US embassy cable - 05ANKARA388

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000388 
 
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 
TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Gul complains to Annan about Kirkuk - Milliyet 
Palestinian police to take over security in Gaza - Sabah 
Peres vows to follow the US on Iran - Aksam 
Putin assures Sharon Russia not to sell missiles to Damascus 
- Aksam 
No-global army ready for action in Davos - Sabah 
Legendary journalist Safire writes farewell column - Sabah 
Winter storm claims 19 lives in US - Hurriyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Zarkawi shows his teeth: 2 die in attack on Allawi's office 
- Radikal 
5 days to go, Iraqis still don't know who to vote for - 
Zaman 
An election without candidates - Cumhuriyet 
Shiites pledge a secular government for Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Peace hope in Palestine: Armed groups agree to end attacks - 
Zaman 
Bush's ranch of dictators - Yeni Safak 
Syria's Assad: We seek peace, not missiles - Yeni Safak 
Oskanyan hopes Turkey will open border with Armenia soon - 
Zaman 
Global warming to reach point of no return - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Gul letter to Annan on Kirkuk, Iraq elections:  FM Abdullah 
Gul has sent a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 
which he conveyed Ankara's sensitivities regarding Kirkuk, 
and warned against attempts to change the demographic 
balance in the region, Turkish papers report.  Gul also 
highlighted the significance of the upcoming elections in 
Iraq, and called for the widest possible participation by 
all ethnic groups in the country.  He also said that a 
failure to meet the expectations of the Iraqi people would 
cast a shadow over the legitimacy of the polls.  "Milliyet" 
claims that Kurdish voters will vote at a separate ballot 
box on a referendum concerning Kurdish sovereignty. 
Meanwhile, the MFA played down recent claims by Talabani in 
which the PUK leader said he had received `written 
guarantees' from the US and British ambassadors on Kurdish 
plans to dominate oil-rich Kirkuk.  A Foreign Ministry 
source said that such statements were for `domestic 
consumption.'  `Talabani's remarks, which were posted on a 
Kurdish webpage, contradict his official statements,' MFA 
spokesman Namik Tan said at a weekly press conference. 
 
Iraqi Turkmen to Split Votes:  "Milliyet" reports that votes 
by Iraqi Turkmen in Sunday's election will be split three 
ways, thus reducing the number of Turkmen elected to the new 
Iraqi assembly.  According to the report, Shiite Turkmen 
will vote to support Shiite candidate lists, will Sunni 
Turkmen will divide their support between the Iraqi Turkmen 
Front and the Turkmen Nationalist Action Party.  The article 
claims that as a result of the three-way split, the number 
of Turkmen in the new assembly will be reduced from more 
than 20 to around 15 - 6 Shiites and 9 Sunnis. 
 
US Forces `Destroy History' in Iraq:  A front-page story in 
"Milliyet" accuses US forces in Iraq of `destroying history' 
by not displaying appropriate sensitivity to the destruction 
of the country's cultural and historical heritage.  The 
article claims that US sharpshooters were placed in the 
minaret of the Great Mosque at Samarra, which was 
constructed in the tenth century.  The minaret was severely 
damaged when insurgents opened fire on the US positions. 
"Milliyet" adds that the destruction in Samarra follows 
allegations that US forces allowed significant looting of 
Iraqi cultural assets followng the 2003 invasion and 
established a military base in the heart of ancient Babylon. 
 
Ankara has conditions for opening border with Armenia: 
Armenia's FM Vartan Oskanyan told "Zaman" that Armenia now 
officially recognizes all accords that had been signed with 
third countries under the Soviet regime, including the 1921 
Kars Agreement with Turkey.  On his return from Moscow 
January 12, PM Erdogan mentioned that Turkey would open its 
border with Armenia if Yerevan honored the Kars Agreement. 
"Zaman" comments that Ankara is looking for `deeds, not 
words' on controversial issues such as Nagorno-Karabakh, 
Armenian territorial claims, and the `genocide' issue.  The 
paper also reports that a parliamentary committee will 
invite Turkish journalists of Armenian origin for a 
discussion of `Armenian genocide' claims. 
 
PM Erdogan meets with `TRNC' opposition:  PM Erdogan met 
with Turkish Cypriot opposition leaders Mustafa Akinci and 
former `PM' Dervis Eroglu in Istanbul on Monday.  The 
Turkish Cypriot leaders said that, whatever the outcome of 
the February 20 general elections in north Cyprus, they 
would continue to move together with Turkey for a settlement 
on the divided island.  Erdogan said Turkey would not pull 
back troops from Cyprus in the absence of a settlement. 
 
Canadian PM visits Ankara:  Canadian PM Paul Martin stopped 
over in Turkey last week while en route to the tsunami-hit 
countries of south Asia.  Martin met with Energy Minister 
Hilmi Guler on January 15, according to "Milliyet."  Martin 
and Guler discussed Turkey's plans to construct three 
nuclear plants by 2012.  They also discussed projects to 
improve Turkey's rail system and operations at goldmines in 
Turkey. 
 
US Official Terms Baykal Claims `Ridiculous':  "Radikal" 
reports that a US embassy official characterized as 
`ridiculous' claims by CHP leader Baykal that efforts to 
undermine his leadership in the party were being encouraged 
by the United States.  The official said that the US 
Ambassador had not met with Sarigul since he announced his 
opposition to Baykal.  He confirmed that Sarigul 
participated in an International Visitors' program to the 
United States in 2004, but stressed that 30-40 Turks 
participate in such programs each year.  Meanwhile, 104 of 
137 Istanbul delegates to the January 29 CHP convention have 
reportedly signed a written commitment to support Baykal 
against potential contenders for his leadership post. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  The Second Bush Administration 
 
"Is Freedom the Only Goal?" 
Sami Kohen opined in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (01/25): 
"During his second term inauguration speech, President Bush 
used the word "freedom" forty times.  This seemed a clear 
indication that the US foreign policy priority in the new 
term will be spreading freedom and democracy?   President 
Bush stated that the main goal of his foreign policy will be 
to establish freedom in countries now ruled by despotic 
regimes.  I wonder what how Bush's will act in the new term 
to export or impose freedom and democracy over the 
inevitable objection of these despotic regimes.  Of course, 
the establishment of  democracy and freedom in places now 
ruled by totalitarian regimes is an ideal that should be 
supported strongly.  But it is both wrong and dangerous for 
the US to try to establish democracy in these countries by 
force.  These are risky policies.  The situation in Iraq is 
a very good example.  In order to fight against terrorism 
after September 11, the US started to coordinate more with 
countries ruled by despotic regimes.  Now is Bush really 
ready to sacrifice the US' apparent strategic and economic 
interests in these countries just for the sake of freedom? 
Or is Bush's freedom campaign only a part of the US strategy 
to rule the world?" 
 
"The Neo-Hitler is Crowned" 
Ozgen Acar wrote in the leftist nationalist "Cumhuriyet" 
(01/25):  He's no longer just the American President!  The 
ones who came before him were American Presidents, but for 
the past four years he has been the `global president.' From 
what we can guess from the message in his inauguration 
speech, George Bush now intends to be the `president of the 
universe.'  He will not be content just to lead the United 
States during his second term.  Through the doctrine of a 
`force for freedom,' which he mentioned countless times, he 
intends to create in other countries what he has created in 
Iraq.  In 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt spent 20,000 dollars on 
his inauguration.  For his coronation, George W. Bush spent 
more than that just on the yellow roses.  People paid 
200,000 dollars to spend the night in a hotel where they 
could watch him dance for one minute.  Intellectuals who 
understand that when Bush talks about a `force for freedom' 
he really means `blood' were horrified by what they heard in 
his speech.  It was as if he were taking an oath not as 
President of the United States, but as a kind of `neo- 
Hitler.'  Dr. Justin Frank, former president of the US 
Pshyciatric Association, had the best commentary on this. 
According to Dr. Frank, George Bush, who became an alcoholic 
after growing up under the supervision of a very strict 
mother, suffers from `paranoia.'  He is a `megalomaniac' who 
insisted on having his speech changed 21 times.  He receives 
messages from outer space, from Jesus, from God.  In fact, 
he is a `schizophrenic' who should be treated in a mental 
hospital.  The Turkish people, who opened their hearts to 
former President Clinton, had already made the same 
diagnosis as Dr. Frank and other intellectuals around the 
world.  According to a BBC survey, 82 percent of Turks don't 
like President Bush.  During the coming months, Bush will be 
going to Brussels.  He will meet with Gerhard Schroeder in 
Germany and with Jacques Chirac in Washington.  But 
according to one Russian newspaper, `he will talk but he 
won't listen.'  An Israeli newspaper put it this way: `Hang 
on to your hats gentlemen.  The strongest winds of ambition 
ever felt will be blowing from Washington for the next four 
years.'" 
 
"What Freedom?" 
Turgut Tarhanli observed in the liberal-intellectual 
"Radikal" (01/25):  "According to George Bush's inauguration 
speech, the fire of freedom has been lit in the world.  This 
fire could burn those who stand in its path while warming 
the ones who stand to benefit.  The real meaning of this 
freedom fire is nothing but a justification to use force to 
reach US goals.  There is no place for justice in this fire. 
Bush doesn't mention justice in his speech, but rather the 
establish freedom and democracy, a concept familiar to the 
American people.  Based on the world order established in 
1945, there lies an ethical responsibility for superpowers. 
But the the US effort to spread freedom does not take such 
ethical considerations into account.  In the end, it can 
only be viewed as a cruel dream." 
EDELMAN