US embassy cable - 03ANKARA5530

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005530 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 2, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Gen.Ozkok: "We Will Improve, Will Continue to Protect the 
Country" - Hurriyet (8/31) 
Gen.Ozkok: "Military is Guarantor for Democracy Too" - 
Milliyet (8/31) 
Ladin Fingerprints in Najef Explosion _ Sabah (8/31) 
Denktas: "I'll Have Anatolia's Support and Fight" - Hurriyet 
(9/1) 
Bargaining over Turkish Troops with the US Starts - Sabah 
FM Gul: "Denktas Should Seek the Cypriots' Support First" - 
Hurriyet 
`Wrongdoing in Iraq' Confessions From US - Hurriyet 
General Jones and `EUCOM' Delegation Arrive Today - Hurriyet 
Confession from the US Hawks "We Did Not Expect Such Strong 
Resistance" - Milliyet 
PM Erdogan: "Turkey Will Not Be an Occupier in Iraq" - 
Turkiye 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Guarantee for Secularism from Gen.Ozkok - Cumhuriyet (8/31) 
Ankara Wants North of Baghdad for Turkish Troops - Radikal 
(9/1) 
PKK Question to General Jones - Cumhuriyet 
Newsweek: "Ladin's Terrorism Summit" - Cumhuriyet 
Turkish Military's Iraq Condition is `Peace' - Radikal 
Intense Troop Bargaining: US Says "Turkish Troops in Iraq a 
Must" - Zaman 
US: "We Need Turkey in Iraq - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
August 30 Reception by Military:  Weekend papers covered the 
August 30 Victory Holiday and Turkish Military Day 
Celebrations and the messages TGS Chief General Ozkok gave 
to the public.  In his message to the country, Gen. Ozkok 
said that the Turkish Military will improve itself 
constantly in today's changing world and will continue to 
defend the country.  Ozkok warned against fundamentalist and 
separatist movements and said that such movements assigned 
new duties to the Turkish military. 
Al Najaf Mosque Bombing:  Weekend papers and TV channels 
covered the Shi'a Muslims' protest in Iraq following the 
August 29 bombing of Imam Ali Mosque.  Shi'a leader Al-Hakim 
and hundreds of people lost their lives in the explosion. 
Al-Hakim's funeral will be held in Najaf today. 
 
 
General Jones Visit:  Most papers today cover the visit of 
General Jones to Turkey.  "Radikal" says that Gen. Jones is 
coming to Turkey to hold discussions about the deployment of 
Turkish troops.  "Hurriyet" reports that Jones is coming to 
Turkey as NATO supreme commander in Europe and talks about 
Iraq would be held unofficially.   Turkey-US coordination to 
eliminate PKK-KADEK will be discussed too. 
Turkish Troop Deployment:  "Zaman" reports that the US 
continues to stress the need for Turkish troops in Iraq. 
However, the Governing Council of Iraq is against the 
foreign troop deployment.  The Turkish government believes 
that an invitation from the interim government would open 
the path for the parliament's decision on troop deployment. 
"Radikal" says that during the talks with the US, Turkey 
will stress that Turkish troops should go to Iraq as a 
`peacekeeping force'.  TGS will indicate that Turkish troops 
will not join in any clashes involving US troops in Iraq, 
and that they will be there only for humanitarian aid and 
for the reconstruction of Iraq.  "Radikal" also reports on 
FM Gul's comments on PKK/KADEK.  Responding to a question 
about PKK/KADEK, FM Gul said that `Presently, US and Britain 
control the situation in Iraq, therefore, they carry the 
responsibilities for fighting against terrorism there.  We 
are following the developments there closely.'  "Zaman" 
quotes PM Erdogan's interview with German magazine "Focus", 
saying that "Turkey would not become an occupier in Iraq". 
 
 
Remarks of TRNC President Denktas:  Monday's "Hurriyet" 
quotes Denktas as saying that `if I lose at the elections, 
I'll fight with the support of people of Anatolia'. 
Responding to this comment, FM Gul said "The people of 
Anatolia already support the Cyprus cause, Denktas should 
seek the support of Cyprus people". 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
"Should we send troops to Iraq?" 
Hursit Gunes noted in the mass appeal Milliyet (9/2): "The 
U.S. wants to station Turkish troops in central Iraq.  If 
the U.S. had not asked, Turkey would not be willing to go to 
Iraq.  Thus, such a deployment will serve U.S. interests 
rather than Turkey's. .  It would be wrong to correlate 
financial aid and military support, for the U.S. has 
provided monetary support for Israel and Egypt, the two 
countries it did not ask for help.  Iraq is increasingly 
turning into a military swamp.  Sending troops to Iraq would 
be extremely risky. .  High-risk help that would bring low 
gains is irrational." 
 
 
"Can the UN bring stability to Iraq?" 
Sahin Alpay wrote in the intellectual/conservative Zaman 
(9/2):  "Ankara should go to Iraq only through a UN 
resolution, and under a UN command. .  Washington is not 
cold to the idea of UN peacekeepers in Iraq under U.S. 
command. .  The question is whether a switch of mandate from 
the U.S. to the UN will bring stability to Iraq.  From an 
Iraqi viewpoint, it is questionable that the credibility of 
the UN, which imposed economic sanctions on Iraq for years, 
is higher than that of the U.S. .  Some analysts think that 
such a change of administration will encourage the U.S. to 
undertake new military interventions in Iran, Syria, and 
Saudi Arabia." 
 
 
EDELMAN