US embassy cable - 04ANKARA790

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000790 
 
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 
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
War of nerves at UN - Turkiye 
Grand day for `United States of Cyprus' - Sabah 
Greek Cypriots also oppose Annan timetable - Hurriyet 
Simitis vows to work for a solution - Turkiye 
John Kerry generates panic in Bush team - Hurriyet 
Cold war between Turkey, Russia over Chechen fighters - 
Milliyet 
Amnesty International says Turkey on right path - Milliyet 
Fitch upgrades Turkey's rating - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Historic day for Cyprus - Cumhuriyet 
Annan urges Cypriot peoples to press leaders - Zaman 
Washington ratchets up pressure on Ankara before Cyprus 
talks - Cumhuriyet 
Reluctant Cyprus summit in New York - Radikal 
Greek Cypriots reluctant, Simitis criticizes Annan timetable 
- Radikal 
Kerry tough on Bush - Yeni Safak 
EU officials hopeful, find Turkey `closer to EU' - Radikal 
Security fence taken to Israeli high court - Yeni Safak 
Prince Charles pays surprise visit to Tehran - Yeni Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Cyprus:  If Denktas or Papadopoulos decline to accept the 
conditions outlined in the UN-sponsored peace plan for 
Cyprus, UN Secretary General Annan will end his peace 
efforts, papers report.  Denktas, accompanied by hard-line 
advisor Mumtaz Soysal, who is well-known for his 
uncompromising attitude, will refuse the Annan conditions, 
some papers believe.  Foreign Minister Gul said yesterday 
that Turkey was keen to see a solution, but would not accept 
everything in the plan unconditionally.  Gul said that 
Turkey has three points on which it will insist during the 
settlement talks - a bi-zonal structure, guarantor status, 
and an acceptable border on the island.  Any agreement 
reached is likely to be rejected at referendum unless those 
three concerns are met, he noted.  Turkish and Greek Cypriot 
leaders say they came to New York mainly to explain to Annan 
their objections to the conditions for discussing the peace 
plan, "Hurriyet" reports.  Papers note that Annan issued a 
call to the peoples of the Turkish and Greek Cypriot 
entities to exert pressure on their leaders for a 
settlement.  `A unified Cyprus entering the EU will help 
reduce tensions in the Aegean, and will facilitate Turkey's 
entry into Europe,' Annan said.  Prime Minister Erdogan, on 
an official visit to South Korea, reiterated from Seoul on 
Monday Turkey's eagerness to see a fair and lasting solution 
before May 2004.  "Cumhuriyet" says that Washington might 
support Turkey's arguments if the Cypriot sides agree on the 
procedure and begin discussing the UN plan. 
 
 
Iraqi groups' representatives in Turkey:  Representatives of 
Iraqi Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish arrived in Ankara in advance 
of a meeting of Iraq's neighbors that will take place in 
Kuwait on February 14-15.  Qassem Ghali, deputy head of the 
Free Iraq Council, and Barham Salih of the PUK met with MFA 
officials on Monday.  A delegation of the Ayan Assembly, 
headed by Shiite leader Iyad Jamal al Din, will be in Ankara 
on Tuesday.  Egyptian President Mubarak will also visit 
Ankara in an effort to find a common policy with Turkey 
before the meeting in Kuwait. 
 
 
Turkey offers Russia anti-terror alliance:  Russia has asked 
Turkey to shut down some NGOs allegedly sending Islamic 
fighters to Chechnya following a suicide bomb attack on a 
Moscow underground passenger train that killed nearly 40 
Russians last week.  In its first official response to 
Moscow's allegations, Ankara has offered Russia increased 
and more effective cooperation against terror.  Russian 
police recently announced that three Turkish citizens had 
been killed in clashes with Russian troops in Chechnya.  The 
issue will be taken up during Foreign Minister Gul's visit 
to Moscow February 23, reports note. 
AI finds Turkish reforms encouraging:  Amnesty International 
(AI) Secretary General Irene Khan and her delegation visited 
Istanbul Monday, where they praised the legal reforms 
enacted by Turkey in pursuit of the Copenhagen Criteria. 
The delegation will meet with the prime minister, the 
foreign minister, the interior minister, and leading 
judiciary figures during its visit..  Human rights violation 
cases have showed a significant decline in Turkey, Khan 
said, but she warned against continuing problems such as 
torture and the treatment of inmates in Turkey's F-type 
prisons.  Khan asserted that while Turkey is "on the right 
road" with respect to human rights, the reform process 
"still has a long way to go."  She noted AI's concern about 
continuing state pressure against groups and individuals who 
defend human rights in Turkey. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Cyprus 
 
 
"The First Challenge is the Bargain with Kofi Annan" 
Sami Kohen noted in the mass appeal Milliyet (2/10): "Oddly 
enough, the two leaders of Cyprus are on the same line, but 
in a negative sense.  Both Papadopoulos and Denktas are 
seeking changes in the Annan Plan, and they will push for 
this during the initial talks with the UNSYG.  Kofi Annan is 
unlikely to accept any changes to his preconditions.  Thus 
there is still a possibility that Annan pulls out of the 
talks if the two Cypriot leaders insist on changes. . 
However, this will also be a challenging process for Turkish 
Cypriot leader Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader 
Papadopoulos.  Denktas is willing to withdraw from the talks 
if he feels it becomes necessary, but he cannot do that 
easily because of pressure from Ankara.  Papadopoulos, on 
the other hand, is very reluctant to negotiate and is ready 
to say `no' to Annan.  Papadopolous would prefer not to be 
the first one who says `no.' . The parties to the Cyprus 
issue are meeting very reluctantly in New York, and it is 
almost impossible to be optimistic about the upcoming 
negotiation process." 
 
 
"Next: The Aegean Disputes" 
Sedat Ergin warned in the mass appeal Hurriyet (2/10): "The 
main focus in Turkish and Greek public opinion has shifted 
to the Cyprus talks in New York, but there is also 
significant progress in exploratory talks on the Aegean 
disputes between the two countries. . The Aegean talks 
between Turkey and Greece have continued since March 2002, 
and have now reached the 23rd round.  If Turkey and Greece 
declare their intentions to start a negotiation process on 
the Aegean issues as a result of exploratory talks, that 
will in itself represent significant progress in bilateral 
relations.  In fact, the Aegean negotiations will be 
critical for the start of Turkey's EU accession talks. . We 
should remember that the EU decision at the Helsinki summit 
in 1999, when Turkey was asked to undertake steps for 
settlement of the Cyprus issue, also included provisions for 
the settlement of the Aegean disputes with Greece by the end 
of 2004.  There is a very clear message here indicating that 
the Aegean issue will be on the agenda right after progress 
has been made on the Cyprus issue." 
 
 
EDELMAN