US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2671

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002671 
 
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, MAY 9, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Bush, Putin Discuss Middle East - Turkiye 
Putin Calls for Unity of NIS - Aksam 
Iraqi Parliament Approves 6 Cabinet Ministers - Milliyet 
Suicide Attack in Baghdad: 22 Killed - Milliyet 5/8 
Blair Under Pressure to Resign - Sabah 
British Press Believes Blair Should Quit - Milliyet 5/8 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
`Cold War' Winds Between Bush, Putin - Cumhuriyet 
Schroeder Apologizes to Russians for Nazi Atrocities - Zaman 
Duel Between Bush, Putin - Radikal 5/8 
Moscow Uneasy With Bush Visit to Latvia - Yeni Safak 5/8 
`TRNC' Government Receives Vote of Confidence - Cumhuriyet 
Iran to Continue Uranium Enrichment Program - Yeni Safak 
Bush Decides to Extend Syria Sanctions for a Year - Yeni 
Safak 5/7 
Muslim Brotherhood Leader Arrested in Egypt - Yeni Safak 5/7 
Afghanistan Discusses Permanent US Bases - Yeni Safak 5/8 
De Soto New UN Envoy for Middle East - Zaman 5/8 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Washington Ponders Appointing Jewish Ambassador to Turkey: 
Monday's "Sabah" speculates on its front page that there are 
three contenders to replace Eric Edelman as the new US 
ambassador in Ankara: Former US Ambassador to Moscow 
Alexander Vershbow, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ross 
L. Wilson, and Assistant Secretary of State Anthony Wayne. 
The report expects the new US ambassador to arrive in Turkey 
some time this fall.  There are concerns that the 
appointment of a Jewish envoy to Ankara could subject the 
new ambassador to anti-Semitism in Turkey, according to the 
report.  Unidentified US sources in Washington told "Sabah" 
that if the post is not given to a Jew, it could be 
perceived as a victory for anti-Semitism. 
 
The Incirlik Decree:  Saturday's "Cumhuriyet" publishes what 
it claims to be the `secret decree' issued by the Turkish 
government to allow the United States to establish a 
logistical cargo hub at Incirlik Airbase.  The decree no. 
2005/8712, adopted by the councli of ministers on April 18 
but not published in the Official Gazette, permits `friendly 
and allied countries' to use some military bases, ports, and 
other facilities in Turkey for logistical purposes related 
to Iraq, including the transportation of military material, 
equipment, and personnel.  The Turkish cabinet decision 
providing the US with new rights at Incirlik has led to 
speculation that the constitution has been violated, 
according to "Cumhuriyet."  The government argues that 
parliamentary approval was not necessary, as the 
authorization was granted in accordance with UN Security 
Council resolutions.  Article 92 of the Constitution, 
however, stipulates that the presence of foreign military 
forces in Turkey is permissible only if it is approved by 
the parliament, "Cumhuriyet" claims. 
 
DAS Kennedy Visits North Cyprus:  Deputy Assistant Secretary 
of State Laura Kennedy told a press conference on Friday 
following her meeting Turkish Cypriot `president' Mehmet Ali 
Talat in Lefkosa that the Turkish Cypriots had openly 
displayed the will for a solution, and said she hoped that 
the UN Secretary General would continue his good will 
mission and resume negotiations.  Kennedy said that the 
United States would continue to take steps to ease the 
international isolation of Turkish Cypriots and eliminate 
the economic inequality between the two sides of the island. 
Kennedy expressed the belief that this would speed up 
efforts for reunification.  Talat said Kennedy came to 
Cyprus to see the actual situation and hear what the sides 
are thinking.  Talat expressed belief that the United States 
would launch concrete initiatives as soon as possible.  He 
added that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is thinking of 
sending an envoy to the island.  Talat urged the resumption 
of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations. 
Kennedy later met `TRNC Prime Minister' Ferdi Sabit Soyer. 
 
Erdogan to Join COE Summit in Warsaw:  Prime Minister Tayyip 
Erdogan will attend the Council of Europe (COE) Heads of 
State and Government Summit in Warsaw on May 16-17.  The 
summit is to discuss terrorism, organized crime, human 
trafficking, the protection of minorities, money laundering, 
the free movement of people, and migration and refugee 
issues.  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Prime Minister 
Erdogan may meet Armenian President Kocharian at the summit. 
 
ECHR to Decide on Ocalan Retrial:  The Turkish Foreign 
Ministry (MFA) has advised the government to act quickly to 
enact the necessary law to allow a possible retrial of 
imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, saying that any delay 
could harm Ankara's European Union bid, Monday's "Radikal" 
reports.  On May 12, the European Court of Human Rights 
(ECHR) is expected to rule on a retrial of Ocalan.  Justice 
Minister Cemil Cicek said that Ocalan can easily be retried 
if the ECHR rules that he should be, but he called on the 
media to treat the issue calmly and on the people to act 
with common sense. 
 
Greek Vessel Docks at Turkish Cypriot Port:  A Greek cargo 
vessel, "Etzian San," docked at the closed Magosa 
(Famagusta) port in Turkish Cyprus to empty cargo it carried 
from Britain, "Zaman" reports, based on an article in the 
Greek daily "Alithia."  "Alithia" said the incident was a 
blow to Nicosia's efforts to block direct trade with 
`occupied zones' in the north.  `The problem that was 
expected to be caused by US or British ships has instead 
been caused by a Greek ship,' the Greek paper reported.  The 
ship's captain said that he had been misguided into the 
northern Cypriot port. 
 
Iran Approves Mobile Phone Deal With Turkcell:  Iran 
approved a $3 billion contract to operate the country's 
second private mobile phone license awarded last year to a 
consortium led by Turkey's GSM operator Turkcell, papers 
report.  The deal is the largest outside the oil and gas 
sector since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.  The 
Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) reportedly said the 
deal will be signed between the Iranian government and the 
consortium next month after all legal procedures have been 
finalized.  Turkcell had earlier said it would decide 
whether to continue with the deal once the final contract 
had been approved by the Iranian parliament. 
 
Rally Protests US Troop Presence in Incirlik Airbase:  A 
group of university students and leftist parties rallied 
over the weekend in Turkey's southern province of Adana to 
protest against the US military presence in Turkey.  The 
group called for the expulsion of US troops from Incirlik 
Airbase.  Police took security measures around the US 
Consulate in Adana, but no significant incidents took place. 
 
42,000 Children Live on the Streets in Turkey:  Government 
figures show that some 42,000 children are living on 
Turkey's streets or being employed in child labor, an 
increase of 9,000 in just one year, "Cumhuriyet" reports. 
37 percent of these children are from Turkey's eastern and 
southeastern provinces.  42 percent of the street children 
have had no education, and 52 percent use drugs, according 
to the report. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: VE Day; UK Elections 
 
"President Bush's Self-Defined Mission" 
Yasemin Congar wrote in the mainstream "Milliyet" (5/9): 
"President Bush's trip to Europe has given certain 
indications about his foreign policy priorities as well as 
the diplomatic style we can expect during his second term. 
During his first term, Bush focused primarily on the fight 
against terrorism in the post-9/11 atmosphere, using this 
issue as a main justification for toppling Saddam Hussein. 
In the second term, Bush is seemingly broadening the concept 
of the struggle against terror.  Both the war on and the 
administration's Iraq policy are combined with a mission to 
expand freedom.  .. This priority can be seen in almost 
every foreign policy statement or remark by President Bush. 
He highlights that `freedom is the natural right of all 
people,' and urges `support for democratization instead of 
appeasement for the sake of stability.'  . President Bush's 
recent speech in Riga contains both the essence of his self- 
defined mission for freedom and the US expectation from its 
allies on this issue." 
 
"Have We Taken The Lessons from World War II?" 
Yasin Dogan wrote in the Islamist-opinion maker "Yeni Safak" 
(5/9): "The anniversary of the end of WWII should remind us 
that this was one of the worst disasters of humanity, and 
that it resulted from an imperialist policy.  The US used 
atomic bombs against Japan, another indication of the 
horrifying aspects of imperialism. . WWII also marked the 
end of fascism, the force that had turned both Germany and 
Italy into war machines.  The primary actors in World War II 
distorted the notion of civilization, and neither side 
showed respect for humanistic concepts. . With the end of 
WWII, humanity took this lesson to heart by establishing the 
United Nations and drawing up the International Declaration 
of Human Rights.  Yet today, the world has drifted far from 
this spirit.  World politics is moving toward the formation 
of a world system based on the interests of superpowers. 
Despite the commemorations of the tragedy of WWII, it seems 
that little effort is being made to prevent such events from 
happening again." 
 
"Elections in the United Kingdom" 
Yilmaz Oztuna commented in the conservative "Turkiye" (5/9): 
"Britain has always been considered as the center of 
democracy in the world.  This is the first time in the 
country's history that the Labor Party has won elections for 
the third time in a row under the same leader.  Eight years 
of Labour rule has naturally caused some Britons to become 
weary of the current government.  That should be considered 
as the main reason for the decreased number of Labour votes 
and seats in the House of Commons.  The result shows that 
despite all the problems, the public in Britain supports the 
US in its initiative on the Broader Middle East and Northern 
Africa.  The voters decided that the US project is also in 
the British national interest.  This project can be seen as 
an effort to secure the energy resources of the 21st 
century.  This is a first-come-first-served initiative that 
will benefit those who support it by improving the national 
industry and the prosperity of its people." 
 
EDELMAN