US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6945

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006945 
 
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, NOVEMBER 6, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
 
 
The True Face of the EU - Milliyet 
Banking Supervisory Board President Resigns - Milliyet 
Erdogan Declines Sharon's Visit - Milliyet 
Gul Finds EU Report `Objective' - Sabah 
Erdogan to Berlusconi: "Do not demoralize Turkey" - Sabah 
EU Report: Cyprus not a Pre-condition, but still an Obstacle 
- Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
 
 
EU Insists on Cyprus - Cumhuriyet 
PKK/KADEK Operation in Bingol - Cumhuriyet 
Ankara Did Not Want Sharon - Cumhuriyet 
Gul: Cyprus is not A Political Criteria - Radikal 
EU Says Turkey Failed to Implement the Reforms - Yeni Safak 
Tevfik Bilgin Replaces Akcakoca as Bank Supervisory Board 
President-Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
EU Progress Report:  All papers give extensive coverage to 
the controversial report about Turkey released yesterday by 
the European Union.  "Hurriyet" says that despite all the 
pressure from Ankara to avoid the linkage between the Cyprus 
issue and Turkey's EU accession, the EU commission included 
Cyprus as a condition in the report.  Page 16 of the 
Strategy document says that Cyprus is not a pre-condition 
for Turkey's EU Accession talks to start.  However, page 20 
stresses that the absence of a solution to the Cyprus issue 
could be a significant obstacle to Turkey's EU accession. 
Most papers agree that the EU has explicitly linked the 
Cyprus issue to Turkey's accession for the first time.  FM 
Gul criticized the linkage, saying that `Cyprus is not part 
of the political criteria for EU accession.'  "Cumhuriyet" 
criticizes the government for its weak reaction to the 
Cyprus condition.  "Radikal' praises the government for its 
restrained response, calling it a `demonstration of common 
sense.'  EU expansion chief Verheugen said that the EU 
wanted to `send a message' to Turkey about the urgency of 
the issue.  `This is not a pre-condition,' Verheugen noted, 
`but we have noted a reality.' 
 
 
Turkey Rejects Sharon's Visit Request:  "Hurriyet" reports 
that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon requested to meet 
with PM Erdogan last Monday on his return home from Moscow. 
Ankara declined the request due to Erdogan's `heavy 
schedule' and informed Israel that such a visit would be 
welcomed in the future.  Several others speculate that the 
reason for Erdogan's decision had more to do with politics 
than scheduling problems. 
 
 
US Spokesman Comments on Logoglu Statements :  "Milliyet" 
and "Radikal" report the US response to Turkish Ambassador 
Faruk Logoglu's statement regarding the PKK/KADEK and his 
assertion that the US is favoring the Kurds in Iraq.  State 
Department Spokesman Adam Ereli clarified that `the US does 
not favor the Kurds.'  He added that the United States is 
taking `all necessary steps' to restrict PKK/KADEK 
activities in Iraq.  "Milliyet' adds that the US was alarmed 
by Ambassador Logoglu's statement that Turkey will not send 
peacekeeping troops to Iraq without an Iraqi invitation. 
 
 
Banking Supervisory Board (BDDK)Chairman Resigns:  BDDK 
Chairman Engin Akcakoca ended weeks of speculation by 
resigning from his post yesterday. "Yeni Safak" claims that 
Akcakoca resigned to avoid facing a government inspection of 
the handling of the Imar Bank case.  "Cumhuriyet" contends 
that Akcakoca was essentially forced out by  government 
pressure.  State Minister Abdulatif Sener proposed that 
Akcakoca be replaced by Tevfik Bilgin, currently the General 
Manager of Halkbank. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
 
 
"The EU's Message" 
Sami Kohen opined in the mass appeal Milliyet (11/6):  "It 
is not difficult to predict that the Greek Cypriots and 
Greece will block membership negotiations between Turkey and 
the EU if no progress is made on Cyprus.  The EU's Progress 
Report on Turkey says that other EU member countries might 
join such a veto. .  In this case, Turkey will have to 
decide whether to declare the Cyprus condition in the 
document as unacceptable and enter into a confrontation with 
the EU or continue its dialogue with the Europeans.  It is a 
decision to be adopted in line with Ankara's political 
preferences.  It would be better to give a start to the 
solution process now rather than leaving all attempts to the 
last minute.  The Progress Report indicates that compared 
with the past, the EU is now more favorably disposed toward 
Turkey.  There is no sense in disrupting that positive mood 
by objecting to a particular clause on the Cyprus issue." 
 
 
"The fight has started" 
Soli Ozel noted in the mass appeal Sabah (11/6):  "Domestic 
policy conditions indicate that the AK Party government will 
not be able to press for a solution on Cyprus without 
receiving a guarantee from the EU for negotiations starting 
in December 2004.  Turkey must not break its ties with the 
EU between the May 2004 EU expansion and the EU summit 
meeting in December 2004, at which a decision on Turkey will 
be adopted. .  Some believe that, given Turkey's rising 
strategic significance, the EU will not be able to abandon 
Turkey just for the sake of Cyprus.  However, the progress 
report says that once it becomes an EU member, Cyprus will 
have a veto right. .  Turkey must return to the negotiating 
table and produce creative ideas for a solution.  A 
diplomacy based merely on postponing, gaining time, and 
threatening cannot be taken seriously." 
EDELMAN