US embassy cable - 05ANKARA987

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000987 
 
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 23, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
PM Erdogan: Strategic Partnership Continues With US - 
Milliyet 
Erdogan Assures US: `Different' Voices Won't Spoil Ties - 
Hurriyet 
Bush, Erdogan Hold Cordial Meeting - Sabah 
FM Gul: No Crisis With US - Hurriyet 
US-EU Melt Ice at NATO Summit - Aksam 
NATO To Train Iraq Security Forces - Milliyet 
Iraq mission For NATO - Turkiye 
Europeans Do Not Believe in Bush - AP Poll - Aksam 
US Should Not `Export' Democracy - AP Poll - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Erdogan Promises Support For Iraq - Radikal 
Bush Gets European Concessions on Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Bush: All Options on the Table with Iran - Yeni Safak 
Bush Leaves Door Open to War on Iran, Syria - Cumhuriyet 
World Doesn't Believe in US Democracy Mission -- Zaman 
Shiite Alliance Agrees on Caferi - Zaman 
Amnesty International: US Troops Abuse Iraqi Women - Zaman 
Hersh Receives Polk Award For Abu-Ghraib Reporting - Radikal 
Israel Pushes US to Attack Iran - Yeni Safak 
Malcolm X Commemorated in US - Yeni Safak 
Afghanistan Fails to Tackle Health, Unemployment, Education 
- Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
PM Erdogan-President Bush Meet in Brussels:  PM Tayyip 
Erdogan met President George Bush in Brussels Tuesday in a 
bid to eliminate worries about the state of relations 
between the two allies.  In a press availability following 
bilateral meetings with British PM Blair and several other 
European leaders, Erdogan publicly denied recent reports 
claiming strain in ties with the US.  `Such reports in the 
press will not affect relations between the US and Turkey,' 
he said.  `The press should put the emphasis on our 
strategic partnership with the US,' Erdogan added. 
Responding to a question, Erdogan said the issue of Syria 
was not raised in his discussion with President Bush. 
`Turkey is prepared to host Iraqi security forces for 
training, and will give 100,000 Euros to the Iraq Trust 
Fund,' the Turkish prime minister noted.  All papers report 
that Erdogan, Bush and Blair made small talk about Erdogan's 
son, who is working in the United States.  The media reports 
that President Bush managed to secure the support of NATO on 
technical assistance and training for Iraqi security forces. 
Bush defended the war in Iraq, and urged European leaders 
who opposed the decision to go to war to `put that behind 
us' and `work with us.'  `We liberated Iraq, and that 
decision has been made -- it's over with.  Now it's time to 
unify for the sake of peace,' Bush said at a joint press 
conference with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop 
Scheffer. 
 
FM Gul: `No Crisis With the US':  FM Abdullah Gul denied on 
CNN-Turk Tuesday claims of a strain in US-Turkey ties as 
`artificial and exaggerated.'  `Sometimes mutual interests 
may be at odds,' Gul noted, `but hostility is out of the 
question.'  He added that everything is going `very well' 
between the two countries.  Gul also noted that the press 
has `misinterpreted' a recent speech by Douglas Feith, in 
which the Undersecretary of Defense allegedly blamed the 
Turkish leadership for rising anti-Americanism in Turkey. 
`Feith's speech is not like it has been portrayed in the 
press. In fact, I could have given  the same speech,' Gul 
said.  Meanwhile, Turkish papers report State Department 
Spokesman Richard Boucher's response to a question on the 
state of US-Turkey ties.  Boucher said that Turkey and the 
US have `broad cooperation' on the Middle East and Iraq, and 
noted that the US supports Turkey's future in Europe. 
Boucher added that the two countries enjoy a `healthy and 
productive' relationship. 
 
Nicosia on Turkish Cypriot Elections:  Greek Cypriot 
politicians are unhappy with Mehmet Ali Talat's victory in 
last Sunday's general elections in north Cyprus, 
"Cumhuriyet" reports from Nicosia.  Greek Cypriot government 
spokesman Hrisostomidis and parliament speaker Hristofyas 
said that a visit last week by a US trade delegation to the 
north boosted support for CTP leader Talat.  Hrisostomidis 
said the US  Embassy Commercial Counselor should not have 
joined the American business delegation visit to Turkish 
Cyprus.  He claimed that 30,000 Turks from the Turkish 
mainland were settled in north Cyprus during Talat's first 
term.  Hrisostomidis also said that all troops should be 
withdrawn from Cyprus. 
 
House Calls For Direct UK Flights to North Cyprus: 
Britain's House of Commons Foreign Relations Committee urged 
the British government to begin direct flights to northern 
Cyprus, papers report.  The Committee also called for 
increasing pressure on Nicosia for a solution to the 
division of the island.  If the Cyprus issue remains 
unresolved, it will be practically impossible for Turkey to 
become a member of the European Union, the committee noted. 
The Committee also urged Turkey to withdraw some of its 
troops from Cyprus. 
 
Cabinet Reshuffle Expected:  Papers speculate that PM 
Erdogan may announce a cabinet reshuffle following a party 
group meeting on Thursday.  "Aksam" claims that after the 
resignation of the former Culture and Tourism minister Erkan 
Mumcu, some AK Party lawmakers with Islamic roots are 
turning to veteran Islamist leader Necmettin Erbakan's 
Saadet Party (AP).  Some new defectors from AKP may join SP 
if Numan Kurtulmus, a reformist, is elected chairman at the 
SP convention to be held in three months. 
 
Turkey Offers Disaster Aid to Tehran:  Turkey on Tuesday 
offered help to Tehran following the earthquake that hit 
southeast Iran, but the Iranian embassy in Ankara turned 
down the offer.  The prime minister's office said that 
Turkish rescue and emergency teams were standing by if Iran 
changes its mind.  The UN, the US and the UK have also 
offered help to Tehran, papers report. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Bush in Europe 
 
"Bush in Europe" 
Yilmaz Oztuna commented in the conservative "Turkiye" 
(2/23): "The Greater Middle East Initiative seems to be the 
main goal to achieve during President Bush's first trip to 
Europe after the start of his second term.  President Bush 
hoped to create a forum for discussing with the European 
Union their mutual interest in this project.  Bush's focus 
was France, as Chirac is likely to become president for a 
third term.  Washington's relationship with Europe is doomed 
to suffer weakness unless French support is ensured for 
American initiatives . France will continue to be an 
immediate focus of diplomacy in Washington's agenda.  It is 
very unlikely that France will stand completely against US 
policies.  For instance, Chirac and Bush agreed to work 
together to ensure a Syrian pull out from Lebanon.  Further 
consensus between the US and France can be expected.  As for 
Turkey, creating anti-Americanism is not in Ankara's 
interest.  It is amazing but true that certain officials in 
Ankara believe an Iranian-Syrian alliance supported by 
Turkey would be victorious in the event of a war initiated 
by the US." 
 
"New Chapter in US-Europe Relations" 
Sami Kohen opined in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (2/23): 
"President Bush is trying to change his former image and is 
talking about a new beginning in US relations with Europe. 
He is suggesting that both the US and Europe should focus on 
common values and mutual interests by setting past 
differences aside.  His tone is soft and his rhetoric is 
flexible.  It is too early to draw a conclusion as to 
whether this change is real or only rhetorical . President 
Bush managed to achieve some concrete results during his 
European tour.  A climate of consensus on controversial 
issues was created not only because of the US, but also 
because of flexibility in the European approach.  Bush and 
Chirac left aside former differences and ensured a consensus 
on the Syria-Lebanon issue.  It was very important to see 
the involvement of NATO and the EU in training Iraqi 
security forces.  For the first time, Europeans agreed to 
support the rebuilding of Iraq through two institutions, the 
EU and NATO. . It is also very important for Turkey that 
solidarity and cooperation be maintained between Europe and 
the US.  Harmony between the two will have a positive effect 
on Turkish diplomacy." 
 
EDELMAN