US embassy cable - 05ANKARA3328

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 003328 
 
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, JUNE 10, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Syria Dialogue at the White House - Sabah 
Erdogan Urges Annan to Approval UNSC Cyprus Report - Sabah 
No Promises from Bush on PKK - Hurriyet 
Erdogan-Bush Meeting Did Not Repair Strained Relations - 
Hurriyet 
Istanbul Conference on Democracy and Global Security - 
Milliyet 
Annan Steps In on Cyprus Issue - Turkiye 
Syria Issue Raises Tension at Bush-Erdogan Meeting - Vatan 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Erdogan Asks For Annan's Help on Cyprus - Radikal 
US Ambassador to Yerevan Loses Award Over `Genocide' - 
Radikal 
US Uses Kandil Mountains as `Trump Card' Against Turkey - 
Cumhuriyet 
Opposition CHP Says Erdogan's Trip a Fiasco - Cumhuriyet 
Erdogan Invites Cheney to Turkey - Cumhuriyet 
Turkey Fails to get US Support on PKK issue - Zaman 
Erdogan Warns Annan about Cyprus Report - Yeni Safak 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Erdogan - Annan Meeting:  Prime Minister Erdogan yesterday 
met with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and urged him to 
gain approval of his Cyprus report by the UN Security 
Council.  Erdogan also urged more pressure on the Greek 
Cypriots to restart negotiations for the island's 
reunification.  "Radikal" reports that following the meeting 
Annan said that the Cyprus peace process could not be 
resumed in the short term.  PM Erdogan announced a new, five- 
point strategy for Cyprus: the free movement of people and 
goods through the island; lifting of restrictions on the use 
of all ports and airport, including for direct flights; 
allowing northern Cyprus to benefit from the EU Customs 
Union; allowing the `TRNC' to participate in international 
sports and cultural events; and bringing the Annan plan to a 
new vote after some changes are made. 
 
Erdogan's Visit to the US:  Today's papers carry conflicting 
reports about PM Erdogan's visit to Washington.  "Hurriyet" 
says the meeting between Bush and Erdogan was not sufficient 
to end the problems in bilateral relations.  US officials 
are upset specifically about Turkey's Syria policy. 
"Cumhuriyet" reports that US mistrust in the AKP foreign 
policy has increased as a result of the meeting.  Papers 
cite comments by members of the opposition CHP 
characterizing the visit as `a fiasco.'  "Vatan" draws 
attention to the problems Erdogan ran into in the White 
House when he tried to defend his policies toward Syrian 
leader Bashar al-Assad.  The paper claims that President 
Bush  stated openly that the US and the international 
community are not happy with Turkey's policies on Syria. 
"Aksam" notes that no progress was made on any issue during 
the visit.  "Cumhuriyet" writes that Washington is 
preoccupied with its own interests in Iraq, and is therefore 
turning a blind eye to Turkish requests for combating the 
PKK.  The paper adds that the US is not likely to carry out 
an operation against the PKK in the Kandil Mountains until 
the insurgency in Iraq ends `and work is completed on the 
establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq.' 
"Radikal" and "Milliyet" cite US sources as saying US side 
will closely follow the Turkish Government's statements and 
actions in the weks and months ahead.  Only then, according 
to these sources, will it be known whether the Erdogan visit 
was a real success.  Papers also note that the Vice 
President Cheney reacted positively to Erdogan's invitation 
to visit Turkey later this year. 
 
Turkish Trucker Killed in Iraq:  "Sabah" reports that a 
Turkish truck driver heading to a US base after entering 
Iraq from Kuwait was attacked and killed in an area near 
Ramadi. 
 
Istanbul Conference on Democracy and Global Security: 
Speaking at the International Democracy and Global Security 
Conference hosted by the Turkish National Police, Prime 
Minister Erdogan, speaking via satellite from Washington, 
said that terrorism has become the main threat to democracy 
and global security in the new millennium.  Erdogan added 
that Turkey is willing to share its 25-year experience in 
fighting terrorism with other countries in the world. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: US-Turkey/PM Erdogan in the U.S./BMENAI 
 
"OK, So Now What Happens?" 
Ergun Babahan, editor-in-chief of the mainstream daily 
"Sabah" (6/10):  "PM Erdogan's meeting with President Bush, 
around which there had been so much speculation, is finally 
over.  The Prime Minister tried to win points in Washington 
by his statements prior to the visit.  For example, he 
announced that Turkey will support the Greater Middle East 
Initiative (GME), which he had strongly opposed until a few 
days ago.  He said Turkey and the United States have the 
same view of Iraq.  He stressed the existence of a strategic 
partnership.  But despite the generally positive atmosphere 
in the meeting, it has emerged that the Bush administration 
is keeping its distance from the Turkish Government.  One of 
the main areas of disagreement is Syria.  The US 
Administration wants to isolate the Baath regime in 
Damascus.  The Erdogan Government wants to lead the Syrians 
to the right path using its own methods.  There is a serious 
difference of views on this issue.  Similarly, Erdogan wants 
the United States to take action against the PKK in northern 
Iraq.  But Washington doesn't seem too eager.  The Americans 
say they don't have enough troops, that they need more time, 
that they don't want to come into conflict with the Kurdish 
administration.  But real `strategic partners' don't have 
major disagreements on two key issues.  It is not clear to 
me how two administrations that disagree on fundamental 
issues can have a real partnership.  There is a deep crisis 
of confidence between Washington and Ankara.  I'm not saying 
that Washington is right.  But I will say that there have 
been commitments made to Washington that have not been kept, 
and the differences between words and deeds have created 
serious question marks about Turkey in Washington.  The 
political leadership in Ankara will be in a weaker position 
to govern if it is in a poor relationship with the United 
States.  PM Erdogan has seen this personally since he has 
been in power.  That's why this trip was important.  He 
knows that it has been the AKP, not the CHP, that is most 
responsible for damaging the relationship.  It is for that 
reason that while he has been in Washington, he has been 
saying nothing but positive things about the US.  The US 
administration is giving Turkey's legitimate leaders a new 
chance to continue the relationship.  The future of the 
relationship between the two countries, or more precisely 
between the Bush Administration and the AKP leadership, will 
be determined by whether the Turkish Government stands 
behind the commitments it made at the White House." 
 
"The Triumph of Conspiracy Logic" 
Fehmi Koru wrote in the Islamist-oriented "Yeni Safak" 
(6/10):  We all witnessed that PM Tayyip Erdogan was 
received with great esteem at the White House.  The Bush- 
Erdogan meeting clearly represents a new opening for Turkey 
and the United States.  But rumors coming from behind the 
scenes are aiming to undermine this positive situation.  Is 
there anti-Americanism in Turkey?  The polls show that the 
anti-American atmosphere is Turkey is strong.  But is there 
a country anywhere that hasn't shown a reaction to the wrong- 
headed analyses that emerged in Washington after September 
11.  In many countries in Europe, opposition to President 
Bush's policies is much stronger than it is in Turkey.  In 
some countries, this anger may even be extended to the 
American people.  In Turkey, on the other hand, there is a 
clear distinction being made between the US administration 
and the American people.  In this situation, can the 
political leadership really be accused of fomenting anti- 
Americanism?  Can the AKP Government, or any government for 
that matter, fairly be charged with stoking anti-American 
views that had already appeared on the scene?  Yet as soon 
as we set foot in the US capital, that is the main issue 
that we heard being discussed.  According to the rumors that 
were being fed by certain people, anti-Americanism in Turkey 
was created and controlled by the AKP.  Underlying this was 
the fact that after PM Erdogan took it into his head to seek 
an appointment in Washington, the anti-American atmosphere 
seemed to go into relative decline.  Why?  Because the AKP 
Party, which had fed that sentiment in the first place, was 
now bringing it under control.  Since September 11, the 
Americans have been complaining in increasingly loud tones 
about the prevalence of conspiracy theory.  But the 
contention that the AKP has fed and is controlling anti- 
Americanism in Turkey is the lamest conspiracy theory I have 
heard yet.  For a government to be capable of this, it would 
either have to hold all the mechanisms in its hands for 
manipulating the media - like the Bush Administration - or 
else have the dictatorial powers of a tyrant like Hitler. 
You would have to be blind not to see that Turkey is a 
democratic country, and that its media is not creating 
positive feelings about the AKP Government.  Washington 
needs to see that Tayyip Erdogan took upon himself a risk by 
visiting the US capital.  It's not hard to guess what is 
behind the efforts to spread this kind of nonsense about the 
AKP - to force those who took the trouble to go to 
Washington with all good intentions to accept a kind of 
cooperation that they had avoided in the past.  Should the 
United States, which has set the region ablaze through the 
war in Iraq, be allowed to spread that fire to neighboring 
countries by drawing Turkey to its side?  I don't think that 
even reasonable Americans could want that.  First, the 
Americans need to look at themselves. 
 
"Strategic What?" 
Sami Kohen observed in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (6/10): 
"Some of the policies pursued by Ankara are not compatible 
with views in Washington.  Syria is at the top of the list. 
The White House meeting and its reflection in the press is 
indicative of the differences the two sides have on the 
Syria issue.  This means that if the two countries are 
engaged in a partnership or relationship in the strategic 
sense, Syria is out of the line of bilateral cooperation. 
This difference may not constitute an obstacle to a broader 
relationship for the time being.  But it remains to be seen 
what Ankara may do when the US steps up its pressure on 
Syria and looks for Turkish support. . The strategic 
partnership calls for full cooperation.  Turkey may not have 
the luxury of making its own choices." 
 
"The Revival of Strategic Alliance?" 
Yilmaz Oztuna opined in the conservative "Turkiye" (6/10): 
"The revival of a strategic alliance between Turkey and the 
US heavily depends on Turkey's performance.  In fact, 
Turkey's future is to be shaped by its ability to overcome 
certain complexes and superstitions.  Unfortunately, certain 
so-called advisers are pointing the government in the wrong 
direction.   One of them is the fantasy that Muslims cannot 
engage in a fight with other Muslims.  The history of 
humanity is full of wars and brutalities between Muslims -- 
the 8-year-long Iran-Iraq war is only one example of many. 
The second misguided idea is the argument that Turkey will 
end up living in this geography with its neighbors - like 
Syria and Iraq - and not the US.  This is an argument that 
is impossible to defend.  In this geography, the US will be 
our neighbor for at least for another 50 years.  If we are a 
serious state, we should not forget or overlook that some of 
the regimes around us are anti-Turkish." 
 
"Bush and Erdogan Agree To Work Against Turkey" 
Mustafa Balbay wrote in the leftist-nationalist "Cumhuriyet" 
(6/10): "Some in the Turkish press have deliberately 
portrayed the Bush-Erdogan meeting as a positive, writing 
headlines about `a fresh beginning' or `a new page' in 
bilateral relations.  These headlines hide the fact that the 
US has started making plans for the period ahead which 
should be of direct concern for us.  These steps are to be 
taken as part of the BMENAI project.  We simply do not know 
what promises Erdogan made to Bush.  Similarly, we don't 
know to what extent Bush talked openly about the goals of 
the BMENAI.  Therefore it is not possible to make an 
assessment about how much Turkey will be affected by the 
efforts to implement the BMENAI.  But one thing is very 
clear.  PM Erdogan is desperate to have strong US support 
for his government.  He is ready to do anything to continue 
in officer.  So the two leaders have agreed on something 
specific - the effort to undermine the fundamental 
principles of Ataturk's republic." 
 
"New Strategic Relations with the US" 
Erhan Basyurt wrote in the Islamist-oriented "Zaman" (6/10): 
"Turkey has been providing support for the US for some time, 
including permission for the use of Incirlik airbase and a 
leading role in the civilian and military effort in 
Afghanistan.  Turkey also supports the BMENAI project. 
President Bush thanked Turkey for its support and mentioned 
Turkish democracy as a model.  Turkey is also one of the co- 
chairs of the `Democracy Assistance Dialogue,' a grouping 
that is a part of the BMENA initiative.  . It seems the 
strategic partnership between the two countries that was 
established during the First Gulf War and then deteriorated 
during the Second Gulf War is now being billed as a 
strategic relationship.  Erdogan's visit to Washington was 
certainly important as part of the attempt to smooth the 
bilateral relationship.  But what kind of relationship the 
two countries really have will only be seen in the steps 
taken by both countries in the days ahead." 
 
"If We Use The Greater Middle East Project Well." 
Aydin Ayaydin in the mainstream daily "Sabah" (6/10): 
"Prime Minister Erdogan met with President Bush on the 
second day of his visit to the United States.  The Oval 
Office meeting, which lasted about an hour, was an 
opportunity to breathe new life into the relationship, which 
had been broken since March 1, 2003.  On the Greater Middle 
East Initiative (GME), which is given great importance by 
the US side, Turkey displayed a joint approach, but 
commentators have noted that the Syria issue showed that 
Erdogan and Bush really aren't on the same frequency. 
President Bush is determined on the GME.  If Erdogan really 
wants to take a step toward fixing the relationship, he 
needs to make his views clear on this issue.  It is clear 
that there is no use debating the GME with the United 
States.  The US view is quite clear.  But what will Turkey's 
position be?  The United States wants to know this.  The GME 
was renamed the Greater Middle East and North Africa 
Initiative (BMENAI) at last year's G-8 Summit.  That meeting 
also laid out the first details of the initiative.  There 
are 90 million young people between the ages of 15-24 in the 
countries of the Broader Middle East.  14 million of them 
(16 percent) are unemployed.  The numbers of unemployed are 
increasing by 3.5 percent each year.  The growth rate in 
most of these countries is right around zero.  There is no 
economic integration in the region.  According to the 
BMENAI, there is no organized effort to curb the spread of 
weapons in the region.  As a result, there is a race for 
arms, including for WMD.  In short, this area is a source of 
great instability.  14 million youth can't find a way to 
make a dollar.  They are hungry.  These youth are a source 
of international terrorism.  The BMENAI is an effort to 
improve the economic, social, and cultural infrastructure in 
this region.  It also seeks to move these countries toward 
democratization.  But it also leaves each country free to 
determine the form of its own political development.  When 
looked at in this way, the BMENAI is an ethical initiative 
in the social and economic sense.  If Turkey evaluates this 
initiative in the right way and uses its geography and 
geopolitical understanding effectively, it could take a 
leadership role in this region and beyond." 
 
MOORE