US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6478

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006478 
 
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, OCTOBER 16, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Turkey Might Send 50,000 Troops to Iraq - Milliyet 
US Suggests Disarming PKK/KADEK in Northern Iraq - 
Milliyet 
Government Steps Back in Imam-Hatip Controversy - 
Hurriyet 
IMF Praises Turkey for Reaching Targets - Hurriyet 
US Targeted for the First Time in Palestine - Sabah 
PM Reaches Agreement With Rectors - Sabah 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Kurds Threaten Turkey Again -Cumhuriyet 
Latest Suggestion from Washington: "Let's Disarm 
PKK/KADEK" 
Imam-Hatip Crisis Comes to an End - Radikal 
Government Plans Tough Action Against Corruption - 
Zaman 
Rice: "Turkish Troop Deployment in Iraq is a Sensitive 
Issue" - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Government Plans Against Corruption:  All papers cover 
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek's statement on the new 
draft against corruption.  "Hurriyet" and "Radikal" 
note that the government has pledged to take serious 
action, primarily against those who defraud the banking 
system.  Minister Cicek vowed that those responsible 
for bank fraud would stay in jail until their debts are 
repaid.  Under the new draft, the task of collecting 
failed bank debts will be transferred from the Banking 
Supervisory Board to the Treasury. 
 
 
Iraqi Interim Government Repeats Opposition to Turkish 
Troop Deployment:  "Cumhuriyet" reports that Iraqi 
Interim government representatives attending the OIC 
summit in Malaysia reiterated that they did not want 
additional foreign peacekeeping troops in Iraq.  The 
IGC members stressed that they are working on a formula 
for establishing security in Iraq on their own. 
 
 
US Proposal on the PKK/KADEK:  "Cumhuriyet" reports 
that in a meeting with undersecretary Ugur Ziyal on 
Tuesday, Ambassador Edelman proposed that the 
organization be disarmed rather than eliminated in 
Northern Iraq.  Edelman reportedly said that if the 
PKK/KADEK were disarmed, it would no longer pose a 
threat to Turkey.  Although Turkey was not happy about 
the proposal, MFA officials said that this was the 
first concrete step taken by the US on the PKK/KADEK 
issue. 
 
 
IMF Completes Sixth Review:  State Minister Babacan 
announced that the IMF completed the sixth review of 
Turkey's IMF program last night.  IMF Turkey Desk chief 
Moghadam said that the government had reached or 
surpassed hit all IMF targets for 2003.  Reports 
highlighted the fact that the government was not forced 
to raise prices of natural gas and electricity in order 
to satisfy the IMF.  In addition, the Government 
persuaded the IMF to accept an incentive system to 
encourage investment in underdeveloped provinces of 
Turkey.  The IMF had initially opposed such an idea. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq 
 
 
"Iraq and America" 
Taha Akyol commented in the mass appeal Milliyet 
(10/16): "Normally it would expected that immediately 
after a parliamentary decree such as that passed last 
week, the US would begin negotiating with Turkey about 
the terms of its troop deployment.  Yet we see that 
this is not happening.  Condoleezza Rice is making 
interesting remarks, referring to Turkey's deployment 
as a `sensitive issue.' Rice said that the US is 
`continuing talks with the sides.'  I think she meant 
to say that the US is trying to find a way for Turkey 
to send its troops without making Barzani and Talabani 
angry.  This is what a high-level official in Ankara 
told me: `If we hear a suggestion by the Americans 
about flying over northern Iraq or passing through 
Syria, the negotiation process [with the US] will be 
ended right there.' . Turkish officials believe that 
Turkey should use the route from Turkey to Iraq, the 
same route used for oil and food deliveries to American 
troops.  The US seems to rely solely on the Kurds in 
Iraq.  The Arabs are very annoyed about the US's 
favoritism, and they are now making efforts to isolate 
the Kurds.  The US should act with a better vision and 
greater common sense.  The turmoil in Iraq will harm 
Turkey, but it will be the US who will suffer from 
terrorism more than anyone else." 
 
 
"Tougher Days Ahead for Turkey" 
Retired diplomat Yalim Eralp wrote in the sensational 
Yarin (10/16): "There is constant change in world 
affairs, and Turkey cannot consider itself exempt from 
this process.  However, Turkey has not yet fine-tuned 
its foreign policy, particularly on issues related to 
the US and the EU. . For instance, Cyprus issue is an 
indispensable part of the EU process.  There is no way 
for Turkey to move ahead before settling the Cyprus 
issue. . Turkey will also not be able to keep its 
negotiating position with the EU while keeping the 
Turkish-Armenian border closed.  Turkey should resolve 
this problem as well right after the elections in 
Azerbaijan.  At the same time, these issues are very 
much related to Turkish-American relations.  Ambassador 
Eric Edelman has already reminded Turkey about the need 
to open the border gate.  Let's not forget that both 
the US and the EU share similar views about the Cyprus 
issue.  . On Iraq, Turkey has moved relatively closer 
to the American vision.  Now it should be integrated 
with U.S. Middle East policy as well.  Turkey's 
diplomacy toward the US regarding the Iran and Syria 
issues will not be easy.  We, for instance, cannot 
remain blind about Iran's nuclear activities." 
 
 
EDELMAN