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.

261407Z Jul 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 004290

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, JULY 26, 2005

THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

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

HEADLINES

MASS APPEAL
McEldowney: We Will Not Let Terror Divide Us - Aksam
Egypt Seeks Pakistani Terror Suspects - Hurriyet
Iran Begins Hunt for PKK Militants - Milliyet
Al-Qaeda May Pick Rome After London - Vatan
Poland to Pull Out of Iraq Before 2006 - Vatan
European States Consider Easing Extradition of Terrorists -
Sabah
Lance Armstrong Eyes Texas Governor's Office - Sabah

OPINION MAKERS
Pakistan Connection in Egypt Resort Bombings - Cumhuriyet
Washington Post: Turkey as Safe as European Countries - Yeni
Safak
World Debates Britain's `Shoot to Kill' Policy - Yeni Safak
London Turns Into Texas - Radikal
Iraqi Sunnis End Boycott of Constitutional Committee - Yeni
Safak
60,000 Israeli Troops to Take 2,400 Jewish Settlers Out of
Gaza - Zaman
Rumsfeld Lands in Central Asia Amid Debates on US Bases -
Zaman
Turkey to Support Legal Opium Crop Project in Afghanistan -
Cumhuriyet
North Korea, US Delegations Meet - Cumhuriyet
Ricky Martin a Spokesman for Arab Youth - Yeni Safak

BRIEFING

McEldowney: US Reaches Out Hand Of Partnership to Turkey
Against PKK: Mass appeal mainstream dailies "Hurriyet" and
"Aksam" report that US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Nancy
McEldowney told the press that there are no double standards
on terrorism, and no distinction in efforts by the US and
Turkey to fight the `common enemy' of terror. McEldowney
made her remarks at the opening of the photo exhibition `100
Years of Turkish-American Friendship' in Ankara yesterday.
She noted that the US and Turkey had stood together in the
Korean War, and in solidarity throughout the Cold War. `We
have forces deployed together around the world. But we also
stand together today in facing a more difficult adversary,
and that is terrorism,' she stressed. McEldowney added:
`Turkey reached out a hand of partnership to the United
States after September 11, and we reach out a hand of
partnership to Turkey today in the struggle against the
terrorist organization PKK.' Responding to a question by
"Aksam" regarding remarks by First Army Commander General
Hursit Tolon that Turkey `does not need permission' to carry
out cross-border incursions against PKK terrorists,
McEldowney said that the US has formally designated the PKK
as a terrorist group, and added that Washington has been
very clear in condemning PKK violence. `In Cesme and
Kusadasi, throughout the Southeast, we have seen PKK
violence. Without hesitation, we have condemned that
violence. We are working together with Turkey around the
world to stop terrorism, and that includes the PKK. It
includes those like Murat Karayilan who undertake PKK
violence. Obviously, if we were completely successful, you
wouldn't see bombings in London, and Egypt, and here. We
must continue to work together,' she emphasized. McEldowney
underlined that the goal of the terrorists is to divide the
US and Turkey: `We will not be divided. We will pull
together and say that people who love peace will stand
together and condemn all those who threaten that.'
McEldowney declined to comment on the debate over a possible
cross-border operation, saying that the US has been working
intensively in diplomatic discussions with Turkey and Iraq
to ensure that there is stability.

Cicek on Turkey's Position Against Terror: Justice Minister
and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek urged the international
community to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. `We
hope that the terrorist attacks in Britain, Egypt and other
countries will trigger greater cooperation against
terrorism. Turkey sees existing bilateral or multilateral
agreements on the fight against terror as either
`dysfunctional,' or `inadequate' as a deterrent to
terrorists, Cicek stressed. He noted that Turkey has never
tried to intervene in the internal affairs of any country,
or to launch a cross-border operation. `Our goal is to
ensure stability and peace. However, if the elements
threatening Turkey's stability are coming from another
country, this threat should naturally be removed,' Cicek
emphasized. Cicek also rejected the proposal of Deputy
Chief of General Staff General Ilker Basbug to establish a
special unit to combat terrorism, saying that the Turkish
government would prefer to enhance coordination among
existing institutions to achieve the same goal.

AKP Lawmaker Criticizes General Tolon's Remarks: "Aksam"
reports that ruling AK Party Erzurum lawmaker Mucahit
Daloglu commented on the remarks by First Army Commander
General Hursit Tolon, in which the general said that Turkey
needed no permission from anyone to launch cross-border
operations against the PKK in northern Iraq. `General
Tolon's remarks were unfortunate, and they could upset the
balances at a time of sensitivity in Turkey-US relations,'
Daloglu said. `People occupying such critical posts should
be more careful in what they say. It was an odd statement,
and I find it unfortunate,' Daloglu stressed. Two other AKP
lawmakers questioned by "Aksam," however, said they agreed
with the views expressed by General Tolon.

Turkish Ambassador Criticizes Washington Post: In a letter
to the Washington Post (WP), Turkish Ambassador Faruk
Logoglu criticized the paper for referring to terrorist PKK
militants as `separatist guerrillas,' and describing the
group as part of a `civil war' in Turkey, Turkish papers
report. Logoglu said that Turkey has been fighting against
terrorism within the boundaries of legal principles and
human rights, with little help from its allies except for
the United States. `Reporting terrorist attacks as part of
a separatist movement implies that there is a just cause for
inhuman actions,' Logoglu noted, and warned that the fight
against terrorism would fail unless all terrorist activities
are denounced in a consistent way.

Erdogan to US in September: Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
will pay a one-day visit to the US in September to attend
meetings of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the
United Nations in New York, "Zaman" reports. Erdogan will
fly to London this evening to meet with British Prime
Minister Tony Blair. The two leaders will discuss the recent
terrorist attacks in London. Erdogan and Blair will hold a
joint news conference following their meeting. Erdogan will
be later interviewed by "The Times," before returning home
on Wednesday.

Turkey to Sign EU Adjustment Protocol This Week: Dailies
expect Ankara to sign a protocol expanding Turkey's customs
union with the EU in a way to cover new member states,
including Cyprus, after the upcoming meeting between PMs
Erdogan and Blair in London tomorrow. Turkish Foreign
Ministry (MFA) sources said the protocol would be signed by
this Friday. Turkey plans to release a simultaneous
declaration saying that the signing of the protocol does not
amount to recognition of the Greek Cypriot state by Turkey.
EU diplomats told "Zaman" that a softly-worded declaration
would enhance support for Turkey's bid for membership to the
European bloc. They warned that the EU would give a strong
response to a strongly worded Turkish declaration, adding
that it would be unacceptable if it contained statements
against the free circulation of Greek Cypriot goods and the
access of Greek Cypriot vessels to Turkish ports.

Turkish European Lawmakers on the PKK, Terror: Prime
Minister Erdogan received Turkish-origin European lawmakers
in a meeting closed to the press on Monday. Cem Ozdemir, a
member of the European Parliament from the German Green
Party, said before meeting with Erdogan that their previous
efforts to end the imprisonment of former Kurdish lawmakers
Leyla Zana and her colleagues were not intended to allow
them to become `drowned' in relations between the Kurds and
the `deep state.' `We expected Zana and friends to condemn
terror, but we have heard no statements at all,' Ozdemir
said. He added that the PKK opposes Turkey's EU bid, and
called for efforts to counter the terror organization's
attempts to damage Turkish efforts to join the EU.
`Turkey's membership in the European Union will be the best
answer to terror organizations such as the PKK and al-
Qaeda,' Ozdemir stressed. Ozdemir called on Turkey to `do
what seems difficult' by declaring a general amnesty for PKK
members in an effort to help them adapt to civilian life.
Ozdemir also said that `some circles' wanted to push Turkey
into Iraq. He said he opposed a Turkish cross-border
incursion into Iraq, and advised that Ankara should instead
deepen its cooperation with Baghdad. Other Turkish European
lawmakers said that following the recent terrorist bombings
in London, Europeans have begun to revise their image of the
terrorist PKK. A Turkish-Swedish MP, Yilmaz Kerimo, said
that Turkey would now have the backing of Europeans on the
terrorism issue, but warned that Ankara must discriminate
between the PKK and innocent Kurdish people.

Turkey Elects First Woman to Head Constitutional Court:
Mainstream dailies hail the appointment of a woman, Tulay
Tugcu, as the first female chief justice of the
Constitutional Court. Tugcu was elected to chair the court
at the end of three weeks of deadlocked balloting.
"Milliyet" hailed the development on its front page as `a
day of pride for Turkish women.' Tugcu has served on the
court since 1999. She supported the decision to disband
Necmettin Erbakan's Fazilet Party (FP) for anti-secular
activities. Tugcu also voted to dissolve pro-Kurdish HADEP,
and to impose political restrictions on 46 HADEP activists.
Tugcu was among the members of a commission that rejected a
request to overtuen a bill that prevents graduates of
religious schools (Imam-Hatips) from entering police
academies.

PKK Terrorists Killed in Southeast Turkey: Two PKK
terrorists were killed in the Cudi Mountains in Turkey's
southeastern province Sirnak in fighting between a group of
terrorists and security forces yesterday, the governor's
office said.

EDITORIAL OPINION: Terrorism

"Terror is not an abstract thing"
Okay Gonensin commented in the mass appeal "Vatan" (7/26):
"Ankara seems to adopting a rhetoric that blames Western
countries for not taking action while Turkey has suffered
from terrorism for so many years. In fact, terrorism is not
a new concept for the West. The UK, for instance, dealt
with IRA terrorism for many years, and Spain had to deal
with ETA. . There are many terrorist organizations, and
they all are a product of certain social situations and
conditions. The fact that a terrorist organization may get
support from `foreign circles' does not necessarily mean
that it lacks domestic social roots. We know which terror
organization is trying to shed blood in Turkey, and we know
which terror organization is trying to turn the entire world
into a battlefield. The fight against those organizations
can only be successful if we first define their nature and
their social and political resources. Terrorism is not an
alien that comes from outer space. It is completely
tangible in its roots, its resources, its psychological
elements and the international support it receives. PKK
terrorism in Turkey is one thing, and radical Islamist
terrorism is another. They differ in terms of resources and
sources of support. It would be naive to evaluate them in
the same way. This would make a genuine fight against
terror impossible."

"Countering Al-Qaeda Terrorism"
Cengiz Candar commented in the conservative-sensational "DB
Tercuman" (7/26): "Al-Qaeda terrorism pertains to an
international network or at least an organizational
structure on an international scale. The masterminds of Al-
Qaeda, including Bin Laden, see the issue as a struggle
between the Islamic world and other civilizations. In that
sense, the struggle against Judeo-Christian civilization is
the dominant one. . Coping with this kind of mentality
requires new interpretations of Islam even more than new
security measures. These security measures will inevitably
result in a feeling of alienation among Muslims worldwide,
and run the risk of generating more sympathy for the Al-
Qaeda mentality. The most valuable antidote to
international terrorism is a new kind of Islamic education,
which will serve as an ideological tool to counter Al-Qaeda,
which claims to act in the name of Islam."

MCELDOWNEY

© Scoop Media