US embassy cable - 05ANKARA106

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000106 
 
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, JANUARY 7, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
 
Gul Discusses Uzan Family in Jordan - Hurriyet 
Peace Formula for the Middle East - Hurriyet 
PM Erdogan to Ask Putin's Support For Cyprus - Sabah 
Next Summit of Iraq's Neighbors to be Held in Istanbul - 
Sabah 
Weak Security at Turkish Airports - Milliyet 
Uzans Want to Buy A TV Channel - Milliyet 
Gul Pleased by Amman Summit - Aksam 
Gul: The Middle East Will Feel Our Presence - Turkiye 
NATO Commander Gen. James Jones Visits Ozkok - Turkiye 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
 
A Call From Arinc to End Headscarf Ban - Radikal 
NATO Commander in Ankara - Cumhuriyet 
Arinc Suggests `New Page' for Headscarf Debate  - Zaman 
PM Erdogan Calls for More Aid to South Asia - Yeni Safak 
Erdogan to Visit South Asia 
 
BRIEFING 
 
FM Gul's Visit to the Middle  East:  Papers generally 
describe FM Gul's visit to the Middle East as very 
productive.  Gul said that Turkey will play a more active 
role for Middle East peace, and asserted that Turkey is 
trusted by both Israel and the Palestinians.  Gul said that 
`after the Jan.9 elections, the Palestinian side will end 
suicide attacks and Israel will stop killing Palestinians.' 
`There will be great progress, and we discussed this with 
both sides,' he added.  Gul confirmed reports that Israeli 
companies have been urged to invest in the `TRNC.'  The 
Foreign Minister was reportedly pleased with the results of 
the meeting of foreign ministers from Iraq's neighboring 
countries.  The ministers expressed support for a federative 
structure in Iraq following the January 30 elections.  FM 
Gul stressed that such a federation could not be based on 
religion or ethnicitiy.  Iraqi FM Zebari agreed, and 
described the future Iraq as a `geographically federated' 
state.  The meeting's concluding documents also reaffirmed 
the neighbors' commitment to maintaining Iraq's territorial 
integrity and condemned the killing of civilian workers and 
drivers in Iraq. 
 
NATO Commander General James Jones Visits Ankara:  Papers 
report that General James Jones, Supreme Allied Commander of 
NATO, visited Ankara yesterday at the invitation of TGS 
Chairman General Hilmi Izkok.  The two men reportedly 
discussed NATO activities in Afghanistan and Iraq. 
 
Turks, Iraqis Agree on New Procedures for Turkish Truckers: 
A report in "Milliyet" claims that Turkish and Iraqi 
officials agreed on a series of `radical measures'to improve 
security for Turkish truckers in Iraq.  Such measures 
include armed protection teams, reconaissance vehhicles in 
advance of truck convoys, the stationing of Iraqi troops 
along main truck routes, and variation of the routes used by 
truckers.  Truckers have also been warned not to stray from 
their convoys, particularly when returning to Turkey from 
Iraq. 
 
FAA Inspectors Find Gaps in Turkish Entry Procedures: 
"Milliyet" reports that a group of FAA inspectors made 
unannounced visits to airports in Istanbul, Ankara, and 
Diyarbakir in October 2004 and found serious gaps in Turkish 
security procedures.  The inspectors were able to fly from a 
point outside Turkey to Diyarbakir through Istanbul without 
passing through any kind of passport control.  The same 
situation pertains to international flights that transit 
through Ankara.  Turkish officials claimed that the entry 
loophole will be closed on February 2, when a new regulation 
will go into effect requiring passport control to be 
conducted at the first point of entry. 
 
Erdogan to Seek Russian Support for Resolving the Cyprus 
Issue:  "Sabah" reports that during his visit to Russia next 
week, PM Erdogan will seek Russian President Putin's support 
to solve the Cyprus issue.  Erdogan wants Russia to give a 
green light to the release of the UN report on Cyprus as a 
step toward ending embargoes against the Turkish Cypriots. 
 
More Claims of Military Corruption:  The lead stories in 
most Turkish dailies was the testimony of Ali Osman Ozmen, 
the contractor at the center of corruption charges related 
to military construction contracts.  Although Ozmen denied 
most of the charges against him, he revealed that he had 
made a `loan' of 150,000 USD to General Tuncer Kilinc, then 
Secretary General of Turkey's National Security Council. 
 
SIPDIS 
Ozmen insisted that the payment was not a bribe, but 
acknowledged that General Kilinc had never repaid the money. 
 
Uzan Family to Buy A New TV Channel:  "Milliyet" gives 
details of a tapped telephone conversation between Cem Uzan 
and his fugitive brother, Hakan Uzan.  This phone 
conversation makes clear that the Uzans are planning to buy 
a national TV channel using a foreign investor as a front- 
man.  According to the phone records, "Star" newspaper 
correspondent Zeynep Gurcanli reportedly approached the US 
embassy seeking an appointment for Cem Uzan with Ambassador 
Edelman.  The report claims that the Ambassador is `waiting 
for a decision from Washington' before meeting with Uzan. 
(Editor's note:  In fact, the Ambassador turned down the 
request in no uncertain terms.  Endf note.) .  Meanwhile, 
"Hurriyet" reports that during his visit to Jordan 
yesterday, FM Gul discussed the whereabouts of members of 
the Uzan family who are wanted on criminal charges in Turkey 
and are believed to be living in Jordan.  He reportedly 
raised the issue during a meeting with Jordanian King 
Abdullah. 
 
Arinc Steps in to Solve the Headscarf Problem: 
"Cumhuriyet", "Zaman", "Radikal", and "Yeni Safak" report 
that during his meeting yesterday with the `Freedom of 
Beliefs Platform,'  Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said 
that Turkey must solve the headscarf problem.  Arinc 
reportedly urged the government to take measures to end 
headscarf restrictions in Turkey. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
?    The Middle East 
?    Iraqi Elections 
 
 
"Turkish Efforts in the Middle East" 
Kamuran Ozbir observed in the nationalist "Ortadogu" (1/7): 
"The new Palestinian administration clearly wants Turkey to 
act as a mediator in the peace process.  Ankara has the 
potential to play this role effectively because of its 
relations with both the Islamic world and Israel.  Under 
current circumstances, Turkey seems to want to take an 
active mediation role rather than a just the facilitative 
role it played in previous peace efforts.  In other words, 
Turkey wants to be actively involved instead of just being a 
message-carrier.  Yet there are some pitfalls here: Will the 
US, for example, approve of Turkey's approach?  We should 
also keep an eye on the reaction of the UN, Russia, and the 
EU. . On the other hand, if the US is sincere in its desire 
to see a reform process in the Arab world, it must take 
urgent steps for a new peace process.  Such a process should 
be based on a new approach that includes a Palestinian state 
with Jerusalem as its capital." 
 
"Iraq and the Elections" 
Mensur Akgun wrote in the economic-political "Referans" 
(1/7): "Iraq is moving closer to the election date, but the 
potential for ethnic and religious conflict is also growing. 
Iraq has not yet equipped itself with even the basics of a 
working state system.  Security remains the biggest problem. 
The occupation regime cannot even protect its own police 
force, let alone the recently assassinated governor of 
Baghdad.  Despite numerous military operations, terrorist 
acts continue to spread.  January 30 is approaching, but it 
is still not clear whether the elections will even be held. 
In any case, an election postponement would serve only the 
interests of resistance groups and terrorists.  Carrying out 
the elections will help the new Iraqi Government gain some 
degree of legitimacy, despite the expected low turnout in 
some areas.  There are groups which have already announced 
their intention to boycott the elections, and the legitimacy 
question remains a serious one.  In the event the elections 
are postponed, the hand of terrorist groups will be 
strengthened." 
EDELMAN