US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2080

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002080 
 
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, APRIL 11, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Turkish Intellectuals Call for `Common Sense' Against Rising 
Nationalism - Milliyet 
Talabani Opposes Saddam's Execution - Hurriyet 
Second Anniversary of Saddam's Removal Face Largest Protest 
Demo Against US - Sabah 4/10 
Iraqi Shiites Urge US Troops to `Go Home' - Milliyet 4/10 
Peter Galbraith: Kurds Seek Independence in Iraq - Sabah 
4/10 
Withdrawal Opponents Rise Tension in Jerusalem - Aksam 
Germany Considers Banning Hizbullah - Aksam 4/10 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Thousands of Al-Sadr Loyalists Call for Ending US Occupation 
- Radikal 4/10 
Greek Cypriots Want UN Guarantees for New Cyprus Talks - 
Zaman 
Tense Day in Jerusalem, Police Arrest Fundamentalist Jews - 
Radikal 
Radical Jews Stir Tension in Middle East - Zaman 
Former MOSSAD Chief Warns of Possible `Coup' Against Sharon 
- Yeni Safak 
Al-Baradei: Al-Qaida Seeks Nuclear Weapons - Yeni Safak 
US Closes Embassy in Yemen - Cumhuriyet 4/10 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
President Sezer's Upcoming Visit to Syria:  Problems with 
Iran and Syria will be discussed during the upcoming visit 
of Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) U/S Ali Tuygan 
to Washington this week, writes weekend "Cumhuriyet."  The 
US is concerned about the April 13-14 visit to Syria by 
President Sezer, particularly at a time of increasing 
pressure on Damascus with regard to Lebanon, the paper 
comments.  US officials welcomed a recent speech by 
President Sezer at a War Academy conference in Ankara in 
which the Turkish President urged Syria to meet expectations 
of the international community.  The US wants Sezer to issue 
warnings in front of the public while in Syria, but Turks 
prefer to convey the message behind closed doors, says 
"Cumhuriyet."  Sunday's "Yeni Safak" expects Sezer to urge 
Syrian leaders to withdraw troops and intelligence units 
from Lebanon by the end of April and cut ties with radical 
groups.  The paper says that Ankara is concerned that 
political instability may lead to civil strife in Lebanon. 
 
Turkey Deports Syrian Army Defector:  Sunday's "Radikal" 
reports on its front page that Muhammed Ibrahim, a Kurdish 
Syrian who defected from the Syrian army last August 23 year 
after the incidents in the mainly Kurdish Syrian border town 
of Qamishli, has been sent by Turkey to Syria on March 25. 
Ibrahim had applied for political asylum in Turkey on March 
23.  He was taken to court the next day on charges of being 
a member of the outlawed PKK, but was released the same day. 
Ankara ignored efforts by the UNHCR and Amnesty 
International (AI), and sent Ibrahim back to Syria on March 
25.  NGOs believe the extradition of Ibrahim was rushed 
before the upcoming visit to Syria by President Sezer.  NGO 
officials find it `unacceptable' that Ibrahim was extradited 
to Syria, a country with a poor human rights record, says 
"Radikal."  AI in Turkey said Ibrahim faces the risks of 
mistreatment, torture, unfair trial and execution in Syria. 
"Radikal" claims that Turkish police handed Ibrahim over to 
Syria without notifying the Presidency. 
 
FM Gul on Tuygan Visit to US, Incirlik Airbase:  Responding 
to press en route to Algeria on Saturday, FM Abdullah Gul 
said reviewing of US requests for using Incirlik Airbase for 
logistical operations in Iraq and Afghanistan continues, and 
the issue will not be taken to the parliament for approval. 
There are changes to the US government in the second Bush 
term, Gul noted, and added that Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
(MFA) U/S Ali Tuygan went to the United States at the 
invitation of Washington for meetings with the new US 
Administration.  Gul stressed that there is a will to deepen 
expectations and relations between the United States and 
Turkey.  Monday's "Yeni Safak" quotes Gul as saying the US 
request regarding Incirlik Airbase is nothing 
`unacceptable.'  `The US wants support for its operations in 
Iraq and Afghanistan to be facilitated further', Gul said, 
`and we will soon decide on it.'  Gul added that Turkey 
would not grant the US a `blank check' on the use of 
Incirlik and that all information regarding U.S. flights in 
and out of the airbase will be given to Turks beforehand. 
 
Gul on Ties With Israel, Iraq, and Rising Nationalism in 
Turkey:  In an exclusive with the Islamist-oriented "Yeni 
Safak," FM Gul urged everybody to contribute to peace 
efforts in the Middle East to put an end to bloodshed in the 
region.  PM Erdogan's upcoming visit to Israel is important 
from that viewpoint, Gul stressed.  He said Palestinians 
should be allowed to establish a state, adding that Sharon 
has some `intentions' to that end, and that such endeavors 
should be supported.  On Iraq, Gul finds Talabani, the newly 
elected President of Iraq, `enthusiastic' about rebuilding 
Iraq and developing ties with Turkey.  Gul said that 
`sectarian' conflict still poses a major threat in Iraq. 
Gul characterized the rising nationalist sentiment in Turkey 
as `chauvinist reflexes' rather than a `wave of 
nationalism': `There are some arbitrary actions caused by 
lack of self-confidence.  Everything will be settled soon.' 
 
Turkish NGOs, Intellectuals Warn Against Rising Nationalism: 
Turkish NGOs and 200 intellectuals, academics and 
journalists issued a joint statement on Sunday calling for 
common sense and moderation in the face of rising Turkish 
and Kurdish nationalism.  The declaration condemned the 
attempted lynching of four young Turks who were mistaken for 
being backers of the PKK in the port city of Trabzon in 
northern Turkey early last week, and denounced the 
subsequent detention of the victims rather than the 
assailants.  A provincial governor (kaymakam) who has 
attempted to destroy books of renowned Turkish novelist 
Orhan Pamuk still keeps his post, says the declaration.  The 
declaration warns that the state is supporting the 
escalation of nationalism, Monday papers report. 
 
Turkey-Syria Border to Be Cleared of Landmines:  Sunday 
"Zaman" says on its front page that the Ministry of Finance 
has received proposals from various companies for sweeping 
some 600,000 landmines laid along Turkey's border with 
Syria.  According to the report, the area will be used for 
farming and establishing free trade zones after the mines 
are cleared. 
 
Arinc Remarks on Disputes Between Turkey-Greece:   FM 
Abdullah Gul said en route to Algeria over the weekend that 
Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc's remarks on the 
territorial waters dispute between Turkey and Greece should 
be regarded as an attempt to solve problems in the Aegean. 
Gul said Turkey and Greece have a will for resolution of 
problems in peaceful ways.  `We should show our capacities 
for a solution,' Gul said, adding that steps forward are 
being taken to that end.  Arinc last Friday proposed the 
lifting of a 1995 `casus belli' against Greece if Athens 
exercised its right under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law 
of the Sea to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical 
miles.  Papers report Arinc as saying over the weekend and 
today that good will gestures between Turkey and Greece are 
needed, and that political conditions had to be reviewed to 
make a breakthrough in diplomacy.  The opposition CHP 
strongly criticized Arinc, and said that problems cannot be 
resolved by making concessions.  Greek Parliament Speaker 
Anna Psarouda-Benaki welcomed the remarks of Arinc, reports 
"Sabah" over the weekend.  Arinc said before leaving for an 
official visit to Luxembourg on Sunday that foreign policy 
should not be stagnant, and that new gestures may be needed 
when conditions change. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq/Talabani 
 
"The Other Possibility in Iraq" 
Erdal Guven observed in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(4/10):  "Iraq has the potential to become a stable 
democratic nation, but there is also another possibility, 
which is civil war and division of the country, and this 
possibility should not be underestimated.  It does not come 
as surprise to read warnings regarding the latter scenario 
from two prominent Iraq experts, Peter Galbraith from the US 
and Amatzia Baram from Israel..An evaluation of the 
potential dangers that Iraq faces brings to mind a question. 
Which country, other than Iraq itself, will be very 
negatively affected in the event of instability in Iraq? 
The answer, certainly, is Turkey.  The prospect of an Iraqi 
Kurdish independence movement is a nightmare for Turkey. 
Similarly, Ankara will be negatively impacted in the event 
of Shiite fundamentalism in Iraq.  Any movement toward 
deepening instability and division will create political, 
economic and strategic problems for Turkey.  Therefore, it 
is very much in Turkey's immediate interest to formulate a 
comprehensive policy for Iraq.  In order to do so, Turkey 
must abandon its current skepticism regarding the new 
process in Iraq and concentrate on promoting a federal, 
democratic and well-developed Iraq.   Iraq is in the process 
of a renewal.  And Turkey needs to renew its Iraq policy." 
 
"New Iraq Policy" 
Cuneyt Ulsever advised in the mass appeal Hurriyet (4/11): 
"Iraq will face two possibilities under Talabani's new 
leadership.  One possibility is a united Iraq with a loosely 
based federation.  The other is the division of Iraq, 
perhaps into two or three parts.  The possibility of 
division should be taken very seriously. . There are many 
players in Iraq, not only those inside -- Shiite, Sunni and 
Kurd -- but also outsiders, such as Iran and Syria.  A 
united Iraq is certainly in the interest of US policy 
because it is an indispensable part of the Broader Middle 
East Initiative.  Since the Iraqi elections, it appears that 
the European countries have also leaned toward supporting a 
unified Iraq.  Turkey's interest, it goes without saying, 
lies in a unified Iraq with its territorial integrity 
intact..However, Turkey, with its old-fashioned wait-and-see 
type of policies, fails to deal with the current 
international situation.  Turkey fails to correctly 
interpret the changing events.  The region surrounding us is 
changing, and Turkey definitely needs new wisdom." 
 
EDELMAN