US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5208

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 005208 
 
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 
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Erdogan: Turkey Ready to Cut Off Talks with EU - Sabah 
FT: EU Should Honor Its Promise to Turkey - Aksam 
King Abdullah's Iraq Concern - Milliyet 
72 Insurgents Killed in Tal Afar - Hurriyet 
Operation against Turkmen City of Tal Afar: 72 Killed - 
Sabah 
PKK riots in Van, Mersin Provinces - Milliyet 
Schroeder Wins TV Duel with Merkel - Hurriyet 
Turkish Vessel Collides with US Submarine - Hurriyet 
Katrina May Bring the End for Bush - Aksam 9/5 
New Orleans Becomes a `Ghost City' - Hurriyet 9/5 
Bangladesh Offers US 1 Million USD for Katrina Victims - 
Vatan 
Jane Fonda Campaigns for Iraq Pullout - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
US Troops Besiege Tal Afar, Turkmen Uneasy - Zaman 
King Abdullah: Iraq Fire Will Burn Turkey, Jordan Too - 
Zaman 
Germany Bans `PKK Daily' "Ozgur Gundem" - Cumhuriyet 
Black Americans Accuse Bush of `Racism' - Cumhuriyet 9/5 
US Asks EU, NATO for Help - Yeni Safak 9/5 
US Judiciary Getting Conservative - Radikal 
EU Leaders Land in China - Yeni Safak 
First Shakespeare Play in Kabul in 25 Years - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
PKK Demonstrations in Support of Ocalan:  Supporters of the 
separatist PKK held violent protests in Istanbul, Bursa, 
Mersin and Van provinces in support of jailed PKK leader 
Abdullah Ocalan, throwing `Molotov cocktails' at vehicles 
and shops and prompting riot police to respond with tear 
gas, papers reported over the weekend.  Eighty-eight 
demonstrators were detained in Istanbul after burning a 
commuter bus and fighting with the police.  The police saved 
some demonstrators from lynching attempts by local people. 
PKK supporters clashed with police in the mainly Kurdish 
city of Diyarbakyr and attacked the local branch of 
nationalist party MHP as well as bank offices. 
Demonstrators threw stones at the police and attacked a 
local police station.  The PKK protests are a provocation 
designed to sabotage the democratic atmosphere in Turkey and 
are orchestrated by Ocalan and the PKK leadership in 
northern Iraq, papers speculate.  Press commentaries point 
to the rising violence on the eve of October 3, the date for 
opening EU entry talks with Turkey.  Justice Minister and 
Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said after a six-hour 
cabinet meeting that Turkish people had been `coolheaded' in 
the face of the provocations.  Main opposition CHP leader 
Deniz Baykal and many other political parties called on the 
nation to remain calm. 
 
Dissident Kurds Gather against the PKK:  On Sunday, Kurdish 
intellectuals who oppose the PKK terror organization held a 
meeting in Ankara to support the breakthrough made by Prime 
Minister Erdogan with regard to the Kurdish issue, Monday 
papers report.  The dissident Kurds stressed that the PKK 
was not the representative of all Kurds in Turkey, calling 
on the militants to lay down arms.  The group also issued a 
call for a review of Turkey's unitary structure.  The 
meeting was organized by HAK-PAR, the pro-Kurdish party 
chaired by former lawmaker Abdulmelik Firat. 
 
Germany Bans PKK-Affiliated Daily:  Germany's interior 
ministry shut down the PKK-affiliated "Ozgur Politika" 
newspaper on the grounds that it disseminated orders of the 
separatist PKK leadership.  Police searched the houses of 
columnists and writers at "Ozgur Politika," say papers. 
 
Sezer Declines Inviting Talabani:  President Sezer has been 
refusing for four months to extend an invitation to Iraqi 
President Talabani to visit Ankara as Turkey is trying to 
pressure him and Barzani to change their policy on the 
northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk which they claim as Kurdish, 
weekend papers report.  Diplomatic sources told the press 
that Ankara had been uneasy with the Talabani policies in 
Kirkuk, lashing out at the Iraqi president for ignoring the 
sensitivities of Turkey.  Ankara is uneasy that the draft 
Iraqi constitution contained no guarantees to preserve the 
special status of Kirkuk and is also worried that Kurds will 
continue efforts to change the demography of the oil-rich 
northern Iraqi city before a scheduled census in 2007, say 
papers. 
 
US-Iraq Operations against Tal Afar Insurgents:  Iraqi and 
US troops, backed by helicopters and attack aircraft, are 
battling insurgents in the northern town of Tal Afar, where 
at least 72 insurgents were killed, Turkish papers report 
the US military as saying on Monday.  The insurgents were 
killed by helicopter fire after shooting at the security 
forces from inside a mosque.  Its residents continued 
fleeing Tal Afar where tension is high between its Sunni 
Arab and Turkmen communities.  Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) 
representative Abdullah Ketene told the Turkish press that 
the operation aimed at driving out the Turkmen, pointing to 
Kurds' attempts to change the demographic structure of the 
town. 
 
Turkey Offers Help to Katrina Victims:  The Turkish Red 
Crescent (Kizilay) told the US Red Cross that it was ready 
to help Hurricane Katrina victims, Tuesday "Sabah" reports. 
Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said that Turkey shared the 
grievances of `friend and ally' United States, adding that 
Turkish offers for cooperation in the face of the disaster 
had been conveyed to the US Administration.  Turkey is 
planning to move together with NATO and the European Union 
in an effort to help heal the wounds of the victims of the 
hurricane, says the report. 
 
Ivanov Offers Military Cooperation with Turkey:  The Russian 
Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov told the Turkish media in a 
statement that Turkey and Russia can cooperate in diverse 
fields ranging from the defense industry to the struggle 
against terrorism, and from regional issues to space 
exploration, Tuesday papers report.  The Ivanov statement 
noted that in 1994, the two countries had signed a military 
cooperation agreement -- the first such deal Russia signed 
with a NATO member.  Ivanov said that Turkey and Russia 
should produce together armored military vehicles and search- 
and- rescue vessels, should cooperate in military satellite 
surveillance technology, and that Russian anti-aircraft 
systems can be integrated into air defense systems produced 
by Strelets and Aselsan, military industry companies in the 
two countries.  Ivanov also stressed that the 
Russian/Israeli-made attack helicopters would prove to be 
advantageous for the Turkish army.  "Milliyet" speculates 
that Ivanov urged Turkey to deepen cooperation with Russia 
by opting in favor of the Russian/Israeli helicopters. 
 
Gul Warns EU against Further Concessions:  Foreign Minister 
Abdullah Gul told "The Economist" that Turkey will leave the 
negotiating table with the EU `for good' if the bloc offers 
anything short of full membership, weekend papers reported. 
`No one should expect Turkey to make more concessions.  We 
have stuck to our side of the bargain, and the EU should 
stick to its side,' Gul stressed.  Saturday's papers also 
reported Gul as telling the European foreign ministers that 
a counter-declaration to be issued by the EU against 
Ankara's reluctance to recognize Cyprus would be 
`unacceptable' for Turkey. 
 
King Abdullah Visits Ankara:  During his one-day working 
visit to Ankara on Monday, Jordan's King Abdullah shared 
with President Sezer and Prime Minister Erdogan his concerns 
with regard to the developments in Iraq on the eve of the 
parliamentary vote on the new constitution.  Abdullah said 
after meeting Sezer that the Sunnis should participate in 
the political developments in Iraq, voicing concern that 
unrest in the country would spill over Jordan and other 
regional countries.  Sezer voiced support for Iraq's 
territorial integrity and reiterated Ankara's sensitivities 
about preserving the special status of Kirkuk.  He also 
offered to sign a free trade agreement between the two 
countries and asked for Jordan's support for northern 
Cyprus.  Abdullah later discussed Iraq and Palestine with PM 
Erdogan before flying to Egypt the same day, say papers. 
 
EU to Ask Ankara to Normalize Ties with Nicosia: 
"Cumhuriyet" says that a counter-declaration to be released 
by the EU in response to Ankara's Cyprus declaration would 
contain a provision calling for the normalization of Turkish 
ties with the Greek Cypriots by 2006.  The declaration will 
call Turkey to allow Greek Cypriots vessels to Turkish 
ports.  Nicosia is also expected to press for opening a 
diplomatic representation in Ankara, says "Cumhuriyet".  The 
paper warns that it will be Vienna, an opponent of Turkey's 
membership, to decide whether Turkey has met EU requirements 
during Austria's term presidency in the first half of 2006. 
If Turkey declines to meet EU demands, accession talks will 
not advance, the paper adds. 
 
50th Anniversary of Attacks against Non-Muslims in Istanbul: 
September 6 marks the 50th anniversary of attacks against 
non-Muslim businesses, houses and places of worship in 
Istanbul after a report that a bomb had been thrown at the 
house where Turkey's founder Ataturk was born in 
Thessalonika, Greece, "Milliyet" reports on Tuesday.  Five 
thousand three hundred seventeen non-Muslim owned shops and 
houses were destroyed in attacks by Turks in September 6-7, 
1955, in Istanbul.  According to court records, 4,214 
houses, 1,004 businesses, 73 churches, one synagogue, two 
monasteries and 26 schools were plundered by an angry mob, 
prompting declaration of Martial Law.  The then-ruling party 
DP (Democrat Party) blamed the communists for the uproar. 
Following the attacks, the majority of non-Muslims left 
Turkey. 
 
EU Concerned of Lawsuit against Pamuk:  Saturday "Sabah" 
says that the legal action initiated by Turkey against 
renowned novelist Orhan Pamuk had annoyed both the 
supporters and adversaries of Turkey's EU entry.  Observers 
said that the lawsuit filed on the eve of October 3 was a 
`misfortune' for Turkey, warning that it will block Turkey's 
EU membership. 
 
PKK Militants Captured in Istanbul:  On Monday, police 
captured three PKK militants preparing to stage bomb attacks 
against civilians in the Sultanahmet district in Istanbul, 
papers report.  The terrorists had 108 kg of A-4 shrapnel 
bombs in their hideout. 
 
Another Turkish Truck Driver Killed in Iraq:  A Turkish 
truck driver, Huseyin Bulat (66), was killed in the Belet 
city of Iraq over the weekend, Monday papers report.  Bulat, 
the father of eight children, was carrying pre-fabricated 
housing material to US forces in Iraq. 
 
US Submarine Collides with Turkish Vessel:  A US nuclear- 
powered submarine, USS Philadelphia, collided with a Turkish 
cargo ship in the Persian Gulf on Monday, papers report. 
Nobody was hurt and both vessels appeared to suffer only 
superficial damage, the US navy reportedly said. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Hurricane Katrina 
 
"Death of a Superman" 
Ali Kirca commented in the mass appeal "Sabah" (9/6): 
"Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the reality.  Superman is a 
Hollywood legend, and a superpower is a virtual reality.  In 
reality, none of these things exist.  The reality about the 
superpower has become clear after hurricane Katrina.  First 
the blacks realized the truth, and then the entire world. 
The superpower image of the US been washed away like make- 
up.  Hurricane Katrina unfortunately claimed thousands of 
lives, and we wish that had not happened.  But it brought 
some bitter lessons as well.  Most of all, this event will 
mark an end for the Bush administration and an end for a 
Republican administration for the foreseeable future. 
Katrina will likely to turn into a political cyclone for the 
Republican Party in the next US elections." 
 
"Troubles for the US" 
Ilter Turkmen wrote in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (9/6): 
"The US now seems to be  confused and stumbling, not only in 
Iraq, but also domestically due to the Katrina disaster.  It 
seems that popular trust in President Bush has experienced a 
serious, irreparable blow.  In fact, the list of President 
Bush's mistakes is becoming quite long.  Ignoring the 
intelligence reports prior to, starting the Iraq war despite 
reports of the possible consequences, the increase in Al- 
Qaida terror, and the Bush administration's cutting of 
social programs are just a few examples.  The New Orleans 
disaster showed that there is a third world hidden within 
the United States.  President Bush once again grasped the 
dimensions of the disaster only belatedly.   After the 9/11 
terrorist attacks, we saw a united America.  But today we 
see a divided America.  Given the current situation, there 
is almost no way for the Bush administration to pursue a 
successful and firm policy in Iraq and the Middle East." 
 
"Bush, Go Back Home! 
Mustafa Balbay commented in the leftist-nationalist 
"Cumhuriyet":  "Recent incidents in New Orleans remind us of 
two phrases.  One is, `a person's weakest moment comes when 
he feels most powerful.'  The second is, `if a country tries 
to overcome everything through military power, it is a sign 
that the country has started to disintegrate.'  Both of 
these phrases apply very much to George Bush.  There is no 
doubt that the US has the most powerful military force in 
the world.  Never mind individual countries, but even if 
whole continents join together they cannot fight against 
this superpower.  But rockets do not eliminate hurricanes! 
Everyone now believes that the reason it took so long for 
the hurricane relief to reach New Orleans is that the 
majority of the city's inhabitants are black people.  Even 
if this not true, the fact that people are even thinking 
this way is rather serious.  That means that people in the 
US still haven't been able to eliminate racism from their 
minds." 
 
MCELDOWNEY