US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5278

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 005278 
 
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 16, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Amb. Edelman: Reason to be concerned about Kirkuk - Aksam 
Turkmen return to Tal Afar - Sabah 
Tal Afar a ghost town - Turkiye 
Turkey introduces heavy penalties for torture - Aksam 
EU to send last-minute torture inspection team to Turkey - 
Milliyet 
UN to reduce peacekeeping force in Cyprus - Milliyet 
Devout Jews don't want Madonna in Israel - Hurriyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Amb. Edelman: Osman Ocalan is still a terrorist - Zaman 
MFA: We have received US assurances on Tal Afar - Radikal 
No foreign terrorists among those killed in Tal Afar - Zaman 
56 killed, 167 injured in Tal Afar - Cumhuriyet 
Greek Cypriot politicians visit north Cyprus - Cumhuriyet 
Sudan denies chemical weapons use in Darfur - Zaman 
Syrian army tests chemical weapons in Darfur - Radikal 
Peace still far from Darfur - Cumhuriyet 
Schools open in Beslan - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ambassador Edelman's press roundtabel:  In a roundtable with 
bureau chiefs of four leading Turkish dailies, US Ambassador 
Edelman discussed recent developments in Iraq, and 
particularly the situation in Tal Afar.  Ambassador Edelman 
said the US has responded positively to Turkey's concerns 
about the need to avoid civilian casualties and to concerns 
about possible efforts to change the demographic balance in 
the northern Iraqi town.  Edelman noted that several hundred 
insurgents opposed to the efforts of the Iraqi interim 
government had entered Tal Afar.  `From our experience in 
Najaf and Fallujah,' he continued, `we know that it doesn't 
take too many armed insurgents to take over a good-sized 
city and terrorize the population.'  The Ambassador said 
that many of the people who had entered Tal Afar came from 
Najaf and Fallujah.  The operation removed the threat by 
insurgent forces in the city.'  Ambassador Edelman said the 
US had very intense discussions with the Turkish Foreign 
Ministry and the Turkish General Staff (TGS) about Tal Afar, 
and that Turkish liaison officers both in Baghdad and Tampa 
at CENTCOM Headquarters were informed of the operation. 
Commenting on Kirkuk, Edelman said the `very complex' 
property issues in Kerkuk would be handled by a transparent, 
law-based property return process.  He stressed that the US 
is `trying to make sure that there is no change to the 
demographic balance in Kirkuk by force of arms.'  Edelman 
also noted that he expects the new mayor to be announced in 
Tal Afar to be `a product of the Turkmen.'  Responding to a 
question regarding the `insufficient' representation of the 
Turkmen, Ambassador Edelman said that no one would know the 
real composition of the population until Iraq has a census, 
which will take place later this fall.  On the PKK issue, 
Edelman said the US faced a `very challenging' set of 
security issues in Iraq, particularly in places where 
coalition forces are actually located.  `That doesn't mean 
we forget about our undertakings and responsibilities.  We 
will take action at an appropriate time and place,' Edelman 
stressed.  He reiterated the commitment, as stated by 
President Bush during his Ankara visit, that Iraq will not 
be an area where terrorist organizations can take refuge. 
Edelman also emphasized that the US continues to recognize 
the PKK and all of its successor organizations as terrorist 
organizations.  Responding to a question on alleged US 
support for PKK `defector' Osman Ocalan, the Ambassador said 
`we continue to regard Osman Ocalan as a terrorist'.  `As a 
matter of policy, we don't make concessions to terrorists, 
and that includes protecting them,' he added.  Coverage of 
the Ambassador's roundtable appeared in today's editions of 
"Aksam," "Zaman," "Tercuman," and "Vatan." 
 
Situation in Tal Afar:  Some Turkish dailies speculate that 
the US has taken the northern Iraqi town of Tal Atar for the 
sake of American strategic plans in the area.  On Friday, a 
Turkish convoy of seven trucks carrying humanitarian aid 
will leave Turkey for Tal Afar, according to MFA spokesman 
Namik Tan.  "Hurriyet" reports that the US military in Iraq 
agreed to allow Turkish special forces to enter Tal Afar to 
assess the needs of the city and to coordinate with US 
forces on the distribution of humanitarian goods. 
 
FM Gul due in US:  Turkish FM Abdullah Gul will go to New 
York on Friday to attend UN General Assembly meetings, 
papers report.  In a meeting with Secretary of State Colin 
Powell, Gul will reiterate Turkey's position that Ankara 
will not remain indifferent to attacks against the Turkmen 
in Tal Afar.  Gul will also urge Powell not to delay US 
action to remove of the PKK presence in northern Iraq.  Gul 
and Powell will also discuss ending the international 
isolation of Turkish Cypriots. 
 
Osman Ocalan speaks to Turkish dailies:  Turkey's mass 
appeal daily "Vatan" and mainstream "Milliyet" interviewed 
PKK defector Osman Ocalan, brother of imprisoned PKK leader 
Abdullah Ocalan.  In the interview, which took place in the 
northern Iraqi town of Suleymaniye, Ocalan said his group 
opposed armed struggle.  He claimed the US preferred Turkey 
to be in contact with organizations that advocate a 
political struggle.  Ocalan also claimed to have gained US 
backing, and added that he supports the US intervention in 
Iraq.  "Vatan" regards the free movement of Osman Ocalan in 
northern Iraq as supporting his claims that the United 
States condones his activities.  Unlike his brother 
Abdullah, Osman Ocalan said he was positive toward Turkey's 
ruling AKP.  In the interview with "Milliyet," Ocalan 
applauded Turkish reforms for democratization, and voiced 
hope that the time for dialogue was approaching.  Ocalan's 
aide, Nizamettin Tas, told "Milliyet" that the Americans 
have warned them against terrorist actions in Turkey in past 
PKK meetings with `US military and intelligence officials.' 
 
Travel ban on Kurdish lawmakers to be removed:  Leyla Zana 
and her former DEP lawmaker colleagues will be allowed to go 
to Brussels to receive the Sakharov Prize, which had been 
awarded to Zana in 1995, "Sabah" reports.  A travel ban 
imposed by the State Security Court in 1994 on Zana and her 
colleagues will be scrapped.  Ankara does not want a 
`passport crisis' with the EU on the eve of the forthcoming 
EU summit meeting in December, at which Turkey is expected 
to be granted a date for entry talks, "Sabah" comments. 
 
EU to send `torture inspection' team to Turkey:  The 
European Commission is sending a fact-finding team to Turkey 
this week to investigate allegations of systematic torture 
raised by human rights groups, the EU said on Wednesday. 
`One NGO made serious allegations of systematic torture in 
Turkey.  Others said there were still some cases of torture 
but they were no longer systematic or officially 
sanctioned,' spokesman Jean-Christophe Filori said.  `The EU 
does not take these accusations lightly,' Filori said, 
adding that `it is natural that we check information before 
publishing such an important report.' 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq / 9/11 Anniversary 
 
"Global War in Iraq" 
Erdal Safak noted in the mass appeal "Sabah" (9/16): "Some 
used to characterize the opposition to the US operation in 
Iraq as `resistance' to the occupation.  But today, even 
strong opponents of the US-UK operation have started to view 
the current violence, bloodshed, and chaos in Iraq as 
illegitimate.  The French President, for instance, observed 
that `Pandora's box' has been opened in Iraq.  The French 
Foreign Minister is worried about `a black hole' that he 
believes will spread from Iraq to other areas in the Middle 
East and around the world.  If you ask the Arab League's 
opinion about Iraq, Secretary General Amr Musa describes the 
situation as `the gates of hell' being opened in Iraq.  The 
most correct diagnosis, I think, comes from Iraqi Prime 
Minister Allawi, who says that `Iraq has become a part of a 
global war.'  The main goal of the terrorists is to make 
Iraq collapse, move further into the Middle East, and 
eventually destabilize the whole world.  The ongoing war is 
indeed between the civilized world and the terrorists." 
 
"The Middle East Arena" 
Ali Bayramoglu argued in the Islamist-opinion maker "Yeni 
Safak" (9/16): "Since the events of 9/11, the US has 
implemented a new security policy that emphasizes the 
formulation of a security concept based on military 
considerations rather than political analysis.  The new 
approach also reformulates the concepts of human rights, 
seeking to balance such rights with security considerations. 
. Today, everyone can see the growing split between the 
Islamic world and the West.  Iraq is a clear example. The 
conflict in Iraq represents not only a resistance by the 
people of Iraq against the US and other Western armies, but 
also serves as a battlefield between international militants 
and world military power.  All of this leads us to the 
conclusion that the Iraq war and the more authoritarian 
approach fed by US paranoia and fear have resulted in more 
violence.  The violence has fed on itself.  Such an immoral 
war and its aftermath will eventually bring about serious 
consequences for those who launched it." 
 
"Three Years After September 11" 
Zafer Atay wrote in the economic-political "Dunya" (9/16): 
"According to the most conservative estimates, more than 
15,000 Iraqi civilians and over 1,000 US troops have died in 
the war in Iraq.  Although a decision has been made to hold 
elections in Iraq, it is not clear whether that can be 
realized.  The division of Iraq is also a possibility.  With 
the US supporting Kurdish efforts to establish their own 
administration in the north, Iraq's majority Shiites and the 
Sunnis are fighting for power.  Saddam and many of his aides 
have been caught and jailed.  But no one knows where and 
when they will be tried.  There has been a split in American 
society ever since the Vietnam war.  IN some circles in the 
United States, the Iraq operation is now being widely 
criticized.  The US elections will take place in November. 
The Democrats are criticizing the Bush Administration's 
policies harshly. There are some US reports that provide 
valuable insight.  The National Commission Report, which was 
prepared to examine how to prevent possible terrorist 
attacks against the US, has been released and runs to more 
than 500 pages.  The conclusion is that September 11 
resulted from the incompetence of the Clinton and Bush 
Administrations, particularly within their intelligence 
organizations.  Another report, called simply `The Iraq 
Report," claims that the Bush administration basically lied 
about the reasons for starting the war.  There are no WMDs 
in Iraq.  There is no truth to rumors that Saddam had 
started to produce a nuclear weapon. And it is not true that 
Saddam's administration was cooperating with Al-Qaeda. 
Secretary of State Colin Powell has confirmed these 
 
SIPDIS 
observations.  These conclusions have shaken the foundations 
of the CIA, which was previously believed to be untouchable. 
George Tenet, head of the CIA, has resigned.  The 
intelligence organizations in the US are being restructured. 
President Bush and his team could even lose the election 
because of these lies as much as the Al-Qaeda issue." 
 
EDELMAN