US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6053

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006053 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 25, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Powell expects a division from Turkey - Aksam - 
Gul: No motion to parliament if it won't pass - Hurriyet 
AKP considering closed parliamentary session on Iraq - Sabah 
Safire: Turkey must join coalition forces in Iraq - Vatan 
Bush, Schroeder new partners on Iraq - Milliyet 
Israeli pilots refuse to bomb Palestine - Turkiye 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Iraqis believe foreign peacekeepers will increase chaos - 
Radikal 
American families launch protest demonstrations on Iraq - 
Radikal 
U.S. troops' families furious, Bush cornered - Cumhuriyet 
NYT's Safire: Turkey will determine Iraq's future - Zaman 
Americans hunt for spies in Guantanamo - Yeni Safak 
Jimmy Carter warns U.S. against human rights violations - 
Cumhuriyet 
25 Israeli pilots resist orders - Cumhuriyet 
U.S. bargaining with Taliban - Cumhuriyet 
Varosha to be opened to settlement - Zaman 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Secretary Powell on Turks to Iraq: 
 
SIPDIS 
All papers report the interview by Secretary Powell with 
Business Week, in which he voiced the expectation that 
Turkey would deploy a division of peacekeepers in Iraq if 
the Government opts for a troop deployment.  Powell said the 
U.S. is looking forward to contributions from countries with 
large armies like Turkey, India and Pakistan. 
 
 
GOT to seek parliamentary authorization for Iraq: 
Foreign Minister Gul said on Wednesday that the government 
would not submit to parliament a motion to send peacekeepers 
to Iraq if it becomes clear that lawmakers will vote against 
it.   "Cumhuriyet" claims that opposition is rising within 
the ruling AK Party to approving  unrestricted authority to 
the GOT for dispatching troops abroad. 
 
 
U.S., Turkey to discuss PKK/KADEK: 
Turkey and the U.S. are to hold a second round of 
discussions next week regarding the elimination of the 
PKK/KADEK threat, "Zaman" reports.  Ankara expects concrete 
steps from the U.S. to crush the organization.  A second 
round of talks will be held between State Department counter- 
terrorism coordinator Cofer Black and MFA officials in 
Ankara on October 1.  "Zaman" claims the PKK problem is the 
largest obstacle to deployment of Turkish peacekeepers in 
Iraq. 
 
 
Possible location of Turkish troops in Iraq: 
Turkish peacekeepers will be deployed in Iraq's al-Anbar 
province or to the north of Baghdad around the city of 
Salahaddin, according to "Cumhuriyet."  Although more 
dangerous than other areas of Iraq, the area north of 
Baghdad is probably Turkey's preference, given that it it 
closer to Northern Iraq and home to a large Turkmen 
population.  The other sector being considered for the Turks 
is from the west of Baghdad to Iraq's borders with Syria and 
Jordan.  This 400 km-wide area is to be divided into five 
zones from which Turkey can choose one.  This region, home 
to a population of one million Iraqis, includes key water 
resources and a large number of dams. 
 
 
FM Gul meets Iranian counterpart: 
During a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Kharrazi in 
New York on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Gul urged Tehran to 
be transparent in its nuclear programs and to cooperate 
fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, dailies 
report.  Kharrazi assured Gul that Iran is pursuing 
peaceful, civilian goals in its nuclear program. 
 
 
Public opinion research a `warning' for AKP: 
"Vatan" carries on its front page a SONAR Co. research poll 
of 2,019 randomly chosen Turks in 25 provinces taken during 
the month of September.  44.2 percent of Turks believe that 
the ruling AK Party has not fulfilled its election promises, 
and 20.2 percent hold a favorable opinion of AKP policies. 
34.7 percent find the government's economic policies as 
successful, while 53.5 percent believe them to be failing. 
24.6 percent of those polled are favorable to deploying 
Turkish peacekeepers in Iraq, but 72.5 percent are against 
such a move.  The research gives percentage support for 
political parties as follows:  AKP 28.03, CHP 14.86, Genc 
Party 8.87, DYP 6.54, DEHAP 5.15, MHP 3.52. 
 
 
Denktas plans of opening Varosha to settlement: 
Papers report that Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas is 
planning to open the deserted town of Varosha (Maras) to 
settlement before the general elections in the Turkish 
sector in December.  A recent Denktas offer for opening 
Varosha to settlement by the Greek Cypriots in exchange for 
the joint use of Lefkosa International Airport, which had 
remained unused for 29 years, has already been rejected by 
Nicosia.  The Turkish Cypriot foreign minister said in New 
York on Wednesday that Turks are considering opening Varosha 
for settlement under the auspices of the UN or unilaterally. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  President Bush @ UNGA 
 
 
"US alienated" 
Soli Ozel commented in mass appeal Sabah (9/25): "During the 
UNGA address, President Bush pledged support for the 
American political mission in Iraq.  The very country he 
represents undermined the UN's internationally-recognized 
rules and principles, yet he repeatedly tried to justify to 
the UNGA members the correctness of US policy in Iraq. 
Along with the Iraq issue, Bush voiced concern and showed 
sensitivity towards some vital humanitarian issues despite 
the preconceived image within international public opinion 
that the US never cared for those issues.  However, the 
whole speech highlighted one single fact, that the United 
States did not receive any enthusiastic support within the 
UNGA.  Members did not take the `let's do it together' 
message seriously because the US has already carried out its 
plan by passing the UN.  Interestingly, there was more 
silence than applause. . Nevertheless, a new UN resolution 
is still very likely.  It is yet not clear which side will 
be giving more concessions." 
 
 
"UN is at the Crossroads" 
Turgut Tarhanli wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(9/25): "The current US administration itself started 
digging the hole for the demise of United Nations.  And 
President Bush's UNGA address proved that the US 
administration is determined to continue with this approach. 
This is an alarming situation, as UNSG Annan highlighted 
during his speech. . The Bush administration simply put 
aside any consideration for establishing a civilized order, 
and adopted exertion of force as policy.  In the US's book 
`using force' becomes `legal means.'  This is what the US 
argument is all about although that does not mean it will be 
taken as a legitimate and legal method to deal with 
international issues.  . As UNSG Annan clearly put it, the 
whole world stands at a crossroads; i.e. we must make a 
choice between legality and the use of force." 
 
 
EDELMAN