US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4035

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 004035 
 
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, JULY 11, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Erdogan: Turkey, US Are Strategic Partners - Aksam 
"Mail on Sunday": UK Plans Pullout of Troops From Iraq - 
Vatan 
Italy to Withdraw From Iraq - DB-Tercuman 7/10 
`Ordinary' Day in Iraq: 35 Killed - Milliyet 
Secretary Rice Visits China - HO-Tercuman 7/10 
 
SIPDIS 
Bakiyev the New President of Kyrgyzstan - Milliyet 
20-Year Civil War Ends in Sudan - Hurriyet 7/10 
Another Turkish Driver Killed in Iraq - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Reactions to London Bombings Shift to Islam - Cumhuriyet 
Religion Representatives Denounce Terror in London - Zaman 
Sunday Times: 16,000 Potential Terrorists in Britain - 
Radikal 
Britons Proud of Calm Reaction To Bombings - Radikal 7/10 
Mosques Across Britain Face Retaliatory Attacks - Radikal 
7/10 
Sarkozy: Turkey Has No Place in Europe - Cumhuriyet 
Perle: Islamic Ideology a Threat To Non-Muslims - Radikal 
7/10 
Srebrenica Massacre A Disgrace for Europe - Zaman 
US, UK Plan `Secret' Pullout From Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Foreign Diplomats Flee Baghdad - Yeni Safak 7/10 
Iran Plans 20 New Nuclear Plants - Yeni Safak 7/10 
PKK Mine Blast Kills 3 Troops - Radikal 7/10 
95 Percent of Lawyers Complain About Judicial Corruption - 
Yeni Safak 7/10 
Central America Surrenders to Hurricane Dennis - Yeni Safak 
7/10 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Erdogan Returns from the US:  Evaluating his trip to 
participate in the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho, Prime 
Minister Tayyip Erdogan told the press in Ankara yesterday 
that he had discussed in the United States the issue of 
fighting terrorism and Turkey's sensitivity on that 
question.  `The next day, unfortunately, came the bombings 
in London,' Erdogan said.  He stressed that Turkey and the 
United States are strategic allies that share universal 
values.  `My visit was useful in strengthening the ties 
between Turkey and the United States.  I believe that the 
talks I held there will help to advance our economic 
relationship and create new opportunities for the promotion 
of our country,' Erdogan emphasized. 
 
Before returning home, Erdogan attended a meeting of the 
World Affairs Council of Northern California and 
Commonwealth Club of California late on Thursday, where he 
warned against reflecting a sense of failure in Iraq, and 
urged more cooperation to prevent such a development.  `We 
should do all we can to preserve the political and 
territorial integrity of Iraq, and to establish a democratic 
system there,' Erdogan said.  He also urged that Kirkuk be 
recognized in the new constitution as belonging to all the 
Iraqi people rather than to a single ethnic group.   Erdogan 
said that countries in the region should solve their 
problems through their own internal dynamics.  `To bring 
about such a change, the supportive attitude of 
international actors, especially the US, has a crucial 
importance,' Erdogan stressed.  The Turkish prime minister 
emphasized that global terrorism cannot be stopped without 
making global peace a reality.  `The United States cannot 
defeat terrorism alone.  Neither can Russia, Britain, Spain 
or Turkey,' he said.  `Common sense and solidarity is needed 
to fight terror.  Terror is a consequence.  Its causes -- 
poverty and illiteracy -- should be eliminated through 
common action,' Erdogan stated.  He called on international 
actors to spend money to fight poverty rather than on 
armaments, and he urged the US to take the lead on this 
issue.  `Turkey is ready to give every kind of assistance to 
the United States in this struggle,' Erdogan said.  Erdogan 
also called on the international community, including the 
US, to end the international isolation of Turkish Cypriots. 
 
Ankara Suspends Process for Signing of EU Adaptation 
Protocol:  The UK, as EU term president, has objected to 
Turkish plans to release a declaration in parallel with the 
signing of an adaptation protocol with the EU that would 
imply recognition of Cyprus by Ankara, "Radikal" reports. 
The Turkish declaration would make clear that the signing of 
the protocol would not amount to recognition of the Greek 
Cypriot state, and that Turkey would not open its ports and 
airports to the Greek Cypriots.  Ankara has decided to 
suspend the process for the signing of the protocol in the 
face of the British warning, "Radikal" claims.  Foreign 
Minister Gul will discuss the issue with the British Foreign 
Secretary Straw in Srebrenica, where the two ministers will 
 
SIPDIS 
particpipate on Monday in the tenth anniversary 
commemoration of the mass killings of Bosnian Muslims by 
Serb forces in July 1995.  From Srebrenica, Gul will move on 
to London, where he will offer his condolences over the 
recent terrorist attacks in the British capital.  He FM will 
also brief international investors on the situation in 
Turkey. 
 
London Bombings:  Dailies report over the weekend that the 
Al-Qaeda-affiliated Abu-Hafs al-Masri Brigade, the 
organization behind the bomb attacks in Madrid and Istanbul, 
has claimed responsibility for last week's terrorist attacks 
in London as well.  Reports say that the two previous 
bombings may provide clues about the perpetrators of the 
London attacks.  The al-Masri Brigade had urged the Turkish 
government to pull troops out of Afghanistan and cut ties 
with Israel before it bombed two synagogues, a British-owned 
bank, and the British Consulate in Istanbul in November 
2003. 
 
Religious Affairs Directorate Denounces London Bombings: 
Professor Ali Bardakoglu, head of Religious Affairs 
Department (Diyanet) in Turkey, has denounced  the terrorist 
bombings in London.  `Those who are behind these attacks 
should never forget that killing one human being means 
killing all of humanity. They whould know that they will be 
punished by God,' Bardakoglu said in a written statement. 
Bardakoglu said that the attacks had caused deep sorrow in 
Turkey, other Islamic nations, and across the world. 
Bardakoglu expressed his wish for a more peaceful world. 
 
OIC Plan to Propose Reforms for Islam:  Monday's "Milliyet" 
reports that 16 experts from the Organization of Islamic 
Conference (OIC) have drafted a plan for reforming Islam in 
an effort to cut social and cultural support for radical 
Islamic movements.  Professor Ahmet Davutoglu, chief advisor 
to Prime Minister Erdogan on international relations, is 
among the experts involved in drafting the plan, which is to 
be implemented after obtaining approval by the OIC at a 
summit meeting in Mecca in December.  The plan envisages 
national programs for fighting corruption, the rejection of 
terrorism and radical movements, the encouragement of inter- 
religious dialogue, and a fight against illiteracy, poverty, 
and child labor.  The plan also calls for reforms in 
religious education. 
 
Workshop on Women in the BMENA Region:  The Organization for 
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United 
Nations Development Program (UNDP) will jointly hold a 
workshop in Istanbul on Monday within the framework of the 
US Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative (BMENAI), 
"HO-Tercuman" reported on Sunday.  The two-day workshop aims 
to support women's entrepreneurship in the BMENAI region. 
 
Survey: Erdogan Should Continue as PM:  According to a 
public opinion survey conducted by the Pollmark Company for 
the ruling AK Party, 60 percent of respondents said that 
Erdogan should not run for the presidency in 2007, but 
rather continue as prime minister, "Yeni Safak" reports. 
Only 20 percent of respondents want to see Erdogan as 
president.  If general elections were held today, the 
distribution of votes among parties would be as follows: AKP 
43 percent, CHP 17, MHP 10.5, and DYP 10.1. 
 
Fundamentalist Turks in Berlin:  A report by the Department 
for the Protection of Constitution in Berlin said that 2,900 
of a total of 3,600 fundamentalists living in the German 
capital are Turks, "Radikal" reported on Monday.  In at 
least 10 out of 100 mosques in Berlin, sermons are being 
preached in support of violence, according to the report. 
 
Bomb Blast in Tourist Town:  A bomb exploded on Sunday in 
the coastal town of Cesme in western Turkey, leaving 22 
people injured including a number of foreign tourists, 
Monday papers report.  The Izmir Governor's Office said the 
blast was caused by a shrapnel bomb.  Dailies voiced concern 
that the bombing may negatively effect Turkish tourism.  The 
Kurdistan Liberation Hawks (TAK), a militant wing of the 
PKK, told the Europe-based pro-Kurdish "Mezopotamya News 
Agency" that it was behind the blast in Cesme, and warned 
that such attacks on tourist areas would continue. 
 
Former Byzantine Church to Reopen as a Mosque:  Istanbul's 
sixth-century Little Hagia Sophia Mosque, a former Byzantine 
church, is to reopen as a mosque later this year, despite 
objections from experts who warned that the mosque is among 
the world's most endangered monuments, "Radikal" reported on 
Sunday.  Experts complained  that the mosque's restoration 
had been rushed by the Istanbul Municipality in a bid to 
reopen it this year.  `From the historical point of view, 
this is a scandal,' one expert said.  A university professor 
said that Turkey's Directorate of Foundations had turned 
down 5 million USD in financial assistance from the World 
Monuments Fund over concerns that the use of foreign funds 
might have meant that the building would be restored as a 
church or turned into a museum. 
 
Landmine Kills Three Turkish Troops:  Three Turkish troops 
were killed and 13 wounded when their military vehicle hit a 
landmine in Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari on 
Saturday, papers reported yesterday.  The landmine is 
believed to have been planted by the separatist PKK and 
detonated by remote control.  An operation is underway to 
capture the terrorists. 
 
Turkish Truck Driver Killed in Iraq:  A Turkish truck 
driver, Hasan Ongun (41), was killed in Iraq over the 
weekend in a rocket attack near Anakon Airport, Turkish 
papers report.  Ongun was ferrying ammunition to US troops 
in the region. 
 
Minister Sener Warns Over Foreign Capital:  "Milliyet" 
reports in a front-page story that State Minister Abdulatif 
Sener, who has responsibility for economic issues, has 
warned about recent increases of foreign capital in Turkey. 
Sener warned that foreign capital is growing quickly in 
Turkey's electricity, banking and communication sectors. 
`They will take their profits back to their home countries,' 
he said, `and we will never be able to close the current 
account deficit.'  Sener argued that the economic crisis in 
Argentina was triggered by en excessive inflow of foreign 
capital to the country. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Terrorism; Srebrenica 
 
"Coincidental Fight Against Terrorism" 
Ferai Tinc commented in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (7/11): 
"The Justice Ministers of the EU countries will convene in 
Brussels on Wednesday to discuss possible new measures to be 
taken against terrorism.  Considering the statements made 
after the London bombings, life will become more difficult 
for Muslims in Europe.  While a political strategy is 
necessary to counter terrorism, the global fight against 
terrorism became muddled after the US decided to launch a 
war in Iraq as a method for fighting terrorism.  While the 
all-out war in Iraq was connected with the struggle against 
terrorism, people have now become convinced that terrorist 
actions will stop only if foreign troops are withdrawn from 
Iraq.  Will Spain's withdrawal of its from Iraq following 
the attacks in Madrid make Spain safe from terrorism 
forever?  Did Turkey's clear statements that it opposed the 
war save it from terrorist attacks?  Terrorism and the US 
war in Iraq have become like twins attached at the hip.  In 
addition to radical Islamist terror groups, the PKK and 
other terrorist organizations have also started feeding from 
this same vein.  In order to fight against terrorism 
effectively, first the world should recognize the threat 
that it faces.  Unfortunately, a proper diagnosis has yet to 
be made.   It will not be possible to develop a strategy 
against terrorism until the US and EU stop ignoring other 
terrorist organizations and blame only radical Islamists." 
 
"Isn't Terrorism the Price of the Imperialism? 
Erol Manisali observed in the intellectual "Cumhuriyet" 
(7/11):  "It would be the biggest possible mistake to 
consider Al-Qaeda as solely responsible of the terror 
attacks in London.  Terrorism and radical organizations like 
Al-Qaeda are the results of imperialism.  In some cases, 
terrorism was created directly by imperialism, while in 
other cases it emerged as a reaction against it.  Terrorism 
cannot be eliminated until the reasons for the terror are 
eliminated.  Imperialism is the main reason for terrorism. 
Military operations, occupations, bombs, death, poverty, and 
hunger feed terrorism.  Terrorism sometimes appears as a 
tool, and sometimes as a reaction.  Terrorism is a tool for 
the imperialist countries, while countries that suffer under 
imperialism use terror as a reaction.  Ireland and Libya are 
living proof of this.  Attacks by the US and some European 
countries after the end of the Cold War have become a new 
source for terrorism.  It was inevitable that terrorism 
would spread following the attacks and  occupations by the 
US and UK in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq.  Increases in 
terror attacks are parallel with increases in imperialist 
attacks.  If we want to eliminate terrorism, then, we have 
to prevent aggressive imperialism.  Terrorism will continue 
to increase as long as the US and the EU continue occupying 
countries for their own interests.  If they say that they 
cannot survive without imperialism, than they have to put up 
with terrorism." 
 
"Mothers in Srebrenica Still Cry" 
Semih Idiz wrote in the mainstream daily "Milliyet" (7/11): 
"Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will attend a very 
sad ceremony today in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  The ceremony 
commemorates the 10th anniversary of the massacre of Bosnian 
Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces in the town of 
Srebrenica.  This massacre was a clear manifestation of 
pathological nationalism.  Many Serb nationals still 
consider Karadzic, Mladic, and their `scorpions' who carried 
out this massacre as heroes.  Today's ceremony should cause 
us to reflect on Europe's deliberate ignorance during the 
war in Bosnia, and the perverted mentality of the Serbs, who 
massacred defenseless young Muslim boys by the thousands." 
 
MCELDOWNEY