US embassy cable - 04ANKARA2419

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002419 
 
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 29, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Ankara woos EU, considers Cyprus troop withdrawal - Milliyet 
EU opens door to `TRNC' goods - Milliyet 
Karamanlis, Papadopoulos call for a new referendum - 
Hurriyet 
Karamanlis: No intention of killing the Annan Plan - Sabah 
Annan praises `TRNC' courage - Turkiye 
Papadopolous: We're not against Turkey in EU - Aksam 
AK Party seeks ways to release Zana - Sabah 
US forces enter Fallujah - Milliyet 
 
 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
EU to soften embargo on `TRNC' - Yeni Safak 
Papadopoulos, Karamanlis say Annan Plan still alive - Zaman 
Russia against removal of `TRNC' sanctions - Cumhuriyet 
Bombs rain on Fallujah - Cumhuriyet 
Ankara urges Russia to review Cyprus policy - Zaman 
US closes embassy in Damascus - Yeni Safak 
Perpetrators of Damascus attacks still a mystery - Radikal 
Wolfensohn: Turkish government must continue working with 
IMF - Radikal 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Cyprus:  In an initial step to ease sanctions on the Turkish 
Cypriots, the EU will allow its nationals to travel directly 
to the `TRNC.'  Northern Cypriots will be granted 
unrestricted travel rights within the EU, and goods 
manufactured by the `TRNC' will be exported under EU 
regulations.  PM Erdogan welcomed the 259 million Euro 
assistance package offered by the EU, and asked for a 
loosening of sanctions for Turkish Cypriots.  Ankara is 
planning to reduce the Turkish military presence in Cyprus 
before an EU decision for giving Turkey a date for accession 
negotiations, "Milliyet" reports.  Ankara can strengthen its 
position by announcing a withdrawal of some troops from the 
island within the next 6 to 12 months, according to an 
anonymous European source.  MFA officials said Ankara did 
not expect immediate international recognition of the 
`TRNC,' and said that the opening of a US official presence 
in the Turkish north of the island is unlikely.  Observers 
say that Ankara may recognize the Greek Cypriot state in the 
face of pressure by the EU, but they do not expect the Turks 
to allow the opening of a Greek Cypriot embassy in Turkey. 
Greece's PM Karamanlis said Athens would back moves to 
support the northern Cypriot economy, and added that the 
Cyprus problem should not damage Turkey's relations with the 
EU and Greece. 
 
 
Constitutional reform package:  A reform package containing 
proposed changes to the Turkish Constitution was submitted 
to parliament on Wednesday.  The package envisages the 
complete elimination of capital punishment and the state 
security courts, removal of military representatives from 
the Higher Education Council (YOK), establishment of 
civilian authority over the audit of military property, 
guarantees against the confiscation of press and printing 
material, and allowing international agreements to take 
precedence over domestic law with regard to human rights. 
The package, signed by around 200 lawmakers from the AK 
Party, will be debated by parliament's constitutional 
committee on Friday and could become law as early as next 
month. 
 
 
Government seeks formula for release of Kurdish lawmakers: 
The ruling AK Party government is seeking a formula for the 
release of the former DEP deputies.  Turkey's Constitution 
could be amended to scrap the State Security Court (SSC) 
system before the final appeals court decision in the case 
of the four Kurdish lawmakers -- Leyla Zana, Orhan Dogan, 
Hatip Dicle and Selim Sadak.  The Turkish government fears 
that Zana could be given the Nobel peace award while she is 
in jail, "Sabah" speculates. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
 
a)  US policy issues: Caucasus 
b)  Iraq 
c)  EU-Turkey 
 
 
"The US and Armenia" 
Fikret Ertan observed in the Islamist-intellectual Zaman 
(4/29): "The US seems very determined to expand its 
influence over the Caucasus region.  US efforts toward this 
end are continuing with new steps and new agreements, though 
some of them do not get much press attention.  For instance, 
the recent military agreement between the US and Armenia is 
a large and important step toward the US goal to gain more 
influence in this geography. . The agreement is about 
military logistics, and provides certain privileges to 
American forces, including the permission for US forces and 
planes to use Armenian military bases.  In return, Armenia 
tries to mark its presence in the region by sending a 
transportation unit to serve in Iraq.  Georgia and 
Azerbaijan have already sent small military forces to Iraq. 
. The US is doing its best to reduce Russian and Iranian 
influence over the Caucasus.  The military agreement with 
Armenia comes on the heels of a comprehensive military 
agreement between Georgia and the US, which signed a short 
time ago.  These are parts of a US plan to weaken Russian- 
Armenia and Armenian-Iranian relations over the long run." 
 
 
"The Language of a Flag" 
Akif Emre argued in the Islamist-opinion maker Yeni Safak 
(4/29): "The newly designed Iraqi flag has the potential to 
create new tension and conflict in the country.  A flag is 
supposed to represent a country's common history and 
cultural values.  However, the IGC's new flag for Iraq 
serves as a reminder of the occupation. . It looks like the 
US is trying to take on a colonial mandate from where the 
Brits have left off.  Moreover, the resemblance between the 
Israeli flag and the new Iraqi flag should not be ignored. 
Colors and stripes may look very innocent.  Yet bearing in 
mind the strong US-Israel collaboration during Iraq's 
occupation, it might be more provocative than innocent. 
There is more.  The yellow stripe in the flag symbolizes the 
Kurdish entity, and is a clear incitement to ethnic tension. 
. It seems the US wants to achieve its plan for peace and 
security in the region by bringing together the Zionist star 
and the Iraqi crescent!" 
 
 
"The Test" 
Hasan Cemal commented in the mass appeal Milliyet (4/29): 
"The European Council has an audit room, which is considered 
the `waiting room' of the European Union.  In other words, 
the doors to the EU do not open without first passing 
through the council's audit room.  This room was built for 
the Eastern European countries after the fall of the of the 
Berlin Wall.  Research in this room previously focused on 
whether the bad habits inherited from communist regimes ere 
still being applied in Eastern Europe.  The studies were 
made from three different angles: democracy, human rights, 
and the rule of law.  The eight East European countries that 
will join the EU officially on May 1 had to stop in this 
room.  Their reforms and implementation of those reforms 
were inspected carefully, and they were given dates to join 
the EU.  The former East bloc countries were `graduated' 
ages ago, while Turkey has been waiting since 1996.  There 
are 45 members of the European Council.  Turkey is among the 
founders of the Council.  However, Turkey has been kept in 
the audit room because of human rights and rule of law 
issues.  This month, Turkey came very close to `graduation.' 
The relevant commission of the European Council had to admit 
that Turkey had moved forward in implementing the Copenhagen 
Criteria.  As the report on Turkey was about to pass the 
council's Parliamentarian Assembly, the whole atmosphere 
changed suddenly.  The DEP trial and developments in the 
Leyla Zana case again postponed Turkey's `graduation' - this 
time until at least June.  This should be carefully noted: 
If Turkey wants a date from the EU, it has to `graduate' 
from the European Council with good marks on the rule of law 
issue.  Otherwise, there can be no hope for a 
date."EDELMAN