US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4882

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 004882 
 
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, AUGUST 19, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Zana Calls on PKK for Cease-Fire - Milliyet 
PKK to Declare Third Cease-Fire - Aksam 
Amb. Avivi: Israel Opposes a Kurdish State in Iraq - 
Hurriyet 
Israeli Troops Enter Settlers' Last Stronghold in Gaza - 
Sabah 
75 Percent of Settlers Evacuated from Gaza - Milliyet 
Saudi al-Qaida Chief Killed in Medina - Sabah 
First Russia-China Joint Military Exercise - Sabah 
Cindy: Bush is a Terrorist - Aksam 
Peace in Aceh - Vatan 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Ankara Asks Brussels to Arrest PKK's Aydar - Yeni Safak 
Iraqi Turkmen Demand Kirkuk-Based Federation - Cumhuriyet 
Rice: Gaza Pullout a `Dramatic Moment' - Yeni Safak 
Israeli Police Drag Settlers from Synagogues - Cumhuriyet 
Settlers Put Up Tough Fight Against Police in Synagogues - 
Radikal 
Rice Urges Israel to Take Forward Steps in West Bank - Zaman 
Gaza Pullout May Bring Lasting Stay in West Bank - Yeni 
Safak 
Attack Against US Convoy Kills 4 Troops in Iraq - Yeni Safak 
US Watches Russia-China Joint Exercises - Cumhuriyet 
China-Russia Show of Force in Pacific - Zaman 
Cindy a Nightmare for Bush - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
PKK May Announce Cease-Fire Friday:  Dailies expect Kongra- 
Gel leader Zubeyir Aydar to announce a PKK cease-fire from 
September 1 - October 3, the date Turkey is scheduled to 
begin EU accession talks.  Aydar is expected to hold a press 
conference in Brussels on Friday, where he will call on 
Turkey to accept imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan as an 
interlocutor in efforts to resolve the Kurdish issue.  Aydar 
will also ask for a general amnesty and an end to Ocalan's 
isolation.  "Cumhuriyet" finds it unlikely that the PKK will 
lay down its arms or pull its fighters out of Turkey. 
"Aksam" believes the PKK decision on a cease-fire has been 
dictated by growing uneasiness among Turkey's Kurds over 
bloody attacks and the alleged killings of PKK dissidents 
killings.  The paper also motes the toughening position of 
the EU against terrorism.  "Vatan" claims that it was Ocalan 
who ordered DEHAP to disband in order to join the 
`Democratic Society Movement (DTH) led by Leyla Zana and 
other former Kurdish parliamentarians.  Meanwhile, Ankara as 
reportedly asked Belgian authorities to prevent Zubeyir 
Aydar, who is also a former DEP lawmaker, from holding a 
press conference in Brussels, and to arrest the Kongra-Gel 
leader if he shows up there.  Unidentified sources told 
"Hurriyet" that Aydar had been granted political asylum in 
Switzerland in 1994, and that he did not need a visa to go 
to Belgium.  The sources add that Aydar may already be in 
Belgium. 
 
On Friday, the Belgian Interior Ministry forced the 
cancelation of the Kongra-Gel press conference in Brussels, 
and warned that Aydar would be arrested and extradited to 
Switzerland if he were to be found, the semi-official 
Anatolian News Agency reported.  Aydar told the pro-PKK, 
Copenhagen-based "Roj TV" on Friday that the `People's 
Defense Forces' (HPG) will halt operations beyond self- 
defense for one month to `test' the Turkish government. 
Aydar welcomed Erdogan's statement that the `Kurdish 
problem' will be solved through democracy.  `He is welcome 
to try to solve it.  We are giving him an opportunity to do 
so.  But thus far they have not done anything on this issue. 
All we see are statements,' Aydar emphasized. 
 
Zana and Colleagues Urge PKK to Call Cease-Fire:  The 
Democratic Society Movement (DTH) founded by former DEP 
lawmakers including Leyla Zana called on the PKK to lay down 
its arms indefinitely and unconditionally.  `We regard the 
Prime Minister's statements as political overtures that are 
courageous, determined and consistent, and ones that can be 
translated into action,' the DTH said in a statement on 
Thursday.  The statement urged the PKK to decide on a 
`suspension of operations' as soon as possible.  Meanwhile 
Sirri Sakik, a former colleague of Zana, claimed that the 
DTH is no different from Kurdish parties established in the 
past.  `Turkey needs a strong left-wing social democratic 
party, but the DTH has failed to meet this need.  It has 
limited itself to ethnic issues,' Sakyk stressed. 
 
Prosecutor Launches Legal Action Against DEHAP:  An Ankara 
prosecutor has initiated a legal investigation against the 
pro-Kurdish party DEHAP for a statement in which the party 
said that it had exerted efforts to make the Turkish state 
accept imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan as an 
interlocutor.  The prosecutor is considering whether the 
release of the statement constituted a violation of the ban 
on terrorist propaganda.  Meanwhile, a case that could lead 
to the closure of DEHAP on charges of separatist activities 
is pending at the Constitutional Court. 
 
Iraqi Turkmen Demand Autonomy:  Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) 
Turkey representative Ahmed Muratli told the private all- 
news channel NTV that if the Kurds and Shiites are given 
federal rights and regions in Iraq, the Iraqi Turkmen will 
demand the same.  `We want the region that extends from Tal 
Afar to Mandali, including Kirkuk as the capital, to be 
given to us as the `Turkmeneli' (Turkoman country) 
federation,' Muradli said.  He also asked that the 
administration of Kirkuk be given to the Turkmen. 
Meanwhile, in a meeting with Turkmen leaders from Tal Afar 
yesterday in Ankara, Turkish officials pledged to build a 
hospital, new motorways, and a satellite television channel 
in the Turkmen populated northern Iraqi city. 
 
Ambassador Avivi on Kurds/Iraq, Turkey/EU:  The Israeli 
Ambassador in Ankara, Pinhas Avivi, told "Hurriyet" that the 
establishment of a Kurdish state in Iraq would bring about a 
Shiite state as well.  `This is against Israeli interests,' 
Avivi said, stressing that Israel will cooperate with Turkey 
in northern Iraq.  Avivi called on Turkey to join 
international efforts to provide economic support for Gaza, 
which, the Israeli Ambassador believes, will help to end 
terror activities.  Avivi also said that Israel supports 
Turkey's EU membership drive.  `I tell the Europeans who 
wonder what will become of Europe after the membership of 70 
million Turks that that they should instead think about what 
will become of the world if Turkey is left out of the EU,' 
Avivi emphasized. 
 
Dogus-GE Consumer Finance Partnership Likely:  Turkish 
business conglomerate Dogus Holding has agreed to enter into 
exclusive negotiations with General Electric Consumer 
Finance concerning the sale of 50 percent of the group's 
shares in Garanti Bank, papers report.  Dogus wants to sell 
half of its 55.1 stake in Garanti Bank to GE Consumer 
Finance for an estimated 1.4 billion USD.  Garanti's 
partnership talks with Italy's Banca Intesa over Garanti 
Bank have fallen apart twice since 2001. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq; Israel/Gaza Pullout 
 
"While the Middle East is Being Reshaped" 
Haluk Ulman observed in the economic-political "Dunya" 
(8/19):  "The political, economic, and ideological battles 
that are taking place during the Iraqi constitutional 
process will not be settled easily during the next week.  It 
is also likely that under pressure from the Bush 
administration, the sides in Iraq will have to claim that 
they have reached an agreement.  Because of the remaining 
differences, the agreement is destined to remain on paper. 
Huge problems are likely to reemerge when the time comes to 
implement the constitution.  This will begin the process of 
Iraq's disintegration.  As the result of this process, a 
Kurdish state will be established in Iraq's north and an 
Islamic republic in the south.  These two new states will 
share the oil revenues of Iraq.  The Sunnis do not support 
the country's disintegration, but are powerless to oppose 
it.  The Sunnis will most likely end up in the Iraqi desert, 
where they will continue their terrorist activities.  The 
goal for an independent state among Kurds and the desire to 
establish a religious state among the Shiites will start a 
new process of reconstruction in the Middle East.  These two 
new states will change the balances of power in the region. 
Let's hope that these developments will remain only in our 
imagination as a kind of nightmare.  We owe this nightmare 
to Bush and his team, as a result of their initiatives in 
the name of peace and democracy in the Middle East." 
 
"Why Do We Oppose an Independent Kurdish State?" 
Cengiz Candar commented in the conservative-sensational 
"Dunden Bugune Tercuman" (8/19):  "If there were not a 
single Kurd living in Turkey, would there still be such a 
reaction against the establishment of a Kurdish state in 
Iraq?  We certainly did not  object to the establishment of 
two Arab States -- Syria and Iraq -- in the territory which 
was ours for 400 years leading up to World War I.  If there 
had been millions of Arabs (instead of Kurds) living within 
our borders at the founding of the Turkish Republic, would 
we have opposed the establishement of Iraq and Syria as 
independent Arab states?  Certainly we would have. 
Therefore, we must recognize that the problem is really 
about Turkey's Kurdish issue, not about a possible 
independent Kurdish state.  There is no need for further 
speculation -- Turkey does have a Kurdish problem.  For the 
sake of Turkey's territorial and national integrity, we have 
to solve that problem." 
 
Who Will Clear the Debris? 
Ferai Tinc wrote in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (8/19): 
"Until now, the Israeli government had never withdrawn from 
land it occupied during the 1967 war without first signing a 
peace agreement.  The current withdrawal does not include 
such an agreement.  Negotiations on security issues between 
the Israelis and Palestinians have been continuing for some 
time.  Israel wants the Palestinian administration to become 
stronger against violent Palestinian elements.   By 
encouraging the Palestinians to strengthen their security 
institutions, Israel is preparing the ground for a Palestine 
state.  Sharon is not betraying Israel through his Gaza 
withdrawal plan.  On the contrary, he is paving the way for 
a new peace process.  He has also ensured the support of the 
Israeli people for this plan.  Outside of the occupied Gaza 
Strip, sixty percent of the Israeli people support Sharon's 
decision.  As part of the Israeli pullout, the 
infrastructure will be left untouched,  but Israeli homes, 
schools, and other buildings will be demolished.   The 
reason is to prevent Hamas or the Islamic Jihad terror 
organizations from claiming territory and victory.  Every 
detail has been discussed and agreed prior to the 
withdrawal, except for one issue.  Who is going to clear up 
the debris?  In fact, this is a very important question. 
Clearing the debris has always been an important element in 
the peace process.  Of course, the most important thing of 
all is to clear the debris which remains in people's souls." 
 
MCELDOWNEY