US embassy cable - 04ANKARA2025

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002025 
 
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, 
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Ankara warns Denktas to compromise - Milliyet 
Erdogan couldn't convince Denktas - Hurriyet 
Denktas, Papadopoulos agree on one point: `No' - Milliyet 
Papadopoulos expected to urge Greek Cypriots to vote `no' - 
Milliyet 
Weston: EU should not keep Turkey out - Sabah 
UK launches `Yes' campaign for Cyprus referenda - Aksam 
US Democrats: Iraq turning into Vietnam - Milliyet 
US hunts for es-Sadr - Sabah 
Air raid on Fallujah: 26 killed - Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Erdogan warns Turkish Cypriots against deadlock - Radikal 
Papadopoulos is not convinced - Cumhuriyet 
Iraqi resistance evolves into war - Zaman 
Americans debating new troops in Iraq - Zaman 
US pressures, Sadr resists - Radikal 
Kennedy: Iraq is Bush's Vietnam - Radikal 
Fallujah will determine the fate of Bush - Yeni Safak 
Blix: Iraq war worse than Saddam's dictatorship - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Cyprus:  Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas told PM Erdogan and 
FM Gul at a meeting in Ankara on Tuesday that he would work 
against the Annan Plan.  Ankara told Denktas that preserving 
the status quo in Cyprus would not bring a solution. 
Denktas was also warned to refrain from siding with 
Papadopoulos in advocating a `no' in the referenda.  The 
April 24 referenda process is not reversible, Gul told 
Denktas.  Denktas charged that the Turkish government was 
too optimistic in its interpretation of the Annan Plan, and 
warned Ankara not to trust the Greek Cypriots.  The Turkish 
Cypriot leader predicted that Cyprus would become a Greek 
Cypriot island unless the Turks are given guarantees that 
the derogations in the Annan Plan will be made part of EU 
primary law.  Today, Erdogan will guarantee to the UN that 
Turkey will submit the results of the April 24 referendum to 
the Turkish parliament for approval.  The UN-backed peace 
process for reunification of Cyprus was debated in 
parliament on Tuesday.  FM Gul said that the Turkish 
Cypriots would be better off in a new, unified state of 
Cyprus.  Gul acknowledged that the plan, if accepted, will 
bring some financial burden for Turkey.  The opposition CHP 
blamed the government for getting involved in a process that 
would not solve the Cyprus issue, but would result in the 
liquidation of the Turkish Cypriot state.  The CHP charged 
that the government has forsaken Cyprus in hopes of getting 
a date for EU accession talks.  The opposition warned that 
the government may end up with nothing at the end of the 
process.  PM Erdogan said at his party group meeting on 
Wednesday that those who now oppose the UN Plan had had 30 
years to reach a solution in Cyprus and had failed to do so. 
Erdogan asserted that Turkey's essential conditions have 
been accepted into the plan.  He acknowledged that the plan 
carried risks, particularly on the issue of EU primary law. 
But he said that no international agreement could be risk- 
free.  Meanwhile, papers report that US Special Cyprus 
Coordinator Weston told the ATC meeting in Washington that 
if Turkey does its part, but progress in Cyprus is stalled 
due to the rejection of the UN Plan by the Greek Cypriots, 
Turkey must not be kept waiting outside the EU. 
 
 
New Turkish offer re QIZ:  State Minister Kursad Tuzmen 
offered to form a US- Turkish Qualified Industrial Zone 
(QIZ) that will allow only high-technology Turkish products. 
Tuzmen, in Washington for the annual meeting of the American- 
Turkish Council (ATC), noted that the US responded 
positively to the offer, and that preparations for QIZs 
would begin immediately.  `The US side can contribute the 
know-how,' Tuzmen said, `and we can bring the manpower and 
capital.'  Tuzmen argued that such a model could be useful 
in Turkey's economic development.  Dailies reported that 
Turkey has given up on insisting that Turkish textile 
products be included in a QIZ. 
 
 
Kurdish broadcast brings closure for local TV:  Turkey's 
media watchdog Radio and TV High Board (RTUK) has closed ART- 
TV, a local broadcaster in Diyarbakir, for a period of one 
month on the grounds that the station aired songs in the 
Kurdish language.  ART-TV managers criticized the decision, 
saying it was in violation of Turkey's EU harmonization 
laws. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
 
  a)   Iraq/Shia Unrest 
  b) Cyprus 
 
 
"President Bush Has Lost Control of His Policy" 
Semih Idiz observed in the mass appeal-sensational Aksam 
(4/7): "A keen observation of the Washington scene shows 
that President Bush is losing significant political ground, 
and for the first time Republican circles are talking about 
the possibility of losing the election.  The growing tension 
in Iraq has become a major concern and has led to a serious 
debate on how best to respond.  The debate centers around 
two arguments.  One group supports harsh retaliation, while 
another group warns about the severe consequences of 
escalation and urges the administration not increase 
tensions through harsh reprisals.  . The general view in 
Washington  is that the Greater Middle East Initiative has 
become invalid due to recent developments.  The realities of 
the region make it impossible to apply.  In sum, President 
Bush seems to have lost control of his foreign policy line, 
and developments in Iraq will be playing more significant 
role in shaping U.S. policies." 
 
 
"Settlement or the demise of Cyprus" 
Hasan Pulur argued in the mass appeal Milliyet (4/7): "What 
some people are calling the `settlement' of the Cyprus issue 
actually means the demise of Cyprus.  This is because of the 
fact that the Greek Cypriots will join the EU even if they 
say `no' in the referendum.  As for Turkey, we remain 
waiting at the gate.  Thinking about Cyprus in isolation 
will not give us the full picture.  You should look at the 
broader ramifications, from Cyprus to the Aegean, and from 
Armenia to Turkey's southeast.  Then we should add the 
`Islamic state' concept to this.  Secretary Powell - who was 
also the former US Chief of Staff - referred to Turkey as an 
Islamic state.  If you are naive enough to believe that that 
was a slip of the tongue, then we have nothing left to talk 
about." 
 
 
EDELMAN