US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6697

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006697 
 
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 
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Baykal the Sole Leader of CHP - Hurriyet 
Washington Warns Turkey Against Fraud in TRNC Elections - 
Hurriyet 
Rumsfeld's Confession on Anti-terror Effort - Milliyet 
Minister Babacan Says Turkey Does Not Need the US Credit Now 
- Milliyet 
Greece Decides to Reduce its Army - Sabah 
A Dull Convention from CHP - Sabah 
Rumsfeld and Bremer Say Turkish Troops May Not be Needed - 
Sabah 
Leaked News on US Anti-Terror Policy Embarrasses Rumsfeld - 
Turkiye 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Bremer Against Turkish Troop Deployment in Iraq - Radikal 
Robertson Asks For More Turkish Troops in Afghanistan - 
Radikal 
Farewell Visit From Robertson - Cumhuriyet 
Talabani Asks Egypt for Troops - Cumhuriyet 
White House Shaken by Leaked News on War Against Terrorism- 
Yeni Safak 
Baykal Eliminates Rivals With the New Regulations - Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
CHP Convention:  All papers report on the CHP party 
convention, which began yesterday.  Despite protests from 
within the party, CHP Chairman Deniz Baykal changed party 
regulations to consolidate his own power and make opposition 
to his leadership more difficult.   "Hurriyet" reports that 
with these changes, there was no question of serious 
opposition to Baykal for the party chairmanship.  Baykal was 
reelected last night with an overwhelming majority of the 
votes. 
 
 
Rumsfeld Confession on the Lost War Against Terrorism: 
"Milliyet" and "Radikal" cite `USA Today' reports concerning 
the memorandum written by Secretary Rumsfeld about the 
results of the U.S. war on terrorism.  In the letter, 
Rumsfeld reportedly confessed that the US has not been 
successful in combating global terrorism.  The memo added 
that the U.S. has been defeated not only at the front, but 
on the financial side as well.  The leak of the memo to the 
press reportedly infuriated Secretary Rumsfeld. 
 
 
A Positive Step From Greece For Peace in the Aegean: 
"Sabah" reports that Greece has decided that Turkey no 
longer poses a threat to Greek security, and that Greece has 
decided to reduce the size of its army.  The decision was 
first adopted by the Greek government, then approved last 
week by Greek military leaders.  "Sabah" notes that this is 
the biggest step taken for peace since 1930 when Turkey and 
Greece signed a peace agreement. 
 
 
US Warns Turkey Against Fraud in TRNC Elections:  "Hurriyet" 
reports that the US administration is convinced that TRNC 
president Denktas is the biggest obstacle to a settlement of 
the Cyprus issue.  Washington has warned Turkey three times 
against possible fraud in the TRNC elections scheduled for 
December.  These warnings have been conveyed to Turkey by 
Secretary Powell, Ambassador Edelman and Thomas Weston 
 
SIPDIS 
during his recent visit to Turkey. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
 
"Balancing mistakes with the right steps" 
Erdal Guven commented in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(10/24): "Due to the confusion created by anti-war sentiment 
before the Iraq war, we ignored the fact that the US never 
asked Turkey to send troops there.  Washington knew all too 
well about the possible opposition among Kurdish groups, the 
sole ally of the US, in the event that Turkish soldiers were 
deployed in Iraq during the war.  In such an atmosphere, 
Turkey insisted on a military presence.  . In the post-war 
era, Washington did not think about Turkish military 
contribution  -- at least in the beginning.  Yet the rise of 
terrorist attacks against American soldiers led Washington 
to reconsider its policy.  As for Ankara, sending Turkish 
troops to Iraq was a good chance to restore its bilateral 
with the US.  . The current situation, on the other hand, is 
very interesting. Ankara is insisting on the deployment of 
its troops, and the Iraqis -- including the Kurds -- are 
clearly giving the message that they don't want Turkish 
soldiers.  . The resistance of the Iraqi administration has 
not been broken despite US efforts and a push from Ankara. 
Now PM Erdogan talks about not going to Iraq `unless Turkey 
is welcome.'  It seems that Paul Bremer has also advised 
Washington about the disadvantages of a Turkish deployment. 
It appears that the Iraqis have managed to assert their 
sovereignty toward the US for the first time since the war." 
 
 
"Iraq and our interests" 
Kamuran Ozbir wrote in the nationalist Ortadogu (10/24): 
"Sending Turkish troops to Iraq will serve only to harm 
Turkish-Iraqi ties as well as the Islamic brotherhood. 
First of all, the Iraqis do not want to see more foreign 
troops there.  Secondly, other neighbors of Iraq do not 
support the idea of a Turkish troop deployment.  . If 
Turkish troops are stationed as the US had planned -- that 
is, in the Sunni triangle - there will be very serious 
consequences, including a possible armed conflict between 
Iraqi resistance groups and foreign troops.  The Iraqi 
resistance will view the Turkish presence as part of the 
foreign occupation, and react the way it does to the US 
forces. . The situation in Iraq poses a danger to 
international stability and security, and it should be 
settled without Turkey doing anything militarily." 
 
 
EDELMAN