US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5741

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005741 
 
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, 
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Turkey's EU report excitement - Sabah 
Turkey's historic appointment with EU - Hurriyet 
Turkey a significant opportunity for EU - Hurriyet 
EU Commission: No special conditions for Turkey - Sabah 
EU may put forward last-minute conditions - Aksam 
Straw discusses Kirkuk with Talabani - Turkiye 
Oil prices set new record high: $51 - Milliyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
EU Turkey report a `Sword of Damocles' - Cumhuriyet 
FM Gul: Negative Turkey decision will be bad for EU - 
Radikal 
PM Erdogan: Turkey did homework; now EU to be tested - Zaman 
Jack Straw's surprise northern Iraq visit - Cumhuriyet 
International community deaf to Palestine - Cumhuriyet 
Iran develops 2,000 km range missiles - Zaman 
Rafsanjani: US won't dare to attack Iran - Yeni Safak 
Most Guantanamo detainees to be released - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
EU-Turkey:  The European Commission's progress report on 
Turkey will recommend membership no earlier than 2014 and 
continuing measures against the free movement of Turkish 
workers in Europe.  The EU's incoming enlargement chief, 
Ollie Rehn, said that Ankara should be monitored more 
closely on human rights, and added that Turkey might face 
permanent restrictions on the free movement of its workers 
if Turkey joins the European bloc. Ankara will have to 
recognize the Greek Cypriot government, and talks may be 
suspended at any time if Turkey violates human rights. 
Negotiations may be open-ended, with no guarantee concerning 
the final result.  Commission President Romano Prodi said 
the EU must be sure that human rights are respected.  `This 
is our approach with Turkey, just as we did with all other 
accession negotiations,' Prodi stressed.  Some papers 
predict that the earliest realistic date for Turkey's entry 
to the EU would be 2018.  The Commission's report is still 
expected to recommend that EU leaders begin accession talks 
with Turkey without delay.  Although the report underlines 
the fact that Turkey has achieved significant legislative 
progress in many areas, it notes several problem areas, 
including full implementation of fundamental freedoms and 
respect for human rights, corruption, and the need to 
strengthen policies to address torture.  PM Erdogan said 
Tuesday before flying to Strasbourg for talks with European 
parliamentarians that he believed the positive steps Turkey 
has taken will be evaluated properly.  Turkish dailies 
expect the EU report will not recommend a date for starting 
talks, but rather leave that `sensitive' decision to EU 
political leaders.  The Commission is due to announce its 
recommendation on Wednesday afternoon at a press conference 
in Brussels. 
Ambassador Edelman discusses Iraqi security with the MFA: 
US Ambassador Eric Edelman paid a surprise call on the 
undersecretary for foreign affairs to discuss the security 
situation in Iraq.  The visit took place following criticism 
by President Sezer of US `ineffectiveness' against the PKK 
presence in northern Iraq.  Edelman discussed with the MFA 
measures against terrorist infiltration from northern Iraq 
into Turkey, and the evacuation of the Mahmur refugee camp 
in the Kandil mountains, according to "Hurriyet." 
 
Osman Ocalan on PKK, US, Iraq:  Osman Ocalan, brother of the 
imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, told "Yeni Safak" 
that there had been several recent meetings between US 
civilian and military officials and representatives of 
PKK/Kongra-Gel.  `We support the US intervention in Iraq in 
the belief that it will provide historic opportunities for 
the region,' Ocalan said.  `However,' he continued, `we 
don't approve all actions by the Americans, and advise them 
to cooperate with democratic forces in the region.'  Ocalan 
acknowledged that the PKK has lost its effectiveness, and 
voiced his expectation that significant changes would take 
place in the Kurdish movement by next spring.  The AK Party 
approach to the Kurds has been `flexible and positive, but 
not sufficient,' Ocalan noted.  He emphasized that the PKK 
will be disbanded as Turkey's EU process moves forward. 
Ocalan said that it was in the interests of Kurds to have 
friendly relations with the Americans.  `With the Americans, 
we can find a solution to the Kurdish problem,' he said. 
Ocalan added that he expected some groups within the AKP and 
CHP to seize the opportunity created by the growing desire 
of the Kurdish people for a political solution to the 
Kurdish problem. 
 
US to use `new' weapon in Iraq:  Papers claim that US forces 
in Iraq will be mounting `microwave' weapons on US armored 
vehicles by early next year, and on jetfighters by 2009.  A 
new weapon developed after 25 years of research at the 
Wright-Patterson Airbase directs high-intensity microwaves 
at the target, causing unendurable pain and a burning 
sensation by rapidly heating subcutaneous water molecules. 
The US plans to use the weapon in urban warfare and against 
anti-American demonstrations, papers report. 
Gul receives Iraqi ambassador:  FM Abdullah Gul received the 
newly-appointed Iraqi Ambassador to Turkey, Sabah Jameil 
Umran, on Tuesday.  Umran told the press after the meeting 
that the two men discussed the the presence of the PKK in 
northern Iraq and the security of Turkish drivers entering 
Iraq.  Umran added that a withdrawal by Turkish companies 
from Iraq will bring no solution to the problems there.  He 
pledged additional measures to ensure the security of Turks 
working in Iraq. 
 
Palestinians calls for Ankara's help against Israel: 
Palestinian FM Nabil Shaat urged in a letter to FM Abdullah 
Gul that Ankara use its international prestige and good ties 
with Tel Aviv to halt the Israeli military operation in Gaza 
which has claimed scores of lives, "Radikal" reports. 
 
Neve Shalom Synagogue to reopen:  The Neve Shalom Synagogue 
in Istanbul, severely damaged in a fundamentalist suicide 
bomb attack in November 2003, will be officially re-opened 
on October 11, Turkish Chief Rabbi said on Tuesday.  Senior 
state officials and domestic and international Jewish 
community leaders will attend the opening ceremony. 
Parliament to Elect New Speaker Today:  Turkey's Parliament 
will elect a new speaker today.  Bulent Arinc, the current 
speaker, has the backing of Prime Minister Erdogan and the 
AKP leadership for a second term.  At the last minute, 
however, AKP Izmir deputy Serpil Yildiz announced that she 
would challenge Arinc for the position.  The press reports 
that there is a group of AKP deputies, led by Istanbul 
deputy Goksal Kucukkali, who are opposed to Arinc.  The 
opposition CHP, which has not nominated a candidate, is 
expected to abstain during the first round of voting. 
Four Arrested in Last Week's Bombings: "Hurriyet" reports 
that Turkish police arrested 4 people in Ankara in 
connection with last week's series of sound bombs in Ankara, 
Istanbul, Izmir, and Adana. 
 
MOI Drafts Law to End Village Guard Program:  "Cumhuriyet" 
reports today that the Ministry of Interior has developed a 
draft law that would put an end to Turkey's village guard 
program.  The village guards were armed by the state to 
combat PKK terrorism in rural parts of the Southeast.  Under 
the draft law, guards over age 45 and with 10 years of 
experience would be given retirement, and those under 45 
would be paid a financial compensation package to lay down 
their weapons.  The current number of village guards is 
estimated at 59,000. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  EU-Turkey 
 
"The Day of the Report" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the conservative "Turkiye" (10/6): 
"The EU report will definitely recommend a start to 
membership negotiations with Turkey.  The report will 
highlight steps toward democratization, but also will 
mention some shortcomings. . Turkey should immediately work 
to complete all of the outstanding points and should 
surprise the EU with its competence.  The EU report might 
contain certain rhetoric to satisfy the anti-Turkey lobby 
within the Union.  However, the real leaders of Europe are 
well aware of Turkey's geo-strategic importance.   Turkey 
cannot tolerate a `no' answer from the EU at this stage. 
Turkey is a secular country, but a `no' will definitely be 
taken as an insult to Islam.  Such a negative atmosphere 
will also be a major handicap in the global fight against 
terrorism.  Turkey, a member of NATO for the last 52 years, 
cannot be isolated from Europe.  Isolating Turkey from the 
EU would be irrational." 
 
"Turkey's Influence in the West" 
Oral Calislar wrote in the social democrat-opinion maker 
Cumhuriyet (10/6): "There is no way to approve the brutal 
acts of terror carried out by Islamic terror organizations. 
But these organizations have been successful in gathering up 
the outrage and sense of hopelessness that exists in their 
communities.  The world's poor and disenfranchised are 
voicing their fury with terror.  Terrorists and those who 
organize such brutality are abusing the despair and fury 
felt by people around them.  The violence in Iraq is a 
recent example where the powerful Western world has come to 
feel helpless. . In this atmosphere, Turkey's stand becomes 
even more important than before.  Turkey, as a 
predominantly Muslim country but also a pro-Western one, has 
a role to play in encouraging the Western world to revise 
its approach.  The Western world now attaches some 
importance to Turkey as it tries to establish a bridge to 
the Islamic world. . The negotiation process with the EU is 
very important from this aspect.  If Turkey manages to 
improve its democratic and secular structure during the 
negotiation process, and if it manages to implement 
contemporary values in its daily practice, Turkey's 
importance to the EU and the West will grow even more." 
 
EDELMAN