US embassy cable - 04ANKARA7201

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 007201 
 
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, DECEMBER 29, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Powell to "Paris Match": I Have No Regrets - Milliyet 
US Calls on Sunnis to Join Iraq Elections - Aksam 
Iraq Heads To Elections, Sunnis May Withdraw - Sabah 
Bin-Ladin Calls For Death to Turks Doing Business With US in 
Iraq - Milliyet 
Bin-Ladin Declares Zarkawi His `Emir' in Iraq - Sabah 
Abbas Vows to Follow Arafat's Path - Aksam 
40 Turks missing after south Asia earthquake - Hurriyet 
Humanitarian Aid Floods South Asia - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Armitage, Number 2 at State Dept, Will Discuss PKK in Ankara 
- Zaman 
Armitage Due in Ankara to Discuss Iraq, Cyprus - Cumhuriyet 
Israel Expects PM Erdogan After FM Gul - Zaman 
Bin-Ladin Issues Death `Fatwa' For All in Iraq, Including 
Turks - Cumhuriyet 
Bin-Ladin Threatens Turkish Firms in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Slip of the Tongue or Rumsfeld's 9/11 Confession? Yeni Safak 
Denktas promises not to run again for `TRNC' presidency - 
Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Armitage due in Ankara:  US Deputy Secretary of State 
Richard Armitage is due in Ankara on Sunday to discuss 
differences over US policy in Iraq and the presence of PKK 
terrorists in the region, Turkish papers report.  Armitage, 
who is to step down from his post along with Secretary 
Powell early next year, is scheduled to meet Monday with PM 
Erdogan, FM Gul and military officials, according to 
reports.  "Milliyet" comments that Armitage will also 
discuss other issues, including US uneasiness with Iranian 
and Syrian efforts to meddle in the Iraq elections, the 
security of Turkish truck drivers in Iraq, and the situation 
in Afghanistan, where Turkey will once again take over the 
ISAF command in Spring 2005. 
 
Turkish FM to visit Israel:  FM Abdullah Gul will pay a 
visit to Israel and Palestine January 4-5 following a period 
of tension in relations between the two regional allies, the 
MFA announced Tuesday.  `The visit will address bilateral 
relations with Israel 
and Palestine as well as the Middle East peace process and 
other regional issues,' the statement said.  Gul is 
scheduled to travel on to Jordan for a meeting of Iraq's 
neighbors ahead of the January 30 elections there.  A high- 
level Israeli foreign ministry official told "Zaman" that 
the Gul visit would open the path to a long-awaited call by 
Turkish PM Erdogan.  "Milliyet" notes that Washington does 
not want relations between Turkey and Israel to be 
downgraded, and considers it significant that FM Gul will be 
visiting Israel." 
 
US wants to take Sunnis to Iraqi ballot box:  US Secretary 
of State Colin Powell said at a press conference on Tuesday 
that Sunni leaders ahould aim for the widest possible 
participation by their community in the upcoming Iraqi 
elections, Turkish papers report.  Powell added that once 
the Iraqi parliament is elected, it must ensure a 
proportionate representation of all ethnic groups in the 
country.  The US is worried that a Sunni boycott of the 
January 30 elections may leave the Iraqi parliament under 
Shiite control, which could cause `excluded' Sunnis to join 
marginal resistance groups, "Zaman" speculates. 
 
Bin-Ladin calls for death to foreigners in Iraq:  Osama bin- 
Laden, in a televised statement on "Al-Jazeera" on Monday, 
called for the death of all foreigners doing business and 
providing goods to the `enemy' in Iraq, including Turks. 
`Those who participate in the elections in Iraq will be 
deemed infidels,' bin Ladin said. 
 
Erdogan reiterates call on UN, EU for Cyprus settlement:  PM 
Erdogan told the Turkish parliament Tuesday that the United 
Nations should revive peace talks between Greek and Turkish 
Cypriots, adding that the EU also had a role to play in 
efforts for a settlement on the divided island.  `We cannot 
protect Turkish interests on Cyprus by staying passive,' 
Erdogan said.  `Turkey must always be one step ahead and 
take the initiative with courageous steps,' he added.  The 
Prmie Minister rejected opposition Republican People's Party 
(CHP) claims that he planned to `sell out' the Turkish 
Cypriots to make progress toward EU membership. 
 
Britain releases Turkish drug baron:  British authorities 
released a Turkish drug baron, Nurettin Guven, following a 
brief detention, despite Ankara's demand for him to be 
extradited, "Hurriyet" reports.  Guven, believed to be among 
the key figures in the European drug trade, had been 
convicted and sentenced to 15 years of prison in Turkey.  He 
acquired British citizenship after fleeing Turkey. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
?    US-Turkish Relations 
?    Iraq Elections 
?    PA Elections 
 
"Our Old Friend America" 
Turker Alkan wrote in the liberal intellectual "Radikal" 
(12/29): "We are angry at the Americans, and from our point 
of view, of course, we are right.  They've taken our 
soldiers, put sacks over their heads, and treated them as 
prisoners.  They haven't lifted a finger against the PKK, 
which is in the process of regrouping.  They are spoiling 
Barzani and Talabani.  They don't seem to care about Turkish 
truck drivers being killed and Turkish businessmen being 
kidnapped.  They don't keep their word.  The Turkmen in Iraq 
are being pressured or ignored.  But isn't there a message 
that the United States is trying to send through all of 
this?  I think America is trying to say this: `Turks, we are 
your friends, your brothers, even your strategic ally, but 
you haven't done what is necessary in this relationship. You 
left us alone at the most critical moment, when we were 
about to go to war.  You didn't keep your word.  We are 
supporting you now to the same extent you supported us 
then.'  This kind of language doesn't fit with diplomacy, 
but I think that is the message being sent to us, at least 
indirectly.  There is something else that we are being told: 
`Our work in Iraq is not yet finished, and it might even get 
more difficult.  Either you will give closer cooperation on 
these issues, or else.there will be a Kurdish state in 
northern Iraq, and the PKK presence will continue.'  The 
inattentiveness that the United States has shown toward our 
requests may be a sign that a longer-term, strategic 
bargaining is underway.  America has many things it is 
trying to achieve, not only in Iraq but in the Middle East 
and North Africa as well.  It may be able to achieve these 
goals without Turkey.  But there is no doubt that the job of 
the US will be much easier, and the US will pay a much lower 
price, if it has the support of the most developed and 
powerful country in this region.  But we also have the 
responsibility to try to solve our own problems.  We should 
avoid thinking that everything in Iraq is under US control, 
so the US is responsible for everything that happens there. 
In fact, it is a debatable point how much control the US 
actually has in Iraq.  For example, in the case of the 
attack against our security officials in Mosul, we blamed 
the United States, we blamed the Kurds, we blamed the 
Arabs.all of these accusations may be justified, but don't 
we also need to point the finger of blame at ourselves? 
Everyone going into Iraq is taking his life into his hands, 
especially the Turks.  In that environment, how smart was it 
to load a car full of Turkish officials and send them down 
that road like lambs to the slaughter?  Didn't anyone stop 
to think that they would be an easy mark?  Would it have 
been so hard to send them by plane, or at least in armoured 
vehicles or with a security escort?  I'm not accusing 
anyone.  But I am asking how appropriate it is to accuse the 
US when there are things that we should have done but failed 
to do. 
 
"Iraq" 
Taha Akyol asserted in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (12/29): 
"Iraq is rapidly moving toward an ethnic and religious 
conflict.  The recent assassination attempt against Shiite 
leader El-Hakim is an obvious act of provocation. . 
Fortunately, this provocative act did not have the intended 
effect.  The Shiite leadership decided not to retaliate, and 
to continue to support the upcoming election process.  On 
the other hand, the terrorist leader Bin-Laden seems to be 
working hard to pour more gasoline onto the fire.  In a 
recorded message, he did not condemn the assassination 
attempt against El-Hakim, but rather called for a boycott of 
the elections in Iraq.  Moreover, he announced that El- 
Zarkawi is the Al-Qaeda representative in Iraq. . Tension 
between the Shiites and Sunnis is accelerating.  The 
election process will only serve to exacerbate that tension. 
It is almost certain that the Kurds will take advantage of 
the chaotic situation and take steps toward the division of 
Iraq.  There are tough days ahead for Iraq and the entire 
region." 
 
"New Hopes in the Middle East" 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (12/29): 
"There are signs that some things may be going right in the 
Middle East.  These are small things and tiny details, yet 
they constitute an important whole when we look at the big 
picture.  Given the current atmosphere, the upcoming visit 
of the Turkish Foreign Minister to Israel and Palestine 
becomes even more important. . The winner of Palestinian 
elections will most likely be Mahmoud Abbas.  He is known as 
a moderate figure who has a realistic position regarding 
Israel.  There are credible signs that he will be willing to 
establish a dialogue with the Israeli government when he 
takes charge.  The release of 159 Palestinian prisoners by 
Israel is also an important gesture.  Mahmoud Abbas does not 
support violence, and he has characterized the intifada as 
wrong. . Putting the pieces together, some positive 
developments can be expected after the elections.  It is not 
possible yet to speak about optimism, but the newly 
developing atmosphere in the region cannot be denied." 
 
EDELMAN