US embassy cable - 04ANKARA2008

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002008 
 
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, APRIL 6, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Bush to ATC: We are grateful for Turkey's friendship - 
Milliyet 
NSC: Cyprus responsibility is the government's - Aksam 
PM Erdogan: We must do our part for Cyprus solution - 
Turkiye 
Athens ups pressure on Greek Cypriots for `Yes' -Milliyet 
Es-Sadr the new nuisance for US - Milliyet 
Shiites revolt against US - Turkiye 
US orders arrest of es-Sadr - Hurriyet 
Bremer: Es-Sadr a bandit - Sabah 
US troops besiege Sunni Fallujah - Aksam 
`Scapegoat' Rice may leave post - Sabah 
Sharon: Arafat deserves death - Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Denktas: Annan Plan no protection for Turks - Zaman 
Denktas: Referenda must be postponed - Cumhuriyet 
Denktas: UN Plan a plot against Turkey - Radikal 
Denktas launches a `No' campaign - Yeni Safak 
Talat: `No' will bring disaster - Yeni Safak 
US fighting on two fronts in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
US fans the fire in Iraq - Radikal 
Shiites, US troops clash: 59 killed - Zaman 
Shiite resistance spreading - Yeni Safak 
US may delay transfer of authority in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Sharon to US: Israel defending itself, just like US - Zaman 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Cyprus:  A statement issued by Turkey's National Security 
Council (NSC) after a special Cyprus meeting on Monday noted 
the necessity of making the Turkish derogations in the UN- 
sponsored peace plan part of EU primary law, and urged the 
government to follow closely the implementation of 
guarantees given to the Turkish side.  The statement said 
that the responsibility for avoiding future problems 
regarding bi-zonality, Turkey's status as a guarantor power 
and the Turkish military presence in Cyprus falls on the 
Government.  "Cumhuriyet" interpreted the statement as the 
NSC declining to accept responsibility for the Government's 
Cyprus policy.  If the Annan Plan is accepted at the April 
24 referenda, Ankara will ask EU members to endorse the plan 
in their national parliaments.  Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot 
leader Denktas said in an address to the Bursa Bar 
Association on Monday that the Annan Plan would lead to a 
scenario in which Turkey would be partitioned.  `If the UN 
plan is accepted, the EU will delay Turkey's accession to 
get even more concessions,' Denktas claimed.  Denktas 
stressed that under the plan, the `TRNC' will be eliminated 
within 10-15 years.   However, `TRNC Prime Minister' Talat 
said that the UN blueprint had been clarified in 
Switzerland, and added that approving the plan would save 
the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey from big problems.  Prime 
Minister Erdogan said at a cabinet meeting yesterday that 
the latest Annan Plan was the `last chance' for Turks. 
"Hurriyet" claims that Cypriot leaders Denktas and 
Papadopoulos have made a secret deal to postpone the 
referenda currently scheduled for April 24. 
 
 
President Bush visit to Turkey:  Preparation has started for 
President Bush's upcoming visit to Turkey for the June NATO 
Summit in Istanbul.  Bush will arrive in Ankara June 26 and 
will be accompanied by 1,000 other people.  President Bush 
will hold meetings with Turkey's leaders the following day, 
before proceeding to Istanbul to attend the NATO Summit June 
28-29.  He will depart Turkey on June 29.  Turkey will be 
taking tight security measures for the Bush visit, dailies 
report, and the NATO Summit will cost Turkey an estimated 
TL33 trillion. 
 
 
General Jumper visits Ankara:  US Air Force Commander 
General John Jumper met with his Turkish counterpart, 
General Ibrahim Firtina, in Ankara on Monday.  General 
Jumper discussed the US Greater Middle East initiative and 
the use of American bases in Turkey for operations in the 
Middle East, according to press reports. 
 
 
Crackdown on DHKP-C:  Dailies say that 20 of the 63 DHKP-C 
members detained in Turkey in a coordinated operation with 
European countries were senior officials of the terrorist 
organization.  Papers criticize Belgium for sheltering DHKP- 
C terrorists, including the organization's leader, Dursun 
Karatas.  DHKP-C member Fehriye Erdal, the main suspect in 
the murder of Turkish industrialist Ozdemir Sabanci, was 
released after being briefly detained by Belgian authorities 
last week.  Sabanci family lawyers, however, say that a 
legal procedure will soon be underway to bring Erdal to 
justice for the murder. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
 
"Invasion of Iraq takes the world backwards 100 years" 
Hakan Celik argued in the mass appeal-sensational Posta 
(4/6): "It is the anniversary of Iraq's invasion, yet after 
more than a year there is zero gain with regard to 
stability.  Not only Iraq, but the whole Middle East region 
has fallen into a spiral of terrorism.  This situation can 
be interpreted as the world being sent backwards for 100 
years. . All of the pretexts for invasion of Iraq have 
proven to be false.  However, the unstable atmosphere helped 
terrorist organizations a great deal in carrying out their 
bloody actions in the name of vengeance.  The terrorists are 
using religious motives to justify their actions, and the 
whole process is leading to a war between religions. . 
Recent clashes between American troops and the Shiites pose 
a serious threat for the future of Iraq.  President Bush 
might sincerely regret the invasion someday, but the fact of 
the matter is that the withdrawal of American troops from 
Iraq would not solve anything at this point.  The chaos in 
Iraq is growing by the day." 
 
 
"Bringing a new order to the Middle East" 
Murat Yetkin observed in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(4/6): "Paul Bremer is facing a serious dilemma.  Attacks 
against American forces require a proper response to enforce 
US authority, but the retaliation might aggravate Shiite 
groups even more.  The real conflict in the Middle East is 
about the Palestine-Israel problem, and there are 
discouraging signs on that issue as well.  The assassination 
of the Hamas leader and growing tension in the region have 
further diminished hopes for a solution.  Washington, on the 
other hand, is working on a big project for the Middle East 
with ambitious goals such as bringing democracy to the 
Islamic world.  The masterminds of the GME initiative seem 
to miss a very important point:  Turkey is the only Muslim 
country with a working liberal economy and a democracy. 
Turkey's success stems from the fact that Turkey managed to 
separate the state from religion in its ruling sstructure. . 
The Bush administration fails to realize the crucial 
difference that secularism can make, or perhaps does not 
want to emphasize this policy line in order not to upset pro- 
American dictatorships in the region." 
 
 
"Iraq Dead End" 
Zeynep Atikkan noted in the sensational-mass appeal Aksam 
(4/6):  "There is no solution when a mistake has been made. 
Developments in Iraq are proof of this fact.  The US has 
come face to face with a civil war in light of the most 
recent Shiite rebellion.  Meanwhile the US still plans to 
turn over authority to the Iraqis on June 30.  No one pays 
much attention anymore to US promises to bring peace to Iraq 
and the Middle East.  After the bloody uprising started in 
Basra and Baghdat, two US senators, Richard Lugar and Joe 
Biden, predicted a civil war in Iraq and noted the 
difficulty of transferring the administration to the Iraqis 
in these circumstances.  The chaos grows in Iraq with every 
passing day.  It will be difficult for President Bush to 
portray himself as a successful war leader during the 
current election campaign.  Even the Republicans prefer to 
keep quiet when the Iraq issue is mentioned in the US.  As 
these latest developments demonstrate, it is no longer 
possible to defend this war." 
 
 
EDELMAN