US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2645

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002645 
 
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, MAY 6, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Kennedy Presses Papadopoulos on Annan Plan - Hurriyet 
PKK Suicide Bomber Caught in Diyarbakir - Milliyet 
Hamas Gets 30 Percent of Vote in Gaza Polls - Sabah 
UN Unanimously Confirms Dervis to Head UNDP - Aksam 
Election Victory a Birthday Gift for Blair - Milliyet 
Vietnamese PM Due in US on First Official Visit - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Papadopoulos: Turkish Troop Pullout a Prerequisite on Cyprus 
- Birgun 
Papadopoulos Says Settlement in Cyprus Unlikely Before 
October 3 - Yeni Safak 
Insurgent Attacks Target Security Forces in Baghdad - 
Cumhuriyet 
Bulgaria to Pull Out of Iraq Late This Year - Cumhuriyet 
Another Turkish Truck Driver Killed in Iraq - Radikal 
400 Muslim Brotherhood Members Detained in Egypt - Zaman 
Britain Decides to Continue With Blair - Cumhuriyet 
Mysterious Blast at UK Consulate in New York - Cumhuriyet 
Pentagon Expert Blamed for Leaking to Israel Information - 
Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Erdogan's Upcoming Visit to US:  Mass appeal "Hurriyet" 
reports from Washington that Prime Minister Erdogan's recent 
visit to Israel has enabled the White House to give a `green 
light' for a meeting with President Bush during his upcoming 
trip to the United States.  An unidentified high-level US 
official in Washington said that Erdogan will arrive there 
in late May.  `Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to Israel, and 
his recent speech defending US-Turkish ties have been good 
developments,' the US official said.  The official noted 
that the Turkish government's decision on expanded US access 
to Incirlik Airbase did not fully meet the American request, 
but would still be helpful in making the military operation 
run more smoothly.  Leftist-nationalist "Cumhuriyet" 
reports that President Bush has not yet responded to 
Erdogan's request for a meeting which, "Cumhuriyet" 
believes, is an indication of the `chilliness' in relations 
between the two countries.  The paper reports that the 
Turkish prime ministry has in mind June 26-30 for Erdogan's 
call on President Bush. 
 
DAS Kennedy Visits Cyprus:  Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
State Laura Kennedy, during a stop in Nicosia as part of her 
current tour of the region, encouraged both sides in Cyprus 
to take forward steps for restarting the UN-backed peace 
talks.  Kennedy urged the Greek Cypriot Administration to 
submit to the UN its proposed changes to the Annan Plan so 
that the talks can be resumed.  She expressed US readiness 
to facilitate an agreement, but stressed that the initiative 
will have to come from the Cypriots themselves rather than 
from outsiders.  Kennedy is to meet on Friday with Turkish 
Cypriot `president' Mehmet Ali Talat in the north of the 
divided island. 
 
Erdogan-Kocharian to Meet in Warsaw:  Foreign Minister 
Abdullah Gul said that Prime Minister Erdogan may meet with 
Armenian President Kocharian at the upcoming Council of 
Europe meetings in Warsaw.  Erdogan is willing to meet 
Kocharian in Warsaw in an effort to show European leaders 
that he is ready for dialogue with Armenia, "Cumhuriyet" 
comments.  "Vatan" expects Azerbaijani President Ilham 
Aliyev to join Erdogan and Kocharian in Warsaw. 
 
Gul Visits Bishkek:  Accompanied by lawmakers, businessmen 
and journalists, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul arrived in 
the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek Thursday for official 
meetings.  The first batch of humanitarian aid brought by 
the delegation contains 380,000 USD worth of medicines.  The 
Turkish delegation brought to Bishkek 2.5s ton of medical 
supplies and humanitarian aid worth 380,000 USD.  Turkey is 
also planning to send doctors and military experts, reports 
claim.  Gul is to meet with Kyrgyz acting President and 
Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev and other officials on 
Friday. 
 
Turkish-Arab Economic Forum:  Syrian Minister for Economy 
and Trade Amir Husni Lutfi said on Thursday that there are 
many opportunities for Turkish businessmen to invest in 
Syria.  Lutfi, in Istanbul to attend the Turkish-Arab 
Economy Forum, voiced Damascus' willingness to join 
international platforms and speed up economic reforms.  He 
said Turkey's membership to the European Union would be in 
the interests of the Arabs as well.  Turkish State Minister 
Kursat Tuzmen told the forum that Turkey had the potential 
to attract some 10 billion USD in Arab capital annually. 
Tuzmen noted that  Turkey has 20 billion USD in annual trade 
with Arab coutnries, a figure that is expected to rise to 25 
billion USD in 2005.  Tuzmen said he expects the number of 
multinational companies investing in Turkey to increase. 
 
Erdogan Addresses Forum Istanbul 2005:  Prime Minister 
Erdogan told `Forum Istanbul 2005' meetings in Istanbul that 
Europe can overcome the difficulties it faces in global 
competition by admitting Turkey into the European bloc.  He 
said that by 2023, Turkey will be a global power extending 
its influence from Europe to Afghanistan and the Middle 
East.  Erdogan added that Turkey, as a member of European 
Union, will set balances in the region.  The PM claimed that 
Turkey has drawn 45 billion USD in investment through the 
end of 2004.  He also noted that Microsoft's Bill Gates will 
help Turkey in building a `Silicon valley.' 
 
UN Confirms Dervis for UNDP Post:  The UN General Assembly 
on Thursday confirmed by unanimous vote former Turkish 
finance minister Kemal Dervis as the new head of the UN 
Development Program (UNDP).  Dervis is expected to assume 
office on August 15.  Dervis is the first UNDP chief to come 
from a nation that receives UN development aid. 
 
Police Detain Alleged PKK Bomber:  Turkish police 
apprehended a woman suicide bomber with alleged ties to the 
outlawed PKK in Turkey's mainly Kurdish city of  Diyarbakir, 
papers report.  The woman was allegedly preparing for an 
attack against police headquarters in Diyarbakir with 1.5 kg 
of C-4 plastic explosives wrapped around her waist.  The 
explosive device was to be detonated using a mobile 
telephone.  In April, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks -- a group 
thought to be affiliated with the PKK -- claimed 
responsibility for a bomb blast in Turkey's western seaside 
resort of Kusadasi that killed one policeman injured several 
others. 
 
Another Turkish Truck Driver Killed in Iraq:  A Turkish 
truck driver, Salih Gulbol, was killed on Thursday in an 
armed attack near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.  Gulbol, was 
married with two children, was working for a Kuwaiti 
transportation company in Iraq.  The tabloid "Posta" reports 
that Gulbol's killing brings the total number of Turkish 
drivers and workers killed in Iraq to 90. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
"New Happenings on the Northern Front" 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mainstream-opposition "Milliyet" 
(5/6):  "All hopes that a post-election Iraq would be more 
stable and secure have been dispelled with the latest wave 
of violence.  It is very worrying to see these incidents 
spreading more widely, including into Northern Iraq.  The 
bloody activities of the Army of the Ansar-al-Sunni 
militants, who are closely connected to Al-Qaeda, is proof 
that the insurgents have opened a `second front' in the 
North.  The motivation behind this move was laid out by an 
announcement by Ansar claiming that `the Kurds bowed down to 
the Crusaders and fought against Islam together with the 
Americans.'  Although the new government in Iraq looks like 
a coalition with 37 members, in fact real power is in the 
hands of the Shiites and the Kurds.  Unfortunately, the 
political situation in Iraq is characaterized by chaos, and 
the militants are taking advantage of this.  The growing 
violence in Northern Iraq is a big concern for Turkey as 
well.  The Turkish Foreign Ministry's harsh condemnation of 
the Erbil bombing reflects this concern.  It is a very 
dangerous sign that the violence is spreading northward." 
 
"Renewing Ties With Israel" 
Erdal Guven commented in the liberal-intellectual "Radikal" 
(5/6):  "PM Erdogan's visit to Israel brought to an end the 
corrosion in the Turkish-Israeli strategic relationship.  If 
only for this reason, the visit carries great importance. 
There are many beneficial results of the visit, but the most 
important one is that Turkey has reestablished stability in 
its Middle East policy.  The needle on the compass been 
pulled back to the center, and away from the Iran-Syria 
angle.  The history of the last 20 years in the Middle East 
shows that Turkey can best defend its national interests by 
keeping plenty of room for maneuver in a complex region. 
This is only possible with stable and rational policies." 
 
"What Will Change if Ocalan is Retried?" 
Fatih Altayli observed in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (5/6): 
"There has already been so much reaction to the possibility 
of a retrial of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.  The MHP in 
particular have raised the alarm about a possible European 
Human Rights Court decision in the case.  But when Ocalan 
was sentenced to the death penalty, it was the same MHP 
(then in the ruling coaltion) that blocked the 
implementation of a capital sentence.  The European Court 
would not be singling out Turkey if this is its decision. 
The court also demanded, for example, that the French retry 
the famous terrorist Carlos `the Jackal.'  Retrying Ocalan 
doesn't mean he will be freed.  If it becomes necessary, 
Ocalan could be retried and sentenced to his appropriate 
punishment.  The whole issue would then be behind us for 
good.  If certain circles ever ask for more on the issue, 
then the Turkish Government would be well within its rights 
to tell them to `get lost.'  Presenting Ocalan's retrial as 
tantamount to freeing him, and trying to use such cheap 
policies to score political points will not be to Turkey's 
benefit." 
 
 
EDELMAN