US embassy cable - 05ANKARA224

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000224 
 
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, JANUARY 12, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
 
US Requests More on Incirlik - Hurriyet 
Promises Repeated on PKK Issue - Hurriyet 
Cyprus Support from Putin - Hurriyet 
Incirlik Request from the US - Sabah 
Cyprus Gesture - Sabah 
General Abizaid: "We Want to Use Incirlik as an Ally" - 
Milliyet 
Ankara Warns US and Iraq About PKK - Milliyet 
Cyprus Gesture from Putin - Sabah 
Two critical Requests at PKK Talks - Sabah 
US Repeats Request for Incirlik - Aksam 
President Bush Writes on Tsunami Victims - Posta 
US Passes Ball to Iraq at Trilateral Meeting - Vatan 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
 
General Abizaid Seeks Operational Use of Incirlik - Radikal 
US Will Not Interfere with PKK in Iraq - Radikal 
US Insists on Incirlik - Cumhuriyet 
Turkish Troops On Their Way to Afghanistan - Cumhuriyet 
No Concrete Result From Trilateral PKK Meeting - Cumhuriyet 
Northern Cyprus Gesture From Putin - Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
General Abizaid in Ankara:  All papers and TV channels cover 
the visit of US Central Command General John Abizaid to 
Ankara.  The General met with NSC chairman Yigit Alpogan and 
FM Gul yesterday.  Following the meeting with Gul, General 
Abizaid responded to journalists' questions as he left the 
Foreign Ministry.  "Cumhuriyet" quotes Abizaid as saying 
that `We look forward to use the facilities in Incirlik as 
an ally.  It is good for us, it is good for Turkey if we can 
use the facilities there.'  Abizaid stressed that the two 
sides also discussed the PKK issue.  The US, like Turkey, 
regards the PKK as a terrorist organization, Abizaid said. 
He vowed that the PKK threat would be eliminated `over 
time,' but emphasized that US forces are now focused on 
providing a secure environment for the upcoming elections in 
Iraq. "Radikal" reports that General Abizaid presented 
Turkish officials with a number of demands about the use of 
Incirlik air base.  He reportedly asked the Turkish 
government to remove the requirement to seek parliamentary 
approval for the use of the base.  However, Foreign Ministry 
Sources said that Abizaid did not convey any new demands 
about Incirlik. 
 
Trilateral Meetings on the PKK:  "Cumhuriyet" reports that 
the trilateral meeting on PKK between Turkey-US-Iraq 
produced no concrete results.  Turkey presented evidence and 
managed to convince the US that the PKK intended to 
participate in the Iraqi election under different names. 
The US ensured Turkey that it would exert every effort on 
the PKK issue, but cautioned that serious measures would 
have to wait until after the Iraqi elections on January 30. 
In a joint statement released after the five-hour meeting, 
the parties said that Iraq and Turkey had agreed to continue 
to cooperate against the PKK,  and that the US welcomed 
cooperation between Turkey and Iraq on this issue. 
 
Goodwill Gesture From Putin on Cyprus:  "Sabah" reports that 
in the second day of Erdogan's visit to Russia, President 
Putin made a `goodwill gesture' by interrupting his meeting 
with Erdogan to call UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to 
denounce the isolation of Turkish Republic of Northern 
Cyprus.  "Turkiye" reports that Putin promised to support 
Turkey on the Cyprus issue.  Other papers say that he 
indicated Russia's support for the Annan Plan, which was 
rejected by Greek Cypriots in a referendum last April. 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
The Middle East/Palestinian Elections 
The Abizaid Visit 
 
"Democratic Experience in the Middle East" 
Sami Kohen noted in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (1/12): 
"Palestinians have shown a strong will to hold the elections 
in spite of the many difficulties and challenges.  The 
Palestinian election proved that a democratic process is 
possible even if the circumstances are not the best.  This 
is a very good example for authoritarian regimes in the 
region.  . There is already an expectation that the 
Palestinian election might create a domino effect in the 
region and force other Arab countries toward 
democratization.  In this regard, the upcoming election in 
Iraq is also very important.  There are some similarities 
between conditions in Iraq and those we saw in Palestine. 
Iraq is under occupation, and Sunni leaders are boycotting 
the elections.  However, the transitional authority and many 
political parties in Iraq want elections to be held on time. 
.  Under the current circumstances, the holding of a truly 
democratic election in Iraq would seem to be quite 
difficult.  But the process must be carried through.  . If 
the Iraqi elections are held on time, it will play a vital 
role not only for the future of Iraq, but for providing a 
message of democracy to the Middle East." 
 
"A Threatening Virus: Democracy!" 
Erdal Safak commented in the mass appeal "Sabah" (1/12): 
"Arab kings and sheiks must be afraid of the spreading virus 
of democracy.  The latest example of this phenomenon can be 
seen in Palestine.  The Palestinians managed to conduct a 
transparent and exciting election process. . Palestine now 
joins the family of democracies, and can be considered the 
first Arab country in this regard.  Palestine is also the 
first example in the Arab world in which the new leadership 
did not come from a dynasty or from a one-party referendum. 
Such a unique success will undoubtedly put fear into many 
Arab dictators." 
 
"Abizaid is Here, and the PKK is at the Ballot Box" 
Asli Aydintasbas wrote in the mass appeal "Sabah" (01/11): 
"Those who are looking for a secret agenda concerning Iran, 
Incirlik, or troop requests during the visit of CENTCOM 
Commander General John Abizaid are mistaken.  A high-level 
US official confirmed that Abizaid is here to discuss `the 
big picture.'  That is, to talk about Iraq  -- not just the 
PKK issue - and Afghanistan, to revive the lagging US- 
Turkish military relationship, and to prepare Ankara for the 
possibility that the violence and chaos in Iraq could 
continue beyond the elections.  Several months ago, US and 
Turkish military officials got together and agreed that the 
dialogue between CENTCOM and Ankara was one of the most 
fragile aspects of a Turkish-American relationship weakened 
by the March 1 vote.  The reason is simple.  Ankara's 
traditional interlocutor on the military side was the US 
European Command (EUCOM).  After September 11, issues that 
fell under CENTCOM - especially Iraq and Afghanistan - 
gained importance as part of the war on terrorism.  CENTCOM 
was less sensitive to Turkey's historical sensitivities, 
reluctant to deal with the PKK issue, and undaunted with 
respect to Ankara due to the disappointment of March 1. 
During his discussions with the Foreign Minister and 
Secretary General of the National Security Council, Abizaid 
 
SIPDIS 
raised issues ranging from regional security to the future 
of Iraq.  The Americans are concerned that if Sunni 
participation in the January 30 elections is low, then 
Turkey will complain and the elections will be seen as 
illegitimate.  FM Gul's recent statements, which he repeated 
yesterday, that the Iraqi elections should be held on time 
with the widest posible participation, must have come like 
sweet music to the Americans' ears.  But everyone knows that 
the elections and the post-election period are problematic. 
In the Iraq equation, the place of the PKK is far down the 
list of Washington's priorities.  In contacts here 
yesterday, the Americans handed over the struggle against 
the PKK to the Iraqi Government, which is a rank amateur in 
this business.  It's like a joke.  It is clear that there is 
little hope on this issue from the Iraqis.  It's even come 
to the point that the PKK is taking part in the January 30 
elections as a party with a different name!   So the PKK 
continues to be a military and political problem for Turkey. 
Looking at the `big picture,' Turkey is worried about a 
Shiite administration in Iraq, and about the possiblity that 
a post-election civil war or Sunni-Shiite conflict could 
accelerate the formation of a Kurdish state in northern 
Iraq.  According to Turkish officials, this second scenarios 
is the worse of these two possible negative outcomes." 
 
EDELMAN