US embassy cable - 05PARIS5871

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005871 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY; BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; AF/PA; 
EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA 
FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR 
AND PASS USTR/PA; USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA; 
ROME/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - EU ISSUES- TURKEY PRESIDENT 
BUSH - IRAQ 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. EU ISSUES- TURKEY 
2. PRESIDENT BUSH - IRAQ 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
A VARIETY OF DOMESTIC STORIES DOMINATE TODAY'S FRONT PAGES, 
BUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF HURRICANE KATRINA, FINANCIAL AS WELL 
AS HUMAN ARE PROMINENTLY REPORTED. THE FINANCIAL COST OF THE 
HURRICANE IS ESTIMATED BY LA TRIBUNE TO BE BETWEEN 15 AND 20 
BILLION DOLLARS. FOR CATHOLIC LA CROIX, WHICH HEADLINES "THE 
INEQUALITIES OF THE OIL CRISIS," HIGH OIL PRICES ARE AFFECTING 
SOUTH EAST ASIAN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES VERY HARSHLY. BUT IN HER 
EDITORIAL DOMINIQUE QUINIO EMPHASIZES THE "EDUCATIONAL VALUE" 
OF SUCH A CRISIS, WHICH SERVES "AS A WAKE UP CALL" FOR 
CONSUMERS AND CAN HELP CHANGE "CONSUMER HABITS." 
 
MOST EDITORIALS ARE DEVOTED TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S ECONOMIC AND 
INDUSTRIAL PUSH IN FAVOR OF INNOVATION AND CENTERS OF 
EXCELLENCE AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO BOOST 
EMPLOYMENT. IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO PHILIPPE RECLUS WARNS 
ABOUT TOO MUCH "INTERVENTION FROM THE STATE." HE CALLS INSTEAD 
FOR MORE "RISK TAKING AND LONG TERM INVESTMENT" BY COMPANIES 
WHOSE ROLE IT IS TO "CONSERVE THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM THE 
STATE." CONVERSELY RECLUS CALLS ON THE STATE TO HELP "BY 
PROVIDING A FAVORABLE ECONOMIC AND TAX ENVIRONMENT FOR PRIVATE 
INITIATIVE." 
 
IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S REMARKS ON TURKEY'S NEED TO 
CLARIFY ITS POSITION ON CYPRUS, COLUMNIST ALEXANDRE ADLER PENS 
AN OPINION PIECE URGING EUROPE TO HONOR ITS PROMISE TO TURKEY. 
(SEE PART C) 
 
LE FIGARO DEVOTES A HALF-PAGE REPORT TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S 
RETURN TO WASHINGTON AND THE CHALLENGES AWAITING HIM. (SEE 
PART C) 
 
POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO THE 
THREAT OF AVIAN FLU, "WHICH IS ON OUR DOORSTEP." A FULL-PAGE 
ARTICLE INSIDE IS ENTITLED: "FINALLY, THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT 
MOBILIZED AGAINST AVIAN FLU." BUT IN AN INTERVIEW, THE HEAD OF 
THE TROPICAL DISEASE CENTER IN MARSEILLES, PHILIPPE BROUQUI 
SAYS: "TALKS ABOUT AVAILABLE VACCINES OR ANTI-VIRAL MEDICATION 
IS RIDICULOUS. WE CANNOT EXPERIMENT WITH A VACCINE FOR A 
DISEASE WE DO NOT YET GRASP FULLY." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
EU ISSUES- TURKEY 
 
"TURNING TO ANKARA" 
ALEXANDRE ADLER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/31): "TURKEY 
HAS OF LATE BECOME A BEACON OF DEMOCRACY AND MODERNISM IN THE 
MUSLIM WORLD. UNDER THESE NEW AND FAVORABLE CONDITIONS, EUROPE 
CANNOT TURN AWAY FROM TURKEY. IF A SERIOUS CRISIS DEVELOPED 
AND EUROPE WAS TO RENEGE ON ITS PROMISE TO TURKEY, WE WOULD BE 
FACING A TWO-SIDED PHENOMENON. FIRST, AMONG ISLAMIC RANKS, WE 
WOULD SEE A REJECTION OF EUROPE, WHICH WOULD BE A STEP 
BACKWARDS; SECOND, THERE WOULD BE A RAPPROCHEMENT OF MILITARY 
AND POLITICAL LEADERS WITH THE U.S., WHICH COULD WELL INCLUDE 
TURKEY IN NAFTA, AS IT HAS DONE WITH AUSTRALIA. THIS WOULD BE 
DISASTROUS FOR FRANCE AND EUROPE. TURKEY WOULD CLOSE ITSELF TO 
OUR INDUSTRIES. IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO CALM THE SITUATION, 
APPEASE SPIRITS AND CONSOLIDATE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EUROPE'S 
NUMBER ONE ALLY IN A REGION THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE SUBJECTED 
TO A NEW WAVE OF INSTABILITY, SUCH AS IRAN'S NUCLEAR 
AMBITIONS." 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH - IRAQ 
 
"BUSH FACING A TUMULTUOUS RENTR " 
PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (08/31): 
"HURRICANE KATRINA IS NOT THE KIND OF DISTRACTION PRESIDENT 
BUSH NEEDED. WITH ITS LEVEL OF DESTRUCTION, THE HURRICANE WILL 
COMPLICATE EVEN MORE THE PRESIDENT'S RETURN TO WASHINGTON FOR 
A POLITICAL RENTR  THAT LOOKS PARTICULARLY DELICATE. THE 
MEDIA ATTENTION TO THE HURRICANE WILL DETRACT FROM IRAQ, BUT 
ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME. AFTER HIS FIVE-WEEK VACATION, PRESIDENT 
BUSH IS FACING A POPULARITY RATE DOWN TO 40 PERCENT, THE 
LOWEST IN HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAREER. ON IRAQ, 61 PERCENT OF 
AMERICANS DISAPPROVE HIS POLICY, WITH COMPARISONS TO VIETNAM 
ON THE RISE. STILL, A GENERAL PUBLIC UPRISING OVER IRAQ IS 
UNLIKELY BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF AMERICAN VICTIMS ARE 
VOLUNTEERS RATHER THAN DRAFTEES. THE DOMESTIC SITUATION WILL 
NOT HELP THE PRESIDENT WHOSE SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM APPEARS TO 
BE IN LIMBO. WHILE TRADITIONALLY A PRESIDENT WILL SEEK REFUGE 
IN HIS FOREIGN POLICY DURING A SECOND TERM, PRESIDENT BUSH'S 
IRAQ POLICY IS OVERWHELMING THAT PARTICULAR HORIZON." 
STAPLETON