US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5061

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005061 
 
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, AUGUST 29, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
EU Warns RTUK on Kurdish Broadcasting - Hurriyet (8/27) 
Bardakoglu: We Could Send Imams to US - Milliyet (8/27) 
Myers: If US Leaves Iraq, Turkey Could Become Unstable - 
Milliyet (8/28) 
Matt Bryza: US, Turkey will Resolve PKK Issue Together - 
Aksam (8/27) 
Iraqi Constitution Signed without Sunni Approval - Sabah 
Khalilzad: New Iraqi Constitution Advances Democracy - 
Hurriyet 
Conditional Greek Support For Turkey's EU Accession - 
Milliyet 
US Professor: Not Enough Evidence on Armenian Genocide - 
Milliyet 
Suicide Bombing in Israel - Aksam 
`TRNC' Plane Flies Directly to Baku - Turkiye 
Signing On To Civil War In Iraq -- Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Turkish Hacker Arrested in Adana - Radikal (8/28) 
Critical Week in EU Process - Cumhuriyet 
Fait Accompli on Iraqi Constitution - Radikal 
Protesters Call for Incirlik Air Base to be Closed - Radikal 
Iraqi Constitution Approved Despite Sunni Opposition - Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Religious Affairs Comments about DAS Bryza Visit:  "Aksam" 
reported over the weekend on visiting US Deputy Assistant 
Secretary Matt Bryza's meeting with the deputy head of the 
 
SIPDIS 
Religious Affairs Directorate, Mehmet Gormez.  The main 
subject discussed at the meeting was the possibility that 
the US and the EU could be involved with the training of 
Muslim clerics.  Bryza noted that many Muslim clerics hold 
anti-Western views, and asked Gormez whether training by the 
US or EU would be feasible.  Gormez reacted coolly to the 
idea, saying that it would be like `our theology faculties 
giving training in Christianity for priests.'  He added that 
`we would not find it right for people from other countries 
or other religions providing training in Islam.'  Bryza 
explained that the US appreciates the way the Diyanet trains 
religious personnel in Turkey and serves Muslims abroad. 
Bryza characterized Diyanet officials as `peace emissaries,' 
and said the US is interested in learning how such training 
is done and under what conditions the Diyanet sends its 
personnel abroad.  Ormez denied that the discussion with 
Bryza was connected with thet US-backed Broader Middle East 
and North Africa Initiative (BMENAI).  "Yeni Safak" quotes 
Gormez as saying that the Diyanet `doesn't work for the 
United States, and doesn't support international projects by 
other countries in the field of religion.'  `The US official 
asked us how we trained our imams, and we explained it to 
him.  There was no discussion about the BMENAI, Iraq, 
terrorism, or anything like that,' he added. 
 
Kurdish Broadcasting:  "Hurriyet" reported over the weeeknd 
that the EU General Secretariat has sent a letter to 
Turkey's Supreme Broadcasting Board (RTUK) urging the body 
to grant permission to local and regional broadcasters who 
have applied to start broadcasts in the Kurdish language. 
The letter reportedly urged RTUK to accelerate the process 
so that permission is given before October 3, when the EU is 
scheduled to begin accession talks with Turkey. 
 
One Dead in Southeast Riot:  One protester was killed and 20 
others injured in clashes with police in the southeastern 
city of Batman yesterday.  The trouble began when a grroup 
of citizens marched toward the Batman public hospital to 
claim the bodies of 6 PKK militants who had been killed in 
clashes with military forces in the surrounding mountains 
late last week.  Violence broke out when police attempted to 
disperse the marchers.  Five policemen were also injured in 
the riot, which followed a protest by 2,000 citizens in the 
nearby town of Besiri the previous day. The protesters in 
Besiri called for an end to Turkish military operations 
against the PKK. 
 
First Direct Flight from `TRNC' to Baku:  Papers report that 
Turkish Cypriot Airlines flew from ercan Airport in northern 
Cyprus directly to the Azerbaijani capital of Baku 
yesterday, marking the first-ever direct flight from the 
`Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' to a foreign country 
other than Turkey. 
 
Turkish Computer Hacker Caught in Adana:  Turkish police 
announced on Friday that a suspected computer hacker living 
in the southern city of Adana was arrested in an operation 
carried out in close cooperation with the FBI.  According to 
a police statement,  the Turkish hacker, 23-year-old Atilla 
Ekici, was allegedly involved in the writing and spreading 
of the the "Zotop" virus, which caused enormous damage to 
computer systems in major news outlets int eh United States. 
The joint operation also included authorities in Morocco, 
who arrested a Moroccan suspected of conspiring with Ekici 
to spread the virus.  Weekend papers report that Ekici has 
denied the charges, saying that he `was compiling a data 
base' but not involved in hacking computer systems or 
spreading the virus. 
 
Anti-American Protests in Adana, Mersin:  "Radikal" reports 
that protests organized by the anti-war `Iraq Coordination 
Group' that had started in Istanbul on August 26 ended at 
Incirlik yesterday.  Around 800 protesters gathered in 
Mersin and traveled to Adana, but were not allowed into 
Incirlik.  The crowd chanted anti-US solgans at the entrance 
to Incirlik Airbase and called on all American bases, 
including Incirlik, to be closed. 
 
New Iraqi Constitution:  Papers report that the Iraqi 
Parliament has read and accepted the new draft constitution, 
but without taking a parliamentary vote or securing approval 
from the Arab Sunni delegates.  "Hurriyet" quotes US 
Ambassador Khalilzad as claiming that the constitution will 
guarantee Iraq's unity on the way to federalism.  Khalilzad 
said the new constitution will advance democracy, and he 
decribed the document as `more advanced than anything else 
in the Muslim world.'  "Turkiye" reports that 15 Sunni 
negotiators announced their opposition to the new 
consitution.  "Cumhuriyet" reports that one Sunni official 
claimed that the constitution was prepared by the United 
States.  "Sabah" characterized he new constitution as a 
`recipe for civil war.' 
 
General Myers Comments:  "Milliyet" reported over the 
weekend that that following his visits to Iraq and 
Afghanistan, US Chief of Staff General Myers told reporters 
that if the US withdraws from Iraq now, the terrorist leader 
Zarkavi will declare a victory for al-Qaida, and that 
instability will spread to neighboring countries, including 
Turkey.  General Myers claimed that al-Qaida would then 
continue to spread terror throught the region in its efforts 
to reestablish the caliphate. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
"The US Should not Pull Out" 
Gungor Mengi commented in the mass appeal "Vatan" (8/29): 
"Stability in Iraq seems unlikely with or without the 
approval of the new constitution.  The ongoing terrorism in 
Iraq has the potential to lead the country to a civil war. 
On the other hand, the US is facing growing pressure from 
its own public to pull out.  A US withdrawal from Iraq would 
be a dangerous development that would negatively affect 
Turkey as well.  US Chief of General Staff General Myers 
emphasized the high risks of a withdrawal over the weekend, 
and he is absolutely right.  A pullout of the American 
military would provide a victory to Al-Qaida, which would 
cause a series of problems including economic instability 
and a broadening wave of terrorism throughout the region.  . 
From the beginning, Turkey did its best to persuade the US 
not to enter Iraq.  But Turkey's current national interests 
require that we encourage the US to stay in Iraq until the 
establishment of a stable Iraqi administration.  We should 
also hope that the US reputation for being able to demolish 
but not able to rebuild will not be repeated in Iraq." 
 
"Confused Minds" 
The leftist-nationalist "Cumhuriyet" carried this op-ed 
(8/29): "General Myers made an interesting remark in 
opposing the withdrawal of the US from Iraq.  He said that 
such a development would provide a victory to Al-Qaida and 
its supporters.  In this context, General Myers highlighted 
the potential danger frrom having a series of radical Pan- 
Islamic administrations in this region. . It seems that 
minds are very confused in the US.  The Bush administration 
has failed in all of its projections regarding Iraq.  The 
mistakes are countless, and the role designed for Turkey 
within the BMENA initiative is one of them.  . The Bush 
administration wants us to believe it is conducting a global 
war against terrorism, but at the same time it provides 
shelter for the terrorist organization against Turkey that 
is stationed in northern Iraq.  The US talks about the 
potential risks of having religious-based systems in the 
area, but at the same time it is projecting Turkey as a 
`moderate Islamic state model.'  It will not be easy for the 
US to pull out of Iraq, but it seems it will also be very 
difficult for US forces to stay.  We also need to pay 
particular attention to the Bush administration's view of 
Turkey.  It is an unhealthy view, which may bring problems 
for the US as well." 
 
"A Federal Iraq" 
Kamuran Ozbir wrote in the nationalist "Ortadogu" (8/29): 
"Is Iraq turning into a federal system?  Federalism is a 
democratic method, but nothing is clear as far as the future 
of Iraq is concerned. .  Even if the constitution is 
approved by the people during the upcoming referendum, the 
problems will remain.  The constitution in its current form 
has loopholes that will create many problems along the way. 
The constitution will not help the Shiites and Kurds to act 
together.  Due to its theocratic structure shaped to favor 
Shiite demands, the Iraqi constitution may lay the ground 
for the Kurds to split off from Iraq even if it passes at 
referendum.  The continuing violence is another major 
problem for the future of Iraq.  The US may decide to pull 
out due to the increase in terrorist acts.  If so, Iraq may 
end up as a field of conflict between Shiites and Sunnis. 
The new constitution in Iraq is not the end of the story. 
In fact, the genuine struggle in Iraq is beginning right 
now." 
 
MCELDOWNEY