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 005741
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 6, 2004
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:
HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
--------------------------------------------- -----
HEADLINES
MASS APPEALS
Turkey's EU report excitement - Sabah
Turkey's historic appointment with EU - Hurriyet
Turkey a significant opportunity for EU - Hurriyet
EU Commission: No special conditions for Turkey - Sabah
EU may put forward last-minute conditions - Aksam
Straw discusses Kirkuk with Talabani - Turkiye
Oil prices set new record high: $51 - Milliyet
OPINION MAKERS
EU Turkey report a `Sword of Damocles' - Cumhuriyet
FM Gul: Negative Turkey decision will be bad for EU -
Radikal
PM Erdogan: Turkey did homework; now EU to be tested - Zaman
Jack Straw's surprise northern Iraq visit - Cumhuriyet
International community deaf to Palestine - Cumhuriyet
Iran develops 2,000 km range missiles - Zaman
Rafsanjani: US won't dare to attack Iran - Yeni Safak
Most Guantanamo detainees to be released - Yeni Safak
BRIEFING
EU-Turkey: The European Commission's progress report on
Turkey will recommend membership no earlier than 2014 and
continuing measures against the free movement of Turkish
workers in Europe. The EU's incoming enlargement chief,
Ollie Rehn, said that Ankara should be monitored more
closely on human rights, and added that Turkey might face
permanent restrictions on the free movement of its workers
if Turkey joins the European bloc. Ankara will have to
recognize the Greek Cypriot government, and talks may be
suspended at any time if Turkey violates human rights.
Negotiations may be open-ended, with no guarantee concerning
the final result. Commission President Romano Prodi said
the EU must be sure that human rights are respected. `This
is our approach with Turkey, just as we did with all other
accession negotiations,' Prodi stressed. Some papers
predict that the earliest realistic date for Turkey's entry
to the EU would be 2018. The Commission's report is still
expected to recommend that EU leaders begin accession talks
with Turkey without delay. Although the report underlines
the fact that Turkey has achieved significant legislative
progress in many areas, it notes several problem areas,
including full implementation of fundamental freedoms and
respect for human rights, corruption, and the need to
strengthen policies to address torture. PM Erdogan said
Tuesday before flying to Strasbourg for talks with European
parliamentarians that he believed the positive steps Turkey
has taken will be evaluated properly. Turkish dailies
expect the EU report will not recommend a date for starting
talks, but rather leave that `sensitive' decision to EU
political leaders. The Commission is due to announce its
recommendation on Wednesday afternoon at a press conference
in Brussels.
Ambassador Edelman discusses Iraqi security with the MFA:
US Ambassador Eric Edelman paid a surprise call on the
undersecretary for foreign affairs to discuss the security
situation in Iraq. The visit took place following criticism
by President Sezer of US `ineffectiveness' against the PKK
presence in northern Iraq. Edelman discussed with the MFA
measures against terrorist infiltration from northern Iraq
into Turkey, and the evacuation of the Mahmur refugee camp
in the Kandil mountains, according to "Hurriyet."
Osman Ocalan on PKK, US, Iraq: Osman Ocalan, brother of the
imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, told "Yeni Safak"
that there had been several recent meetings between US
civilian and military officials and representatives of
PKK/Kongra-Gel. `We support the US intervention in Iraq in
the belief that it will provide historic opportunities for
the region,' Ocalan said. `However,' he continued, `we
don't approve all actions by the Americans, and advise them
to cooperate with democratic forces in the region.' Ocalan
acknowledged that the PKK has lost its effectiveness, and
voiced his expectation that significant changes would take
place in the Kurdish movement by next spring. The AK Party
approach to the Kurds has been `flexible and positive, but
not sufficient,' Ocalan noted. He emphasized that the PKK
will be disbanded as Turkey's EU process moves forward.
Ocalan said that it was in the interests of Kurds to have
friendly relations with the Americans. `With the Americans,
we can find a solution to the Kurdish problem,' he said.
Ocalan added that he expected some groups within the AKP and
CHP to seize the opportunity created by the growing desire
of the Kurdish people for a political solution to the
Kurdish problem.
US to use `new' weapon in Iraq: Papers claim that US forces
in Iraq will be mounting `microwave' weapons on US armored
vehicles by early next year, and on jetfighters by 2009. A
new weapon developed after 25 years of research at the
Wright-Patterson Airbase directs high-intensity microwaves
at the target, causing unendurable pain and a burning
sensation by rapidly heating subcutaneous water molecules.
The US plans to use the weapon in urban warfare and against
anti-American demonstrations, papers report.
Gul receives Iraqi ambassador: FM Abdullah Gul received the
newly-appointed Iraqi Ambassador to Turkey, Sabah Jameil
Umran, on Tuesday. Umran told the press after the meeting
that the two men discussed the the presence of the PKK in
northern Iraq and the security of Turkish drivers entering
Iraq. Umran added that a withdrawal by Turkish companies
from Iraq will bring no solution to the problems there. He
pledged additional measures to ensure the security of Turks
working in Iraq.
Palestinians calls for Ankara's help against Israel:
Palestinian FM Nabil Shaat urged in a letter to FM Abdullah
Gul that Ankara use its international prestige and good ties
with Tel Aviv to halt the Israeli military operation in Gaza
which has claimed scores of lives, "Radikal" reports.
Neve Shalom Synagogue to reopen: The Neve Shalom Synagogue
in Istanbul, severely damaged in a fundamentalist suicide
bomb attack in November 2003, will be officially re-opened
on October 11, Turkish Chief Rabbi said on Tuesday. Senior
state officials and domestic and international Jewish
community leaders will attend the opening ceremony.
Parliament to Elect New Speaker Today: Turkey's Parliament
will elect a new speaker today. Bulent Arinc, the current
speaker, has the backing of Prime Minister Erdogan and the
AKP leadership for a second term. At the last minute,
however, AKP Izmir deputy Serpil Yildiz announced that she
would challenge Arinc for the position. The press reports
that there is a group of AKP deputies, led by Istanbul
deputy Goksal Kucukkali, who are opposed to Arinc. The
opposition CHP, which has not nominated a candidate, is
expected to abstain during the first round of voting.
Four Arrested in Last Week's Bombings: "Hurriyet" reports
that Turkish police arrested 4 people in Ankara in
connection with last week's series of sound bombs in Ankara,
Istanbul, Izmir, and Adana.
MOI Drafts Law to End Village Guard Program: "Cumhuriyet"
reports today that the Ministry of Interior has developed a
draft law that would put an end to Turkey's village guard
program. The village guards were armed by the state to
combat PKK terrorism in rural parts of the Southeast. Under
the draft law, guards over age 45 and with 10 years of
experience would be given retirement, and those under 45
would be paid a financial compensation package to lay down
their weapons. The current number of village guards is
estimated at 59,000.
EDITORIAL OPINION: EU-Turkey
"The Day of the Report"
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the conservative "Turkiye" (10/6):
"The EU report will definitely recommend a start to
membership negotiations with Turkey. The report will
highlight steps toward democratization, but also will
mention some shortcomings. . Turkey should immediately work
to complete all of the outstanding points and should
surprise the EU with its competence. The EU report might
contain certain rhetoric to satisfy the anti-Turkey lobby
within the Union. However, the real leaders of Europe are
well aware of Turkey's geo-strategic importance. Turkey
cannot tolerate a `no' answer from the EU at this stage.
Turkey is a secular country, but a `no' will definitely be
taken as an insult to Islam. Such a negative atmosphere
will also be a major handicap in the global fight against
terrorism. Turkey, a member of NATO for the last 52 years,
cannot be isolated from Europe. Isolating Turkey from the
EU would be irrational."
"Turkey's Influence in the West"
Oral Calislar wrote in the social democrat-opinion maker
Cumhuriyet (10/6): "There is no way to approve the brutal
acts of terror carried out by Islamic terror organizations.
But these organizations have been successful in gathering up
the outrage and sense of hopelessness that exists in their
communities. The world's poor and disenfranchised are
voicing their fury with terror. Terrorists and those who
organize such brutality are abusing the despair and fury
felt by people around them. The violence in Iraq is a
recent example where the powerful Western world has come to
feel helpless. . In this atmosphere, Turkey's stand becomes
even more important than before. Turkey, as a
predominantly Muslim country but also a pro-Western one, has
a role to play in encouraging the Western world to revise
its approach. The Western world now attaches some
importance to Turkey as it tries to establish a bridge to
the Islamic world. . The negotiation process with the EU is
very important from this aspect. If Turkey manages to
improve its democratic and secular structure during the
negotiation process, and if it manages to implement
contemporary values in its daily practice, Turkey's
importance to the EU and the West will grow even more."
EDELMAN