US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6919

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006919 
 
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, NOVEMBER 5, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
 
 
Attack Against Turkish Embassy in The Hague - Milliyet 
EU Commission Says Turkey Hasn't Finished Its Homework - 
Milliyet 
Cyprus Condition Causes Tension in Ankara - Sabah 
Goodwill Gestures From Greece in Western Thrace - Sabah 
Last-minute Cyprus Condition Added to EU report - Hurriyet 
Parliament Discusses Corruption Report - Turkiye 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
 
 
Cyprus Condition From EU - Radikal 
Verheugen: An EU That Includes Turkey Means Peace - Radikal 
Ray of Hope for Guantanamo Prisoners - Radikal 
Cyprus Pressure from EU - Cumhuriyet 
Turkey Decides to De-Mine Syrian Border - Cumhuriyet 
US Senate Approves $87 Billion Budget Request - Yeni Safak 
Ambassador Logoglu Asks US Not to Favor Kurds in Iraq - 
Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Attack Against Turkish Embassy in The Hague:  A molotov 
cocktail was tossed into the courtyard of the Turkish 
Embassy in the Hague yesterday.  Dutch police announced that 
the attack had not been carried out for political reasons. 
While Turkish officials blame the Netherlands for 
insufficient security measures, the Dutch press claimed that 
embassy staff had exaggerated the incident. 
 
 
EU Commission Report:  "Hurriyet" reports that the EU 
commission has added a last minute `Cyprus condition' to its 
progress report on Turkey, which is due to be released 
today.  The condition, which appears in the report's 
strategic annex, says that `the deadlock in Cyprus could 
become a serious obstacle to Turkey's accession.' 
"Hurriyet" draws attention to the Copenhagen Criteria for EU 
entry, noting that the Cyprus issue was not among the 
criteria conditions.  "Zaman" says that the Cyprus condition 
has stirred tension in Ankara.  The MFA issued a statement 
criticizing the move, noting that `meeting the Copenhagen 
Criteria is the condition for Turkey's accession, and 
linking the Cyprus issue with EU accession is not 
acceptable.' 
 
 
Goodwill Gesture From Greece in Western Thrace:  "Sabah" 
reports that the Greek government is planning to give new 
rights to the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.  Last week 
the Greek government adopted a new decision to allow the 
teaching of Turkish as a second language in secondary and 
high schools. 
 
 
Ambassador Logoglu Comments:   "Zaman" reports that Turkish 
Ambassador to Washington Faruk Logoglu asked called on the 
US not to show favoritism toward the Kurds in Iraq.  Logoglu 
claimed that all other groups in Iraq except for the Kurds 
are in favor of a Turkish troop deployment.  Unfortunately, 
the US has not exerted sufficient effort to convince the 
Kurds in the Iraqi interim government.  Washington, he said, 
apparently `lacks the will' to persuade the Council. 
Logoglu said that Turkey would send troops only with a 
specific invitation from the IGC.  He also criticized the 
United States for not taking action against the PKK/KADEK in 
Iraq.  On this issue, Logoglu concluded, `the patience of 
the Turkish people is wearing thin.' 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
"President Bush's war on two fronts" 
Semih Idiz commented from the U.S. in the mass appeal Aksam 
(11/5):  "A considerable number of the Americans I have met 
are not, in principle, against the war in Iraq.  The absence 
of WMD in Iraq has not affected their opinion very much, for 
they believe Saddam Hussein would definitely have supported 
WMD attacks in the future had he been allowed to remain in 
power.  The issue is not the toppling of Saddam.  Americans 
are angry that the US rushed into the war at the cost of 
alienating its allies, with a false self-confidence 
incompatible with the facts.  They also complain that 
possible post-war problems were not adequately considered. 
President Bush's recent remarks tying the escalation of 
attacks to US success in Iraq has further fanned that anger. 
.  Although deeply concerned by the recent attacks, 
Americans understand that a US withdrawal from Iraq in the 
short term is impossible. .  They also know that casualties 
are inevitable in war, but they can't understand why their 
soldiers are dying for nothing.  President Bush is trying to 
show that everything is under control, but it is difficult 
to say that he is being successful." 
 
 
"Staying out of Iraq" 
Mim Kemal Oke observed in the conservative/mass appeal HA- 
Tercuman (11/5):  "The history of the Turkish experience in 
Iraq, just like the Armenian Question, is being distorted in 
such a way as to cause animosity toward Turkey. 
Unfortunately, Turkey has always regarded its neighbors as 
enemies, and has chosen not to try to win them over. . 
Developing a greater interest in the region will not cause 
Turkey to be perceived as pro-Saddam, nor will it destroy 
our secularism.  Turkey's secular and democratic qualities 
should serve as a model for the Middle East.  Being 
successful in the fight against terror is not a commodity to 
be sold cheaply.  Instead, we must become a country of 
freedoms and progress in democratization. Turkey's identity 
can become a center of attraction.  We haven't understood 
that the quality of our democratization is what we have to 
offer to the region." 
EDELMAN