US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1500

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001500 
 
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, 
FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Terror in Europe - Hurriyet 
Europe's 9/11 - Sabah 
No pasaran: Spaniards denounce terror - Milliyet 
Nightmare in Europe - Aksam 
Madrid blames ETA, but Bin-Ladin claims responsibility - 
Aksam 
Spanish press blames ETA - Turkiye 
FM Gul warns Athens not to delay Cyprus timetable - Hurriyet 
Greek government aims at Cyprus solution by May 2004 - Greek 
FM - Sabah 
Annan prepares to `fill in the blanks' - Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Terror arrives in Spain - Cumhuriyet 
Spanish nation experiences horror - Cumhuriyet 
Spain in 9/11 shock - Radikal 
Terror bloodbath in Europe: 190 dead - Zaman 
Terror shock in Europe - Yeni Safak 
International solidarity messages rain on Madrid - Radikal 
US allies targeted worldwide - Cumhuriyet 
Amb. Edelman on the Greater Middle East - Zaman 
Neumann consoles Ankara on Iraq Law - Radikal 
Four-party Cyprus talks to take place in Switzerland - Zaman 
Ankara's concerns continue on Iraq TAL - Cumhuriyet 
Kissinger: Dividing Iraq into three the only alternative - 
Yeni Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Madrid bombings:  Papers cite the London based Al-Quds-al- 
Arabi daily reporting that Al-Qaida had claimed 
responsibility for the suicide bombing of three trains in 
Madrid on Thursday and an attack on a Masonic lodge in 
Istanbul last Tuesday.  Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for 
the suicide bomb attacks in Istanbul last November through 
the same newspaper.  Turkey's political leaders sent 
messages of condolence to Madrid. 
 
 
Ambassador Edelman on GME initiative:  According to U.S. 
Ambassador Edelman, the Greater Middle East initiative to 
improve democracy and human rights in the region will be the 
most important U.S. strategic objective for the next 50 
years, "Zaman" reports.  Edelman made the statement in a 
briefing for diplomatic correspondents on Tuesday.  The 
Ambassador said that Turkey's accession negotiations with 
the EU will show countries in the region the sincere 
attitude of the West toward reforms.  Turkey's success, he 
added, is therefore important for the credibility of this 
project.  Edelman noted that the US aims to end gender 
discrimination and encourage progress on human rights in the 
Middle East.  Ambassador Edelman stressed that the US 
initiative on the Middle East was beginning to emerge even 
before 9/11, "Zaman" writes.  Edelman denied that the U.S. 
goal is to control the region's natural resources. 
 
 
Ambassador Neumann's Ankara visit:  CPA foreign affairs 
advisor Ambassador Ronald Neumann explained the temporary 
Iraq Administrative Law (TAL) to MFA officials on Thursday. 
The US attaches great significance to Turkey's concerns, 
Neumann said, and the U.S. considers Turkey a good friend 
and ally.  Neumann stressed that Iraq's territorial 
integrity is the top priority for both Turkey and the US. 
Ankara is concerned about the privileges given to the Kurds 
and the exclusion of the Turkmen and Sunni Arabs from the 
administration, and believes that the TAL violates the March 
19, 2003 agreement. 
Military to monitor civilian groups:  All papers follow up 
on a report by "Hurriyet" earlier this week regarding a 
directive by the Land Forces Command sent to sub-governors 
asking them to investigate members of `marginal' political 
or religious movements, supporters of the EU and US, Masons, 
Satanists, internet groups, minorities, and journalists who 
write against Turkey.  Prime Minister Erdogan and his 
cabinet members declined comment on the issue, "Radikal" 
reports.  "Milliyet" claims that the TGS is investigating 
which authority is behind the directive, and will make a 
public announcement soon.  Several columnists strongly 
criticized the action, saying that the `chilling' 
implementation constitutes a serious violation of individual 
rights and privacy.  "Radikal" columnist Murat Belge wrote 
that `such a mentality regards the whole nation as a 
potential threat to be monitored.  Almost all individuals 
are seen as suspects.  It seems that the new enemy is the 
nation.' 
 
 
US Embassy organizes DVC w/ Dr. Hoffman:  "Cumhuriyet" 
reports on a Digital Video Conference (DVC) with Dr. Bruce 
Hoffman, a terrorism specialist at the Rand Corporation, 
that was held Wednesday at the U.S. Embassy.  Responding to 
questions from Turkish journalists, Dr. Hoffman said the 
Washington Administration should support a moderate `Sufi- 
Islam understanding' against the Wahhabi Islam belief in the 
Middle East.  Hoffman stressed that Al-Qaida has been 
successful in adjusting itself to changing conditions, which 
requires new efforts in the struggle against terror.  `There 
is not a single Al-Qaeda, but many Al-Qaidas,' he said. 
`These groups are making use of modern technology, 
especially the Internet, to further their aims,' he added. 
Hoffman predicted that the US fight against terror might 
take decades.  He said that he was perplexed to see Turkey, 
a country known to be experienced in the fight against 
terror, caught unprepared in the Istanbul suicide bombings 
last November.  `Turkey is the front door of NATO, and a 
path to Europe,' Hoffman said.  `Istanbul is targeted 
because it is harder to launch attacks in the US or 
Britain,' he added. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq-TAL Greater Middle East 
 
 
"US Policy in Iraq copies the British style" 
Fuat Bol argued in the conservative Turkiye (3/12): 
"Historically, it was always Britain that pursued a policy 
of occupation and exploitation in other countries.  The 
British seized and occupied countries, then ruled through 
puppet figures while exploiting the natural resources. 
India stands as a typical example of British policy: India 
was divided into three, and the country was brought to the 
point of civil war.  The Kashmir issue is still there to 
remind us of the consequences of British policy. . It seems 
that the US is following in the British tradition in Iraq. 
The US made a lot of promises about Iraq, but none of them 
has been kept.  The goal of bringing democracy to Iraq has 
remained on paper.  Realistically speaking, the Iraqi 
Shiites constitute the demographic majority in Iraq, so 
democracy in Iraq means that the country will turn into 
another Iran.  There is no way the US will let this happen. 
The US will prevent this by `playing the democracy game.'  . 
The natural resources of Iraq will be the key factor in 
this, and Kirkuk is the center of gravity.  Shiites, Arabs 
and Kurds are all eager to have a say in Kirkuk.  The US, in 
typical British fashion, is ignoring the competition over 
Kirkuk and remains blind to the fact that the situation is 
close to civil war.  When Iraq turns into a bloodbath as 
brother kills brother, the US and UK will only sit by and 
watch, because they have already laid the groundwork." 
 
 
"Greater Middle East" 
Mehmet Ali Kislali opined in the liberal-intellectual 
Radikal (3/12):  "It might seem significant that President 
Bush's Greater Middle East Project was brought to the agenda 
as we move closer to the US election, and when the US 
started having trouble in Iraq.  But the fact of the matter 
is that research on this issue has been going on ever since 
the collapse of the Soviet Union.  . The US says the goal is 
to spread democracy and freedom in the Middle East, and it 
is working hard to bring the NATO allies into the effort. 
Unfortunately, even before all the details of the project 
were announced, Arab countries in the region expressed their 
apprehension. . Turkish authorities had conflicting 
opinions.  Defenders of the US and Western views have 
positive expectations, while the Turkish Foreign Ministry 
and the military are not in a hurry to decide.  In order to 
be successful in its international efforts, the US should 
establish a peaceful atmosphere first, so that Arabs and 
Israel can begin to trust each other.  The US is well aware 
that this represents an enormous challenge." 
 
 
EDELMAN