US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5964

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005964 
 
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 20, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEALS 
British Woman Aid Worker Abducted in Iraq - Hurriyet 
Putin to Travel to Turkey in December - Hurriyet 
Bush:  "An Islamic State in Iraq is Possible" - Sabah 
Erdogan Starts Campaign against `Referendum Proposal for 
Turkey' - Milliyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
The Greens Say Special Negotiation Process is Needed for 
Turkey - Radikal 
Minority Report Stirs Controversy at the Prime Ministry - 
Radikal 
Increase in Number of US and British Planes Landing in 
Trabzon - Cumhuriyet 
The Greens are against Referendum for Turkey - Cumhuriyet 
FM Gul Rejects Special Status Offer - Zaman 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Increased US/British Plane Landings in Trabzon: 
"Cumhuriyet" reports that lately there is a big increase in 
the number of US and British planes landing in Trabzon to 
refuel.  Trabzon is one of the international airports used 
by the ISAF in Afghanistan.  ISAF supporting countries use 
Trabzon airport for refueling during the shipment of 
personnel and military equipment to Afghanistan.  However, 
in the last two weeks, a big increase was reported in the 
number of military cargo planes in Trabzon.  Supposedly, the 
US and British military planes are carrying military 
personnel and equipment to Afghanistan.  Various anonymous 
sources are reported as saying that lately one or two planes 
land in Trabzon daily.  The sources say that Afghanistan is 
not the only destination of the planes.  Allegedly, some of 
the planes go to Basra and to other parts of Iraq. 
"Cumhuriyet" wonders whether the Turkish Government has made 
a secret deal with the US for the use of the airport in 
Trabzon.  Turkish officials in Ankara say that there was 
nothing extraordinary in the air traffic in Trabzon, insist 
that the planes landing in Trabzon to refuel were carrying 
logistic materials for Afghanistan. 
 
Foreign Minister Gul Rejects Special Status Offer: 
"Hurriyet" reports that during his meetings in Berlin, 
Turkish FM Gul stressed that the goal of Turkey is full 
membership in the EU.  Commenting on the proposal of the 
German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for granting Turkey 
`privileged partnership,' Gul stressed that Turkey had 
already been granted privileges in the Customs Union and 
doesn't want any other privileges.  "Sabah" reports that Gul 
had failed to convince CDU Chairman Merkel to give up her 
demands for giving special status to Turkey. 
 
Prime Minister Erdogan Goes to France to Campaign against 
Referendum Proposal:  "Milliyet" says that PM Erdogan today 
will meet French Economy Minister Nicolas Sarkozi, the 
author of the proposal for holding a referendum on Turkey's 
EU accession.  Erdogan will try to convince Sarkozy not to 
block Turkey's EU entry and will focus on the hazards of a 
possible referendum about Turkey's EU entry. 
 
Austrian FM Says Talks with Turkey Can Be Suspended at Any 
Time:  "Cumhuriyet" reports that, commenting on Turkey's EU 
entry bid, designated Austrian FM Ursula Plassnik said that 
the EU could push the button to suspend talks with Turkey at 
any time, and added that `this is not a production line 
without a stop button.' 
 
Pope Makes Good-Will Gesture for Fener Patriarch: 
"Milliyet" reports that a historical good-will gesture was 
made by the Vatican for the Fener Patriarchate in Istanbul. 
Pope John Paul II has sent a letter to Fener Patriarch 
Bartholomew inviting him to take back the remains of two 
patriarchs carried to the Vatican during the occupation of 
Istanbul by crusaders in 1204-1261.  "Milliyet" notes that 
in his letter the Pope addressed Bartholomew as the 
`Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch'. 
Bartholomew is expected to go to the Vatican at the end of 
November.  "Sabah" adds that Turkish State Minister Basir 
Atalay was disturbed by the use of the title `ecumenical 
patriarch' for Bartholomew.  The Minister said that this was 
a violation of the Lausanne Treaty and the Ambassador of the 
Vatican should be summoned immediately to the Foreign 
Ministry to receive the necessary warnings. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: EU-Turkey 
 
"Chirac is Punished over Turkey" 
Mehmet Ali Birand in the sensational-mass appeal Posta 
(19/20): "Turkey getting a date to start the negotiations on 
December 17 is not a certainty.  The domestic confusion in 
France is placing great pressure on President Chirac.  All 
his opponents aim to damage Chirac as much as possible. 
Some are trying to punish Chirac for saying `yes' to Turkey. 
One will see that as the pressure on Chirac gets more 
intense, the number of those countries that are openly 
against Turkey's membership will increase.  Even today the 
affect of French opposition upon some EU members is felt. . 
There is a significant tension in France about Turkey.  We 
hear different suggestions every day.  One day groups in 
France ask for the negotiations to start in December 2005, 
while the next they suggest 2006 as the appropriate date. 
They have yet to agree on the matter.  Most probably they 
will fail to reach any agreement until the last minute. 
They may produce a last-minute formula based on the latest 
domestic political considerations.  It appears that December 
17 will be a very exciting day." 
 
EDELMAN