ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS ANKARA 000837 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 14, 2005 THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- -------------- European Union Moscow's initial reaction to Turkey drawing closer to the EU was lukewarm. "If you enter the EU we cannot meet frequently," Putin was reported as telling his host, Prime Minister Erdogan, during the former's visit to Ankara in late 2004. However, at the two leaders' next meeting in Moscow in January 2005, Putin already said that Russia was in favour of Turkey's EU membership, primarily since it promised to open up new trading channels for Russia. ''We welcome Turkey's success at the EU Brussels summit,'' Putin said in Moscow. ''I hope that Turkey's integration in the European Union will open up a new horizon for Russian- Turkish business cooperation.'' EDELMAN