ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000057

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, JANUARY 5, 2005


THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

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

HEADLINES

MASS APPEAL
FM Gul's shuttle diplomacy -- Israel, Palestine, Syria -
Aksam
Arab press display interest in Gul visit to Israel -
Hurriyet
PM Erdogan says Turkey has no hidden designs on Mosul -
Sabah
Governor of Baghdad assassinated - Milliyet
Sunnis want Iraqi elections postponed - Aksam
Turkish Red Crescent takes $400,000 to tsunami victims -
Hurriyet
Oil-rich Arabs `stingy' in helping tsunami-stricken regions
- Vatan

OPINION MAKERS
FM Gul: Turkey ready to contribute to efforts for Middle
East peace - Cumhuriyet
Israel gives Gul bloody welcome: Israelis kill 7 in
Palestine - Cumhuriyet
Zarkawi's group kills governor of Baghdad - Radikal
Another Turkish trucker killed in Iraq - Zaman
Iraqi intelligence chief: 200,000 rebels fighting in Iraq -
Cumhuriyet
Israel kills 7 children - Yeni Safak
Israeli tank fire kills 7 children - Radikal
German official: Al-Qaeda has trained 70,000 militants -
Cumhuriyet
Bush to renew image: US increases aid for tsunami victims -
Cumhuriyet
16 Turks still missing in South Asia - Cumhuriyet
Aceh is left to die - Yeni Safak


BRIEFING

FM Gul in Israel: Visiting Turkish FM Abdullah Gul met
Israeli leaders Tuesday in an effort to repair strained ties
between the two countries. Gul carried with him a goodwill
message from Syria. Gul was received by President Moshe
Katsav before meeting with FM Silvan Shalom, PM Ariel
Sharon, and Labor party leader Shimon Peres. `We need to
put all the tension behind us, because there is a new
atmosphere in the region," Gul said. `Now is not the time
to criticize. We must look at positive things,' Gul told
Israel's "Haaretz" daily in an interview published on
Tuesday. `In my estimation, the Syrians are serious and
their intentions are good,' Gul told "Haaretz," adding that
`they want to take part in the peace process, they are ready
to resume talks without preconditions, and they expect a
positive Israeli response.' Papers report that the Israelis
gave a cool response to the Turks' proposal for mediation,
urging Turkey to first help in bringing an end to terrorism
supported by Syria and Palestinians. The Israeli side also
reportedly rejected the idea of short-term talks with Syria,
preferring instead to concentrate efforts on the
`Palestinian track.' The Israeli side ecouraged Turkey to
play an active role in Gaza following the planned withdrawl
by Israeli forces. According to "Sabah," the Turkish role
could include training, reconstruction, political and
security reforms, and participation in a local peacekeeping
force. In a joint news conference with his Israeli
counterpart, Gul said: `Bilateral relations with Israel are
already very good. Our trade volume has reached $2
billion.' Gul noted that Turkey is the second most popular
destination in the world, drawing about 300,000 tourists
last year. `The friendship between the two countries is
solid,' Gul said. Gul was accompanied on his trip by a
large delegation of Turkish businessmen and lawmakers. On
Wednesday, Gul will meet with Palestinian leaders, including
FM Nabil Shaath, PM Ahmed Qorei and Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) leader Mahmud Abbas, who is widely
expected to win next Sunday's presidential election. The
FM's visit to Israel is expected to pave the way for a visit
to the region by PM Erdogan later in the year. Meanwhile,
Islamist-oriented "Zaman" reports State Department
Spokesman Adam Ereli's comments calling for Turkey to
contribute to ensuring the end of attacks by terrorist
groups operating in areas under Palestinian control.

US-Turkey-Iraq security meeting to take place in Ankara: US
State Department Undersecretary William Burns told Turkish
officials during his recent visit that there are options
other than a military operation that could diminish the PKK
terrorist threat in Iraq, "Cumhuriyet" reports. Turkish,
American and Iraqi officials are to meet in Ankara January
11 to discuss ways to address the terrorist presence in
northern Iraq. A large US delegation is expected to visit
Ankara for the meetings next week, according to
"Cumhuriyet."

Turkish truck driver killed in Iraq: A Turkish truck driver
was killed in an ambush north of Baghdad on Tuesday, papers
report. The Turkish trucker, whose identity was not
immediately available, was reportedly working under contract
with the US military. Thus far, 79 Turks have lost their
lives in Iraq in ambushes or at the hands of hostage takers.

Possible Cabinet Revision: The press continues to circulate
reports that PM Erdogan intends to shuffle his cabinet,
perhaps even as early as today. "Cumhuriyet" speculates
that four ministers, including Defense Minister Gonul, could
leave the Cabinet, and at least 2-3 other ministers could
switch positions. Some predict that the Prime Minister will
present a new Cabinet list to President Sezer in a meeting
scheduled to take place this afternoon at the Presidential
Palace.

New Turkish penal code brings jail terms for politicians
speaking in Kurdish: Recent amendments to the Turkish Penal
Code (TCK),which were enacted swiftly before the EU summit
in December, include a provision that carries a prison
sentence of up to 20 years for politicians who speak in
Kurdish during election campaigns, "Cumhuriyet" claims.
Some articles in the new penal code constitute a violation
of the European Convention on Human Rights, according to the
report.

Debates on a presidential regime for Turkey: The ruling AK
Party has come under fire in the press for backing a shift
to a semi-presidential form of government. "Cumhuriyet"
quotes critics of the proposal, who say that such a system
could bring a more authoritarian form of government to
Turkey.

US Embassy in Sofia `saves' fugitive Turkish businessman:
Turkish police are expected to demand from Bulgaria the
extradition of Yahya Murat Demirel, a Turkish businessman
who had been on trial for embezzlement. Demirel, who lives
under a travel ban because of his ongoing court case, was
detained in Bulgaria over the weekend for illegally entering
the country. Islamist-oriented "Yeni Safak" claims that the
US Embassy in Sofia intervened to secure the release of
Demirel's wife, Aysenur Esenler, who is allegedly a US
citizen.

EDITORIAL OPINION:

? US-Turkish Relations
? The US and Tsunami Relief
? The Ukraine Election
"Adjustments and Common Interests With the US"
Sami Kohen observed in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (01/05):
"Turkey-US relations need to be adjusted based on the two
countries' common interests. We should be aware that Turkey
and the US are currently not on the same frequency. In
fact, they're not even close to each other as they were
during the Cold War. New problems surfaced (the Kurdish
establishment in Northern Iraq, the continued PKK presence,
for example) that pushed Turkey and the US apart. How could
the needed adjustments be made? There needs to be dialogue,
of course. But first, both sides should consider some basic
points. The US should accept the fact that many things have
changed in Turkey. These changes include Ankara's
unhappiness with US policies, as expressed at the official
level, and the spread of Anti-American feeling among the
Turkish people. Turkey should accept the reality of US
interest and activity in this region and try to solve
problems with the US as an ally rather than by showing its
constant displeasure. The visit of the US Deputy Secretary
of State to Ankara can be considered as a step on this path.
Although no concrete result came out of the visit, but the
decision to continue to meet and discuss gives us hope that
a new process - that will be based on common interests -- is
on the way."

"The Tsunami is more Photogenic than Fallujah"
Meral Tamer wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (01/05):
"The numbers roll across the bottom of the screen - 94,102
dead in Indonesia, 29,729 dead in Sri Lanka, 9,479 dead in
India, 5,187 dead in Thailand. And constantly we are told
that the numbers can always go higher! In recent days there
has been a rush for TV ratings in coverage of the tsunami.
Television around the world continues to show the same
images -- the bloated bodies, the dead boy wedged up against
ORANGE crates.If someone is looking for swollen bodies, we
have more than we could possibly want in Fallujah - bodies
that lay in the streets like that for weeks. But Fallujah
isn't as photogenic as South Asia. It doesn't give good
pictures. Even their outfits aren't as colorful as they are
in Asia - so monotonous and dreary! And what can we say
about the assistance comedy? The US administration, after a
9.0 earthquake, managed to collect 1 million dollars in
private donations. How quickly has it been forgotten that
13 billion dollars were sent to the state of Florida
following the three hurricanes that struck there last year?
After pressure from the UN and international aid
organizations, the Bush Administration announced that it
would raise its assistance to 15 million, then to 35 million
dollars. Then the braintrust of the Bush administration got
a bright idea. According to an article in "The New York
Times," the US now thinks that, thanks to the tsunami, it
may be able to repair the negative and shocking images it
has created for itself in Iraq. The US Administration, by
leaving the UN out, could perhaps form a South Asia
Assistance Team and, through an effort similar to the
Marshall Plan, regain some of its lost prestige. So the
Bush Administration started throwing money around, raising
its assistance contribution to 350 million dollars. In
coming days, I won't be surprised to see on my television
screen the image of tender-hearted American soldiers
lowering assistance packages to victims. Be prepared for TV
images of US soldiers springing out of the American naval
fleet to bandage the wounded and give milk to little babies,
and for assistance packages with US flags to be dropped from
US planes. We're in the media age! Images are everything!
Looking at it from the humanitarian perspective, in this
kind of universal disaster that calls for a blank check for
unlimited assistance, the two-facedness of the `civilized'
human being has come out immediately. There were even those
who were inconvenienced by the fact that this natural
disaster fell during the New Year's holiday. Because US
President Bush and his sidekick, Tony Blair, were on
holiday, they were only able to comprehend the situation
after a delay of 3 days."

"A Troublesome Election"
Zafer Atay commented in the economic-political "Dunya"
(01/05): "Moscow has not yet let go of Ukraine, even though
it has been an independent country for more than 10 years.
The reasons for this are obvious. Ukraine has valuable
resources for Russia, especially in the energy sector.
Eighty percent of the natural gas Moscow sells to Europe,
including to Turkey, is transported through Ukraine. So
far, all governments in Ukraine have managed to maintain
good relations with Russia. Yushchenko also kept these good
relations with Russia during his time in the Ukrainian
government. Sensing the public resentment against Russia,
however, during the presidential campaign Yushchenko
promised to move Ukraine closer to the west and to apply for
NATO and EU membership. Naturally, this stance has angered
the Kremlin. There was even an attempt to kill Yushchenko
by poisoning him. In short, Russia, which has already lost
many of its former republics to NATO and the EU, does not
want to lose Ukraine as well. In order to melt the ice with
Russia, Yushchenko has announced that his first official
visit after he is sworn in will be to Moscow. But even this
announcement has not managed to soften up Putin."

EDELMAN