US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5396

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 005396 
 
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 
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Bush to Talabani: You Must Do Something against the PKK - 
Hurriyet 
Gul Signs UN Agreement against Torture - Hurriyet 
Dervis May Replace Annan - Hurriyet 
Sharon Asks Erdogan for Help in Gaza Rebuilding - Sabah 
Greek Organizations in US Support Armenian `Genocide' Claims 
- Hurriyet 
Schroeder's Destiny in the Hands of 600,000 Turks - Aksam 
The Arab League Supports Turkey's EU Bid - Milliyet 
Zarkawi's Revenge: Suicide Attacks Kill 160 in Iraq - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Bush Conveys to Talabani Turkey's Unease with the PKK - 
Zaman 
Bush: I Warned Talabani against the PKK - Yeni Safak 
Erdogan Asks Jewish Organizations' Support against Armenian 
Claims in US - Zaman 
Leaders Discuss Terror at UN 60th Summit - Zaman 
60th Summit to Decide on the Fate of UN - Yeni Safak 
`Turkish Style' Elections in Germany - Zaman 
Majority of 600,000 Turks in Germany to Vote for Schroeder - 
Radikal 
Senator Biden in WP: Turkey May Fall into Iraq Swamp - 
Cumhuriyet 
Zarkawi Declares War against Shiites - Cumhuriyet 
Bush Admits Failure in Handling Hurricane Katrina - 
Cumhuriyet 
Karzai Calls on Taliban to Vote at General Elections - Zaman 
US May Reduce Troops in Afghanistan in 2006 - Cumhuriyet 
210 Captives Continue Hunger Strike at Gitmo - Yeni Safak 
US `Minuteman-3' Missile Test Successful - Cumhuriyet 
Bin Ladin Seeks Medical Treatment - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
US Ships Military Equipment to Iraq through Iskenderun Port: 
"Cumhuriyet" reports on its front page that in the first 
seven months of the year, nine US vessels brought 4,046 
military vehicles and 3,404 tons of explosives to Turkey's 
east Mediterranean port of Iskenderun to be shipped to Iraq, 
according to data by the Iskenderun Chamber of Commerce. 
The US has been using Iskenderun port to ship munitions to 
Iraq despite the fact that the Turkish parliament rejected a 
motion for cooperation with the US in Iraq war, says the 
report.  A trade union member told "Cumhuriyet" that the US 
was planning to use the port of Iskenderun as a `naval base' 
under the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative 
(BMENAI). 
 
US Thanks Turkey for Helping Hurricane Katrina Victims:  US 
Ankara Embassy Charge d'Affaires Nancy McEldowney thanked 
the Turkish government and nation for the help provided for 
the victims of Hurricane Katrina, "Radikal" reports. 
McEldowney said at an American reception Wednesday that the 
Turkish government made 2.5 million USD of aid for Katrina 
victims, and that Turkish universities had offered four-year 
scholarships to American students.  `Besides official aid, 
we have been receiving letters from around Turkey.  They not 
only put money inside the envelopes, but write messages of 
support that say `The United States has done the same for 
us.'  Our ties with Turkey have gone beyond politics.  We 
are tied to each other from the heart; our endless thanks go 
to Turkey,' McEldowney said. 
 
Erdogan Meets Bush, World Leaders at UN Reception:  Prime 
Minister Erdogan and President Bush had a chance for a brief 
talk during the reception hosted by the US President in 
honor of world leaders attending the 60th UN Summit in New 
York on Wednesday, Turkish papers report.  Bush told Erdogan 
that he had asked Iraq President Talabani to `do something' 
against the PKK to ease the discomfort of Turks, adding that 
the US was aware of the security threat posed by the PKK 
against Turkey.  Secretary Rice also said that Talabani had 
been told about Turkey's uneasiness over the PKK presence in 
northern Iraq.  Erdogan expressed his `profound sorrow' with 
regard to the loss of lives in Hurricane Katrina.  Erdogan 
has not been pleased to see that Bush is shifting the 
responsibility of fighting against the PKK to Talabani, 
"Hurriyet" comments.  The Turkish PM also chatted with the 
presidents of Pakistan, Georgia and Iran and the prime 
ministers of Denmark, Greece, Israel and the Netherlands. 
During his talk with the Israeli PM Sharon, Erdogan welcomed 
again Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.  Sharon 
briefed Erdogan on the situation in the region and asked for 
Turkish help in rebuilding Gaza.  Erdogan later met with 
Ahmedinajad and discussed Turkey's natural gas purchases 
from Iran and ways to increase bilateral trade with the 
Iranian President. 
 
Turkey Pleased by Draft UN Summit Final Declaration:  Turkey 
welcomed the draft joint communiqu to be issued at the end 
of the 60th UN Summit in New York, defining the guidelines 
of the road map of the UN for the coming years, diplomatic 
sources told the press.  The draft declaration reflects the 
views of Turkey with regard to the fight against terrorism, 
saying that `the UN strongly condemns terrorism, regardless 
of who committed it and where, which poses one the most 
serious threats against international peace and security.' 
It calls on all countries to refrain from supporting 
terrorist acts and to prevent terrorist groups from using 
their lands for their activities.  Turkey was also pleased 
by the reference made in the draft to the `Alliance of 
Civilizations' initiative cosponsored by Turkey and Spain as 
well as the support of the UNSG to the project, say papers. 
 
Ankara Sends `Intelligence Team' to Tal Afar:  Ankara, with 
US approval, sent a 16-member `intelligence team' to Tal 
Afar to investigate charges of mistreatment of the Turkmen 
by some Iraqi commanders, reports "Aksam."  The Turkish Red 
Crescent (Kizilay) took five trucks of food, medicine and 
tents to Tal Afar, and Ankara also wants to send a mobile 
hospital and kitchen and technical help to fix the water 
system in the city, says the report. 
 
MFA Condemns Terrorist Attacks in Iraq:  The Turkish Foreign 
Ministry Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday that over 
100 were killed and nearly 200 were wounded in recent 
terrorist attacks in Iraq, stressing that Turkey strongly 
condemned the attacks.  `We offer our condolences to the 
Iraqi people, government and the relatives of those who died 
in the attacks,' the MFA said.  The statement noted that 
terrorist attacks are aimed at inciting ethnic fighting in 
Iraq, adding that `national cohesion' should be further 
strengthened to spoil the terrorists' goal. 
 
Turkey-US Agree to Fight the PKK in Europe: Ankara has 
adopted a new strategy against the PKK after the visit of 
top US commanders to Turkey last week, "Sabah" reports, 
adding that from now on, Turkey will cooperate with 
Washington to combat the PKK in Europe instead of staging 
military operations against the terror organization in 
northern Iraq.  During the visits to Ankara by DAS Matt 
Bryza in August and US Generals James Jones and Lance Smith 
last week, Americans told the Turks to use democratic means 
to fight the PKK and offered cooperation on the matter. 
Turkey and the US have agreed to cooperate to cut the 
financial support to the PKK coming from Europe, says 
"Sabah." 
US Official on the PKK, Iraq, Tal Afar, US-Turkey:  An 
unidentified high-level US official told "Radikal" columnist 
Murat Yetkin that Turkey's growing uneasiness with the PKK 
problem has been a source of concern for the US as well. 
Struggling against the PKK is not only Turkey's but the US 
and the new Iraqi government's business, the official said, 
adding that the stabilization of Iraq carries great 
importance in narrowing the opportunities for such terror 
activities.  The American noted that both the US and Turkey 
were trying to control the problems that have arisen in the 
turmoil in Iraq.  `Turkey has been helping us in Iraq,' the 
official said, adding that the US expected this help to 
increase: `Turkey can suggest to the Iraqi groups it is in 
contact with to go to the ballot box at the December 
elections and advise them to voice their objections and 
demands at political levels.'  The US official added that 
Turkey can also suggest to Syria that it should stop the 
flow of money and insurgents to Iraq.  `Turkey should see 
that Syria is a destabilizing element with regard to 
Lebanon, the Israel-Palestine question and Iraq -- the three 
issues Turkey hopes to see stabilized,' the official 
stressed, emphasizing that US-Turkey relations are so 
important that they cannot be conducted on `auto-pilot.' 
`Our relationship needs constant care,' the American said, 
`Therefore we think that mutual visits and dialogue should 
be increased.'  On Tal Afar, the official made assurances 
that US military operations against the northern Iraqi city 
had nothing to do with the Turkmen in the region.  The 
official said that Turkish authorities had known about the 
operation since its beginning, and that press reports 
claiming the use of chemical weapons by US forces were 
false.  `Anti-American propaganda in the language of Zarkawi 
should not be allowed in the Turkish press,' the official 
stressed.  Yetkin says that he had the impression that 
Washington believed that news and commentaries which 
appeared in the Islamist-oriented "Yeni Safak" daily echoed 
the inclinations of the ruling AK Party government. 
 
Biden: Turkey May Fall into Iraq Swamp: "Cumhuriyet" quotes 
US Senator Joseph Biden (D) as saying in an op-ed in the 
"Washington Post" that sectarian violence might escalate 
into a civil war, drawing in Syria, Iran and Turkey and 
turning Iraq into a `new Lebanon.'  `Even worse, Iraqi 
Sunnis could forge stronger alliances with foreign 
jihadists, turning a swath of Iraq into a pre-September 11 
Afghanistan for a new generation of terrorists,' Biden said. 
He advised the US Administration to develop a regional 
strategy that `either forces or induces' Iraq's neighbors to 
act responsibly.  In some instances, that would require the 
administration to engage regimes that the US would rather 
not work with, according to Biden.  Biden also noted that it 
is no longer acceptable to say that US troops will stay in 
Iraq `as long as necessary.' 
 
Gul Signs UN Protocol against Torture:  Foreign Minister 
Abdullah Gul signed the `Optional Protocol to the UN 
Convention against Torture' during the 2005 World Summit in 
New York, papers report.  Turkey has been a party to the 
Convention since 1988.  The `Optional Protocol' has been 
signed by 11 countries so far after it was released on 
February 4, 2003.  It will go into effect after being 
approved by 20 countries.  Turkey had earlier declared that 
it will follow a zero-tolerance policy against torture and 
maltreatment. 
 
EU to Monitor Court Case against Pamuk:  "Zaman" reports 
that the EU is preparing to monitor the court case against 
renowned Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk for accusing Turks of 
killing one million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds.  The 
European Parliament will set up a five-member committee to 
follow the developments related to the Pamuk case set to 
begin December 16, says the report. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  United Nations 
 
"Tremor at the UN Organization" 
Zafer Atay commented in the economic-politic "Dunya" (9/15): 
"Unlike the glamorous celebrations of the 50th anniversary 
of  the UN, this time the 60th anniversary was 
insignificant.  One could not see the traditional attendees 
of such anniversary celebrations, such as President of the 
United States (sic). . The United Nations is going through 
very difficult times due to corruption claims regarding the 
oil-for-food program for Iraq and the scandals related to UN 
peacekeepers in several countries.  Corruption claims are 
being investigated within the UN, as well as by France and 
the United States.  Washington is also angry with the 
current UN administration because of its opposition to the 
Iraq war.  Washington wants UN Secretary General Annan to 
resign.  There will be a monetary sanction as well because 
the US administration plans to cut off its financial support 
for the UN unless satisfactory reforms within the 
organization are undertaken.  On the other hand, in the name 
of fairness, we should not forget the positive achievements 
of the UN.  The United Nations has made some very important 
contributions to peace, health, and education worldwide. 
The world owes its gratitude to the UN for eliminating 
diseases through vaccination programs and for providing food 
and shelter to refugees." 
 
"The Summit of Divided Nations" 
Deniz Ulke Aribogan opined in the mass appeal-sensational 
"Aksam" (9/15): "The United Nations served a very important 
purpose by bringing together nations to heal the wounds of 
two world wars.  However, the structure of the organization 
was formed by the winners of the war, providing privileged 
veto status in the UN Security Council.  Since the 
establishment of the UN up until the present, the privileged 
members did not see any harm in using the UN to legitimize 
their own policy priorities.  The UN thus turned into an 
arena for power struggles among those members.  The 
formation of the UN after the world war was meant to create 
a peaceful world, but unfortunately 60 million people have 
died because of political conflicts and wars in the 60 years 
of the post-war period. . Today the UN presents a picture of 
divided nations.  Problems will continue in the world 
regardless of the number of international summits that are 
held as long as these divisions continue.." 
 
MCELDOWNEY