliyet, Yasemin Congar wrote (2/3): "Mark your calendar for the meeting in Erbil on February 15. The Iraqi opposition meeting will determine the fate of the Iraqi regime once Saddam is gone. . Despite the ongoing full-speed planning in Washington about the future shape of Iraq, Turkey has still not finalized its decision. The AKP apparently has felt an enormous burden over its responsibility on this issue, yet this is only causing Ankara to become less influential on the process. . The Bush administration is watching the Turkish parliament very closely. If the AKP administration decides to call a parliamentary session after the religious holiday, it might have a negative affect on Washington's operational plans as well as Ankara's plans about northern Iraq." "Matter of weeks, or maybe days" Hasan Unal wrote in Islamic-intellectual Zaman (2/3): "The statements of Bush and Blair provide a clear indication about the timing of the coming war. The US will evidently not sit and watch after its immense military build-up. The current conditions indicate the start of a war within the February-March period. . The war might begin despite all of Turkey's efforts for a diplomatic solution. Once the war starts, Turkey will be inevitably on the US's side, yet the delayed action will prevent Turkey from making its case about Iraq to its allies. It will not only work against Turkey's interests, but also bring a lot trouble in the near- term. In the event that Turkey persists in opposing a war, the US will act unilaterally, and the reshaping of Iraq will certainly be against Turkey's interests and security concerns. . Both of these options are very dangerous for Turkey. . The best option seems to be Turkey's full involvement in this affair after very good bargaining with the US based on Turkey's interests and benefits. Yet time is running out for us to achieve such a goal. We do not have the luxury to waste time or consume our energy with ideological rationale. At least the AKP government should stay away from the anti-war debates based on ideological justifications. Otherwise we will face not only undesired developments in Iraq but also lose America's friendship." PEARSON