US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3840

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003840 
 
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, JULY 12, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Kerry blames Bush for US troops killed in Iraq - Milliyet 
Newsweek: Americans tortured Abu-Ghraib captives `for fun' - 
Hurriyet 
US Congress: CIA exaggerated Iraq information - Sabah 7/10 
US official: Iraqi resistance larger than estimated - 
Milliyet 7/10 
Clinton: I wouldn't have occupied Iraq - Milliyet 7/11 
Clinton: Path to Middle East peace passes through Jerusalem 
- Yeni Safak 
Pope to visit Istanbul in November - Milliyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
First US assistance for `TRNC' - Zaman 7/10 
Turkey seeks lasting solution for Kirkuk - Zaman 7/10 
Kerry wages `Iraq war' on Bush - Zaman 
Barzani: Kirkuk issue `a time bomb' - Cumhuriyet 
Athens, Greek Cypriots block EU aid for `TRNC' - Cumhuriyet 
7/11 
Karamanlis supports Turkey's European future - Cumhuriyet 
Bush's destiny in the hands of Nader - Yeni Safak 
Bush pledges reform of intelligence agencies - Cumhuriyet 
7/11 
Fundamentalist terror alert in the Netherlands - Cumhuriyet 
7/11 
Israel kills women in Gaza - Radikal 7/11 
Karadzic allegedly ill, may surrender - Zaman 7/11 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Israeli, Syrian officials due in Ankara:  Israeli Deputy PM 
Ehud Olmert will be in Ankara July 13-15 to attend a meeting 
of the Turkish-Israeli joint economic committee.  Olmert 
will also discuss with Turkish officials Ankara's critical 
approach to Israel's policy in the occupied territories. 
Ankara's mission as a mediator between Israel and Syria will 
not be on the agenda of Olmert's talks with the Turks.  PM 
Erdogan has refused to grant Olmert a meeting, papers 
report.  Meanwhile, Syrian PM Momahad Naci Otri will meet 
with PM Erdogan in Ankara July 14.  Otri and his 
accompanying delegation of Syrian businessmen will discuss 
with Ankara ways for improving business and trade relations 
between the two countries.  Iraq and the activities of 
Kurdish groups in northern Iraq will top the agenda of 
Otri's meetings. 
 
US aid for `TRNC':  The United States will provide $30 
million in assistance to the `TRNC' this year as part of the 
American effort to reduce the isolation of the Turkish 
Cypriot enclave, US officials said.  The funding is to be 
provided as recognition of the Turkish Cypriots' support for 
the UN-brokered peace plan to reunify the island.  The money 
will be released in coming months.  "We've worked up a 
package designed to ease the economic isolation and keep the 
idea of a settlement alive," a senior US State Department 
official said. 
 
Turkish delegation visits northern Iraq:  A high-level 
Turkish delegation visited northern Iraq at the invitation 
by the KDP leader Barzani to investigate alleged Kurdish 
attempts to change the demographic structure in Kirkuk, 
Saturday's "Zaman" reports.  The Turkish delegation was met 
by the Kurdish governor of Kirkuk, and held meetings with 
Kurdish, Turkmen and Arab representatives.  Several ethnic 
groups in the region expect a positive contribution by 
Turkey to the resolution of regional problems, "Zaman" 
reports. 
Police seek prosecution of Kurdish ex-MPs:  Turkish police 
officials announced on Friday that mass demonstrations 
organized to meet Kurdish ex-lawmakers led by Leyla Zana in 
Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeastern provinces had been 
carried out in violation of Turkish law.  The police have 
applied to the chief prosecutor to investigate the rallies, 
in which the former lawmakers addressed their audiences in 
Kurdish.  People chanted slogans in support of the outlawed 
PKK during several of the rallies.  The announcement of 
possible legal action against Zana and her colleagues came 
the day after strong criticism by Deputy of the Turkish 
General Staff, General Ilker Basbug, of the Turkish 
authorities for allowing the Kurdish ex-MPs stage 
demonstrations in southeast Turkey. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
a)   US Elections 
b)   War against terrorism 
 
"Collateral Damage and the US Elections" 
Yasemin Congar wrote in the mass appeal Milliyet (7/12): 
"The Iraq war has been very costly in terms of human loss 
and financial burden.  Yet there are other, indirect 
consequences that can be viewed as `collateral damage' from 
the war.  Civilian casualties are one criteria for examining 
the magnitude of the collateral damage.  The estimated 
number of Iraqi civilians killed in Iraq has now reached 11- 
13 thousand. ... This figure has had negative political 
effects in the United States, and has also completely 
negated the positive steps taken by the US on the ground in 
Iraq and in the region. The Broader Middle East reform is a 
good example.  It was the most constructive foreign policy 
initiative from the Bush administration so far, yet it 
received a very cold welcome in the international community. 
... The upcoming presidential election in the US is very 
much in the world's interests because of such collateral 
damage.  Even if Kerry-Edwards win the elections, there will 
not be any fundamental change in US policy, particularly on 
the war against terrorism, Iraq, and the Middle East.  In 
the event of a Kerry victory, the US is not going to 
withdraw any forces from Iraq.  Moreover, a Kerry 
administration will be bound to realize the goals set by the 
Bush administration.  However, if the Democrats are in 
charge of the White House, it is possible that the 
collateral damage of the Iraq war for the US will be 
reduced." 
 
"The Meaning of Edwards" 
Asli Aydintasbas wrote in the mass appeal Sabah (7/12): 
"There are certain fixed parameters in US foreign policy set 
in the post-9/11 period that will not change even in the 
event of a Democratic administration.  If Kerry wins the 
election, Turkey's situation will remain the same.  World 
public opinion is mistaken in its expectation that there 
will be fundamental changes in American politics if Bush is 
not reelected.  .... There are some factors that will make 
the election process a tough one for Kerry and Edwards. 
Their election rhetoric, including phrases that suggest 
`class war' approach, is extremely leftist. It can be a good 
theme for the media, but is not a popular approach for the 
American people.  The man on the street in America expects 
better international relations and finishing the job in 
Iraq.  Ordinary Americans are yet to be convinced that the 
indecisive and inexperienced Kerry-Edwards team is capable 
of doing that.  Unless the Democrats can turn that around, 
the majority of Americans may well prefer `the devil they 
know' over the one they don't." 
 
"The US, Moderate Islam, and Turkey" 
Emre Kongar commented in the social democrat-intellectual 
Cumhuriyet (7/12):  "The concept of moderate Islam was in 
the US as a means to combat classical radical, politicized 
Islam that was created in the Middle East with the support 
of Iran.  The moderate Islam concept was the result of a US 
strategy change and aimed to impose a Turkish model on other 
countries in the region.  Creating a model for moderate 
Islam required a back step from Turkey's secular system. 
This tendency met with certain Islamist (Sharia) tendencies 
in Turkey.  When these trends came together, the US 
characterized the result as moderate Islam.  But the 
moderate Islam model faces many obstacles, and will not have 
positive results either for US interests of for Tukey's 
internal dynamics.  I really don't know how long it will 
take for the US to realize this fact." 
 
DEUTSCH