US embassy cable - 03ANKARA7242

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 007242 
 
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 19, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Powell: Synagogue attacks indicate rising anti-Semitism - 
Hurriyet 
PM Erdogan: Synagogue attacks target all of humanity - 
Hurriyet 
Jewish lobby vows to continue supporting Turkey - Sabah 
Bush urges Europe to isolate Arafat - Hurriyet 
Turkey, US, UN and Iraq agree on Mahmur camp - Milliyet 
Zebari: Turkey should overcome its Kurdish state phobia - 
Sabah 
US to test `mother of all bombs' - Milliyet 
Athens believes Turkey still a threat for Greece - Sabah 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
 
 
`Bush hysteria' seizes Britain - Radikal 
Bush: Attacks in Najaf, Bali, Istanbul were no dream - Zaman 
Talabani: Turkish troops must leave Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Mahmur refugees to return to Turkey - Zaman 
Erdogan warns Talabani on PKK - Yeni Safak 
Turkey purchased $3 billion of weapons from Israel since 
1996 - Radikal 
First air raids on Baghdad since last May - Cumhuriyet 
US launches Nazi-style attacks on Baghdad suburbs - Yeni 
Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
American Jewish reaction to synagogue bombings in Istanbul: 
Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference 
for Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, has 
stressed the significance of the organizations' ties with 
Turkey.  Keith Weissman from the American Israeli Public 
Affairs Committee (AIPAC) stressed the strategic cooperation 
between Turkey, the US, and Israel, and said that the 
strategic partnership should be extended to cover new 
issues.  Abraham Foxman, national Director of the Anti- 
Defamation League, has underlined the messages given by 
Turkish officials, who said they view the Istanbul Jewish 
community as part of the Turkish nation. 
 
 
Synagogue bombers identified:  DNA tests have revealed the 
identities of the two assailants who detonated car bombs at 
two synagogues in Istanbul last Saturday.  The suicide 
bombers were Gokhan Elaltuntas (22) and Mesut Cabuk (29), 
two Hizbullah militants from Bingol province in southeast 
Turkey.  Police are investigating possible links between 
Hizbullah and Al-Qaida. 
 
 
Talabani visits Ankara:  The temporary chairman of Iraq's 
Interim Governing Council (IGC), Jalal Talabani, told the 
press after meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan Wednesday 
that his government would not allow terrorist activities 
against Turkey from Iraqi territory.  Erdogan said the new 
Iraqi government should embrace the whole Iraqi nation. 
Talabani also invited possible Turkish investors to explore 
opportunities in Iraq.  Erdogan said that Turkey wanted to 
expand bilateral trade with Iraq.  Erdogan also urged the 
elimination of the PKK threat and the protection of Iraq's 
territorial integrity.  Talabani assured Erdogan that Kurds 
are not seeking independence from Iraq.  The temporary head 
of the IGC urged Turkey to withdraw its troops from Northern 
Iraq.  "Aksam" claims that Erdogan and Talabani have agreed 
in principle to open a new border crossing from Turkey into 
Iraq. 
Assistant Secretary Arthur Dewey in Ankara:  Assistant 
Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration 
 
SIPDIS 
Arthur Dewey said after meeting with UNHCR, Turkish, and 
Iraqi officials at the MFA on Wednesday that an agreement 
had been worked out regarding the return of 9,000 Turkish 
Kurds from the Mahmur refugee camp in Northern Iraq.  The 
return of 13,000 Kurds from the region will be completed 
within the next year, papers report.  Dewey said that the 
refugees must decide for themselves whether or not to return 
to Turkey.  The US and UN will provide financial support to 
Turkey in an effort to assist in the return, reports note. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
 
"The Alternate in Iraq is Chaos" 
Hasan Cemal observed in the mass appeal Milliyet (11/20): 
"After the revision of the roadmap for the new Iraq, 
priority is being given to handing over authority to Iraqis. 
According to the new calendar, a new elected government is 
to be in charge in Baghdad by the end of 2005.  . The US 
changed its policy in Iraq, yet the challenges remain. 
There are many questions waiting for answers, such as the 
essential principles of the constitution, the type of 
federation to be established, and the relation between state 
and religion. . Even if the challenges are overcome, what 
could one expect from the ballot box?  What happens if the 
Islamists win the elections?  What can the US do if Iraq 
turns into another Algeria?  . There are some things that 
the US should not expect to see coming out of Iraqi 
elections: a secular government, a pro-American 
administration, and a government close to Israel.  The 
question is whether or not the US is prepared for such a 
possibility?  Many more questions can be listed.  Iraq is a 
very complex place.  Every aspect of this complexity has its 
own challenges, and failure to overcome these challenges 
will lead to chaos.  A greater role for the UN in this 
process would have a positive impact on the outcome." 
 
 
EDELMAN