US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5282

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 005282 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 9, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
US Commanders Jones, Smith in Ankara - Milliyet 
Pope Benedict Awaits Invitation from Ankara - Hurriyet 
Merkel a `Disaster' for German Women - Sabah 
Germany Closes PKK Websites - Milliyet 
Katrina `Blackout' in US Media - Sabah 
Egypt Says Mubarak for Another 6 Years - Sabah 
Egypt's `Arabesque' Election - Milliyet 
Yuschenko Dissolves Government - Hurriyet 
Schwarzenegger Vetoes Gay Marriage - Hurriyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Turkey-US Cooperation against Terrorism - Yeni Safak 
US-Turkey Bargain Over Kirkuk - Cumhuriyet 
EU Divided Over Turkey - Cumhuriyet 
London Puts Up a Good Fight for Turkey - Radikal 
Schroeder: Merkel is Blind - Cumhuriyet 
New Orleans Sinking - Yeni Safak 
`Orange Crisis' Grows in Ukraine - Zaman 
No Surprises in Egypt Elections - Zaman 
Arafat's Death Remains a Mystery - Yeni Safak 
Security Forces Clash with PKK in Tunceli - Cumhuriyet 
Islam `Enchants' Cherie Blair - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Volker on EU-Turkey Talks:  Kurt Volker, US Principal Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, said 
after a meeting with EU officials in Brussels that the 
opening of accession talks with Turkey on October 3 was in 
the interests of both the EU and the US, "Sabah" reports. 
`The EU should look beyond the issue of the recognition of 
Cyprus,' Volker said, adding that both sides should `seek a 
way forward without drawing red lines.' 
 
US Commanders Jones, Smith Visit Ankara:  Commander of US 
Forces in Europe (EUCOM), General James Jones, and Central 
Command (CENTCOM) Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Lance 
Smith arrived in Ankara on Thursday for talks with senior 
Turkish military leaders.  General Jones signed an agreement 
yesterday for the formal participation of the US in the 
Center of Excellence - Defense Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) 
established in Turkey within the context of NATO 
restructuring efforts.  During talks at the Turkish General 
Staff (TGS), the Turks presented the US commanders with a 
report on PKK activities against Turkey, and asked that the 
terrorist organization be eliminated in northern Iraq. 
Unrest in Kirkuk and Tal Afar was also raised during the 
talks.  The two sides will hold more extensive discussions 
on Friday. 
 
Pentagon Helps Turkey to Modernize F-16s:  The US Defense 
Department on Thursday notified Congress about a possible 
sale to Turkey of munitions and aircraft components worth 
175 million USD in an effort to help modernize F-16 fighter 
jets, international wires reported.  The Pentagon said that 
if approved, the sale would include equipment produced by 
BAE Systems, Boeing Co., ViaSat, and Raytheon Co.  Turkey 
had requested to purchase a variety of weapons and 
equipment, including attack missiles, bombs, and other 
items.  `This proposed modernization will enhance the 
Turkish Air Force's ability to defend Turkey by patrolling 
its extensive coastline and borders against future threats, 
and will contribute to the global war against terrorism and 
NATO operations,' the Pentagon said in a statement. 
 
Erdogan Due in New York:  Prime Minister Erdogan will seek 
world leaders' support to end the deadlock on Cyprus at the 
UN summit in New York next week, "Zaman" reports.  In an 
address to the UNGA on September 15, Erdogan will call on 
the UN to discuss a Cyprus report drafted by Secretary 
General Annan, which calls on world leaders to help remove 
international sanctions on the Turkish Cypriots. 
 
Barzani to Set Up Professional Army:  Iraqi Kurdistan 
Democratic Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani is preparing 
to turn his 70,000-strong peshmerge forces into a 
professional army, "Yeni Safak" reports.  Barzani will pay 
1,300-1,700 USD to the recruits, and he invited his 
relatives in southeast Turkey to join the new army, 
according to the report.  Former Kurdish lawmaker Serafettin 
Elci said that Barzani had thousands of peshmerge in 
northern Iraq, and that he did not need recruits from 
Turkey.  "Yeni Safak" also claims that Barzani has sent 30 
of his peshmerge to Israel, the US, and EU countries to 
receive pilot training.  The report also claims that 500 
peshmerge officers have been trained by US special forces in 
the northern Iraqi cities of Suleymaniye and Erbil, and will 
soon take command of peshmerge special forces. 
 
Erdogan Warns of `Tougher' Security Measures if Violence 
Continues:  Prime Minister Erdogan warned in a televised 
speech yesterday that Turkish security forces cannot be 
expected to remain indifferent in the face of rising 
terrorist actions in southeast Turkey.  Erdogan claimed that 
the escalating violence is closely linked to Turkey's EU 
accession efforts, and stressed that the `terror 
organization' is harming the interests of the Kurds.  If 
tensions continue, security forces may shift to tougher 
methods, the PM added. 
 
Turkey Asks European Countries to Capture PKK Members:  The 
ruling AK Party government is to send the files of 23 
members of terrorist organizations to the UK, Germany, 
Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands in an effort to have 
them captured, "Zaman" reports.  Former Kurdish lawmakers 
Zubeyir Aydar and Remzi Kartal are among the 23.  The 
Turkish government is also forwarding documents proving 
links between the PKK and front organizations in Europe. 
Papers also report that Germany has closed several websites 
affiliated with the PKK, including that of the Mesopotamia 
News Agency.  Earlier in the week, the German Interior 
Ministry banned publication of the  pro-PKK daily "Ozgur 
Politika," which is based in Germany. 
 
US Forces Capture 200 Insurgents in Tal Afar:  An Iraqi 
military official said US military forces have detained 200 
insurgents in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, 150 of 
them foreign fighters from Sudan, Yemen, Jordan, and Syria. 
The report also claims that many civilians have been killed 
during clashes between security forces and insurgents in Tal 
Afar. 
 
Pope Benedict Wants to Visit Turkey:  Pope Benedict XVI 
would like to visit Turkey in November, but is waiting for 
an official invitation from Ankara, Turkish papers reported 
today.  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I has invited 
Benedict to Istanbul for the Orthodox feast of Saint Andrew 
at the end of November, but a formal invitation from the 
government in Ankara has not been forthcoming.  No immediate 
comment was available from the Turkish government. 
 
New Grouping of Turkish Nationalists:  "Milliyet" reports 
that Taner Unal, head of the `Union of Patriotic Forces,' a 
movement of `non-allied' nationalists set up in April 2005, 
said that the new group was founded to counter `destructive' 
activities, both foreign and domestic, that target Turkey. 
The new movement, which is backed by retired generals, 
academics, bureaucrats, and other prominent representatives 
has no violent intentions, Unal said, stressing that the 
group is launching a new `war of independence' by following 
the path of Ataturk.  The movement has recruited one million 
members since April, he claimed.  The movement has 90 
offices in 40 provinces, and publishes a magazine called 
"Turkeli" (Turkish Land).  Unal had previously run for the 
chairmanship of the extreme nationalist Nationalist Action 
Party (MHP). 
 
28 Million Turks Earn Less Than 4.13 USD per Day:  "Radikal" 
carries on its front page today the details of the Human 
Development Report released by the UNDP.  United Nations 
data shows that 28 million Turks (42 percent of the 
population) earn less than 5.5 lira (4.13 USD) per day 
despite the strong growth in GNP over the past two years. 
UNDP Turkey representative Jacob Simenson warned that 
poverty and a lack of democracy are proving hazardous to 
Turkey, and he urged the state to give priority to reforms 
in education, health, and land distribution.  Simenson 
advised the state to continue to make investments in rural 
areas, and underlined the need for private investment to 
create new jobs.  The report also pointed to gender 
inequality as a major problem in Turkey. 
 
Iran Carries Out Cross-Border Strike Against PKK:  "Sabah" 
reports that Iranian military forces fired rockets and 
mortar rounds against PKK positions across the border in 
Iraq.  The report notes that Turkey had sent troops to the 
same area to fight the PKK in the summer of 2000.  The 
article adds that Turkey's proposal for a cross-border 
operation has been rejected by the United States. 
 
Seven PKK Militants Killed in Eastern Turkey:  A military 
source told the press that Turkish security forces killed 
seven PKK fighters in an operation in the east of the 
country on Thursday.  The source said that troops engaged in 
an armed clash with a group of 30 PKK militants in the 
Munzur Mountains between Tunceli and Erzincan provinces 
yesterday.  The operation is reportedly continuing. 
Meanwhile, 300 DEHAP supporters held a protest march in 
Tunceli yesterday, calling for an end to military operations 
against the PKK. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq; Hurricane Katrina 
 
"Constitution Crisis in Iraq" 
Kamuran Ozbir wrote in the nationalist "Ortadogu" (9/9): 
"The history of politics includes many lessons about 
federalism, which can either be a unifying force or a source 
of division for a country.  A country can be unified if all 
groups can be satisfied under a federal system.  If this 
condition cannot be met in Iraq, the federal system will 
inevitably lead to division and civil war.  The referendum 
on the new constitution means that the future of Iraq is in 
the hands of Iraqis.  An effort toward federalism in Iraq 
was resurrected after the demise of Saddam's regime, and it 
currently serves the interests of the Shiites and the Kurds. 
. There are 22 countries in the world that have adopted a 
federal system, most prominently the United States, 
Switzerland, Belgium, Malaysia, and Australia.  Federal 
systems are capable of treating racial, religious, and 
culturally distinct groups in an acceptable way.  But the 
most important element for the success of a federal system 
is whether the people in a country believe that living under 
the same roof will be to their benefit.  It remains to be 
seen if Iraq will be an example of such success." 
 
"Is the US Joining the Third World League?" 
Haluk Sahin commented in the liberal-intellectual "Radikal" 
(9/9):  "It was not a coincidence that one of the American 
local newspapers mentioned the increase in oil prices after 
the hurricane even before it mentioned the death toll.  . 
American life, especially after WWII, has been designed by 
taking for granted cheap and available oil.  For an ordinary 
American, it is normal practice to drive long distances 
every day, and filling the gas tank is a common event in 
Americans' daily lives.  . In the eyes of ordinary 
Americans, there was a strong expectation that the US 
invasion of Iraq would result in a significant decrease in 
oil prices, and perhaps gasoline prices as low as one dollar 
per gallon.  In fact, what has happened is just the 
opposite, and experts now suggest that Americans should be 
ready to pay 4 dollars per gallon for their gas in the near 
future.  This means a significant tightening of the belt for 
ordinary Americans, who are usually short of cash and 
burdened by high mortgage payments and other bills.  This 
phenomenon in the US will have global effects as well." 
 
MCELDOWNEY