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 006353

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, OCTOBER 20, 2005

THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

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

HEADLINES

MASS APPEAL
Saddam Defies the Court - Sabah
A Kurdish Judge for the ArabSaddam - Hurriyet
Iran, Kuwait, Israel Rejoice Over Saddam Trial - Milliyet
EU Begins Screening Process for Turkey - Aksam
Barroso: Bush Supports Turkey's EU Membership - Turkiye
Barroso: Turkey Must Remake Its Image in Europe - Milliyet
Boeing: Turkey to Buy 180 Passenger Planes - Hurriyet

OPINION MAKERS
Hadley: We Must Encourage Moderate Islamists - Radikal
Saddam Challenges Court, Pleads Not Guilty - Cumhuriyet
EU: Turkish Bureaucracy Resists Reforms - Yeni Safak
Kyrgyz Parliamentary Delegation Visits Northern Cyprus -
Radikal
Erdogan to Take 36 Million USD to Pakistan - Yeni Safak
Earthquake Death Toll 100,000 in Pakistan - Yeni Safak
UNICEF: 10,000 Children Face Death Risk in Pakistan -
Radikal
Schroeder, Merkel Fight over Turkey - Yeni Safak
Armenia Wants to Build New Nuclear Power Plant - Radikal
Fundamentalist Violence in Algeria: 20 Killed - Cumhuriyet
Hurricane Wilma May Reach Florida By Weekend - Radikal

BRIEFING

Hadley Addresses Council on Foreign Relations: President
Bush's National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said in a
speech to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) yesterday
in New York that a struggle is under way for the `soul of
Islam,' an ideological struggle for the support and loyalty
of the Muslim world, "Radikal" reports. Winning this
struggle will require a direct challenge to the extremist
voices within Islam, Hadley said. Hadley noted that the
world has seen the terrorists' vision of governance in
Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, which `imposed an
artificial conformity that eliminated individual freedom,
enslaved women, destroyed the nation's cultural history, and
ruled by terror.' The antidote, Hadley said, is `democracy,
justice and the freedom agenda.' `This is obviously not
something the American government can do. It is Muslim
voices from around the world that must take up this
challenge,' Hadley stressed, and added: `Muslim clerics and
legal scholars in the United States and elsewhere have
issued statements condemning terrorism. We must champion
these efforts and empower other moderate voices throughout
the Muslim world that stand for peace and tolerance.'
Hadley warned that `withdrawal from the fight' will not make
the threat go away.

MFA on Iraq, PKK: Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) Spokesman
Namik Tan said at a weekly press briefing on Wednesday that
Turkey is closely following and supports the political
process in Iraq. `It will be useful to send a team to Iraq,
under the auspices of the UN, to monitor the parliamentary
elections in the country,' Tan said, stressing the
importance of broad participation in the December polls.
Commenting on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's statements
regarding the outlawed PKK, Tan said that the US was one of
the first countries to declare the PKK a terrorist
organization. `We naturally expect a friendly and allied
country like the US to fulfill its responsibilities stemming
from that friendship and alliance,' Tan said.

Erdogan to Visit Earthquake-Stricken Pakistan: Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by businessmen and
humanitarian aid agencies, headed to Pakistan on Thursday to
show Turkey's support for the quake-stricken country.
Erdogan took to Pakistan 36 million USD in assistance and
five cargo planes with relief supplies. Erdogan will meet
with Pakistani President Musharraf and Prime Minister Aziz
in Islamabad before returning home later in the day.

EU Kicks Off Turkey Screening Process: The EU meeting which
will mark the opening of Turkey's EU screening process will
take place on Thursday in Brussels, papers report. A 30-
member Turkish delegation, consisting of science and
technology experts, will meet with EU officials to initiate
the screening of the first chapters to be broached during
the negotiation process -- science, education, and culture.
The talks will be made up of 35 chapters in which Turkey
will try to bring its entire system into line with EU
legislation. The screening process is expected to continue
until September 2006.

EU: Turkish Bureaucracy Resists Reforms: The EU Commission
Progress Report on Turkey will stress that judiciary and
institutions such as the Foundations Directorate, the media
watchdog (RTUK), and the Higher Education Board (YOK) are
resisting EU reforms, the all-news channel CNN-Turk reports.
The Commission told Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) officials
in Brussels last week that despite progress in legal
arrangements, the implementation of reforms has been
problematic in Turkey. The Commission advised the Turks to
end the resistance displayed by the Turkish bureaucracy.
The Commission, believing that the influence of the military
in politics is still strong in Turkey, said that statements
by the military must be restricted to defense and security
issues.

Allawi Due in Ankara: Former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad
Allawi will visit Ankara on Friday for talks, papers report.
Allawi, leader of the Iraqi National Accord, will be
received by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and hold talks
with Turkish officials on the existing situation and
possible developments in Iraq.

Erdogan to Britain Next Week: Prime Minister Erdogan is to
visit the UK October 27 to press for a breakthrough on the
Cyprus problem, "Turkiye" reports. Erdogan will propose to
EU leaders in London that the EU lift all restrictions on
northern Cyprus, and will stress that the Turks are ready to
negotiate with the Greek Cypriots within the framework of UN
initiatives, according to the report.

Turkey to Respond to Greek Cypriot Exercise: Papers report
that the Turkish Air Force intends to respond to the Greek
Cypriots' decision to hold the Nikiforos military exercise
by flying F-16s over the island and landing them on the
airstrip in Gecitkale. "Radikal" claims that the Turks have
informed the United States of their intention to counter the
Greek Cypriot exercise with a `Toros' exercise. `Toros' has
not been held for the past four years. The article claims
that Turkish land and naval forces will also be involved in
the exercise.

Kyrgyz Delegation Calls in Turkish Cyprus: Papers report
that a Kyrgyz parliamentary delegation arrived in northern
Cyprus as the guest of `TRNC' Foreign Minister Serdar
Denktas on Wednesday. The Kyrgyz delegation of 3 deputy
ministers and 15 lawmakers arrived at Ercan Airport on a
Cyprus Turkish Airlines (KTHY) plane from Istanbul. Arslan
Maliev, the head of the delegation, said that the Turkish
and Greek Cypriots made their positions clear in the
referendum held in April last year, and that the world had
seen which side had `good intentions.' `The isolation of
the Turkish Cypriots should end at once,' Maliyev said. The
Kyrgyz delegation will meet with `state and government
officials,' and visit universities and historical sites on
Thursday before departing northern Cyprus over the weekend.
Aksu Visits Russia: Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu
discussed international terrorism and cooperation against
international organized crime with his Russian counterpart
Rashid Gumarovich Nurgaliyev on Wednesday in Moscow, dailies
report. Nurgaliyev said after meeting with Aksu that Russia
and Turkey exchanged information with regard to more than
900 subjects in the first nine months of 2005 through the
mediation of Interpol. The majority of the information
exchange was about economic crimes, he said. The two
ministers also discussed the issue of extradition of
criminals. The Russian Interior Ministry said that the two
ministers decided to hold the next meeting of the Russian-
Turkish working groups in Ankara in 2006.

University Rector Detained on Corruption Charges: The
Higher Education Council (YOK) Rectors Committee held an
extraordinary meeting yesterday to discuss the arrest of
Professor Yucel Askin, rector of Yuzuncu Yil University in
the eastern province of Van, on charges of corruption,
papers report. In a statement after the meeting, YOK
chairman Erdogan Tezic stressed that Professor Askin had
been detained because he was `trying to protect the secular
order at the university.' `Standing by Askin means standing
by the republic,' Tezic said. The rectors of 70
universities signed a joint letter protesting the arrest of
Askin on `baseless charges,' and accusing the government of
attempting to give Turkish universities an Islamic identity.
The rectors agreed to go to Van on Sunday in a show of
support to their imprisoned colleague. Meanwhile,
"Milliyet" reports that in the 2006 draft budget, the AKP
government had reduced the funds apportioned to Van
University and the YOK. The paper underlines that no cuts
were made in the budgets of other educational institutions.

Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Reopens After Six Weeks: The
pumping of oil has recommenced through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan
pipeline, which had been bombed some six weeks ago by Iraqi
insurgents. The pipeline runs from the oil-rich Kirkuk area
in northern Iraq to the port of Ceyhan on Turkey's
Mediterranean coast, and has a capacity of 1.5 million
barrels a day. Iraqi oil officials stated that the pipeline
has been repaired and is now pumping 700,000 barrels a day
at pre-war prices to storage facilities in Ceyhan.

EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq/Saddam's Trial

"Who is Holding the Trial?"
Okay Gonensin commented in the mass appeal "Vatan" (10/20):
"All political trials bring the same crucial question to
mind: Who is really holding the trial? In the case of
Saddam, he is being tried by the American administration and
pro-American Iraqis. This factor weakens the ones who are
presiding at the trial and strengthens the one who is being
tried. Following the US occupation, Iraq was essentially
divided into three. Shiites do not hide their sympathy for
the Iranian administration, while the Kurds are doing their
best to be supportive of the US at all costs so that the can
reach their ultimate goal -- an independent Kurdish state. .
The acquittal of Saddam at this trial is very unlikely. But
the verdict will not have a significant impact, either on
his supporters or his opponents. . Saddam Hussein was a
cruel and archaic dictator. But if he is able to survive in
the 21st century, he should express his appreciation to the
US administration more than anyone else."

"Iraq Disintegrates, But Do we have a Plan B?"
Cuneyt Ulsever commented in the mass appeal "Hurriyet"
(10/20): "The only thing certain about the Turkish
government's Iraq policy is the desire to protect Iraq's
territorial integrity. It is obvious that the American
struggle is also concentrated in that direction. But with
every passing day, it becomes more clear that the US is not
being successful in this struggle. Although the
constitutional referendum resulted in a majority of `yes'
votes, implementing the constitution seems almost
impossible. Moreover, even if the constitution is
implemented, it contains many clauses that encourage the
country's dissolution. Meanwhile, there is a growing desire
in the US to pull out of Iraq as quickly as possible. So
the possibility of Iraqi disintegration increases with every
passing day. What is our plan B for this strong
possibility?"

"The Trial of Saddam"
Turgut Tarhanli wrote in the liberal-intellectual "Radikal"
(10/20): "Saddam's trial should have taken place in an
international forum made up of UN-designated international
judicial officials. All the charges he faces are crimes
under international law. Even chiefs of state can not be
immune from such charges. There could be two reasons for
him not being tried by the international courts: It could be
an effort by the occupation forces to protect their
influence in Iraq during the legal process. Or it could be
part of an effort to use Saddam's trial as a positive
turning point in the power struggle going on in the country.
In the end, Iraq remains the same Iraq, and the current
trial is about as legitimate as the ones that took place
before 2003."

"Saddam Should Be Tried, But What About You?"
Ibrahim Karagul argued in the Islamist-opinion maker "Yeni
Safak" (10/20): "Of course Saddam should be tried, but this
must take place in an international court. There will never
be a fair ruling coming from a court made up of those who
hate him. . Those who were oppressed are becoming more cruel
than their previous oppressor. There have been many crimes
against humanity since the occupation began, including
massacres in Fallujah and Tal Afar, and torture centers in
northern Iraq. Who will bring those crimes before a court?
. Yes, Saddam should be tried. He has to pay for the agony
he caused. He is a dictator and he is guilty. But those
who try Saddam are also guilty. Who is going to judge
them?"

MCELDOWNEY

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