US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4967

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004967 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 2, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Terrorists use schoolchildren as human shields - Hurriyet 
Terrorist shock for Putin - Turkiye 
Day of horror in Russia - Vatan 
Chechen terrorists point guns at innocent children - Sabah 
Terror wave in Russia - Milliyet 
Terror targets children in Russia - Milliyet 
Greek Cypriots hold mass in `TRNC' after 30 years - Vatan 
US promises security for Turkish truckers in Iraq - Turkiye 
Qadafi regrets his 30-year anti-US policies - Hurriyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
US to transport weapons through Turkey - Cumhuriyet 
Terror takes Russian schoolchildren hostage - Cumhuriyet 
School raid cast shadow on historic Putin visit - Cumhuriyet 
School raid in northern Ossetia - Yeni Safak 
`True Lies 2' by Schwarzenegger - Cumhuriyet 
550 anti-Bush demonstrators detained - Yeni Safak 
Historic mass for Greek Cypriots - Radikal 
Sharon angry, Israel may strike Syria - Zaman 
Chalabi at gunpoint - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Putin cancels Turkey visit:  Russian President Vladimir 
Putin, who is struggling to resolve a hostage situation at a 
school in southern Russia, called off his planned visit to 
Turkey on Thursday.  The Kremlin announced that Putin had 
postponed his trip, which will be rescheduled at an 
unspecified date.  News of the cancellation was carried on 
all Turkish television outlets this morning. 
 
Ambassador Edelman pledges enhanced security for Turks in 
Iraq:  US Ambassador Eric Edelman said after meeting with FM 
Abdullah Gul on Wednesday that some Turkish truck drivers in 
Iraq would be protected by US military escorts.  Edelman 
touched on the gravity of the situation in Iraq, and 
stressed that the killing of an engineer who merely aimed to 
contribute to the rebuilding of Iraq caused great sorrow for 
the American people.  "Radikal" quotes FM Gul as warning 
Edelman that all Turkish companies working in Iraq may have 
to leave the country if their security is not guaranteed. 
`We have established with the MFA a mechanism for 
cooperation on this issue,' the Ambassador emphasized. 
Edelman also noted that the US is working on possible direct 
flights to northern Cyprus and other measures to ease the 
isolation of Turkish Cypriots. 
 
US to use Turkish ports, airports:  An MFA regulation 
outlining the transfer of US military equipment through 
Turkey took effect on Wednesday, papers report.  The 
dispatch of US military support material through Turkey will 
be made through Turkish ports at Istanbul, Izmir, 
Iskenderun, Yumurtalik, Antalya, Aksaz-Karaagac and Agalar, 
or airports at Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, Antalya and 
Aksaz-Dalaman. 
 
Erdogan urges release of French journalists in Iraq:  PM 
Erdogan on Wednesday condemned the wave of hostage-taking in 
Iraq and urged the release of two French journalists 
threatened with execution by insurgents.  `We are upset by 
developments in Iraq.  Such terrorist actions, killings of 
innocent people have nothing to do with Islam,' Erdogan 
noted.   `Those who have undertaken this action should 
reconsider their position.  This will only cause them to 
lose credibility,' he said. 
 
Greek Cypriots hold mass in Turkish Cyprus:  Nearly 2,000 
Greek Cypriots attended an evening mass in a church in the 
Turkish northern sector of divided Cyprus amid heavy 
security measures.  It was the first time in 30 years that a 
mass was held in the Saint Mamas church in the town of 
Guzelyurt (Morphou).  The windows, roof and door of the 
church had been damaged in an explosion last Friday.  `TRNC 
PM' Mehmet Ali Talat paid a brief visit to the church while 
the service was in progress as a gesture of good will to the 
Greek Cypriot visitors.  Talat wished success to Turkish and 
Greek Cypriots in their efforts for peace, and was applauded 
by Greek Cypriots.  Meanwhile, a group of some 100 Turkish 
Cypriots held a rival religious ceremony in a mosque near 
the church in memory of compatriots killed in inter-communal 
fighting on the island 30 years ago.  Contrary to an earlier 
announcement, the mosque did not broadcast the prayers 
through a loudspeaker on its minaret.  Both gatherings 
dispersed without incident. 
 
Kurdish activists call for an end to fighting:  Former 
Kurdish lawmaker Leyla Zana and three fellow politicians -- 
Hatip Dicle, Selim Sadak and Orhan Dogan -- warned Wednesday 
that continued clashes between Kurdish separatists and 
security forces could derail Turkey's bid to join the EU. 
`If a date for EU accession negotiations is not given 
because of these clashes, the moral responsibility of this 
will be enormous,' the four former parliament members said 
in a joint statement.  They argued that it would be easier 
to resolve the Kurdish question if Turkey is brought closer 
to the EU. 
 
AKP delegation in Israel:  The four AK Party lawmakers 
currently in Israel at the official invitation of the 
Israeli government met yesterday with Israeli Labor Party 
leader Shimon Peres.  The delegation later conveyed to 
Palestinian official Saeb Erakat a message of friendship 
from PM Erdogan.  The Turks said their visit was intended to 
explore ways to support the peace process in the region. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq/French Journalists; Chechnya 
 
"Can the Iraqis be That Stupid?" 
Melih Asik argued in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (9/2): 
"Iraqi resistance groups began the resistance by targeting 
the occupying force -- the Americans.  The casualties 
suffered by the American army have created an enormous 
problem for the Bush administration with the American 
public.  Over the course of time, there was a major shift in 
the selection of targets, with US-appointed Iraqi policemen, 
soldiers and civil servants becoming more frequent victims 
of violence.  Currently, we are seeing a further expansion 
of the target list to include foreign workers and foreign 
journalists in Iraq.  As seen in the reaction to the 
kidnapping of the French journalists, sympathy toward the 
resistance movement is beginning to recede.  Muslims around 
the world are beginning to hold negative views about Iraqis 
and the resistance.  Leaving aside their unhappiness over 
the US occupation, many are now beginning to take the US 
side and to view the resistance groups as terrorists.  This 
development is clearly a relief for the Bush administration. 
But could the Iraqi resistance groups really be so stupid? 
Who would possibly organize such violent acts while knowing 
full well that they will not serve to his benefit?  There 
are growing questions about the current situation in Iraq: 
are those carrying out these kidnappings and murders real 
resistance groups, or are they being organized by someone 
else?" 
 
"Putin is right" 
Ergun Babahan noted in the mass appeal "Sabah" (9/2): 
"Recent incidents have given us a glimpse into the growing 
wave of terrorism Russia.  Chechen terrorism began in the 
twin plane crash last week, and has continued with the 
subway attack and now the hostage-taking at a school in 
North Ossetia.  This act deserves absolutely no tolerance, 
even by those who feel sympathy toward the Chechen cause. 
Such fanatical acts also pave the way for more international 
chaos.  Just imagine the possibility that school children 
would become subject to terrorist attacks all around the 
world.  The terrorists are claiming that their religiously 
motivated goal is to achieve Chechnya's independence.  Such 
claims can only put more distance between the world's two 
major religions.  In fact, the terrorists in North Ossetia 
do not represent any faith.  As Putin rightly described 
them, they are a bunch of bandits.  These fundamentalist 
criminals find scope for their vicious acts in the power 
vacuum and chaos that is now Chechnya.  Human life has no 
importance for them.  Their satisfaction requires more blood 
and more death.  .. The North Ossetia attack is an act 
against humanity.  It only helps to further blacken the 
image of Islam in the eyes of Westerners.  Every person with 
common sense must stand against such terrorist acts, and 
must not hesitate to call it for what it is." 
 
EDELMAN