US embassy cable - 05ANKARA88

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000088 
 
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, JANUARY 5, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
 
Are We Europeans? - Hurriyet 
Turkish Campaign on "Armenian Genocide" Issue - Hurriyet 
FM Gul Urges Palestine to Start Peace Talks with Israel - 
Sabah 
US Officials Apologize for Treatment of Turkish Police Chief 
in US - Milliyet 
Turmoil Continues in CHP - Milliyet 
"Washington Post: "Egypt Conducted Nuclear Experiments in 
Turkey" - Milliyet 
World Races to Help Tsunami Victims - Vatan 
Palestinians Urge Active Turkish Role in Middle East Peace - 
Turkiye 
Israel to Allow Investment in `TRNC - Turkiye 
US Prepares to Implement More Sanctions Against Syria - 
Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
 
Looking for Change in CHP - Cumhuriyet 
US Prepares Operation in Mosul - Cumhuriyet 
Baykal May Not Win CHP Leadership This Time - Radikal 
Erdogan: No Cabinet Revision For Now - Radikal 
Arinc: Turkey Not Ready for Presidential System - Yeni Safak 
FM Gul: Turkey Supports Palestinian Cause - Yeni Safak 
First Turkish Minister in Palestinian Authority - Zaman 
 
BRIEFING 
 
FM Gul's Visit to Middle East:  "Cumhuriyet" reports that 
during his address to the Palestinian Parliament, Turkish 
Foreign Minister Gul stressed Turkish support for the 
Palestinian cause.  Gul was the first foreign minister to 
address the Palestinian Parliament.  Gul urged the new 
Palestinian administration to carry out reforms aimed at 
greater democratization, the elimination of corruption, and 
greater transparency.  The FM stressed the need for the two 
sides to return to negotiations.  `We saw that Israel is 
ready to do everything it can for peace,' Gul said, `but 
they want the suicide bombings to end.'  Gul said that PM 
erdogan would visit the region in the near future.  He 
pledged that Turkey would support international efforts in 
Gaza following an Israeli withdrawl.  Gul announced that the 
Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Development (TIKA) will 
open an office in Jerusalem or Ramallah soon in order to 
examine possibilities for cooperation with the Palestinian 
Authority.  "Milliyet" reports that the Israeli government 
announced the lifting of a ban that had prevented Israeli 
companies from investing in Northern Cyprus. Turkey called 
on Israeli businessmen to make efforts to begin direct 
flights from Israel to the `TRNC.' 
 
General Jones in Ankara:  Papers report that NATO Supreme 
Allied Commander, General James Jones, arrives in Ankara 
today as the guest of the Turkish General Staff.  Gen. 
Jones' talks are expected to focus on Afghanistan and NATO 
training of Iraqi security forces. 
 
Possible US Sanctions Against Syria:   "Milliyet" and 
"Aksam" report that as the first diplomatic step in 2005, 
the Bush Administration has strongly warned Syria to stop 
sheltering former members of the Iraqi Baathist 
administration.  Washington gave this message to Syria 
through Deputy Secretary Armitage and warned that certain 
sanctions would be implemented against Syria in the event 
the problem continues.  The new sanctions would be aimed at 
isolating the Syrian banking system. 
Turkey Starts Campaign to Silence Armenian Genocide Claims: 
"Hurriyet" reports that Turkey is preparing a public 
campaign to silence claims of an `Armenian genocide.'  In a 
program that aired on yesterday's "CNN-Turk," the chairman 
of Armenian Research at the Turkish History Institute, 
Professor Hikmet Ozdemir, announced the campaign and said 
that Turkey has enough evidence in hand to prove that the 
deahts of Armenians in 1915 were not part of `a massacre,' 
but the result of fighting related to World War I. 
 
Turkey Shows No Respect Tsunami Victims:  "Sabah" notes on 
its front page that  while European countries stopped for 
three minutes yesterday in memory of the tsunami victims, 
Turkey did not join the memorial ceremony.  "Hurriyet" also 
notes that Turkey had failed to demonstrate the necessary 
sensitivity in this issue, and claims that private pledges 
of assistance from Turks are running far behind those in 
other countries.  Some commentators continue to criticize 
the US response to the disaster.  Many who had previously 
argued that the US had been `stingy' in allocating 
assistance funds now claim that the US assistance effort is 
a propoganda effort aimed at improving the US image in the 
Islamic world.  Several papers report that PM Erdogan is 
considering a visit to the devastated region following his 
upcoming travel to Moscow. 
 
Turmoil Continues in CHP:  All papers report that divisions 
within the opposition CHP and disagreements among party 
members are intensifying.  "Radikal" speculates that CHP 
leader Deniz Baykal may not be able to weather the political 
storm this time.  Many papers speculate that CHP deputies 
who are opposed to Baykal but cannot support his chief 
rival, Mustafa Sarigul, are pushing for a compromise that 
would enable a caretaker party leader, perhaps Zulfu 
Livaneli, to take over the party until the next regular 
party convention. 
 
Yahya Murat Demirel to be Extradited From Bulgaria:  All 
papers report that Yahya Murat Demirel, nephew of former 
Turkish President Suleyman Demirel and former owner of the 
failed Egebank, will be extradited by a Bulgarian court to 
Turkey to stand trial on embezzlement and corruption 
charges.  Demirel and his wife, reportedly a US citizen, had 
traveled to Bulgaria in a fishing boat on New Year's Eve in 
violation of an international travel ban placed on him by 
Turkish authorities.  A report in "Hurriyet" suggests that 
Demirel's wife, Aysenur Esener Demirel, may have also 
violated US law by entering the United States without 
declaring the more than 10,000 dollars in cash that she had 
been carrying. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
?    Tsunami Relief 
?    Iraq 
?    Middle East 
 
 
"Tsunami Politics" 
Sami Kohen observed in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (1/6): 
"Despite the ongoing extraordinary efforts of the 
international community to help the tsunami victims, there 
are some developments that have shown a certain lack of 
sensitivity.  Saudi Arabia, despite its annual oil revenues 
of 80 billion dollars, has pledged just 10 million dollars 
in assistance.  The UAE is contributing only 2 million 
dollars.  It is really hard to understand why these 
countries are so stingy, especially when the disaster area 
includes Indonesia, a country with the largest Muslim 
population in the world.  On the other hand, those who are 
assisting are not acting very graciously either.  In some 
cases, political or economic motives have prevailed over 
humanitarian factors. .. The US and some other Western 
countries have started to compete with each other to lead 
the relief program.  Their efforts are being adjusted in 
order to create a positive image in the region and to 
increase their political influence.  The US, for instance, 
has already launched a public relations campaign by sending 
aircraft carriers, helicopters, and relief teams to the 
region.  Secretary Powell has added a political component to 
the relief effort by saying that the tsunami relief is an 
indication of American generosity toward the Islamic world. 
. The relief effort should be conducted through 
international organizations, particularly the United 
Nations.  There is an urgent need to establish a rapid 
relief fund and a coordination mechanism within the UN." 
 
"The Test Ahead of Iraq" 
Erdal Safak commented in the mass appeal "Sabah" (1/6): 
"Uncertainty regarding the upcoming Iraqi elections is a 
reason for concern both in the West and in the Islamic 
world.  The circumstances in Iraq have created a dilemma: 
holding elections will be problematic, but even more 
problems could be seen if the elections are postponed.  The 
election results will not fully reflect the national will 
unless the Sunni Arabs, who constitute the second largest 
ethnic group in Iraq, reverse their decision to boycott. 
This scenario has the potential to increase the threat of 
Sunni armed resistance.  The other scenario -- if the 
elections were to be postponed -- would serve to benefit 
resistance groups and Usame Bin Ladin.  In short, the 
situation is a clasic vicious circle which caused divisions 
even with the current Iraqi administration.  Iraqi Prime 
Minister Allawi wants the elections to be held on time, 
while President Al Yawar prefers a postponement. . In any 
case, we believe the elections in Iraq should be held on 
January 30 as scheduled.  Afghanistan successfully completed 
an election process despite threats from Bin Ladin and the 
Taliban.  Iraq should follow the same example and pass this 
test." 
 
"The Karzai of Palestine" 
Ibrahim Karagul argued in the Islamist-opinion maker "Yeni 
Safak" (1/6): "Afghanistan is now under the control of US 
forces.  Iraq is under a US occupation.  Palestine is under 
a US-supported Israeli occupation.  Both Afghanistan and 
Iraq were occupied with the same pretext - to bring 
democracy. . The elections in Afghanistan helped to 
legitimize the occupation, and the current administration - 
the `Karzai model' - is acting on behalf of the CIA.  The 
occupation of Iraq will also be legitimized through the 
elections on January 30. . Unfortunately, the current 
situation in Palestine is similar to that in Iraq and 
Afghanistan.  The change of regime in Palestine is underway, 
with growing efforts to create a new political class and a 
new government elite.  The ongoing process is shaped by 
Israeli and US interests rather than the will of the 
Palestinian people.  In Iraq and Afghanistan, this process 
was disguised as the "war on terrorism," but in Palestine it 
is being done to `further the peace process.' . The United 
States, the EU, Israel, and even some Arab countries are 
strongly lobbying for Mahmud Abbas.  Why Abbas?  The answer 
-- that he is being supported `in the name of peace' - seems 
far-fetched.  They are intervening in Palestine in the same 
way they did in Afghanistan and Iraq." 
EDELMAN