US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4363

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004363 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Blair, Erdogan to Discuss Terror at 10 Downing - Sabah 
Blair: London Stands Tall - Hurriyet 
Erdogan to Discuss Cyprus With Blair - Aksam 
The Times: Turks Most Moderate Muslims in Europe - Milliyet 
Muslims Want to Flee Britain - Vatan 
Life Sentence For Dutch Director's Moroccan Killer - 
Milliyet 
Karamanlis Postpones Turkey Visit to October - Sabah 
Islam the Main Source For Iraqi Constitution - Milliyet 
Saddam to be Executed In Three Weeks - Vatan 
Hundreds Rally Against US at Bagram Airbase - Aksam 
Extreme Rightist Bulgarians Fear Turks - Vatan 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Muslims to Leave UK en Masse - Yeni Safak 
Papadopoulos Meets Blair in London - Radikal 
Pope Benedict to Meet Muslim Leaders in Germany - Yeni Safak 
Pentagon: Insurgents Infiltrate Iraqi Police - Cumhuriyet 
Bakiyev Gives Guarantees on US Bases - Radikal 
Tajikistan to Continue Supporting US - Zaman 
New Jewish Settlements in East Jerusalem - Zaman 
Positive Start For  North Korea Meetings in Beijing - 
Cumhuriyet 
US Now Eyes West African Oil - Yeni Safak 
`Latin CNN' Telesur on the Air - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
PM Erdogan in UK:  Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan left for 
the UK on Tuesday for talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair 
on Cyprus and Turkey's ties with the European Union, papers 
report.  Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) Spokesman Namik Tan 
announced yesterday that Turkey would finalize a key EU 
protocol on Cyprus after Wednesday's Blair-Erdogan talks in 
a way that will extend the Turkey-EU customs union to cover 
new EU member states, including Cyprus.  The protocol is 
likely to be signed on Friday.  Erdogan is expected to 
convey to Blair Turkey's uneasiness over rising attacks 
against Muslims in Britain following the bomb attacks 
earlier this month in London.  Erdogan said yesterday before 
leaving for Britain that he would also discuss with Blair 
the recent terror attacks in London and Sharm al-Sheikh, 
calling on the international community to unite against 
global terror.  Erdogan will be accompanied by Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Gul and Economy Minister Ali Babacan, and 
will meet also with British investors before returning home 
on Wednesday. 
 
EU Expects `Soft' Cyprus Declaration from Ankara:  The 
European Union (EU) is waiting for a Turkish declaration 
regarding non-recognition of Cyprus that Ankara is expected 
to release simultaneously with the signing of the EU 
protocol.  EU diplomats reportedly said that a `moderate' 
declaration by Ankara would be helpful to Turkey's friends 
in the EU.  A strongly-worded declaration would lead to an 
equally strong response by the EU, which could reopen debate 
about a possible postponement of the start of accession 
talks on October 3.  Diplomatic sources advised that the 
declaration should be in line with PM Erdogan's statements 
at the December 17 2004 EU summit.  A declaration that sets 
out restrictions on the free circulation of Cypriot goods or 
closes Turkish ports and airports to the Greek Cypriots will 
be unacceptable to the EU. 
 
Poll: Majority of Muslims Planning to Leave Britain: 
Turkish papers cite a report in "The Guardian" on a poll 
conducted by London-based `ICM,' in which 67 percent of 
Muslims living in Britain say they are planning to leave the 
country in the face of rising hostility against them.  One 
out of every five Muslims in Britain has been subjected to 
humiliation and discrimination, according to the survey. 
Police records reveal 1,200 complaints of harassment by 
British Muslims, but "The Guardian" report suggests the real 
figure is much higher. 
 
PKK Kills Dissidents:  An article in the 
conservative/political weekly "Aksiyon" claims that the 
outlawed PKK has begun to target not only its members 
wishing to flee the organization, but also the Kurdish 
intellectuals who `cast a shadow' on the organization's 
propaganda activities, "Zaman" reports.  There are allegedly 
250 Kurds on a PKK `death list' issued from the PKK 
leadership in the Kandil Mountains.  More than 200 Kurdish 
intellectuals have protested in a declaration the killing of 
former People's Democracy Party (HADEP) deputy president 
Hikmet Fidan in Diyarbakir last month.  Fidan's family 
claims that he was killed on the order of PKK leadrr Murat 
Karayilan.  Hasan Ozen, one of the founders of the PKK, was 
subsequently killed in Vienna by PKK gunmen.  Former PKK 
leaders Osman Ocalan and Nizamettin Tas top the death list 
because they have left the organization.  A source claimed 
that some 50 PKK snipers have been sent to Turkey and Europe 
to carry out the killings.  A PKK defector said he had 
changed his mind and fled the organization after being sent 
to Europe to kill Kurdish author Mehmet Uzun.  The defector 
is now on the `wanted list' issued by the PKK.  A former PKK 
trigger-man said the organization's gunmen in Europe apply 
methods that leave no trace, including car accidents, 
strangling, and burning.  They bury the bodies of their 
victims in wooded areas.  The organization's activities are 
seen as an effort to block Turkey's EU drive, "Aksiyon" 
reports. 
 
Azerbaijan Kicks Off Direct Flights to North Cyprus:  A 
private Azerbaijani passenger plane is to fly directly to 
northern Cyprus on Wednesday.  An Azerbaijani delegation of 
100 businessmen, artists, and journalists on board the plane 
will hold talks with Turkish Cypriot officials.  Last week, 
a delegation of 38 Azerbaijani businessmen traveled to 
northern Cyprus. 
 
Iranian Troops Fight Kurdish Militants:  Papers cite Iranian 
dailies "Hemsehri" and "Iran" as reporting that 16 Iranian 
troops were killed in fighting with the PKK-affiliated PJAK 
(Kurdistan Free Living Party) organization.  Four PJAK 
militants were also killed in the fighting, which erupted 
after Kurds attacked a security checkpoint on Iran's border 
with Turkey on Tuesday.  Iranian troops launched operations 
in the mountainous areas around the Kurdish towns of Meriwan- 
Bane, Serdest, and Piransar-Mahabad. 
 
Terrorist Attacks Continue in Southeast Turkey:  Security 
forces defused a C-4 bomb planted on a road which was to be 
used by the governor of Turkey's eastern province of 
Tunceli.  Meanwhile, a remote-controlled bomb derailed a 
train in eastern Turkey on Tuesday, but no one was injured. 
It was the third attack against a train in the region this 
month.  The train was traveling between the eastern cities 
of Elazig and Mus. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM 
 
"A Test of Fire" 
Gungor Mengi commented in the mass appeal "Vatan" (7/27): 
"Sadly enough, the horror and insecurity created by Al-Qaeda 
has changed the character of Europe.  The civilized world 
seems to give up so easily.  An opinion poll conducted by 
`The Times' indicated that a vast majority of Londoners 
expect to experience more suicide bombings and support the 
government's proposed tough security measures, including an 
increase of detention periods from 14 days to 90.  The fear 
and insecurity are not one-sided.  Many Muslims are feeling 
the same way.  They fear prejudice and attacks of revenge. . 
There will be a vital test in the days to come.  The result 
of this test will show how deeply-rooted European 
civilization actually is.  Radical religious terror is 
targeting Western values and standards of living.  Giving up 
even a small portion of these values in the name of the 
fight against terrorism will only encourage Al-Qaeda." 
 
"Terror and Democracy" 
Hasan Cemal wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (7/27): "The 
shooting of an innocent Brasilian has revived an old debate 
over democracy and human rights in the fight against 
terrorism.  It is difficult to draw clear lines in this 
debate.  The fight against terrorism is legitimate.  But it 
can lead to extra-legal practices that harm democracy if the 
struggle is not properly defined.  If we reverse the 
situation, we end up having the same dilemma.  Focusing only 
on democracy and human rights may encourage more terrorism. 
This is the debate that the UK is going through.  . London 
is now discussing the necessity of new anti-terror laws and 
the best ways to implement them.  In the aftermath of the 
London bombings, this is a very tough task." 
 
"It's Not That simple" 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (7/27): "It 
would be wrong to blame Pakistan for having sole 
responsibiity for the recent terrorist attacks in the UK and 
Egypt.  Similarly, some of the arguments claiming to analyze 
the `deeper reasons' for terror are also misleading. 
Terrorism, in its global scheme, is a very complex issue 
that cannot be explained by a single factor.  The suggested 
arguments only explain the reasons for the expansion of 
international terrorism.  These include Iraq, Palestine 
issue, perceived injustice, poverty, and oppressive regimes. 
Terrorism experts seem to agree on certain points.  Global 
terrorism is being carried out at the initiative of Al- 
Qaeda.  But it is being conducted by autonomous groups that 
exist in many different countries.  This is a kind of `self- 
service terrorism' as the French "Liberation" has put it. 
These autonomous working groups share some common points. 
They come from the same ideology and faith, and agree on the 
pursuit of violence." 
 
MCELDOWNEY