US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4405

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 004405 
 
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, JULY 29, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Erdogan on PKK: There's a Limit to Our Patience - Milliyet 
Turkey to Sign EU Adaptation Protocol Today - Milliyet 
Kretschmer: Iraqi Government To Decide on Turkish 
Intervention - Milliyet 
European Countries Step Up Anti-Terror Measures - Sabah 
Attacks Against Muslims on Rise in Britain - Aksam 
IRA Gives Up Arms After 30 Years - Sabah 
PKK Abducts Mayor in Southeast Turkey - Hurriyet 
NASA Suspends Space Shuttle Flights Indefinitely - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Erdogan: We See No US Effort Against the PKK - Cumhuriyet 
London Police Detain 9 Suspects, Including 3 Turks - 
Cumhuriyet 
Turkish Tourists Cancel Reservations at Sharm al-Sheik - 
Radikal 
IRA Bids Farewell to Arms - Radikal 
London Attacks Have Not Shifted Americans' View of Islam - 
Zaman 
Karadzic's Wife Urges Him to Surrender to The Hague - 
Radikal 
No Surprise: Mubarak Runs for Egyptian Presidency Again - 
Radikal 
Daniel Pearl Murder Suspect Caught in Punjab - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ankara Prepares to Sign EU Adaptation Protocol:  Although 
Ankara is not happy with an EU blueprint outlining the 
framework for entry talks with Turkey, it has refrained from 
voicing a strong reaction in an effort to avoid a crisis 
with the European bloc before membership negotiations begin 
in October, Turkish dailies report.  The draft framework 
document has not yet been approved by EU countries.  Greek 
Cypriot President Papadopoulos said he has no objections to 
the EU opening talks with Turkey, but has been pushing the 
Europeans to pressure Turkey to open its ports and airports 
to the Cypriots.  Greek Prime Minister Karamanlis has also 
signaled a shift in his positive attitude toward Turkey, and 
is now trying to include disputes over the Aegean in the 
framework document.  Papers also report that Prime Minister 
Erdogan has sent letters to his Belgian, Italian, German, 
Dutch, and British counterparts expressing Turkey's 
readiness to sign the EU adaptation protocol.  Erdogan 
called on EU leaders to honor their `December 17 commitment' 
that the signing of the protocol will not amount to 
recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration.  Papers 
view the letter as an effort to `soften' the EU reaction to 
a declaration to be issued by Turkey once the protocol is 
signed.  The declaration will stress that the signing of the 
protocol will not imply Turkey's recognition of Nicosia, and 
add that Greek Cypriot vessels will not be allowed into 
Turkish ports.  "Milliyet" reports that, based on a 
conversation with Prime Minister, it is clear that Turkey 
will exclude `the service sector' from implementation of the 
EU protocol.  In practical terms, this would prevent the 
Cypriots from using Turkish services at ports and airports. 
Erdogan told PM Tony Blair during a visit to London earlier 
this week that Ankara would issue the declaration, but 
promised that it would be `constructive,' nor `provocative.' 
Papers claim that Blair convinced Erdogan that the 
declaration needs to be softened in order to head off a 
possible reaction from the EU.  Reports suggest that despite 
significant efforts by UK officials in London and Ankara, 
the Turkish Government has refused to share the text of the 
declaration with the UK as EU term president. 
Police Expect New al-Qaida Attacks in Istanbul:  The deputy 
chief of the Istanbul Police, Sammaz Demirtas, told "Vatan" 
that the police have been keeping a close watch on some 
1,000 al-Qaida suspects in Istanbul, monitoring their 
activities before they have a chance to establish contact 
with the terrorist organization.  Demirtas said he expected 
another major al Qaida-linked attack in Istanbul before 
November.  He said he did not expect attacks against 
commuter buses or subway stations, stressing that al-Qaida 
has most frequently targeted foreigners in Turkey.  Demirtas 
noted that the Turkish police have foiled five bombing 
attempts by the PKK militants over the past month.  The 
PKK's targets were all in touristic areas, he said. 
 
British Police Detain Three Turks in London Terror Probe: 
Three Turks were among nine people detained on Thursday in 
Britain in a roundup of suspects with possible connections 
to the terrorists who tried to bomb trains and buses in 
London on July 21.  British Police took into custody 3 Turks 
working in a cafe owned by a Turkish Cypriot in the south 
London neighborhood of Tooting Broadway.  The suspects were 
detained for making frequent phone calls to suspected 
`terror centers' in Birmingham and Manchester.  The Turkish 
suspects reportedly made the calls on cell phones, and 
frequently changed phone cards to cover their tracks.  The 
reports also note that Turks in the neighborhood who were 
acquainted with the three suspects said that they were 
`moderates,' and did not appear to be terrorists. 
 
EU Appoints Greek Cypriot Representative to Cyprus:  The 
European Union Commission appointed a Greek Cypriot 
representative for Cyprus, "Zaman" reported from Brussels. 
The new EU Cyprus representative, Themis Themistocleous, 
currently works as the general director of the Cyprus News 
Agency, which is affiliated with the Cypriot Government. 
Both the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey believe that the 
appointment is `inappropriate,' and that Themistocleus 
cannot be impartial in representing the EU.  Ankara's 
official position with regard to the appointment will be 
disclosed next week, "Zaman" claims. 
 
DEHAP Official Sentenced to Prison:  Bedri Firat, Erzurum 
provincial chairman of the pro-Kurdish Democratic People's 
Party (DEHAP), was sentenced to 10 months in prison for 
making propaganda on behalf of the outlawed PKK.  The 
Supreme Court of Appeals (Yargitay) turned down Firat's 
request to overturn an earlier ruling by a local court in 
Erzurum, arguing that terror-related cases cannot be 
suspended.  The Erzurum court had accused Firat of referring 
to the PKK's imprisoned leader as `the honorable' Ocalan, 
and hanging posters of Ocalan in the lobby of the party 
building. 
 
HRW Urges PKK to Halt Violence:  The New York-based Human 
Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the PKK leadership to halt 
attacks against Kurdish dissidents, "Milliyet" reports.  HRW 
asked for information regarding the killing of Sipan 
Rojhilat in northern Iraq, Atilla Kanda in Hakkari, and 
Hikmet Fidan in Diyarbakir.  It also urged `forces loyal to 
the PKK' to comply with Turkish and Iraqi laws and 
international law, and not to attack people who stay out of 
the fighting. 
 
Terror Attacks Did Not Change Americans' Opinion of Islam: 
"Zaman" carries the results of a Pew survey, which show that 
the terrorist bombings in London earlier this month have not 
changed the way most Americans view Islam.  55 percent of 
Americans have `positive feelings' with regard to Muslims 
living in the United States, and only 25 percent voiced 
negative views about them.  20 percent of respondents said 
they are `undecided.'  60 percent of Americans think that 
the terrorist attacks are being carried out by `small, 
radical Islamic groups.'  Almost half of Americans said they 
little or nothing about the Holy Koran or Allah, according 
to the survey.  Meanwhile, papers report that 130 American 
Islamic scholars issued a `fatwa' denouncing terror attacks 
targeting civilians. 
 
PKK Abducts Mayor in East Turkey:  Militants from the 
outlawed PKK allegedly kidnapped the mayor of Yayladere in 
the eastern Turkish province of Bingol on Thursday, papers 
report.  The abducted mayor, Hasim Akyurek, is from the 
ruling AK Party.  Turkish security forces have launched a 
large-scale operation in the region to find the mayor. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq; Turkey/Cyprus; US Landmines Policy 
 
"US Priorities in Iraq" 
Cengiz Candar commented in the conservative "DB-Tercuman" 
(7/29):  "Peter Galbraith, the number one US expert on the 
Kurds, believes that the Shiites' constitutional draft 
contains elements that could turn Iraq into an Islamic 
Republic. . The Shiites' draft is anti-Semitic, according to 
Galbraith, because it deprives Jews in Iraq of rights 
granted to other groups.  It also grants rights to Ayatollah 
Sistani similar to those given to Khomeini in the first 
decade of the Islamic Republic of Iran.  Kurdistan leaders 
are insisting on a federal structure, in which they will be 
able to maintain a secular, western-oriented political 
regime even if other parts of Iraq fall under the control of 
religious parties. .  Galbraith says that the Kurds see a 
strong, autonomous Kurdistan as the best obstacle against 
expanding Iranian influence in Iraq.  The Kurds want to be 
in a position to turn their back on a constitution that is 
not liberal and is too centralized.  Galbraith acknowledges, 
however, that the Kurds are facing intensive pressure from 
the Bush Administration to meet the constitutional deadline 
of August 15. .  It is clear that the Americans' priority in 
Iraq is the Shiites, not the Kurds.  This priority has a lot 
to do with regional jockeying between the US and Iran." 
 
"To Recognize or Not to Recognize" 
Ismet Berkan observed in the liberal intellectual "Radikal" 
(7/29):  "Contrary to Nicosia's expectations, Ankara will 
continue to prevent Greek Cypriot vessels and planes from 
entering Turkish ports and airports.  The opening of ports 
will ultimately force Turkey to lift the unilateral 
sanctions it has long imposed on the Greek Cypriots, while 
getting nothing in return.  Turkey is right in being 
reluctant to lift the embargo on southern Cyprus without a 
change in the conditions that brought about the sanctions in 
the first place. .  Essentially, the Greek side is seeking a 
practical normalization of ties with Turkey in lieu of 
official recognition.' 
 
"Damned Landmines" 
Umur Talu wrote in the mass-appeal "Sabah" (7/29):  "The US 
refuses to cooperate with the rest of the world regarding 
greenhouse gas emissions that kill the atmosphere.  It also 
rejects removing landmines, death traps that kill the 
environment.  The US practice of planting thousands of 
landmines and using cluster bombs in Iraq is no different 
from the mentality of Saddam Hussein, who turned northern 
Iraq into a minefield.  Washington has stepped back from an 
earlier initiative to join the worldwide anti-landmine 
campaign.  The US now boasts that it has developed Claymore 
landmines, which can be detonated from a remote distance 
using a laptop computer.  The Americans even say that these 
new landmines will protect civilians, and can assist in the 
spread of democracy and freedom!" 
MCELDOWNEY