US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1208

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001208 
 
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 
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 1, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Weston: US will be generous to Cyprus if agreement is 
reached - Milliyet 
Greek Cypriots denounce Annan Plan at weekend rally - 
Hurriyet 
Papandreou: I aim to make the Aegean a sea of Turks and 
Greeks - Sabah 
Israeli court rules against `security wall' - Turkiye 
Task Force 121 out to get bin Ladin - Hurriyet 
Kurds fired on celebrating Turkmen, 5 wounded - Milliyet 
Greek candidates seek Turkish votes in Western Thrace - 
Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Bush Administration launches grand attack for Middle East 
plan - Radikal 
Grossman due to seek support for Middle East project - 
Cumhuriyet 2/29 
Bush launches new Middle East effort - Radikal 2/29 
Schroeder supports US Middle East project - Zaman 2/29 
Arabs angered at the US Greater Middle East project - 
Hurriyet 2/29 
Bush pushes the button for `Greater Middle East' - Sabah 
2/29 
Denktas: Annan Plan in current form a disaster - Cumhuriyet 
Talat urges Greek Cypriots to disarm - Cumhuriyet 
Washington to spend $6.3 million for `Pentagon News Agency' 
- Yeni Safak 
Bin Ladin will be caught this year - US press - Cumhuriyet 
Aristide flees Haiti - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Greater Middle East initiative:  State Department U/S Marc 
Grossman is coming to Ankara March 4 to seek Ankara's 
support for the US initiative for democratic reforms in the 
Middle East, says Sunday "Cumhuriyet."  The actual motive 
behind the US plan for democratization in the Middle East is 
to control the rich oil resources in the region, the paper 
claims.  The ruling AK Party government has voiced eagerness 
to take part in the US project, but the MFA and Turkish 
General Staff are more cautious, the paper notes. 
 
 
Cyprus:  Turkish Cypriot `Prime Minister' Mehmet Ali Talat 
has criticized the Greek Cypriots' armament efforts and 
urged them to take their missiles off the island.  US 
Special Cyprus Coordinator Ambassador Thomas Weston, who 
went to Cyprus on Sunday, said that Washington would extend 
generous financial aid if an agreement is reached between 
the Cypriots.  TRNC leader Denktas will be in Ankara on 
Wednesday to attend a Cyprus conference organized by the 
Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB).  State Department U/S Marc 
Grossman will visit Ankara on Thursday as part of a Greater 
Middle East tour, and will also raise the Cyprus issue with 
the MFA, papers report.  Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos 
has presented Denktas with a new condition that the 114 laws 
envisaged in the UN-sponsored peace plan should be approved 
by the Turks before the referenda on the island on April 21, 
say weekend papers.  Papadopoulos has also asked Prime 
Minister Erdogan for written guarantees that the GOT would 
officially accept the referenda results.  Denktas blamed 
Papadopoulos for attempting to avoid a referendum, and said 
that it was technically impossible to pass 114 laws before 
the referenda.  Saturday's dailies regard the prospects for 
an agreement before March 22 as `extremely difficult.' 
Turkish delegation's meetings in Iraq:  Saturday's 
"Cumhuriyet" writes about the meetings of a Turkish 
delegation of diplomats and military experts in Iraq last 
week.  The delegation held a meeting with US Commander 
General Ricardo Sanchez, and found out that US is not 
planning any military action against the PKK.  Turkish 
military presence in the region cannot be questioned until 
the PKK ceases to pose a threat to Turkey's security from 
northern Iraq, the paper says.  The delegation discussed 
with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hosyar Zebari the opening of a 
second border gate between Iraq and Turkey.  The delegation 
has also met with Iraqi tribal leaders and ethnic groups, 
but they did not have an opportunity to meet with Paul 
Bremer, Cumhuriyet notes. 
 
 
Division in the Kongra-Gel leadership:  Kongra-Gel, the 
continuation of PKK/KADEK, has dismissed Osman Ocalan, the 
brother of Abdullah Ocalan, from the organization due to 
disagreements over nominations of candidates in southeastern 
Turkey in the upcoming local elections on March 28, say 
Sunday papers.  Ocalan and 100 other PKK members left the 
Kongra-Gel camp in the Kandil mountain, and asked for refuge 
from the KDP, papers note.  Ocalan and friends are under US 
control in Mosul, papers speculate. 
 
 
Syrian religious schools close doors to Turks:  In a joint 
security meeting with Syrian officials in Damascus last 
December, Turkey's Gendarme Commander General Sener Eruygur 
has asked the Syrians not to enroll Turkish students in 
theology schools in Syria, say Sunday papers.  Syrian head 
of state Bashar Assad approved the Turkish request.  General 
Eruygur reportedly said at the meetings that the suspects of 
the suicide bomb attacks in Istanbul were graduates of 
Syrian theology schools. 
 
 
EDITORIALS 
 
 
"The Giant Plot" 
Asli Aydintasbas wrote from Washington in mass appeal Sabah 
(3/1):  "We heard about this new initiative GME for the 
first time six months ago during President Bush's speech at 
the `National Democracy Foundation'.  In the speech Bush 
said `For years we considered the stability in the middle 
east more important than democracy.  That was a mistake. 
From now on, we will follow a advanced strategy for the 
Middle East and the Muslim world's development.'  Washington 
believes that the present situation in the Middle East 
cannot continue.  When there is no democracy, there is 
terror and violence.  Dictators are not good either from 
economic or from the political angle.  For the US's and for 
the world's safety, democracy, freedom of expression, and 
free markets are a must.  President Bush already shared this 
thesis with PM Erdogan, and the basics or the initiatives 
will be announced to the world during the G8 and NATO 
summits in June.  So far nothing is ready; staff members  in 
every unit of the government are trying to fill in the 
details.  According to news leaked to `El Hayat', the goal 
is to take the Arab Development Reports (prepared by the UN 
Development program) as a base, and to complete the three 
missing issues in the Middle East: Information, education, 
and the participation of women.  Which country do you think 
is the inspiration for GME?.Yes, you are right, of course, 
it is Turkey." 
 
 
"The Greater Middle East and the Women" 
Ferai Tinc opined in the mass appeal Hurriyet (3/1): 
"Washington has been discussing the greater Middle East 
project with its European allies for some time.  A/S Marc 
Grossman's upcoming Ankara visit is the part of these 
discussions.  After the missing parts of this concept are 
filled by Europe, President Bush will announce the master 
plan of this project during the G-8 and the NATO summits. 
When we look at the ongoing discussions in international 
platforms, the US is planning to support democracy in the 
Middle East with the same method applied in the Eastern 
Europe and the Soviet Union.  Women's rights issue is a very 
important part of this initiative.  In order to support the 
democratization process, President Bush will call for 
coordination on the following issues: Deepened political 
coordination, more aid (Marshal Plan is taken as sample); 
efforts to ease membership in the world Trade organization, 
and security coordination.  Turkey becomes a `front line 
country' in this democratization process.  That is what the 
US officials say.  For the time being, these are the basics 
of this project.  I'll let you fill the details." 
 
 
EDELMAN