US embassy cable - 05ANKARA864

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000864 
 
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, FEBRUARY 15, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
FM Gul: Turkey does not want Iran to be nuclear power - 
Milliyet 
Hariri killing shows the return of terror - Milliyet 
Terror returns to Beirut - Hurriyet 
`Nightmare' relived in Beirut - Aksam 
Opposition leaders blame Lebanon, Syria for Hariri killing - 
Aksam 
350 kg of explosives used in Hariri assassination - Sabah 
Syria the prime suspect in Hariri assassination - Milliyet 
Talabani insists Kurds will take Iraqi presidency - Aksam 
EU warns Nicosia that `TRNC' sanctions may be lifted - Sabah 
EU `vetoes' compulsory religion lessons in Turkish schools - 
Hurriyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
US may open trade office in `TRNC' - Radikal 
Bargaining for political power in Iraq - Radikal 
Ankara will not object to Talabani as Iraq's president - 
Radikal 
Kurds are the key in Iraqi politics - Cumhuriyet 
Allawi seeks coalition with Iraqi Kurds - Yeni Safak 
One third of new Iraqi parliament are women - Zaman 
Council of Europe issues `twisted' report on Turkey - 
Cumhuriyet 
Abbas finds a new partner in Sharon - Cumhuriyet 
Abbas: Sharon is my partner - Yeni Safak 
Turkish troops begin patrolling streets of Kabul - 
Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Turkey Condemns Hariri Assassination:  Turkey on Monday 
officially condemned the assassination of former Lebanese 
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.  `Turkey has lost a dear 
friend,' according to a press release issued by the Foreign 
Ministry.  The MFA statement noted that Hariri had made 
important contributions to Turkish-Lebanese relations during 
his tenure as Prime Minister. 
 
Talbott Meets FM Gul:  Brookings Institute Director Strobe 
Talbott, in Ankara to increase the Institute's cooperation 
with the Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB), met with Turkey's 
chief of General Staff, General Hilmi Ozkok, and Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Gul, "Milliyet" reports.  FM Gul responded 
to Talbott's question about whether Turkey had concerns over 
Tehran's nuclear program by saying that Turkey would not 
want to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons.  `We do not want 
war, and we believe that nuclear programs should be used for 
peaceful purposes,' Gul emphasized, adding that Turkey 
supported the EU initiative to find a peaceful solution. 
The FM said a nuclear Iran could `create problems in the 
region.'  He noted, however, that `the Turkish public does 
not perceive Iran as a threat to Turkey.'  Talbott advised 
Gul to convince Tehran to end its nuclear program.  `Turkey 
must act together with the EU in encouraging the Bush 
Administration to find a peaceful settlement to the issue,' 
Talbott reportedly said.  Gul noted that the Iranian people 
expected Turkey to act as a mediator in the crisis. 
 
Foreign Ministry: Elections Point to Iraqis' Belief in 
Democracy:  `The elections in Iraq constitute proof of Iraqi 
voters' belief in democracy,' according to a statement 
released by the MFA on Monday.  The statement said that `low 
turnout in certain parts of the country, and imbalances 
caused by manipulations in some regions, including Kirkuk, 
are serious issues.'  The statement claimed that `several 
elements tried to steal the voting and won unjust 
advantages.' The statement voiced hope that the Iraqi 
Independent Election Committee will `investigate the claims 
of irregularities and take necessary steps.'  The MFA also 
urged the United Nations to investigate the Iraqi polls 
under UN Security Council resolution 1546. `Turkey will 
pursue a dialogue with all Iraqi people and support the 
national unity and territorial integrity of Iraq,' the MFA 
stressed.  Meanwhile, the conservative daily "Zaman" expects 
Ankara to intensify contacts with Baghdad in an effort to 
protect Iraq's territorial integrity.  Ankara will also work 
to secure legal guarantees for protecting Kirkuk's special 
status.  Ankara expects that the Kurds `will not insist too 
much on Kirkuk,' according to "Zaman."  `The Kurds may take 
part in Kirkuk's administration, but it will not become a 
Kurdish city,' the paper speculates. 
 
Trade Representation `Surprise' From US:  The United States, 
in an effort to ease the isolation of the `TRNC,' will send 
a business delegation to north Cyprus February 17-20 to 
exploring commercial opportunities with Turkish Cypriots, 
"Radikal" reports.  The US may open a trade representation 
in the Turkish sector, the report claims.  The US business 
delegation, headed by US Embassy Commercial Counselor Amer 
Kayani, will meet with government officials and the chamber 
of commerce.  The American businessmen are particularly 
interested in the finance, telecommunications, health, and 
tourism sectors in the north.  US diplomatic sources told 
"Radikal" that the visit is aimed at easing the isolation of 
the `TRNC,' and said that Washington would continue efforts 
to that end.  An unidentified high-level Turkish official 
told "Hurriyet" that Ankara expected the US to launch direct 
flights to the Ercan Airport in an effort to force the Greek 
Cypriots to return to the negotiating table. 
 
Denktas Criticizes Upcoming US Business Delegation Visit to 
North Cyprus:  Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas 
underplayed the upcoming visit of a US business delegation 
to the `TRNC,' and characterized the initiative as 
`interference by external forces,' in the Turkish Cypriot 
election process.  Denktas claimed that the US delegation 
will come to Turkish Cyprus in an effort to boost the 
prospects of the parties they support.  Denktas warned 
Turkish Cypriots that the Americans would ask for the 
withdrawal of Turkish troops in return for US financial 
assistance.  He also blamed the US for trying to make Cyprus 
part of Greece, removing Turks from the divided island, and 
reducing the Turkish Cypriots to the status of a minority. 
 
Council of Europe Warns Turkey on Non-Muslim Minorities, 
Kurds:  The Council of Europe has asked Turkey to remove the 
religion category from Turkish identity cards and to end 
compulsory religious classes in Turkish public schools.  The 
report stressed that some textbooks in Turkey carried 
`insulting' remarks about Armenians and Greeks, and urged 
the government of Turkey to review such books.  The report 
also criticizes Turkey for not recognizing the ethnic rights 
of its Kurdish population, and highlights the fact that 
thousands of displaced Kurds have been denied the right to 
return to their homes. 
 
Money Rains on Northern Iraq:  Northern Iraq is enjoying an 
economic and development boom led by Western diplomats and 
Saudi Arabian businessmen, "Aksam" and "Yeni Safak" report, 
citing the French daily "Le Figaro."  A new supermarket, a 
hospital, and several restaurants have been opened by 
foreign investors in northern Iraq. There will also be an 
American university established in Suleymaniye, the papers 
claim.  The US occupation of the country has made the Kurds 
the `new bosses' of Iraq, "Aksam" speculates. 
 
8 Suspects Freed in Istanbul Bombing Trial:  The fifth 
hearing in the trial of 71 suspects implicated in the 
November 2003 terrorist bombings in Istanbul was held 
yesterday in Istanbul.  8 of the 38 suspects still under 
detention in the case were set free by the court, including 
the wives of two of the plot's suspected ringleaders - Habib 
Aktas and Gurcan Bac.  Harun Ilhan, a confessed leader of 
the terrorist cell that carried out the attacks, testified 
that both Aktas and Bac had subsequently killed while 
fighting against US forces in Iraq. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
"What Kind of Iraq?" 
Sami Kohen opined in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (2/15): 
"The Shiites are the winners in the Iraqi election.  Most 
Sunnis did not participate, which resulted in a very low 
number of seats for the Sunnis in the new assembly.  Since 
the Kurds showed the greatest determination and interest in 
the elections, they gained the higher representation in both 
the national and regional assemblies.  Unfortunately, the 
Turkmen presence in this picture is very marginal.  One 
reason this was definitely the pressure, fraud, and 
corruption faced by the Turkmen. Only 93,000 out of 2.5 
million Turkmen in Iraq cast their votes in the election. 
Looking at this picture, one wonders how Iraq restructure 
itself.  The Shiite majority will need a coalition partner 
in order to establish a new government,.  Most likely, that 
partner will be the Kurds.  Since the Sunnis and Turkmen 
will not be represented in the new government, the new 
administration, in order to prevent problems, should include 
some Sunnis and Turkmen in the administration to establish a 
kind of National Unity Government.  What does this all mean 
for Turkey?  Ankara has already outlined its position 
through an official statement.  The most important issue for 
Turkey is Iraq's territorial integrity and national 
sovereignty.  As a high level Turkish official told me, the 
Kurds' role in Iraq's political structure should not be 
considered as a problem.  Integration of Kurdish leaders 
into the Iraqi central administration could very well 
prevent separatist tendencies.  But if the Kurds try to 
control Northern Iraq, especially Kirkuk, this will open the 
way to tension and conflict.  The new Iraqi Administration 
and, of course the US, which holds the reigns in Iraq, have 
a huge responsibility to prevent such an outcome." 
 
"Democracy in Iraq" 
Yilmaz Oztuna commented in the conservative-mass appeal 
"Turkiye" (2/15):  "The elections held in Iraq were a very 
important step toward establishing democracy there. 
However, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has stated that the 
elections were `incomplete' and `flawed.'  The new assembly 
in Iraq will prepare a constitution, and elections for a 
permanent government will be held at the end of this year. 
It is obvious that the Kurds and Shiites will determine the 
details of the constitution without considering the views of 
the Sunni Arab and Turkmen populations.  The question is how 
extensively, and in which direction, the US migth intervene 
in this process.  On the Turkmen issue, we should blame the 
Turkish government most of all, as every government in 
Turkey has left the Turkmen people without support.  But the 
more serious concern is for the Sunni Arabs.  They will 
become more radical, and continue to carry violent actions. 
Naturally, this means that the blood and fire will continue 
to disturb Turkey, the US, Europe, and the Islamic world. 
Moreover, we believe that Talabani will be supported by the 
US as the new president of Iraq.  This will disturb the 
balances in Iraq, and the Kurds will gain more authority in 
Baghdad. The West and Washington describe the elections in 
Iraq as a further step on the way to democracy.  I hope they 
are not mistaken.  A potential civil war in Iraq would have 
negative consequences for many other countries in this 
region." 
EDELMAN