US embassy cable - 03ANKARA5480

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005480 
 
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 28, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Ambassador Edelman: "US Expecting Support from Turkey in 
Iraq" - Hurriyet 
Richard Perle: "US Made Mistakes in Iraq" -Hurriyet 
US Ambassador Asks Support on Iraq at his Courtesy Visit to 
FM Gul - Milliyet 
Bremer: "We cannot Rebuild Iraq without Foreign Support" - 
Milliyet 
Deputy PM Sener: "US Loan not Linked to Turkish Troops" 
-Sabah 
Ubeydi Tribe Wants Turkish Soldiers Under UN Umbrella - 
Sabah 
Arrest Warrant for Kemal Uzan - Sabah 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
HR Committee Chairman Elkatmis Warns US Delegation - 
Cumhuriyet 
Ankara's Humanitarian Aid Initiative Intended to Win Iraqis' 
Support - Zaman 
Edelman Requsts Support From FM Gul on Iraq - Zaman 
Elkatmis to US Delegation: Stop Your Threats and Blackmail - 
Yeni Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Troop Deployment:  Today's papers cover the news on contacts 
between Turkish officials and leaders of Iraq's Arab Ubeydi 
tribe.  Representatives of the Ubeydi tribe met yesterday 
with Deputy Undersecretary Ali Tuygan at the foreign 
ministry.  "Zaman" notes that the tribe offered cooperation 
against Kurdish peshmerge militants.  "Turkiye" reports that 
the tribal leaders advised the Turks not to go into Iraq 
with US forces, but rather under a UN umbrella.  "Vatan" 
notes that Ankara will continue its contacts with Iraqi 
tribal leaders. 
 
 
Ambassador Edelman:  Most papers report on the courtesy 
visit Ambassador Edelman paid yesterday to Foreign Minister 
Gul.  "Hurriyet" notes that Iraq was the top issue during 
the 50-minute meeting.  Ambassador Edelman told FM Gul that 
`Turkey and the US are strategic partners, and this 
understanding will continue.'  Edelman openly expressed US 
expectations about the sending of troops to Iraq.  "Radikal" 
reports that at a reception at his residence yesterday, 
Ambassador Edelman was said that `the loans offered to 
Turkey and the deployment of Turkish troops in Iraq are two 
different issues. The loan is linked to cooperation in 
general, not to a troop deployment in Iraq.' 
 
 
US Public Diplomacy Advisory Group Visit: The US has begun 
to investigate its public image in Turkey and the reasons 
behind recent problems between the two countries.  A 
delegation from the Public Diplomacy Advisory Group at the 
State Department visited Parliamentary Human Rights 
Commission Chairman Mehmet Elkatmis yesterday to discuss the 
issue.  When asked by the delegation leader, Ambassador 
Edward Djerejian -- a former deputy secretary of state, 
about his evaluation of US policies, Elkatmis said that the 
US must change its policies if it wants to continue its 
alliance with Turkey.  Current US attitudes, Elkatmis added, 
are not in keeping with that friendship.  If we are to 
contribute to global peace together, the US must revise its 
policies.' 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
"Weak leadership in Turkey" 
Cengiz Candar noted in the mass appeal DB-Tercuman (8/28): 
"Glossy statements cannot hide the weak leadership and 
inconstancy of the Erdogan-Gul duo on Iraq.  They are trying 
to arrive at a decision through asking the Sunni Iraqi 
tribal leaders who have had ambiguous relations with the 
former Baath regime, opinion research questions such as 
`should we go to Iraq,' and `if we do, how would you greet 
us?'  There is no substantial difference between President 
Sezer and the government regarding foreign policy decisions. 
The President's seeking international consensus on Iraq 
under a UN license while the government's seeking consensus 
with the Sunni Arab tribal leaders.  It's interesting that 
those who think too little of the Iraqi Kurdish leaders, 
almost respect a blackmailing by the Arab tribal leaders who 
warned that Turkish troops would be treated like Americans 
in Iraq.  Do you think countries with a firm vision of 
future determine their foreign policy by asking it to Sunni 
Arab tribal leaders?" 
 
 
"Wasting Turkomen for the sake of ignoring the Kurdish 
problem" 
Koray Duzgoren argued in the Islamic/intellectual "Yeni 
Safak" (8/28):  "U.S. has clearly assumed responsibility for 
the security of Northern Iraq, and told Turkey not to be 
concerned of KADEK anymore. .  The Turkomen minority has 
become the sole reason for Turkey to remain in Northern 
Iraq. .  Everybody in Northern Iraq knows that the Iraqi 
Turkoman Front (ITF) office in Northern Iraq is the center 
of Turkey's intelligence activities.  U.S. troops had seized 
tons of explosives and arms at the ITF office in 
Suleymaniye.  Recent incidents in Suleymaniye and Kirkuk 
show Turkey's decisiveness to use the Turkomen minority for 
its activities in the region. .  Some advise that the 
Turkomen should be armed in the face of KDP and PUK 
policies.  Such a `national' policy by Turkey leaves the 
Turkomen a sole alternative of facing atrocities and thus 
leaving the region. .  Turkey's interests require the 
Turkomen to join Iraq's rebuilding as a main element of 
Iraq.  Turkey cannot waste the Turkomen for the sake of 
ignoring the Kurdish problem." 
 
 
EDELMAN