US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3791

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 003791 
 
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, JULY 7, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEALS 
US drops two-ton bombs on Fallujah to kill Zarkawi - Aksam 
EU aid package leaves Greek Cypriots out - Hurriyet 
Iran kills 8 PKK militants - Hurriyet 
People magazine: John Edwards the `sexiest' politician - 
Sabah 
`Sexy' partner for Kerry - Hurriyet 
Former rival becomes partner for Kerry - Milliyet 
Baradei's historic visit to Israel - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
PM Allawi cooperates with US in bombing Fallujah - 
Cumhuriyet 
Bremer: Iraqi democracy will be `sloppy and messy' - 
Cumhuriyet 
Nato delegation in Iraq for training - Zaman 
Arabs angry at Barzani's federation claim - Yeni Safak 
Iran fights the PKK - Cumhuriyet 
PM Erdogan: No intention to withdraw troops from Cyprus - 
Zaman 
Blacks, Latinos prefer Kerry - Cumhuriyet 
Kerry's partner is Edwards - Radikal 
Israeli troops kill US professor and son - Radikal 
Taliban attack US base in Kandahar - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Syrian, Israeli officials due to visit Ankara:  Ankara will 
host Syrian PM El-Otari and Israeli Deputy PM Olmert in July 
as part of Turkish efforts to support the framework of the 
Broad Middle East project, "Radikal" reports.  Ankara will 
discuss with the Syrian PM issues ranging from Iraq to the 
PKK/Kongra-Gel.  Ankara will also inform El-Otari about 
Turkish plans for training Iraqi security forces.  Turkish 
and Israeli officials, meanwhile, are working to clarify 
arrangements for the Olmert visit.  Diplomatic sources 
expect the sides to discuss Ankara's mission as a mediator 
between Israel and Syria, "Radikal" claims. 
 
Iraq's neighbors support Turkmen:  The Iraqi Turkmen Front 
(ITF) opened a representation office in Damascus last week, 
and will open offices in Tehran and Cairo next month, 
"Cumhuriyet" reports.  Syria, Iran and Egypt share Turkey's 
concerns over Iraq, and have decided to increase support for 
the Turkmen, the paper claims.  Ankara is also enhancing its 
dialogue with Iraqi Shiite groups opposed to the Kurds' 
separatist inclinations.  In February, Turkey's special Iraq 
envoy, Ambassador Osman Koruturk, was received by Shiite 
leader al-Sistani, who usually declines to meet with 
foreigners. 
 
EU to help Cyprus:  The EU Commission will announce on 
Wednesday a financial aid package for northern Cyprus.  The 
259 million euro assistance package will be transferred to 
the Turkish Cypriots between 2004-2006 through an EU office 
to be opened in the north.  The EU will carry out the 
assistance program without the involvement of Greek Cypriot 
authorities in the south.  Meanwhile, `TRNC PM' Talat's CTP, 
the leading coalition partner in the Turkish Cypriot 
parliament, has put forward a motion calling for early 
general elections to be held on September 26.  Resignations 
from the coalition have caused the government to lose its 
majority in the 50-seat parliament. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
a)   NATO 
b)   Darfur Crisis 
"NATO has Reshaped Its Vision" 
Fatih Karaosmanoglu observed in the liberal-intellectual 
Radikal (7/7): "The NATO summit in Istanbul served as a 
platform for the Alliance to shape its new vision.  This new 
vision has three fundamental parts: Change in the NATO 
threat concept; expansion of areas of engagement; and the 
possibility of allowing new members into NATO. ... Turkey 
should read the new transformation process in its proper 
context in order to come up with its own plan for the 
future.  The plan should cover the specifics of the new role 
for Turkey within the Greater Middle East Initiative as a 
democratic partner.  So far Turkey contributed to this 
process by making strong arguments on the need for internal 
dynamics to be the engine for democratic change.  This 
initiative is a dynamic project, however, and Turkey should 
carefully analyze any plans put forward by other players 
that might fall outside of Turkey's policy parameters.  ... 
Now that the summit is over, Turkey must revise its policy 
of engagement in the political, educational, and security 
areas, particularly with regard to Iraq, Afghanistan and 
Palestine.  This process is in fact a virtuous circle: the 
more a country engages on international issues, the more it 
becomes a part of the decision-making mechanism." 
 
"The World is Watching a Massacre" 
Zafer Atay noted in the economic-political Dunya (7/7): "The 
name of Darfur in Sudan was completely unknown until the day 
Secretary Powell and UNSG Annan went there.  In this 
 
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forgotten part of the world's geography, the population is 
predominantly African Muslim.  Other ethnic groups are also 
present, but the government is in the hands of the Arabs. 
Now the central government is engaged in a policy of ethnic 
cleansing.  The horrible events are no different than the 
Serbian brutality against Bosnian Muslims in Bosnia- 
Herzegovina.  There is systematic rape in Darfur that aims 
to reduce the African Muslim population significantly. ... 
After Secretary Powell's visit to the area, the world has 
started to pay attention to these horrible events.  The UN 
Security Council is now going to take up the issue.  Thanks 
to Powell.  What about the others?  Where is the  Islamic 
Conference, the EU the UK?  Good night to all of them." 
 
DEUTSCH