US embassy cable - 04ANKARA7223

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 007223 
 
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, DECEMBER 30, 2004 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
 
76 Turks Missing After South Asia Disaster - Hurriyet 
Two Turkish Rescue Teams in Sri Lanka - Hurriyet 
Explosion During Police Raid Claims 30 Lives in Baghdad - 
Milliyet 
Zarkawi Group Claims Responsibility For Attack Against el- 
Hakim - Aksam 
US, Israel At Odds Over Israeli Arms Sales to China - Aksam 
Tunisian Astrologer Predicts Assassination Attempt Against 
Bush in 2005 - Sabah - 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
5 Million South Asians Cry For Help - Radikal 
UN Says Billions of Dollars Needed to Cope With Disaster - 
Cumhuriyet 
Turkey to Send $1 million in Humanitarian Aid to Tsunami 
Victims - Radikal 
Bad News From Iraq: Another Turkish Trucker Killed Near 
Baghdad - Radikal 
Former US Attorney General to defend Saddam - Zaman 
UN Aid Convoys Denied Access to Darfur - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Tens of Turks missing after south Asia disaster:  MFA 
Spokesman Namik Tan said Turkey is looking for over 70 of 
its nationals who remain unaccounted for after the tsunami 
disaster in south Asia.  The Turkish government announced on 
Wednesday that it will contribute one million dollars to the 
worldwide relief effort for the victims of the tragedy in 
South Asia.  The Turkish Red Crescent is also collecting 
money in a separate fund-raising campaign. 
 
Armitage to meet with TGS chief:  US Deputy Secretary of 
State Richard Armitage has requested a meeting with the 
Thurkish Chief of Staff, General Hilmi Ozkok, during his 
January 3 visit to Ankara, "Milliyet" reports.  The meeting 
will be the first for the TGS with an official from the Bush 
Administration since the Turkish parliament rejected the 
proposed deployment of US troops to Iraq through Turkey, 
"Milliyet" claims. 
 
`Confessions' of a Russian PKK militant:  Anatoly Kapilov, a 
former Russian soldier who joined the PKK after serving two 
years in the Russian army, claimed that a US military 
delegation paid a visit to the separatist organization's 
camp in the Hakurk Mountains of northern Iraq to meet with 
`Amed of Malazgirt,' a camp leader, "Hurriyet" reports. 
Kapilov reportedly said the northern Iraqi Kurdish parties, 
the  KDP and PUK, have provided arms and ammunition to the 
PKK.  Osman Ocalan's strategic alliance with the US required 
him to leave the PKK, Kapilov said.  Kapilov claimed that 
missiles are being sent to the PKK through Armenia, and 
added that the organization had an arms cache near the Lolan 
River in which they are storing 2,500 landmines, 2,000 
mortars and Katyusha ground-to-air missiles.  Kapilov and 
four other PKK militants turned themselves in to the Turkish 
authorities last month. 
 
Another Turkish trucker killed in Iraq:  A Turkish truck 
driver was killed near Samarra, north of Baghdad, in an 
armed attack on Wednesday.  The identity of the driver was 
not immediately available. 
 
American families support Iraqi war victims:  Families of US 
troops killed in Iraq arrived in Amman, Jordan in an effort 
to support Iraqi citizens displaced from the town of 
Fallujah, "Aksam" reports.  The Americans in Amman 
supervised the distribution of medicine, medical equipment, 
blankets and toys and their transport to Fallujah.  The 
humanitarian aid is worth $600,000.  The American families 
blamed George Bush and his government for the ongoing 
fighting in Iraq. 
 
US cannot convince Russia on Cyprus:  The US is trying to 
convince Russia not to block a report by Kofi Annan in which 
the UN Secretary General held the Greek Cypriots responsible 
for rejecting a UN blueprint for the reunification of Cyprus 
in a referenda held last April.  The US urged Moscow not to 
veto a UN resolution based on the report.  The resolution 
would call for the removal of sanctions on northern Cyprus, 
"Radikal"  comments.  Moscow allegedly rejected Washington's 
request, dashing hopes for a more positive position from 
Russia raised during the visit of President Putin to Ankara 
earlier this month. 
 
Residents uncomfortable with US Embassy security measures: 
Enhanced security measures around the US Embassy in Ankara 
have disturbed Turks living in the neighborhood, today's 
"Sabah" reports.  The US Embassy is surrounded by chain-link 
fences, patrolled by police with automatic weapons, and 
protected by concrete barriers.  District residents are 
worried about their security in the face of a possible 
attack against the Embassy, and community leaders have 
collected 800 signatures for a complaint that will be given 
to the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs in January 2005. 
As one Turk noted: `I'm a taxpayer, and Americans do not 
have a right to block our sidewalks here.' 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
?    Asian Quake 
?    Ukraine 
 
"Thanks to the Tourists" 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (12/30): "One 
wonders if the Asian quake would have gained such 
international attention had large numbers of foreign 
tourists not been in the disaster region.  Fortunately, 
global tourism has led to a massive assistance effort and 
support for the disaster areas. . However, the current 
support and attention is not enough.  Millions of dollars 
are needed to heal the wounds and fight against famine and 
disease, but the disaster regions have governments with 
severe financial limitations.  Assistance from the West 
world has started to flow, but has not yet reached a 
satisfactory level. . An international mechanism under UN 
leadership should have been established for more immediate 
reaction to this kind of disaster.  Unfortunately, this has 
never been done." 
 
"It is Like a Massacre" 
Umur Talu wrote in the mass appeal "Sabah" (12/30): "The 
death of thousands in a natural disaster always brings a 
discussion about whether the death toll could have been 
decreased.  But this disaster did not stem only from natural 
causes - there is a human factor here as well.  The failure 
to save thousands of lives in Sri Lanka and India is simply 
the result of poverty and ignorance.  The tsunami early 
alert system for the Pacific Ocean (Tsunami Alert Center for 
the Pacific), which is run from the United States, was 
unable to spread the word in time to India and Sri Lanka, 
because they were not member states and because the quake 
happened in the Indian Ocean, not in the Pacific.  When you 
look at it this way, you can clearly see that the lack of 
security from natural forces around the world is, to a a 
certain extent, man-made. ." 
 
"The Ukraine Challenge for the World" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the conservative "Turkiye" (12/30): 
"The crisis in Ukraine is not over.  In fact, it is just 
beginning.  Moreover, the Ukraine crisis is starting to 
become a global issue.  Following the victory of Yushchenko, 
the pro-US and pro-EU figure, Russia announced a joint 
military exercise with China.  Putin is also trying to take 
India into this alliance.  In any case, it is certain that 
Putin is preparing a declaration of strategic alliance with 
China.  It will be interesting to see to what extent China 
will be able to establish a military alliance with Russia. 
India is not likely to change its non-allied stance, but the 
fact is that there is a strong effort underway by the 
Russians to show their strength against the US and the EU." 
 
"Victor's Victory" 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (12/30): "Two 
Victors ran in the Ukrainian elections, and Yuschenko was 
given a significant victory.  Yet the other Victor is not 
conceding.  Interestingly, there was a similar situation 
during the previous elections in November.  At that time, 
however, the cheating was real and was well documented. . 
Yanukovic cannot resist forever, and it is very unlikely 
that he will be able to persuade people that he and his 
supporters have been cheated.  The political atmosphere in 
Ukraine should be returning to normal soon.  A major shift 
in Ukraine's foreign policy should not be expected in the 
short run.  Yuschenko wants Ukraine to move closer to NATO 
and the EU, but he has also signaled a balanced policy line 
as he prepares to make his first official trip abroad - to 
Moscow." 
 
EDELMAN