US embassy cable - 05ANKARA6293

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 006293 
 
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, OCTOBER 17, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Bush: Each Vote Cast in Iraq a Blow to Terrorism - Milliyet 
10/16 
Time for Democracy in Iraq - Hurriyet 10/16 
Rice Officially Invites `TRNC's Talat to US - Turkiye 10/16 
Initial Results Show Iraq Constitution Approved - Vatan 
Aziz to Testify against Saddam - Sabah 
Aziz to String Up Saddam - Vatan 
5 US Troops Killed in Ramadi - Milliyet 
Al-Qaida's `Image-Maker' Captured in Baghdad - Vatan 
Iran Develops 3,500 km Range Missiles - Milliyet 
Europe within Range of Mullahs - Vatan 
`Black Fury' in Ohio - Aksam 
Condi to Challenge Hillary in 2008 - Aksam 
Afghanistan to Officially Recognize Israel - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Rice Confident of Iraq Constitution Approval - Yeni Safak 
Shiites Vote `Yes,' Sunnis `No' on Iraq Constitution - 
Cumhuriyet 
US Planes Strike Ramadi: 25 Killed - Yeni Safak 
Russia Provides Iran Missile Technology - Zaman 
Putin Denies Rice Support on Iran - Zaman 10/16 
Damascus Refuses to Cooperate with US - Radikal 
Pakistan Earthquake Death Toll 38,000 - Zaman 10/16 
Rebuilding Pakistan May Take 10 Years - Zaman 
Russians Train Palestinian Security Forces - Yeni Safak 
Nalchik Raid Ends in Bloodbath: 108 Killed - Zaman 10/15 
Germany's `Grand Coalition' Won't Work - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Iraq Constitution Has Likely Been Approved:  "Milliyet" 
reports that, based on preliminary counting in the Iraqi 
constitutional referendum, the Iraqi constitution has likely 
been approved.  The paper claims that nearly 70 percent of 
votes cast in the Sunni-majority provinces of Tikrit and al- 
Anbar were against the Constitution.  However, large 
majorities in two other Sunni-dominated provinces, Diyala 
and Nineveh, voted to support the document.  Opponents had 
therefore fallen short of the three-province threshhold 
required to reject the constitution.  All papers note that 
voter turnout in Sunni areas was surprisingly high - over 66 
percent in many critical regions.  "Milliyet" clams that 
Kurds and Shiites voted overwhelmingly in favor of 
ratification. 
 
Hughes on Her Regional Tour in September:  Undersecretary 
for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes said 
she heard `strong opinions' during her regional tour of 
Afghanistan, Egypt, and Turkey last month, Turkish papers 
reported on Saturday.  Responding to questions following her 
speech at George Washington University, Hughes said that 
since she had expected to hear strong opinions, she had not 
been `taken aback,' as some have suggested.  `I'm not 
surprised that I met with a number of very active women in 
Turkey -- activist, opinionated, strong-willed, forceful 
women - and that some of them disagreed with our decision to 
go into Iraq.  I suspect that if I met with a similar group 
in the United States, I would probably hear the same thing. 
I understand that there are a number of people who disagree 
with our decision to go in to remove Saddam Hussein from 
power,' Hughes said. 
 
US Funds for a Cooperation Project with Turkey:  Rifat 
Hisarciklioglu, Chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers 
(TOBB), said after meeting with the US Charge d'Affaires 
Nancy McEldowney that Turkey wants to further bilateral 
trade with the United States, the semi-official Anatolian 
News Agency (AA) reported over the weekend.  McEldowney said 
that the US Government will donate 500,000 USD to support 
cooperation between small and medium-scale enterprises in 
Turkey and the US.  The project will be carried out by TOBB 
and the US Chamber of Commerce, according to the AA report. 
 
Al-Jazeera Interviews FM Gul:  Doha-based Al-Jazeera TV 
hosted Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on its weekly program 
`Without Borders' broadcast last week from Ankara. 
Responding to a question about Iraq and the Middle East, Gul 
said the Turkish Parliament had rejected a US proposal to 
open a northern front against Iraq, and that Turkey had 
expressed `strong and courageous' criticism to Israel.  Gul 
said Turkey's objective is to contribute to achieving a 
lasting peace between Palestine and Israel, and between 
Israel and the Arab world.  Gul noted that the Iraqi 
Constitution is an issue to be decided by the Iraqi people, 
stressing the need to maintain Iraq's unity.  `Had the 
Sunnis been fully represented in the committee that drafted 
the constitution, a better constitution would have been 
produced,' Gul said.  He nevertheless urged the Sunnis to 
seek greater involvement in the political process.  Gul 
noted that Arab countries neighboring Iraq are worried about 
developments there and seek to help Iraq.  Asked about 
northern Iraq, Gul said that the Turks have not been enemies 
of the Kurds.  He said that the PKK is a terrorist group 
that will eventually harm Iraq as well.  `The Kurdish issue 
is not the only problem in Turkey.  The solution to all our 
problems lies in expanding democracy here,' Gul added.  On 
whether Turkey has a `secret agenda' in Iraq, Gul said that 
Turkey wants to see a genuinely democratic state that would 
benefit all Iraqis.  Responding to a question on a possible 
US attack against Syria, Gul said he did not believe the US 
is planning to wage war against Damascus.  `It's against 
Turkey's interests.  We don't want another war in the 
region.  What has happened in Iraq is enough, because it has 
harmed all of us,' Gul stressed.  With regard to the role of 
Turkey as a bridge between East and West following the 
opening of EU accession talks with Ankara, Gul said that 
Turkey has always had been influential in the region. 
`Europe is an important international force that has 
interests in the region.  So the EU process will enable 
Turkey to play a bigger role in the region,' Gul said. 
 
Grossman on US-Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria:  Former US 
Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman, speaking at a 
conference on the issue of Turkish-US relations, predicted 
that the bilateral relationship may undergo a new `test' on 
the issue of Iran, Saturday's "Zaman" reports.  Grossman 
said Turkey and the US had `common interests' with regard to 
the democratization of Iran and Syria.  `It is in Turkey's 
interest thatIran not acquire nuclear weapons.  We also have 
a common view that Iran must not export terror. 
Consultations in a more strategic sense may enable us to 
pass this test,' Grossman said, adding that Turkey must try 
to convince Tehran not to acquire nuclear weapons.  Grossman 
said that Syria is not as urgent an issue as Iran, but noted 
that it is possible to achieve a more democratic Syria that 
does not support terrorism.  Grossman argued that the PKK 
presence in northern Iraq must be removed if anti- 
Americanism in Turkey is to be brought to an end.  He 
stressed that Turkey and the US must work together to reach 
the goal of a united Iraq that is politically and 
economically stable. 
HRW Concerned About Lack of Freedom of Expression in Turkey: 
In a letter to Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, Human 
Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Government to make Turkish 
judges and prosecutors who restrict freedom of expression 
understand that the human rights agreements signed by Turkey 
had become part of national law, Monday's "Yeni Safak" 
reports.  The letter expressed concern over the charges 
filed against novelist Orhan Pamuk and the prosecutor's 
decision to use force to bring Pamuk to the courtroom.  HRW 
also drew attention to similar cases against "Agos" editor 
Hrant Dink, publisher Ragip Zarkolu, Mazlum-Der vice- 
chairman Sehmus Ulek, and journalists Rahmi Yildirim and 
Ersen Korkmaz.  HRW noted that the new penal code still 
contains provisions that infringe freedom of expression. 
 
Avian Flu under Control in Turkey:  The Turkish Ministry of 
Health announced that the bird flu outbreak in the Manyas 
near the Aegean Sea has exceeded its incubation period and 
that it is no longer dangerous.  Some 10,000 birds were 
culled in Manyas, and a quarantine in the region continues. 
The Ministry asked its officials around Turkey to report any 
further detection of avian flu.  The European Commission is 
to send a group of experts to Turkey to investigate the 
situation.  A spokesman for the Commission said that EU 
experts are discussing precautionary measures against avian 
flu, which could spread from the Balkans to the West.  The 
European Commission representative in Turkey, Hansjoerg 
Kretschmer, said that there is no need for panic.  Prime 
Minister Tayyip Erdogan assured the nation that all measures 
are being taken to prevent the spread of the disease. 
`There is not a single case of bird flu diagnosed in a human 
being in Turkey,' Erdogan stressed.  The Council of 
Ministers is to discuss the avian flu outbreak at its 
monthly meeting today. 
 
Turkish Aid to Pakistan Earthquake Victims:  On October 20, 
Prime Minister Erdogan is to take a check for 22 million USD 
in assistance to victims of the earthquake in Pakistan.  The 
money has been collected from businessmen in Istanbul, 
Monday papers report.  Turkey will also send 50,000 tons of 
flour, as well as vegetable oil and sugar to the region over 
the next 10 days. 
 
MFA Condemns Terror in Nalchik:  In a statement released on 
Friday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) condemned the 
acts of terrorism that took place in Nalchik, the capital of 
the mainly Muslim autonomous republic of Kabardino-Balkariya 
in Russia, weekend papers report.  The MFA expressed 
`profound sorrow' over the loss of civilian lives in clashes 
between Russian security forces and terrorists.  At least 85 
people, including 61 attackers, were reportedly killed 
during the fighting in Nalchik. 
 
Bomb Explosion at a Gas Station in Istanbul:  An explosion 
at a gas station in Istanbul's Maslak neighborhood on 
Saturday evening that injured five people was caused by a 
remote-controlled bomb planted in a car, police said on 
Sunday.  Police say they believe the outlawed PKK is 
responsible for the bombing. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
"Gaining Time in Iraq" 
Ferai Tinc observed in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (10/16): 
"The approval of the Iraq constitution is part of the Bush 
administration's strategy to get out of Iraq.  This has been 
a slow, phased process, but so far the Iraqi government has 
not gained much authority outside the US-controlled green 
line.  The Iraqis are still suffering from instability, and 
they are still living in fear.  The daily problems they face 
are not ending, but are in fact growing.  Despite President 
Bush's rhetoric about fighting terrorists in Iraq, the 
obvious reality indicates that this is a war of interests 
between Kurds, Shiites, and Sunni Arabs.  The occupation 
forces do not have control over this war. . The two most 
influential elements in Iraq are the Kurds and the Shiites. 
They used to work together in efforts to topple Saddam 
Hussein.  Today, these two groups are again in an alliance, 
but this time it is in an effort to divide Iraq step by 
step.  It remains to be seen whether the constitutional 
process will be successful in forging a consensus with the 
Sunnis.  But it is certain that this process at least gained 
everybody in Iraq some time, including the US." 
 
"Supporters of the War and the Iraq Referendum" 
Yasemin Congar wrote from Washington in the mainstream 
"Milliyet" (10/17): "The Iraq referendum took place at a 
time when President Bush's popularity and support for the 
war in Iraq is at an all-time low.  But the last-minute 
consensus forged among the Iraqi groups, largely through US 
pressure, has become good news for the White House.  It has 
prevented the referendum process from turning into a defeat 
for the Bush administration.   The number of loyal 
supporters of the Iraq war in Washington has been dwindling 
for some time.  This narrow circle considers the referendum 
as a sign of potential success for the Iraq mission.  . Both 
the pessimistic and optimistic observers in Washington have 
one thing in common: they believe the referendum process, 
including the upcoming general elections set for December 
15, is part of the American strategy to get out of Iraq. 
The only differences they have relate to the timing and 
specifics of a pullout." 
 
MCELDOWNEY