US embassy cable - 03ANKARA5356

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005356 
 
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, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Lugar: A `No' by Ankara would disappoint U.S. - 
Milliyet 
Gul: Baghdad bombings won't affect our decision - Sabah 
Turkish rescue team to Baghdad - Milliyet 
Terror killed the future UN secretary general - 
Hurriyet 
Tough mission awaiting Turkish troops in Iraq - Turkiye 
Israel opens Haram-al-Sharif to non-Muslims - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Lugar: No U.S. `expectation' from Ankara - Radikal 
Annan rebukes occupiers in Iraq  - Cumhuriyet 
Annan: U.S. did not protect us - Yeni Safak 
IMF, WB withdraw personnel from Baghdad - Yeni Safak 
Iraqi people denounce attack on UN - Zaman 
Annan: We won't leave Iraq - Zaman 
De Mello worked for humanity - Radikal 
Rumsfeld against reinforcement of troops in Iraq - 
Zaman 
Mideast cease-fire in jeopardy - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Congressman Lugar visits Ankara: Senator Richard Lugar, 
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, met 
with Turkey's foreign, defense, and justice ministers, 
and with the head of the Turkish General Staff on 
Wednesday.  Senator Lugar said after meeting Foreign 
Minister Gul that Turkey and the U.S., two strong 
allies, would both benefit from democratization in 
Iraq.  Turkey's participation in the Iraqi 
stabilization force would contribute to increased 
security in Iraq, he added.  Lugar later told CNN-Turk 
that although the U.S. would be `disappointed' if 
Turkey opts not to participate in a stabilization 
force, the U.S. will respect whatever decision Turkey 
makes.  Lugar said that Turkey should make a decision 
in view of its own national interests.  After meeting 
with Senator Lugar, Justice Minister Cicek said that 
the 57-year friendship between the U.S. and Turkey 
should not be sacrificed for the sake of gaining the 
support of two `tribal leaders.' (Cicek was clearly 
referring to Northern Iraqi Kurdish leaders Talabani 
and Barzani.)  Dailies speculate that the U.S. is in 
need of Turkey's support in Iraq more than ever 
following the bombing of the UN headquarters building 
in Baghdad.  Lugar assured Ankara that the PKK would be 
neutralized in Northern Iraq, and that the 
organization's leaders would not be sent into exile. 
 
 
Ankara discussing Turkish peacekeepers for Iraq: 
Turkey's National Security Council (NSC) will convene 
on Friday to evaluate a risk analysis report drafted by 
the MFA and TGS.  The NSC will also discuss the letter 
by NATO Europe Allied Forces Commander, General James 
Jones, to General Ozkok in response to a Turkish 
questionnaire about Turkey's participation in the Iraqi 
stabilization force.  Meanwhile, President Sezer has 
warned the government to refrain from making any 
commitment to the United States on the issue of troop 
deployment before parliament makes its decision. 
 
 
Bombing of UN offices in Baghdad: Foreign Minister Gul 
said on Wednesday that the recent bomb attack against 
the UN headquarters in Baghdad would not affect 
Turkey's decision about sending peacekeepers to Iraq. 
Papers regard Gul's remarks as indicating Ankara's 
willingness to adopt a decision for deploying troops 
for the Iraqi stabilization force. 
 
 
U.S., Turkey finalize loan talks: Turkey's economic 
bureaucrats have wrapped up talks with the U.S. 
Treasury and IMF officials in Washington regarding the 
$1 billion grant to be given by the U.S. to compensate 
Ankara's losses from the war with Iraq.  The U.S. 
Administration wants the IMF to control disbursement of 
the grant.  The $1 billion grant agreement, which could 
also be taken as a loan of $8.5 billion, will be signed 
during the visit of State Minister Babacan to the U.S. 
on September 8, an AKP official told the press. 
 
 
Police searching for the Uzans: An unnamed official 
told reporters that Uzan family members had left Turkey 
the night they learnt about the arrest warrant that had 
been issued for them.  Dailies report on the front page 
that the Uzans had tapped the mobile phones of Turkey's 
top energy, banking and finance bureaucrats and some 
prominent politicians.  CD recordings of phone 
conversations were found in a secret depot controlled 
by the family in Istanbul.  Police also found CD 
recordings containing compromising evidence against 
bureaucrats and rival businessmen.  Police said that 
the Uzans had set up a special unit of 40 technicians 
for wiretapping. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: UN HEADQUARTERS BOMBING 
 
 
"The terrorists were created by Bush" 
Soli Ozel argued in the mass appeal Sabah (8/21): "The 
attack against the UN headquarters is atrocious and 
treacherous.  It was an assault against an 
international organization that stood against the Iraq 
war.  It was also an attack against the whole world. 
This incident will only mean more suffering for Iraqis. 
. But the Bush administration, through its aggressive 
stance around the world following the US declaration of 
war against Islamic terrorism after 9/11, has created 
suitable conditions in which its enemies can operate. 
. At the current stage, the best solution is that the 
UN assume more responsibility in Iraq.  There should be 
an international force, and authority should be 
gradually given back to the Iraqis.  These issues also 
require an internal debate in Turkey before making a 
decision on a possible deployment in Iraq." 
 
 
"Iraq is turning into Lebanon" 
Yalcin Dogan observed in the mass appeal Hurriyet 
(8/21): "Unfortunately, Iraq has become hospitable 
ground for fundamentalist terrorist organizations such 
as Al Qaida and Ansar-al Islam.  The UN headquarters 
bombing seems to be the first in a series of terrorist 
attacks designed to create an impact around the world. 
. There is a power vacuum in Iraq, which has created a 
very suitable atmosphere for these terrorist 
organizations.  But the fact of the matter is that the 
vacuum is being perpetuated by the Iraqi people 
themselves.  Iraqis are not only standing against the 
US presence, but against any other foreign presence as 
well.  They appreciated US forces at the beginning, 
because the US ended the cruel regime of Saddam. 
However, the current image of American soldiers in the 
eyes of Iraqis is that of an `occupation force,' not a 
liberator.  This mentality creates a very high risk for 
Iraq's security, and has made Iraq into a place where 
terrorists are supported by the locals. . Due to the 
ongoing possibility of more terrorism, Iraq is rapidly 
moving towards fragmentation.   Terrorism and division 
is reminiscent of Lebanon in the 1980s or Yugoslavia in 
the 1990s." 
 
 
EDELMAN