US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3405

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003405 
 
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, JUNE 15, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
OIC gives green light for `Turkish Cypriot State' - Sabah 
OIC suffers secretary-general crisis - Aksam 
Iraqi FM promises to prevent PKK activities in new Iraq - 
Sabah 
Gen. Ozkok: Struggle against terror, fundamentalism to 
continue - Hurriyet 
President Sezer calls for democratization in Islamic world - 
Milliyet 
Former US diplomats, generals warn Bush on Iraq - Milliyet 
Michael Moore: Minors have a right to see what's happening 
in Iraq - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
`Turkish Cypriot State' at OIC - Cumhuriyet 
OIC issues tough messages on Israel - Yeni Safak 
President Sezer: Reforms essential in Islamic world - 
Radikal 
PM Erdogan: Muslim world needs a successful OIC - Yeni Safak 
Iraqi FM: Turkey a good model for the region - Zaman 
PKK rejects calls for cease-fire - Cumhuriyet 
Europe vote a warning to ruling parties - Radikal 
European Parliament elections a defeat for governing parties 
- Yeni Safak 
US to withdraw troops from Germany - Yeni Safak 
Iraqi FM: Saddam to be given to new Iraqi authorities - 
Cumhuriyet 
Two Turks abducted in Fallujah - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
OIC Istanbul Summit:  President Sezer made an historic call 
on the Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC) to take 
stock of what has gone wrong in the Islamic world. 
Delivering the opening speech of the OIC Istanbul Summit on 
Monday, Sezer stressed that the process of democratization 
of the Middle East is irreversible.  The OIC draft final 
communique says that Turkish Cypriot representatives would 
henceforth attend OIC meetings under the name `Turkish 
Cypriot State' -- the attribution used in the UN-backed plan 
for the reunification of Cyprus.  The draft communique urges 
OIC member states to establish direct transportation, trade, 
and tourism relationships with the northern Cyprus enclave. 
Ankara is lobbying to gain support for the bid of the 
Turkish candidate, Mr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, for the post of 
OIC Secretary General.  Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and the 
United Arab Emirates are not represented at the OIC at the 
foreign ministerial level due to their opposition to a 
Turkish candidate for the OIC post, Turkish papers 
speculate.  Egypt's foreign minister is expected to attend 
the closing sessions on the last day of the summit. 
 
PKK rejects call for cease-fire:  PKK/Kongra-Gel has turned 
down calls for a cease-fire by former DEP lawmaker Leyla 
Zana and the pro-Kurdish party DEHAP.  Kongra-Gel official 
Murat Karayilan said the calling off of the cease-fire 
should not be perceived as a declaration of war.  `We 
attribute importance to the peace calls made by Zana and 
DEHAP,' said Karayilan, adding that Kongra-Gel was only 
using its right to self-defense.  Karayilan noted that he 
expected the AK Party government to take some concrete steps 
such as ending the isolation of Abdullah Ocalan and 
declaring a cease-fire.  "Cumhuriyet" speculates that by 
ending the cease-fire, the PKK aims to push Kurds in 
Turkey's southeast to migrate to northern Iraq after June 
30, the date for the transfer of authority to the new Iraqi 
government.  Chief of the General Staff Hilmi Ozkok said on 
Monday that the military would continue to battle the PKK. 
Meanwhile, Abdullah Ocalan's lawyer presented to the 
parliament 177 petitions asking for the release of the 
former PKK leader.  The petition urged the Turkish state to 
protect the social, cultural and political rights of the 
Kurdish people. 
 
Mosque-hospital disparity in Turkey:  There is one hospital 
for every 60,000 people, compared to one mosque for every 
353 people in Turkey, according to separate research 
conducted by the Ministry of Health and theology faculties, 
"Sabah" reports.  Turkey has 76,000 mosques, but only 1,156 
hospitals.  While 20,848 doctors are employed, 76,445 imams 
are at work.  Official plans envisage the construction of 
1,140 mosques and just 50 hospitals and health care centers 
over the next two years, "Sabah" claims. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
Iraq/UNSC Resolution 
b)   BMENAI 
 
 
"The UN Resolution" 
Haluk Ulman wrote in economics-politics Dunya (6/15): "The 
most important element in the new resolution comes from the 
fact that the new political structure of Iraq will not be in 
the hands of the US and the UK after the transfer of 
sovereignty to Iraqis.  This marks an important concession 
by Washington and shows that the Bush administration has 
finally agreed to accept UN authority in Iraq. . The new UN 
resolution provides hope for the salvation of Iraq, but only 
in a theoretical way.  History shows many examples of plans 
that look good on paper but prove very difficult in the 
implementation.  Unfortunately, Iraq seems to be another 
such example.  The UN resolution has three stages of 
implementation, and each step includes potential traps that 
could result in endless resistance and power struggles 
between ethnic and religious groups.  The struggle between 
the Shiites and the Kurds is only one of many potential 
pitfalls." 
 
 
"GME, Israel and Turkey" 
Yilmaz Oztuna editorialized in the conservative Turkiye 
(6/15): "It is an unrealistic expectation to see the 
transition to democracy in Muslim countries include the 
Turkic republics in the short run. In fact, this will 
probably never happen at all.  Turkey stands as the only 
exception.  First of all, democracy is not the only possible 
regime.  Second, advocates of democracy in the Middle East 
either know little about genuine democratic regimes or tend 
to design a democracy tailored for the Middle East through a 
couple of cosmetic reforms.  Most probably, the strong push 
by western states is not about bringing democracy to the 
Middle East as much as it is about oil reserves. . Creating 
a peaceful atmosphere with Israel is another unrealistic 
goal.  It is not possible to achieve this in the foreseeable 
future because Israel will not agree on peace unless threats 
from Iran, Iraq and Syria are eliminated. . At this point, 
Turkey should be able to discuss in detail the Greater 
Middle East initiative with the United States, Turkey's 
strategic ally.  Turkey should be able to be part of this 
process.  If Turkey refuses to take part, this will not 
change anything but will harm the possibility of finding 
solutions to these problems." 
 
EDELMAN