US embassy cable - 05ANKARA371

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000371 
 
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 
MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Kurdish leaders agree with US on Kirkuk - Hurriyet 
Bush inauguration speech a religious disguise for US plans - 
Aksam 1/23 
Rumsfeld establishes his own intelligence service - Milliyet 
Straw warns that UK won't join a US attack against Iran - 
Aksam 
Palestinian radicals ready for cease-fire - Aksam 1/23 
EU to buy `TRNC' goods - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Zarkawi declares war on Iraqi general elections - Radikal 
El-Hakim: Sunnis can't be excluded from elections - Zaman 
1/23 
Rebels attack Turkish convoy near Baghdad - Cumhuriyet 1/23 
`Chemical Ali' to be tried in Halabja - Cumhuriyet 1/23 
Iran warns a US attack would be a `deadly mistake' - 
Cumhuriyet 
Time for peace in Palestine - Cumhuriyet 
Palestinian groups offer conditional cease-fire - Radikal 
1/23 
EU prepares economic support package for Turkish Cypriots - 
Cumhuriyet 
IAEA inspects Egypt's nuclear facilities - Zaman 1/23 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Talabani claims to have received US, UK `guarantees' on 
Kirkuk:  Northern Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) 
leader Jalal Talabani told the Kurdish regional parliament 
that the Iraqi Kurds have received `written guarantees' from 
the Iraqi Interim Government (IIG) and the US and British 
ambassadors that Kirkuk `will be returned to its former 
status.'  Talabani said that a committee will work to 
administer the return of Kurds exiled from Kirkuk by Saddam 
Hussein, and added that Arabs who had been settled in the 
region by Saddam will be returned to their original places 
of residence.  Iraqi deputy PM Berham Salih said Baghdad has 
given the Kurds `ironclad guarantees' that would prevent any 
intervention in Kirkuk by foreign forces.  An Iraqi Turkmen 
leader told the Turkish press that only 11,000 Kurds had 
been exiled during Saddam's campaign of `Arabization.' 
 
Chalabi slams IIG, US in exclusive interview:  Controversial 
Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi complained to the Turkish 
daily "Sabah" about growing corruption in the US-backed 
Allawi government.  Chalabi objected to speculation about a 
possible disintegration of Iraq along ethnic lines following 
the January 30 elections.  He also denied that the new Iraqi 
administration could fall under the influence of Iran: `Our 
elections list is supported by el-Sistani, and it is more 
popular than the list put forward of the current government. 
We have included not only Shiites or clergymen, but also 
secular Turkmen, Christian and Assyrian candidates as well,' 
Chalabi stressed.  `The Iraqi Interim Government (IIG) has 
been unsuccessful in its effort to achieve security, and 
they have no legitimacy in the eyes of the Iraqi people,' 
Chalabi claimed.  `The IIG has received significant sums of 
money from the US for its election campaign, and they are 
trying to win the elections through television ads,' he 
added.  Chalabi rejected recent US accusations that he had 
leaked information to Iran, and claimed that he had been 
chosen by Washington as a `scapegoat' in an effort to hide 
the US failure in Iraq. 
 
US Congress supports schooling program for Turkish girls: 
The United States has pledged to contribute $9 million to 
support a UNICEF program to encourage Turkish girls from low- 
income families to stay in school, Sunday's "Hurriyet" 
reports.  The Turkish Ministry of Education launched the 
nationwide campaign to provide education for 567,000 girls 
who had been denied the opportunity to attend elementary 
school.  "Hurriyet" describes the US funding as `an 
important contribution' the the program. 
 
Nicosia's attempts for meeting with PM Erdogan fail:  Greek 
Cypriot leader Papadopoulos has urged US State Department 
U/S Grossman to arrange a meeting for him with Turkish PM 
Erdogan.  Grossman reportedly turned down the request. 
Three other such attempts have been turned down by Erdogan, 
according to the Greek daily "Politis."  Papadopoulos has 
grown uneasy over a recent invitation issued by Turkey's 
ruling AK Party to the Greek Cypriot opposition DISI leader 
Nikos Anastasiadis to visit Ankara and Istanbul on February 
7-8. 
 
Greek navy chief due in Turkey:  The head of the Greek navy, 
Vice Admiral Antonios Antoniadis, will arrive in Turkey on 
Monday for a rare official visit.  Admiral Antoniadis, the 
first Greek commander to come to Turkey on an official 
mission, will hold talks with his Turkish counterpart, 
Commander Ozden Ornek, on Tuesday.  During his four-day 
visit, Antoniadis will also see naval facilities in Istanbul 
and Golcuk, the Turkish navy announced.  Ankara and Athens 
have recently traded accusations over alleged violations of 
airspace and territorial waters in the Aegean.  The Aegean 
dispute will reportedly top the agenda for Antoniadis' 
substantive talks during this visit. 
 
Kongra-Gel leader Remzi Kartal detained in Germany:  Former 
DEP lawmaker and PKK/Kongra Gel's alleged `number 2' leader, 
Remzi Kartal, was detained by German police in Nuremburg 
over the weekend.  The arrest follows a request by Turkey 
for Germany to extradite Kartal.  Kartal, a founder of the 
`Kurdish Parliament in Exile,' had been living outside of 
Turkey since 1994.  Kongra-Gel chairman Zubeyir Aydar 
confirmed Kartal's arrest, and complained to the Mesopotamia 
News Agency that Kartal has always carried out his political 
activities in legitimate ways. 
 
Turkish truckers killed in Iraq:  Iraqi insurgents using 
automatic weapons killed a truck driver in a Turkish convoy 
ferrying food to US troops near Al-Sharqat, north of Baghdad 
on Saturday, papers report.  Monday papers report a second 
driver carrying fuel to US forces was attacked and killed 
near Mosul on Sunday. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Second Bush Administration 
 
"The Credibility Problem" 
Yasemin Congar observed in the mass appeal "Milliyet" 
(1/24):  "The message in President Bush's inauguration 
speech was very clear.  He still believes that the Iraq war 
was the right thing to do, and argues that those who 
criticize the war will eventually have to admit their error 
as Iraq moves toward freedom.  Bush issued a challenge to 
all despotic regimes, and he encouraged reforms everywhere. 
The liberation of nations has now become a requisite part of 
winning the war against terrorism. . The contents of 
President Bush's remarks are such that they should be lauded 
by every defender of human rights and freedom.  Yet there is 
still a major question of credibility.  We really feel 
ourselves having trouble believing these messages.  I think 
this stems from certain attitudes within the American 
administration.  For example, there was the recent failure 
of Secretary-designate Rice to answer a simple question from 
Senator Dodd regarding torture in Iraq by a technique called 
`water-boarding.'  Rice did everything she could to avoid 
referring to this technique as `torture.'  If she had had 
the courage to say what is obvious, it would have certainly 
helped to boost President Bush's credibility." 
 
"The Coronation of Bush II" 
Cuneyt Ulsever commented in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" 
(1/24): "There are increasing signs that the second Bush 
administration will be even more aggressive than it was in 
the previous term.  The US believes that the power of the 
EU, Russia, China and even India has the potential to turn 
the world equilibrium upside down.  Therefore, US policy in 
the second term will focus on controlling energy resources 
directly and combating the new enemy -- terrorism.  The 
policy also envisions limiting of China and Russia's 
influence within their regions.  Clinton knew these facts as 
well, but he pursued a rather `gracious imperial' policy. 
President Bush has preferred the `aggressive imperial' 
policy line, which has now been approved for the second time 
by the American people.  The US administration will not feel 
comfortable until it changes more regimes in the region, 
such as Iran and Syria." 
 
EDELMAN