US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6882

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006882 
 
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 
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Ankara's reaction softens EU summit draft - Aksam 
Greek Cypriots again threaten to veto EU-Turkey talks - 
Milliyet 
Annan to assign a new Cyprus representative - Sabah 
5,500 US conscripts flee to Canada to escape Iraq war - 
Hurriyet 
US gives `reluctant' vote of confidence to Annan - Hurriyet 
One billion children suffering around the world - Hurriyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Third EU draft partially amended - Zaman 
Verheugen: Turkey will get what it wants - Zaman 
NATO bids Powell an emotional farewell - Radikal 
Netherlands keeps a close eye on foreigners - Radikal 
US warns Iran, Syria against supporting Iraq resistance -- 
Yeni Safak 
Iraqi war veterans down and out in US - Cumhuriyet 
Half of world children struggle with poverty, war, AIDS - 
Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
EU-Turkey on the eve of EU Summit:  A draft statement for 
the December 16-17 European Union summit has been changed 
for the second time in the face of pressure from Ankara, 
papers report.  Dutch PM Jan Peter Balkenende said on 
Thursday that the EU must not `change the rules of the game' 
for Turkey and must be fair in granting Turkey a date for 
accession negotiations.  Speaking before a meeting with PM 
Erdogan on the crucial preparatory talks before the upcoming 
EU summit, Balkenende said there are still concerns about 
Turkey's implementation of EU law, freedom of religion, and 
the free movement of the Turkish labor force.  Balkenende 
added that the aim of the talks with Turkey is full 
membership.  PM Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey is expecting 
a clear date for the start of negotiations.  Ankara is 
closely monitoring countries which are cool to its EU 
membership bid in an effort to ensure that a `flawless' 
draft emerges at the summit.  The draft still contains 
provisions to which Turkey has objected, including the 
requirement to recognize Cyprus, the mention of torture, and 
other conditions that Ankara views as more restrictive than 
those imposed on other candidate countries.  French FM 
Barnier said he expects accession talks with Turkey to begin 
in late 2005 or early 2006.  Former EU enlargement 
commissioner Guenter Verheugen wrote an op-ed in the 
conservative/opinion maker "Zaman" arguing that Turkey needs 
Europe during its modernization process and Europe needs 
Turkey as a trusted partner to deal with international 
problems. 
 
 
FM Gul in Brussels for NATO meeting:  FM Abdullah Gul 
traveled to Brussels to attend a meeting of NATO foreign 
ministers.  Gul met with Olli Rehn, the European Union 
commissioner for enlargement, to whom Gul voiced Ankara's 
expectations for the December 16-17 EU summit.  Speaking to 
the press, Gul said the EU's draft statement on Turkey still 
contained some points that Ankara found unacceptable.  Asked 
about Cyprus, Gul said that without a settlement on the 
island, Ankara's recognition of Nicosia is out of the 
question.  Gul also had a chance to discuss with Secretary 
Powell the recent `strain' in US-Turkish relations. 
 
Gen. Brooks slams international media for distortion in Iraq 
reporting:  Speaking at a meeting organized by the American 
Enterprise Institute (AEI), a conservative US think-tank in 
Washington, US Land Forces public affairs chief General 
Vincent Brooks criticized the way the war in Iraq is being 
reported by international media.  General Brooks said that 
international media outlets have created a false image 
depicting Americans' alleged disrespect for mosques in 
Fallujah.  `Some 250 mosques have been taken under 
protection by US forces in the region,' he said.  `This fact 
should also highlighted by the international media,' Brooks 
said.  General Brooks stressed that the US cannot remain 
silent in the face of a deliberate disinformation campaign. 
Last week, US officials accused Turkish media of 
`irresponsible' reporting on Iraq at a State Department 
briefing for Turkish journalists in Washington, "Yeni Safak" 
notes. 
 
Annan may initiate new Cyprus effort:  UN Secretary-General 
Kofi Annan has asked the UN to approve a $570,000 fund to 
assign a new UN special Cyprus representative to replace 
Alvaro de Soto, Turkish papers report.  The reports evaluate 
Annan's request as an indication that he intends to launch a 
new peace initiative on the divided island in 2005. 
 
Turkey's Kurds request more rights from Ankara:  Turkish 
papers report an advertisement placed in the "International 
Herald Tribune" by former DEP lawmaker Leyla Zana and her 
colleagues, in which the Kurdish activists call on Turkey to 
grant its Kurds exactly the same rights that Ankara is 
demanding for Turkish Cypriots.  A new and democratic 
constitution should be hammered out in Turkey, the Kurds 
said.  Papers regard the advertisement as a call for 
autonomy for Turkey's Kurds, and imply that Zana has engaged 
in `treason' given the timing of the announcement on the eve 
of the EU summit.  The reports claim that the Kurds' action 
strengthens the hands of those in Europe who oppose Turkey's 
accession to the EU. 
 
Armenian FM on ties with Turkey:  Armenia's foreign minister 
Vardan Oskanyan told Reuters that the European Union should 
press Turkey `aggressively' to reopen its border with 
Armenia.  Oskanyan said that recognition of the Armenian 
`genocide' was still high on Yerevan's foreign policy 
agenda: `In the event of Turkey's EU membership, we hope 
there will be a much freer discourse in Turkey on this 
issue, which may lead eventually to recognition of the 
Armenian genocide.'  Oskanyan noted that if Turkey opens the 
border, it would facilitate trade and boost the economy in 
Turkey's poor eastern regions as well as in Armenia.  He 
added that Armenia had lost an estimated $1 billion in trade 
over the last 10 to 15 years because of the border closure, 
and urged the EU to push for its reopening. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
Turkey's EU Prospects 
 
"The EU And The Alternatives" 
Yilmaz Oztuna commented in the conservative-mass appeal 
"Turkiye" (12/10):  "In one week's time we will learn about 
the contents of the EU report that will directly affect 
Turkey's future.  Even if the announcement contains 
troublesome conditions, Turkey should keep calm.  The 
reforms that have been applied so far have strengthened our 
democracy.  We should continue in this direction.  Even if 
we are angry by the EU decision, we shouldn't give up on 
Europe, because we are Europeans as well.  Turkey will never 
feed an atmosphere of hatred against Europe.  We should be 
very careful in our relations with the US as well.  We 
should not insult our strategic ally with meaningless 
statements.  We should criticize the US only if it is 
necessary to defend Turkey's interests, and even then it 
should be done in a decent and responsible manner.  Turkey 
suffers under the weight of many years of mistakes.  We 
don't have the patience for more mistakes, so we need to 
define our direction as clearly and perfectly as we can." 
 
"Let Us Do The Best We Can" 
Oktay Eksi observed in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (12/10): 
"France has been following a rather underhanded policy 
toward Turkey for some time.  France applies part of this 
dirty policy itself and forces the EU term president Holland 
to apply the other half.  Europe's -- or more correctly, 
France's -- discriminating behavior toward Turkey in the 
name of EU will not last for long.  This is just a cyclical 
position.  It is well known that France has prejudice 
feelings against Turkey.  The only way to beat this 
prejudice is to introduce the modern, democratic, and 
secular Turkey to the world.  But if you try to find out who 
is doing what on this issue, you cannot find an answer.  If 
the State Promotion Fund is not used effectively in this 
process, when will it ever be?  In other words, if we have 
such an institution, and if this institution fails to do its 
job effectively, do you believe that efforts spent in this 
direction will ever be successful?  On December 17, the EU 
will decide one way or the other, but regardless of that 
outcome we need to be more successful in presenting the real 
Turkey to the world." 
 
"Will Another February 28 Process Begin?" 
Editor-in-Chief Ertugrul Ozkok wrote in the mass appeal 
"Hurriyet" (12/10):  I don't believe it is possible to say 
anything definite until December 17.  But I do want to raise 
the question: do we need a `B Plan' for December 18 if 
things go badly with the EU?  In my view, the answer is no. 
Because if an unexpected result emerges on December 17, life 
will continue, we will still live in this country, our 
factories will continue to produce, people will still go to 
the movies.But there are two questions in all of our minds: 
First, will the economy take a downturn, with capital flight 
and reduced investment?   Second, will democratization and 
the reform process continue?  Let me write it more openly - 
will another February 28 process be launched?  It will not. 
Those days are now in the past.  Everyone in Turkey now 
understands the limits of legitimacy.  Unless there is a big 
mistake, Turkey will continue on the civilized path it has 
taken over the past three years.  So Turkey's `B Plan' is to 
make more progress on its current path.  If everyone keeps 
in mind their institutional roles, if the democratic process 
works through all of its institutions, and if the shouting 
and howling by marginal people and institutions is 
disregarded, there is no need for a `B Plan.'  Turkey will 
continue on this road. 
 
EDELMAN