US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5993

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005993 
 
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, OCTOBER 21, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Ambassador Edelman: We are worried about Kirkuk - Hurriyet 
US' Kirkuk worry - Milliyet 
French minister: Chirac for entry talks with Turkey - Aksam 
German FM calls for a `Yes' EU vote for Turkey - Hurriyet 
Americans inspect Ercan Airport in `TRNC' - Aksam 
`TRNC' to early polls in January - Sabah 
CARE official Hassan, symbol of hope, abducted in Baghdad - 
Aksam 
Muslim votes will go to Kerry - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Ambassador Edelman: Kirkuk a source of concern for US - 
Cumhuriyet 
Edelman: Kirkuk a source of worry - Radikal 
`TRNC' government disintegrates in 9 months - Radikal 
Erdogan on persuasion tour in France - Radikal 
China supports Turkey's EU membership - Zaman 
US bombing of Fallujah kills a family - Cumhuriyet 
US bombing wipes out a family in Fallujah - Yeni Safak 
9/11 policies reduce Muslim votes for Bush to 7 percent - 
Zaman 
Cheney: Kerry cannot prevent another 9/11 - Zaman 
Cheney's `nuclear 9/11' script - Yeni Safak 
Syrian administration resists US - Yeni Safak 
Putin to visit Turkey early December - Cumhuiryet 
Greek volunteers may be involved in Srebrenidza massacre - 
Lawmaker - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ambassador Edelman on US Presidential elections, Kirkuk:  US 
Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman paid a visit to Turkey's 
central province Kayseri to deliver a speech on the U.S. 
Presidential Elections at Erciyes University in the city of 
Kayseri, Turkish media report.  Responding to a question 
after the lecture, Edelman said that the US was concerned by 
some Kurdish groups' moving Kurdish families to Kirkuk in 
northern Iraq.  Edelman stressed that the US opposed 
altering the demographic balance of the region by force.  He 
added the U.S. concerns in this regard have been made clear 
to the IIG and Kurdish leadership.  In response to another 
question, Edelman noted that the US has been supporting 
Turkey's EU drive since 1963.  US Presidential elections 
this year will not lead to significant changes in US-Turkey 
relations, he added.  The two American candidates have made 
different promises with regard to recognition of Armenian 
`genocide' claims, but such pre-election promises are 
usually adjusted by the realities of the office, Edelman 
noted.  Ambassador Edelman also emphasized that Turkey is 
strategically very important for the US. 
 
US officials inspect airport in northern Cyprus:  Officials 
from the US Department of Transportation have inspected 
security conditions at Ercan Airport in northern Cyprus, 
Turkish papers report.  A Turkish Cypriot official said 
Americans wanted to see whether Ercan Airport meets 
international flight safety requirements.  The US had 
announced after the April referenda for reunification of 
Cyprus that it could initiate international flights to 
northern Cyprus, papers note. 
 
Turkish Cypriots may go to early polls:  Turkish Cypriot 
`PM' Mehmet Ali Talat on Wednesday announced his resignation 
after a months-long political deadlock in northern Cyprus. 
Talat's coalition, made up of his Republican Turkish Party 
(CTP) and Serdar Denktas' Democrat Party (DP), lost its 
parliamentary majority in April, shortly after a referendum 
on a UN-sponsored peace plan aimed at unifying the divided 
island.  Talat is expected to remain in power as caretaker 
premier.  Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash asked Dervis 
Eroglu, who heads the conservative National Unity Party 
(UBP), to form a new government.  UBP is currently the 
biggest group in parliament with 19 seats.  But Talat said 
that early polls would be the best way to break the 
deadlock.  `TRNC President' Denktas has the authority to 
call early elections if efforts to set up a new government 
fail.  Ankara has been careful to avoid any international 
reaction to what may be seen as meddling in the domestic 
affairs of the breakaway state in north Cyprus, "Cumhuriyet" 
states. 
 
PM Erdogan visits France:  PM Tayyip Erdogan is in Paris 
undertaking a diplomatic initiative aimed at EU countries 
contemplating a referendum on the issue of Turkey's future 
membership.  Edrogan told a French daily that no referendum 
has been held to approve the membership of a candidate 
country during previous enlargements.  Turkey, he said, asks 
for only one thing: to be treated exactly like everyone 
else.  French President Jacques Chirac has said he favors a 
national referendum on Turkey's bid to join the EU.  Erdogan 
said that organizing national referenda on Turkey's 
candidacy would be contrary to the principles of the EU.  On 
Wednesday, French Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said 
after meeting Erdogan that President Chirac had decided to 
give a green light to EU entry talks with Turkey.  Erdogan 
will address the French public today on state television FR3 
and private news channel LCI.  He will attend a meeting of 
the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development 
(OECD) as well.  France has expressed reservations about 
Turkey's bid to join the European bloc. 
 
Report on torture, democracy in Turkey:  A report by the 
Human Rights Consultation Board of Turkey's Prime Ministry 
says that 692 Turkish nationals were subjected to torture in 
the first half of this year.  The report also points to the 
perils of `absolute' rule of the majority party in the 
parliament.  The document asks for a thorough inspection of 
irregularities in state institutions.  It also advises 
removal of legal immunity for lawmakers.  The report regards 
the 10-percent elections threshold as an obstacle to the 
establishment of democratic order in Turkey.  When 
finalized, the report is to be submitted to PM Erdogan and 
FM Gul.  Meanwhile, UN Special representative on human 
rights, Hani Jilani said some bureaucratic elements in the 
state apparatus were resisting to reforms in Turkey. 
 
Oskanyan calls for Turkish-Armenian talks:  Armenian FM 
Vartan Oskanyan, in Italy on an official visit, said that 
recognition by Ankara of the Armenian `genocide' was not a 
prerequisite for holding meetings between Armenia and 
Turkey.  He complained that Turkey was pushing for a 
resolution of the Nagorno- Karabakh dispute before talks 
with Armenia.  Oskanyan said Yerevan expected Ankara to open 
the border crossing between the two countries before the 
prospective membership talks between Turkey and the EU. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq; EU-Turkey 
 
"Saddam Hussein's Iraq" 
Zafer Atay remarked in the economic-politic Dunya (10/21): 
"The Duelfer report contains some very interesting 
connections, including Saddam's bribing some countries in 
order to turn the UN embargo into an ineffective sanction. 
Although Turkey is also mentioned in the report, other 
countries constitute the big chunk in terms of bribery. 
France apparently was bribed since 1980s for instance. . 
Russia also took a significant share in the looting as 
Russian oil companies sold cheap Iraqi oil in the domestic 
market at a high price and distributed the difference to 
Russian politicians.   Some American firms and figures were 
also a part of Saddam's bribery and corruption list. 
However, the American Privacy Act prevents their names from 
being listed in the Duelfer report." 
 
"A Date in 2005 is good enough" 
Mehmet Ali Birand commented in the sensational-mass appeal 
Posta (19/21): "The most important issue is to get a date 
from the EU to start the negotiations.  It does not matter 
if the negotiations start in March, July or November 2005. 
All we need is a definite date without any additional 
conditions attached or demands other than the Copenhagen 
criteria.  There should be no further limitations that go 
beyond those listed in the EU Commission's Progress Report, 
which may be found unacceptable by the Turkish public.  Let 
them just start the negotiations on a specific date.  We may 
be faced with certain annoying statements included within 
the upcoming December 17 summit declaration.  We may see 
warnings that say the start of negotiations does not 
necessarily mean full membership or call on us to mend the 
bilateral relations with Greece.  None of these are as 
important as the start of negotiations.  As the negotiations 
get underway, the dynamism inherent in such progress will 
take care of all the conditions or other limitations." 
 
EDELMAN