US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2588

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 002588 
 
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 
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Schroeder Urges Turkey to Continue Moving on EU Road -Vatan 
Schroeder: EU Must Keep Aid Pledge to North Cyprus - 
Milliyet 
Suicide Attack in Erbil: 60 Killed - Hurriyet 
Massacre in Erbil: 60 Killed, 150 Injured - Milliyet 
Blair Asks British Voters to Leave Behind Iraq Issue - Vatan 
Al-Qaeda's No. 3 Man Caught - Hurriyet 
Bin-Ladin's `Plotter,' al-Libbi, Arrested - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Schroeder Wants Economic Cooperation With North Cyprus - 
Zaman 
Bloodbath in Erbil: 60 Killed - Radikal 
Gul Offers Condolences to Barzani On Erbil Bombing - Zaman 
General Myers: New War Would Be Difficult for US - 
Cumhuriyet 
IMF's Krueger: Turkey a Successful Reformer - Yeni Safak 
Muslims Key in British Elections - Yeni Safak 
Britain Moves Toward Third Term With Blair - Cumhuriyet 
Labor Runs to Third Victory, Tories Face Historic Defeat - 
Radikal 
Ivanov: Russia Working on New Weapons Systems - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Gul on Incirlik Airbase, Iraq:  Foreign Minister Abdullah 
Gul Wednesday briefed members of the parliament's foreign 
affairs, EU adaptation, and human rights committees on a 
number of recent current policy issues.  The AKP 
government's decision on expanded US access to Incirlik 
Airbase for logistical support operations in Iraq and 
Afghanistan `is in Turkey's interest,' Gul said.  He 
expressed concern about the negative depiction of Turkey's 
relations with the US.  Gul denied there had been a `secret 
agreement' with the US on Incirlik. `The US was not given a 
blank check,' he added.  Gul repeated that the base will be 
used within the framework of UN and NATO decisions.  He 
stressed that there will be no transfer of weapons, 
ammunition, or combat troops through Incirlik as a result of 
this decision.  Gul said that `chaos' was likely in the 
event of a US pullout from Iraq.  `Such a withdrawal would 
bring the partition of Iraq, and would jeopardize Turkey's 
security,' Gul said.  FM Gul also noted that Prime Minister 
Erdogan's visit to Israel and Palestine had been timely and 
important. 
 
Gul Calls Barzani Over Suicide Attack in Erbil:  Ankara on 
Wednesday strongly condemned the suicide attack against the 
KDP office in Erbil, Northern Iraq.  The attack claimed 60 
lives.  Foreign Minister Gul called KDP leader Barzani to 
extend condolences for the victims.  He offered to send 
medical help for those who were injured in the blast. 
Barzani thanked Gul for his `brotherly attitude.'  The 
Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) released a written statement 
condemning the bombing. 
 
Schroeder Visits Turkey:  German Chancellor Gerhard 
Schroeder told the Turkish-German Economic Congress on 
Wednesday that Turkey should maintain the political will to 
continue sweeping EU reforms.  Economic reforms facilitated 
the implementation of political reforms in Turkey, Schroeder 
told the bilateral forum meetings held in Istanbul.  He 
suggested the inclusion of northern Cyprus in tourism and 
agriculture exchanges between Turkey and Germany.  `Germany 
and Turkey should work together to bring prosperity to 
Turkish Cyprus,' Schroeder emphasized.  The German 
Chancellor voiced support for PM Erdogan's proposal to form 
a joint committee of Turkish and Armenian historians to 
examine `genocide' claims, and urged Turkey to open its 
border crossing with Armenia.  Prime Minister Erdogan vowed 
that Turkey would expand its Customs Union agreement with 
the EU to include new member states, including Cyprus, 
before entry talks in early October.  Erdogan stressed that 
EU membership continues to be Turkey's foreign policy 
priority.  Erdogan praised the level of economic cooperation 
between Ankara and Berlin, saying that 60,000 Turkish 
entrepreneurs in Germany had made investments of over 4 
billion Euro and created jobs for 300,000 people there.  The 
PM noted that Germany is Turkey's leading trade partner and 
foreign investor, adding that trade between the two 
countries exceeded 21 billion USD in 2004.  Erdogan also 
urged Schroeder to encourage German companies to join 
Turkish entrepreneurs working in third countries, including 
in Iraq.  Earlier Wednesday, Chancellor Schroeder was 
awarded an honorary doctorate by Istanbul's Marmara 
University.  He also called on Patriarch Bartholomew. 
Schroeder said after visiting the Patriarchate that the 
`Ecumenical' Patriarch Bartholomew is hopeful for Turkey's 
reform process.  `The situation of non-Muslims in Turkey is 
very important for us,' Schroeder said.  Responding to a 
question on the reopening of Halki Seminary, Schroeder said 
the issue had not been raised during his official meetings, 
and that it required `further patience.' 
 
Police Arrest Terrorists Preparing for Bomb Attacks in 
Cities:    Turkish police detained two suspects with alleged 
ties to the outlawed PKK in coordinated operations in 
Istanbul and the Mediterranean city of Antalya, papers 
report.  Police seized 7.5 kg of plastic explosives 
belonging to the suspects.  A statement by Istanbul police 
said the two detainees had received military training in 
rural parts of the country and had been planning to carry 
out bomb attacks in urban areas.  Police also seized 
electrical fuses, fake identity cards, and diagrams on bomb 
manufacturing. 
 
Aydin: Halki Seminary May Be Opened:  State Minister Mehmet 
Aydin said the Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary in Istanbul 
could be reopened, but only if it abides by domestic laws 
and regulations on education in Turkey.  `We cannot grant a 
privileged status to a single school,' Aydin said.  He 
stressed that the Turkish government does not object to the 
reopening of the seminary, noting that Turkey will not 
interfere with the beliefs of its Greek Orthodox nationals. 
 
Erdogan, Kocharian to Meet in Warsaw:  Armenian President 
Kocharian and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan are to meet in 
Warsaw May 17, "Vatan" reports, based on contacts with 
Armenian foreign ministry officials. 
 
Turkey-Israel Overcome Tank Modernization Disagreement: 
Turkey and Israel have resolved a crisis on the 
modernization of the Turkish military's M-60 tanks by 
Israel's IAI company, "Yeni Safak" reports.  IAI was 
scheduled to finish modernization of 180 tanks first, but 
failed to complete the necessary tests within the time 
limits set by the project agreement.  Shortly before 
Erdogan's visit to Israel, the two sides agreed to rearrange 
the periods for testing of tanks.  The modernization project 
will cost Turkey 600 million USD. 
 
Gul Due in Kyrgyzstan:  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will 
leave for Kyrgyzstan on Thursday to meet prime minister 
Bakiyev, parliament speaker Tekebayev and foreign minister 
Otunbayeva, the Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) said in a 
statement yesterday.  Gul will reportedly take 2.5 ton of 
humanitarian aid to Kyrgyzstan. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Turkish Foreign Policy; Turkey's Role in 
the Middle East 
 
"An Unstable Policy" 
Cuneyt Ulsever observed in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (5/5): 
"The biggest mistake any administrator can make is to bring 
his organizationo to the point where it becomes 
unpredictable.  Administrators with unpredictable behavior 
cause stress for those around them.  When people do not see 
the next step that is coming, they react angrily.  The 
mismanagement of the Erdogan government has created this 
kind of stress and anger in both domestic and international 
circles.  Even when they give very warm messages to various 
parties, they are still viewed with suspicion.  So when 
Erdogan presented the most pro-American speech of his 
administration at his party group meeting on April 27, he 
was unable to reduce the skepticism among US officials.  The 
confusion is the result of the government's effort to follow 
two contradictory roadmaps at the same time.  Like  every 
other government in the world, the Turkish government is 
pushed by the views of its grassroots as well as the need to 
engage in realistic policies.  But the AKP's  grass-roots 
are centered around the `national view' (`milli gorus') 
mentality.  This world view inevitably comes into conflict 
with the need for a realistic foreign policy.  For example, 
the US was one of the factors that helped bring the AKP to 
power.  But the grassroots of the party dislike the US.  The 
government's `solution' lay in the idea of  `strategic 
depth' in foreign policy.  But when a multi-faceted foreign 
policy tries to solve each issue independently of the 
others, it becomes nothing more than a cacophony that no one 
can understand.  While the Prime Minister's office was 
trying to follow this kind of foreign policy, experts at the 
Foreign Ministry have been completely left out.  Turkish 
Ambassadors in the most important countries are very upset 
about this.  Let us look for a moment at the results of this 
policy: `The US is upset with PM Erdogan.  This has to be 
resolved.  Turkey cannot manage without the US.  Israel is 
annoyed with the PM as well.  What to do?  As a start, 
Erdogan gives a speech praising the US.  Then he arranges a 
visit to Israel.  But, how can he explain all of this to the 
anti-Israeli group that forms a large part of his political 
base?  He says that it is all about an effort to mediate 
between Israel and Palestine.  Israel hosted Erdogan very 
kindly, but the Israelis openly rejected his offer to play 
the role of  mediator.  Erdogan  was also late for his 
appointment with the Palestinian PM, so the Palestinians 
were also very upset.  The result?  Neither Israel, nor the 
Palestinians, nor the rest of the Arab world could 
understand the purpose of this visit." 
 
"Turkey is Beating A Dead Horse in the Middle East" 
Semih Idiz commented in the mainstream-opposition "Milliyet" 
(5/5):  "When the Israeli Foreign Minister kindly rejected 
Turkey's offer of mediation, some of us felt hurt, as if 
this was an action against Turkey.  Yet the situation in the 
region should be viewed carefully.  There is already a very 
important mediator between Israel and Palestine -- the 
United States.  Although many Arab countries and some 
Palestinians - including the late Yasser Arafat -- consider 
Washington a supporter of Israel, no Palestinian officials 
have ever given up on Washington's mediating role. 
Moreover, whatever progress has been made over the years in 
Israeli-Palestinian relations was made as the result of US 
initiatives.  At some point, Norway acted as a mediator. 
But there is a lesson for Turkey from that period as well. 
Norway did not announce its role until some results came out 
of the process.  But Turkey is announcing its offer to the 
world by beating drums.  When the offer is rejected kindly, 
it is then considered an insult for Turkey.  As former 
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem has suggested, why couldn't 
Turkey act as a kind of facilitator instead of a mediator? 
In fact, Turkey is already playing the role of a 
facilitator.  Last week's meeting of Turkish, Israeli, and 
Palestinian businessmen sponsored by Turkey's Union of 
Chambers (TOBB) in Ankara was an example of what Turkey can 
do.  But if there are still some in Turkey who are thinking 
that it would look better in the media if Turkey were a true 
mediator in the Middle East, then I'm afraid they are doing 
nothing more than beating a dead horse." 
EDELMAN