US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4587

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004587 
 
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 16, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Iraqis Pour into Najaf to Support El-Sadr - Hurriyet (8/15) 
Abdullah Ocalan Accuses his Brother of Betrayal - Sabah 
(8/15) 
Three Baykal Opponents Expelled from CHP - Sabah 
Cease-Fire Lasts Only One Day in Najaf - Hurriyet 
Bomb Threat Forces THY and Lufthansa into Emergency Landing 
- Milliyet 
Judiciary and MIT in Trouble - Milliyet 
Al-Qaeda Threatens Italy - Turkiye 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Mafia Links With MIT and the Judiciary - Radikal (8/15) 
US Embassy Warns its Citizens Against PKK Attacks - 
Cumhuriyet(8/15) 
Iraqi National Council Overshadowed by Violence in Najaf  - 
Zaman 
PM Erdogan Remains Silent on MIT-Judiciary Link - Radikal 
Iraqi Interim President Al-Yaver in Ankara - Radikal 
Iraqi National Conference Convenes - Yeni Safak 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Expelled CHP Deputies:  "Hurriyet" reports that CHP leader 
Deniz Baykal has expelled three parliamentary deputies from 
the party.  The three had been outspoken critics of Baykal's 
leadership following the CHP defeat in local elections and 
were campaigning to topple Baykal.  "Yeni Safak" reports 
that the expelled deputies are planning to take their case 
to the Turkish courts. 
 
PKK/KONGRA GEL:  Sunday's "Sabah" reports that Osman Ocalan 
(brother of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan) and 40 other 
PKK militants have established a new political party in 
Northern Iraq.  The party is called the Patriotic Democratic 
Party.  The new organization announced that it supports the 
US presence in Iraq and the Talabani-Barzani administrations 
in Northern Iraq.  Abdullah Ocalan condemned the new 
organization and his brother in a statement released by his 
lawyers.  "Sabah" columnist Erdal Safak writes that the US 
is implementing its plan to eliminate the PKK, and draws 
attention to three important points about the letter Osman 
Ocalan has allegedly presented to the US: 1.The new 
organization supports the US presence in Iraq, and the 
militants in Kandil will no longer be a threat to Turkey; 2. 
The focus of the Kurdish movement will be shifted to Iraq, 
and PKK influence over the people in Southeast Turkey will 
decline; 3. The group controlled by Abdullah Ocalan will be 
liquidated or marginalized as a  criminal band. 
 
Mafia Links With MIT and the Judiciary:   "Radikal" writes 
that the government is in no hurry to solve the mystery 
surrounding allegations of shady connections between Turkish 
intelligence (MIT), a Turkish mafia figure, and the Supreme 
Appeals Court (Yargitay).  MIT and the Appeals Court 
Chairman have accused each other of lying, and the press is 
suggesting the MIT and the Court struck a deal to delay 
legal procedures against the underworld figure, Alaatin 
Cakici.  Cakici subsequently fled the country, and was later 
captured by Austrian police.  Despite the growing 
controversy, and the fact that the Prime Minister has 
bureaucratic control over MIT, the government has not 
ordered an investigation into the allegations. 
 
UK Proposes `Pristina Model' for Direct Flights to north 
Cyprus:  Turkish dailies report that the UK has proposed to 
the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that 
direct flights to north Cyprus be permitted using the same 
procedures currently in place for flights to Pristina 
airport in Kosovo. 
Bomb Threats Force Three Planes into Emergency Landings: 
"Hurriyet" reports that bomb threats forced a Lufthansa 
flight, a THY flight, and a Croatian plane to make emergency 
landings yesterday.  Bomb searches in all three planes 
produced no evidence of explosives, and the threats were 
deemed to be a hoax. 
 
Iraqi Interim President Arrives to Turkey:  Iraqi Interim 
President Al-Yaver arrives in Turkey today for a two-day 
visit.  Al-Yaver will discuss possibilities for improving 
economic and commercial ties between Turkey and Iraq. 
Turkish media reports that security issues and the fight 
against PKK/KONGRA-Gel in Iraq will top the Turks' agenda 
with Al-Yaver.  Papers also speculate that Turkey will 
request permission from Al-Yaver for the opening of a 
Turkish consulate in Mosul.  Al-Yaver will meet with 
President Sezer, Prime Minister Erdogan, and Foreign 
Minister Gul before returning to Baghdad on Tuesday. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq; PKK-Fight against terrorism 
 
"Democracy in Iraq" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the conservative "Turkiye" (8/16): 
"The convening of the Iraqi national council does not 
provide much hope for democracy in the country.  Iraq 
continues to suffer from a serious lack of democracy since 
the Baathist dictatorship was established in 1958.  Given 
the current circumstances, the Iraqi national council will 
have to tackle the struggle between tribes and  religious 
groups as well as an outdated social structure rather than 
wrestle with a transition to democracy. ...  In this 
picture, the only positive element is the elimination of 
Saddam Hussein and his regime.  A Saddam-style dictatorship 
has ended in Iraq and no longer has any place in this 
geography.  However, a transition to democracy requires 
stronger steps.  This region most likely will be ruled under 
an oligarchic structure in which constantly changing leaders 
will get orders from the United States, especially on 
foreign policy issues and oil-related matters.  There might 
be some promising developments in Iraq, but democracy in 
Iraq or in Afghanistan remains a very remote possibility." 
 
"The US Plan for the PKK" 
Erdal Safak wrote in the mass appeal "Sabah" (8/15): "Even 
the leader of the PKK has confessed that the PKK was a 
product of the Cold War, implying that the KGB supported the 
organization. As the PKK grew, interest among certain 
countries grew as well, including France, Germany, Syria, 
Greece, Iran, Italy, the Greek Cypriot administration, 
Armenia, and the former Yugoslavia.  Each of these countries 
implemented different plans in Turkey by manipulating and 
using the PKK.  It seems that now it is the turn of the 
United States.  Yet the tone of the US intention is very 
different.  The others were interested in encouraging the 
growth of the PKK, but the US is now planning to finish it 
off.  Turkey has been asking the US to disarm or hand over 
PKK militants in northern Iraq ever since the US incursion 
began.  The US has pledged to take steps against the 
organization, but has so far delayed action because of other 
priorities in Iraq.  Apparently the US is now making plans 
to render the PKK ineffective without any need for a 
military operation.  The essence of the plan is to use Osman 
Ocalan, brother of the jailed PKK leader to split and, 
eventually, to eliminate the PKK." 
 
EDELMAN