ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 006182

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, OCTOBER 12, 2005

THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

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

Wednesday, October 12, 2005
HEADLINES


MASS APPEAL
Earthquake Destroys 1,000 Hospitals in Pakistan - Hurriyet
Gul: Reopening of Halki Seminary Not Urgent - Sabah
EU to Release Turkey Progress Report on November 9 - Bugun
Rice's First Stop Kyrgyzstan on Central Asia Tour - Tercuman
Athens Won't Join Greek Cypriot Nikiforos Military Exercise
- Hurriyet
Eighteen Turkish Human Traffickers Detained in Britain -
Milliyet
British Police Crackdown on Turkish Human Smuggling Gang -
Vatan

OPINION MAKERS
Pakistanis Fume at Government for Delaying Aid Distribution
- Cumhuriyet
Rice Angers Armenian Lobby in the US - Cumhuriyet
Rice's `Effectiveness' Tour in Central Asia - Radikal
British Police Smash Turkish-Kurds' Human Smuggling `Empire'
- Radikal
EU Criticizes Britain's Anti-Terror Law - Zaman
Iraq under Referendum Siege - Yeni Safak
Khalilzad Pressures Iraqi Groups to Compromise on
Constitution - Cumhuriyet
USD One Billion of Corruption in Iraqi Military - Radikal
Arrest Warrant for 4 Iraqi Ministers - Yeni Safak
Bombs Kill 64 in Baghdad, Tal Afar - Yeni Safak
Bakiyev: US Can Use the Manas Base as Long as it Needs -
Zaman


BRIEFING

Wexler Joins EU Fast-Breaking Dinner in Brussels: US
Congressman Robert Wexler joined a Muslim fast-breaking
dinner (Iftar) at the European Parliament together with some
European and Turkish lawmakers on Tuesday evening, "Zaman"
reports from Brussels. Wexler called on the Turkish nation
to consider the friendship between the two countries and the
support provided by Washington with regard to Turkey's EU
drive, and to `tone down' criticism against the United
States. `Both the United States and Turkey need each
other,' Wexler said. Wexler said it was `relieving' that EU
accession negotiations with Turkey kicked off October 3,
adding that the opening of talks had ended the debates
whether Turkey is European or not. Wexler stressed that the
negotiation process will bring full membership and advised
Ankara not to make concessions on reforms, says the report.

Turkey Sends Aid to Pakistani Earthquake Victims: Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan told the ruling AK Party group
meeting yesterday that the Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay)
had been the first group to take international aid to
Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir which was
stricken badly in the South Asian earthquake. Erdogan said
that Turkey dispatched to Pakistan 93 rescue and health
teams, five vehicles, two ambulances and 23 journalists on
four cargo planes. The Turkish aid team also took to
Muzaffarabad USD 250,000 in cash, 10 tons of blood, infant
food and hygiene materials, he said, adding that 40 doctors,
one ambulance, tents, 12 tons of food and 10,000 blankets
will be sent tomorrow. `Our cooperation with Pakistani
officials and humanitarian aid to Pakistan will continue,'
Erdogan noted. Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriots sent five
doctors, 12 rescue workers, 2,500 blankets and 21 tons of
food on a cargo plane to Pakistan on Tuesday, papers report.

Avian Flu Threat in Turkey: On Tuesday, Health Minister
Recep Akdag ruled out the risk of infection of humans in the
current bird flu crisis in Turkey, adding that the ministry
had prepared a national action program to cope with possible
crises. The Agriculture Ministry said the same day that
some 7,000 turkeys and hens have so far been culled in the
quarantined three-kilometer-square area around the town of
Manyas near the Aegean Sea. However, the Turkish
Veterinarians' Union said that the virus is likely to spread
to other wetlands in Turkey via migrating birds. The EU
Commission, Greece, Croatia, Kosovo and Ukraine suspended
imports of poultry from Turkey following the first bird flu
outbreak in the country. Meanwhile, a laboratory in London
set to test the bird flu virus found in Turkey is to
announce within days whether it is the highly dangerous H5N1
strain, papers report.

Gul on Turkey/EU, Kosovo: Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
told journalists on his plane while en route to Kosovo that
Turkish Cyprus will go its own way if a lasting solution
under the supervision of the UN is not found in Cyprus. Gul
said that the parliamentary ratification of the extension of
Turkey's customs union to cover new EU member states
including Cyprus was not an `urgent issue' on the Turks'
agenda, along with the reopening of the Greek Orthodox Halki
Seminary in Istanbul. On his trip to Kosovo, Gul said that
there were more Kosovars living in Turkey than there are
living in Kosovo. `All the Balkans are our relatives,' Gul
said: `I hope that all this geography will be within the
European Union and NATO in the future and the fighting will
be buried in history.'

Gul Visits Pristina, Belgrade: Foreign Minister Gul met
with the Kosovar Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi and lawmakers
in Pristina on Tuesday. Kosovar lawmakers praised the role
of Turkish peacekeepers in the region and asked for Turkey's
support of economic development in Kosovo. Gul said after
meeting with PM Kosumi that Turkey favored peace, stability
and cooperation in the Balkans. Kosumi thanked Gul for
Turkey's support in determining the final status of Kosovo,
voicing belief that Kosovo will be independent in June 2006.
President Ibrahim Rugova said after receiving Gul that
discussions on UNSG Annan's Kosovo report at the UN Security
Council on October 24 will constitute a milestone on the way
to the independence of Kosovo. Gul moved on to Belgrade
later in the same day to be received by Serbian President
Boris Tadic. Tadic said after meeting with Gul that Turkey
always backed Serbia's efforts in `Euro-Atlantic
integrations,' international wires report. Tadic also
pointed to the danger of further divisions within the EU in
case Kosovo went independent and called for a solution that
will meet Serbian, Albanian and Turkish interests. Gul said
that relations among Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey were very
good and stressed the need to further encourage economic
cooperation. On Wednesday, the Turkish FM met with the
President of Serbia and Montenegro, Svetozar Marovic, and
the Serbian PM, Vojislav Kostunica, to discuss bilateral
ties and recent developments in the Balkans. Gul will also
hold a meeting with FM Vuk Draskovic after which the two FMs
will sign two new agreements, say reports.

Turkish-Israeli Companies to Build Power Plant in Israel:
The Israeli Infrastructures Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer
visited Energy Minister Hilmi Guler yesterday, papers
report. After the meeting, Turkey's Zorlu Energy Group and
Israel's Solbar Industries signed an agreement to build a
USD 360 million power plant in Israel. The power plant will
start operating in 12 months. Ben-Eliezer said that
Israel's goal is to try and strengthen relations between
Turkey and Israel. He recalled the Pakistani-Israeli
meeting in Istanbul last month and said that Israel would
like to see Turkey continue acting as a bridge, especially
with the Islamic and Arab countries. Guler said that Turkey
wanted strong cooperation with Israel regarding water,
electricity, oil and natural gas. Ben-Eliezer was later
received by PM Erdogan and conveyed to the PM
congratulations from Ariel Sharon, Shimon Peres and Ehud
Barak over the opening of EU accession talks with Ankara,
say papers.

EU to Release Progress Report on Turkey: The EU Commission
progress report on Turkey to be released on November 9
outlines shortcomings such as the lawsuits filed against the
editor-in-chief of the Armenian weekly "Agos," Hirant Dink,
and renowned novelist Orhan Pamuk; police brutality against
women protestors; lynching attempts against leftist
demonstrators; penalties given to political cartoonists;
inhuman treatment of mental patients; deficiencies in the
law on non-Muslim minorities; as well as the lawsuit against
the Egitim-Sen labor union for defending the right to the
use mother languages in education, papers report. The
progress report lauds Turkish efforts to implement the
Copenhagen Criteria, the changes to the penal code and the
moves to curb inflation and interest rates. The report says
that despite progress in some areas, Turkey regressed on
some specific topics, say papers.

Schroeder Due in Istanbul: The outgoing German Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder is to arrive in Istanbul on Wednesday to
meet with Prime Minister Erdogan, papers report. Schroeder
is expected to discuss with Erdogan the new shape of EU-
Turkey relations in the aftermath of opening entry talks
with Ankara before leaving Turkey later in the day, say
reports.

Sezer to Attend BTC Ceremony in Georgia: President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer is to travel to Georgia on Thursday to attend
the commissioning ceremony of the Georgian section of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. Sezer will be
accompanied by the Energy Minister Hilmi Guler during the
visit. Georgian and Azerbaijani Presidents Saakashvili and
Aliyev will also join the inauguration. Oil pumping through
the Georgian section of the pipeline began in early August
this year.

British Police Smash Human Smuggling Ring: The British
police detained nine people suspected of bringing illegal
immigrants, predominantly Kurds from Turkey, into London in
a series of house raids on Tuesday, papers report. Police
said the operation, code-named `Blue Sky,' was the most
significant action taken against a huge, organized London-
based criminal network. Reports say that the smuggling
system was very `sophisticated,' adding that the migrants
would have paid between 3,000-5,000 pounds each to come to
Britain. The network's kingpins are Turkish Kurds who came
to Britain from Turkey as asylum seekers. Sources said that
the ring is estimated to have made tens of millions of
pounds from the trafficking of `tens of thousands of
people'.

Turkey to Construct Three Nuclear Plants in 2007: Turkey is
to kick off talks with France, the US, Canada, Russia and
South Korea this week to construct three nuclear plants in
2007, economic/political daily "Dunya" reports. The Turkish
Atomic Energy Institution (TAEK) and PM Erdogan are to
decide on the location of the nuclear facilities, says the
report.
Five Turkish Troops Killed in Fighting with the PKK: Five
Turkish troops were killed and one other was injured in a
clash with PKK terrorists near the Cirali village in the
eastern province of Tunceli early on Wednesday, wire
services report.


EDITORIAL OPINION: Pakistan; EU-Turkey; Syria
"Opportunity Came with the Disaster"
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (10/12): "One
of the countries that immediately sent relief aid to
Pakistan is India. India is considered an enemy of Pakistan
due to the Kashmir problem. But the earthquake disaster
brought the two sides together as Pakistan accepted India's
offer of help. Let's remember that Pakistan and India were
close to declaring war on each other in 2002 over Kashmir .
The earthquake in 1999 brought Turkey and Greece closer
together. Similarly, the tsunami disaster led to an
agreement on Indonesia-Aceh. The disaster in Kashmir can be
a tool to initiate a genuine peace process between India and
Pakistan. This seems to be a not-to-be-missed historical
opportunity."

"Critical Issues for Turkey"
Kamuran Ozbir commented in the nationalist "Ortadogu"
(10/12): "There is an interesting conflict in the EU: the
ruling elite of the EU support Turkey's membership. For
example, industrialists in France, chambers of commerce in
the UK, and military strategists in Germany are aware of the
benefits that Turkey's membership would bring. On the other
hand, the people of Europe do not want Turkey as a member.
The politicians try to handle this conflict. If the
politicians neglect Turkey, they will be acting against the
will of their own ruling elite. If they accept Turkey as a
result of the popular reaction, their political identity
will be damaged. Nevertheless, if Turkey presents itself as
a serious negotiator, great success will come from the
negotiations."

"The US Prepares for an Operation against Syria"
Erdal Guven wrote in the conservative/sensational "Tercuman"
(10/12): "There is no need to be a diviner or a strategy
expert to see that the US is getting ready for a military
operation against Syria. It was recently reported that
Secretary Rice prevented a US intervention against Syria.

SIPDIS
This tells us that the US is preparing the psychological
ground for a military operation against Syria. The US
applied the same tactics before the Iraq operation. First,
the possibility of an operation against Syria will be openly
debated in the media. Next, the plan for an operation will
be prepared. Then, when public support is gained, the US
will launch the operation."

MCELDOWNEY