Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Eu Issues- Turkey President

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005871

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY; BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; AF/PA;
EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA
FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR
AND PASS USTR/PA; USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA;
ROME/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - EU ISSUES- TURKEY PRESIDENT
BUSH - IRAQ
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

1. EU ISSUES- TURKEY
2. PRESIDENT BUSH - IRAQ

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

A VARIETY OF DOMESTIC STORIES DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES,
BUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF HURRICANE KATRINA, FINANCIAL AS WELL
AS HUMAN ARE PROMINENTLY REPORTED. THE FINANCIAL COST OF THE
HURRICANE IS ESTIMATED BY LA TRIBUNE TO BE BETWEEN 15 AND 20
BILLION DOLLARS. FOR CATHOLIC LA CROIX, WHICH HEADLINES "THE
INEQUALITIES OF THE OIL CRISIS," HIGH OIL PRICES ARE AFFECTING
SOUTH EAST ASIAN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES VERY HARSHLY. BUT IN HER
EDITORIAL DOMINIQUE QUINIO EMPHASIZES THE "EDUCATIONAL VALUE"
OF SUCH A CRISIS, WHICH SERVES "AS A WAKE UP CALL" FOR
CONSUMERS AND CAN HELP CHANGE "CONSUMER HABITS."

MOST EDITORIALS ARE DEVOTED TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S ECONOMIC AND
INDUSTRIAL PUSH IN FAVOR OF INNOVATION AND CENTERS OF
EXCELLENCE AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO BOOST
EMPLOYMENT. IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO PHILIPPE RECLUS WARNS
ABOUT TOO MUCH "INTERVENTION FROM THE STATE." HE CALLS INSTEAD
FOR MORE "RISK TAKING AND LONG TERM INVESTMENT" BY COMPANIES
WHOSE ROLE IT IS TO "CONSERVE THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM THE
STATE." CONVERSELY RECLUS CALLS ON THE STATE TO HELP "BY
PROVIDING A FAVORABLE ECONOMIC AND TAX ENVIRONMENT FOR PRIVATE
INITIATIVE."

IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S REMARKS ON TURKEY'S NEED TO
CLARIFY ITS POSITION ON CYPRUS, COLUMNIST ALEXANDRE ADLER PENS
AN OPINION PIECE URGING EUROPE TO HONOR ITS PROMISE TO TURKEY.
(SEE PART C)

LE FIGARO DEVOTES A HALF-PAGE REPORT TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S
RETURN TO WASHINGTON AND THE CHALLENGES AWAITING HIM. (SEE
PART C)

POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO THE
THREAT OF AVIAN FLU, "WHICH IS ON OUR DOORSTEP." A FULL-PAGE
ARTICLE INSIDE IS ENTITLED: "FINALLY, THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT
MOBILIZED AGAINST AVIAN FLU." BUT IN AN INTERVIEW, THE HEAD OF
THE TROPICAL DISEASE CENTER IN MARSEILLES, PHILIPPE BROUQUI
SAYS: "TALKS ABOUT AVAILABLE VACCINES OR ANTI-VIRAL MEDICATION
IS RIDICULOUS. WE CANNOT EXPERIMENT WITH A VACCINE FOR A
DISEASE WE DO NOT YET GRASP FULLY."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

EU ISSUES- TURKEY

"TURNING TO ANKARA"
ALEXANDRE ADLER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/31): "TURKEY
HAS OF LATE BECOME A BEACON OF DEMOCRACY AND MODERNISM IN THE
MUSLIM WORLD. UNDER THESE NEW AND FAVORABLE CONDITIONS, EUROPE
CANNOT TURN AWAY FROM TURKEY. IF A SERIOUS CRISIS DEVELOPED
AND EUROPE WAS TO RENEGE ON ITS PROMISE TO TURKEY, WE WOULD BE
FACING A TWO-SIDED PHENOMENON. FIRST, AMONG ISLAMIC RANKS, WE
WOULD SEE A REJECTION OF EUROPE, WHICH WOULD BE A STEP
BACKWARDS; SECOND, THERE WOULD BE A RAPPROCHEMENT OF MILITARY
AND POLITICAL LEADERS WITH THE U.S., WHICH COULD WELL INCLUDE
TURKEY IN NAFTA, AS IT HAS DONE WITH AUSTRALIA. THIS WOULD BE
DISASTROUS FOR FRANCE AND EUROPE. TURKEY WOULD CLOSE ITSELF TO
OUR INDUSTRIES. IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO CALM THE SITUATION,
APPEASE SPIRITS AND CONSOLIDATE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EUROPE'S
NUMBER ONE ALLY IN A REGION THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE SUBJECTED
TO A NEW WAVE OF INSTABILITY, SUCH AS IRAN'S NUCLEAR
AMBITIONS."

PRESIDENT BUSH - IRAQ

"BUSH FACING A TUMULTUOUS RENTR "
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/31):
"HURRICANE KATRINA IS NOT THE KIND OF DISTRACTION PRESIDENT
BUSH NEEDED. WITH ITS LEVEL OF DESTRUCTION, THE HURRICANE WILL
COMPLICATE EVEN MORE THE PRESIDENT'S RETURN TO WASHINGTON FOR
A POLITICAL RENTR THAT LOOKS PARTICULARLY DELICATE. THE
MEDIA ATTENTION TO THE HURRICANE WILL DETRACT FROM IRAQ, BUT
ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME. AFTER HIS FIVE-WEEK VACATION, PRESIDENT
BUSH IS FACING A POPULARITY RATE DOWN TO 40 PERCENT, THE
LOWEST IN HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAREER. ON IRAQ, 61 PERCENT OF
AMERICANS DISAPPROVE HIS POLICY, WITH COMPARISONS TO VIETNAM
ON THE RISE. STILL, A GENERAL PUBLIC UPRISING OVER IRAQ IS
UNLIKELY BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF AMERICAN VICTIMS ARE
VOLUNTEERS RATHER THAN DRAFTEES. THE DOMESTIC SITUATION WILL
NOT HELP THE PRESIDENT WHOSE SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM APPEARS TO
BE IN LIMBO. WHILE TRADITIONALLY A PRESIDENT WILL SEEK REFUGE
IN HIS FOREIGN POLICY DURING A SECOND TERM, PRESIDENT BUSH'S
IRAQ POLICY IS OVERWHELMING THAT PARTICULAR HORIZON."
STAPLETON

© Scoop Media