Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ANKARA2008
2004-04-07 04:28:00
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 03 ANKARA 002008

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,
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2004


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


HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION


HEADLINES


MASS APPEAL
Bush to ATC: We are grateful for Turkey's friendship -
Milliyet
NSC: Cyprus responsibility is the government's - Aksam
PM Erdogan: We must do our part for Cyprus solution -
Turkiye
Athens ups pressure on Greek Cypriots for `Yes' -Milliyet
Es-Sadr the new nuisance for US - Milliyet
Shiites revolt against US - Turkiye
US orders arrest of es-Sadr - Hurriyet
Bremer: Es-Sadr a bandit - Sabah
US troops besiege Sunni Fallujah - Aksam
`Scapegoat' Rice may leave post - Sabah
Sharon: Arafat deserves death - Milliyet


OPINION MAKERS
Denktas: Annan Plan no protection for Turks - Zaman
Denktas: Referenda must be postponed - Cumhuriyet
Denktas: UN Plan a plot against Turkey - Radikal
Denktas launches a `No' campaign - Yeni Safak
Talat: `No' will bring disaster - Yeni Safak
US fighting on two fronts in Iraq - Cumhuriyet
US fans the fire in Iraq - Radikal
Shiites, US troops clash: 59 killed - Zaman
Shiite resistance spreading - Yeni Safak
US may delay transfer of authority in Iraq - Cumhuriyet
Sharon to US: Israel defending itself, just like US - Zaman




BRIEFING


Cyprus: A statement issued by Turkey's National Security
Council (NSC) after a special Cyprus meeting on Monday noted
the necessity of making the Turkish derogations in the UN-
sponsored peace plan part of EU primary law, and urged the
government to follow closely the implementation of
guarantees given to the Turkish side. The statement said
that the responsibility for avoiding future problems
regarding bi-zonality, Turkey's status as a guarantor power
and the Turkish military presence in Cyprus falls on the
Government. "Cumhuriyet" interpreted the statement as the
NSC declining to accept responsibility for the Government's
Cyprus policy. If the Annan Plan is accepted at the April
24 referenda, Ankara will ask EU members to endorse the plan
in their national parliaments. Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot
leader Denktas said in an address to the Bursa Bar
Association on Monday that the Annan Plan would lead to a
scenario in which Turkey would be partitioned. `If the UN
plan is accepted, the EU will delay Turkey's accession to

get even more concessions,' Denktas claimed. Denktas
stressed that under the plan, the `TRNC' will be eliminated
within 10-15 years. However, `TRNC Prime Minister' Talat
said that the UN blueprint had been clarified in
Switzerland, and added that approving the plan would save
the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey from big problems. Prime
Minister Erdogan said at a cabinet meeting yesterday that
the latest Annan Plan was the `last chance' for Turks.
"Hurriyet" claims that Cypriot leaders Denktas and
Papadopoulos have made a secret deal to postpone the
referenda currently scheduled for April 24.


President Bush visit to Turkey: Preparation has started for
President Bush's upcoming visit to Turkey for the June NATO
Summit in Istanbul. Bush will arrive in Ankara June 26 and
will be accompanied by 1,000 other people. President Bush
will hold meetings with Turkey's leaders the following day,
before proceeding to Istanbul to attend the NATO Summit June
28-29. He will depart Turkey on June 29. Turkey will be
taking tight security measures for the Bush visit, dailies
report, and the NATO Summit will cost Turkey an estimated
TL33 trillion.


General Jumper visits Ankara: US Air Force Commander
General John Jumper met with his Turkish counterpart,
General Ibrahim Firtina, in Ankara on Monday. General
Jumper discussed the US Greater Middle East initiative and
the use of American bases in Turkey for operations in the
Middle East, according to press reports.


Crackdown on DHKP-C: Dailies say that 20 of the 63 DHKP-C
members detained in Turkey in a coordinated operation with
European countries were senior officials of the terrorist
organization. Papers criticize Belgium for sheltering DHKP-
C terrorists, including the organization's leader, Dursun
Karatas. DHKP-C member Fehriye Erdal, the main suspect in
the murder of Turkish industrialist Ozdemir Sabanci, was
released after being briefly detained by Belgian authorities
last week. Sabanci family lawyers, however, say that a
legal procedure will soon be underway to bring Erdal to
justice for the murder.


EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq


"Invasion of Iraq takes the world backwards 100 years"
Hakan Celik argued in the mass appeal-sensational Posta
(4/6): "It is the anniversary of Iraq's invasion, yet after
more than a year there is zero gain with regard to
stability. Not only Iraq, but the whole Middle East region
has fallen into a spiral of terrorism. This situation can
be interpreted as the world being sent backwards for 100
years. . All of the pretexts for invasion of Iraq have
proven to be false. However, the unstable atmosphere helped
terrorist organizations a great deal in carrying out their
bloody actions in the name of vengeance. The terrorists are
using religious motives to justify their actions, and the
whole process is leading to a war between religions. .
Recent clashes between American troops and the Shiites pose
a serious threat for the future of Iraq. President Bush
might sincerely regret the invasion someday, but the fact of
the matter is that the withdrawal of American troops from
Iraq would not solve anything at this point. The chaos in
Iraq is growing by the day."


"Bringing a new order to the Middle East"
Murat Yetkin observed in the liberal-intellectual Radikal
(4/6): "Paul Bremer is facing a serious dilemma. Attacks
against American forces require a proper response to enforce
US authority, but the retaliation might aggravate Shiite
groups even more. The real conflict in the Middle East is
about the Palestine-Israel problem, and there are
discouraging signs on that issue as well. The assassination
of the Hamas leader and growing tension in the region have
further diminished hopes for a solution. Washington, on the
other hand, is working on a big project for the Middle East
with ambitious goals such as bringing democracy to the
Islamic world. The masterminds of the GME initiative seem
to miss a very important point: Turkey is the only Muslim
country with a working liberal economy and a democracy.
Turkey's success stems from the fact that Turkey managed to
separate the state from religion in its ruling sstructure. .
The Bush administration fails to realize the crucial
difference that secularism can make, or perhaps does not
want to emphasize this policy line in order not to upset pro-
American dictatorships in the region."


"Iraq Dead End"
Zeynep Atikkan noted in the sensational-mass appeal Aksam
(4/6): "There is no solution when a mistake has been made.
Developments in Iraq are proof of this fact. The US has
come face to face with a civil war in light of the most
recent Shiite rebellion. Meanwhile the US still plans to
turn over authority to the Iraqis on June 30. No one pays
much attention anymore to US promises to bring peace to Iraq
and the Middle East. After the bloody uprising started in
Basra and Baghdat, two US senators, Richard Lugar and Joe
Biden, predicted a civil war in Iraq and noted the
difficulty of transferring the administration to the Iraqis
in these circumstances. The chaos grows in Iraq with every
passing day. It will be difficult for President Bush to
portray himself as a successful war leader during the
current election campaign. Even the Republicans prefer to
keep quiet when the Iraq issue is mentioned in the US. As
these latest developments demonstrate, it is no longer
possible to defend this war."


EDELMAN