US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6385

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006385 
 
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 
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Mayor of Fallujah vows to resist Turks in Iraq - 
Millliyet 
U.S. confident it can convince IGC on Turkish 
peacekeepers - Sabah 
Barzani warns of civil war if Kurds' denied a 
federation - Hurriyet 
Turkey prefers north of Baghdad for peacekeeping - 
Turkiye 
U.S. delegations in Ankara to thank GOT - Milliyet 
Greece, Turkey cancel military exercises - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Fallujah objects to Turkish troops- Radikal 
Barzani warns U.S., Turkey - Cumhuriyet 
Erdogan: We're not going to Iraq as police force - 
Cumhuriyet 
Iraqi FM Zebari: Turkish troops to be deployed away 
from Kurds - Yeni Safak 
Suicide attack on Iraqi police - Radikal 
U.S. can't break IGC resistance against Turkish troops 
- Zaman 
Suicide attack rocks Baghdad: 10 dead - Zaman 
Gul, Papandreou announce cancellation of military 
exercises - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Turkish peacekeepers to Iraq:  In an effort to bypass 
the Kurdish region controlled by the KDP for passage of 
Turkish troops into Iraq, Ankara wants to open a new 
border crossing in Ovakoy, southeast of the Habur gate. 
Ovakoy is 15 km away from the Habur border crossing and 
12 km away from Silopi, where Ankara is planning to set 
up a military logistics center.  The U.S. Ambassador to 
Ankara, Eric Edelman, and MFA U/S Ambassador Ugur Ziyal 
discussed the issue on Thursday.  The U.S. is positive 
about the new Turkish initiative, "Hurriyet" claims. 
If Ovakoy is opened, Turkish troops will use the Fays 
Khabur-Ain Zallah-Mosul route to reach their 
destination in the Sunni zone of Iraq. 
 
 
Security in Iraq:  Papers note the increasing terrorist 
attacks against civilian figures in Iraq, including the 
assassination of a Spanish diplomat yesterday.  Anti- 
Turkish sentiment within Iraqi Kurdish groups continues 
as well, as expressed most recently in a statement by 
KDP leader Barzani.  Papers note that not only Kurdish 
figures, but also others in the Iraqi Governing Council 
do not want the Turkish army to be in charge anywhere 
in Iraq.  These reports, however, were combined with 
reports of U.S. assurances by Secretary Rumsfeld and 
Secretary Powell that the Iraqis can be persuaded on 
 
SIPDIS 
the need for Turkish troops. 
 
 
Congressional Delegations in Ankara:  Papers and 
television stations carried the visits to Ankara by two 
Congressional delegations.  Reports highlighted the 
visits of delegations headed by Congressmen Saxton and 
Senator McConnell, describing them as "the first 
contact with Washington following the parliamentary 
authorization for the deployment of Turkish troops in 
Iraq." 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq-Turkish forces to Iraq 
 
 
"The Difficult Thing in Iraq" 
Hasan Cemal commented in the mass appeal "Milliyet" : 
"Stability and order in Iraq is something that Turkey, 
Iraq, and the Middle East all need.  Could Arabs 
possibly say otherwise?  Could the Kurds want chaos in 
Iraq?  I don't think so.  No one benefits from chaos -- 
neither Arabs nor Kurds.  It is possible that their 
historical memory may disturb Arabs.  However, what is 
important here is to establish order and the stability 
in Iraq as soon as possible, and for Turkey to play a 
constructive role in this process.  Iraq is important 
for Turkey and Turkey is important for Iraq.  A new 
Iraq means an end to occupation and the development of 
an independent, sovereign, peaceful neighbor with its 
own natural resources -- a stable Iraq open to 
democracy.  This will open a new door.  Now Turkey has 
the key to this door in its hand.  Turkey must use this 
key carefully, without antagonizing the Arabs or the 
Kurds.  Turkey must see the complete picture, the 
greater Middle East, and the sensitivity on the issue 
of coordination with the US.  It must consider the 
balances between the US and the EU in a way that will 
give some meaning to its own geopolitical position, and 
then use this key.  The motion passed the parliament 
easily.  However, things are more difficult now, and 
the situation requires more skill." 
 
 
EDELMAN