US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2124

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 002124 
 
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, APRIL 13, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Sezer Will Urge Damaascus to `Heed' the World - Hurriyet 
Gul, Molyviatis Sign `Historic' Decision for Ending Dogfight 
in the Aegean - Hurriyet 
Washington Times: Turkey Will Open Incirlik Airbase to US - 
Sabah 
Bush: Free Iraq Will Spark Democratic Revolutions in the 
World - Milliyet 
`Big Brother' Rumsfeld Issues Warnings in Iraq - Hurriyet 
Rumsfeld Rules Out Exit Strategy From Iraq - Sabah 
Rumsfeld Talabani's First Guest - Aksam 
Prince Charles to Visit Turkey April 22-25 - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Sezer Kicks Off Controversial Damascus Visit Today - Zaman 
Erdogan: PKK Cannot Speak on Behalf of Kurds - Zaman 
Mutual `Dependency' Period Between Ankara, Athens - 
Cumhuriyet 
Rumsfeld `Inspects' Baghdad - Radikal 
Financial Times: Iraqi Kurds Want Regular Flights to 
Istanbul - Radikal 
Bush, Sharon Discuss Iran - Cumhuriyet 
Bush, Sharon Disagree on Israeli Withdrawal - Yeni Safak 
US Allocates $3 Million `Democracy Fund' for Iran - 
Cumhuriyet 
Human Rights Watch: China Oppresses Uighurs - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
President Sezer Due in Syria:  Turkish President Ahmet 
Necdet Sezer will officially visit Syria on Wednesday as the 
official guest of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad. 
Diplomatic sources reportedly said that during his visit to 
Damascus, Sezer will ask Syrian authorities to comply with 
international demands for withdrawal from Lebanon.  Turkish 
papers speculate that the US wants Sezer to issue a strong 
call for withdrawal.  A statement by the Syrian foreign 
ministry welcomed the upcoming visit, and said that it will 
take place despite objections by the U.S.  "Radikal" reports 
that Amnesty International has asked in a letter to 
President Sezer that he inquire about the situation of 
Muhammed Ibrahim, a Kurdish Syrian army defector.  Ibrahim 
applied for political asylum in Turkey in March, but was 
sent back later the same month on the eve of the Sezer visit 
despite ongoing evaluation of Ibrahim's request for asylum 
by the UNHCR, says "Radikal."  Prior to his departure for 
Damascus on Wednesday, Sezer said at Ankara's Esenboga 
Airport that his visit would contribute to peace and 
stability in the region.  Sezer said the visit would also 
strengthen relations between the peoples of the two 
countries. 
 
Erdogan Visits Norway:  Turkish papers report Prime Minister 
Tayyip Erdogan as responding bluntly to questions from 
representatives of the Kurdish National Congress (KNK) at a 
press conference after addressing the Nobel Institute in 
Oslo on Tuesday.  `There is no Kurdish problem in Turkey,' 
Erdogan said, adding that the PKK cannot speak on behalf of 
Kurds.  Erdogan noted that an operation in Turkey's 
southeast has been launched in an effort to counter 
terrorist activity in the region.  `There are not only 
Kurds, but some 30 ethnic communities living in Turkey,' 
Erdogan added.  He listed Turkey's foreign policy priorities 
as European Union (EU) membership, the NATO alliance and 
relations with the United States.  `After the Baku-Tbilisi- 
Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline becomes operational and with 
similar other projects completed this year, Turkey will 
become an important center for energy and transportation 
networks,' Erdogan noted.  On Iraq, the Turkish prime 
minister said that despite several problems and 
shortcomings, the January 30 elections have indicated a 
significant transition towards democracy.  `Elections have 
shown that the Iraqi people are ready for change and willing 
to adopt democratic goals and principles,' Erdogan stressed. 
For stability in Iraq, Erdogan believes that the 
constitution should be written to safeguard integrity and 
unity and to prevent of domination of one ethnic or 
religious group over others.  `We will continue to work for 
a democratic, peaceful and stable Iraq which will be 
integrated in the international community,' he said. 
Erdogan later called on NATO headquarters in Stavanger the 
same day.  During the visit, a crowd of 50 demonstrators 
carrying Kurdish flags and posters of Ocalan threw eggs at 
Erdogan and his entourage. 
 
Molyviatis Visits Turkey:  Turkish and Greek foreign 
ministers agreed Tuesday on a series of confidence-building 
measures between their militaries, especially in the Aegean 
Sea, papers report.  Abdullah Gul and Petros Molyviatis also 
agreed to set up a direct phone line in a bid to prevent 
violations of one other's airspace over the extent of their 
territorial waters and airspace.  `We want to turn our 
region into one of democracy, peace and prosperity,' 
Molyviatis told a joint news conference with Gul. 
Other measures agreed upon include closer cooperation in 
tackling natural disasters and providing Greek and Turkish 
language training for military personnel.  Molyviatis 
reaffirmed Athens' support for Turkey's bid to join the 
European Union and its commitment to reaching a settlement 
in Cyprus.  Gul said Greece and Turkey would cooperate more 
closely in the fields of energy, tourism and transport.  He 
said a planned natural gas pipeline linking the two 
countries would come into operation in 2006.  In a 
statement as regarded as a `surprise' by Turkish papers, Gul 
said he has no objection to the removal of a 1995 Turkish 
parliamentary declaration stipulating that a Greek extension 
of territorial waters to 12 nautical miles would be a `cause 
for war.'  Gul said Turkish parliamentary speaker Bulent 
Arinc's remarks urging removal of the 1995 decision 
demonstrated the feelings of the Turkish parliament and 
nation.  Gul also noted that a decision to open the Greek- 
Orthodox Halki Seminary in Istanbul will urge other groups 
in Turkey to follow suit and apply to the Constitutional 
Court.  The Turkish government is seeking a solution, Gul 
said. 
 
Turkish Armenians Attend European Parliament Conference: 
Turkish Armenian newspaper "Agos" editor Hrant Dink tells a 
meeting in Strasbourg that the Armenian diaspora should not 
see the community in Turkey as hostages in a hostile 
country.  A special session initiated by European Green 
lawmaker Cem Ozdemir in the European Parliament discussed 
`Armenians in Turkey' yesterday.  Dink said European 
countries who have voted Armenian `genocide' in their 
parliaments needed to do more than merely approving bills on 
the issue.  Dink urged Europeans to provide financial 
support if they wanted to compensate for the `psychology' of 
the Armenian world.  Turkish Armenian journalist Etiyen 
Mahcupyan claimed that Armenian diaspora had been uneasy 
with Armenians living in Turkey, whom, Mahcupyan said, 
`disrupted' the work of diaspora.  `The Armenian diaspora 
would have been more comfortable without Armenians living in 
Turkey,' Mahcupyan said. 
 
`Presidential' Elections in North Cyprus:  `Presidential' 
elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) 
will be held on April 17.  Presidential candidates must gain 
an absolute majority of votes to assume the post.  If no 
candidate manages to do so, a second tour of elections will 
be held on April 24 between the two leading candidates. 
Veteran Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas has earlier 
announced that he will not run in the polls.  Candidates to 
run in `TRNC' presidential elections are as follows: Mehmet 
Ali Talat (Republican Turkish Party-CTP), Dr. Dervis Eroglu 
(National Unity Party-UBP), Dr. Mustafa Arabacioglu 
(Democrat Party-DP), Huseyin Angolemli (Communal Liberation 
Party-TKP), Zehra Cengiz (Cyprus Socialist Party-KSP), Nuri 
Cevikel (New Party-YP), and independents Arif Salih Kirdag, 
Ayhan Kaymak and Zeki Besiktepeli. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Turkish President to Syria 
 
"National Holiday for Damascus" 
Erdal Safak warned in the mass appeal Sabah (4/12): 
"President Sezer should be very careful because he might be 
the last hope for Syrian leader Assad.  The leader who will 
be visited by the Turkish president is having a serious 
crisis in his political career.  The UN Security Council 
openly blamed Syria for the Hariri assassination and agreed 
to open an investigation to pave the way for the trial of 
those responsible.  This decision means a final blow for the 
future of Assad.  Assad's involvement in the assassination 
has already been proven by a taped conversation between 
Assad and Hariri shortly before he was assassinated.  Assad 
is having his worst crisis right now.  If he hands over to 
justice the responsible Syrian figures, it will bring an end 
to his political leadership.  Otherwise, he will be toppled 
due to a Washington-led plan.  This is the country which our 
president is to visit.  If we were Assad, we would declare 
the day of the visit a national holiday for Damascus!" 
 
"Two Simple Questions to President Sezer" 
Cengiz Candar observed in the conservative-sensational DB 
Tercuman (4/12):  "It is absolutely a dream to expect that 
President Sezer will reconsider his decision and cancel the 
trip to Damascus.  This is so because Sezer does not seem to 
understand the Syrian people's expectations and the Turkish 
Foreign Ministry does not comprehend the Middle East in the 
correct context. . Given the current situation, I would like 
to bring two basic facts to the attention of President 
Sezer.  Is Turkey going to declare its support for UNSC 
Resolution 1559 prior to the Damascus visit?  Is President 
Sezer aware of the fact that the address in Damascus he is 
about to visit is the same address of a UNSC investigation?" 
 
"Convincing Assad Will Be Sezer's Prestige" 
Hakan Celik wrote in the mass appeal-sensational Posta 
(4/12): "Turkish leaders are free to decide where to go 
abroad.  Turkey, in its democratic and independent capacity, 
wants to maintain good terms with its neighbors, and that is 
a positive thing. . Yet realpolitik suggests otherwise, 
especially regarding the visit of the Turkish president to 
Syria.  Sezer is going to visit a leader who is an 
internationally controversial figure and a regime which has 
bitter relations with many countries, including the US and 
the West.  At this point, "is such an official visit really 
necessary" is a legitimate question.  It is very difficult 
to argue that this visit coincides with Ankara's interests. 
Yet if Sezer manages to convince Assad to cooperate with 
international community, Turkey will gain international 
prestige." 
 
EDELMAN