US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4370

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004370 
 
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, AUGUST 4, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Killers of Turkish truck driver `familiar' - Aksam 
8 captives killed in Iraq in 4 months - Aksam 
Zarkawi allegedly hides in Iran - Sabah 
Orange alert based on `canned' intelligence - Hurriyet 
Orange `fiasco' - Aksam 
Three-year `delayed' alert - Milliyet 
South Koreans protest sending troops to Iraq - Sabah 
France 5 TV: Turkey is Islam's `Trojan Horse' - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Turks involved in killing of Turkish truck driver - Radikal 
Turkey `helpless,' US `indifferent' on security in Iraq - 
Radikal 
HRW warns of looming conflict in northern Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Al-Qaeda threatens Europe - Cumhuriyet 
US went on Orange alert based on `old' information - Zaman 
Orange alert scandal in US - Yeni Safak 
Howard Dean: Bush uses terror as a `pretext' - Cumhuriyet 
Humanitarian tragedy on Gaza-Egypt border - Yeni Safak 
Statue of Liberty opened to visitors - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
MFA moves on Turks abducted in Iraq:  The Foreign Ministry 
sent a declaration made by a major Turkish transporters' 
organization (UND) to halt operations in Iraq to Arabic 
television channels al-Arabija and al-Jazeera in an effort 
to gain the release of the remaining Turkish hostages in 
Iraq.  On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry and Foreign Trade 
officials held a meeting with Turkish companies working in 
Iraq.  The MFA advised the companies not to go past Mosul in 
making deliveries in Iraq.  The MFA also contacted US forces 
in Iraq, the new Iraqi Administration, and local tribal 
leaders in an effort to secure the release of other Turkish 
workers abducted by Iraqi militants.  Television and radio 
reports late Wednesday morning claimed that two more Turkish 
hostages had been freed by their captors and would return to 
Turkey on Thursday.  The reports note that at least one more 
Turklish worker, a colleague of the murdered Murat Yuce, is 
still being held.  Turkish papers speculate that three Turks 
with ties to Al-Qaeda (Habib Aktas, Gurcan Bac and Azad 
Ekinci) who staged car bomb attacks in Istanbul last 
November may have been involved in the killing of a Turkish 
driver in Baghdad on Monday.  The number of Turkish trucks 
going into Iraq through the Habur border crossing fell to 
1,400 yesterday from a normal level of 2,000 the day before. 
Ankara has become `helpless' in the face of US 
`indifference' regarding security in the region, "Radikal" 
claims.  Turkey, a crucial logistical base for US forces in 
Iraq, was aiming to increase trade with Iraq to $2 billion 
this year, "Radikal" notes.  A commentary in the daily 
"Vatan" views the killing of a Turkish truck driver by 
groups linked to al-Zarkawi men as an indication of an Al- 
Qaeda presence in Turkey.  "Vatan" claims that some Turkish 
nationals have gone to Iraq to join the insurgents.  The 
commentary argues that Al-Qaeda cannot be regarded sincere 
in `regretting' the death of innocent civilians while 
`ruthlessly' killing foreigners working in Iraq.  The paper 
expects Al-Qaeda to continue its attacks against Turks in 
Iraq, and warns of possible new, `spectacular' attacks in 
Turkey. 
U.S. Soldier Reportedly Arrested Entering Turkey from Iraq: 
A front-page story in "Hurriyet" claims that a U.S. soldier 
was arrested when authorities at the Habur border crossing 
from Iraq found that he was carrying several rounds of 
ammunition and other military supplies.  Following an 
initial interrogation, the soldier was brought before a 
judge, who ordered his arrest.  The soldier is reportedly 
being held in a prison in the border town of Silopi.  The US 
Embassy issued a statement to the press on Wednesday 
afternoon refuting claims that a US soldier had been 
arrested. 
 
Erdogan on Middle East, global terror, Iraq:  Turkish papers 
report on the second part of PM Erdogan's interview with the 
German daily "Bild."  `For centuries,' Erdogan said, `Turkey 
has shown that Jews and Muslims can live together in peace. 
`Turkey has a particular responsibility in contributing to 
efforts to find peace in the Middle East,' he added, 
asserting that `Turkey wants peace in the Middle East.'  `We 
want an end to guerrilla war and terrorism in the region,' 
Erdogan continued, noting that `Turkey has a particular 
responsibility to take care in its relations with Israel.' 
`Terror is not only Turkey's problem,' the PM asserted, `but 
a problem for the world.'  He noted that `even the Pentagon, 
one of the best-protected buildings in the world, faced an 
attack by terrorists.'  Erdogan called on nations of the 
world to launch a `joint struggle against terror.'  On the 
US-led coalition's war with Iraq, Erdogan said that the 
`crucial' evidence in the view of the international 
community had been claims about the development of WMD by 
the former regime in Baghdad.  `But no proof has been found 
regarding the existence of WMD in Iraq,' Erdogan noted.  `It 
is a difficult situation for Turkey, because the war in Iraq 
is on our border,' he added.  `However,' he concluded, `we 
are happy that Iraq has been fully disarmed.' 
 
Iraqi leaders to visit Turkey:  Iraq's President Gazi al- 
Yawar plans to visit Turkey during the last week in August 
before setting off on a tour of European capitals, papers 
report.  Iraqi PM Iyad Allawi will make his first official 
visit to Turkey during the first week of September. 
 
HRW report on northern Iraq:  Turkish dailies carry a recent 
report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) that the new Iraqi 
government has failed to resolve the property rights dispute 
between the ethnic groups in northern Iraq, thus opening the 
way for violence in the region in the near future.  The 78- 
page report documents the increasing frustration of 
thousands of displaced Kurds, Turkomen, and Assyrians who 
are living in desperate conditions as they await a 
resolution of their property claims.  The US-led Coalition 
Provisional Authority (CPA) failed to address the rising 
tensions in northern Iraq and to implement a strategy to 
resolve the claims of the different communities there, HRW 
alleges.  Iraq's interim government urgently needs to 
implement a judicial system to resolve these disputes, which 
stem from decades of `Arabization' policies that uprooted 
hundreds of thousands of Kurds and other non-Arabs, the 
report warns.  Since April 2003, thousands of displaced 
Kurds, Turkomen and others have returned to Kirkuk and other 
`Arabized' regions to reclaim their lands.  These returnees 
were forcibly expelled from their homes by Saddam Hussein 
during the 1980s and 1990s.  The process of seeking redress 
for the displaced Kurds and others must not lead to new 
injustices against Arab settlers, HRW warned.  HRW called on 
Kurdish political leaders to coordinate their efforts to 
provide humanitarian assistance to displaced families who 
have already returned to reclaim property, and to discourage 
further returns until property claims are processed.  Since 
a census in October this year will determine which ethnic 
group will control Kirkuk, Kurds are reportedly rushing back 
to the oil-rich town.  Kurds are flocking back to Kirkuk, 
HRW said, but the city has little capacity to absorb them. 
 
MFA describes Nagorno-Karabakh poll as `illegitimate':  MFA 
Spokesman Namik Tan said on Tuesday that municipal elections 
planned to be held in the Armenian-occupied region of upper 
Karabakh would be `illegitimate.'  Tan said that Turkey 
supports a peaceful solution to the long-standing dispute 
within the framework of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Turk Killed in Iraq/ US Terror Alert 
 
"Leaving Iraq is not a solution" 
Erdal Safak commented in the mass appeal "Sabah" (8/4): "The 
murder of a Turkish citizen by Iraqi terrorists linked to Al- 
Qaeda brings up two important but overlooked issues:  The 
first is the failure of US forces in Iraq fulfill their 
commitment to provide escorts for Turkish trucks.  The 
second is the failure of the Turkish Foreign Ministry to 
take action against such negligence.  Concerned parties, 
including the Turkish-Iraqi Business Council, have been 
screaming about the lack of proper protection for Turkish 
workers in Iraq, yet their voice somehow did not reach 
influential circles and cause them to take action. ... Let's 
hope this time we will see effective measures taken on the 
security issue, because business with Iraq is extremely 
important for the Turkish economy.  There might be some 
interim solutions for the sake of keeping up the daily 
routine, but it is important that the US and Iraqi 
authorities be compelled to take proper action on security." 
 
"Is there zero-risk area?" 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (8/4): "Trade 
with Iraq is an important source of revenue for the Turkish 
economy, and the transportation industry is a large part of 
this.  However, the recent incident proves that Turkey 
should first be thinking about providing enough security 
protection for its own citizens.  There are a series of 
efforts within the Turkish state mechanism, including the 
MFA, to implement measures that would ensure secure trade. 
Such efforts also cover attempts to compel US and Iraqi 
authorities to take actions to ensure proper protection. 
Nevertheless, trade with Iraq -- and particularly the 
transportation business -- cannot be completely risk-free as 
long as  terrorist organizations continue to operate freely 
there.  This does not mean, however, that we must give in to 
the terrorists." 
 
"Terror alert in the US" 
Zafer Atay wrote in the economic-political "Dunya" (8/4): 
"It looks like US intelligence agencies have taken a lesson 
from the 9/11 investigation reports, and that they are now 
more careful and cooperative with each other.  The elevation 
of the US terror alert not only enhances coordination 
between security units and the military, but also gives 
local administrations the authority to implement certain 
security measures. ... In the event of a terrorist attack in 
the US carried out by Al-Qaeda, we might expect a difficult 
time for Arabs and other Muslim minorities living in the US. 
The terror paranoia has become so great that it can easily 
be used to limit human rights, freedom, and the rule of 
law." 
 
DEUTSCH