Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report

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 008230

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
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2002

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

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

MASS APPEALS
Saddam gives in, opens palaces - Hurriyet
Saddam obeys, oil prices go down - Vatan
Forza Turkey: Berlusconi promises support - Sabah
Erdogan: We want a Catholic marriage with the EU - Milliyet
AKP: Changes to Cyprus map won't bother us - Aksam
Greek Cypriots approve UN Cyprus plan - Turkiye

OPINION MAKERS
Erdogan's pledges might become key for EU accession -
Radikal
Erdogan makes EU pledges in Rome - Cumhuriyet
Berlusconi supports Turkey for EU - Yeni Safak
Ankara uneasy on Cyprus plan - Zaman
Washington's Iraq preparation: CIA delegation at TGS -
Cumhuriyet

FINANCIAL JOURNALS
Businessmen happy with positive atmosphere in Rome - Dunya
Turkish companies deny U.S. claims on atropine - Finansal
Forum

BRIEFING

Cyprus: All eyes are turned to Turkish Cypriot leader
Denktas after Greek Cypriot officials gave a positive
initial reaction to the UN-sponsored Cyprus plan, papers
report. The plan demands that the two sides on the island
conclude negotiations by February 28, 2003, and that the
agreement be taken to referendum on March 30, 2003. Papers
report that Secretary Powell has found the first reaction
from the two Cypriot communities encouraging. Reports also
note that if the plan is accepted, the land controlled by
Turkish Cypriots will be reduced from 36 to 28.5 percent,
and about 42,000 Turks will be displaced. According to the
plan, Varosha, Morphou and 20 villages will be given to
Greek Cypriots within three years. 85,000 displaced Greek
Cypriots will be given the right to return their homes in
the north, and 114,000 Turks who were settled in Cyprus
after 1974 will be given nationality rights. Papers report
that TGS Chief General Ozkok is due in Cyprus on Thursday to
attend the 19th anniversary celebrations of the TRNC.

EU: Papers report that German Chancellor Schroeder has found
initial AKP statements on European affairs as promising, and
he called for sustained reforms under the new Turkish
government. "Radikal" notes the reforms AKP leader Erdogan
had promised to EU envoys in Ankara, adding that rapid
parliamentary approval would earn Turkey a date for
accession negotiations at the Copenhagen Summit. All papers
give front-page coverage to Erdogan's Rome visit, and his
meeting with Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi, during which
Berlusconi promised to support Turkey's EU bid at the
Copenhagen Summit. Following a November 18 visit to Greece,
Erdogan will tour Spain, England, Ireland, Denmark, Finland,
Sweden, and France before the end of November.
Erdogan: Erdogan reportedly said that AKP would not press to
change Article 109 of the Constitution that regulates the
appointment of a Prime Minister, and added that he would not
become deputy Prime Minister, but instead will wait for
removal of his ban. AKP seeks the support of CHP for
constitutional reforms that would abolish political bans.
According to papers, the CHP condition for such cooperation
will be AKP support to reduce the time between regular
elections from years to four. This would prevent AKP from
using its current parliamentary majority to elect a new
President in 2007. Papers report that AKP deputy chairman
Abdullah Gul was given the task of restructuring the cabinet
with 23 ministers, including a Prime Minister with three
deputies.

Iraq: Having finished meetings in Ankara on Wednesday, the
CIA delegation headed by Deputy CIA Director McLaughlin will
proceed to Northern Iraq after stopping at Incirlik Airbase,
reports say. Papers report that MFA has launched an
investigation regarding Iraqi efforts to purchase atropine
from Turkey. The Northern Iraqi Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK) leader Talabani said on Wednesday on the all-
news channel NTV that the Iraqi regime established after
Saddam will be friendly to Turkey. Talabani pledged
guarantees for Turkomens, said they would be offered 10
seats in the parliament, and added that the Kurds'
provisional constitution could be modified according to
Ankara's demands. He noted that the U.S. had made no
demands from the Kurds, and said he was unaware of the
presence of CIA operatives in Northern Iraq.

EDITORIAL OPINION

a) NATO Summit
b) UN Plan on Cyprus

"The Upcoming Prague Summit"
Fikret Ertan wrote in Islamic-intellectual Zaman (11/14):
"The NATO summit in Prague will be a breakthrough both in
terms of the future of NATO and for the future of NATO-
Europe relations. . The official agenda consists of new
threats, expansion, new relations, new military capabilities
and the Balkans. This by itself makes the summit a very
important one. . The EU plan for a European Army and the US
plan for a rapid reaction force within the NATO structure
are the two hot topics at the summit. The debate will most
likely be concentrated on these issues, both of which are
immediate concerns for Turkey."

"The UN plan is a death verdict for the TRNC"
Columnist Hasan Unal argued in Islamic-intellectual Zaman
(11/14): "The UN plan aims to liquidate the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as a state and the Turkish
Cypriots as a nation. . It might give the impression that it
meets Turkish demands on constitutional issues, but in fact
it provides an opportunity for founding a unitary Greek
Cypriot state. . The plan also gives very limited, poor-
quality land to the Turkish Cypriots. . In short, the UN
plan expects Turkish Cypriots to make vital concessions
without meeting their ultimate demands. Cyprus will
gradually become a Greek Cypriot island. It is clear that
security issues and guarantees, of which Turkey is part,
will not be valid the moment Cyprus joins the EU."
"Cyprus"
Hadi Uluengin calls the UN plan a historic chance in mass
appeal Hurriyet (11/14): "Clearly this is a unique chance
for a Cyprus settlement and one definitely not to be missed.
Creating excuses or making evasive remarks in order not to
take advantage of this chance would be a crucial mistake.
Whichever side blocks this agreement will be judge harshly
by history for its mistake. . The Annan plan is almost
perfect. Therefore, if one of the concerned parties rejects
the plan and leads to the continuation of a no-settlement
situation, it will be doomed to miss the opportunities
coming with the new millennium."

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