US embassy cable - 04ANKARA7160

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 007160 
 
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 
MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2004 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Mosul suicide attack posted on Ansar al-Sunna webpage - 
Hurriyet 
Solana initiative for a solution in Cyprus - Aksam 12/26 
New York Times: Armenia grows lonelier - Milliyet 
`Orange' comes out of Ukrainian ballot box - Aksam 
Pro-West Yushchenko wins Ukraine presidency - Sabah 
Russia warns US against meddling in Ukraine affairs - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Bloody Christmas in Baghdad: 9 killed in suicide car attack 
- Cumhuriyet 12/26 
Isaiah Wilson: US didn't heed insurgency, may lose war in 
Iraq - Zaman 12/26 
Rumsfeld `woos' US troops in Iraq - Radikal 12/25 
`TRNC PM' invites Greek Cypriots to negotiation table - Yeni 
Safak 
Two-thirds of Greeks oppose Turkey in EU - Zaman 12/26 
Rauf Denktas: We may choose armed struggle if Turkey 
abandons us - Radikal 
Solana may become the new Cyprus mediator - Cumhuriyet 12/26 
Tsunami horror in Asia - Cumhuriyet 
 
SIPDIS 
Sharon promises free elections in Palestine - Cumhuriyet 
Iran doesn't want US at nuclear talks with EU - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Syria, Turkey heading toward strategic partnership - Syrian 
PM:  In an exclusive interview with "Zaman," Syrian PM 
Muhammed Naci Otri said his people had `deep respect' for PM 
Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's policy on Iraq, and Erdogan's 
strong reaction against Israeli conduct in Palestine.  `Our 
newly developing strategic relationship with Ankara brings 
bilateral cooperation on regional and global affairs,' Otri 
stressed, adding that such a partnership would not mean an 
alliance against `third parties.'  Otri noted that Turkish 
President Sezer will be visiting Syria soon.  A free trade 
deal signed during PM Erdogan's visit to Damascus will 
enable the sides to expand bilateral trade to the highest 
level, the Syrian PM added.  He said that the US and Israel 
will some day realize that improving ties between the two 
neighbors will serve US and Israeli interests as well. 
`Israel, by constantly pursuing a `divide and rule' policy, 
will be made uncomfortable by the rapprochement between 
Turkey and Syria,' Otri claimed.  On Iraq, Otri said that 
`unfortunately, peace and stability have been established. 
We must act with Turkey against the American occupation and 
the intimidation campaign in Iraq, he continued.'  Otri 
underlined that Syria shares Ankara's concerns about a 
prospective Kurdish state in Iraq.  Otri emphasized that 
Syria regard the situation in Iraq as a continuation of the 
Arab-Israeli conflict.  `Today,' he added, `Washington 
ignores the 1991 Madrid Agreement between Israel and Syria, 
in which the sides agreed on a land-for-peace deal.'  `The 
radical government in Tel Aviv follows suit,' he said.  Otri 
added that Syria is reluctant to see a break in dialogue 
with the US.  He strongly denied accusations that Syrian 
fighters have assisted Iraqi insurgents: `We asked a 
visiting Iraqi delegation headed by PM Allawi for hard proof 
to confirm terrorist assistance by Damascus.  They don't 
have any.  All the Iraqis could tell us was that the US and 
British have put pressure on them to blame Syria,' Otri 
said.  He noted that several US military commanders have 
praised Syria's success under Syria's border security 
agreement with Iraq.  `The US does not want to admit failure 
in the struggle against the resistance in Iraq, so they 
choose to blame other countries,' Otri claimed. 
Iranian FM visits Turkey:  Iranian FM Kamal Kharazi arrived 
in Ankara on Friday for a surprise visit for talks with 
Turkish leaders on Iraq and bilateral issues.  Kharazi, who 
is on a regional tour covering Syria and Lebanon, met with 
President Sezer, PM Erdogan and FM Gul.  Kharazi shared with 
Erdogan his concerns over the changes to the demography of 
Kirkuk, weekend papers report.  Ahead of the January 30 
polls in Iraq, both Ankara and Tehran have called for the 
participation of all ethnic groups in the elections. 
 
Ankara's new Cyprus plan:  Turkish FM Abdullah Gul agreed 
with `TRNC FM' Serdar Denktas last Friday on a new joint 
strategy for a possible new UN initiative on the 
reunification of Cyprus, "Sabah" reports.  The Turks want EU 
negotiations for Ankara's membership to the European bloc 
and UN-backed Cyprus talks to be carried out in parallel but 
separate tracks.  If Nicosia pressures the EU to convince 
Ankara to recognize the Greek Cypriot administration during 
Cyprus peace talks, Turkey will leave the negotiation table, 
according to "Sabah."  Ankara has asked the UN and EU to 
start talks in May 2005.  Turkey expects Britain, which will 
take over the EU term presidency in June, to play an active 
role in the negotiations.  Despite a demand by the EU for a 
partial withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus, Ankara 
will keep its 30,000 troops in north Cyprus until a solution 
is reached.  The Turks want the latest Annan Plan submitted 
to referendum last April to be the departure point for new 
talks, "Sabah" claims, adding that a solution that would go 
beyond the UN blueprint would be unacceptable. 
 
CHP leader: US should frighten Greek Cypriots:  Opposition 
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal is 
pessimistic about a settlement in Cyprus before the EU 
begins membership talks with Turkey unless the US and UK 
begin direct flights to north Cyprus and threaten Nicosia 
that recognition will follow.  Baykal said on CNN-Turk that 
`other European countries' should also push the Greek 
Cypriots for a solution. 
 
Turkish businessman abducted in Iraq:  Prominent Turkish 
businessman Kahraman Sadikoglu was abducted by unidentified 
insurgents in Iraq, the Turkish media reported over the 
weekend.  On Saturday, Turkey's NTV news channel aired 
footage showing a man identifying himself as Sadikoglu 
explaining that he and one of his employees, Ahmet, had been 
kidnapped.  Sadikoglu added that his captors were taking 
good care of him and his worker, and asked their relatives 
back in Turkey not the worry.  Sadikoglu, among the richest 
businessmen in Turkey, is the owner of an Istanbul-based 
shipping line that won contracts to remove the wreckage of 
sunken ships in the Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war.  `We will 
do whatever is necessary.  We hope he is alive,' FM Abdullah 
Gul said, adding that the businessman had been missing for a 
week.  Some media reports suggested that the militants had 
asked for a ransom of $25 million.  Turks constitute 30 
percent of the foreigners abducted in Iraq, "Reuters" 
reported. 
 
Another Turkish trucker killed in Iraq:  A Turkish driver 
was shot dead near the city of Beyci, north of Baghdad, 
Monday papers report.  The identity of the Turkish driver 
was not immediately available. 
 
Former DEP lawmakers form new party:  Former Kurdish 
lawmaker Leyla Zana and her colleagues from the former DEP 
Party, some Kurdish politicians, and lawyers of jailed PKK 
leader Abdullah Ocalan launched a new Kurdish-based 
political party,  the `Democratic Society Movement' (DTH), 
in Diyarbakir over the weekend.  The group announced their 
program, highlighted by a call for a democratic solution to 
the Kurdish problem, demands for legal guarantees for the 
Kurdish identity and cultural rights, and the removal of 
restrictions on broadcasts in Kurdish. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
-- Ukraine 
-- North Korea 
-- Syria 
 
"Elections in Ukraine" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the conservative "Turkiye" (12/27: 
"There were a record number of observers to cover the 
elections in Ukraine.  Americans made up the vast majority 
of these 13,000 observers.  It seems that Yanukovic has no 
chance to be elected this time, as Yushchenko leads in all 
the exit polols. . The strong international interest in 
Ukraine stems partly from the strength of the Ukrainian 
diaspora in the US and in Europe.  They have committed 
themselves to being both anti-Russian and anti-communist. . 
If Yushchenko becomes the new president, which seems very 
likely, he will work for Ukraine's membership in the EU.  In 
the event he is successful, Ukraine would become, after the 
UK, the EU member country with the closest ties to the 
United states." 
 
"North Korea" 
Zafer Atay wrote in the economic-political "Dunya" (12/27): 
"North Korea is exerting  all of its energy and resources to 
develop a nuclear program and ballistic missiles, and to 
feed massive army of 1.5 million men.  North Korea continues 
to receive food aid from the US, Japan, and South Korea, 
and, oddly enough, state-controlled television and radio 
continue to make propaganda against these countries.  The 
international community, including Russia and China, are 
trying to convince the North Korean administration to give 
up its nuclear program.  Washington has already declared 
North Korea to be part of the `axis of evil.'  There is 
growing speculation that North Korea will be the `third 
target' of the United States, after the operations in 
Afghanistan and Iraq." 
 
"A New Era with Syria" 
Kamuran Ozbir wrote in the nationalist "Ortadogu" (12/27): 
"The close relations between Syria and Turkey take place in 
a new atmosphere of geopolitical change.  The change in 
leadership in Damascus has brought a new international 
approach, particularly in the post-9/11 period.  The US 
occupation of Iraq, the Israel factor, and the pro-Islamic 
AKP administration in Turkey have forced a reassessment in 
Syrian foreign policy and helped to set the stage for 
stronger Turkey-Syria ties. . The current phase of Turkish- 
Syrian relations seems to be based on pragmatism rather than 
ideology, and has a potential to grow even further." 
 
DEUTSCH