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 005807
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
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2004
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:
HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
--------------------------------------------- -----
HEADLINES
MASS APPEAL
Barzani: Kirkuk is the heart of Kurdistan - Hurriyet
Ankara warns Barzani over Kirkuk - Sabah
Hans Blix: Iraq war made world less safe - Aksam 10/11
Karzai: Polls a victory for Afghans - Aksam 10/11
Afghanistan's `transparent' elections - Milliyet 10/11
Germanys' Merkel launches campaign against Turkey in EU -
Aksam
Chirac: France has a right to veto Turkey - Millyet 10/11
Bush, Kerry seek women's votes - Sabah 10/11
Neve Shalom opens with prayers - Milliyet
Chilean President Lagos in Ankara - Milliyet
`Superman' Reeves' last flight - Sabah
OPINION MAKERS
Ankara warns Barzani on Kirkuk - Yeni Safak
International community finds Afghanistan elections
`democratic' - Zaman 10/11
Another Turk killed in Iraq - Cumhuriyet
Weapons inspectors blame Bush, Blair - Cumhuriyet 10/11
US youth doesn't believe in Bush - Poll - Cumhuriyet 10/11
France to discuss Turkey's EU membership - Radikal
Papadopoulos warns he may veto Turkey's EU membership -
Zaman 10/11
German extreme rightists unite against Turkey - Yeni Safak
Bush: Kerry a dangerous `leftist' - Radikal
Kerry praises Sharon - Cumhuriyet 10/11
Israel can't do without killing - Cumhuriyet 10/11
BRIEFING
Barzani visits Ankara: Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party
(KDP) leader Massoud Barzani held talks in Ankara Monday
with FM Gul and PM Erdogan over the upcoming elections in
Iraq and the future of Kirkuk, papers report. The Turkish
side reiterated warnings over Kurdish attempts to upset the
demography of Kirkuk. Barzani made no statement after the
talks. Upon his arrival in Ankara late Sunday, Barzani
said: `I still think that Kirkuk is the heart of Kurdistan
but I am open to debate here.' Ankara warned Barzani
against any ventures in the region. Northern Iraq should
not become another Israel, Turks reportedly told Barzani.
In Monday's talks with Gul and Erdogan,, Barzani stressed
that he shared Ankara's uneasiness over the presence of PKK
militants hiding in the mountains of northern Iraq, papers
quote diplomatic sources. Barzani also urged Ankara to open
Turkey's air corridor to international flights from and to
northern Iraq.
Two Turks beheaded in Iraq: An Iraqi insurgent group linked
to Al-Zarkawi on Monday posted a video on the Internet
showing the beheading of a Turkish contractor and an Iraqi
Kurdish translator who `confessed' they worked with US
forces in Iraq, papers report. Mahir Kemal, a Turkish
businessman, was decapitated after confessing he was a
contractor working with US forces to implement projects at
Al-Bakr airbase, north of Baghdad said a statement signed by
the Army of Ansar al-Sunna. The beheaded Kurdish translator
was Lukman Hussein, a member of Barzani's Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP), say papers. Meanwhile, 10 Turkish
workers abducted by insurgents on September 18 were released
yesterday after their company, Vinsan, pulled out of Iraq,
papers cite Al-Jazeera TV.
Powell op-ed on Afghanistan polls: On October 9, mass
appeal "Milliyet" carried an op-ed, "Democracy Rises in
Afghanistan,' by Secretary of State Powell. `For the first
time in their history, Afghans will select a national leader
by secret ballot, and with the full support of the
international community,' Secretary Powell wrote. He
continued: `If we and other friends of Afghanistan remain
committed to this strategy, Afghanistan will emerge as a
moderate and democratic society, true to its Islamic
heritage, as well as an enduring ally in the war against
terrorism.'
Germany and Turkey discuss tank sales: Germany is talking
to the Turkish government about exporting German battle
tanks, papers quote a German government source on Monday.
Ankara reportedly emphasized its interest in acquiring over
200 Leopard 2 battle tanks.
Istanbul synagogue reopens: Neve Shalom Synagogue in
Istanbul, hit last year by terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda,
reopened Monday with a service attended by politicians,
diplomats and representatives of different faiths, Turkish
papers report. On November 15 of last year car bombs
exploded outside the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel synagogues
in Istanbul, killing 29 people and injuring hundreds.
Kurdish lawmakers in Brussels: On Monday, Leyla Zana and
her former DEP lawmaker colleagues went to Brussels to
receive the Sakharov Peace Prize, which had been awarded to
Zana in 1995, papers report. A travel ban imposed on Zana
and her colleagues by the State Security Court in 1994 is
scrapped. Zana is expected to deliver a speech in Kurdish
to the European Parliament, say papers.
EDITORIAL OPINION: Afghanistan Elections
"Afghanistan and Women"
Social democrat-opinion maker Cumhuriyet carried this
editorial (10/11): "The whole world watched the tragic
situation of Afghan women completely veiled while the
country went through an election process under occupation.
The visual shots, particularly of Afghan women, should be a
reason for shame for the Islamic world. It was as though
these visuals were coming from the dark ages..The election
in Afghanistan is nothing but a pathetic drama. The
election is part of the US plan to establish hegemony in the
Asian continent."
"Vote Instead of Bullet"
Sami Kohen commented in the mass appeal Milliyet (10/9):
"Although geographically Afghanistan is far from Turkey,
historically, politically and culturally it is rather close.
As a result of the elections, Afghanistan became the center
of attention, with more than a thousand foreign journalists
traveling to Kabul to cover the elections. The reason for
such attention was that a president was being elected for
the first time by the Afghan people. In a way, the election
is a test of democracy. Afghanistan has an advantage: the
whole world is determined to support the country. The US,
NATO, the UN, the EU, Russia, Japan.everyone is on
Afghanistan's side. If the promised financial aid flows to
Afghanistan, if the right administration is established in
Kabul, if corruption is prevented, and if security is
established, 25 million Afghan people will have a bright
future ahead of them. The impact of such results on Al-
Qaida and terrorism will be very positive. In addition,
Afghanistan will become an example of a country that
harmonized Islam and democracy, while establishing security
and development at the same time."
EDELMAN