US embassy cable - 04ANKARA2185

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002185 
 
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, 
THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Bush urges Karamanlis to grab opportunity in Cyprus - Sabah 
US: Sanctions on Turks to be removed if Greeks say `no' - 
Milliyet 
FM Gul: Ankara against postponement of Cyprus referenda -- 
Hurriyet 
Thousands of Turkish Cypriots say `yes' - Sabah 
Amb. Edelman: Turkey will eventually join the EU - Hurriyet 
Cease-fire extended in Fallujah - Sabah 
CIA admits fiasco on 9/11 - Hurriyet 
Bush voices historic support for Israel - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
AKEL says `No' - Cumhuriyet 
US shows stick to Greek Cypriots - Radikal 
40,000 Turkish Cypriots rally for `yes' - Zaman 
Bush vows to finish the job in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Hugo Chavez says his heart is with Iraqi resisters - Yeni 
Safak 
Israel got what it wanted from US - Radikal 
Bush supports Sharon plan - Yeni Safak 
Bush supports Sharon plan, Palestinians furious - Zaman 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Cyprus:  Tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots rallied on 
the Turkish side of Nicosia in support of the Annan Plan for 
the reunification of Cyprus.  An estimated 40,000 
demonstrators waving the newly designed tri-color `United 
Republic of Cyprus' flag called on Greek Cypriots to back 
the plan.  Turkey's leading businessmen said in a full-page 
ad in Wednesday's editions of Turkey's national newspapers 
that a "yes" vote would help the north to rejoin the global 
economy.  Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas will deliver a 
speech at the Turkish parliament today.  He is expected to 
make the case against Annan Plan.  Governing AK Party 
officials had said previously that deputies would not be 
forced to attend the Denktas meeting today.  Prime Minister 
Erdogan does not plan to attend.  Meanwhile, `TRNC Prime 
Minister' Mehmet Ali Talat said he would agree with the 
Greek Cypriot proposal for postponement of the April 24 
referenda only if the EU postpones the EU accession date for 
Greek Cyprus.  Ankara also voiced opposition to any delay in 
the voting on the UN blueprint.  Papers speculate that 
Washington will be considering ways for removing 
international sanctions on the Turkish Cypriots if Greek 
Cypriots reject the plan. 
Ambassador Edelman on Cyprus, EU, Middle East:  Ambassador 
Edelman said the US was `doing its best' to see approval of 
the Annan Plan in the April 24 referenda in Cyprus.  `There 
is no alternative to the Annan Plan,' Edelman said, adding 
that if the Turks vote for the plan and the Greeks vote 
against it, the US, EU and the international community will 
know that the Turkish side has done its best for a solution. 
`The US is trying to get a `yes' from both sides,' Edelman 
noted.  Responding to a question, Edelman said he did not 
expect the EU to put up new barriers in Turkey's path to EU 
membership.  If Turkey keeps alive its reform process, 
Edelman said, the EU will eventually take accept Turkey. 
Ambassador Edelman also stressed that the US view of Turkey 
as a secular, democratic republic has not changed.  The US 
has no plan to define a particular role for Turkey in the 
Greater Middle East initiative, he emphasized.  `We cannot 
impose on anyone a particular choice of democracy, Edelman 
said, as every country will choose a model according to its 
own history and culture.' 
Sezer: `Moderate Islam' a backward model for Turkey:  Papers 
report President Sezer's criticism of the US Greater Middle 
East initiative in a speech he delivered at the Military 
Academy in Istanbul on Wednesday.  `Moderate Islam might be 
a progressive model for other Islamic countries,' Sezer 
said, but for Turkey it would be a big step backward.  He 
stressed that democracy cannot exist in a state controlled 
by religion, no matter whether such a state is 
fundamentalist or moderate.  Dailies interpret Sezer's 
comments as a response to Secretary Powell's remark in which 
he referred to Turkey as an `Islamic republic.' 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
 
a)  President Bush's remarks on Iraq 
b)  Cyprus 
 
 
"Bush is determined in his Iraq policy" 
Murat Yetkin observed in the intellectual/opinion maker 
"Radikal" (4/15):  "President Bush made it clear that he has 
no intention of stepping back from his Iraq policy and the 
war against terrorism.  He said that `America is pursing a 
counter-attack against terrorism and will continue to do 
so.' This is a clear manifestation of the US policy line. . 
President Bush is using the Iraq policy to counter the 
criticism about his handling of 9/11.  The Bush 
administration's thinking is like this: `The US did not take 
preemptive action in Afghanistan because it didn't 
understand the magnitude of the problem -- it will not make 
the same mistake in Iraq.  Iraq does not represent the whole 
of the US war against terrorism.  It is only a part of it. 
In the end, the US will win this war.' . President Bush's 
approach shows how ambitious the US initiatives are, and how 
they may cause significant consequences around the world. 
Bringing freedom to the Middle East is a huge project, and 
it is not only limited to Iraq.  Bush believes that the war 
in Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein brought an 
historic chance to change the world. . It seems that the US 
is going to exert pressure in this region to the extent that 
it can.  The US does not have any competitors in this area - 
- neither Russia nor the EU.  Thus Turkey should pursue a 
policy not based on emotions, but one formulated with 
rationalism and caution." 
 
 
"Yes, Yes, Yes" 
Metin Munir wrote in the mass appeal-sensational Vatan 
(4/15): "Even if the Greek Cypriot side has nothing to lose 
in the event of a `no' result in the referendum, the Turkish 
Cypriot side should still consider the benefits of a `yes' 
vote.  A strong `yes' vote from the Turkish Cypriot side 
will serve Turkey's interests quite significantly, by 
enhancing Turkey's image in international public opinion and 
furthering its vision of EU membership.  Moreover, a Turkish 
Cypriot `yes' and a Greek Cypriot `no' will serve the 
interests of Turkish Cypriots as well by legitimizing the de 
facto situation on the island.  This in itself should be 
enough for the EU to reevaluate the EU-imposed embargo 
against the Turkish Cypriot side. . Denktas seems to be 
losing his common sense.  But whatever he tries to do, the 
Turkish Cypriot people want to vote `yes' and put the 
archaic thinking represented by Denktas behind them." 
 
 
 
 
EDELMAN