US embassy cable - 03ANKARA7037

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 007037 
 
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 12, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
 
 
Barzani still pursues dream of Kurdish state - Milliyet 
PKK changes its name again - Sabah 
Ankara sees PKK changing name as a `cheap trick' - Hurriyet 
New make-up for terrorist KADEK - Aksam 
Democrats draft a `Rumsfeld must go' bill - Aksam 
Blair: Turkey's membership important for EU - Miliyet 
Blair: Turkey deserves the EU - Hurriyet 
UK, Germany favorable to date for Turkey's accession talks - 
Turkiye 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
 
 
Solana: Cyprus not a condition for Turkey's EU membership - 
Zaman 
Gul inspires hope on Cyprus - Radikal 
Riyadh uses iron fist on Islamic militants - Radikal 
Bremer summoned to US to review Iraq plans - Zaman 
26 Democrats urge Bush to sack Rumsfeld - Cumhuriyet 
US Senate approves sanctions against Syria - Cumhuriyet 
US asks Vietnamese help on Iraq - Yeni Safak 
Released Afghans sue US for Guantanamo - Yeni Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Barzani's `Kurdish state dream':  In an exclusive to the 
Turkish daily "Milliyet," KDP leader Massoud Barzani said he 
would never give up on the idea of a sovereign Kurdish 
state.  The US has not managed the transfer of authority to 
the Iraqis in a timely manner, Barzani claimed, so the 
Americans are now perceived as occupiers instead of as 
liberators.  However, chaos will deepen if the Americans 
leave Iraq too soon, he added.  Iraq will not turn into a 
Vietnam for the US, Barzani said, and he downplayed the 
possibility of a civil war.  The Kurdish people appreciate 
the Americans for freeing them from a dictatorial regime. 
The whole Kurdish zone should be a single state as part of a 
federal Iraq, Barzani stressed.  Barzani said that Kirkuk is 
a Kurdish town, but reiterated that the Kurds respect the 
rights of our brothers - including the Turkmen - who live 
there.  Barzani also voiced his respect for the Turkish 
nation.  He called for a political solution to the PKK 
problem, which has not been resolved through force over the 
past two decades. 
 
 
Ankara warns against a Kurdish state:  "Vatan" writes that 
Ankara, discomforted by  Northern Iraqi Kurdish leaders' 
aspirations for independence, will not hesitate to intervene 
in the face of an emerging Kurdish state.  Ankara will warn 
Celal Talabani, temporary head of the IGC, during his visit 
on November 19 that the declaration of a Kurdish state would 
be a cause for war.  Meanwhile, the new leader of the Iraqi 
Turkmen Front (ITF), Faruk Abdullah Abdurrahman, will visit 
Ankara November 14-18 to meet with Prime Minister Erdogan 
and Foreign Minister Gul. 
 
 
Israeli Ambassador against a divided Iraq:  Israel's 
Ambassador to Ankara, Pinhas Avivi, told the daily "Sabah" 
that a divided Iraq would pose a threat to Israel.  A 
federal Iraq will upset regional balances and negatively 
affect Turkey, Syria and Iran, Avivi stressed.  A unitary 
Iraq will constitute a wall protecting Israel from the real 
threat, which is Iran.  The Israeli Ambassador also rejected 
press reports that Israel is buying land in Northern Iraq. 
PKK/KADEK changes name:  At a PKK/KADEK Party Congress on 
October 26 in Northern Iraq, the PKK/KADEK disbanded itself 
in order to adopt a more democratic structure.  KADEK 
officially changed its name to the Kurdistan People's 
Congress (KHK).  Papers regard this move as a mere cosmetic 
change intended to avoid inclusion of the PKK/KADEK on lists 
of terrorist organizations in Europe and the United States. 
The PKK has vowed to abandon its Marxist-Leninist path, but 
Ankara and Washington continue to view all PKK-sponsored 
organizations as terrorist. 
 
 
FM Gul in Rome:  Foreign Minister Gul had a friendly meeting 
with EU officials in Rome following the release of the EU 
Commission's progress report on Turkey.  Gul told EU leaders 
that Ankara would launch a new initiative to achieve a 
lasting peace in Cyprus after the Turkish Cypriot elections 
on December 14.  He called on the Europeans to step up 
pressure on the Greek Cypriots as well.  EU foreign policy 
chief Solana said that Cyprus was not put forth as a 
condition for resuming accession negotiations with Turkey. 
The progress report on Turkey is positive, EU leaders 
stressed, and Ankara should not lose enthusiasm for further 
reforms. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
- Riyadh Bombings 
- Iraq 
 
 
"The Riyadh Bombings" 
Sami Kohen wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (11/12): "The 
latest attacks indicate a growing wave of terrorism in Saudi 
Arabia.  Al Qaida is the most likely suspect behind the 
terrorist acts.  It is known that the organization has a 
strong network in Saudi Arabia, and that its main targets 
include the US as well as the Saudi Royal Family.  . 
Although the US decided to close its military bases in Saudi 
Arabia, it seems that Al Qaida continues to treat the Saudi 
regime as a US puppet.  It is very likely that Al Qaida 
hopes to create an uprising by weakening the Saudi regime 
after the terrorist attacks.  . The Saudi government has 
pledged minor political reforms in this autocratic country. 
However, the recent terrorist attacks might slow down the 
limited democratization process and maybe even put an end 
it.  If that happens, it would be very discouraging for 
Saudi Arabia's political future and could drag the oil- 
producing states into violence and instability which could 
shake the political and economic equilibrium around the 
world." 
 
 
"The Chaos in Iraq" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the conservative Turkiye (11/12): 
"Turkey has lost its influence in Iraq and does not have a 
say anymore.  Turkey's role is now limited to keeping the 
right to intervene in case of a move by the PKK against 
Turkey. . This is a very critical situation for Turkey that 
results from our mistake on March 1 when Turkey declined to 
participate in the Iraq operation.  This is an absolute 
failure on Turkey's part.  But what about the United States, 
which has all the advantages and military supremacy in Iraq? 
Has the US been successful in its Iraq policy?  The answer 
is clearly no, as the US has made more mistakes and 
experienced more failures than Turkey.  . We should not 
comfort ourselves with the apparent EU's support for 
Turkey's Iraq policy.  The EU seems happy because Turkey has 
proven not to be a part of the big policy picture." 
EDELMAN