US embassy cable - 04ANKARA550

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000550 
 
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, JANUARY 28, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Turkey's EU membership will benefit all - Cheney - Hurriyet 
Let's close the genocide chapter - Erdogan to Armenians - 
Hurriyet 
Erdogan wants Powell as Cyprus mediator - Sabah 
Erdogan to hold surprise meeting with Schwarzenegger - 
Hurriyet 
Athens rejects new Cyprus mediator proposal - Hurriyet 
Greeks say `No' to Turkish proposals on Cyprus - Milliyet 
Necirvan Barzani threatens force if Turks remain in Iraq - 
Milliyet 
Zana supports Turkey's EU bid from prison - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Jewish community rewards Erdogan - Radikal 
Surprise name for Cyprus: Holbrooke - Cumhuriyet 
Turkey to take initiative on Armenia policy - Zaman 
Erdogan: Turkey, US must expand strategic cooperation - Yeni 
Safak 
Kurdish officials step up tension with Turkey - Cumhuriyet 
Athens gives `red light' for Turkey's Cyprus efforts - 
Radikal 
Bremer believes geographical federation suits Iraq best - 
Zaman 
Turkmen demand autonomy - Yeni Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Erdogan in US:  Prime Minister Erdogan will meet President 
Bush at the Oval Office on Wednesday.  Cyprus and Iraq will 
be among the issues discussed, and the Turks are expected to 
urge expanded economic and commercial cooperation.  US hopes 
for a solution in Cyprus before May have increased 
considerably after the recent Turkish initiative. 
Washington will make clear that it wants Turkey as part of 
the European family.  The Americans will explain to Erdogan 
their preference for a federation in Iraq based on 
geographic boundaries, and reaffirm that Kirkuk must belong 
to all ethnic groups living there, "Hurriyet" reports. 
President Bush will reassure Erdogan about US determination 
to remove the PKK threat in Northern Iraq.  The US will also 
reiterate support for Turkey in its dealings with 
international financial institutions.  The US wants enhanced 
cooperation with Turkey regarding the Caucasus, Central Asia 
and the Middle East, and will urge Turks to normalize 
relations with Armenia.  Addressing a Turkish audience in 
New York on Tuesday, Erdogan issued an historic call to 
Armenia:  `We want to remove from the history books all 
allegations of genocide and other issues of enmity,' he 
said, and called the Armenians to do the same.  `Both sides 
must look at the future now,' Erdogan noted.  Erdogan also 
signaled that Turkey's border with Armenia might be opened. 
The Turkish prime minister also met with Greek Orthodox 
Archbishop Demetrios and members of the Greek lobby in New 
York on Tuesday.  Erdogan complained to the Archbishop about 
`provocative moves' by the Orthodox Church in Southern 
Cyprus in an effort to block the Turkish initiative for a 
peaceful solution.  Demetrios told Erdogan that Greeks 
living in the US support a solution in Cyprus.  The 
Archbishop urged Erdogan to allow the re-opening of Halki 
(Heybeliada) Seminary in Istanbul.  Erdogan said the Halki 
Seminary controversy was related to the situation of the 
Turkish minority living in Western Thrace, and added that 
the issue would be taken up in line with the principle of 
reciprocity. 
Cyprus:  Foreign Minister Gul hinted that Turkish Cypriots 
could hold a referendum on the Annan Plan for Cyprus even if 
no compromise is worked out in negotiations.  `American 
support is necessary for a solution in Cyprus,' Gul said 
before leaving for the US on Tuesday.  Gul added that both 
Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots have said that they could 
accept the Annan Plan as a point of reference.  Greek 
Foreign Minister Papandreou rejected Ankara's proposal for 
the appointment of a new Cyprus mediator by the UN.  `Alvaro 
de Soto is fully knowledgeable about the details of the 
Cyprus problem, and it might take months for a new go- 
between to become familiar with the issue,' Papandreou said. 
TRNC `Prime Minister' Mehmet Ali Talat blamed the Greeks and 
Greek Cypriots for attempting block a settlement before May. 
Meanwhile, "Cumhuriyet" reports about Richard Holbrooke 
attending a dinner hosted by Turkish businessman Ahmet 
Ertegun for Erdogan in New York.  "Cumhuriyet" believes that 
Holbrooke could be assigned as the mediator for Cyprus. 
"Sabah," however, continues to report that Erdogan will urge 
President Bush to appointing Secretary Powell to that 
position. 
 
 
Turkmen might demand autonomy:  Turkmen in northern Iraq say 
they will claim `autonomy rights' if a Kurdish federation is 
established in the region, according to "Yeni Safak."  The 
Turkmen want to establish their autonomous region close to 
the Turkish border, with parts of Mosul and Kirkuk included. 
 
 
Jailed Kurdish MP supports Turkey in EU:  Former Kurdish 
member of the Turkish parliament, DEP (Democracy Party) 
deputy Leyla Zana wrote a letter from jail to Pat Cox, 
Chairman of the European Parliament, urging for support for 
Turkey in its effort to get a date for EU membership 
negotiations.  Zana noted that such a gesture would `break 
the resistance' of anti-EU circles in Turkey.  `For me, it's 
better to stay in jail in a Turkey which has started 
accession talks with the EU than to be free in a Turkey 
waiting before doors that have been locked by the EU' Zana 
said.  Zana argued that if the EU denies Ankara a date for 
accession talks, chaos may erupt in Turkey and the region. 
 
 
Turks take headscarf complaints to ECHR:  The European Court 
of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled against Turkey in 76 human 
rights cases last year.  There are currently 190 appeals 
pending against Turkey regarding the official ban on 
headscarves, including a case filed by the wife of Turkish 
FM Abdullah Gul.  In 2003, Turkey ranked fifth in the list 
of countries with the highest record of human rights 
violations. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  US-Turkey Relations/Cyprus 
 
 
"White House Meeting Might Bring Breakthrough on Cyprus" 
Murat Yetkin expects developments on the Cyprus issue in the 
liberal-intellectual Radikal (1/28): "Recent steps taken by 
Turkey have created a very positive and encouraging 
atmosphere about breaking the deadlock on the Cyprus issue. 
Both Greece and the Greek Cypriots are annoyed by the 
Turkish initiatives, which ended their hopes to enter the EU 
on May 1 without coming under pressure to resolve the Cyprus 
dispute. Prime Minister Erdogan hopes the US administration 
will recognize the genuine goodwill on the Turkish side to 
solve the long-standing Cyprus issue this time.  Therefore, 
his meeting with President Bush at the White House has 
become even more important, because Erdogan believes that a 
settlement process can actually begin with the position to 
be outlined by Bush.  . Breaking the deadlock on Cyprus and 
beginning the process for a lasting solution will certainly 
boost hopes for Turkey's integration with the Western world. 
PM Erdogan might be the leader to take Turkey to the EU if 
he can ensure enough support for the Cyprus settlement 
process from the White House and the United Nations." 
 
 
"Turkey Wants Powell as Mediator for Cyprus" 
Asli Aydintasbas observed in the mass appeal Sabah (1/28): 
"During the meeting at the White House, PM Erdogan is not 
only going to ask the US to support Turkey's Cyprus 
settlement initiative, but also to agree to name Secretary 
Powell as a mediator for Cyprus.  The Bush administration, 
however, believes that Powell might not be the best 
candidate due to his busy schedule.  Washington is also 
unwilling to be involved in the Cyprus issue so directly. 
The White House instead is planning to propose a high-level 
American name for job of Cyprus mediation. . The White House 
meeting will also be the venue for Turkish diplomacy to try 
to convince Bush administration about Turkey's sincerity for 
finding a settlement to the Cyprus issue this time." 
 
 
DEUTSCH