US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6565

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006565 
 
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, NOVEMBER 24, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Powell tells Gul US doing its best in Iraq - Sabah 
Gul reminds Powell of the PKK - Sabah 
Powell chats with Kharazi - Sabah 
Erdogan: Time for self-criticism in the Muslim world - 
Hurriyet 
Bush: Iran should prove it suspended uranium enrichment 
program - Hurriyet 
Annan supports international flights to north Cyprus - 
Milliyet 
US-Russia competition lies behind election crisis in Ukraine 
- Milliyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Erdogan issues a call for change for Islamic world - Yeni 
Safak 
Erdogan advises Islamic world - Radikal 
Sharm-al Sheikh conference ignores Fallujah - Yeni Safak 
Saddam's trial to begin before Iraqi elections - Cumhuriyet 
Al-Fatah's candidate is Mahmoud Abbas - Yeni Safak 
Sabra-Shatilla `butcher' Gen. Eytan dies - Yeni Safak 
Israeli `hawk' drowns - Cumhuriyet 
Hate crimes on the rise in US - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Powell, Gul meet at Sharm-al Sheikh conference:  In a 
bilateral meeting with Secretary Powell at the conference of 
Iraq's neighbors at Sharm-al Sheikh in Egypt, FM Gul 
reminded Secretary Powell of past US pledges to eliminate 
the PKK presence in northern Iraq.  Gul told Powell that the 
Turkish nation expected `concrete' action on the issue. 
Powell and Gul also discussed the upcoming elections in Iraq 
and the safety of Turkish truck drivers inside Iraqi 
territory.  Powell told Gul that the US is doing its best on 
the security issue, and promised to continue those efforts. 
Powell also told Gul that the issue of starting 
international flights to northern Cyprus remained on the US 
agenda.  Meanwhile, Turkish papers report Secretary Powell 
as having had a `cordial chat' with Iran's FM Kemal Kharazi 
at a dinner on Tuesday evening.  Iran denied that a 
`meeting' took place between Powell and Kharazi. 
 
US-Turkey-Iraq Joint Committee Against Terrorism:  The US, 
together with the governments of Turkey and Iraq, has 
started work to establish a joint committee for the struggle 
against terrorism, "Radikal" reports.  Iraq's Ambassador to 
Ankara, Sabah Cemil Umran, said the three countries have 
agreed to help Iraq and its neighbors to combat the threat 
of terrorism.  Umran stressed that while none of the sides 
prefers a military operation, Iraqi forces would not 
hesitate to fight against the PKK.  The Iraqi Ambassador 
said the first meeting for the establishment of the joint 
committee will take place in Ankara.  The US particularly 
emphasized the need to cut financial sources of terrorist 
groups as part of the joint action plan to be determined by 
the committee.  Umran asserted that terror organizations 
seek legitimacy by using the media in Iraq, but pledged to 
prevent Iraqi TV stations from joining that effort.  Umran 
added that some Kurdish groups' attempts to seized a 
privileged position in the Iraqi administration have caused 
concern for Baghdad as well.  `We want a central government 
in Baghdad which serve as the administration for all 
Iraqis,' he said.  Umran also warned against attempts to 
postpone the upcoming Iraqi elections on January 30. 
`Everybody should take this opportunity.  Turkey can provide 
us significant support during this process,' he concluded. 
Erdogan calls for self-criticism in Muslim world:  PM 
Erdogan called for self-criticism and change in the Muslim 
world at a conference held by the Islamic Development 
Organization (IKT) in Istanbul on Tuesday.  Erdogan stressed 
that problems in the Muslim world require methods that go 
beyond accustomed national practices, because those problems 
have reached a global level.  He said that most Islamic 
countries are underdeveloped but still had rich underground 
resources.  `We must work hard in solidarity without 
forgetting that this century is one for sharing,' Erdogan 
stressed.  Several government officials and businessmen from 
Islamic countries attend the three-day conference. 
 
EU-backed Kurdish conference ends in Brussels:  Kurdish 
interests should be defended if Turkey is granted a date for 
accession negotiations at an EU summit in late December, 
according to a conference held by the London-based Kurdish 
Human Rights Project under the auspices of the EU in 
Brussels, "Cumhuriyet" reports.  Speakers agreed that the 
Turkish government should ensure the safe return of people 
displaced from their villages in southeastern Turkey, fight 
effectively against torture, and protect the Kurds' cultural 
and minority rights.  Feleknaz Uca, Kurdish European 
Parliament lawmaker from Germany, called for Kurdish 
participation in the EU December summit at which Ankara's 
aspiration for full membership will be evaluated.  The two- 
day conference's final declaration voiced support for Turkey 
being granted a date for EU entry negotiations.  It said a 
democratic Turkey is not to be admitted into the EU without 
resolving its Kurdish question.  The conference called on 
Ankara to grant constitutional recognition to the Kurdish 
people.  The declaration urged the EU to call for an 
international conference with participation by the Turkish 
government and Kurdish representatives. 
 
Putin due in Turkey:  Russian President Vladimir Putin will 
officially visit Turkey on December 5-6 for meetings with 
top Turkish leaders, papers report.  During his stay, Putin 
will discuss alternate routes for transportation of Russian 
oil to global markets, the transport of Russian natural gas 
through Turkey to Europe, and the fight against terrorism. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
"Fallujah and the Resistance Groups" 
Zafer Atay commented in the economic-politic "Dunya" 
(11/24):  "The US is aiming to use Fallujah as a model for 
dealing with resistance groups in Iraq.  The US hopes that 
by using severe action in Fallujah and by ignoring Geneva 
Convention and moral values, it might create a deterrent for 
future actions by the Iraqi resistance.  Yet this argument 
has already proven false, as the violence in Fallujah has 
now spread to Mosul and Ramadi.  Instead of thinking about a 
`deterrent,' the US should go back to the history books and 
take lessons from the past, especially from Vietnam. . On 
the other hand, the resistance in Iraq against the 
occupation force is rather complex.  There is no unity among 
the resistance groups, since some of them are acting with 
religious motivation while others are genuine patriots. 
However, there is one more group to add to this list: 
terrorists.  Terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda and Al-Zarkawi 
continue to kidnap and murder innocent people. . The real 
Iraqi heroes who fight against the invaders deserve respect. 
Yet it is out of the question to put terrorists and patriots 
in the same category.  They are terrorists, and they should 
be treated accordingly." 
 
"The US Contradiction" 
Fikret Bila commented on the mass appeal Milliyet (11/24): 
"It is not expected that the Iraqi people will elect a pro- 
American administration in the upcoming elections.  This is 
where the US contradiction lies.  Surely it is not very 
realistic to expect the Iraqi people to support the 
occupiers at the ballot box.  Only the Kurdish groups in 
Northern Iraq would support the US in the elections, since 
they are the only ones who have benefited from the US 
occupation.  Support from the Shiites and the Sunnis should 
not be expected.  Since the Shiites form the majority in 
Iraq, it would be natural for them to win the elections.  As 
a matter of fact, the Shiites are avoiding a direct role in 
the resistance with this expectation in mind.  They expect 
to come out of the elections with a mandate to form the new 
government.  For this reason, they are not joining forces 
with the resistance until elections can be held." 
 
EDELMAN