US embassy cable - 03ANKARA7448

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 007448 
 
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, DECEMBER 4, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
NATO's terror forum shifted to Berlin from Istanbul - 
Hurriyet 
Minister Cicek: Islam does not approve terror - Turkiye 
US, Turkey bargain on troops to Kabul - Aksam 
US Senate denounces Istanbul bombings - Milliyet 
Denktas: Verheugen's remarks unfair - Hurriyet 
Ankara reacts, Verheugen steps back - Sabah 
Inflation below 20 percent - Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Gen. Pace discusses with Turks measures against the PKK - 
Cumhuriyet 
Istanbul bombings target stability in Turkey - Yeni Safak 
Simitis: EU urged Turkey to resolve Cyprus problem in 2004 - 
Radikal 
Denktas: Verheugen must be dreaming - Cumhuriyet 
Verheugen: Negotiations unlikely while Turkish troops in 
Cyprus - Zaman 
Greek press believes Turkey won the Loizidou case - Radikal 
Arabs to take Israeli security fence to The Hague - Yeni 
Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
General Peter Pace in Ankara:  Vice Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, reportedly said during 
meetings at the TGS in Ankara on Wednesday that the US is 
waiting for the deadline of the amnesty offered by Turkey 
for terror organization members before taking military 
action against the PKK/KADEK.  The US has also asked Turkey 
for logistical and intelligence support for a new army 
headquarters in Afghanistan, papers report.  Ankara is 
generally positive on the US request, but in exchange the 
Turks are demanding extensive military operations against 
the PKK in Northern Iraq. 
 
 
Justice Minister Cicek in US:  Justice Minister and 
government spokesman Cemil Cicek met with Deputy Secretary 
of Defense Wolfowitz, U/S of State Grossman, and State 
Department Coordinator for Counter-terrorism Ambassador 
Black during his official visit to Washington.  Cicek said 
US officials expressed willingness for close cooperation 
with Turkey in the fight against terrorism.  Responding to a 
question, Cicek said that such cooperation also covers 
military interventions against the PKK/KADEK in Northern 
Iraq.  "Yeni Safak" expects Cicek to discuss with Attorney- 
General Aschroft the situation of the remaining Turkish 
detainees in Guantanamo. 
 
 
Alan Larson with Ambassador Ziyal:  At a joint press 
conference with MFA U/S Ugur Ziyal following a meeting of 
the Turkish-US Economic Policy Council in Washington, US 
Assistant Secretary Alan Larson said the recent bombings in 
Istanbul would not affect foreign investment in Turkey. 
Larson added that Turkey could become a country to attract 
$10 billion foreign capital annually.  Larson drew attention 
to the strategic partnership between US and Turkey, and 
voiced confidence that Turkey had the potential to playing a 
key role in Iraq's rebuilding.  "Sabah" highlights that the 
US side urged Turkey to resolve outstanding problems faced 
by US companies and to improve the climate for foreign 
investors in Turkey. 
Turkish officials denounce Verheugen:  Prime Minister 
Erdogan urged the EU to acknowledge the existence of two 
states on Cyprus, and noted that Turkey's EU membership 
drive would continue.  Foreign Minister Gul rebuffed 
criticism by EU expansion commissioner Verheugen, and said 
that Turkish troops are kept on Cyprus in line with 
international agreements.  Gul characterized Verheugen's 
remarks regarding the role of the Turkish military in 
politics as "unacceptable."  Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas 
blamed Verheugen for attempting to damage the ground for 
compromise in Cyprus, and referred to Verheugen as "an 
elephant in a china shop."  Meanwhile, Verheugen voiced hope 
that the Cyprus talks could be resumed if the opposition 
wins the Turkish Cypriot elections. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Turkey-US-EU 
 
 
"Healing the wounds with the US" 
Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in the mass appeal Posta (12/4): 
"Bilateral relations between Turkey and the US are rapidly 
on the way to being healed.  There are many things that can 
be attributed to the failure of the ruling AKP, but the 
government is also capable of realizing its mistakes and 
making efforts to correct them.  The government is doing its 
best to put relations with the US back on track after they 
were derailed on March 1.  For instance, Turkey has started 
thinking about sending troops to Afghanistan following the 
decision not to push for sending them to Iraq.  The AKP is 
very attentive toward requests coming from the White House 
or Pentagon these days.  The upcoming prime ministerial 
visit from Turkey to the US in January will help cap the 
recovery in bilateral relations." 
 
 
"Turkey Under Pressure" 
Tuncay Ozkan argued in the mass appeal Aksam (12/4): "The EU 
is asking us to sell out on Cyprus.  The US is working for 
the establishment of a Kurdish state.  Yet Turkey is blind 
to these efforts because of its internal political debates. 
We should wake up and see the reality that the EU and the US 
are working in harmony when it comes to their interests in 
Turkey. . The EU's Verheugen made some insane remarks about 
the Turkish Cypriot side.  If similar remarks had come from 
Turkey about the EU, we would have been castigated.  But 
thanks to our stumbling, confused politicians, the EU is 
working to determine the results of the Turkish Cypriot 
elections before our very eyes. . The US and the EU have the 
same goal on the Cyprus issue, and the EU is also supportive 
of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq just like the US.  That 
is the main reason for the EU's silence about US rhetoric 
and actions in the region.  We should also realize that both 
the EU and the US have reached an undisclosed agreement for 
the establishment of a Kurdish state under US supervision, 
and the establishment of a Cypriot state under EU 
supervision." 
 
 
EDELMAN