US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4190

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004190 
 
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 28, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
HEADLINES 
 
HEADLINES 
 
HEADLINES 
 
  HEADLINES 
 
  MASS APPEALS 
  Erdogan's historic visit to Iran - Sabah 
  American `protection' for People's Mujahedeen - Milliyet 
  Turkey opens ports to Greek Cypriot vessels - Sabah 
  `US giants' Carter, Clinton, Gore give Kerry full support 
  - Milliyet 
  Clinton show at Kerry convention - Hurriyet 
  $1 million Turkish aid for Palestine - Milliyet 
  Castro: Bush mentally ill - Hurriyet 
  Castro: Bush an alcoholic - Aksam 
  Islamic Art Exhibition carries `God's voice' to US - 
  Aksam 
 
  OPINION MAKERS 
  PM Erdogan: Turkey will improve relations with Iran - 
  Yeni Safak 
  US not uneasy with Erdogan's Iran visit - Yeni Safak 
  Greek Cypriots fire at Wolfowitz - Cumhuriyet 
  Greek lobby launches campaign against Wolfowitz - Zaman 
  Greek lobby wants Wolfowitz sacked - Radikal 
  Clinton boosts morale of Democrats - Cumhuriyet 
  Clinton provides fresh blood for Kerry - Radikal 
  Clinton a `soldier' for Kerry - Zaman 
  US `umbrella' for People's Mujahedeen - Cumhuriyet 
  Israeli police put Masjid-al-Haram ban for Jews - Yeni 
  Safak 
 
 
  BRIEFING 
 
  PM Erdogan's Iran visit:  PM Erdogan said Tuesday that he 
  would ask Iran to put PKK/Kongra Gel on its list of 
  terrorist groups before flying to Iran for a two-day 
  visit starting Wednesday.  Prior to Erdogan's visit, 
  Iranian security forces this month launched a crackdown 
  on PKK militants hiding on Iranian territory along the 
  border with Turkey, in which 10 rebels and two Iranian 
  soldiers were killed.  Tehran shares Ankara's concerns 
  that any move towards greater autonomy by the Kurds in 
  northern Iraq could spark unrest in neighboring 
  countries.  A disagreement over the price of natural gas 
  Turkey is importing from Iran as well as a dispute over a 
  contract on the operation of the Imam Khomeini Airport by 
  a Turkish-led consortium were also expected to be 
  discussed, Turkish papers report.  Erdogan said economic 
  cooperation would also be high on the agenda of his 
  meetings, noting that the two countries should double the 
  current bilateral trade volume of $2.5 billion in the mid- 
  term.  "There has been improvement both in our political 
  and economic relations with Iran in the past several 
  years... We will explore ways and opportunities of 
  further improving our cooperation in all fields," Erdogan 
  said.  Erdogan will meet with President Khatami and his 
  first aide, Reza Arif.  He will also deliver a speech at 
  the Turkey-Iran Business Forum.  A group of about 130 
  businessmen is traveling with the Turkish prime minister 
  on his trip.  "Milliyet" claims that Erdogan has received 
  a last-minute warning from the US Embassy in Ankara with 
  regard to US laws envisaging sanctions for companies that 
  would make oil or natural gas deals with Iran.  Iran- 
  Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 (ILSA) requires the US 
  President to impose sanctions on companies making energy 
  investments of over $20 million annually in Iran and 
  Libya, "Milliyet" notes. 
  US crackdown on Iraqi Kurdish office:  Coalition forces 
  in northern Iraq have raided a PKK-affiliated office in 
  Kirkuk, papers report.  On Monday, US troops broke into 
  the "Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party" office and 
  detained several PKK militants.  Dailies regard the 
  crackdown as part of America's plans for breaking the 
  organizational structure of the PKK as well as meeting 
  Ankara's expectations for elimination of the group's 
  presence in the region.  "Radikal" reports US Ankara 
  Embassy officials as saying that Washington had ordered 
  an investigation into the incident. 
 
  US gives terrorists `refugee status':  The US 
  Administration has given 4,000 members of the Iranian 
  opposition group "People's Mujahedeen" in the "Ashraf" 
  camp in eastern Iraq refugee status within the framework 
  of the Geneva Convention, papers report.  People's 
  Mujahedeen will remain on the list of terror 
  organizations, and its members involved in terrorist 
  attacks will be deprived of their refugee status.  Iran 
  has asked for extradition of Mujahedeen members, papers 
  note. 
 
  Greek Cypriot dialogue attempts with Turkey:  "Sabah" 
  reports from Athens that Greek Cypriot officials have 
  launched an attempt for dialogue with Turkey.  Greek 
  Cypriot Transport Ministry officials said Turkey had 
  begun giving Greek Cypriot vessels access to Turkish 
  ports.  Greek officials have welcomed the Turkish move as 
  being "extremely important and positive," says "Sabah." 
  Greek sources told "Sabah" that air corridors between 
  south Cyprus and Turkey, which were kept closed since 
  1974, would be opened soon.  Direct flights between the 
  Greek Nicosia and major Turkish cities are expected to be 
  commenced before the end of this year, "Sabah" writes. 
  The Greek Cypriot Administration is also preparing a 
  package of economic and trade measures for improving 
  dialogue with northern Cyprus, the paper reports. 
 
  Greeks want Wolfowitz out:  American Hellenic Institute 
  (AHI) claimed that Paul Wolfowitz's `pro-Turkey' policies 
  have been harmful to US interests, and urged him to be 
  sacked, Turkish papers report.  AHI President Gene 
  Rossides said Turkey did not support the US in the war 
  with Iraq.  The Turkish Administration has been cruel to 
  minorities, and violates human rights, Rossides claimed. 
  AHI has also asked for resignation of Pentagon's no 3 
  figure, Douglas Feith. 
 
  Turkish humanitarian aid for Palestine:  FM Gul said 
  Turkish government would send food, medicine and medical 
  equipment worth of $1 million and donate three ambulances 
  to the Palestinian government.  The humanitarian aid will 
  be dispatched to Palestine this week via Syria and 
  Jordan, Gul noted. 
 
  Ankara to invite bids for helicopter contract:  Turkey's 
  Defense Industry Undersecretary Murat Bayar said new bids 
  would be invited next month for attack helicopters 
  following the cancellation of a previous helicopter 
  project, "Cumhuriyet" reports.  Interested companies will 
  be given a few months to put forward offers, and the 
  decision will be made early next year, Bayar said. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
"Iran-France or Middle East-Europe" 
Murat Yetkin commented in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(7/28):  "Following his visit to France, PM Erdogan's visit 
to Iran, which started yesterday, helps us to weigh Turkey's 
political options.  Turkey's biggest expectation from the 
visit to France was to attain EU membership, which was on 
the top of its list of strategic targets.   Prior to 
Erdogan's visit to France, Turkey was experiencing an 
internal policy debate over head scarves.  France's firm 
support of Turkey's separation of church and state was proof 
of France's support of Turkey's secular structure.  It is 
nice that Mrs. Erdogan is accompanying her husband to Iran. 
But it would be very pleasing, not only for the PM but for 
the Turkish public too, if Mrs. Erdogan had been invited to 
France too.  As a matter of fact, Iran is under a repressive 
administration today, where women have no rights and they 
have to be covered from top to toe.  Because the U.S. is 
looking for an excuse to attack Iran, there is international 
pressure on Iran to open its nuclear program to inspections. 
Turkey's expectations from the visit to Iran concern warning 
Iran on their nuclear program, reducing Iran's gas prices, 
and asking for support against PKK.  Because, Turkey and 
Iran's interests overlap, Iran's cooperation on these issues 
is very likely.  In short, Turkey's aim to integrate with 
the West is to obtain politically permeable borders with the 
West.  And Turkey's aim with the East is for more 
impermeable borders.  The Turkish-Iranian border is the 
world's oldest land border. And, everyone can benefit if 
this border becomes the Europe's border on the east." 
 
"No Voter's Last Hope is the EU Commission" 
Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in the mass appeal Posta (7/28):  " 
I have noticed during the latest visit to France that even 
countries formerly objecting to Turkey's accession, now say, 
`if the European Union Commission report on Turkey is 
positive, we won't object'.  No one greets Turkey willingly. 
But, no one expresses objections openly either.  Everyone 
passes the ball to the EU Commission.  There are two reasons 
for this attitude.  The first and the most important reason 
is to blame the commission for starting the membership 
negotiations with Turkey.  Since public opinion is strongly 
opposed on the matter, rather than taking the blame, 
governments prefer to hide behind the commission.  The 
second reason has more ugly intentions.  Commission reports 
are never black or white.  The purpose is to give the member 
countries more room to maneuver when they are making 
political decisions.  Even through there are differences 
from time to time, in general, commission reports are 
accepted.  That is why the Commission's report on Turkey is 
very important for the member countries.  The only hope for 
the European capitals, which want the negotiations to be 
postponed for a while but do not want to deteriorate the 
relations with Ankara, is for the commission to emphasize 
the negative aspects in the report.  In summary, the EU 
members will be using the EU commission as an excuse to 
object to Turkey's accession." DEUTSCH