US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4118

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 004118 
 
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, 
FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
High-speed train `massacre' - Sabah 
36 die for the sake of fast-train `show' - Milliyet 
High-speed `murder' - Vatan 
`Speedy' murder: 36 dead - Hurriyet 
Report: 9/11 could have been prevented - Milliyet 
Commission blames Clinton, Bush for `lack of imagination' - 
Hurriyet 
1993-2000 Clinton era was pinnacle for US economy - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Fast train speeds to disaster: 36 dead - Radikal 
9/11 Commission puts the blame on US intelligence - 
Cumhuriyet 
9/11 Commission: US Administration `inept' - Radikal 
Commission: 9/11 an institutional failure - Zaman 
9/11 Commission acquits Bush - Referans 
Bush will sell weapons to Iraq `for peace' - Cumhuriyet 
Street fights in Baghdad, 25 Iraqis killed in Ramadi -Yeni 
Safak 
Blair considers dispatching troops to Darfur - Zaman 
Israel opposes EU presence in Palestine - Yeni Safak 
EU signals it may discard Arafat - Zaman 
Arafat pledges to give full authority to Kurei - Radikal 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Turkish train derails, 36 killed:  An express train 
traveling from Istanbul to Ankara derailed on Thursday, 
killing 36 people.  Officials suspect the accident was 
caused by a mechanical fault, and some observers blamed 
Turkey's creaking rail system.  Papers blamed the government 
for the crash, saying it had ignored experts' safety 
warnings when it launched the high-speed train link between 
Istanbul and Ankara in early June.  PM Erdogan rushed to the 
scene of the disaster last night, and canceled his scheduled 
trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina today while the investigation 
continues.  Opposition CHP leader called on the Government 
to resign in the wake of the crash, and several commentators 
called on the Transportation Minister and the head of 
Turkish State Railroads to step down. Other press 
commentaries warned potential problems at Turkish Airlines 
(THY) due to insufficient aircraft maintenance. 
 
Turks' views on the EU, NATO, GME, Israel:  According to a 
public opinion research by `Pollmark Research' concerning 
`NATO and Turkish Foreign Policy,' 73.4 percent of Turks 
support EU membership, while 21.2 are against it.   The 
research was carried out in various Turkish provinces 
through one-on-one interviews with 1,636 people between July 
2-4.  55 percent of Turks believe that Turkey is not ready 
for EU membership.  69 percent see human rights as the 
largest obstacle to Turkey's full EU membership, while 67 
percent see poverty as a major negative factor that could 
prevent Turkey from joining the European bloc.  47 percent 
support Turkey's participation in NATO, while 16 percent are 
opposed.  55 percent of respondents believe that other 
Muslim nations should join NATO as well.  31 percent believe 
the US Greater Middle East project will bring democracy to 
the region, while 51 percent believe it will not.  43.8 
percent view US as the largest obstacle to peace in the 
Middle East, while 34.2 hold that view of Israel.  43 
percent of respondents disapprove of attacks against US 
troops in Iraq, while 42 percent approve.  81 percent agree 
with PM Erdogan in blaming Israel for applying `state 
terrorism.'  45 percent of those surveyed hold negative 
views of Arabs, while 38 percent hold a positive view.  27 
percent of respondents hold positive views of Christians, 
while 51 percent view Christians negatively. 
 
US `Africa Project':  Islamist-oriented "Yeni Safak" claims 
that the US Congress has endorsed a plan for the social and 
cultural transformation of Muslim countries in Africa. 
Basing its report on allegations put forward by the webpage 
`Islam Online' and the South African news agency `Inter 
Press Service,' "Yeni Safak" claims that the Congress has 
allocated $200 million for the project.  In the near future, 
the US will be meeting 20 percent of its oil needs from 
African sources and will have to shift related investment to 
the region by 2015.  The US is concerned about growing anti- 
American sentiment in West Africa and the Somali region. 
The US wants to `nip Islamic movements in the bud' in this 
region with a population of around 300 million, according to 
the report.  The American project targeting African Muslims 
is supported by both Democratic and Republican members of 
Congress, and former Deputy Secretary of State Walter 
Kansteiner and the deputy chief of US troops deployed in 
Africa, General Carlton Fulford, work for the committee that 
designed the project, "Yeni Safak" claims. 
 
FM Gul `protects' Israel at regional meeting:  The ruling AK 
Party government has been displayed its `contradictions' in 
relations with Israel, "Cumhuriyet" claims.  At the 7th 
meeting of Iraq's neighbors held in Cairo on Tuesday, Iran 
and Syria pressed hard to include in the joint declaration 
allegations regarding covert Israeli activities in northern 
Iraq.  However, Turkey warned against the danger of turning 
the summit into a public forum for criticizing Israel, which 
would have detracted attention from the problems in Iraq. 
FM Gul voted with other countries against inclusion of 
Israel's intelligence activities in the final declaration. 
Recently, FM Gul had conveyed to Seymour Hersh at a 
breakfast in New York important details outlining the 
Israeli operations in northern Iraq, "Cumhuriyet" claims. 
 
Turkish military to reduce troops:  The 
economic/intellectual "Referans" writes that the Turkish 
military decided in May to eliminate four brigades under a 
TGS project to creating a more `effective and flexible' 
army.  The new military would be smaller in number and 
equipped with high technology weaponry.  Consequently, the 
TGS will reduce the number of Turkish troops by 18,000 this 
year, realizing an annual savings of TL65 trillion.  The 
brigades to be eliminated are on Turkey's borders with 
Bulgaria/Greece, Armenia, and Iran, as well as a unit 
currently deployed in Central Anatolia.  The Total number of 
troops in the Turkish military shrunk to 683,716, down from 
800,200, following a cut of 17 percent in June last year. 
Observers expect the Aegean Army to be eliminated next year, 
to reflect the warming of relations with Greece. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
"Unresolved Problems" 
Fikret Bila commented in the mass appeal Milliyet (7/23): 
"The aim of Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to France was to 
guarantee an accession date from the EU.  He tried to do 
this by signing preliminary agreements for the purchase of 
Airbus aircraft and by signaling a willingness to cooperate 
with France on the development of nuclear energy plants.  On 
his return to Turkey, PM Erdogan characterized the trip as a 
success, and said the French had `lowered their defenses' 
regarding Turkey's EU accession.  But even if Turkey had 
made no such gestures, the EU must give a date for accession 
talks.  This is Turkey's right which was earned by 
fulfilling the Copenhagen Criteria.  It is clear that the 
government gave more than what was necessary for the sake of 
EU accession.  While Turkey has fulfilled every single 
demand of the EU, certain problems remain unresolved --the 
Cyprus issue and the case of the former DEP deputies, for 
example.  What will the EU's stance be in the future on 
these issues?  Turkey has accepted everything the EU and the 
US wanted on the Cyprus issue, but the problem is still 
there.  The Greek Cypriots have become EU members, but the 
future for the Turkish side is unclear.  The EU also 
pressured Turkey into meeting its demands in the DEP case. 
But it is not clear what the result of this process will be, 
and what its effects will be on Turkey's future political 
structure.  It is obvious that Turkey has a long accession 
process in front of it even after it receives a date from 
the EU.  There are signs that the EU's demands will continue 
during the course of this process.  New EU demands could 
include the Armenian issue, expectations from non-Muslim 
religious sects, and more demands on ethnic issues.  Turkey 
should move away from its inept approach.  Turkey is in a 
strong position and definitely need not offer extra 
incentives to the Europeans." 
 
"Will Turkey be Cheated in the Airbus Deal?" 
Mustafa Balbay opined in the leftist/nationalist Cumhuriyet 
(7/23):  "PM Erdogan has combined his foreign policy with 
trade policy.  The PM's visit to France clearly reflected 
this approach.  Erdogan guaranteed contracts to France in 
order to get France's support for Turkey's EU accession. 
THY signed an agreement with France to purchase 36 planes 
from Airbus.  There is also an agreement with Boeing for 15 
more planes.  THY says they need the planes to renew their 
fleet.  But there is some confusion over the real cost of 
the renewal process.  THY says the Airbus purchase will cost 
$1.5 billion, while Airbus has announced the sale at $2 
billion.  Other foreign observers have said the real cost 
could exceed $3 billion.  This is a difference of $1-1.5 
billion.  THY is going to be privatized soon.  Is the 
Turkish government trying to bribe prospective buyers of THY 
with 51 new airplanes?  This is not a simple problem. 
Erdogan's `win-win' policy may turn into `cheat-lose' 
policy." 
 
"US-Russia Coordination" 
Erdal Guven wrote in the conservative H.O.Tercuman (7/23): 
"The US is trying to cooperate with Russia in order to get 
out of the mess in Iraq.  The US is exerting a great  effort 
to try to escape Iraq prior to the US election.  Misguided 
pre-war planning brought the US into this mess, as the US 
ignored Turkish power in the region.  As the result of 
terrorism, Spain and the Phillipines have decided to 
withdraw their forces from Iraq.  The US administration is 
left more isolated with every passing day.  When US 
casualties started to mount, Bush's advisors looked into the 
possibility of postponing the US election.  When Congress 
rejected this request, the Bush advisors started making new 
plans.  The US has asked for 40,000 Russian troops and 
offered Russia a share in world trade and a share of the oil 
in the Caucasus.  In fact, this request is like winning the 
lottery for Russia.  The Russians have long dreamed of 
making an effective policy in the Middle East.  Although 
Russia hasn't responded positively yet, they are very 
willing to help the US in this case.  The US, in order to 
save itself, is ready to accept a life ring even from its 
enemies.  If the US had allowed the Iraqis to choose their 
own government, the problem would have been solved easily. 
But just like in Somalia, the US chose to carry the country 
into chaos after the occupation and then pull out." 
 
DEUTSCH