ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001755

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
FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2005

THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
-------------- --------------

HEADLINES

MASS APPEAL
Moderate Dictator Akayev Toppled in 3 Hours - Milliyet
Civil Coup in Kyrgyzstan - Turkiye
Tajikistan Is Next - Milliyet
Vandals, Looters Out of Control in Kyrgyzstan - Hurriyet
Ankara to Send Delegation to Bishkek - Milliyet
Azerbaijan's Aliyev Releases Dissidents - Sabah
US Historian McCarthy Gives `Genocide' Lecture - Sabah
McCarthy: Armenian `Genocide' Turkey's Entrance Fee to EU -
Aksam

OPINION MAKERS
AKP's Incirlik Airbase `Flirt' With US - Cumhuriyet
Kyrgyz Opposition Topples Akayev - Radikal
`Velvet Revolution' Spills to Central Asia - Zaman
US-Supported Coup in Bishkek - Yeni Safak
Ankara Wants `People's Will' to Prevail in Kyrgyzstan -
Zaman
EU Prefers Kiev to Ankara - Radikal
Majority of Europeans Oppose Turkey in EU - Cumhuriyet
Richard Perle Accused of Corruption - Cumhuriyet


BRIEFING

The Kyrgyz Uprising: Turkish papers give extensive front-
page coverage to the toppling of President Skar Akayev in
Kyrgyzstan. Dailies see the unrest in Kyrgyzstan as another
link in the chain of popular uprisings in former Soviet
republics. Russia has lost another stronghold in the
region, reports say. Columnists regard poverty and
oppression as the main factors that triggered the uprising,
while some news stories hold the George Soros Foundation
responsible for supporting the opposition in the country.
Some commentators speculate that Armenia could be next on
the list of countries facing popular uprisings. The Turkish
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a call for
restraint to all groups in Kyrgyzstan. Ankara will send a
diplomatic delegation to Kyrgyzstan in an effort to ensure
the safety of Turks there. The MFA is preparing to evacuate
some 300 Turkish nationals in Kyrgyzstan.

Ankara Expected to Allow US Use of Incirlik Airbase:
Several dailies today expect the Turkish government to
respond before April 24 to a US request to use Incirlik
Airbase as a logistical cargo hub for US operations in Iraq
and Afghanistan. In saying yes to the cargo hub, Ankara
will also urge Washington to block recognition of Armenian
`genocide' claims in the US Congress. Ankara is also
planning to secure the support of the Jewish lobby on the
Armenian issue. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is expected
to announce soon an official visit to Palestine and Israel
that will take place in early May. "Cumhuriyet" says that
the AKP government is planning to use the Incirlik issue to
soften looming tensions with the US with regard to Syria and
Iran. The Turkish government and military oppose possible
US use of Incirlik for air strikes against Iran and Syria,
papers report. Meanwhile, PM Erdogan has asked for an
appointment with President Bush during a visit to the United
States in May. "Cumhuriyet" reports that FM Gul and
Parliament Speaker Arince will also travel to the US in the
coming months.

Anti-Semitic Sentiment Influenced Ambassador Edelman's
Resignation: A senior US source is reported by "Vatan" as
saying that growing anti-Semitism in Turkey influenced
Ambassador Eric Edelman's decision to resign his post in
Ankara. The unidentified US diplomatic source said that
Edelman had come to Ankara with very positive feelings about
the country. However, Edelman lost his enthusiasm for
Turkey due to growing anti-Semitic sentiment in the country.
The West has started paying attention some Islamist-oriented
papers like "Yeni Safak," "Vakit," and "Milli Gazete"
because these papers are supported by the ruling AK Party,
the source said. `The Turkish government supports anti-
Semitic publications. Excerpts from these papers are
translated and sent to lawmakers in the United States and
Europe,' he added. The US source also stressed that the AKP
has ignored warnings to exert more control of its deputies
in parliament.

US Diplomat Subject of Protest in Tunceli: US Deputy Consul
in Adana, Alicia Allison, faced a protest in Tunceli
province when she called on the city's mayor on Thursday,
"Hurriyet" reports. Several hundred protesters asked
Allison to leave, and shouted slogans like `Killer US out of
the Middle East.' Allison said that such things can happen
in democracies, and stressed that she supported the freedom
to speak and to demonstrate.

Ankara Expected to Initial EU Protocol: Prime Minister
Erdogan has asked his Greek counterpart Karamanlis for
support against pressure from the EU to recognize the Greek
Cypriot administration in Cyprus, "Cumhuriyet" reports,
citing the Greek press. The two leaders met over dinner in
Brussels last week. Karamanlis later told President
Papadopoulos that Nicosia should be content with Ankara's
initialing of its adaptation protocol with the EU, and
should not press for the signing of the document which may
amount to recognition of the Greek Cypriots by Turkey.
Ankara will initial the protocol soon, but its approval in
Turkish parliament is expected to take as much as one and a
half year.

Uzans Hold $200 Million in Swiss Banks: Turkish business
tycoon and Youth Party (GP) leader Cem Uzan apologized in a
letter to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan for criticizing him
during a political rally, "Vatan" reports. Uzan wrote that
he appreciated the AKP government's anti-corruption campaign
and would like to discuss the situation of `Imar Bank,'
which was seized last year by Turkey's banking regulatory
board. The Uzans are facing trial for their alleged
embezzlement from Imar Bank. Meanwhile, "Radikal" reports
that two tons of gold and $200 million that Turkish
authorities sought after the 2003 collapse of Imar Bank are
now in Swiss banks. Turkey and Switzerland are reportedly
cooperating in a money laundering investigation against the
Uzans.

Professor McCarthy Addresses Turkish Parliament: Aamerican
historian Professor Justin McCarthy of Louisville University
told the Turkish Parliament that what happened between the
Armenians and Ottoman Turks in 1915 was war, not `genocide.'
`Genocide' claims will be used to block Turkey's membership
to the European Union, McCarthy stressed. McCarthy advised
Turkey to fund translations from Turkish into English and
other European languages of historical records providing
evidence that there was no genocide. McCarthy questioned
`why Turkey would want to join an organization that requires
it to admit to a lie just to gain membership.'

Dervis to Quit Politics if selected to Lead UNDP: Former
economy minister and CHP Istanbul lawmaker Kemal Dervis said
yesterday that he will quit politics if he is chosen to lead
the UN Development Program. If he is selected, Dervis will
go to New York for a four-year term to run the important UN
agency.


EDITORIAL OPINION: Kyrgyzstan

"Time for Change in Bishkek"
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (3/25):
"Events in Bishkek yesterday very much resemble the `ORANGE
revolution' in Ukraine and the `velvet revolution' in
Georgia. Unlike Georgia and Ukraine, however, there is no
leadership yet with the charisma and popularity necessary to
motivate and lead the movement in Kyrgyzstan. The success
of the opposition movement and the ultimate defeat of
President Akayev will require a more convincing leadership.
Otherwise, Kyrgyzstan will suffer from a lack of stability.
It is hard to predict the fate of the current opposition,
because the situation is changing by the minute. At this
point, the best hope is that the winds of reform and
democracy will not bring instability and unrest to
Kyrgyzstan."

"Russia is Helpless"
Erdal Safak wrote in the mass appeal "Sabah" (3/25): "I am
happy to note that the `good virus' of democracy has now
reached as far as Kyrgyzstan. Given the recent speech by
President Bush in Bratislava, in which he said that freedom
is like a magnet for all peoples, current developments in
Bishkek are not surprising. In fact, they should have been
expected. . Russia seems to have taken a lesson from the
case of Ukraine, and has remained cautious and silent
regarding Kyrgyzstan. So much so that Putin declined to
meet with Akayev when he secretly visited Moscow on March 20
in the hopes of getting more Russian support. It remains to
be seen whether Russia has really understood that the
corrupt leaders of the former Soviet republics will not be
supported by their people any longer. It also remains
unclear whether the Russians are planning some kind of
retaliation. The most likely next stops for the `democracy'
virus will be Belarus and Armenia."

"Will the ORANGE Revolution Be Successful in Kyrgyzstan?"
Akif Emre observed in the Islamist-opinion maker "Yeni
Safak" (3/25): "Strategically speaking, Kyrgyzstan is
located in a very sensitive and fragile region. Because of
its location, the country has a strategic military
importance. Sharing a border with China makes the country
very important not only for the US, but for Russia as well.
Therefore, Kyrgyzstan is the only country in the world that
hosts both Russian and American military bases on its
territory. During the occupation of Afghanistan, the US
military fully settled itself in the country. Currently,
both American and Russian military bases are actively
operating in Kyrgyzstan. Last year, Akayev announced that
he was not going to run for the presidency again. The White
House responded immediately with a statement saying that the
US was `pleased with Akayev's decision.' However, Akayev
tested his power during the last election, and the
successful results encouraged Akayev to sit for this year's
presidential elections. The opposition's concern was under
the rule of this government, the western support they were
hoping for would never come. Actually, Russia has already
rejected the opposition's request for assistance. I really
think that these two countries (Russian and the US) cannot
take the risk of chaos in Kyrgyzstan. Furthermore, the
opposition in that still hasn't articulated clearly what it
really wants."

DEUTSCH