US embassy cable - 05ANKARA1632

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001632 
 
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 
MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Edelman Bids Farewell - Milliyet 3/19 
Edelman Resigns, Will Leave Ankara in June - Hurriyet 3/19 
US Ambassador Edelman Resigns - Aksam 3/19 
Erdogan to Visit Israel, Palestine in May - Sabah 
Rumsfeld Blames Turkey Again - Aksam 
Talabani Agrees With Shiites on Status of Kirkuk - Milliyet 
3/20 
Another Turkish Truck Driver Killed in Iraq - Hurriyet 
Bush Claims Iraq War Made US Safer - Hurriyet 3/20 
Papadopoulos Asks UN to Restart Negotiations - Sabah 3/20 
Civil War Fear in Lebanon - Aksam 3/20 
Annan Regards Safety of US As Key Priority for UN - Milliyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Edelman Resigns, May Replace Feith at Pentagon - Cumhuriyet 
3/19 
Edelman Leaves Post in June - Zaman 3/19 
Edelman to Leave in June - Yeni Safak 3/19 
Anti-Iraq War Demos Show Global Resistance Against US - 
Cumhuriyet 3/20 
Bush Says Iraq Occupied for Freedom - Cumhuriyet 3/20 
Thousands Take to Streets in US to Condemn Iraq War - 
Cumhuriyet 
Bush Says Iraq War Inspired Democracy in the Region - Zaman 
3/20 
Jordan Sentences Zarkawi to 15 Years in Jail - Yeni Safak 
Support for EU Constitution Declines in France - Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ambassador Edelman Leaves Post, US Foreign Service:  US 
Ambassador Eric Edelman has resigned from both his post in 
Ankara and the US foreign service.  Edelman will be leaving 
Turkey at the end of June, weekend papers report.  Most 
dailies speculate that Edelman will likely replace either 
Paul Wolfowitz or Douglas Feith at the Defense Department or 
be appointed as national security advisor to President Bush. 
Weekend papers quote State Department Spokesman Adam Ereli 
and US Ankara Embassy officials as rejecting claims that the 
resignation is related to controversies sparked by Edelman's 
remarks on Turkey's approach to Syria and the upcoming trip 
by President Sezer to Damascus.  Ambassador Edelman told 
"Milliyet" over the weekend that `when the time comes for me 
to leave Turkey, whether it is for another position in 
government or for the private sector, I will always consider 
myself a friend of Turkey, and will seek ways to contribute 
to the relationship between the United States and Turkey.' 
 
Rumsfeld Blames Turkey for Blocking US Troop Deployment to 
Iraq:  Turkish media quote Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld 
as expressing regret that US troops had been prevented from 
entering the north of Iraq through Turkey in 2003.  Rumsfeld 
blamed the Turkish decision for enabling the post-war 
insurgency in Iraq to flourish.  `If we had been able to get 
the 4th Infantry Division in from the north through Turkey, 
more Baathist regime supporters would have been captured or 
killed, and the insurgency today would be less intense,' 
Rumsfeld said. 
 
US Diplomats Frequent Parliament to Convince MPs:  Islamist- 
oriented "Yeni Safak" claimed on Sunday that diplomats from 
the US Embassy in Ankara have visited more than 50 
lawmakers, mostly from the ruling AK Party, to assure them 
that the United States will not allow the establishment of a 
Kurdish state in northern Iraq.  The American diplomats also 
stressed that US support for the Turkish Cypriots would 
continue, and warned that Turkey should be careful in its 
relations with Syria and Iran.  The Americans also took the 
pulse of lawmakers to determine their flexibility on a 
possible new parliamentary motion that would enable Turkey 
to facilitate US operations in Iraq, "Yeni Safak" reports. 
Some of the parliamentarians complained that the United 
States has not provided enough support for Turkey, and urged 
American diplomats to work harder with regard to Cyprus and 
the PKK presence in northern Iraq. 
 
Ankara Suggests `Bulgarian Model' for Iraqi Turkmen: 
Turkey's special Iraq representative, Osman Koruturk, told 
"Milliyet" that Ankara has adopted a new policy regarding 
the Iraqi Turkmen.  Turkey will advise the Turkmen in Iraq 
to reorganize themselves politically within Iraq's new 
democratic system in order to make their influence felt in 
Baghdad.  Koruturk said the Turkmen could follow the path of 
the Turkish minority in Bulgaria, which has succeeded in 
acquiring rights within the Bulgarian political process. 
Without giving an impression of being manipulated by Turkey, 
the Bulgarian Turks have defined themselves within the 
Bulgarian national identity and allowed non-Turkish 
Bulgarians to join their `Rights and Freedoms Movement.' 
 
Demonstrators Protest Iraq War:  Several hundred people took 
to the streets in Turkish cities Saturday to protest the war 
in Iraq, weekend papers report.  In protest rallies 
organized by political parties and trade unions, 
demonstrators denounced the `occupation' of Iraq in Ankara, 
Istanbul, and Adana, the Turkish provinces that host US 
diplomatic missions.  Millions of protestors attended anti- 
war demonstrations around the world, including in Turkey, to 
voice support for the `legitimate resistance of the Iraqi 
people,' says "Yeni Safak." 
 
`Nevruz' Festival Marked in Turkish Provinces:  Thousands of 
Turkey's Kurds marked the `Nevruz' festival in Istanbul, 
Izmir, Mersin and Adana in rallies organized by pro-Kurdish 
HADEP (Democratic People's Party) over the weekend.  Some 
groups hoisted PKK/Kongra Gel flags and chanted slogans in 
support of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.  Around 40,000 
Kurds joined the Nevruz celebrations held in Mersin, where 
six demonstrators were injured in scuffles with police.  The 
demonstrations in most cities were peaceful, but there were 
a number of arrests. 
 
PM Erdogan Due to Visit Israel:  Prime Minister Tayyip 
Erdogan is to visit Israel in early May in an effort to 
defuse the strain in bilateral ties caused by Erdogan's 
harsh criticism of Tel Aviv.  The Prime Minister had 
previously accused Israel of using `state terrorism' in the 
occupied territories.  A high-level Israeli official said 
the recent visit to Israel by FM Abdullah Gul has helped to 
repair damage in the relationship, and stressed that 
Erdogan's call in Tel Aviv would help to shape the future of 
Turkey-Israel relations. 
 
Another Turkish Truck Driver Killed in Iraq:  Another 
Turkish truck driver was shot to death in Iraq over the 
weekend.  The driver was killed in an attack by insurgents 
norht of the Iraqi town of Beyci.  He was driving in a 
convoy under the protection of US soldiers. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Syria; US-Turkish Relations 
 
"Two Years of Occupation" 
The leftist nationalist "Cumhuriyet" carried this op-ed 
(3/21): "President Bush defended the occupation of Iraq and 
talked about the liberation of Iraq while the US action was 
being protested on a global scale.  These opposing 
viewpoints require a closer intellectual examination.  The 
logic espoused by President Bush was that `threats against 
the United States must be overcome before they result in 
attacks' This sums up the reality of the new world order. . 
Bush, in a very clear way, repeatedly mentioned the threats 
against the US and talked about taking action.  This logic 
seems to apply mostly to the Muslim world at the moment, but 
in fact it is valid for potential threats all around the 
world. The new world order stands on this principle.  The US 
has declared its right to occupy any country that may seem 
dangerous.  All of this brings a question to one's mind:  is 
Turkey exempt, or does this general rule apply here as well? 
. Political colonialism ended in the aftermath of World War 
II.  However, economic colonialism continues to exist as a 
natural consequence of capitalism.  Developing nations are 
in trouble.  This is another aspect of the new world order: 
the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.  Problems will 
only increase as technology develops and the world becomes 
more globalized.  As time goes by, the real reasons behind 
the rhetoric claiming that the US is `under threat' will be 
clearly understood." 
 
"Who Lost American Support?" 
Ali Aslan observed from Washington in the 
Islamist/intellectual "Zaman" (3/21):  "I am not going to 
discuss whether or not Amb. Edelman was a good Ambassador in 
Ankara.  This would inappropriate and not in keeping with 
the tradition of Turkish hospitality.  Edelman's work 
performance is a matter more important for Washington than 
for Turkey, and as far as I know, Edelman's superiors are 
very happy with his work.  I can tell you in advance that 
his resignation does not mean he will be in a reduced 
position.  On the contrary, his position in Ankara was a 
stepping stone for higher positions, either in government or 
the private sector.  Moreover, let me stress that Edelman 
came to Washington last week just for a day to negotiate 
with the Pentagon for the Wolfowitz position.  Who are the 
people in Turkey who have tried to prevent Edelman from 
doing his job?  In other words, `who lost US support?'  Not 
many of the answers to this question are coming from Turkey. 
However, I can assure you that this question is still 
debated intensely here in Washington.  The neo-cons counted 
on Turkey's political leadership to guarantee strong ties 
between the US and Turkey.  previous Turkish governments 
that couldn't maintain a good relationship with the neo-cons 
were never very successful.  Moreover, the neo-cons are 
having their `golden age' in US foreign policy.  Despite 
reactions from the international community, President Bush 
has assigned Paul Wolfowitz and John Bolton (two well known 
neo-cons) to key positions at the World Bank and the United 
Nations.  If there are still some people in Turkey who want 
to be friends with the US, let me highlight for them that 
the road to the White House goes through the neo-cons." 
 
"Tough Times for Turkey in Washington" 
Asli Aydintasbas wrote in the mass appeal "Sabah" (3/21): 
"It is clear that the Ambassador's decision to leave Turkey 
was not related to developments here.  As Embassy officials 
have noted, this was a personal decision related to the 
Ambassador's desire to start a `second career' outside the 
diplomatic service.  He has a number of offers from the 
private sector, and appears to be the leading candidate to 
replace Douglas Feith at the Pentagon.  But putting this 
aside, there is no question that his resignation will have 
ramifications in Washington, because many people there who 
follow Turkey believe there was a serious effort to `run 
their man out of town.'  Washington observers are well aware 
of the campaign that started against Edelman before he ever 
set foot in Turkey.  They know he was attacked several times 
each week in the headlines of (mostly marginal) newspapers. 
They know that some were even calling for the Ambassador to 
be declaed `persona non grata.'  Although the Ambassador 
says he will still work to improve US-Turkish relations, 
these issues will continue to be discussed in Washington, 
with negative implications for Ankara.  Another negative 
from this development is that much of the embassy's 
expertise on Turkey will be leaving Ankara in a very short 
period of time.  In addition to Edelman, Deputy Chief of 
Mission Robert Deutsch and Political Counselor John 
Kunstadter - both of whom know Turkey very well - will also 
depart this summer.  Someone who follows Turkish issues in 
Washington told me that he `wouldn't be surprised' if the US 
Government `holds off for a while' in appointing a new 
ambassador.  Meanwhile, the Turkish Government is 
desperately trying to get the relationship back on track. 
Murat Mercan will be traveling to Washington this week to 
deliver the message that Turkish policy is neither `anti- 
American' nor `pro-Arab.'  The Government believes its 
problems are being caused by a relatively small circle in 
Washington.  But Turkish leaders should understand that 
Turkish policy on issues like Iraq and Lebanon is being 
examined by a much wider group within the US policy 
apparatus.  We need to recognize that it will take more than 
nice words to fix this relationship.  It will take real 
policy decisions that show that Turkey is acting in 
accordance with the two countries' mutual interests." 
 
EDELMAN