US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4290

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 004290 
 
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 26, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
McEldowney: We Will Not Let Terror Divide Us - Aksam 
Egypt Seeks Pakistani Terror Suspects - Hurriyet 
Iran Begins Hunt for PKK Militants - Milliyet 
Al-Qaeda May Pick Rome After London - Vatan 
Poland to Pull Out of Iraq Before 2006 - Vatan 
European States Consider Easing Extradition of Terrorists - 
Sabah 
Lance Armstrong Eyes Texas Governor's Office - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Pakistan Connection in Egypt Resort Bombings - Cumhuriyet 
Washington Post: Turkey as Safe as European Countries - Yeni 
Safak 
World Debates Britain's `Shoot to Kill' Policy - Yeni Safak 
London Turns Into Texas - Radikal 
Iraqi Sunnis End Boycott of Constitutional Committee - Yeni 
Safak 
60,000 Israeli Troops to Take 2,400 Jewish Settlers Out of 
Gaza - Zaman 
Rumsfeld Lands in Central Asia Amid Debates on US Bases - 
Zaman 
Turkey to Support Legal Opium Crop Project in Afghanistan - 
Cumhuriyet 
North Korea, US Delegations Meet - Cumhuriyet 
Ricky Martin a Spokesman for Arab Youth - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
McEldowney: US Reaches Out Hand Of Partnership to Turkey 
Against PKK:  Mass appeal mainstream dailies "Hurriyet" and 
"Aksam" report that US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Nancy 
McEldowney told the press that there are no double standards 
on terrorism, and no distinction in efforts by the US and 
Turkey to fight the `common enemy' of terror.  McEldowney 
made her remarks at the opening of the photo exhibition `100 
Years of Turkish-American Friendship' in Ankara yesterday. 
She noted that the US and Turkey had stood together in the 
Korean War, and in solidarity throughout the Cold War.  `We 
have forces deployed together around the world.  But we also 
stand together today in facing a more difficult adversary, 
and that is terrorism,' she stressed.  McEldowney added: 
`Turkey reached out a hand of partnership to the United 
States after September 11, and we reach out a hand of 
partnership to Turkey today in the struggle against the 
terrorist organization PKK.'  Responding to a question by 
"Aksam" regarding remarks by First Army Commander General 
Hursit Tolon that Turkey `does not need permission' to carry 
out cross-border incursions against PKK terrorists, 
McEldowney said that the US has formally designated the PKK 
as a terrorist group, and added that Washington has been 
very clear in condemning PKK violence.  `In Cesme and 
Kusadasi, throughout the Southeast, we have seen PKK 
violence.  Without hesitation, we have condemned that 
violence.  We are working together with Turkey around the 
world to stop terrorism, and that includes the PKK.  It 
includes those like Murat Karayilan who undertake PKK 
violence.  Obviously, if we were completely successful, you 
wouldn't see bombings in London, and Egypt, and here.  We 
must continue to work together,' she emphasized.  McEldowney 
underlined that the goal of the terrorists is to divide the 
US and Turkey: `We will not be divided.  We will pull 
together and say that people who love peace will stand 
together and condemn all those who threaten that.' 
McEldowney declined to comment on the debate over a possible 
cross-border operation, saying that the US has been working 
intensively in diplomatic discussions with Turkey and Iraq 
to ensure that there is stability. 
 
Cicek on Turkey's Position Against Terror:  Justice Minister 
and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek urged the international 
community to cooperate in the fight against terrorism.  `We 
hope that the terrorist attacks in Britain, Egypt and other 
countries will trigger greater cooperation against 
terrorism.  Turkey sees existing bilateral or multilateral 
agreements on the fight against terror as either 
`dysfunctional,' or `inadequate' as a deterrent to 
terrorists, Cicek stressed.  He noted that Turkey has never 
tried to intervene in the internal affairs of any country, 
or to launch a cross-border operation.  `Our goal is to 
ensure stability and peace.  However, if the elements 
threatening Turkey's stability are coming from another 
country, this threat should naturally be removed,' Cicek 
emphasized.  Cicek also rejected the proposal of Deputy 
Chief of General Staff General Ilker Basbug to establish a 
special unit to combat terrorism, saying that the Turkish 
government would prefer to enhance coordination among 
existing institutions to achieve the same goal. 
 
AKP Lawmaker Criticizes General Tolon's Remarks:  "Aksam" 
reports that ruling AK Party Erzurum lawmaker Mucahit 
Daloglu commented on the remarks by First Army Commander 
General Hursit Tolon, in which the general said that Turkey 
needed no permission from anyone to launch cross-border 
operations against the PKK in northern Iraq.  `General 
Tolon's  remarks were unfortunate, and they could upset the 
balances at a time of sensitivity in Turkey-US relations,' 
Daloglu said.  `People occupying such critical posts should 
be more careful in what they say.  It was an odd statement, 
and I find it unfortunate,' Daloglu stressed.  Two other AKP 
lawmakers questioned by "Aksam," however, said they agreed 
with the views expressed by General Tolon. 
 
Turkish Ambassador Criticizes Washington Post:  In a letter 
to the Washington Post (WP), Turkish Ambassador Faruk 
Logoglu criticized the paper for referring to terrorist PKK 
militants as `separatist guerrillas,' and describing the 
group as part of a `civil war' in Turkey, Turkish papers 
report.  Logoglu said that Turkey has been fighting against 
terrorism within the boundaries of legal principles and 
human rights, with little help from its allies except for 
the United States.  `Reporting terrorist attacks as part of 
a separatist movement implies that there is a just cause for 
inhuman actions,' Logoglu noted, and warned that the fight 
against terrorism would fail unless all terrorist activities 
are denounced in a consistent way. 
 
Erdogan to US in September:  Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan 
will pay a one-day visit to the US in September to attend 
meetings of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the 
United Nations in New York, "Zaman" reports.  Erdogan will 
fly to London this evening to meet with British Prime 
Minister Tony Blair. The two leaders will discuss the recent 
terrorist attacks in London.  Erdogan and Blair will hold a 
joint news conference following their meeting.  Erdogan will 
be later interviewed by "The Times," before returning home 
on Wednesday. 
 
Turkey to Sign EU Adjustment Protocol This Week:  Dailies 
expect Ankara to sign a protocol expanding Turkey's customs 
union with the EU in a way to cover new member states, 
including Cyprus, after the upcoming meeting between PMs 
Erdogan and Blair in London tomorrow.  Turkish Foreign 
Ministry (MFA) sources said the protocol would be signed by 
this Friday.  Turkey plans to release a simultaneous 
declaration saying that the signing of the protocol does not 
amount to recognition of the Greek Cypriot state by Turkey. 
EU diplomats told "Zaman" that a softly-worded declaration 
would enhance support for Turkey's bid for membership to the 
European bloc.  They warned that the EU would give a strong 
response to a strongly worded Turkish declaration, adding 
that it would be unacceptable if it contained statements 
against the free circulation of Greek Cypriot goods and the 
access of Greek Cypriot vessels to Turkish ports. 
 
Turkish European Lawmakers on the PKK, Terror: Prime 
Minister Erdogan received Turkish-origin European lawmakers 
in a meeting closed to the press on Monday.  Cem Ozdemir, a 
member of the European Parliament from the German Green 
Party, said before meeting with Erdogan that their previous 
efforts to end the imprisonment of former Kurdish lawmakers 
Leyla Zana and her colleagues were not intended to allow 
them to become `drowned' in relations between the Kurds and 
the `deep state.'  `We expected Zana and friends to condemn 
terror, but we have heard no statements at all,' Ozdemir 
said.  He added that the PKK opposes Turkey's EU bid, and 
called for efforts to counter the terror organization's 
attempts to damage Turkish efforts to join the EU. 
`Turkey's membership in the European Union will be the best 
answer to terror organizations such as the PKK and al- 
Qaeda,' Ozdemir stressed.  Ozdemir called on Turkey to `do 
what seems difficult' by declaring a general amnesty for PKK 
members in an effort to help them adapt to civilian life. 
Ozdemir also said that `some circles' wanted to push Turkey 
into Iraq.  He said he opposed a Turkish cross-border 
incursion into Iraq, and advised that Ankara should instead 
deepen its cooperation with Baghdad.  Other Turkish European 
lawmakers said that following the recent terrorist bombings 
in London, Europeans have begun to revise their image of the 
terrorist PKK.  A Turkish-Swedish MP, Yilmaz Kerimo, said 
that Turkey would now have the backing of Europeans on the 
terrorism issue, but warned that Ankara must discriminate 
between the PKK and innocent Kurdish people. 
 
Turkey Elects First Woman to Head Constitutional Court: 
Mainstream dailies hail the appointment of a woman, Tulay 
Tugcu, as the first female chief justice of the 
Constitutional Court.  Tugcu was elected to chair the court 
at the end of three weeks of deadlocked balloting. 
"Milliyet" hailed the development on its front page as `a 
day of pride for Turkish women.'  Tugcu has served on the 
court since 1999.  She supported the decision to disband 
Necmettin Erbakan's Fazilet Party (FP) for anti-secular 
activities.  Tugcu also voted to dissolve pro-Kurdish HADEP, 
and to impose political restrictions on 46 HADEP activists. 
Tugcu was among the members of a commission that rejected a 
request to overtuen a bill that prevents graduates of 
religious schools (Imam-Hatips) from entering police 
academies. 
 
PKK Terrorists Killed in Southeast Turkey:  Two PKK 
terrorists were killed in the Cudi Mountains in Turkey's 
southeastern province Sirnak in fighting between a group of 
terrorists and security forces yesterday, the governor's 
office said. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Terrorism 
 
"Terror is not an abstract thing" 
Okay Gonensin commented in the mass appeal "Vatan" (7/26): 
"Ankara seems to adopting a rhetoric that blames Western 
countries for not taking action while Turkey has suffered 
from terrorism for so many years.  In fact, terrorism is not 
a new concept for the West.  The UK, for instance, dealt 
with IRA terrorism for many years, and Spain had to deal 
with ETA.  . There are many terrorist organizations, and 
they all are a product of certain social situations and 
conditions.  The fact that a terrorist organization may get 
support from `foreign circles' does not necessarily mean 
that it lacks domestic social roots.  We know which terror 
organization is trying to shed blood in Turkey, and we know 
which terror organization is trying to turn the entire world 
into a battlefield.   The fight against those organizations 
can only be successful if we first define their nature and 
their social and political resources.  Terrorism is not an 
alien that comes from outer space.  It is completely 
tangible in its roots, its resources, its psychological 
elements and the international support it receives.  PKK 
terrorism in Turkey is one thing, and radical Islamist 
terrorism is another.  They differ in terms of resources and 
sources of support.  It would be naive to evaluate them in 
the same way.  This would make a genuine fight against 
terror impossible." 
 
"Countering Al-Qaeda Terrorism" 
Cengiz Candar commented in the conservative-sensational "DB 
Tercuman" (7/26): "Al-Qaeda terrorism pertains to an 
international network or at least an organizational 
structure on an international scale.  The masterminds of Al- 
Qaeda, including Bin Laden, see the issue as a struggle 
between the Islamic world and other civilizations.  In that 
sense, the struggle against Judeo-Christian civilization is 
the dominant one. . Coping with this kind of mentality 
requires new interpretations of Islam even more than new 
security measures.  These security measures will inevitably 
result in a feeling of alienation among Muslims worldwide, 
and run the risk of generating more sympathy for the Al- 
Qaeda mentality.  The most valuable antidote to 
international terrorism is a new kind of Islamic education, 
which will serve as an ideological tool to counter Al-Qaeda, 
which claims to act in the name of Islam." 
 
MCELDOWNEY