US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5556

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 005556 
 
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, 
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Powell: Resistance intensifies in Iraq - Sabah 
US doesn't believe peace will come to Iraq - Turkiye 
Kurdish population growing in Kirkuk - Aksam 
Washington Post: PKK disintegrating - Turkiye 
PM Erdogan signals cabinet reshuffle - Aksam 
Papandreou: Change in Turkey `surprising' - Milliyet 
Egypt involved in Israel's killing of Hamas leader - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Powell: Anti-Americanism on rise in Islamic world - Zaman 
Powell acknowledges situation getting worse in Iraq - 
Cumhuriyet 
Powell: Resistance growing in Iraq, things getting worse - 
Radikal 
European press: Turkey now closer to EU - Yeni Safak 
Syria route `thorny' for Turkish truckers - Radikal 
Syria detains 26 Turkish truckers - Yeni Safak 
Israel threatens Syria - Cumhuriyet 
Second Intifadah turns 5 - Yeni Safak 
Intifadah Brings Death, Misery to Palestinians - Zaman 
Russian forces kill Turkish militant in Chechnya - 
Cumhuriyet 
Attacks against foreigners on the rise in Russia - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
US companies may be excluded from Turkey's defense projects: 
The economic-political daily "Referans" claims that US Eric 
Edelman warned officials at Turkey's Defense Industry 
Undersecretariat that Turkey might face problems in the 
installation of American electronic warfare systems if 
Ankara decides to buy attack helicopters from non-US 
companies.  In that case, Turkey will have to get special 
permission from the US to equip the new helicopters with US 
Hellfire missiles, "Referans" reports.  The report suggests 
that Ankara's cancellation of three defense projects worth 
$6 billion in May 2004 was an indication that US companies 
may be eliminated from the helicopter tender.  The project 
was scrapped after three years of discussions US-based Bell 
Textron after the US Administration declined to give Turkey 
crucial information regarding the helicopters' computer 
systems.  There is speculation that Turkey may prefer to 
purchase the helicopters from EU members like France and 
Italy in an effort to increase Ankara's chances of being 
granted a date for EU entry talks in December. 
 
FM Gul in New York:  On Monday, FM Abdullah Gul said at a 
dinner hosted by the American-Turkish Society (ATS) and 
National Committee for American Foreign Policy in New York 
that Turkey did not have a secret agenda, but only a 
`legitimate interest' with regard to Iraq.  Gul stressed 
that Turkey and the US have been working together for a 
prosperous Iraq, adding that the two countries needed more 
cooperation in the region.  `The logistical needs of 
coalition forces are mainly met by Turkey,' Gul claimed, 
recalling that 3,000 Turkish trucks carried goods into Iraq 
every day.  The Turkish FM also assessed the need for a 
joint fight against terrorism.  `Our government has 
increased the standards of democracy and human rights in 
Turkey to the level of European norms through sweeping 
reforms over the past two years,' Gul noted.  `A European 
Union decision to grant Turkey a date for accession talks 
will be an historic decision for the world,' Gul said, `and 
it will also add momentum to Turkey-US relations.'  FM Gul 
blamed the Greek Cypriots for `missing an opportunity' for 
peace in Cyprus.  `There would have been only 600 Turkish 
troops instead of the thousands now deployed on Cyprus if 
the Greek Cypriots had accepted the UN-backed plan for 
peace,' Gul said. 
 
TalAfar/Kirkuk:  Turkmen officials from TalAfar told 
"Hurriyet" that the recent attack against the northern Iraqi 
town had been a `rehearsal' for a larger military operation 
in Kirkuk in an effort to reduce the Turkmen population on 
the eve of a general census in Iraq.  During the US 
operation, they claimed, unidentified gunmen fired on 
TalAfar residents and later hoisted a Kurdish flag in the 
city fortress.  The flag was soon removed by Turkish special 
team members accompanying US troops, "Hurriyet" reports. 
Meanwhile, "Cumhuriyet" cites international wire services 
reporting on Kurdish attempts to drive Arabs and Turkmen out 
of Kirkuk in an effort to dominate the oil-rich northern 
Iraqi city.  Human Rights Watch (HRW) said last month that 
if land ownership disputes between Arabs and Kurds are not 
resolved, the already strained ethnic relations in the area 
could `explode.' 
 
US assistance for Turkish Cypriots:  A 7-member team from 
the US consulting firm "Bearing Point" held meetings in 
Cyprus in an effort to ease international sanctions on the 
northern Cypriots and to promote economic growth in the 
north, reports the Islamist-oriented "Yeni Safak."  USAID 
funded the visit, which was aimed at determining the 
disposition of the additional $30.5 million aid package 
allocated by the US for the Turkish Cypriots.  The 
assistance package is intended to augment existing bi- 
communal programs and facilitate the reunification of the 
island by supporting economic growth in the Turkish Cypriot 
community, according to a statement by the US Embassy in 
Nicosia. 
 
Greeks urge EU to boycott EU-OIC summit:  The Greek Cypriot 
Administration is strongly opposed to northern Cypriots' 
joining the upcoming meetings between the EU and the 
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) under the name 
"'Turkish Cypriot state.'  The meeting is to be held at the 
foreign ministerial level in Istanbul on October 4-5. 
Nicosia is urging EU members to boycott the forum if the 
Turkish Cypriots attend the talks under that name.  `The 
designation `Turkish Cypriot State' is part of Turkish 
Cypriot efforts for recognition, and will harm efforts for a 
solution,' a Greek diplomat in Ankara told "Cumhuriyet." 
The paper fears that the EU-OIC summit in Istanbul could end 
up as a fiasco if the Europeans side with the Greek 
Cypriots. 
 
Syria detains Turkish truckers:  Syrian customs officials 
detained 21 Turkish truck drivers in the northern city of 
Aleppo for carrying diesel exceeding the legal limit of 200 
liters per truck, papers report.  The truckers were 
reportedly carrying fuel for US troops in Iraq.  The Turkish 
consulate general in Aleppo said the drivers would be 
released after appearing before a court on Tuesday.  Turkish 
truckers prefer the comparatively `secure' Syrian route in 
the face of intensifying attacks against Turkish workers in 
Iraq. 
 
AKP Debates Intra-party Democracy:  In a speech to AKP 
deputies at the resort town of Kizilcahamami near Ankara, PM 
Erdogan said that Turkey must `eliminate superficial 
tensions with the state and society' and respect `the free 
choices' made by Turks.  Erdogan faced significant criticism 
by some AKP deputies for a perceived lack of internal 
democracy within the AKP.  Yahya Akman, an AKP deputy from 
Sanliurfa, warned that the party could split if the views of 
deputies are not taken into account by the party leadership. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  UNGA; Iran 
"A role for the future" 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (9/28):  "The 
UN General Assembly has served as a suitable forum for 
Turkey to voice Ankara's determination to play a significant 
role in international platforms.  Foreign Minister Gul 
talked about Turkey's experiences and positions on issues 
ranging from the Balkans to Iraq, from Palestine to 
Afghanistan, and from terrorism to anti-Semitism.  Given 
Turkey's involvement in international organizations, the 
Minister stated Turkey's advantage in contributing to a 
convergence of the Islamic world and the West.   Turkey 
wants to see a restructuring of the UN.  It also wants to be 
a member of the UN Security Council.  There are more reasons 
than ever before to expect that Turkey will be supported for 
this position.  Turkey is becoming an increasingly important 
international player due to its recent efforts in world 
affairs.  The expectations voiced during the UNGA indicate 
Turkey's willingness to expand its role even further." 
 
"Democracy in the Middle East" 
Yilmaz Oztuna commented in the conservative-mass appeal 
Turkiye (9/28):  "During his speech at the UN General 
Assembly, President Bush said that `although lives were lost 
in Afghanistan and Iraq, we were able to bring democracy to 
those countries.'  This statement would seem like a huge 
gaffe, but we shouldn't see it that way.  It is certain that 
his speech was prepared very carefully some weeks ago.  Let 
us ask the question correctly:  `What kind of regime does 
the US mean when it refers to democracy for the greater 
Middle East?'  No doubt, a democracy of the west European or 
North American type is not being considered.  The presence 
of political parties and the holding of seem to be deemed 
sufficient.  But democracy depends on many other factors. 
Democracy is a way of life.  The countries and people of the 
Middle East don't know anything about this way of life. 
They have never lived under such conditions.  It is even 
wrong to say that they want to live under such a regime. 
Democracy in the west is real democracy, but in the east it 
is a utopia.  Turkey is outside of this `Greater Middle 
East', but is still very close to it.  But even Turkey 
reached a democracy consistent with the Copenhagen Criteria 
only yesterday.  Even then, most of the criteria have still 
not been implemented.  Therefore, although the US has 
officially announced its plans to establish democracy in the 
Greater Middle East, in reality the US plan is to establish 
an Asian or African type of democracy there.  It has been 
openly stated that the US has the right to intervene in 
these countries to establish such a democracy.  President 
Bush has explained the `Pax-Americana' concept.  Turkey's 
national policy should be to make the right decisions about 
where and how to stand in relation to this concept". 
 
"The US will strike Iran" 
Nejat Eslen, a retired general, commented in the liberal- 
intellectual Radikal (9/28): "The US is actively preparing 
for a preemptive strike against Iran in order to prevent 
Tehran from becoming a nuclear power.  The US is very 
determined about this issue.  The only questions are about 
timing and methods, and the strategic centers in Washington 
are now working hard on these problems. . In the event that 
Iran becomes a real nuclear power; the entire regional 
equilibrium would change.  Such a possibility would also 
bring the potential for an arms build-up and a nuclear 
weapons race in the region. .   Turkey should consider 
taking new measures based on these developing circumstances 
even if the Iranian nuclear capability does not target 
Turkey." 
 
EDELMAN