US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5807

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005807 
 
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, OCTOBER 12, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Barzani: Kirkuk is the heart of Kurdistan - Hurriyet 
Ankara warns Barzani over Kirkuk - Sabah 
Hans Blix: Iraq war made world less safe - Aksam 10/11 
Karzai: Polls a victory for Afghans - Aksam 10/11 
Afghanistan's `transparent' elections - Milliyet 10/11 
Germanys' Merkel launches campaign against Turkey in EU - 
Aksam 
Chirac: France has a right to veto Turkey - Millyet 10/11 
Bush, Kerry seek women's votes - Sabah 10/11 
Neve Shalom opens with prayers - Milliyet 
Chilean President Lagos in Ankara - Milliyet 
`Superman' Reeves' last flight - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Ankara warns Barzani on Kirkuk - Yeni Safak 
International community finds Afghanistan elections 
`democratic' - Zaman 10/11 
Another Turk killed in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Weapons inspectors blame Bush, Blair - Cumhuriyet 10/11 
US youth doesn't believe in Bush - Poll - Cumhuriyet 10/11 
France to discuss Turkey's EU membership - Radikal 
Papadopoulos warns he may veto Turkey's EU membership - 
Zaman 10/11 
German extreme rightists unite against Turkey - Yeni Safak 
Bush: Kerry a dangerous `leftist' - Radikal 
Kerry praises Sharon - Cumhuriyet 10/11 
Israel can't do without killing - Cumhuriyet 10/11 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Barzani visits Ankara:  Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party 
(KDP) leader Massoud Barzani held talks in Ankara Monday 
with FM Gul and PM Erdogan over the upcoming elections in 
Iraq and the future of Kirkuk, papers report.  The Turkish 
side reiterated warnings over Kurdish attempts to upset the 
demography of Kirkuk.  Barzani made no statement after the 
talks.  Upon his arrival in Ankara late Sunday, Barzani 
said: `I still think that Kirkuk is the heart of Kurdistan 
but I am open to debate here.'  Ankara warned Barzani 
against any ventures in the region.  Northern Iraq should 
not become another Israel, Turks reportedly told Barzani. 
In Monday's talks with Gul and Erdogan,, Barzani stressed 
that he shared Ankara's uneasiness over the presence of PKK 
militants hiding in the mountains of northern Iraq, papers 
quote diplomatic sources.  Barzani also urged Ankara to open 
Turkey's air corridor to international flights from and to 
northern Iraq. 
 
Two Turks beheaded in Iraq:  An Iraqi insurgent group linked 
to Al-Zarkawi on Monday posted a video on the Internet 
showing the beheading of a Turkish contractor and an Iraqi 
Kurdish translator who `confessed' they worked with US 
forces in Iraq, papers report.  Mahir Kemal, a Turkish 
businessman, was decapitated after confessing he was a 
contractor working with US forces to implement projects at 
Al-Bakr airbase, north of Baghdad said a statement signed by 
the Army of Ansar al-Sunna.  The beheaded Kurdish translator 
was Lukman Hussein, a member of Barzani's Kurdistan 
Democratic Party (KDP), say papers.  Meanwhile, 10 Turkish 
workers abducted by insurgents on September 18 were released 
yesterday after their company, Vinsan, pulled out of Iraq, 
papers cite Al-Jazeera TV. 
 
Powell op-ed on Afghanistan polls:  On October 9, mass 
appeal "Milliyet" carried an op-ed, "Democracy Rises in 
Afghanistan,' by Secretary of State Powell.  `For the first 
time in their history, Afghans will select a national leader 
by secret ballot, and with the full support of the 
international community,' Secretary Powell wrote.  He 
continued: `If we and other friends of Afghanistan remain 
committed to this strategy, Afghanistan will emerge as a 
moderate and democratic society, true to its Islamic 
heritage, as well as an enduring ally in the war against 
terrorism.' 
 
Germany and Turkey discuss tank sales:  Germany is talking 
to the Turkish government about exporting German battle 
tanks, papers quote a German government source on Monday. 
Ankara reportedly emphasized its interest in acquiring over 
200 Leopard 2 battle tanks. 
 
Istanbul synagogue reopens:  Neve Shalom Synagogue in 
Istanbul, hit last year by terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda, 
reopened Monday with a service attended by politicians, 
diplomats and representatives of different faiths, Turkish 
papers report.  On November 15 of last year car bombs 
exploded outside the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel synagogues 
in Istanbul, killing 29 people and injuring hundreds. 
 
Kurdish lawmakers in Brussels:  On Monday, Leyla Zana and 
her former DEP lawmaker colleagues went to Brussels to 
receive the Sakharov Peace Prize, which had been awarded to 
Zana in 1995, papers report.  A travel ban imposed on Zana 
and her colleagues by the State Security Court in 1994 is 
scrapped.  Zana is expected to deliver a speech in Kurdish 
to the European Parliament, say papers. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Afghanistan Elections 
 
"Afghanistan and Women" 
Social democrat-opinion maker Cumhuriyet carried this 
editorial (10/11): "The whole world watched the tragic 
situation of Afghan women completely veiled while the 
country went through an election process under occupation. 
The visual shots, particularly of Afghan women, should be a 
reason for shame for the Islamic world.  It was as though 
these visuals were coming from the dark ages..The election 
in Afghanistan is nothing but a pathetic drama.  The 
election is part of the US plan to establish hegemony in the 
Asian continent." 
 
"Vote Instead of Bullet" 
Sami Kohen commented in the mass appeal Milliyet (10/9): 
"Although geographically Afghanistan is far from Turkey, 
historically, politically and culturally it is rather close. 
As a result of the elections, Afghanistan became the center 
of attention, with more than a thousand foreign journalists 
traveling to Kabul to cover the elections.  The reason for 
such attention was that a president was being elected for 
the first time by the Afghan people.  In a way, the election 
is a test of democracy.  Afghanistan has an advantage: the 
whole world is determined to support the country.  The US, 
NATO, the UN, the EU, Russia, Japan.everyone is on 
Afghanistan's side.  If the promised financial aid flows to 
Afghanistan, if the right administration is established in 
Kabul, if corruption is prevented, and if security is 
established, 25 million Afghan people will have a bright 
future ahead of them.  The impact of such results on Al- 
Qaida and terrorism will be very positive.  In addition, 
Afghanistan will become an example of a country that 
harmonized Islam and democracy, while establishing security 
and development at the same time." 
 
EDELMAN