US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2814

UNCLAS ANKARA 002814 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KISL, PREL 
SUBJECT: OUTREACH FOLLOWING NEWSWEEK'S RETRACTION OF ITS 
STORY ALLEGING KORAN DESECRATION AT GUANTANAMO 
 
REF:  STATE 90992 
 
1. The Turkish media has been uncharacteristically 
restrained in its coverage of the alleged desecration 
incident at Guantanamo.  News coverage since the claim was 
first published in Newsweek has generally been factual and 
balanced.  Most papers reported on the demonstrations and 
violence in Afghanistan sparked by the story, but they also 
carried Secretary Rice's comments confirming that the charge 
is being investigated and that desecration of the Koran or 
any other holy book is antithetical to the principles on 
which the United States was founded. 
 
2. Weekend papers here also reported factually on Newsweek's 
backtracking on the story, and several main papers 
("Milliyet," "Cumhuriyet," and "Radikal") give extensive 
coverage today to Newsweek's apology for misleading its 
readers.  Even Turkey's most influential Islamist-oriented 
media outlets - the dailies "Yeni Safak" and "Zaman" - have 
dealt with the issue fairly, including coverage of the 
secretary's statement and Newsweek's subsequent retraction. 
 
SIPDIS 
There has been virtually no editorial commentary on the 
issue, even among columnists who frequently engage in anti- 
Americanism. 
 
3. The Embassy has put the text of the Secretary's statement 
on the embassy website in both English and Turkish.  The 
Ambassador will deliver reftel points tomorrow during a 
scheduled meeting with MFA Undersecretary Tuygan. Given that 
the allegation has not caused significant problems in the 
Turkish public debate, we believe these steps are sufficient 
at this point. 
 
EDELMAN