US embassy cable - 05ANKARA896

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000896 
 
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, FEBRUARY 16, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
The Guardian: US masses troops in northern Iraq - Hurriyet 
Damascus is prime suspect in Hariri assassination - Hurriyet 
US recalls ambassador from Damascus - Sabah 
Washington toughens against Damascus - Milliyet 
Fear reigns in Middle East - Aksam 
Al-Qaeda holds Syria, Israel responsible for Hariri killing 
- Aksam 
Allawi: New Iraqi government will be `Islamic' - Milliyet 
Moderate Islamist Caferi to take Iraq prime minister post - 
Hurriyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Eyes turned to Syria-Israel-US after Hariri assassination - 
Zaman 
US, UN send tough message to Syria - Cumhuriyet 
Civil war fears in Lebanon - Cumhuriyet 
Hariri wanted Syria out of Lebanon - Radikal 
Israel sows seeds of anarchy in Lebanon - Yeni Safak 
US builds up troops in northern Iraq against Turkish 
intervention - Yeni Safak 
PM Erdogan given warm welcome in Tirana - Yeni Safak 
Kyoto Protocol takes effect - Cumhuriyet 
Bush urgently requests $81.9 billion - Radikal 
Cheney's daughter to run `GME' project - Radikal 
Israeli troops kill Palestinian child, ceasefire in jeopardy 
- Zaman 
US second missile shield test fails - Zaman 
Woman governor in Afghanistan - Radikal 
Tsunami victims to sue US -Yeni Safak 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRIEFING 
 
US Masses Troops in Northern Iraq:  All Turkish papers cite 
a story from "The Guardian" claiming that the US has massed 
troops in northern Iraq in an effort to block a possible 
Turkish military intervention.  Domestic pressure is 
increasing on PM Erdogan to intervene in Kirkuk, the article 
claims.  An unidentified Turkish diplomat said Kirkuk is a 
potential `powder keg,' a city like Jerusalem for the Turks. 
`Kirkuk belongs to all Iraqis.  We wouldn't like to see our 
`red lines' -- Kirkuk and attacks on ethnic minorities -- 
violated,' the diplomat said.  US reluctance to remove some 
4,000 PKK militants from northern Iraq may be another factor 
that could force Ankara to take action, "The Guardian" 
notes.  The story also claims that US Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice tried to assuage Turkish concerns during 
her recent visit to Ankara. 
 
Assassination of Refik Hariri:  All Turkish papers give 
extensive coverage to the assassination of former Lebanese 
PM Refik Hariri and the international reaction to the 
killing.  Turkey's FM Abdullah Gul portrayed Hariri as a 
figure who had worked for peace, security and development in 
Lebanon.  His friends in Turkey are `deeply saddened' by the 
killing of Hariri, Gul said, and voiced hope that the 
assassination will not open the way toward more terrorism in 
Lebanon. 
 
Erdogan Blames Turkmen for Low Turnout in Elections:   PM 
Erdogan said at a party meeting on Monday that Turkey would 
`update' its Iraq policy according to the latest 
developments in that country,  "Hurriyet" reports.  `Our 
Iraqi Turkmen brothers did not show enough interest in the 
Iraqi election - they were either disorganized, or under 
pressure,' Erdogan reportedly said.  Erdogan blamed the 
Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) for failing to get its people to 
the ballot box. 
PM Erdogan Visits Albania:  PM Tayyip Erdogan met his 
Albanian counterpart, Fatos Nano, on Tuesday.  The two sides 
agreed on the need to increase military and economic 
cooperation, and to open a Turkish university in Tirana, 
papers report.  Erdogan said after the talks that Turkey 
would support Albania's membership in NATO. 
 
Council of Europe Report on Religious Education:  The AK 
Party government is angry with a Council of Europe report 
calling for an end to compulsory religious education in 
Turkish state schools, papers report.  Parliamentary speaker 
Bulent Arinc said that the category of religion can be 
removed from identity cards, an issue raised in the report, 
but said the Council's report showed that the Europeans 
`don't understand Turkey.'  PM Erdogan said the report could 
be discussed in parliament if necessary.   State minister 
for Religious Affairs (Diyanet) Mehmet Aydin said that since 
99 percent of Turks are Muslims, they have the right to 
teach Islam to their children in schools. 
 
Important Mission for VP Cheney's Daughter:  US envoy to 
NATO, Nicholas Burns, is to replace Marc Grossman as the 
State Department undersecretary for political affairs, and 
Dick Cheney's daughter Elizabeth has been assigned to 
supervise the US Broader Middle East and North Africa 
project, Turkish papers report. 
 
Minister Mumcu Resigns From Government, Party:  Tourism and 
Culture Minister Erkan Mumcu resigned from his government 
post and from the ruling AK Party due to what he describes 
as `strong disagreements' within the Council of Ministers. 
Mumcu has criticized the government for pursuing populist 
policies, particularly over the issue of an amnesty being 
considered for university students.  The current 
distribution of seats in the Turkish parliament following 
the Mumcu defection is as follows:  AKP 366, CHP 171, DYP 5, 
Independent 7, Vacant 1. 
 
Abducted Turkish Businessman Released in Iraq:  Turkish 
shipping magnate Kahraman Sadikoglu, who was abducted in 
Iraq two months ago, was released yesterday and returned to 
Turkey.  Sadikoglu said his kidnappers were part of former 
Iraqi leader Saddam's `mujahedeen.'  Sadikoglu, President of 
International Marine Contractors, reportedly paid $500,000 
in ransom to his kidnapers. 
 
One Killed, Several Detained in Rallies for Ocalan:  On 
Tuesday, a protestor demonstrating for the release of jailed 
PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan was killed in Turkey's 
Mediterranean province of Mersin.  Several other rallies 
were held in Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, Hatay, Diyarbakir, and 
Van yesterday to protest the sixth anniversary of Ocalan's 
capture in Kenya. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Hariri; Iraq 
 
"Who to Blame in Lebanon?" 
Zafer Atay commented in the economic-politic "Dunya" (2/16): 
"The Hariri incident seems to be an assassination with some 
complexities involved.  Syrian leader Asad harshly denounced 
the assassination, yet it does not change the fact that all 
fingers are pointing at Damascus.  And that remains a strong 
possibility. . There are various speculations in the 
aftermath of the Hariri assassination.  Some Western 
countries, including the US, are accusing Syria of 
manipulating the terrorists close to Damascus.  The majority 
of Beirut commentators believe that this incident will serve 
as an excuse for Syria to remain in Lebanon because of the 
elections coming in two months.  Nothing is certain about 
this incident, and the organization which claimed 
responsibility for the assassination is another uncertainty, 
because no one knows anything about it. . In any case, time 
will show who is really responsible; an event of such 
magnitude cannot be left in the dark." 
 
"A Hell in Beirut" 
Yilmaz Oztuna observed in the conservative-mass appeal 
"Turkiye" (2/16):  "The assassination of Hariri has turned 
Beirut into a hell.  During the Ottoman Empire's rule, 
Lebanon was a prosperous, paradise-like country.   Today, 
Israel has withdrawn from the south of Lebanon, but Syria 
has continued to bother Lebanon.  Hariri was anti-Syria.  It 
is a possibility that the assassination was planned by 
Syrian intelligence; if not, it was definitely planned by 
some intelligence organization.  Al-Qaida stressed that no 
Islamic organization is behind the assassination.  It is 
rather surprising that Hariri's relationship with Saudi 
Arabia has been asserted as the reason for his 
assassination.  As a matter of fact, everything is 
surprising in the Middle East.  But one can never find a 
positive surprise there.  It is difficult to guess what the 
follow-up of the assassination will be.  However, it is 
obvious that a new wave of chaos will occur before the last 
one disappears." 
 
"Can Iraq Be a New Iran?" 
Sami Kohen opined in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (2/16): 
"There is an ongoing worry both in the Western world as well 
as in some Islamic countries about the possibility of Iraq's 
election-winner Shiite groups turning the country into an 
Iranian-like regime.  Since Iraqi Shiites and other Iraqi 
ethnic groups come from a different cultural and historical 
background, it is unlikely to see an Iraqi regime under 
Iran's total influence. . As for Sistani being the winner, 
he was born in Iran but he never followed a Khomeini-style 
policy.  . On the other hand, religion will certainly play 
an important role in shaping the Iraqi rebuilding process, 
including the writing of a new constitution.  The religion 
debate will focus on finding a formula all groups can agree 
on. . In this regard it will be important to see what kind 
of Islamic rules will prevail in the daily lives of Iraqis 
on such issues as women's rights, education, dress codes, 
use of alcohol and other things." 
 
EDELMAN