US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2738

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 002738 
 
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 12, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Grossman: Turkey's EU Membership of `Cosmic Importance' - 
Milliyet 
French Legislators Object to Turkey's EU Membership - Sabah 
71 Killed in Iraq - Sabah 
Rumsfeld Reads Books on Turkey - Sabah 
Yerevan Signals Withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh - Hurriyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
TUSIAD: Erdogan's US Visit Will Help Ties With Washington - 
Zaman 
Bloody Day in Iraq: 72 Killed - Radikal 
Terror Panic at White House, Capitol - Cumhuriyet 
Alleged Desecration of Koran in Gitmo Infuriates Afghanis - 
Zaman 
Insult to Koran Enrages Afghans - Yeni Safak 
Hand Grenade Tossed at Bush in Tbilisi - Yeni Safak 
Violations Against Muslims on Rise in US - Zaman 
Leftist Latinos, Arabs Hand-in-Hand - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
TUSIAD Delegation in US:  A delegation from the Turkish 
Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) is in 
Washington to meet with US officials, financial 
representatives, and media groups.  On Wednesday, TUSIAD 
Chairman Omer Sabanci told Turkish journalists in Washington 
that their meetings showed the importance given by Americans 
to ties with Turkey.  Sabanci said the upcoming visits of 
Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to 
the United States will carry Turkish-US relations further. 
He noted that recent developments at Incirlik Airbase and PM 
Erdogan's visit to Israel were all intended to make Turkey- 
US relations better.  `Americans expect Turkish leaders to 
be more responsible in their approach to Turkish-US 
relations,' Sabanci said, adding that Washington's concerns 
with regard to rising anti-American sentiment in Turkey had 
been conveyed to the Turkish government.  "Milliyet" reports 
from Washington that the TUSIAD delegation had the 
impression that Turkey's new policy on Iraq has not been 
well understood in Washington.  Officials in Washington 
believe that Turkey's Iraq policy is not integrated, but one 
that focuses on northern Iraq and the Kurds.  Papers also 
report State Department U/S Marc Grossman's comments to a 
TUSIAD panel discussion, in which he said that the US will 
continue supporting Turkey's EU membership drive.  Grossman 
said that the reopening of Halki Seminary, the opening of 
Turkey's border with Armenia, and a settlement in Cyprus 
would help Turkey's integration with the European Union. 
The TUSIAD delegation moved on to Boston yesterday for talks 
with the Eurasia Group and Merrill Lynch, and a call on 
Harvard University President Lawrence Summers. 
 
Turkish Leaders Due in US:  Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc 
will visit Washington May 24-27, before Prime Minister 
Tayyip Erdogan meets President Bush at the White House on 
June 8, papers report.   Arinc is scheduled to meet with US 
House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert, deliver a 
speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies 
(CSIS), and meet with representatives of Jewish institutions 
in Washington.  Arinc will then proceed to Chicago to meet 
Turkish community members there.  Foreign Minister Gul will 
join a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) 
in Florida from June 5-8 before joining Erdogan in 
Washington.  Gul will meet with Secretary Rice June 8 in 
Washington. 
 
Wexler: Turkey's Syria Policy `Unacceptable':  Congressman 
Robert Wexler, cochairman of the US-Turkey Caucus in the 
House of Representatives, said that Ankara's Syria policy is 
`unacceptable,' "Milliyet" reports.  `Turkey is playing a 
different tune at a time when the US, supported by the Saudi 
Crown Prince and the leadership in Egypt, is making 
important initiatives to persuade Syria to give up support 
for terrorism.  This is unacceptable,' Wexler said. 
 
ECHR Rules for Retrial of Ocalan:  The European Court of 
Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday that Turkey's 1999 
trial of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan was unfair.  The move 
puts pressure on Ankara to grant Ocalan a retrial.  The 
ECHR's final judgment said that Ocalan's right to a fair 
trial had been violated.  The ruling, which did not object 
to the substance of the case against the PKK leader, is not 
binding but is expected to cause problems for the Turkish 
government.  Ankara signaled on Thursday its readiness to 
retry the Kurdish leader.  Justice Minister and Government 
Spokesman Cemil Cicek told the state broadcaster TRT that 
the Turkish people should not fear Ocalan's release.  Cicek 
said that Turkey's judicial organs will handle the case 
properly. 
 
Armenia Considers Pulling Out of Nagorno-Karabakh: 
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov reportedly 
told officials in Ankara during meetings yesterday that 
Armenia has offered a gradual pullout from five of the seven 
occupied regions in Nagorno-Karabakh, "Hurriyet" reports. 
Azerbaijan, however, is demanding a full withdrawal.  The 
Armenian proposal is an important development on the eve of 
a possible meeting between Prime Minister Erdogan and 
Armenian President Kocharian in Warsaw next week, according 
to "Hurriyet." 
 
US Wants New Cyprus Talks Based on Annan Plan:  Believing 
that renewed Cyprus peace talks on the basis of the Annan 
Plan would be the most sensible path to follow, US 
diplomatic sources told "Cumhuriyet" that the US expects 
Papadopoulos to submit Nicosia's objections to the UN- 
sponsored plan.  However, Papadopoulos is reluctant to deal 
with the Annan Plan or a possible referenda in new talks for 
the reunification of Cyprus, "Cumhuriyet" reports.  Turkish 
diplomats think the Annan Plan may not be used as a point of 
departure, but believe that it may provide a significant 
contribution to negotiations since it is reflects a balance 
between the sides in the island.  "Cumhuriyet" argues that 
the UNSYG does not want a new failure on the Cyprus issue, 
and that, before moving forward, wants to see that both 
sides have the political will to reach a settlement. 
Meanwhile, EU Expansion Commissioner Olli Rehn said before 
visiting Cyprus on Thursday that the EU has been working for 
the release of a 259 million Euro financial aid package for 
north Cyprus.  Turkish papers cite the Greek Cypriot press 
as claiming that Rehn will offer a formula that will enable 
direct trade between EU and Turkish Cyprus. 
 
Cypriot Airline Kicks Off Larnaca-Istanbul Flights:  Hellas 
Jet, an airlibne associated with Cyprus Airways and based in 
Greece, has started flights from Larnaca to Istanbul via 
Rhodes, "Radikal" reports, citing the Greek daily 
"Fileleftheros."  Two flights have already been made, on May 
2 and May 9.  Cyprus Airways President Lazaros Savvides told 
the Nicosia-based Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that he had 
contacted the Cypriot Foreign Ministry, which told him that 
flights from Larnaca to Istanbul `would be helpful on 
various levels.'  `Hellas Jet is a Cypriot airline, but is 
also registered in Greece and therefore has been granted 
permission to use Turkish air space,' Savvides said. 
Savvides reiterated Cyprus Airways' long-standing request to 
Turkey to allow Cypriot planes to use its airspace and 
airports. 
 
General Buyukanit Warns Against Terrorist Attacks In Cities: 
Land Forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit warned that 
PKK terrorists entering Turkey from northern Iraq are 
bringing in powerful C-4 explosives that could be used for 
attacks in major cities in Turkey in the next few days.  `C- 
4 is an extremely powerful explosive,' Buyukanit noted, 
adding that many terrorists carrying C-4 had been caught in 
recent days.  Meanwhile, 3 PKK terrorists were reportedly 
killed in a clash with Turkish forces in a rural area of the 
southeastern province of Tunceli. 
 
Turkey Continues Training Iraqi Political Groups:  Turkey, 
in an effort to contribute to Iraq's democratization, will 
continue a training program for Iraqi political groups, the 
semi-official Anatolian News Agency reported yesterday.  The 
Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) said in a statement on 
Wednesday that a short-term training program for Iraqi 
political parties and groups was held before January general 
elections in Iraq. The program focused on election systems, 
and democratic institutions and practices.  The MFA said it 
had decided to carry on with the program at the request of 
various Iraqi political parties.  Seminars for Iraqi 
political groups are held at the Turkey-Middle East Public 
Institute (TODAI), the Constitutional Court, the Supreme 
Election Board, and the Faculty of Political Science in 
Ankara.  The MFA noted that the training program is open to 
all Iraqi political groups. 
 
Muslims' Rights Violations on Rise in US:  Crimes of civil 
rights violations against Muslims reached excessive levels 
in the US last year, according to several Turkish papers. 
Turkey's official Anatolian Agency (AA) cited a report by 
the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations 
(CAIR), which said that animosity against Muslims and Arab- 
Americans has been growing, and that anti-Muslim rhetoric by 
political, religious and media figures has also been on the 
rise.  In 2004, rights violations against Muslims grew by 49 
percent and racial crimes increased by 52 percent compared 
with 2003 figures, according to the report.  The report is 
said to be based on incidents reported by individuals and 
organizations to the Council. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: IAEA/El-Baradei; US-Turkey 
 
"El-Baradei's Candidacy and the US" 
Fikret Ertan commented in the Islamist-intellectual "Zaman" 
(5/12): "The US has launched a serious campaign against el- 
Baradei in order to prevent him from remaining as president 
of the IAEA for a third term.  The US administration 
considers el-Baradei excessively tolerant and soft, 
particularly on matters related to Iraq and Iran.  The US 
also believes that el-Baradei has been inordinately 
protective of the Iranian nuclear program.  El-Baradei's 
statements to counter American arguments about Iraq prior to 
the war have neither been forgotten nor forgiven. 
Therefore, the US has been doing everything possible to 
block el-Baradei's candidacy.  . Under growing pressure from 
the US, the IAEA board was forced to postpone the meeting 
scheduled to decide on a new chairman.  But 34 of the 
Agency's 35 members have already expressed support for a 
third term as IAEA president.  It will be very interesting 
to see what the US will do in the days ahead.  The IAEA 
Board does not have much time left, as a decision must be 
made by June 2005." 
"Turkey and the US" 
Cengiz Candar commented in the conservative-sensational 
"Dunden Bugune Tercuman" (5/11):  "Prime Minister Erdogan 
and Foreign Minister Gul's almost simultaneous visits to the 
US, and especially the Erdogan-Bush and Gul-Rice meetings, 
will put Turkish-American relations under the spotlight in 
the days to come.  Turkey's importance for the US is beyond 
question.  This importance stems from Turkey being a 
secular, democratic country with a Muslim identity and a 
place in western institutions.  This is why the US is the 
strongest supporter of Turkey's EU accession.  Moreover, the 
fact that Turkey is the only Muslim country in the region 
that recognized Israel from its establishment and has 
improved relations with Israel over the last ten years has 
strengthened Turkey's importance for the US.  . In terms of 
Washington's security policies, Incirlik has lost much of 
its appeal.  For future actions in the region, the US has 
air bases in Qatar, Bahrain, and even in Iraq.  It seems 
that the US also has some alternatives in Romania, 
Azerbaijan, and Georgia.  The US will continue to tolerate 
an unstable relationship with Turkey unless Turkey moves 
toward an openly anti-American policy, something that seems 
very unlikely.  There are serious differences between Ankara 
and Washington's worldview.  The US is engaged in an effort 
to rearrange the international system by encouraging reforms 
and keeping itself at the center of international policy. 
Turkey, on the other hand, is bothered by the changes to the 
status quo in the international system, and especially in 
its region.  Unless a way can be found to bridge this 
difference, US-Turkish relations will not return to the 
level of `strategic cooperation' even if PM Erdogan has an 
appointment at the White House every single month." 
 
EDELMAN