US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3435

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 003435 
 
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, JUNE 16, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Turkish secretary-general for OIC - Sabah 
Turkey victorious at OIC summit - Aksam 
Iraqi FM: PKK has no futurei n Iraq - Milliyet 
US to transfer Saddam to Iraqis in two weeks - Milliyet 
Pentagon denies transfer of Saddam to Iraqis - Aksam 
Karpinski: `We were ordered to treat Iraqis like dogs' - 
Hurriyet 
Sharon acquitted - Hurriyet 
Sudan blocks international food aid for the starving - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
First Turkish chairman for OIC - Cumhuriyet 
Ankara's prestige rising in Islamic world - Zaman 
Karpinski: Torture was ordered by Gen. Miller - Radikal 
`Iraqi captives are like dogs,' US General told Karpinski - 
Yeni Safak 
Attacks against foreigners rising in Saudi Arabia - Yeni 
Safak 
US to `dispose of' Saddam - Radikal 
Sharon cleared of bribery allegations - Cumhuriyet 
London court bans headscarf - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
OIC Istanbul Summit:  Turkey's candidate, Ekmeleddin 
Ihsanoglu, was elected the new Secretary General of the 
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).  Ihsanoglu 
received 32 votes out of 56 members on Tuesday.  FM Gul 
praised the democratic voting process.  Ankara aims to help 
the OIC transform itself into an influential international 
organization defending the interests of the Islamic world, 
and to make the organization a bridge between East and West. 
Gul said after an informal meeting with foreign ministers 
from Iraq's neighboring countries that `the ministers of the 
countries of the regional initiative on Iraq welcome the 
transfer of sovereignty to the newly formed Iraqi interim 
government by June 30, 2004.'  Gul added that the transfer 
`must be fully carried out.' Gul also noted that the OIC 
ministers condemned terrorist acts against civilians in the 
country and added that the terrorist presence in Iraq 
threatened the security of its neighbors.  Iraqi FM Hosyar 
Zebari voiced support for calls for reform for the Middle 
East.  Zebari welcomed the release of Leyla Zana and the 
other Kurdish ex-MPs, and stressed that violence and 
conflict had no future in Turkey.  He emphasized that his 
government opposed the presence of neighboring countries' 
troops in Iraq, even under a UN umbrella.  Zebari added that 
the PKK/KONGRA-GEL `has no future' in the new Iraq. The OIC 
is to take the Cyprus issue today. 
 
US `denies' PM Erdogan permission to go to Iran:  US 
concerns have caused PM Erdogan postpone his visit to Iran 
for a second time, "Birgun" claims.  The Erdogan visit to 
Tehran had been previously scheduled for June 21-22.  Ankara 
could not manage to persuade Washington to allow it to go 
ahead with the visit.  The paper also claims that the TGS 
had to suspend an invitation for the Iranian army commander, 
General Mohamad Salimi, to visit Turkey following objections 
by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.  The MFA reportedly argued 
that the United States could `misinterpret' such a visit. 
 
Erdogan: Israeli policies fan anti-Semitism:  PM Erdogan 
said that the policies being pursued by Israel are 
responsible for the rise in anti-Semitism around the world. 
Addressing his party group on Tuesday, Erdogan said he 
warned the Jewish lobby in the US about the negative effects 
of the brutal Israeli attacks against Palestinians. 
`500,000 Jews fleeing Spain were accepted by the Ottomans,' 
Erdogan said.  `Yesterday, Jews were suffering oppression,' 
he continued, `but today, the Palestinians are suffering.' 
`The Palestinians are using stones against your bombs,' 
Erdogan reportedly told the Jewish Americans.  Erdogan also 
told the Jewish lobby that Turks regarded anti-Semitism as a 
crime against humanity.  `We have no problem with the 
Israeli people,' he said.  `Unfortunately, the current 
Israeli administration's policies are increasing anti- 
Semitism.' 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
"The Kurdish Problem" 
Gunduz Aktan wrote in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(6/16):  "Montreal was the largest Canadian city at the 
beginning of the 20th century, but separatist activities 
that started in Quebec in the 1950s resulted in the city 
dropping to third place.  In other words, people and 
societies have limited energy even in developed countries 
such as Canada, and when minds are concentrated on 
separatist tendencies, development is obstructed.  Germany 
and France openly say that they are practicing an 
assimilation policy toward Turks and Muslims, so Turkey must 
also assimilate the Kurds.  This does not necessarily go 
against the Kurds having their own cultural identity, of 
course, but such a policy is no less necessary for other 
groups in Turkey who are equally important as the Kurds. 
Assimilation will modernize the Kurds, as it will the rest 
of society.  Turkey has a national identity, and through the 
flexibility provided by the EU all groups can protect and 
broaden their own cultural identities.  There is no sense in 
the argument that those who don't understand modernization 
have the right to demand autonomy." 
 
EDELMAN