US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6266

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006266 
 
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 
MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Another suicide attack in Israel: 18 dead - Sabah 10/5 
First Israeli assault on Syria in 30 years - Millliyet 
Israel bombs camp 15 km from Damascus - Hurriyet 
Israel takes revenge on Syria - Sabah 
Americans will find PKK, Turks will strike - Hurriyet 
10/4 
Annan tough on new U.S. resolution on Iraq - Milliyet 
10/4 
President Bush, the Poet - Milliyet 10/5 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Palestinian suicide bomber breaks Haifa peace - Radikal 
Woman suicide bomber strikes in Haifa, 20 dead - Zaman 
10/5 
Bloody message to Syria - Cumhuriyet 
Gen. Sanchez: Our fight in Iraq might take years - 
Radikal 10/4 
CIA's Kay: No WMD in Iraq - Radikal 10/4 
Talabani extends olive branch, says Turkish support 
significant - Zaman 
Saddam's soldiers protest for wages - Zaman 10/5 
Bush-style serenade for Laura - Radikal 10/5 
Chechnya's single-option election - Cumhuriyet 10/5 
629 bodies exhumed from mass grave in Bosnia - Zaman 
10/4 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Turkish peacekeepers to Iraq:  The Council of Ministers 
will decide on Monday on the deployment of Turkish 
peacekeepers in Iraq, and will submit a related motion 
to the parliament later this week.  Prime Minister 
Erdogan, Foreign Minister Gul, and State Minister 
Babacan are expected to brief AK Party lawmakers on the 
issue on Tuesday.  Foreign Minister Gul said the motion 
would not specify the destination and size of the 
Turkish troop contingent to be deployed in Iraq.  Prime 
Minister Erdogan said his government would not wait to 
see a related UNSC resolution before deploying soldiers 
in Iraq.  Dailies expect the government to ask for a 
`permission' rather than an `authority' from the 
parliament in order to avoid a possible veto by 
President Sezer.  Meanwhile, papers report that mass 
demonstrations by NGOs and labor unions against Turkey 
sending soldiers to Iraq will be held in major Turkish 
provinces this week. 
 
 
U.S., Turkey action plan against PKK/KADEK:  According 
to information based on `reliable sources,' Saturday's 
"Hurriyet" reports that the U.S. will provide Turkey 
with information regarding the hideouts of PKK 
militants in Northern Iraq, and then allow Turkish 
special forces to launch operations against the 
terrorists.  The U.S. will then try  in various ways to 
convince PKK members to return to Turkey in line with 
the provisions of the amnesty law.  Diplomatic sources 
told "Hurriyet" that the action plan for fighting the 
PKK/KADEK is based on the U.S. action plan to fight the 
Al-Qaeda terror network. 
 
 
U.S. Embassy denies allegation of F-16 trouble with 
Turkey:  The U.S. Embassy in Ankara denied press 
reports claiming that the U.S. had withheld necessary 
technology in the sale of SPEWS electronic warfare 
systems for Turkey's F-16 program.  The U.S. is proud 
of its long-standing cooperation with Turkey on its F- 
16 program, a U.S. Embassy statement stressed, and 
added that U.S. companies are working closely with 
Turkey to complete the transfer of electronic warfare 
systems. 
 
 
Turkey, Israel agree on sale of Manavgat water: 
Weekend papers report that Turkey and Israel have 
reached a framework agreement regarding the sale of 
Manavgat water to Israel.  Israeli Energy Minister 
Joseph Paritzkty told the Turkish press that the two 
countries had agreed on the price and amount of water 
to be sold, and that a deal would be signed soon. 
However, Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said that 
uncertainty over the price issue continues. 
 
 
Denktas warns he could veto election outcome:  Turkish 
Cypriot leader Denktas said that he could veto the 
outcome of elections if the opposition emerges 
victorious in the general election to be held in North 
Cyprus in December.  `I will use all my powers to 
prevent developments which would harm Turkish Cypriot 
interests, and will withdraw and fight together with my 
people if I fail,' Denktas said. 
 
 
AKP seeks extensive changes to constitution:  The AK 
Party has prepared a package to change about 50 
provisions of Turkey's Constitution, papers report. 
The president's term in office will be restricted to 
five years, general elections will be held every four 
years instead of five, and the justice minister and his 
undersecretary will be excluded from the high board of 
judges and prosecutors in order to ensure the 
independence of judiciary. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  US Elections 
 
 
"Democrats Joyous, Bush is Unhappy" 
Ali Aslan wrote in the Islamist-intellectual Zaman 
(10/6): "President Bush is rapidly losing his 
popularity, which reached a peak after 9/11, and began 
declining in the post-war period.  Bush's Iraq policy 
is supported by less than 50 percent of the American 
people.  .. In the midst of controversy about weapons 
of mass destruction, even more controversial issues 
will be coming onto the agenda.  It seems the scandal 
involving Joseph Wilson will become even more painful 
for Washington than the WMD debate. . Recent 
developments in the nation's capital are enough to make 
Democrats very happy.  It remains to be seen how and if 
the Bush administration will manage to overcome the 
domestic political issues brought on by the Iraq war." 
 
 
"Americans are tired of politicians" 
Zafer Atay wrote in the economic-politic Dunya (10/6): 
"The US has entered a pre-election period. 
Schwarzeneger seems to be the strong name for the 
upcoming California elections, and Wesley Clark of the 
Democratic Party seems to be strong for the 2004 
presidential elections.  . Clark has no political 
background, yet he has already gained great popularity 
among the voters.  Americans are enthusiastic about 
Clark's views on the Iraq war, in which he criticizes 
the Bush administration for managing the war very 
badly. .   American political history is full of 
successful leaders with no professional political 
background.  Ronald Reagan, Bill Bradley and Jesse 
Ventura are only a few examples of many.  Wesley Clark 
might also be included in this list one day." 
 
 
EDELMAN