US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2155

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002155 
 
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 
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Sezer: I Stressed to Syria the Need for Lebanon Pullout - 
Milliyet 
Chirac Launches a `Yes' Campaign for EU Constitution - 
Hurriyet 
Chirac: We Cannot Exclude Turkey From the EU - Sabah 
The Guardian: Ottomans' Legacy Will Make Europe `Sick' - 
Aksam 
Twin Attacks in Iraq: 18 Killed, 36 Injured - Sabah 
Sharon: International Community Should Deal With Iran's 
Nuclear Program - Milliyet 
21 PKK Members Killed in Southeast Turkey - Milliyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Sezer: My Syria Visit a Contribution to Peace - Radikal 
Rubin's Analysis of US-Turkey Ties: A Comedy of Errors - 
Cumhuriyet 
`Hawkish' Rubin Slams US After AK Party - Zaman 
Rubin: Barzani Provides Passive Support to PKK - Yeni Safak 
The Guardian: Europe to Become a `Sick Man' if Balkan 
Countries Join EU - Cumhuriyet 
3 Suicide Attacks in a Day in Iraq: 22 Killed 
Wolfensohn US, EU, Russia and UN's Palestine Envoy - Radikal 
Rumsfeld Discusses With Bishkek Future of US Bases in 
Kyrgyzstan - Zaman 
US Protects `Cuba's Bin-Ladin' Carilles - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
President Sezer Returns From Syria:  Turkish President Ahmet 
Necdet Sezer said on Thursday he had urged Syria to pull all 
its forces out of Lebanon during a state visit he made to 
Damascus.  `We stressed the importance of pulling back 
Syria's soldiers from Lebanon under UN Security Council 
resolutions,' Sezer told a news conference on his return to 
Ankara.  `I'm pleased that Syria declared political will on 
this issue,' he said.  Sezer said that he was given 
exceptional hospitality by President Assad and Prime 
Minister Otri during his stay in Damascus.  According to 
Sezer, relations between Turkey and Syria are promising 
despite some rough times in the recent past.  `We are very 
happy to see that the business communities of both nations 
are interacting very firmly. Our ties with Syria will 
contribute to regional peace and stability,' Sezer noted. 
Turkish papers report State Department Spokesman Boucher as 
commenting on the visit: `Anybody who's talking to Syria 
about how it could play a more harmonious role in the region 
brings the right message,' Boucher said, adding: `The 
question is not the message.  The question is how it's 
received and how it's acted on.' 
 
US Invites Muslim Groups to `Political Cooperation': 
Islamist-oriented "Yeni Safak" gives extensive coverage to 
the `US-Muslim World Forum' held in Doha, Qatar on April 10- 
13.  Some 200 participants discussed issues like ties 
between the US and Middle East and the Islamic world, 
elections in Palestine, regional security, human rights and 
media at the forum.  The forum witnessed calls for dialogue 
and positive attitudes, and international media reports 
mostly focused on the dialogue attempts by the United States 
with Islamists, "Yeni Safak" comments.  US officials have no 
objection to participation of radical organizations like 
Hamas and Hizbullah in the reform process in the Middle East 
as long as they `play by the rules,' which means compliance 
to democratic and legal procedures, says the report.  "Yeni 
Safak" cites Richard Holbrooke, Martin Indyk, James Rubin, 
and Scott Carpenter among other participants to the 
meetings. 
 
Students Protest US Anti-Terror Speaker Pratt:  Nick Pratt, 
the director of Program on Terrorism and Security at the 
College of International and Security Studies at the George 
C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany, 
was protested by students during a presentation yesterday at 
Kocaeli University in Turkey's Kocaeli province.  Pratt, in 
Istanbul for a public affairs program on anti-terrorism held 
by the US Istanbul Consulate, was stopped by students who 
threw eggs and shouted slogans during his presentation on 
terrorism.  The university and security guards took Pratt to 
safety, papers report. 
 
Erdogan Proposes Yerevan to Form Working Group on 
`Genocide':  In a letter to Armenian President Robert 
Kocharian, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan described the 1915 
events between Armenians and Ottoman Turks as `painful 
memories,' reports "Milliyet."  `Turkish and Armenian 
peoples have not only shared a common history and geography 
in a sensitive part of the world but they also lived 
together for many years,' said the letter.  Erdogan invited 
Yerevan to form a group of historians and specialists from 
both countries to investigate the developments in 1915 in 
the archives of Turkey, Armenia and third countries, and to 
report their findings to the international community.  The 
letter was sent to Kocharian via Tbilisi, Georgia due to 
lack of diplomatic relations between Ankara and Yerevan, 
says the report. 
 
Bill on Return of Non-Muslim Minorities' Properties:  The 
state foundations directorate has drawn up a bill expanding 
the grounds for returning non-Muslim minorities' properties 
sold or seized by state, "Radikal" reports on its front 
page.  The EU and Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 
find the bill as a good-intentioned attempt but 
`insufficient,' according to the report.  EU and minority 
groups in Turkey expect reparation fees to be paid for 
properties sold to third parties, says "Radikal." 
 
Turkish Troops Kill 20 PKK Members:  Turkish security forces 
killed some 20 PKK militants in a clash in southeast Turkey, 
and three soldiers died in the fighting on Thursday, papers 
report.  Three security forces and a village guard died in 
the firefight which took place in Sirnak and Siirt provinces 
in southeastern Turkey. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Turkish President to Syria 
 
"Sezer, Syria and the US" 
Mehmet Ali Kislali argued in the liberal-intellectual 
Radikal (4/15):  "The US is an important country for 
Turkey's international relations.  Yet it is similarly 
important for Turkey to evaluate the foreign policy 
considerations of its other relationships, especially the 
ones that are important for Turkey.  Sezer's visit to 
Damascus is an indication of this policy.  The US openly 
opposed to this visit, but the visit was in Turkey's 
interest.  Syria currently pursues a friendly policy toward 
Turkey, and stands against the PKK.  The welcoming 
ceremonies held for the Turkish president were symbolic but 
significantly nice.  Turkey gained prestige with this 
visit." 
 
"The Damascus Trip" 
Zafer Atay commented in the economic-politic Dunya (4/15): 
"Ambassador Edelman went beyond his diplomatic capacity by 
asking Sezer not to go to Syria.  The visit of President 
Sezer to Damascus has given the final answer in the debate. 
. On the other hand, Syria does not have a clean record. 
The comforting thing is that President Assad does not seem 
to be defying the international community.  Syria has 
already started a pull out from Lebanon.  As for the Hariri 
assassination, the Syrian involvement is only matter of 
speculation because there is no hard proof yet.  And Turkey 
should not be expected to shape its policy with other 
countries based on `maybe' kind of arguments.  The visit of 
President Sezer provided an opportunity for Turkey, a member 
of NATO as well as of the Islamic Conference Organization, 
to express the international community's concerns directly 
to the Syrian regime." 
 
"After Syria" 
Ahmet Tasgetiren argued in the Islamist Yeni Safak (4/15): 
"The argument about Turkey needing to be flexible and adapt 
itself to American policy does not make any sense.  The 
defenders of this argument believe that it is a must due to 
realpolitik, and they also imply some consequences if Turkey 
does not comply. . Since we don't have an  `export of 
regime' type of crisis with Iran to Turkey and the issue of 
Syrian support for the PKK is over, this is the proper time 
for Turkey to establish a warm relationship with its 
neighbors.  In this atmosphere, both Iran and Syria are 
labeled as the axis of evil by the US, and they are the 
most likely the targets of a US operation to reorganize the 
Middle East. . Turkey should realize that redesigning Syria 
and Iran is only a part of the big plan which will include 
Turkey eventually." 
 
EDELMAN