US embassy cable - 04ANKARA660

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000660 
 
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, FEBRUARY 5, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Bush convinced Annan to relaunch Cyprus talks - Milliyet 
Denktas writes to Turkish, Greek, Cypriot leaders - Hurriyet 
Missiles follow Wolfowitz in Kirkuk - Milliyet 
John Kerry on top - Hurriyet 
Kerry winds blowing over US - Turkiye 
Kerry running toward the finish line - Radikal 
Backed by ladies, Kerry laps Bush - Sabah 2/4 
Al Qaeda behind Irbil bombings - Hurriyet 2/4 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Grossman to be US observer at Cyprus talks - Radikal 
Time running out on Cyprus, says Annan - Cumhuriyet 
Annan to set a date for Cyprus talks soon - Zaman 
All sides ready for talks, says Annan - Radikal 2/4 
Athens under pressure on Cyprus, looking for a way out - 
Radikal 2/4 
Bush defends Iraq war - Radikal 2/4 
Sharon may go to early polls - Radikal 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Cyprus:  Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Gul 
held a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leaders Denktas, Talat 
and Serdar Denktas in Ankara on Wednesday.  `Turkey and the 
TRNC confirmed their common views to press for a lasting 
peace in Cyprus," according to a statement released after 
the meeting.  Turkey and the TRNC reportedly agreed to back 
the UN Secretary General's efforts.  Turkey has signaled to 
UNSG Annan its eagerness to restart the negotiations.  Annan 
has invited the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders to New 
York on February 10 for new negotiations on the 
reunification of Cyprus.  A UN statement said that the 
objective of the negotiations would be to put a completed 
text to referenda in April 2004, in time for a reunited 
Cyprus to accede to the EU on May 1, 2004.  Denktas implied 
that he could make territorial concessions in order to 
prevent 100,000 Turkish Cypriots from being displaced. 
Dailies report that Secretary Powell put pressure on the 
Greek Cypriots to join the UN-sponsored peace talks. 
Meanwhile, Annan has decided in consultation with Secretary 
Powell and President Bush that Marc Grossman should join the 
Cyprus talks as a US observer, according to "Radikal." 
 
 
Kurds deny Turkey's involvement in terror attacks:  Northern 
Iraq's KDP and PUK released a joint statement rejecting 
allegations that Turkey was to blame for the twin suicide 
attacks against their offices in Erbil on February 4.  The 
blasts caused at least 109 deaths and more than 200 
injuries.  The MFA condemned the attacks and offered 
assistance in treatment of the wounded.  Mainstream media 
believe that al-Qaida is responsible for the bombings. 
Thursday's papers report that Ensar al-Sunnet, an 
organization reportedly close to the terrorists Ensar al- 
Islam, has claimed responsibility for the bombings. 
 
 
Amnesty offered for terrorists expires:  The amnesty offered 
by the Turkish government to defectors from terrorist 
organizations will expire on February 6.  Ankara, which had 
expected about 5,000 PKK members to turn themselves in, had 
set up special centers along Turkeys' borders to receive 
those returning to Turkey.  However, only terrorists who had 
already been captured and were in prison applied to benefit 
from the law.  "Cumhuriyet" criticizes the release of 389 
members of the fundamentalist terror organization Hizbullah. 
The paper also claims that the US had pressured the Turkish 
government to enact the law, but was still hesitant to take 
action against PKK militants in northern Iraq. 
 
 
AI chairman due in Turkey:  Amnesty International Secretary 
general Irene Han will be visiting Turkey for meetings with 
NGOs and government officials February 8-14.  The AI 
delegation will meet with victims of human rights violations 
in Istanbul February 8, then will proceed to Diyarbakir 
after meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign 
Minister Gul in Ankara on February 10. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  WMDs/Iraq; Cyprus 
 
 
"Chutzpah" 
Fehmi Koru argued in the Islamist Yeni Safak (2/5): "The 
real story about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq proves 
the absolute distortion of the facts by the American neo- 
cons, including Richard Perle.  David Kay has made it clear 
to the world that Iraq never had weapons of mass 
destruction.  He also blamed US intelligence units for 
misinforming the administration.  The absence of WMD in Iraq 
demonstrates that there was no reason for the Iraq war, not 
to mention the senseless loss of innocent lives.  The 
international community has started to grumble about this 
disinformation, and President Bush has already started 
suffering politically. . Richard Perle is among the leading 
figures in the US war-mongering lobby.  His counter to David 
Kay's statement is rather interesting.  Perle says he had 
always been aware of the inefficiency of US intelligence 
efforts in the Gulf.  Yet the very same Richard Perle was 
advocating a war in Iraq by using false intelligence. . The 
neo-cons used every administration agency for their selfish 
interests and strongly advocated a war that was without 
basis.  They bear all the moral and political 
responsibility, so Perle's remarks about intelligence 
shortcomings could serve as a definition for chutzpah." 
 
 
"Grossman will be the observer for the Cyprus talks" 
Murat Yetkin noted in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(2/5): "The US is expected to send an observer when the 
Cyprus talks are restarted.  According to diplomatic 
sources, the most likely name for the US observer in Cyprus 
talks is Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman.  The Bush- 
Erdogan meeting produced a very encouraging atmosphere for 
the fate of the Cyprus negotiations.  It is believed that 
the Turkish Cypriot side will remain committed to the 
negotiation process regardless of Denktas' personal views. 
There is speculation that Turkish Cypriot PM Talat will step 
in as negotiator in the event that Denktas resigns from that 
position.  In the meantime, Denktas is expected to decide on 
his approach after the official invitations from UNSYG Annan 
have been issued." 
 
 
DEUTSCH