US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6441

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006441 
 
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 15, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
 
 
Expected Attack - Milliyet 
A Bomb to Intimidate - Hurriyet 
Message Delivered With A Bomb - Sabah 
PM Erdogan Meets With TGS Chief Ozkok - Hurriyet 
Gul to Zebari: We Prevented a Massacre of Kurds - 
Turkiye 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Warning to Turkey - Cumhuriyet 
Surprise Meeting between Erdogan and Ozkok - Cumhuriyet 
Provocations Begin in Iraq - Radikal 
A Message from FM Gul to the Kurds - Radikal 
Gul: "Saddam proposed that the Kurds be Slaughtered" - 
Radikal 
Edelman: "Turkish Troops to Establish Security in Iraq" 
- Zaman 
Turkish Troops May Not be Sent to Iraq - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Attack Against Turkish Embassy in Baghdad:  All papers 
and TV channels give extensive coverage to yesterday's 
suicide attack against the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad. 
"Hurriyet" draws attention to the fact that the attack 
came only one week after the parliament's decision to 
authorize a troop deployment in Iraq.  All papers 
report that a suicide bomber attacked the embassy in a 
car loaded with explosives.  The attacker died and nine 
others were injured, including Turkish embassy 
officials.  All papers agree that the attack was a 
warning to Turkey not to send troops to Iraq.  The 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack in a 
statement that reiterated the seriousness of the 
security situation in Iraq. 
 
 
FM Gul Responds to Zebari's Comments on Turkish Troop 
Deployment:  Most papers today report on FM Gul's 
response to Iraqi FM Zebari's comments that Iraqis are 
against the deployment of troops from neighboring 
countries.  Gul said that Turkey has `no secret 
intentions' in Iraq.  `If we had a secret agenda,' Gul 
continued, `we would have accepted Saddam's proposal to 
massacre the Kurds.'  "Zaman" notes that Saddam's offer 
had been conveyed frequently to Turkish officials by 
Iraqi Deputy PM Tarik Aziz in bilateral contacts with 
Turkey. 
 
 
Ambassador Edelman Visits Turkey-US Friendship Group in 
Parliament:  Ambassador Edelman attended a lunch 
yesterday in honor of the Turkish-American Friendship 
Group.  The lunch was hosted by the group's chairman, 
AKP deputy Egemen Bagis.  "Milliyet" draws attention to 
the Ambassador's comments that Turkish troops could 
help to establish security in Iraq while also 
contributing to humanitarian operations.  The 
Ambassador reportedly stressed Turkey's long experience 
in peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts in Kosovo, 
Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Afghanistan. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq 
 
 
"The Iraq Reality" 
Zafer Atay commented in the economic-political Dunya 
(10/15): "Since the 1950s, all of Turkey's foreign 
troop mission have been backed by either NATO or the 
UN.   This time, the Turkish military mission to Iraq 
will be carried out under a bilateral framework 
agreement with the US.  Within this framework, the 
debate over the necessity of an IGC invitation or 
another UNSC resolution is irrelevant.  Believing that 
Turkey will not be viewed as an occupation force but 
only as a force to protect peace and stability is 
nothing but wishful thinking.  Let's face it -- all 
foreign troops are considered part of the occupation 
force by the majority of Iraqis.  Peace and security 
cannot be preserved there, because there is none. . The 
possible areas of responsibility for Turkish forces are 
not very encouraging, because all of them are places 
with high risk. . Having said that, we also have to 
face another reality.  This time, Ankara did not have 
the chance to say no to Washington.  Leaving aside the 
8.5 billion dollar credit, Turkey must be present in 
Iraq because of the issues of PKK terrorism and the 
Kurdish groups in the north.  Turkey should be in a 
position to make a hard bargain with the US about its 
military contribution.  That is the best Turkey can do 
under the current circumstances." 
 
 
"Will Ankara Step Back?" 
Murat Yetkin analyzed in the liberal-intellectual 
Radikal (10/15): "After the terrorist attack against 
the Turkish embassy in Baghdad, the question of the day 
has become whether or not Turkey will still send troops 
to Iraq.  American officials condemned the attack, and 
noted that it highlighted once again the gravity of the 
security and stability 
issues in Baghdad. . On Turkey's role in Iraq, the US 
goes no further than some generally positive remarks 
about the Turkish parliament's authorization for the 
deployment.  The Turkish Ambassador in Washington had 
some important meetings with US officials on that 
issue, and he underlined that Turkey expects the US to 
convince the IGC about the necessity of Turkish troops 
and to take some tangible steps in the fight against 
the PKK/KADEK.  . Recently, the Turkish MFA gave this 
same message to US Ambassador Edelman in Ankara. . The 
US hesitation on this issue might be explained by a 
number of factors: the fact that the approval of the 
decree for sending troops came faster than the US had 
expected; the rise in terrorist attacks in Iraq; 
Kurdish efforts to oppose the deployment of Turkish 
troops even if this would result in a confrontation 
with the US.  However, the ongoing uncertainty has a 
negative impact on Turkey's decision-making process. 
The recent attack in Baghdad and possible new attacks 
will certainly put more pressure on the government. . 
Turkey has done its part.  Now it is the US that stands 
at a turning point.  The US must act quickly. It must 
prove that the fight against terrorism is not just 
rhetoric intended to legitimize American global 
interests." 
 
 
EDELMAN