US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5677

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005677 
 
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 
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Bush's `Image Consultant' Hughes in Turkey - Sabah 
Hughes on Turkey Leg of Tour to Win Hearts of Muslims - 
Milliyet 
Hughes to Meet with Religious Leaders in Istanbul - Milliyet 
McEldowney: Turkey Has Done Its Part, Now its EU's Turn - 
Tercuman 
Erdogan: Things are Not Going as Desired in Iraq - Hurriyet 
Schroeder: Turkey Must Speed Up Reforms - Milliyet 
Schroeder: Turkey Will Bring Security, Stability to Europe - 
Star 
England Found Guilty in Abu-Graib Abuse - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Hughes Arrives in Ankara - Radikal 
Hughes Gives Palestine, Democracy Messages in Cairo, Riyadh 
- Radikal 
Zarkawi's Aide Killed in Baghdad - Zaman 
NATO Headquarters Inaugurated in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
ICG: Draft Constitution Will Lead Iraq to Civil War - Yeni 
Safak 
Sharon Wins First Round at Likud Congress - Cumhuriyet 
Second Israeli Attempt to Occupy Jerusalem - Radikal 
UN: Israel Expands Settlements - Yeni Safak 
US Underestimates Gitmo Hunger Strikes - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Hughes in Ankara:  US Undersecretary of State for Public 
Diplomacy, Karen Hughes, arrived in Ankara Tuesday night, 
papers report.  Hughes will meet with Turkish Foreign 
Ministry (MFA) Undersecretary Ali Tuygan and representatives 
of nongovernmental organizations in Ankara today.  "Zaman" 
reports that KA-DER, a Turkish NGO involved in women's 
issues and problems, responded to an invitation by the US 
Embassy to meet  with Undersecretary Hughes, saying they 
would also like to raise at the meeting issues such as Iraq 
and President Bush's policies toward women.  A KA-DER 
representative told the paper that they do not want the 
meeting to be seen as one in which the US and the Turkish 
NGO are `hugging' one other.  `We are not the nice girls of 
the neighborhood.  We are political women,' the KA-DER 
member said.  Turkey's prestigious all-news channel NTV 
reported Wednesday that Undersecretary Hughes called on the 
MFA Undersecretary Tuygan this morning.  Tuygan expressed to 
Hughes the `disappointment' of the Turkish nation with 
regard to `expectations' from the US and about developments 
related to Turkey's EU membership bid.  Speaking to 
reporters after the meeting, Hughes condemned the terrorist 
activities of the PKK, stressing that the US is determined 
to do more on the issue.  Hughes added that the US strongly 
supports Turkey's EU aspirations.  `The US and Turkey need 
each other,' Hughes noted.  Following her talks in Ankara, 
Hughes will move on to Istanbul to meet with representatives 
of the various religious communities, NTV reported. 
 
McEldowney on EU/Turkey, Cyprus, New US Ambassador:  US 
Charge d'Affaires Nancy McEldowney said at a reception on 
Tuesday that Turkey has done its part with regard to EU 
membership, and that now it is the EU's turn to do its job, 
"Tercuman" reports.  `We have supported Turkey's EU 
membership in the best way we could.  Europe has its own 
problems.  Who could have guessed that the EU constitution 
would be rejected in the referenda?  Some European countries 
such as France, Germany and the Netherlands project their 
own problems on to Turkey, and try to resolve issues in that 
way,' McEldowney said.  She noted that Turkey should not 
have immediate expectations regarding the PKK and Cyprus: 
`Everything should be done step by step.  The US is the 
country that has taken the most interest in the Cyprus 
issue.  We have made a 30 million USD investment in Cyprus, 
and have organized trips to northern Cyprus directly from 
Turkey.  No country other than the United States has been 
interested in Cyprus to that extent.'  McEldowney also 
underlined the significance of the visit of Undersecretary 
of State for Public Diplomacy, Karen Hughes, to Ankara. 
`Hughes meets with President Bush every morning and every 
evening.  She briefs the President.  Her visit to Turkey is 
extremely important,' McEldowney stressed.  Asked about the 
delay in appointing a US Ambassador to Ankara, McEldowney 
said: `I can tell you honestly that there is no problem.  It 
is not intentional.  I have said before that such 
assignments can take as long as a year.  A US ambassador 
will certainly be appointed to Turkey.' 
 
EU Asks Turkey to Recognize Cyprus, Armenian Genocide:  On 
Wednesday, the European Parliament backed the opening of EU 
accession talks with Turkey on October 3, but insisted that 
Ankara recognize Cyprus and a `genocide' of Armenians in 
Ottoman Turkey during the negotiations.  The motion on 
Turkey's EU drive received the backing of 356 European MPs, 
while 181 voted against and 125 abstained.  Some MPs also 
asked that Turkey's acknowledgment of the Armenian 
`genocide' be a precondition for full EU membership.  On 
Wednesday, Turkey reaffirmed that full membership in the 
European bloc is the only outcome it will accept.  `Any 
deviation from full membership is totally unacceptable,' 
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Namik Tan told a weekly news 
briefing.  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that 
he will not travel to Luxembourg next Monday for the opening 
of entry talks if the negotiating framework now under 
discussion contains `unacceptable elements' for Turkey. 
 
Erdogan on Iraq:  Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, in Oman on 
a state visit, said in Muscat that things `are not going as 
desired' in Iraq.  `Iraq needs a constitution which includes 
not just the Kurds and the Shiites but also the Sunnis, 
Turkmen, and Arabs.  It should clarify that all the 
resources of Iraq belong to all groups in the country,' 
Erdogan said. 
 
Anti-Terror Meeting in Ankara:  Foreign Minister Abdullah 
Gul chaired on Tuesday the Anti-Terror High Board meeting in 
Ankara.  The Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) will carry out 
campaigns to block international support for terror groups, 
and the Finance Ministry will work to cut the financial flow 
to the PKK, particularly funds coming from Europe.  Ankara 
will also seek cooperation with the US in the fight against 
terrorism.  The government will implement measures to curb 
unemployment in east and southeast Turkey and to boost 
economic development in the region.  A Turkish intelligence 
report discussed at the meeting claimed that the PKK, taking 
advantage of the unrest in Iraq, had managed to smuggle 
1,200 kg of C-4 explosives into Turkey in the last two 
years.  According to the report, fundamentalist 
organizations like the Hizbullah and IBDA-C in Turkey were 
only working to recruit militants rather than carrying out 
attacks. 
 
US Forces Detain a Turk in Mosul:  "Radikal" reports that US 
forces in Mosul detained Gunay Soyer, a Turk working at a 
gas station in Mosul, for spying after he was caught at the 
top of a US radar tower.  "Serka," Soyer's employing company 
in Incirlik, Adana confirmed the detention.  Soyer's brother 
told "Radikal" that `a person from the Turkish Foreign 
Ministry (MFA)' called the family in Adana to confirm the 
detention, but he did not elaborate on what will happen 
next.  Soyer has been sent to a prison in Baghdad where 
insurgents are held, according to the report. 
CHP Lawmaker Resigns from Party:  Sevket Gursoy, a lawmaker 
from the southeastern province of Adiyaman, resigned from 
the main opposition CHP on Wednesday, reducing the number of 
CHP seats in parliament to 157.  The distribution of seats 
in the parliament is as follows:  AKP 355, CHP 157, ANAP 17, 
DYP 4, SHP 4, HYP 1, Independent 8, and Vacant 1. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  U/S Hughes 
 
"Bush Advisor Trying to Win our Hearts" 
Yasemin Congar wrote in the mainstream daily "Milliyet" from 
Washington (9/28):  "Despite her experience in domestic 
politics, Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes is not very 
experienced in diplomacy.  She is in Turkey on the last stop 
of her tour to win the hearts of Muslims.  She has been 
tasked to improve President Bush's image around the world, 
especially in the Muslim world.  Karen Hughes has worked as 
Bush's advisor since his days as the Governor of Texas. 
Hughes coordinated Bush's press relations, especially during 
his election campaigns.  After three years away from the 
White House, Hughes started her first trip abroad in Egypt 
and Saudi Arabia.  Hughes' visit to Ankara and Istanbul is 
mainly for the purpose of `listening and learning.'  Karen 
Hughes is a former TV correspondent and, with her powerful 
voice, she is an expert in addressing the people.  She is 
very new, however, in the field of foreign policy and 
diplomacy.  Press members traveling with her didn't hesitate 
to mention her inexperience.  According to news given by the 
traveling press, Hughes was given official notes to remind 
her that `Turkey is a democratic state,' and `Egypt has the 
biggest population in the region.'  It was reflected in the 
American press that, due to her lack of knowledge, she 
couldn't answer the question of whether she was going to 
meet with the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo.  The Washington 
Post wrote that Hughes was left speechless by the question, 
then turned to her aid for help.  Only after one of her 
aides whispered in her ear was she able to respond that `we 
will respect Egyptian law.'  Hughes will reportedly meet 
Religious Affairs Director Ali Bardakoglu and Patriarch 
Bartholomew in Istanbul. 
MCELDOWNEY