US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5308

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 005308 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 12, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
McEldowney: No Difference Between bin-Ladin, Ocalan - Sabah 
Al-Qaida Threatens Chemical Weapons in Tal Afar - Hurriyet 
Grand Assault against Turkmen City of Tal Afar - Milliyet 
9/11 
Turkey to Send Humanitarian Aid to Tal Afar - Milliyet 9/11 
Talabani: Turkey Supports a Federal Iraq - Milliyet 9/11 
Pentagon Develops Preemptive Nuclear Option - Hurriyet 
Erdogan Due in US Today - Sabah 
Gul, Rice to Discuss the PKK in New York - Aksam 
Support for Bush Falls Below 40 Percent - Sabah 9/11 
US Commemorates 9/11 - Milliyet 
Al-Jazeera to Change Image - Aksam 9/11 
9/11 Elections in Japan - Hurriyet 9/11 
UN Report: Poverty the Main Cause of Terror - Aksam 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
US Sides with Turkey against the PKK - Yeni Safak 
US: No Difference Between al-Qaida and the PKK - Zaman 
Erdogan's Fifth Visit to the US - Cumhuriyet 
The Great Escape from Tal Afar - Cumhuriyet 
1,000 Residents Await Death in Tal Afar - Yeni Safak 
`Referendum Operations' Kicked Off against Tal Afar - Zaman 
9/11 
Iraqi Red Crescent Seeks Aid for Tal Afar Civilians - 
Radikal 
Talabani to VOA: We Do Not Support the PKK - Zaman 9/11 
Talabani: Iraq Will not Recognize Israel - Radikal 9/11 
9/11 Commemorated Around the World - Zaman 
Al-Qaida Threatens to Attack US, Australia - Zaman 
5 Troops Killed in Southeast Turkey - Radikal 
US Troops Kill 30 Afghans - Yeni Safak 9/11 
Israeli Troops Complete Gaza Pullout - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
US Embassy Commemorates Terror Victims on 9/11:  On Sunday, 
US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Nancy McEldowney laid a wreath 
at a monument to martyrs in the Kecioren district of Ankara 
in a ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of the 
terrorist attacks of September 11.  McEldowney condemned the 
PKK's network of terrorism, saying that there is `no 
difference between bin-Ladin and Abdullah Ocalan.'  `The 
United States and Turkey will work to eliminate these 
terrorists together,' McEldowney said.  "Posta" reports that 
US Consul General in Istanbul, Deborah Jones, laid wreaths 
at each of the four sites of al-Qaida bombings in that city 
in November 2003.  In brief remarks to the press, Jones 
stressed that terrorism constitutes a threat to free people 
everywhere. 
 
US Generals Meet Turkish Military:  Saturday's "Sabah" 
claims that during his meeting with the Commander of US 
Forces in Europe, General James Jones, and US Central 
Command Deputy Commander, Lieutenant General Lance Smith, in 
Ankara last week, Turkish General Staff (TGS) Chief General 
Hilmi Ozkok urged the US commanders to seek closer 
cooperation with the Iraqi government in the fight against 
the PKK.  The US commanders were briefed on the rising 
violence in southeast Turkey, the activities of the PKK in 
northern Iraq, and financial support for the terror 
organization coming from Europe.  General Jones told the 
press after the meeting that the US was carrying out a 
`difficult struggle' in Iraq, and noted that the problem 
with the PKK must  be resolved by Turkey and the sovereign 
government in Baghdad, `with the United States providing as 
much support as we possibly can.'  Most reports suggest that 
the United States remains cool to the idea of a 
comprehensive military operation against the PKK in northern 
Iraq.  `Jones declined to give a green light to military 
operations against the PKK,' "Zaman" noted.  All papers, 
however, printed significant excerpts of General Jones' 
statement to the press, in which he reassured the Turkish 
people that `our common struggle against terrorism will be 
successful.' 
 
Bryza Angers Greeks:  At a panel discussion with Greek 
Americans in Washington, DAS Matt Bryza said that allowing 
US officials to travel to northern Cyprus directly from 
Turkey did not represent a change in US policy, Sunday's 
"Milliyet" reports from Washington.  Bryza said that the 
Bush Administration has neither encouraged nor discouraged 
members of Congress from entering northern Cyprus through 
Ercan Airport, and he implied that the US regards such 
travel as a `useful tactic.'  Bryza also said the US is 
working to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, who 
supported the Annan Plan in last year's referendum. 
Responding to questions from angry Greek Americans, Bryza 
said that the US is pursuing a policy aimed at achieving a 
lasting settlement on the island.  `Deciding whether the 
events of 1974 are best described as an occupation, an 
intervention, or an invasion is not really our problem,' he 
said, adding that `our policy is to do everything possible 
to reach a joint settlement on Cyprus.' 
 
US Gives Turkey `Second-Class' Treatment:  The US is 
treating Turkey as a `second-class country' because Turkey 
has declined to meet US expectations in Iraq, Saturday's 
"Cumhuriyet" asserts.  The report notes that Washington has 
not yet appointed an ambassador to Turkey, that US CENTCOM 
Commander General Abizaid failed to visit Ankara last week 
as expected, and that the US State Department sent DAS Matt 
Bryza to Ankara for talks with the Turkish Foreign Minister. 
Diplomatic sources speculated that by acting in this way, 
the US may be expressing its displeasure with Turkey's 
reluctance to train Iraqi troops in the absence of a NATO 
decision.  The sources added that the US may also be 
reacting negatively toward Ankara because the Turks have not 
approved a state visit by Iraqi President Talabani, 
"Cumhuriyet" reports. 
 
Erdogan to Travel to US:  Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will 
fly to New York to participate in the UN summit on Monday, 
papers report.  Erdogan will attend a lunch in his honor by 
the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), will do a one-on-one 
with Charlie Rose on PBS, and meet with representatives of 
the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Anti-Defamation 
League (ADL), and B'nai Brith.  Erdogan will later join a UN 
reception, which will also be attended by President and Mrs. 
Bush.  On September 14, Erdogan will meet with Israeli Prime 
Minister Sharon and Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero before 
calling on UN Secretary General Annan to discuss the 
`Alliance of Civilizations' project.  Erdogan will also 
address the UN General Assembly, and join a panel discussion 
on `how civilizations communicate with one another' as part 
of a new global initiative being launched by former US 
President Bill Clinton. 
 
Gul in New York:  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul traveled to 
New York on Sunday to attend the UN summit and hold talks 
with political leaders, Monday papers report.  At a press 
conference before his departure, Gul said he would discuss 
the PKK issue with Secretary Rice during a bilateral meeting 
later int eh week..  Gul will attend the UN World Summit and 
the 60th general assembly meetings of the UN before 
returning home on September 24. 
 
US Blocks Access to Tal Afar:  Monday's "Yeni Safak" claims 
that US bombing of Tal Afar has destroyed many buildings and 
left many people dead.  Mehmet Tahir, an Iraqi Turkmen Front 
(ITF) official, claimed that the US is not allowing the ITF 
to enter Tal Afar in order to help evacuate women, elders, 
and children.  Weekend reports say that the Turkish Red 
Crescent (Kizilay) will send humanitarian aid to Tal Afar, 
along with Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) technical 
delegations, in an effort to help with health and 
infrastructure problems.  Today's "Vatan" claims that US 
forces carrrying out the operations in Tal Afar are showing 
their sensitivity to Turkey's concerns about the Turkmen 
population there.  The story asserts that Kurdish peshmerge 
are not being used in the operations, and that US forces 
have enlisted the support of 1,000 Turkmen policemen  in Tal 
Afar. 
 
Baydemir Presents EU with a Report on Southeast Turkey: 
Saturday's "Milliyet" claims that members of the European 
Parliament asked Osman Baydemir, the mayor of Diyarbakir, 
about the possibility of a `federal' settlement to the 
Kurdish issue and steps that could be taken in support of 
imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.  Diplomatic sources 
point to the fact that Baydemir was invited by the EU to 
Brussels and Strasbourg on the eve of October 3, the date 
set for opening EU accession talks with Turkey, in an effort 
to discuss all controversial issues before Turkey enters 
into membership negotiations with the European bloc.  In a 
report he drafted, Baydemir accused the Turkish state of 
meddling in economic life in the southeast, adding that the 
Kurds were prevented from using their culture and language, 
and that they had been estranged from politics.  The report 
said that provisions that ignore cultural and political 
differences should be scrapped from the constitution, and 
that the Kurdish language should be added to school 
curriculum.  EU officials told Baydemir that violence will 
bring no results, and expressed concern about rising tension 
and street protests.  Baydemir rejected press reports that 
he had called on both the PKK and the Turkish military to 
lay down their arms.  The Turkish Interior Ministry has sent 
an inspector to Diyarbakyr to examine the report, "Milliyet" 
claims. 
 
Turkey's New Anti-Terror Bill:  Monday's "Yeni Safak" says 
in a commentary on its front page that the latest draft of 
Turkey's new anti-terror bill contains `vague' definitions 
under which everyone could be accused of supporting 
terrorist activities.  The bill will cause `chaos' in the 
judicial system because it contradicts many democratic 
amendments included in the new Turkish penal code, according 
to the report. 
 
Survey: Government the Most Reliable Institution in Turkey: 
A survey by "Eurobarometer" shows that the government is the 
most trusted institution in Turkey, with 76 percent popular 
support, Saturday papers report.  EU Commission 
Representative Ambassador Hansjorg Kretschmer welcomed the 
results of the survey, saying that an elected government 
should be the institution most relied on in democratic 
countries.  "Cumhuriyet" downplayed the results, noting that 
the Turkish military had not been included among the 
institutions in the survey.  The survey also showed that the 
proportion of Turks who describe themselves as `rightist' 
increased from 38 percent in 2004 to 42 percent in the most 
recent poll. 
 
Turkish Businessman Freed in Iraq:  A Turkish businessman 
kidnapped in Iraq was freed after his family paid a 200,000 
USD ransom, Monday papers report.  Jeweler Enver Unvar said 
after returning home that he had been abducted by `armed 
Iraqi mujahidin' in Baghdad 40 days ago.  `My family paid 
them 200,000 USD.  If the ransom money had not been paid, I 
would have been beheaded,' Unvar said.  He added that his 
friend, Feyaz Alisan, is still being held by the mujahidin. 
 
PKK Re-launches Attacks:  On Sunday, the PKK ended a 
unilateral cease-fire with an attack against a jandarma 
checkpoint in the eastern province of Bingol, during which 
one soldier was killed and two others were wounded.  One 
military officer and four soldiers were killed in another 
confrontation with PKK militants in the rural areas of the 
southeastern province of Sirnak.  The PKK had earlier 
announced that it would halt attacks until September 20. 
Meanwhile, police arrested 44 protesters at a demonstration 
in support of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in the 
southeastern city of Sanliurfa. 
 
IRNA Launches Turkish Website:  Iran's official news agency 
IRNA has launched a website in Turkish in an effort to 
inform the `brother and friendly' country Turkey about 
events in Iran, papers report on Monday. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Anniversary of 9/11; Iraq/PKK 
 
"The US Experience on Anti-Terror" 
Washington-based reporter Ali Aslan wrote in the Islamist- 
intellectual "Zaman" (9/12): "The 4th anniversary of 9/11 
coincided with debates in Turkey about the need for a new 
anti-terror law in order to deal with recent, growing 
terrorist incidents.  It is always the case that countries, 
including the US, think about new measures and limiting 
freedoms in the aftermath of shocking terrorist acts.  The 
US today has a new terrorism law and has started 
implementation.  However, the American example looks very 
innocent when it is compared to the Turkish draft. . Despite 
some mistakes along the way, the US is still the primary 
example for the successful implementation of the supremacy 
of law in the world.  Therefore, even a minor limitation in 
the rights and freedoms receives enormous public attention. 
The US also bears a responsibility, as being a champion of 
freedom, to the entire world.  This is especially needed 
when authoritarian approaches in the world try to take the 
US as a reference for their pressure tactics on rights and 
freedoms in the context of the fight against terror." 
 
"Some Try to Divide Turkey" 
Nejat Eslen, a retired general, argued in the liberal- 
intellectual "Radikal":  "The written statement of the 
Turkish General Staff and the statement of the US EUCOM 
General Jones did not overlap.  Since the strategic problems 
of Turkey and the US are different from each other, such 
developments should be considered natural.  General Jones' 
statement makes sense if you read it together with the 
statements of the US Adana Consulate officials in Diyarbakir 
and Batman saying that they approve PM Erdogan's approach to 
Kurdish issue.  . It is hard to understand for those who 
strongly believe in Turkey's unity that the PKK has become a 
strategic tool in the hands of the US that can be used to 
destabilize Iran and to isolate Turkey.  Therefore, the US 
will never take concrete action against the PKK.  Maybe the 
US wants everyone to know that during the Iraqi war the 
Kurds gave huge support to the US and the US protected them. 
Israel is happy with these developments as well. Therefore, 
the US will never do anything to hurt Iraqi Kurds and 
believes that the Iraqi Kurds will need a protector soon, 
from their own region." 
MCELDOWNEY