US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4860

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004860 
 
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, 
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
`Mystery' Over Halki Seminary at NSC Meeting - Hurriyet 
Two Turkish Engineers Abducted in Iraq - Hurriyet 
Putin to Bring A Crowd of Businessmen - Hurriyet 
Russia is on Alert Following Plane Crashes - Sabah 
Iraq Discussed At NSC Meeting - Sabah 
Cease Fire Offer From PKK to Turkey - Sabah 
Russian Plane Crash - Terrorism or Negligence? - Milliyet 
Shiite Leader Sistani Urges Supporters to Gather in Najaf - 
Turkiye 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Promises Forgotten: No US Military Operation Against PKK - 
Cumhuriyet 
Sadr and Sistani Call Shiites to Najaf - Radikal 
Ambassador Edelman visits Black Sea Region - Yeni Safak 
Turkey Discusses Safety of Truck Drivers in Iraq with US - 
Yeni Safak 
Shiites March to Najaf to Save Imam Ali Shrine - Zaman 
Fitch Upgrades Turkey's Outlook - Zaman 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ambassador Edelman's Visit to the Black Sea Region:  "Yeni 
Safak" reports that Ambassador Edelman, during his visit to 
the Black Sea Region, said that `considering the security 
issue Iraq, I don't think that there will be a US military 
operation against the PKK in the near future.'  The 
Ambassador declined to rule out the possibility of a 
military operation at a later time.  He also denied rumors 
circulating in the Turkish press that Osman Ocalan is under 
US control.  Responding to a question about developments in 
Iraq, the Ambassador said that the US is `exerting every 
effort to establish peace and democracy in Najaf and in the 
rest of Iraq.'  "Milliyet" reports on the Ambassador's 
comments on democratization in the Middle East, which he 
described as `important for the United States.'  During his 
visit to the Governor of Ordu, the Ambassador noted that 
`democratization has been continuing around the world for 
the past 20-25 years, but the Middle East has been an 
exception.'  Edelman stressed that Turkey had an important 
role to play in the region.  `Turkey has reformed itself 
during the EU process,' he said, `and now provides a vivid 
example to countries in the region.' `This shows that if a 
country makes a decision and puts it's mind to it, it can 
achieve progress in raising standards, improving human 
rights, and carrying out economic reform,' he continued. 
The Ambassador noted that these issues were not even being 
debated in the Middle East five years ago. `Now,' he said, 
`there is a very lively debate about the future, about 
women's rights, and so on.'  `But of course, progress 
depends on the leaders and people in the region,' he 
concluded. 
 
NSC Meeting:  "Hurriyet" reports that mystery surrounds the 
outcome of yesterday's regular meeting of Turkey's National 
Security Council. While, some sources say that the NSC 
discussed the possibility of re-opening of Halki Seminary, 
others say that the issue never came to the agenda.  Some 
sources say the NSC did not reach a decision about the 
seminary, but reviewed various options and discussed recent 
statements by Patriarch Bartholomeos concerning restrictions 
on religious freedom in Turkey.  The NSC reportedly 
discussed ongoing instability in Iraq and the need to bring 
an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. "Hurriyet" 
highlights the fact that yesterday's meeting was the last 
time the NSC will convene under the leadership of a military 
member as Secretary General.  The new civilian Secretary 
General, Yigit Alpogan, will take part in the next NSC 
meeting in October. 
PKK Clashes Continue:  Papers report that a Turkish soldier 
was killed and a second was wounded in a clash with a group 
of PKK militants near Semdinli in Hakkari province. 
Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal criticized the United 
States, saying that `such attacks should remind those who 
don't keep their promises of their responsibility' for 
ongoing PKK activity.  Meanwhile, "Sabah" reports that two 
high-level PKK militants were captured in a rural area of 
Tunceli province.  The paper claims that 5,000 Turkish 
troops are engaged in anti-PKK operations in Tunceli. 
PKK/KONGRA-GEL Offers Bilateral Truce:  "Sabah" reports that 
officials of the PKK/Kongra-Gel offered to resume the 
organization's cease-fire if Turkey ended military 
operations against the PKK.  "Sabah" notes that Osman 
Ocalan's departure from the organization has triggered an 
exodus of nearly 500 PKK militants from Kandil Mountain in 
northern Iraq.  The militants have reportedly settled in 
various towns, particularly Dohuk, near the Turkish border 
and have been issued identity cards by Iraqi authorities. 
 
Two Turks Abducted in Iraq:  "Hurriyet" and "Aksam" report 
that two Turkish engineers have been abducted in Iraq.  The 
Iraqi militants who kidnapped the men demanded the 
withdrawal of all Turkish companies from Iraq within 72 
hours. The two companies employing the men, Sa-Ra and 
Usluer, immediately announced that they will withdraw their 
employees from Iraq. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: IRAQ 
 
"The US is finished in Iraq" 
Fatih Altayli argued in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (8/26): 
"The influence of Ayatollah Sistani in the Shiite community 
is very important.  Al-Sadr's capacity to lead a popular 
resistance is also significant.  The main difference between 
the two is in terms of approach: Sistani has advocated a 
temporary collaboration with the US, while al-Sadr has stood 
for violent struggle.  Sistani has retained his influence 
within the Shiite community, but the development of al- 
Sadr's resistance and the US response has helped Al-Sadr to 
become more powerful than Sistani.  The mistakes of the US 
have clearly created fertile ground for the more radical 
figure and weakened moderate leaders like Sistani. . 
Considering the current situation, Sistani is now changing 
his tone as well.  He has called on Shiites to march on 
Najaf and to support al-Sadr's group.  This is going to make 
things even tougher for the US.  Finishing the job in Iraq 
will be very difficult, if not impossible, for the US now. 
Turkey should formulate its Iraq policy by taking into 
account the fact that the US is mired in a serious 
quagmire." 
 
"A Crisis in the Arab World" 
Soli Ozel observed in the mass appeal "Sabah" (8/26): "The 
Arab world is in urgent need of new thinking about its 
ongoing crisis that was duly reported by editor Rami Khuri 
in Beirut's prestigious `Daily Star.'  . The Arab world has 
been suffering from a lack of development since the 1980s. 
The Arab states have produced instability, civil war, 
terrorism, and rebellion instead of development.  None of 
the Arab states protect civil rights.  The Arab world is 
also suffering from a serious identity crisis.  The search 
for identity seems to be caught between many competing 
concepts of the state, tribalism, Islam, terrorism and pan- 
Arabism.  The Arab world is also having problems shaping a 
clear stance toward regional players such as the US, Turkey, 
Israel, and Iran.  The Arabs don't even have a clear view of 
whether to consider those actors as friends or enemies.  It 
is the duty of Arab communities and Arab intellectuals to 
work to overcome these difficulties.  It remains to be seen 
if the Arab world will have the social and political energy 
to do this." 
 
EDELMAN