US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1058

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001058 
 
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 24, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
EU may launch talks w/ Turkey mid-2005 - Schroeder - 
Hurriyet 
Chancellor Schroeder promises Turkey Europe - Milliyet 
FM Gul extends Russia terror support - Milliyet 
Springtime with Russia after eight years - Turkiye 
Reform dreams over in Iran - Hurriyet 
The Hague discusses `security wall' - Hurriyet 
Wall wars at The Hague - Milliyet 
Turks the most optimistic nation in Europe - Survey - Sabah 
`Terminator' Schwarzenegger turns to White House - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Negotiation time in Cyprus - Radikal 
Talat concerned about EU guarantee on a Cyprus agreement - 
Zaman 
EU prefers a `United Cyprus' - Cumhuriyet 
Schroeder boosts Ankara's morale - Radikal 
No new condition for Turkey's EU membership - Schroeder - 
Zaman 
Ankara left Palestine alone on `security wall' - Cumhuriyet 
HRW finds `security fence' against Geneva Convention - 
Radikal 
90 nations against Israeli `security wall' - Yeni Safak 
Observers expect conflict among Iranian conservatives - Yeni 
Safak 
Israel has 82 nuclear weapons -  Pentagon report - 
Cumhuriyet 
Iraqi Shiite leader Muderrisi warns of civil war - Yeni 
Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Cyprus:  Turkish Cypriots want security, migration and land 
issues to top the agenda of negotiations today, whereas 
Greek Cypriots merely want the security issue discussed, say 
papers.  TRNC `Prime Minister' Mehmet Ali Talat said to the 
press on Monday that Turks would demand guarantees for 
political equality at Tuesday's talks.  The guarantor status 
of Turkey should continue, Talat said and warned that 
migration should not be allowed before the sides reach 
agreement on settlement, housing and working conditions. 
Turkish Cypriots are concerned that a prospective Cyprus 
agreement can be annulled by the European courts, says 
"Zaman."  At the moment, we are examining the validity of EU 
guarantees, Talat said.  Greek Cypriots insist on submitting 
the Cyprus agreement to Turkish and Greek parliaments for 
approval before the referenda to be held in Cyprus on April 
21, writes "Radikal."  Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers have 
reiterated in Brussels on Monday that the EU wanted a united 
Cyprus to join the union on May 1, say papers. 
 
 
Turkish commanders discuss US greater Middle East strategy: 
Top military commanders came together at a meeting in Ankara 
on Monday, says "Milliyet."   At a `brainstorming' session 
chaired by the TGS Chief General Ozkok, force commanders and 
other generals in Ankara discussed primarily the US greater 
Middle East project and Turkey's role in the initiative, and 
Cyprus, Iraq, Iran and Israel, according to Milliyet. 
German Chancellor in Ankara:  Visiting German Chancellor 
Schroeder has extended full support to Turkey's EU bid, and 
praised Ankara's efforts for EU reforms and work to resolve 
the Cyprus problem.  Schroeder is confident that the EU will 
commence accession negotiations with Turkey by June 2005 at 
the latest, say papers.  Schroeder came to Ankara mainly to 
extend support to Ankara's EU drive despite the opposition 
he  encountered at home, dailies comment.  Turkey's Islamic 
values, integrated into the values of the EU, will 
contribute both to the democracy in Turkey and to regional 
stability, Schroeder said. 
 
 
Ankara not on Palestine's side on `security wall':  Ankara 
has declined support to Palestine on the security fence 
dispute to be discussed at The Hague, writes "Cumhuriyet" on 
its front page.  Ankara has changed its mind in the face of 
the US and EU position claiming that The Hague is not the 
proper place to discuss political issues, says Cumhuriyet. 
Tel Aviv had strongly protested Turkey's initial decision to 
support the Palestinian thesis, causing Ankara to step back 
on a decision to testify in support of Palestine at The 
Hague.  Ankara's changing attitude has been a severe 
disillusion for the Palestinians, the paper notes. 
 
 
Turks hopeful of the future - Survey:  A report by the EU's 
public opinion research company `Euro-barometer' finds Turks 
the most optimistic nation in Europe.  Forty-six percent of 
the surveyed Turks believe they are better off in 2004 
compared to last year.  Forty-one percent think that 
Turkey's economy is improving.  The military is the most 
trusted institution in Turkey by 82 percent.  Sixty-seven 
percent of Turks want EU membership, while 10 percent are 
strongly against, according to the survey. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
 
a)  Guantanamo 
b)  Greater Middle East Initiative 
 
 
"Guantanamo: Graveyard for International Law" 
Retired judge Umit Kardas argued in the liberal-intellectual 
Radikal (2/24): "The US has been keeping foreigners in 
Guantanamo base, and their status does not have any legal 
structure at all.  The prisoners of Guantanamo are living 
under severe conditions and are subject to mistreatment as 
well as inhumane practices.   More than a thousand prisoners 
have not yet been charged with anything, and apparently they 
are prisoners of Guantanamo only because of their religious 
and ethnic background. . Current implementation in 
Guantanamo is a clear violation of international law, 
moreover the US administration victimized the American Bill 
of Rights with the `fight against terrorism' pretext. . The 
European Union countries also present an interesting stance. 
The prisoners of Guantanamo are from 42 countries including, 
some EU members.  Yet the EU is pursuing a position of 
silence and blindness against the violation of international 
law.  It seems the Guantanamo base has now turned into a 
graveyard for the international law." 
 
 
"Why the Greater Middle East Initiative Will Fail" 
Gila Benmayor opined in the mass appeal Hurriyet (2/24): 
"President Bush has high hopes about the Greater Middle East 
initiative for which PM Erdogan also voiced support.  The 
project is aiming at bringing democracy to the whole Middle 
East region and it was inspired from the Reagan 
administration's dream to bring democracy to the East 
European countries.  The Bush administration has been 
working on this project and it is likely that it will be 
officially initiated next June.  The project covers not only 
the Middle East countries but also Iran, north African as 
well as Central Asian countries.  Turkish PM Erdogan even 
suggested that the Caucasus countries be included.  The 
project might seem inspirational but the fact of the matter 
is that Middle East is definitely not East Europe.  Experts 
seem to agree on the two reasons for the failure of this 
initiative:  First of all, the Arab world does not support 
such an idea because it is taken as the Western world 
imposing its values upon them.  The second reason is about 
the Israeli-Palestine conflict.  There is absolutely no 
chance of success for the Middle East initiative as long as 
the Israel-Palestine conflict remains unresolved." 
 
 
EDELMAN