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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 05 ANKARA 004905

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
MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2005

THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

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

HEADLINES

MASS APPEAL
Muslims to Pope: Muslims Are Not Natural-Born Terrorists -
Sabah
Washington Post: Peshmerge Terror in Northern Iraq -
Cumhuriyet
Putin Calls on US to Announce Exit Date from Iraq - Aksam
Another Turk Abducted in Iraq - Sabah
4 Turkish Terror Suspects Under Detention in Iraq - Milliyet
Nicosia: Turkey Cannot Begin EU Talks Without Recognizing
Cyprus - Hurriyet 8/21
Hamas Vows to Continue Fight Against Israel - DB-Tercuman
8/21
Afghanistan Ready for September 18 Polls - Milliyet
2 PKK Terrorists Killed in Tunceli - Hurriyet

OPINION MAKERS
Iraqi Constitution Deadline May be Extended Again - Zaman
Turkmen, Sunnis Under Kurdish Pressure in Northern Iraq -
Yeni Safak
Kurds, Turkmen, Arabs Rally in Kirkuk Against Federalism -
Zaman 8/21
US Allows `Sharia' in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 8/21
US in Iraq Until 2009 - Yeni Safak
Saddam: I Will Die for Iraq, Palestine - Zaman
Americans' Support for Bush Nosedives - Yeni Safak 8/21
Merkel: We Don't Want Turkey in EU - Cumhuriyet 8/21
Pope Calls for Dialogue with Muslim World - Zaman 8/21
Gaza Evacuation to End, Palestine Elections Up Next - Zaman
8/21
Israel Hands over Gaza to Palestine - Yeni Safak 8/21
4 US Troops Killed in Afghanistan - Cumhuriyet
Kaddafi Invites Bush, Rice to Libya - Radikal

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BRIEFING

Erdogan, Baykal on `Kurdish Problem': Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan said on Sunday that the Kurdish problem and PKK
terrorism must be viewed as two separate issues. `The Kurds
are also our nationals. In Turkey there are not only Kurds,
but also 30 other ethnic identities as well,' Erdogan
stressed. `All of these groups have citizenship in the
epublic of Turkey.' Main opposition (CHP) leader Deniz
Baykal criticized Erdogan for paving the way for the
politicization of the ethnic issue, adding that the PM's
remarks with regard to the `Kurdish issue' had weakened
Turkey in the fight against terrorism. Baykal voiced
concern that the terrorists will take advantage of the
concessions made by Erdogan in their efforts to force the
Turkish government to accept imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah
Ocalan as an interlocutor.

Media Skeptical on PKK Cease-Fire: Turkish papers are
skeptical about the reliability of the unilateral one-month
cease-fire decision announced by the PKK last week. Monday
papers report that two PKK terrorists were killed in
fighting with security forces in rural parts of the eastern
province of Tunceli yesterday. A policeman was wounded in
fighting with PKK militants in the Black Sea port city of
Trabzon, and police issued warnings against possible attacks
by female PKK suicide bombers in major Turkish cities.
Saturday's "Milliyet" claimed that the PKK shrugged off a
declaration by former Kurdish lawmakers in the Democratic
Society Movement (DTH) in which the activists called on the
PKK to announce an unconditional, indefinite cease-fire.
Businessmen and non-governmental organizations in Diyarbakir
also called on the PKK to lay down its arms without
preconditions. Sezgin Tanrikulu, a prominent human rights
lawyer in Diyarbakir, said that `a cease-fire is not
sufficient. The PKK needs to renounce terrorism as a method
for achieving its goals.'

Turkey's National Security Council to Discuss Kurdish
Broadcasting, Terror: Turkey's National Security Council
(NSC) is to discuss proposed amendments to regulations on
Kurdish broadcasting at its monthly meeting on Tuesday.
Sources at the prime ministry told the press that the
military views the new regulation, which would pave the way
for Kurdish language broadcasting on private television
channels in the southeast, as `positive.' But the military
also believes that tight controls are needed to prevent
broadcasts against national security and unity, according to
the report. Tuesday's NSC meeting will bring together PM
Erdogan, who recently acknowledged the existence of a
`Kurdish problem' in Turkey, and military commanders who are
demanding wider authority in the fight against terrorism,
Monday's "Milliyet" comments. The military members of the
NSC are expected to submit to the council a terrorism report
that argues that the problem in southeast Turkey should be
defined as a `terrorism issue' instead of a `Kurdish issue,'
some papers claim. "Sabah" reports, however, that the
meeting will focus mainly on the EU, Cyprus, and Iraq.

Controversial Conference on Armenian Issue to be Held in
September: A conference on the allegations of Armenian
genocide will be held at Istanbul's Bogazici University on
Sept 23-25, "Hurriyet" reported on Monday. In May, strong
criticism, including by the government, forced the
cancellation of the conference, which was to discuss non-
official approaches to the suffering of the Armenians during
the decline of the Ottoman Empire. Academics form Turkey's
Bosphorus, Bilgi, and Sabanci universities as well as
Turkish scholars from US universities such as Yale, Harvard,
Brown, Minnesota, and Michigan are expected to participate
in the conference.

Ambassador Dowlatabadi on Iran-Turkey Ties: Iran's
Ambassador to Ankara, Firuz Dowlatabadi, told "Milliyet" on
Saturday that the new Iranian President, Mahmud Ahmedinajad,
wants to improve bilateral ties with Turkey. `Our goal is
to increase bilateral trade to 10 billion USD,' Dowlatabadi
said. He noted that the appointment of the former Iranian
ambassador to Ankara, Manoushehr Mottaki, as the new foreign
minister would positively affect Turkey-Iran ties. `The new
priority of Mottaki will be the establishment of good
relations with Turkey and other neighbors,' Mottaki
stressed. The Iranian ambassador downplayed concerns that
Tehran would resume efforts to export its Islamic revolution
to Turkey, assuring that Tehran will stick to its policy of
non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries.

Senator Graham on Iraq, Turkey: US Republican Senator
Lindsey Graham told "Fox News" that if the Iraqi Kurds leave
Iraq in a that creates problems for Turkey, it would
represent a big problem for the United States as well,
Monday's "Zaman" reports. Graham said that success in Iraq
is of the utmost importance for the future of the United
States. Meanwhile, several papers report that Republican
Senator Chuck Hagel said over the weekend that the situation
in Iraq is becoming `more and more like Vietnam.' Hagel
reportedly called on the Bush administration to develop
alternatives for beginning a pullout of US troops from Iraq.

Turkmen Demand Own Federal State if Iraq Goes Becomes a
Federal Republic: Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) chairman Dr.
Sadettin Ergec told the private news agency IHA that Turkmen
would not oppose a federation that respects the demographic
structure of Kirkuk, Monday's "Yeni Safak" reported. Ergic
noted that the Kurds had not given up demands for a federal
regime in northern Iraq. `We will not oppose a federal
system as long as it does not change the demography of
Kirkuk. Kikruk has special characteristics, with its
Kurdish, Turkmen and Arab populations,' Ergec emphasized.
`The Kurds have the administration of three provinces in the
north, and the Arabs control 14 provinces in the south. It
is only natural that the Turkmen should have the
administration of one province out of 18 in Iraq,' Ergec
stressed.

No Evidence Linking Iraqi Diplomat to Terror Groups: Tarik
Hamdi, the press attache at the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara, has
extended his stay in Baghdad, where he had been recalled on
August 15 following Turkish press reports alleging he had
links with Osama bin-Ladin. Hamdi had been expected to
return to Ankara last Thursday. Hamdi is a US citizen of
Iraqi origin. An investigation was opened about him in the
United States in 2001, but no evidence was been found
linking him to al-Qaida or terror activities.

General Tolon Hands Over First Army Command to General
Basbug: `I am handing over an army that has not lost its
identity in the degeneration of globalization, that does not
need recipes from foreign sources for its modernization, and
that believes that Turkish troops will not pull out of north
Cyprus,' outgoing First Army Commander General Hursit Tolon
said at a change of command ceremony in Istanbul on Sunday.
Tolon `strongly condemned' the efforts of Turkish
intellectuals who met with Prime Minister Erdogan last week
in the government's bid to resolve the `Kurdish problem.'
Tolon accused the intellectuals of trying to change the
unitary structure of Turkey. General Tolon was replaced as
First Army Commander by former Deputy TGS Chief General
Ilker Basbug.

New Kurdish Group Aims Constitutional Changes in Turkey:
Sunday's "Cumhuriyet" carries a report outlining some
provisions of the draft party program of the Democratic
Society Movement (DTH), which was established by former
Kurdish lawmakers including Leyla Zana. The DTH program
advocates a new constitution that formally recognizes the
Kurdish identity. It aims at removing all restrictions on
Kurdish education and broadcasting. The program calls for a
general amnesty, and argues that armed groups be allowed to
take part in democratic political life in Turkey. The DTH
program also calls for special economic planning for the
southeast.

Turkish Sanctions Damage Greek Cypriot Economy: Monday's
"Yeni Safak" cites the Greek Cypriot press pointing to the
damage caused by Turkish to the economy of south. The
significance of the Cypriot port city of Limasol decreased
dramatically after Turkey began denying access to its ports
for Greek Cypriot vessels and other container ships in 1997.

Pope Benedict to Visit Turkey: Sunday's "Sabah" reports
that Pope Benedict XVI will visit Turkey from November 28-30
as the guest of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I
in Istanbul.

4 Turks Under Detention in Iraq: Iraqi security forces have
under detention 281 foreigners, including 4 Turks, for
suspected involvement in terror activities, Monday's "Yeni
Safak" reports. The majority of the suspects under
detention are Arabs, an Iraqi government spokesman said.

2 PKK Militants Killed in Tunceli: Security forces killed
two members of the separatist PKK in rural parts of the
eastern province of Tunceli on Sunday, the governor's office
said. Security operations continue in the region.

EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq/Terrorism
"Will Iraq Remain Federal?"
Yasemin Congar argued in the mainstream daily "Milliyet"
(8/22): "If there is no last minute delay, the draft
constitution for Iraq will be completed today. But it won't
eliminate concerns regarding the country's future.
Actually, this draft will replace the question of `will Iraq
be federal' with the question `will Iraq remain federal?'
Although officials in Washington stress that the drafting
process belongs to the Iraqis, it is well known that the US
has intervened directly in the process. An agreement will
be reached based on the concessions made by the various
sides. So far, there are fewer concessions coming from the
Shiites. The US Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, spent
his weekend in shuttle diplomacy between the Shiites and the
Kurds. Even though we haven't seen the latest
constitutional draft, the information we do have makes clear
that this draft anticipates a federal structure. Sunni
Arabs are against federalism, because they are concerned
about Shiite autonomy. But the principle of federalism has
become non-negotiable for the Kurds. Right from the start,
Washington has believed that federalism is a must to
maintain the unity of Iraq. But there are still concerns
that federalism could ultimately lead to the country's
disintegration. A federal regime that allows Shiites and
Kurds to act illegally will carry the country back to its
past. In sum, the struggle in Iraq will not end with the
completion of the constitution. Steps taken by the Iraqis
in the days ahead will determine whether the federal union
will remain just a paper exercise, and whether the country
will surrender to violence.

"The PKK: A Human Rights Issue"
Ardan Zenturk wrote in the conservative-sensational "Star"
(8/22): "I am not interested in whether people call it the
`Kurdish issue' or the `Southeast issue.' In my opinion, it
is a human rights issue. Young people between the ages of
15-25 are being taken to training camps - sometimes by
force, sometimes through brainwashing applied by the
terrorist organization. After a short training period, they
are sent back to Anatolia with a Kalashnikov and a few
bullets. The terrorists use these kids for their own
political goals and send them to fight against the Turkish
military. .If human life is the most valuable thing for
them, where are all the human rights defenders in Europe?
Even if the Turkish soldiers who die defending their
territory don't mean anything to them, at least they should
exert some effort to stop the terror organization from
sending these youngsters to die."

"Learning to Live With Terror"
Yilmaz Oztuna commented in the conservative "Turkiye"
(8/22): "Terrorism has reached almost every country in the
world. Some countries have even learned to live with
terrorism. Although signs of disintegration can be seen in
some terrorist organizations, this may be very deceptive.
Some international powers could immediately push new groups
onto the scene or try to sell the old ones as new. It
shouldn't be forgotten that terrorism is a profitable
business for terrorists as well as those fighting against
them. Last week everyone was focused on Sharon's
withdrawal plan from Gaza. But evacuating Gaza will never
stop the actions of Hamas and the other terror organizations
supported by Iran or the Palestinians. In Turkey, DYP
leader Mehmet Agar suggested that the PKK would disintegrate
on its own. This is probably the only way that Kurdish
youth can be saved from the terror organization, and for
Kurdish-origin Turks to have some peace. But the PKK can no
longer control these actions. The strings are not in the
PKK's hands. There are some other powers holding the
strings and gaining time against Turkey by loosening and
tightening them at their whim. After the Gaza withdrawal,
Egyptian President Husnu Mubarak referred to Sharon as a
`brave man'. This is an unbelievable change. But peace in
the Middle East still has a long way to go. For the moment,
it remains well over the horizon."

MCELDOWNEY

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