US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4451

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004451 
 
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, AUGUST 9, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
FM Gul: We won't withdraw from Iraq - Milliyet 
Iranian diplomat abducted in Iraq - Sabah 
Al-Jazeera's Baghdad office closed - Aksam 
Arrest warrant issued for Ahmad Chalabi - Hurriyet 
Bin-Laden, Zarkawi work independently of each other - Sabah 
Bartholomeos complains of restricted religious freedom - 
Milliyet 
Bartholomeos calls for EU pressure for Halki Seminary - 
Aksam 
Diyarbakir mayor calls on terrorist's family - Vatan 
Greek Cypriots `heat up' Cyprus - Hurrriyet 8/8 
Greek Cypriots' Varosha rally peaceful - Milliyet 8/8 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
`Hostage diplomat' crisis between Iraq, Iran - Zaman 
Iraq, Iran spy crisis - Yeni Safak 
CIA expert: Iraq's occupation a gift for Al-Qaeda - 
Cumhuriyet 
Iraqi government offers amnesty to insurgents - Zaman 8/8 
Rumsfeld may testify on Abu Ghraib abuse - Yeni Safak 
Allawi silences Al-Jazeera - Radikal 8/8 
Bartholomeos urges EU to press Turkey - Radikal 
US intelligence: Tehran close to producing nuclear weapons - 
Cumhuriyet 
US investors favor Bush - Cumhuriyet 
UN, Sudan agree - Cumhuriyet 8/8 
Sudan government, Darfur insurgents to hold peace talks - 
Cumhuriyet 
New government crisis in Palestine - Cumhuriyet 8/8 
 
BRIEFING 
 
More Turks abducted in Iraq:  The MFA said on Friday that 
three Turks were still being held hostage in Iraq.  The MFA 
said that militants had killed another Turkish truck driver, 
whose body had later been identified in a hospital in Mosul. 
The identity of the third Turk to be killed was not 
immediately clear.  A major Turkish transportation group, 
the International Transporters' Association (UND) has halted 
delivery of goods to US forces in Iraq in the face of 
growing violence against Turks in the region.  The number of 
trucks crossing the Turkish-Iraq border has declined in the 
wake of the killings.  FM Abdullah Gul said on Sunday that 
the Turkish government would take joint security measures 
with the Turkish companies operating in Iraq in the face of 
the recent abductions.  `Terrorist groups will not succeed 
in making Turkey pull out of Iraq,' Gul stressed. 
 
PKK intensifies violence in southeast Turkey:  Having been 
free movement in northern Iraq by US forces, the PKK/Kongra- 
Gel has been forced to shift its terrorist activities to 
southeast Turkey since June 1, "Cumhuriyet" reports.  Some 
3,000 PKK militants have infiltrated Turkey and organized 50 
attacks against security forces over the last two months in 
an effort to keep the morale of militants high, the paper 
says.  The paper writes that at least half of the alleged 
attacks have taken place in Tunceli province.  "Cumhuriyet" 
claims that top PKK leaders who have defected the 
organization -- Osman Ocalan, Nizamettin Tas, Halil Atac, 
Ekrem Hidir Sarikaya and Kani Yilmaz -- are being kept under 
US `control' in Mosul.  The PKK has been made uneasy by 
recent mass demonstrations denouncing terrorism in southeast 
Turkish cities and towns, "Cumhuriyet" speculates. 
Meanwhile, Monday's "Hurriyet" claims that the PKK's former 
spokesman for Europe, Kani Yilmaz, announced his resignation 
from the organization.  In a letter posted on the Kurdish 
`Rizgari' webpage, Yilmaz said the rhetoric used by the PKK 
in dealing with the press has isolated the organization and 
weakened its support among Kurds.  `We have become an 
organization criticizing and insulting everyone, and thus 
are left without friends,' Yilmaz said. 
 
Diyarbakir's Kurdish mayor criticized for visiting 
terrorist's family:  Osman Baydemir, mayor of Turkey's 
mainly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir, faced heavy 
criticism in today's press for paying a visit of condolence 
to the family of a PKK member killed in recent fighting with 
police in Diyarbakir province.  Baydemir was accompanied by 
four district mayors.  Papers slam Baydemir for not 
attending the funeral of a policeman killed in the same 
clash in late July.  The `scandalous' visit amounted to an 
expression of support for terrorism, papers claim. 
 
Ecumenical Patriarch complains of `limited' religious 
freedom in Turkey:  Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch 
Bartholomeos said Turkey still fails to fully guarantee 
religious freedoms, but he expressed optimism that the Greek 
Orthodox Halki Seminary would soon reopen.  Bartholomeos 
told Reuters that his Church faces legal and administrative 
obstacles that contravene Turkey's pledges on religious 
freedom.  `We do not have the right to administer our own 
churches, monasteries, cemeteries, or schools,' the 
Patriarch said.  `As a result, many of them come under the 
administration of the state, and the state exploits them for 
financial gain.'  `The concept of religious freedom is very 
limited and shallow in Turkey,' he added.  Bartholomeos said 
he believed that EU pressure would help secure the reopening 
of Halki theological seminary in Istanbul.  The reasons used 
in the past to justify the closing of the school were not 
right and not in accordance with the European perception of 
religious freedom,' Bartholomeos noted.  `We lack the 
financial and administrative independence that are 
considered an indication of religious freedom inuropean 
countries," Bartholomeos said.  The Patriarch nevertheless 
voiced support for Turkey's drive to join the EU. 
 
Greek Cypriots rally for `reunification and peace': 
Hundreds of Greek Cypriots organized a march in Cyprus over 
the weekend, claiming their cause to be `reunification and 
peace' on the island.  About 1,000 Greek Cypriots marched to 
the Derinya border crossing carrying placards expressing 
their desire to return to their homes and to re-enter the 
town of Varosha (Maras).  Commentators claim that the Greeks 
aim to influence a UN report to be discussed at the UNSC 
that envisages a reduction in the UN peacekeeping force in 
Cyprus.  `TRNC PM' Mehmet Ali Talat said the Turkish side 
had been officially notified that the demonstration would an 
effort for peace, and that some Greek politicians would also 
participate in the event. 
 
GOT to assign a civilian to chair NSC:  The ruling AK Party 
government is working to pick a name among three diplomats 
to chair the military-controlled National Security Council 
(NSC), Saturday's "Milliyet" reported.  The three candidates 
for the post are Turkey's UN representative Umit Pamir, 
special Iraq envoy Osman Koruturk, and Turkey's ambassador 
to Athens Yigit Alpogan.  The MFA's preference would be 
Pamir, while the military backs Alpogan, the paper claims. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
"Mistaken US Policies in Iraq" 
Yilmaz Oztuna commented in the conservative "Turkiye" (8/9): 
"Blood is running like water in Najaf.  Najaf has always 
been a holy place for both Sunni and Shiite Muslims. 
Unfortunately, this holy place has recently come under heavy 
US bombing.  Perhaps the US is unaware of the unhappiness 
this has caused among Muslims from different sects.  The US 
willingness to expose itself to such hatred from the masses 
is amazing.  For centuries, Muslims believed that if they 
took refuge in Najaf, no one could touch them.  Washington 
never considered how Iraqis, who were brought up with this 
belief, would view the Americans if they engaged in combat 
there.  If you begin military operations on other continents 
and try to fight terrorism globally based on such ignorance, 
today's results are inevitable.  The US has not done 
anything about eliminating the PKK, and its strategic ally 
Turkey was offended by the US attitude. Now they are harming 
our drivers.  It is so obvious that Turkey is being given 
the message to keep away from Iraq.  Since this is not 
possible, it is clear that the crisis will spread." 
 
"Bush, Kerry, and the Vote of Worry" 
Yasemin Congar wrote from Washington in the mass appeal 
"Milliyet" (8/9):  "Prior to the election, we can say that 
if the American voters believe that another terrorist attack 
is likely in the US, then Bush's chances to be re-elected 
will increase.  The September 11 attacks have been 
intensively discussed in the US over the past several 
months.  There have been allegations that last week's terror 
alert in New York and Washington are just election 
propaganda being used by the Bush Administration.  There are 
claims that the Bush administration hopes to get votes by 
scaring the American public.  During their convention in 
Boston, the Democrats stressed that in order to win the 
election, Kerry must convince the American people of his 
commitment to fight against terrorism.  Before the 
convention, many polls were showing the race between Bush 
and Kerry as a toss-up.  However, the latest poll results 
are different.  According to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, 54 
percent of Americans consider Bush more capable than Kerry 
of countering terrorism.  But the same poll shows Bush is 
ahead of Kerry only on this issue.  For example, on the 
economy, Kerry is more trusted by 54 percent of Americans. 
A Washington Post/ABC News poll even shows that Bush's 
advantage on the terrorism issue has decreased.  In any 
event, it has become clear that, one way or another, the 
terrorism issue will dominate the November 2 election." 
 
DEUTSCH