US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6332

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006332 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Powell congratulates Gul on troop approval - Sabah 
Turks going to Iraq for peace - Hurriyet 
AP: First Muslim troops to Iraq - Hurriyet 
Iraqi governing council against Turkish troops - 
Turkiye 
KDP rep Dizayee threatens Turkey - Turkiye 
California's choice: Schwarzenegger - Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
U.S. gets what it wants: Turkey joins Iraq's occupation 
- Cumhuriyet 
Motion passes, Turkish soldiers to Iraq  - Zaman 
Both U.S., EU happy with troops decision - Zaman 
AKP government takes a deep breath - Radikal 
Erdogan: We are not going to war - Yeni Safak 
Erdogan: We are not an occupation force - Radikal 
KDP's Dizayee: Turks can't pass through N. Iraq - 
Cumhuriyet 
Israel increases tension, threatens Syria again - Zaman 
Chalabi to do business in Iraq with Perle's man - Yeni 
Safak 
Bashar Asad: Israel provokes war - Milliyet 
FBI gave Hamas money in 1998, 1999 - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Parliament approves Turkish peacekeepers to Iraq: 
Turkey's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday -- 
358 to 183 -- to send troops to Iraq.  The parliament 
authorized the government to deploy troops to join the 
international stabilization mission in Iraq for one 
year. The size of the Turkish troop contingent and the 
route for their passage into Iraq will be determined in 
talks with the Americans.  Dailies regard the voting as 
an AK Party initiative to gain influence in the region, 
and as an effort to repair strained relations with the 
U.S.  Ankara is obliged to respond positively to 
Washington's request for cooperation in Iraq to avoid 
larger security risks in the future, "Zaman" 
emphasized.  The struggle against the PKK/KADEK will be 
tougher without support from the U.S., the paper notes. 
A prospective Kurdish state in Northern Iraq might 
become a threat for Turkey's unitary state structure, 
"Zaman" added.  "Cumhuriyet" denounced the approval of 
the motion, and claimed that Turkey is providing 
support for the occupation of Iraq.  Parliament's 
approval of the motion is in line with the conditions 
on the $8.5 billion U.S. loan for Turkey, "Cumhuriyet" 
reports. 
 
 
Iraqi interim government reaction:  While Turkish 
lawmakers were debating the motion in a closed 
parliamentary session, Iraqi Governing Council 
representatives said they had agreed unanimously to 
reject peacekeepers from neighboring countries, 
including Turkey.  It soon became clear that this was a 
Kurdish move designed to influence the decision of the 
Turkish parliament, papers report.  Dailies believe 
that Washington intervened to halt the release of the 
Iraqi interim council declaration.  KDP Turkey 
representative Safeen Dizayee voiced opposition to a 
Turkish military presence in Iraq, and warned that 
Turks would not be allowed to use Northern Iraq for 
transit passage.  Dizayee added that a recent attack on 
Turkish truck drivers around Baghdad should be seen as 
a message to Ankara. 
 
 
Washington's reaction:  Secretary Powell phoned Foreign 
Minister Gul and thanked Ankara for the troop decision. 
White House Spokesman Scott McCallen said that the U.S. 
and Turkey would work out details, including the size 
and location of Turkish troops.  "Hurriyet" reports 
that a member of the U.S. Senate foreign affairs 
committee said Turkey was acting in the way a friend 
and ally would be expected to act. 
 
 
U.S., Turkey to discuss technical details for 
deployment:  Turkey and the U.S. will soon sign an MOU 
on the technical details of the Turkish peacekeeping 
mission in Iraq, "Milliyet" reports.  Ankara is 
inclined to send 5,000-6,000 troops initially, and will 
set up a logistical coordination center in Silopi. 
"Aksam" expects an American delegation in Ankara early 
next week for detailed discussions.  "Zaman" believes 
that Ankara would be reluctant to send soldiers during 
the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  Foreign Minister Gul 
told AK Party lawmakers before the voting that his 
government is planning to deploy about 10,000 Turkish 
soldiers in the Dohuk-Mosul-Tikrit triangle. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq/Turkish parliament's decision 
 
 
"Turkey begins its Iraq adventure" 
Murat Yetkin wrote in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(10/8): "Turkey has launched its adventure in Iraq 
following the parliament's authorization.  Now the talk 
is about the upcoming meetings with the US regarding 
Turkey's mission.  Turkey is likely to control the area 
north of Baghdad with a brigade.  If other Muslim 
countries such as Pakistan contribute to the Turkish 
brigade, it would go a long way toward eliminating the 
current "Crusader" image of the occupying force.  It is 
also obvious that Kurdish groups are reacting 
negatively because they fear losing their gains with 
the presence of Turkish forces.  Such objections will 
not have an effect in the long run, but let us hope 
that the Kurdish groups will not shed blood in the 
short run." 
 
 
"This is the nation's will" 
Editor-in-Chief of mass appeal daily Hurriyet, Ertugrul 
Ozkok noted (10/8): "Turkey has made an historically 
important decision, and Turkey has done the right 
thing. . The same Turkish parliament's previous 
decision was a negative one.  Today the parliament 
voted for the deployment of troops.  The former was 
interpreted as a `victory of democracy,' but the latter 
should be viewed in the same context. .With this 
decision, Turkey will take its place in the western 
world and distance itself from post-cold-war 
turbulence.  Turkish forces will not serve in Iraq for 
the sake of the 8.5 billion dollars.  Turkish forces 
will protect Turkey's regional interests and ensure 
regional peace by serving in Iraq." 
"Fairytale" 
Fehmi Koru argued in the Islamic-intellectual Yeni 
Safak (10/8): "Both Washington and London have failed 
dramatically in their estimations and calculations for 
Iraq.  The Iraqis were happy to get rid of Saddam, but 
they did not welcome the occupation forces.  The Iraqi 
people's reaction turned into resistance in a short 
period of time.  This is the main reason for the US 
asking Turkey to join the effort. . Are we ready for 
the consequences if the calculations based on which the 
Turkish parliament based its decision are proven false? 
Are we prepared for the consequences if the internal 
balances are turned upside down?  If we face a similar 
failure as the US and UK, who is going to pay the 
bill?" 
 
 
EDELMAN