US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1984

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001984 
 
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, 
MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Powell's Islamic Republic of Turkey - Milliyet 4/3 
So we are an `Islamic Republic' - Sabah 4/3 
Washington corrects Powell's gaffe about `Islamic state' - 
Hurriyet 4/3 
Powell: US has no B-Plan for Cyprus - Aksam 
Powell: UN Plan Cypriots' last chance - Turkiye 
85 percent of Greek Cypriots against Annan Plan - Milliyet 
Athens pressures Papadopolous -Turkiye 
Shiites put up a bloody resistance - Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Powell talks nonsense - Cumhuriyet 4/3 
US correction to Powell's `Islamic republic' remark - Zaman 
4/3 
Karamanlis needs time to convince Greek Cypriots - Zaman 4/3 
EU names Kongra-Gel as terrorists - Radikal 4/3 
Greeks, Greek Cypriots determined to reject UN Plan - Yeni 
Safak 
Powell will work for `Yes' in referenda - Radikal 
Shiites, Salvadorans clash in Iraq - Radikal 
Occupation forces attack Shiites: 20 killed - Yeni Safak 
Bloody Sunday in Najaf: 24 dead - Cumhuriyet 
Shiites take to the streets: 25 killed - Zaman 
Orphans used as AIDS guinea pigs - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Turkish reaction to Secretary Powell remarks:  Saturday 
papers write that Secretary Powell made a huge gaffe when he 
said in an interview with German ZDF-TV that Iraq would 
become an Islamic republic `like Turkey and Pakistan.' 
Dailies criticize Powell for his `ignorance,' and note that 
the Secretary's remarks disturbed Ankara.  US Ambassador 
Eric Edelman said that the remarks had been misunderstood. 
`Turkey is a secular, democratic republic, and there is no 
change in the US view,' Edelman said.  `Powell's scandalous 
remarks are corrected by the US State Department,' read 
Saturday's headline in "Hurriyet."  A State Department 
official told "Hurriyet" that the Secretary was simply 
highlighting the fact that Turkey's population is 
overwhelmingly Muslim, and that Turkey is a democracy with a 
republican form of government.  Aegean Army Commander 
General Hursit Tolon said that Turkey's ally must learn the 
basic characteristics of the Republic of Turkey. 
 
 
Cyprus:  The Council of ministers and the National Security 
Council (NSC) will discuss the UN-backed peace plan for 
Cyprus in an NSC meeting on Monday.  The issue will then be 
taken up at a special session in parliament on Tuesday.  The 
government wants the parliament to pass the guarantees 
demanded by the UN before the April 7 deadline.  The 
military might voice opposition to some aspects of the Annan 
Plan.  The military is also concerned about the weakening of 
ties between Ankara and Denktas.  The commanders are worried 
that Turkish derogations would not become part of EU primary 
law.  The accommodation and rehabilitation of over 50,000 
TRNC nationals to be displaced will also be discussed at the 
NSC.  `TRNC Prime  Minister' Talat said that $2-4 billion 
would be needed to resettle the displaced.  Meanwhile, 
papers report that a large majority -- 84.7 percent -- of 
Greek Cypriots oppose the UN-backed peace plan for the 
reunification of Cyprus.  The Turkish Cypriots currently 
support acceptance of the plan, but by a very narrow margin 
-- 51.2 percent to 48.7 percent.  Foreign Minister Gul said 
he would launch a world campaign for the international 
recognition of the `TRNC' if Greek Cypriots reject the Annan 
Plan.  Secretary Powell said yesterday that there is no `B- 
plan' for Cyprus, and that the process will come to a halt 
if the sides cannot agree. 
 
 
Kongra-Gel on EU terror list:  Kongra-Gel and KADEK, 
successor organizations to the PKK, have been added to the 
EU list of terrorist organizations together with DHKP-C and 
IBDA-C.  Until recently, the EU had not taken into account 
Ankara's concerns about Kongra-Gel and KADEK.  The Europeans 
became more sensitive on the issue following the Madrid 
bombings. 
DEP trial:  The Ankara State Security Court (SSC) rejected 
requests for the release of former DEP lawmakers Leyla Zana, 
Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak at the 13th hearing 
in the defendants' retrial on Friday.  The case was 
postponed until April 21.  European Parliament Co-Chairman 
Joost Lagendijk said after the hearing that if the Kurdish 
lawmakers are convicted for a second time, Turkey's EU 
adjustment laws would be reeexamined.  The defendants 
boycotted the hearing on Friday as a protest against the 
legal process. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Cyprus 
 
 
"The US Works for a Yes" 
Yasemin Congar wrote in the mass appeal Milliyet (4/5): "The 
Bush administration is very pleased with the Turkish 
government's performance during the Cyprus talks.  A source 
in the White House noted that some Congressional circles 
that previously criticized Turkey for its position on Cyprus 
have been pleasantly surprised by Ankara's approach. . 
Washington is now focusing on the performances of both 
Ankara and Athens with regard to the outcome of the upcoming 
referenda.  However, Turkey's positive approach has already 
been noted in Washington.  US officials have intensified 
their efforts to persuade all four sides on the importance 
of a `yes' from the referenda.  The US believes that the 
current Cyprus agreement is the best of what could have been 
achieved. . Washington warns that there could be negative 
consequences for the Greek Cypriot side in the event of a 
`no' vote in the south.  But Washington is making no 
commitment to provide official recognition to the Turkish 
Cypriot side in the event that the referendum is approved in 
the north.  However, Washington does not conceal its 
intention to provide certain privileges to the Turkish 
Cypriot side if there is such a result." 
 
 
"Cyprus: To Be or Not to Be" 
Erol Manisali argued in the social democrat-intellectual 
Cumhuriyet (4/5): "Thanks to the Annan Plan, for the first 
time in history both Greece and the Greek Cypriots have been 
given all the advantages to exert full hegemony on island of 
Cyprus.  Simitis and Karamanlis used to express their goal 
to turn Cyprus into a Hellenic island, and it seems that 
this goal is about to be realized.  Right after the 
implementation of Annan Plan, we will see a political 
invasion of the island by Greece (i.e., the EU).  The 
occupation of Iraq has been achieved through weapons. 
However, the occupation of Cyprus is about to be carried out 
through the Annan Plan." 
 
 
"Plan B" 
Asli Aydintasbas wrote from Washington in the mass appeal 
Sabah:  "The Greek Cypriots are well aware of the 
consequences of saying `no' in the referendum.  They appear 
to be ready to face those consequences.  IN recent weeks, 
the Greek lobby has exerted great efforts in the US Congress 
against the Annan plan, and has dismissed  possible negative 
fallout from the referendum.  Turkey needs to develop a 
strategy for the post-referendum period.  A high level Greek 
official told me in New York that there is not enough time 
for a solution, but that the Annan process could be 
restarted in September, in advance of the EU decision on 
Turkey.  Both Greece and the Greek-Cypriots prefer this kind 
of postponement, because they believe that they can take 
more land in a second round of talks.  The Greek Cypriots 
also believe that after all these years, living together may 
not be very pleasant for Turks and Greeks.  Some are urging 
the government to forget about the Annan plan, and to try to 
get more land from the Turks before they become an 
independent state.  It is a rather interesting thought.  The 
Greek Cypriots have yet to make a concrete decision on the 
issue, but Ankara needs to start thinking about a `plan B' 
before it's too late." 
 
 
EDELMAN