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 04 ANKARA 002137

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, APRIL 14, 2005

THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

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

MASS APPEAL
Syria Welcomes Sezer With Great Ovations - Vatan
Neighbors Sezer, Assad Hand-in-Hand - Hurriyet
Sezer Given a Hero's Welcome in Syria - Star
Sezer: Assad Pledged Full Withdrawal From Lebanon by Month's
End - Milliyet
Talabani: An Independent Kurdistan Cannot Survive - Aksam
Armenian Priest Kalayjiyan Insults Ataturk - Vatan
Bulgaria, Romania to Join EU in 2007 - Sabah
Bush a Country Music Fan - Aksam

OPINION MAKERS
Damascus Gives Sezer a Warm Welcome - Cumhuriyet
Sezer Advises Damascus: Don't Defy the World - Zaman
Damascus' Love for Sezer - Radikal
Syrian Press Praises Sezer's `Courage' Despite US Pressure -
Yeni Safak
European Parliament Holds a Minute of Silence for Armenian
`Genocide' - Radikal
Iran to Withdraw 2,000 Troops From Lebanon - Zaman
Armenian Church Representative Calls Ataturk a `Butcher' -
Cumhuriyet
Kaim May Become a New Fallujah - Yeni Safak
Zoellick's Convoy Attacked in Baghdad - Radikal
Wealthy Nations Offer Sudan a Record-High $4.5 Billion Aid -
Yeni Safak

BRIEFING

President Sezer Given a Warm Welcome on Official Visit to
Syria: In meetings with his Syrian counterpart President
Bashar al-Asad in Damascus on Wednesday, Turkish President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer stressed the need for reforms in the
region, papers report. Sezer expressed pleasure over
Syria's decision to withdraw from Lebanon in line with UN
Security Council resolutions. All Turkish papers give
extensive coverage to the Sezer call on Damascus yesterday,
during which the Turkish President was given a warm welcome.
Syria and Turkey expressed a genuine desire to push
bilateral relations forward and expressed similar identical
viewpoints on recent developments in the Middle East,
reports comment. President Assad said in a statement after
three meetings with Sezer that their talks were
`comprehensive, positive and fruitful,' and that the visit
by Sezer demonstrated the depth and strength of ties between
the two countries. Assad pointed to the agreement between
Syria and Turkey regarding the importance of consolidating
Iraq's sovereignty and unity. `The political process in
Iraq should guarantee the widest possible participation of
the Iraqi people without foreign interference,' Assad said
of Iraq. On the situation in the `occupied' Arab countries,
Assad said Syria agreed to solve the issue in accordance
with UN Security Council resolutions. Assad urged a full
Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands occupied in 1967, adding
that Palestinians should be allowed to build their state
with Jerusalem as its capital. Assad praised Turkey's
efforts and constructive role to achieve a just and
comprehensive peace in the region. Assad said he and Sezer
expressed a strong interest in Lebanon's security and unity.
Sezer agreed that they shared the same point of view on
developing cooperation in all fields, saying his talks with
President Assad touched on economic, political, trade and
cultural topics, the situation in Iraq, and the Palestinian
cause. Sezer said the two countries shared the same views
regarding Iraq's integrity and unity and international
efforts to rebuild the country. The Turkish president also
welcomed Syria's pullout from Lebanon. At a dinner hosted
by Assad in honor of Sezer and his delegation, the Syrian
president recalled that Damascus has condemned terrorism and
reiterated his readiness to struggle it. Assad also voiced
appreciation for Turkey's supportive position of the `just
causes' of Syria. Sezer said positive developments in
Turkish-Syrian relations in recent years led to increased
cooperation, which will promote prosperity for both peoples.
Sezer reiterated his call for continued efforts to preserve
Lebanon's stability and unity. Sezer called on the
international community to back the establishment of an
independent Palestinian state. Sezer also said that
restoration of Iraq's position in the international
community as a sovereign and free country is a common goal
for Syria and Turkey.

Erdogan Receives Molyviatis: Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
discussed bilateral ties and Cyprus with visiting Greek
Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis in Ankara Wednesday,
papers report. The two expressed a common will for
resolution of the Cyprus problem and stressed the need to
intensify dialogue between Ankara and Athens. Erdogan said
that a solution in Cyprus should be found under the aegis of
the UN. Molyviatis proceeded to Istanbul after wrapping up
meetings in Ankara. Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister
Karamanlis is expected to visit Turkey in June.

MFA Denies Gul Backed Lifting of `Casus Belli' Decision:
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul's remarks to the Greek daily "To Vima" on the
territorial waters dispute between Athens and Ankara had
been `misinterpreted.' Spokesman Namik Tan denied that Gul
has supported the lifting of a 1995 Turkish parliamentary
decision of recognizing Greek attempts to extend territorial
miles as a `cause for war.' Turkey has no change of policy
on the subject, Tan said. On the other hand, Turkish media
reported yesterday and today that Turkish and Greek boats
were involved in a confrontation near `Kardak,' an
uninhabited islet in the Aegean. The incident occurred as
Greek and Turkish foreign ministers heralded a new era of
cooperation during talks in Ankara, say papers. The Turkish
side holds Greeks responsible for the mini-crisis, which was
resolved just an hour before Molyviatis was received by
Erdogan on Wednesday.

TGS on Turkey-Greece, Armenia, `Polarization' in Turkey:
Responding to questions from press at TGS headquarters in
Ankara Wednesday, Second Chief of Staff General Ilker Basbug
said Turkey will not change its policy of viewing Greek
attempts to extend territorial waters in the Aegean to 12
miles as a `cause for war.' Basbug said a decision adopted
on the issue by the Turkish Parliament on June 8, 1995 is
still in force. `The basic objective of this policy is not
to provoke, but to prevent, clashes between the two
countries,' Basbug noted. Commenting on the desecration of
the Turkish flag during celebrations of Kurds' `Nevruz'
festival in Mersin last month and the lynching attempt by
nationalists against four leftist activists in Trabzon last
weekend, Basbug said the Turkish military will not tolerate
attacks on the flag. `Such provocations will only harm
Turkey,' Basbug said, and called on the nation to act within
the scope of laws and common sense. Papers give extensive
coverage to statements by President Sezer, Prime Minister
Erdogan, and General Basbug warning the Turkish people not
to respond to provocations. The incident in Mersin last
month triggered an outpouring of flag-waving patriotism
across Turkey. European Commission representative Hans-
Joerg Kretschmer said he is following the events in Trabzon
`with great concern.' A senior EU diplomat in Ankara said
that a successful lynching could have interrupted Turkey's
EU entry talks.

Turkish Parliament Declaration on Armenian `Genocide': The
Turkish parliament issued on Wednesday a declaration against
the Armenian genocide allegations. The declaration said it
is for the benefit of Turkey and Armenia to reconcile, end
prejudices and create a climate which would enable the two
nations to share a common future based on tolerance,
friendship and cooperation. It called for the formation of
a joint commission of Turkish and Armenian historians which
would have unfettered access to archives in both countries.
Turkey and Armenia will only pass on prejudices, enmity and
vindictive feelings to their children unless they end taboos
through a joint initiative and prepare to settle old scores
with their history, the declaration said. It called on
other countries wanting peace and stability in the Caucasus
to support the initiative. Turkey's General Staff (TGS)
said military archives from the 1914-18 period would also be
opened. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkey will
formally ask the British parliament to reject the so-called
Blue Book, published in 1916, which contains eyewitness
accounts to conclude that Armenians were being
systematically exterminated by the Ottoman Turks.

Oskanyan Lashes Out at Turkey: Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan said that Turkey is not only refusing to
adopt a conciliatory approach regarding the `genocide'
issue, but is also trying to launch a counterattack.
According to the Yerevan-based Mediamax agency report,
Oskanyan recalled that Turkey has asked London to declare as
`groundless' The Blue Book, which is considered one of the
main sources on which the Armenian claims are based.
Turkish leaders have recently said the book was wartime
propaganda. Oskanyan also said that during membership
negotiations with the EU, Turkey will be asked to recognize
the Armenian genocide. Oskanyan said that if Turkey, with
its big military potential and pro-Azeri position on the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue, does not recognize the `genocide,'
Armenia would not feel safe. "Hurriyet" says that Oskanyan
has `rudely' rejected calls by Turkish parliament to set up
a commission to investigate the claims of `genocide.'

President Moo-hyun Due in Turkey: South Korean President
Roh Moo-hyun is due in Ankara late Thursday, on the first
state visit by a Korean leader in 48 years. Moo-hyun said
his visit will help boost Korean investments in Turkey.

EDITORIAL OPINION: Turkish President to Syria

"Blind and Deaf Hosting Each Other"
Cengiz Candar observed in the conservative-sensational DB
Tercuman (4/13): "A Turkish minister was visiting Baghdad
while Iraq was on the brink of war and the toppling of the
cruel Saddam regime was at hand. The Turkish Foreign
Minister was even defending such a mistake at the time.
Currently we see a similar situation with President Sezer's
visit to Damascus to see a leader whose tenure is about to
come to an end. It is only a matter of days. The Turkish
presidential visit was welcomed by the Syrian regime, with
the prime minister saying Sezer had come to his second home.
It is hard to comprehend the reasons for this kind of myopia
and even blindness that Turkish leaders are suffering from.
They somehow fail to understand that such blindness will
only cause Turkey to lose significant ground in the
international arena. `National pride' and `independence of
decision' have absolutely nothing to do with this. On the
contrary, presenting an image of support for an ailing
dictatorial regime in the Middle East is fully incompatible
with Turkish national pride. . It seems that Turkey and
Syria do indeed have something in common: both of them
insist on making major strategic mistakes and continue to
misread international realities. . There could be a Turkish
proverb for this kind of situation: `the deaf and the blind
enjoy hosting each other.'"
"Assad Should Make a Gesture for Turkey"
Hakan Celik wrote in the sensational-mass appeal Posta
(4/13): "Sezer visited Damascus at a time when international
sensitivity is at its height. Hosting the Turkish president
is a very important event and demonstration of support for
both the Syrian people and the Syrian regime. It seems that
Syrians have already considered it to be a kiss of life.
Damascus has received a friendly and supportive hand from
Turkey in the midst of its current international dilemma. .
The aftermath of this visit is very important. Any concrete
result will contribute to peace in the Middle East. Assad
should be able to use the unique opportunity that came with
Turkey's friendly hand. He should take the necessary steps
to comply with the international community's expectations of
the Damascus regime."

EDELMAN

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