US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3995

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003995 
 
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 19, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
US Bothered By Erdogan's Attitude Toward Israel - Hurriyet 
(7/17) 
US Opposes Restriction on US Assistance to Turkey - Hurriyet 
(7/18) 
Turkish NSC Wants Active Role For Turkey in GME - Posta 
Gul: "Bush Shares Our Views About Kirkuk" - Hurriyet 
Erdogan Goes to France - Sabah 
EU's First Turkish Minister - Sabah 
Turkish Minister in Belgium - Milliyet 
NSC: "Turkey Must Not Stay Out Of the Greater Middle East" - 
Milliyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Cyprus Promise From Gul - Cumhuriyet 
Conditional Permission to reopen Halki Seminary - Radikal 
US Official to Visit Cyprus - Radikal 
Laura Kennedy Goes to `TRNC' to Discuss US Aid - Zaman 
US Support for `TRNC' - Yeni Safak 
 
BRIEFING 
 
US Bothered by Erdogan's Stance on Israel:  Saturday's 
"Hurriyet" reports that the US was bothered by the attitude 
of Turkish PM Erdogan toward Israel.  US officials in 
Washington said that while Turkey has the right to criticize 
Israel, the timing of Erdogan's comments was unfortunate. 
The statement came while there had been positive 
developments in Gaza and while Egypt and other regional 
countries were supporting the Israeli withdrawal from the 
area.  US officials said that they had conveyed their 
concerns about the PM's comments to the Turkish side, and 
claimed that the US and Turkey had `reached an 
understanding' on the issue. 
 
Armenian Lobby Targets US Assistance to Turkey:  Sunday's 
"Hurriyet" reports that the Bush Administration strongly 
opposes an amendment to the Foreign Operations bill that 
seeks to restrict US Assistance to Turkey.  The provision 
passed the House of Representatives in a voice vote, but has 
not yet passed in the Senate.  House Speaker Dennis Hastert 
said that both the Congressional leadership and the Bush 
Administration strongly oppose the measure and will insist 
that it be taken out of the bill before the final version 
comes to a vote.  State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher 
said the amendment would be detrimental to efforts aimed at 
reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia. 
 
FM Gul Warns Turkey not to Remain Passive on Kirkuk:  FM Gul 
told "Hurriyet" over the weekend that Turkey is closely 
following developments in Kirkuk and will not remain passive 
in the event of injustices against the Turkmen population. 
`Just as we protected the Kurds from cruelties perpetrated 
against them in the past,' Gul said, `we will protect the 
Turkmen in the future.'  Gul noted that Kirkuk had the 
potential to turn into a `Bosnia-like' situation.  The FM 
added that President Bush agreed during his recent visit to 
Turkey on the need to ensure stability in northern Iraq and 
on the sensitivity of the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk. 
 
Cevikoz to be Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad:  "Hurriyet" 
reports that the Foreign Ministry has decided to name 
Ambassador Unal Cevikoz, currently serving as Ambassador to 
Azerbaijan, as Turkey's new Ambassador to Baghdad. 
PM Erdogan Goes to France:  PM Erdogan travels to Paris 
today for a three-day visit to seek support for Turkey's EU 
Accession date.  Erdogan will hold meetings with President 
Chirac, PM Raffarin, the chairman of the French Parliament's 
Foreign Affairs Committee, and with French businessmen.  In 
addition to asking for French support for Turkey's EU 
accession date, the media speculates that the PM will also 
discuss the possible purchase of Airbus jets for the THY 
fleet. 
 
TGS Urges Turkey's Involvement in GME:  In the first edition 
of its newly-established `National Security Bulletin,' the 
General Secretariat of the Turkish General Staff (TGS) wrote 
that Turkey should not allow itself to be excluded from the 
Greater Middle East Initiative (GME).  The publication calls 
on Turkey to participate in the initiative because of its 
geographical location at the heart of the Greater Middle 
East and as a way to share its accumulated democratic 
experience with other countries in the region. 
 
DAS Laura Kennedy to Visit `TRNC':  Most papers report that 
US State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for European 
and Eurasian Affairs Laura Kennedy will visit the `TRNC' 
this week to discuss the opening of a USAID office in the 
`TRNC' and direct air links between the US and norther 
Cyprus.  Kennedy will make an official call on `TRNC PM' 
Mehmet Ali Talat.  Kennedy will hold meetings in Ankara with 
the MFA and Turkish General Staff on Tuesday. 
 
Reopening of Halki Seminary:  "Radikal" reports that Turkey 
is working on a formula for the reopening of Halki Seminary. 
Under the proposal, which has been reviewed jointly by the 
Turkish MFA and the Ministry of Education, the seminary 
would reopen as a foundation operation under the authority 
of the Ministry of Education.  Before the seminary is 
reopened, however, Turkey will insist that that Greece 
increase the number of Turkish teachers in Gumulcine High 
School, one of two Islamic religious schools in Western 
Thrace.  "Radikal" notes that both President Sezer and the 
head of the Higher Education Board have approved the Turkish 
proposal.  In responding to a reporter's question on the 
issue today, however, FM Gul said the report was entirely 
inaccurate. 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
n    Iraq 
n    The US Elections 
 
"Corruption in Iraq" 
Zafer Atay commented in the economic-political Dunya (7/19): 
"Corruption stories have long been circulating in Iraq -- 
the commission fee scandal for the UN, the Halliburton 
scandal, and the recent cellular phone contract scandal. 
There is strong evidence that Halliburton has been supplying 
oil to American forces in Iraq at an extraordinarily high 
price.  The Pentagon has identified serious accounting 
mistakes and irresponsible spending which has been billed to 
the Pentagon. ... The cellular phone contract scandal also 
involves some interesting figures, including Paul Bremer, 
the former proconsul of Iraq, as well as some prominent 
Iraqi businessmen and other US administration officials. 
The Pentagon had decided to give the celluar phone bid to 
Turkcell, but Bremer resisted this advice and opted instead 
for an Egyptian firm, Orozcom.  The Pentagon has already 
launched an investigation regarding bribery allegations in 
the case.  All of this shows yet another ugly face for the 
occupation of Iraq." 
"The Presidential Race and Turkey: Who should win?" 
Omer Taspinar from the Brookings Institute wrote in the 
liberal-intellectual Radikal (7/19): "Talking about whether 
Bush or Kerry is better for Turkey is to view the issue too 
narrowly.  Considering Bush as a friend of Turkey and Kerry 
as anti-Turkey is to caricature the candidates without 
explaining the future of Turkish-American relations in their 
broader context.  Turkey's importance to the US goes beyond 
the personal views of the man who occupies the White House. 
Regardless of who wins the upcoming presidential election, 
Turkey's importance for the US is not going to change. ... 
It seems that President Bush's chances are on the decline 
for two main reasons -- Iraq and the economy. ... Regarding 
Kerry-Edwards, there might be one particular advantage for 
Turkey -- that is, the EU accession process.  President 
Bush's intervention on Turkey's behalf was not welcomed by 
the EU, but lobbying efforts for Turkey by the Kerry-Edwards 
duo might bring a more positive result, especially with 
France." 
 
DEUTSCH