US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3507

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 003507 
 
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, 
MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Ambassador Edelman: No imminent operation against the PKK - 
Hurriyet 6/19 
Saudi police may have helped Al-Qaida - Milliyet 
US operation against Zarkawi, 22 killed - Hurriyet 6/20 
Al-Qaida kills American hostage - Sabah 6/20 
Al-Qaida decapitates American engineer - Milliyet 6/19 
Turkish truck driver killed in Iraq - Milliyet 6/20 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Barzani: Turkey approves federal status for Kurds - Referans 
6/20 
NYT: Kurds moving toward southern Iraq - Radikal 
NYT: Kurds forcing Arabs out of northern Iraq - Yeni Safak 
US troops kill Turkish truck driver in Baghdad - Cumhuriyet 
Iraqi PM asks for international help to fight terror - 
Cumhuriyet 
Saddam will be handed over to new Iraqi government - Yeni 
Safak 
Al-Qaida leader Mukrin killed - Cumhuriyet 6/20 
US jetfighters hit Fallujah, 22 killed - Radikal 6/20 
US jetfighters hit two homes in Fallujah, 24 dead - Zaman 
6/20 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Iraq:  Ankara has determined a new Iraq policy for the 
period following the transfer of authority to the new Iraqi 
government on June 30, writes "Sabah."  In a meeting with 
the KDP leader Barzani in Erbil on June 9, Turkey's Special 
Iraq Representative Osman Koruturk said Ankara would not 
oppose a federal structure in Iraq.  Koruturk also asked for 
Barzani's help against the activities of the PKK/Kongra-Gel. 
Turkey wants good relations with Barzani and Talabani, 
Kurdish leaders regarded as "tribal leaders" by Ankara until 
recently.  Ankara has also dropped its recognition of Kirkuk 
as a Turkmen town, but insists that the natural resources of 
Kirkuk should be shared fairly.  Barzani later hosted the US 
Deputy Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz on June 17.  Wolfowitz 
was relieved to hear the new Turkish policy with regard to a 
federal Iraq.  Ankara has not reacted to recent Barzani 
statements on a federal Iraq.  However, the Kurds would 
seemingly prefer a "confederation," claims "Sabah."  Kurds 
have advanced below the 36th parallel, as far as Mosul, the 
last stronghold of the Arabs, the paper says. 
 
Ambassador Edelman roundtable with Turkish press:  US 
Ambassador to Ankara, Eric Edelman, said at a roundtable 
meeting with Turkish media representatives last Friday that 
no military operation should be expected against the PKK in 
the near future, weekend papers report.  The PKK issue will 
be under the responsibility of the new Iraqi government 
following the transfer of authority in Iraq June 30, Edelman 
noted.  Edelman asserted that the US would not enter into 
negotiations with the PKK or its affiliates. Ambassador 
Edelman also said that during his visit to Ankara in late 
June, President Bush would discuss with Turkish leaders 
Cyprus, Iraq, the NATO Summit and Turkey-EU relations.  The 
US continues cooperation with Turkey in cutting the 
financial resources of the PKK and preventing the militants' 
infiltration into Turkish territory, Edelman added. 
Incirlik Air Base could play a key role within the global 
restructuring of US forces, Edelman said without elaborating 
further.  Responding to a question, Ambassador Edelman noted 
that the US was not seeking a rewriting of or changes to the 
1980 Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement with Turkey. 
 
Civilian chief for NSC:  Turkey's prime ministry, MFA and 
the TGS are working to name a civilian to chair the National 
Security Council (NSC), papers report.  Turkey's permanent 
representative to the UN, Ambassador Umit Pamir, and 
Ankara's special Iraq envoy, Ambassador Osman Koruturk, are 
the leading candidates for the post.  Government and the 
military favor Ambassador Pamir, according to papers. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
"Bush Comes to Turkey" 
Yasemin Congar opined in the mass appeal Milliyet(6/21): 
"The public opinion in Turkey is that the visit of US 
President Bush to Turkey is unlikely to be a successful one, 
mainly for two reasons.  First, Bush's Iraq policies became 
very unpopular among Turkish people, and secondly, his 
support of the Likud government of Israel drew negative 
reactions from the Turkish people.  Moreover, his failure to 
meet Turkish expectations in bilateral issues, such as not 
starting a military operation against PKK in Northern Iraq, 
not allowing Turkomans to have representatives in the Iraqi 
administration, and attaching conditions to the $8.5 billion 
loan offered to Turkey by the US.  However, despite all 
these troubles, the visit is very important.  In general, 
the US always acts as a good friend to Turkey.  Despite 
these crises, bilateral relations advanced noticeably.  With 
Washington's support, the IMF program helped Turkey to start 
a process of economic transformation.  The Bush 
administration has always extended powerful support to 
Turkey's EU entry bid.  Therefore, Turkey should push the 
criticism and being prejudiced about the visit to the side, 
and try to benefit from it as much as we can." 
 
EDELMAN