US embassy cable - 03ANKARA5438

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005438 
 
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 
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
TGS Chief General Ozkok: `Only I Can Speak on Behalf of the 
Military' - Hurriyet 
Generals Speak As They Retire - Milliyet 
Kirkuk in a Knot - Turkiye 
Gen.Ozkok: Only the Authorized People Can Talk on Behalf of 
the Military - Sabah 
Harsh Farewell Messages from NSC General Secretary General 
Kilinc - Posta 
A "U-Turn" from Colonel Mayville - Aksam 
Assistant Treasury Secretary Taylor: "We Can Sign the 
Agreement with Turkey for $8.5 Billion Credit in September" 
- Hurriyet 
US Ambassador to Turkey Presents His Credentials Without Any 
Delay - Milliyet 
Ambassador Edelman Presents His Credentials to President 
Sezer - Turkiye 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Bitter Farewell -  Zaman 
General Kilinc: "There are Still Sharia Supporters in the 
Country"  - Cumhuriyet 
General Ozkok: "No Disagreement Among the Turkish Military" 
- Radikal 
Ultimatum to Retired Generals From TGS Chief - Yeni Safak 
New US Ambassador Eric Edelman Resumed Office - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Turkoman Tensions in Northern Iraq: "Turkiye" reports that 
the developments in Kirkuk have come to a deadlock as all 
the groups there have been blaming each other for the recent 
tensions which had led to the death of 11 Turkomans.  The 
paper adds that the Turkomans blame the US for the unrest, 
saying that the US showed too much tolerance of the 
Peshmerge militants' violence.  "Hurriyet" reports that US 
Colonel William Mayville, who is in charge of security in 
Kirkuk, said that the US was cooperating with the Turkish 
special forces to end ethnic tensions in the region.  The 
paper notes that Colonel Mayville was the commander who 
detained Turkish special force members in Suleymania on July 
4.  "Aksam" reports that Turkish and American generals 
recently met in Iraq and agreed to cooperate on the 
gathering and sharing of information.  The statements of 
Mayville and the new developments in the region show that 
from now on Turkish and US security forces will cooperate in 
northern Iraq, adds "Aksam." 
 
 
Council of Ministers Meeting:  Following yesterday's Council 
of Ministers meeting in Ankara, government spokesman Cemil 
Cicek told journalists that the government had not made a 
decision about a Turkish troop deployment in Iraq and would 
not hurry to make a decision.  Cicek added that the Turkish 
delegation sent to Iraq was evaluating the different aspects 
in the region and a decision will be based on the 
delegation's findings. 
 
 
General Kilinc Statement: All papers today cover harsh 
warnings made by outgoing National Security Council (NSC) 
General Secretary General Kilinc at the handover ceremony 
yesterday.  Kilinc criticized the seventh EU harmonization 
package, saying that the amendments weakened the NSC. 
General Kilinc also drew attention to fundamentalist threats 
and said that there are still people in the country willing 
to bring about Shariah rule.  Lastly, he stated that 
Turkey's decision regarding sending troops to Iraq should be 
based on Turkish, not American interests.  At a reception 
following the ceremony, TGS chief General Ozkok was asked if 
there are disagreements in the military.  General Ozkok was 
quoted as saying that `There are no disagreements; however, 
in the military only a small number of officers are 
authorized to make statements on behalf of the military. 
General Ozkok added that comments made by retiring First 
Army General Dogan reflect Dogan's personal views and it 
would have been better if he had waited until his retirement 
to speak out.  "Yeni Safak" describes the messages of Ozkok 
as an `ultimatum' to retired generals. 
 
 
Ambassador Edelman Presents Credentials:  Most papers cover 
Ambassador  Edelman's presentation of credentials to 
President Sezer yesterday.  "Milliyet" adds that the wife of 
the Ambassador and US Embassy officials were also present at 
the ceremony.  "Milliyet" notes that Ambassador Edelman was 
able to present his credentials relatively quickly, just 10 
days after his arrival. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
"US must review Kirkuk policy" 
Sedat Ergin observed in the mass appeal Hurriyet (8/26): 
"The US signed an agreement with the Iraqi Turkoman Front 
before the war, but later ignored the Turkomen.  The US made 
a gross mistake and presented the governor's office to the 
Kurds on a silver plate.  US has merely observed attempts to 
transform Kirkuk, which shelters four ethnic groups, into a 
Kurdish town.. Kurdish groups have advanced significantly in 
reaching their goal of including Kirkuk in a `federal' 
Kurdish zone.  By allowing one of the several ethnic groups 
to exert influence on Kirkuk instead of remaining impartial, 
the US is sowing the seeds of long term ethnic enmity in the 
region.  After the First Gulf War in 1991, the US did not 
define Kirkuk and Mosul within the boundaries of the Kurdish 
region, but left those two cities under the authority of 
Baghdad.  It is a contradiction for Washington to allow a 
change of status today for Kirkuk, a city Americans had not 
regarded as part of the Kurdish region for twelve years." 
 
 
"Chatting with Senator McCain" 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal Milliyet (8/26): "'We 
finished the war with Iraq faster than expected, but could 
not establish peace.  We haven't been successful in the 
security and restructuring of Iraq,' says Senator John 
McCain.  The Iraqi people are furious that water, 
electricity, and infrastructure systems are not working 
properly due to the heavy damage inflicted by war.  This 
creates a suitable milieu for terror, McCain believes.  The 
US Administration must appropriate $13-15 billion for Iraq's 
infrastructure, he adds.  McCain also believes that 
Washington should send at least an additional brigade to 
Iraq for security. .  An old soldier, McCain thinks Turkish 
troops are needed in Iraq.  Ankara's refusal regarding troop 
deployment will cause disillusionment in the Congress, he 
says.  `In that case,' he stresses, `our relations should 
not be shaken.  We can do lots of other things in Iraq.  But 
our relations will get stronger if we establish peace and 
stability in Iraq together.'" 
EDELMAN