US embassy cable - 05ANKARA3857

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 003857 
 
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 
TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Bush: US Interests Come First - Milliyet 
Turkmen Rally for Rights in Kirkuk - Turkiye 
`Skinheads' From Europe to Gather in Greece Against Turkey - 
Sabah 
Spain Begins Talks With Separatist ETA - Sabah 
Boston Globe: 2005 the Bloodiest Year for US - Aksam 7/4 
Suicide Attack Kills 17 in Baghdad - Milliyet 7/4 
Woody Allen: September 11 `Insignificant' - Hurriyet 
Live-8 Unites Nations Against Hunger - Sabah 7/4 
Bush: US `Generous' in Foreign Donations - Hurriyet 7/3 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Erdogan: Turkey-Greece Gas Pipeline a Strategic Step Forward 
- Zaman 7/4 
Papadopoulos Proposes Changing the Annan Plan - Zaman 7/3 
Egypt's Ambassador to Baghdad Abducted - Zaman 7/4 
US Troops Kill 17 Innocent Civilians in Afghanistan - Yeni 
Safak 
OSCE: Guantanamo Should be Closed - Yeni Safak 
Africa Summit in Libya Aims to Pressure G-8 - Zaman 
China-Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership - Cumhuriyet 
Nazarbayev to Run for Kazakh Presidency Again - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Erdogan Due in US:  Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan departed 
for the United States on Tuesday for a three-day unofficial 
visit to participate as the keynote speaker in the Sun 
Valley Conference in Idaho.  Erdogan is also scheduled to 
attend meetings of the `World Affairs Council of Northern 
California' and the `Commonwealth Club.'  He will also meet 
with Turkish businessmen and other Turkish-American 
representatives on July 7.  Responding to press questions 
before leaving for the US today, Erdogan said that Turkey's 
`close ties of alliance' with the US are continuing.  `Ties 
between Turkey and the US, two countries that share 
universal values such as democracy, freedom, the rule of 
law, and free-market economy, have acquired a stronger and 
more multi-dimensional aspect since the end of the Cold 
War,' Erdogan said.  He also noted that Turkey attached 
great importance to increasing trade with the US.  Erdogan 
is being accompanied by State Minister Ali Babacan, Finance 
Minister Kemal Unakitan and several AKP lawmakers. 
 
USS Mitscher Visits Turkish Port:  The American destroyer 
USS Mitscher hosted a reception during a port visit to the 
coastal town of Marmaris in southwest Turkey, "Milliyet" 
reports on Tuesday.  Commander of the US Navy in Europe 
Admiral Harry Ulrich and Turkey's Naval Forces Commander 
General Ozden Ornek participated in the reception.  Admiral 
Ulrich told the Turks and Americans gathered at the 
reception that he and Admiral Ornek would `soon retire soon 
to make room for the younger generation of officers, who 
will see the friendship between the US and Turkey strengthen 
so that our grandsons in both countries will live in peace.' 
Admiral Ornek said he was aware of the `tough mission' 
carried out by US troops around the world.  `Americans 
sometimes face difficulties in finding safe harbors in the 
Mediterranean.  All of our ports are always open to them,' 
Ornek said.  He added that despite the `ups and downs' in 
relations between politicians in Turkey and the United 
States, relations between the navies of both countries have 
always been `excellent.'  `Good relations between our navies 
contributes positively to relations between our 
politicians,' Ornek stressed. 
 
Ankara Sends Iraq Delegation to US:  Turkey's special Iraq 
envoy Ambassador Osman Koruturk and Foreign Ministry (MFA) 
Middle East desk director Safak Gokturk traveled to the US 
on Monday for discussions on the Iraqi constitution process, 
"Radikal" reports today.  The Turkish delegation will ask 
the Americans to ensure that Kirkuk retain a `special 
status,' and that the return of Iraqis displaced by the 
former regime should not be exploited in favor of the Kurds. 
The PKK issue will also be discussed.  If the Turkish 
delegation returns with positive impressions, Ankara will 
send military and intelligence experts to the US for further 
discussions on Iraq, according to "Radikal." 
 
US Armenian Lobby's Initiative to Reopen Turkey-Armeni 
Border:  A bill drafted by Congressman Adam Schiff (D) calls 
on the US Government to put pressure on Turkey to open its 
border crossing with Armenia, Monday's "Zaman" reports.  The 
draft bill claimed that keeping the border closed amounted 
to a violation of international standards, and stressed that 
it increased the transport cost of goods imported by Armenia 
by 30-35 percent.  Another Democrat, Frank Pallone, claimed 
that he had received assurances from committee chairman 
Henry Hyde (R) that the draft will be discussed at a sub- 
committee meeting of the House Foreign Relations Committee 
in July. 
 
Murdoch Wants to Bring Fox-TV to Turkey:  International 
media barons have been waiting for changes to Turkish radio 
and television regulations before making investments in 
Turkey, Tuesday's  "Aksam" reports.  The paper claims that 
Rupert Murdoch will discuss with PM Erdogan at the Sun 
Valley Conference his intention of bringing Fox-TV to 
Turkey, and will urge Erdogan to change legislation 
restricting foreign ownership of Turkish media.  Current 
laws stipulate that foreign media investors are allowed to 
acquire a maximum of 25 percent of Turkish media concerns. 
 
Moscow Ready to Mediate Between Ankara, Yerevan:  Russian 
Ambassador Petr Stegny told Tuesday's "Yeni Safak" that 
Moscow is ready to mediate between Ankara and Yerevan to 
achieve a settlement of their long-standing dispute.  Stegny 
said that historical issues should be discussed by 
historians and should not be politicized.  "Yeni Safak" 
deems Stegny's remarks important, as he is an historian who 
has studied Ottoman history. 
 
Buyukanit Lashes Out at Europe for backing PKK:  Dailies 
quote Land Forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit as 
telling Turkey's Defense and Aviation Magazine that demands 
put forth by the PKK under the guise of human rights in 
parallel with its armed activities in the southeast threaten 
Turkey's territorial integrity.  `Unfortunately, some 
circles in Turkey and some EU member countries have not 
reacted adequately to such demands.  On the contrary, they 
are almost supporting them,' Buyukanit said.  Buyukanit 
emphasized that the PKK has benefited from the turbulence in 
northern Iraq, where it has found political support. 
Buyukanit claimed that the PKK has been able to find 
shelter, weapons, ammunition, training, and medical 
treatment through aid it receives from European countries. 
 
Turkey-Greece Gas Pipeline Construction Kicked Off:  The 
prime ministers of Greece and Turkey met at their countries' 
common border on Sunday to inaugurate the construction of a 
natural gas pipeline that will link the two neighbors, 
Monday papers report.  The pipeline will carry Caspian Sea 
natural gas to Italy through Turkey and Greece.  The two 
leaders were welcomed warmly on both sides of the border. 
During the inauguration ceremony on the Greek side of the 
border, Karamanlis underlined the project's geopolitical 
importance, and stressed that the Greek and Turkish peoples 
can cooperate as neighbors.  Erdogan said the inauguration 
marked an `historic' moment, and that it would help dissolve 
rumors regarding a downturn in relations between the two 
countries.  Karamanlis reportedly accepted an invitation by 
Erdogan to visit Turkey before October 3.  it would be the 
first official visit by a Greek Foreign Minister to Turkey 
in 46 years. 
 
Far-Right Festival in Greece:  Right-wing extremists are 
planning a `festival' in Greece to protest against Turkey's 
EU candidacy, Turkish papers reported on Tuesday.  Fascist 
political parties such as the National Democratic Party 
(Germany), Forza Nuova (Italy), La Falange (Spain), and 
Golden Dawn (Greece) are to attend the gathering in the 
Greek city of Meligala from September 16-18.  The Jewish 
community in Greece is alarmed by the gathering, and has 
called on the government to block the meetings.  The Greek 
government said it cannot restrict a peaceful meeting. 
 
Suicide Bomber Killed in Ankara:  A suicide bomber who tried 
to enter the Justice Ministry on Friday was killed by 
police, weekend papers report.  The bomber, identified later 
as Eyup Beyaz, a member of the outlawed leftist group DHKP- 
C, was unable to detonate the explosives strapped to his 
body after he was detected by a security scanner at the 
entrance to the ministry.  Police shot Beyaz dead when he 
attempted to escape and detonate the bomb.  Beyaz had been 
sought by police for planning a suicide attack during the 
wedding of Prime Minister Erdogan's son in August 2003, and 
for plotting the assassination of Justice Minister Cemil 
Cicek. 
 
Train Bomb Blast Caused by PKK Kills Five in Turkey:  Five 
railroad security guards were killed and 15 wounded on 
Saturday when a mine derailed a postal train in eastern 
Turkey, weekend papers report.  The attack was followed by a 
second attack against another train that was bringing 
assistance to the vicitms.  The PKK claimed responsibility 
for the bomb attacks.  Papers report that Damascus condemned 
the killings, the first such condemnation by the Syrian 
regime against a PKK attack. 
 
French Ambassador Condemns Terrorist Killings in SE Turkey: 
French Ambassador Paul Paudade said during a visit to 
Turkey's mainly Kurdish Diyarbakir province that growing 
terror in the Southeast is damaging Turkey's image during 
the EU entry process, Tuesday papers report.   Paudade met 
Diyarbakir mayor Osman Baydemir, and condemned last week's 
mine blast that derailed a passenger train and killed five 
security officials in the eastern province of Bingol.  `The 
killers should not be left unpunished,' the ambassador said. 
 
Gul to Join Commemoration of Srebrenica Killings:  Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Gul will participate in an international 
ceremony to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the mass 
killings of Bosnian Muslims by Serbian troops in Srebrenica 
in July 1995, Tuesday's "Zaman" reports.  British Foreign 
Secretary Jack Straw will also attend the ceremony, 
 
SIPDIS 
representing the European Union as its term president. 
Bosnian women will walk the 130 km from Sarajevo to 
Srebrenica in memory of the 8,000 Bosnians killed in the 
massacre.  A battery factory in the region where the 
Bosnians were killed will be turned into a museum to 
commemorate the event. 
 
Parliament Adopts Bill on Security Wiretapping:  The Turkish 
parliament approved a bill allowing the Turkish Intelligence 
Organization (MIT), the police, and the jandarma to tap 
telephones on a written order by their superiors.  The 
police and jandarma may listen to and record any telephone 
and electronic communications of suspected terrorists, drug- 
traffickers, or members of organized criminal groups.  The 
monitoring may only be carried out with a warrant issued by 
a judge or by the written consent of the head of police 
intelligence, the jandarma commander, the MIT 
undersecretary, or an authorized official when swift action 
is necessary.  The monitoring will be conducted from a 
single center to be set up by the prime minister, who will 
be responsible for the supervision of intercept operations. 
Unauthorized monitoring will be subject to prison sentences 
of up to three years. 
 
Homeless Children, Forced Child Labor in Istanbul:  Thirty- 
five percent of children living on Istanbul's streets are 
drug addicts, while 12 percent of them are addicted to 
heroin or pills, the leftist/intellectual "Birgun" reported 
on Tuesday.  The majority of homeless children are from 
families who migrated from the mainly Kurdish southeastern 
and eastern Turkey, according to a survey conducted by the 
Istanbul Governor's office, social aid institutions, and 
police among 665 homeless children in the city.  The survey 
also showed that 8,944 children were forced into labor in 
Istanbul, and 296 young girls were sexually abused. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: G-8 Summit 
 
"It's Time for the Supers to Talk" 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (7/5): "The 
Live 8 event provided a platform to raise public awareness 
about the need to aid African countries.  This event will 
push G-8 leaders to think about taking some steps on this 
issue.   In fact, sending money is only one of many 
approaches to ending the tragic destiny of black Africa. 
The cancellation of African debt, improved terms for 
bilateral trade, and projects to address the immediate needs 
of Africans are some other steps that could be taken.   In 
fact, the host of the G-8 summit, Tony Blair, has prepared a 
proposal along these lines.  But other leaders, including 
President Bush, obviously have some reservations.  In the 
end it is all about how much the rich states are prepared to 
spend on the African continent.  But when we talk about rich 
states, we should bear in mind that all of the potential 
sources of assistance are not in the G-8.  What about the 
oil-rich states?  How can we explain the fact that they have 
kept their distance from this issue?" 
 
"The G-8 summit will not produce anything" 
Omer Madra commented in the leftist "Birgun" (7/5): "The G-8 
summit convenes with two major agenda items: poverty in 
Africa, and global warming.  Yet it would be too much to 
hope that the summit will provide solutions to these issues. 
Even before the meeting, there is already a growing 
speculation about disagreement in both areas.  Most likely, 
the G-8 summit will conclude with nothing but a final 
communiqu filled with diplomatic niceties but lacking any 
concrete details.  Unfortunately, the areas of disagreement 
are on vital questions such as the cancellation of African 
debt and an increase in aid to the African continent.  As 
far as global warming is concerned, the G-8 summit will not 
go beyond stating the obvious - the globe is heating up." 
 
"The Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change, and the Floods" 
Ismail Kapan commented in the conservative "Turkiye" (7/5): 
"President Bush clearly has clearly stated that his 
participation in the G-8 summit is intended neither to 
support the Tony Blair's campaign to help Africa, nor to 
sign the Kyoto protocol.  He is determined to defend his 
country's interests.  With such remarks, Bush has indicated 
that American interests come ahead of hunger and poverty in 
Africa.  His unwillingness to sign the Kyoto protocol stems 
from his belief that the treaty would damage the American 
economy.   But while Bush makes such comments, the world 
climate continues to change in a negative direction.  The US 
is already at the top of the list of world polluters, 
producing 36 percent of the world's greenhouse gases.  No 
sound solution to the climate change problem can be found 
unless the US supports global measures.  Every region in the 
world is suffering from the negative effects of climate 
change.   Some regions suffer from excessive heat, others 
are experiencing drought and floods.  Let's see how long 
this will continue, and when the US will agree to sign 
Kyoto.  It doesn't seem likely that this will happen in the 
near future." 
 
MCELDOWNEY