US embassy cable - 04ANKARA2598

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002598 
 
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, 
FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Bush backs Rumsfeld, apologizes - Sabah 
Abuse photos may bring end for Rumsfeld - Sabah 
Iraqi captives treated like animals - Milliyet 
Iraqi prisoner treated like a dog - Aksam 
US torture in Iraq a `shame on humanity' - Turkiye 
Lynndie England, 21-year old smiling criminal - Aksam 
TGS: higher education (YOK) bill against secularism - 
Milliyet 
PM Erdogan: Turkey, Greece must be friends - Turkiye 
Anne Krueger: Ending Turkish reforms would be tragic - 
Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Bush scolds Rumsfeld - Cumhuriyet 
Bush apologizes to Abdullah instead of to the world - Zaman 
American torture has no limits - Yeni Safak 
Shameful photos from Iraq - Radikal 
Wash. Post: Intelligence officers ordered torture photos - 
Zaman 
Lynndie England the `pride of occupiers' - Cumhuriyet 
FM Gul: Isolation of `TRNC' not fair - Yeni Safak 
US encourages representation of `TRNC' at IMF, WB, OIC - 
Radikal 
US drafting plan for `TRNC' - Yeni Safak 
Erdogan: Bush did not ask for troops to Afghanistan - Zaman 
Israel preparing new security wall around Gaza - Radikal 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Allegations of Iraqi prisoner abuse:  Turkish papers write 
that there are several hundred photographs depicting the 
abuse of prisoners in Iraq, some of them revealed by "The 
Washington Post."  The photographs were taken in 2003 as 
ordered by American officers in an effort to persuade other 
captives to collaborate with coalition forces.  President 
Bush apologized Thursday for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by 
American soldiers and called it "a stain on America's 
honor."  Turkish dailies carry a front-page photo showing a 
female soldier holding a leash around a naked captive's neck 
at Abu Ghraib prison.  Bush has rejected calls for Defense 
Secretary Rumsfeld's resignation, but is reportedly upset at 
 
SIPDIS 
the secretary for not alerting him about the existence of 
the pictures.  On Thursday, a statement by the parliamentary 
committee for human rights strongly denounced the torture of 
Iraqi prisoners by occupation forces.  The committee called 
for an end to the occupation of Iraq and for international 
control of Iraqi prisons.  The committee called for 
offenders to be tried at the International Criminal Court. 
 
 
TGS speaks out against education reform bill:  The TGS 
issued a strongly-worded statement criticizing the 
government's planned higher education reform.  The statement 
alleged that the measure would sap the country's secular 
foundation. The ruling AK Party wants to allow graduates of 
religious vocational schools (Imam Hatip) equal access to 
university education.  The military fears the new bill will 
boost the influence of religion in the state education 
system.  "It is obvious that the proposed changes will harm 
the principles of secular education," TGS said, adding that 
the army should not be expected to stand by in the face of 
such a challenge to Turkey's secularist principles.  "We 
expect the related institutions to display common sense with 
regard to the draft, which will spark unnecessary tension," 
TGS said. 
 
 
PM Erdogan visits Greece:  On Friday, Prime Minister Erdogan 
will have talks with Greek PM Karamanlis and President 
Stephanopoulos before making a private visit Saturday to the 
Turkish-speaking community in Western Thrace.  The region 
has a 120,000-strong ethnic Turkish minority, and Erdogan's 
visit is a sign of warming ties between Ankara and Athens. 
Erdogan's visit has a strong economic angle as well, with 
the review of a dozen trade deals made since 1999 between 
the countries.  According to Turkish dailies, Erdogan could 
also seek Karamanlis' help with the problem of getting 
Turkish trucks through EU customs points.  Erdogan is being 
accompanied by 160 businessmen and journalists.  This 
`historic' visit to Greece could turn a new page in 
relations between the two neighbors. 
 
 
Cyprus:  US Special Cyprus Coordinator Tom Weston said that 
EU moves for ending the isolation of the northern Cypriots 
are `not sufficient.'  Weston said the Bush Administration 
is considering direct US flights to the Turkish north, and 
extension of financial aid for Turkish Cypriots.  The 
reception given to `TRNC PM' Talat is an indication of 
changing US policy, an anonymous US official noted.  By 
entering into dialogue with the `undisputed' leader of the 
Turkish Cypriots, the US has established a de facto 
relationship with northern Cyprus, the official emphasized. 
Turkish dailies report that Papadopoulos was `infuriated by 
the official treatment of Talat by the Americans, regarding 
it as `hostile' move that might disrupt efforts for the 
reunification of Cyprus. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq Prisoner Abuse/US Image Abroad 
 
 
"The Two Americas" 
Mim Kemal Oke noted in the conservative HO Tercuman (5/7): 
"Following the Iraq prisoner scandal, the US President was 
in a rush to correct the American image by appearing on Arab 
television channels.  Among the arguments he tried to 
pursue, one was particularly interesting.  Bush said that 
those who committed these terrible acts cannot be American. 
This argument is not only an effort for finding an excuse 
but also a confession about the `two different types of 
Americas' in the President's mind. . These two different 
Americas can be described as `the soft one' and the `hard 
one.'  The former is about the US as a land of liberty and 
opportunity where one can enjoy individual freedoms and 
tolerance of differences.  As for the latter, it is about 
the CIA and national security.  The hard side of American 
power is like the alter ego of the soft side.  . Westerners 
have come up with a description of President Bush as 
`fundagelist,' a word that combines `fundamentalist' and 
`evangelist.'  President Bush pursued global terrorism in a 
purely religious context and contributed to a fundamentalist 
interpretation of religion.  Current U.S. foreign policy and 
American internal security considerations have deep 
religious roots.  This is becoming increasingly disturbing 
for Americans.  President Bush is aware of the criticism, 
yet his election campaign is based on the alliance of a deep 
state and `fundagelist' approach.  It remains to be seen 
which America will prevail in the election." 
 
 
"The Mentality in Photos" 
Mustafa Karaalioglu commented in the Islamist-opinion maker 
Yeni Safak (5/7): "The pictures are not only horrifying. 
They also widen the gap between the Western world and 
others.  These events have established a hatred that cannot 
be eliminated between the Islamic world and the US-UK 
Alliance.  The torture and abuse goes beyond being 
systematic.  It also shows the sick Western mentality.  When 
you look at the pictures, you won't see painful tactics, but 
instead the tactics of humiliation.  This shows the 
mentality: Western values are the only precious values; all 
the rest are doomed to extinction.  This mentality does not 
consider the right to exist for anyone who does not share 
Western values. . These same soldiers would not have done 
the same thing if the prisoners had been French or German. 
This `special treatment' is available only for Muslims, 
Arabs, and Iraqis because this is what the Western mentality 
dictates." 
 
 
"The US is Losing" 
Ergun Babahan commented in the mass appeal "Sabah" (5/7): 
"Current developments in Iraq are of great concern to 
Turkey.  It the US giant is defeated in Iraq, the regionis 
likely to descend into chaos.  It might take decades for the 
US to regain its credibility in the Muslim and Arab world. 
But at least the US can stop its mistakes in Iraq as soon as 
possible in order to prevent more dangerous developments in 
the region.  Washington fails to see that acting on its own 
will bring severe consequences for the region, will 
encourage new 9/11s, and will increase hatred for the West 
among Muslim youth.  Those who are acting to counter 
terrorism are not aware that they are creating new 
terrorists.  This policy is gradually making the world more 
dangerous.  After all of this, President Bush is planning to 
come to Turkey in June to market the Greater Middle East 
Project.  He is apparently not aware that no one trusts his 
administration's policies after the mess in Iraq and the 
deaths of thousands of innocent people even after the war 
was claimed to have ended.  While Bush plays the Cowboy Game 
in Washington, the Iraqi people pay the price." 
 
 
EDELMAN