US embassy cable - 05ANKARA424

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000424 
 
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 26, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Italian Company wants to buy Turkish Aerospace Industry - 
Hurriyet 
Turkish businessmen promise $10,000,000 for tsunami victims 
- Hurriyet 
ITF: U.S. allows 100,000 more Kurds to vote in Kirkuk - 
Hurriyet 
Buyukanit: We will not withdraw a single soldier from Cyprus 
- Hurriyet 
Erdogan takes Cyprus and EU issues to Davos - Sabah 
Iraqi soldiers accused of torture - Sabah 
Ankara concerned about Kurdish population in Kirkuk - 
Milliyet 
Cyprus warning from Buyukanit - Aksam 
`PKK parties' to participate in Iraqi elections - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Turkish military will not withdraw from Cyprus - Cumhuriyet 
60th anniversary of Auschwitz - Cumhuriyet 
Bush requests $80,000,000 more for military operations - 
Cumhuriyet 
Koruturk carries Turkey's Kirkuk concerns to England - 
Cumhuriyet 
Al-Qaeda threat to voters in Iraq - Radikal 
Competition intensifies in Northern Iraq as election 
approaches - Radikal 
Election chaos in Iraq - Yeni Safak 
Torture continues in Iraq - Yeni Safak 
 
BRIEFING 
 
General Buyukanit Comments:  All papers report Land Forces 
Commander General Yasar Buyukanit's comments on a possible 
Turkish troop withdrawal from Cyprus.  During his visit to 
the `TRNC' to inspect Turkish military units there, 
Buyukanit assured Denktas that Turkish troops will remain in 
Cyprus until a lasting peace agreement has been reached. 
"Aksam" says Buyukanit's comments were like a warning to the 
Turkish government and the EU just before the Davos meeting. 
"Milliyet" reports that the Turkish government and 
bureaucrats in the Foreign Ministry disagree on their 
approach to the Cyprus issue.  The Foreign Ministry believes 
that the embargo on North Cyprus could be lifted through 
diplomatic channels, and Ministry officials are worried that 
Erdogan may make concessions on the withdrawal of Turkish 
troops.   The government, in turn, believes the Greek 
Cypriots will veto the opening of EU accession talks with 
Turkey and will press for a new Cyprus initiative before 
October 3.  "Milliyet" adds that Buyukanit's statement was 
intended to prevent possible concessions on the part of 
Turkey. 
 
Turkish Concerns on Kirkuk:  "Milliyet" and "Cumhuriyet" 
report that Turkey's concerns are growing over the 
`artificially increased' Kurdish population in Kirkuk as the 
elections approach.  "Milliyet" claims that the Kurds had 
signed a `secret agreement' with the Iraqi Interim 
Government and US and UK Ambassadors under which Kirkuk well 
become part of the Kurdish region `no matter what the 
outcome of the January 30 elections.'  The agreement 
allegedly provides for a referendum on the status of Kirkuk 
followed by a rerun of Kirkuk local elections in 11 months. 
The agreement allows 108,000 Kurds from outside of Kikuk to 
be added to voter rolls in advance of Sunday's vote. 
"Cumhuriyet" reminds that PUK leader Talabani triggered more 
controversy with his statement that the US and Britain had 
given written guarantees to the Kurds about Kirkuk.  US 
sources say the interim Iraqi constitution had outlined the 
principles of return of displaced people to Kirkuk, and that 
Washington would not allow any settlement beyond these 
principles.  Yesterday, Turkey's special Iraq envoy Osman 
Koruturk went to Britain to discuss these concerns. 
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) announced that, 
despite the concerns of the Turkmen about the fairness of 
the election registration process, the ITF will participate 
in Sunday's elections. 
 
PM Erdogan Solicits Money for Tsunami Victims:  In a dinner 
at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace, PM Erdogan urged Turkey's 
top businessmen to contribute funds for relief efforts in 
South Asia.  The PM plans to travel to the affected region 
February 5.  Business leaders reportedly pledged 10 million 
USD to help vicitms of the tsunami.  During his speech, 
Erdogan said that Turkey should `stay ahead of Greece' in 
the amount of relief assistance.  He also described as 
`saddening' information suggesting that some groups were 
`trying to Christianize Muslim children' in South Asia as a 
part of relief efforts. 
 
Palestinian Leader Abbas Will Visit Turkey:  "Zaman" reports 
that Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinain Authority, 
will come to Turkey on February 1 to seek support for the 
peace process.  Abbas will have meetings with President 
Sezer and PM Erdogan. 
 
Italian Company Wants to Buy Turkish Airspace Industry 
(TAI):  "Hurriyet" reports that the Italian defense industry 
giant Alenia is interested in buying the Turkish Aerospace 
Industry (TAI), which currently produces F-16 jetfighters. 
The report claims that Alenia's offer is part of an effort 
to make Turkey a `primary ally' with Europe in defense 
production. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
-- The Iraq Election 
--  US Requests of Turkey 
 
"The Election in Iraq" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the conservative, nationalist 
"Turkiye" (01/26): There is an election in Iraq this Sunday, 
and Washington is pinning impossible hopes on its outcome. 
The US will not be able to claim, as it could in 
Afghanistan, that it has `brought democracy' to Iraq 
following the election.  Democracy is no easy matter. 
Turkey only fulfilled the final criteria over the past few 
months, and there are still some shortcomings.  The truth is 
that in both Afghanistan and Iraq, cruel and medieval 
regimes were brought to an end.  But both countries remain 
in deep distress.  They are still struggling with poverty 
and severe shortages.  The elections in Iraq are going to 
turn disagreements among the religious and ethnic groups 
into open hostility.  The results, which will never be 
accepted by the Sunni Arabs or the Turkmen, will bring civil 
war.  It will also likely widen the gulf between Washington 
and Ankara.  Perhaps America wants an Iraq that is worn down 
by civil war.  The Americans may be considering returning to 
establish security in Iraq after they are through with other 
countries.  By `other countries,' I mean Iraq and Syria. 
The Syrian President is in Moscow, and he is looking to 
purchase missiles.  But Syrian military forces are on the 
verge of collapse, and cannot be revived with a few 
missiles.  The most powerful army in the region was Saddam's 
army in Iraq, and it couldn't even do battle with the 
Americans.  How can Syria do anything more?  With regard to 
Iran, it seems doubtful that the US could occupy a country 
four times more populous than Iraq.  But the Americans will 
never allow Tehran to become a nuclear power.  We can expect 
a US operation similar to the one carried out in Serbia.  As 
the Iranians have taken most of their nuclear facilities 
underground, the issue cannot be resolved by Israeli 
airstrikes.  But there is also no chance that another 
country will take on the Americans by coming to the active 
military aid of Iran.  Under these conditions, the Greater 
Middle East project will be taken into a new phase 
immediately after the Iraq elections.  This new phase will 
be designed according to the preferences of Dr. Condoleezza 
Rice.  Our General Staff will have something to say about 
these things at a press conference later today. 
 
 "The Election in Iraq" 
Hikmet Bila commented in the leftist, nationalist 
"Cumhuriyet" (01/26):  "Elections will be held in Iraq this 
weekend.  Iraq's land borders will be closed for three days. 
Airports will be closed to traffic for two days.  No foreign 
observers will be present.  For security reasons, the media 
will follow the elections from neighboring countries. 
Private cars won't be allowed on the streets for three days. 
There is no security.  The addresses of polling stations and 
the lists of candidates are being kept secret.  Many Kurds 
have been brought in to Kirkuk from elsewhere to vote.  Some 
election officials been killed, others have fled.  The Iraqi 
people are being targeted by the weapons of the occupiers. 
The Sunni Muslims have decided not to participate in the 
elections.  Local people are hungry, thirsty, and living 
without electricity or medicine.  And Iraq is going to go to 
elections under these circumstances.  This is a strategic 
disgrace!  What I mean is that `elections', `democracy,' and 
`ballot boxes' are being used as cover for a battle to 
control world resources.  Can this really be called 
democracy?  Under these circumstances, could the results of 
these elections really have any validity?  It is obvious 
that a Shiite administration will emerge from the elections. 
But how long can a Shiite majority  cooperate with the 
Kurdish minority?  Will the Sunni population allow a Shiite- 
Kurdish administration?  A possible civil war in Iraq will 
be followed by civil unrest in neighboring countries.  If 
the US had aimed to create chaos in the  Middle East with 
the occupation of Iraq, we can say that it has been fully 
successful.  I still wonder where Turkey stands in this 
process." 
 
"Turkey's Open and Secret Agenda" 
Tayfun Icli wrote in left-leaning "Birgun" (01/26):  "The 
United States has made a number of requests from Turkey, 
especially in the military area.  At the top of the list is 
the broader use of Incirlik Air Base, which is of critical 
importance to all operations in the Middle East.  According 
to information that has leaked out, the US is considering 
the operational use of Incirlik above and beyond Iraq.  We 
can find what is being asked of Turkey, both in the near and 
medium term, by reading between the lines of statements by 
Vice President Cheney and CENTCOM Commander General John 
Abizaid.  In effect, they are saying: `Israil, to get out 
from under the coming nuclear threat from the regime in 
Tehran, may decide to intervene there before any other 
country.  We are also upset by Iran's activities in Iraq. 
Iranian efforts are intended above all to threaten regional 
peace.  We are not going to stand by and watch as the 
Iranians try to destabilize the region.'  General Abizaid 
gave a similar message on Syria, claiming that the Syrians 
are supporting the remnants of the Iraqi Baathist regime. 
Meanwhile, former presidential candidate John Kerry has 
warned that Kirkuk could `explode' after the elections as a 
result of the Kurdish issue.  He has also argued that 
current US policies are facilitating the spread of the 
insurgency in Iraq.  It seems clear that the waters in Iraq 
are going to heat up after the January 30 elections.  The US 
will pass into a new phase in its policy for the region, and 
it will not be limited to Iraq.  As in the past, Turkey is 
the country that will be most damaged by all of this.  The 
United States wants to use Turkey as a `central base' in the 
Greater Middle East project.  For this reason, Turkey should 
take a clear position against possible US actions in Syria 
and Iran and should not keep secrets from the Turkish people 
about issues that affect our country's interests."EDELMAN