US embassy cable - 05ANKARA6498

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 006498 
 
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, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Bush to Barzani: Iraq's Territorial Integrity Must be 
Protected - Hurriyet 
Bush Warns Barzani on PKK, Kirkuk, Turkmen - Milliyet 
Bush Pressures Barzani to Solve PKK Problem - Aksam 
Barzani: We Want Security, Not Sovereignty - Turkiye 
Talat Asks for Direct Flights to northern Cyprus - Milliyet 
Erdogan: I Invite Iran to Political Moderation - Hurriyet 
Wilson Bush's Ambassador to Ankara - Sabah 
Bush Says `Wilson' for Ankara - Milliyet 
World Leaders Tough on Ahmadinajad - Sabah 
Reactions to Ahmadinajad Grow - Aksam 
Israeli Missiles Strike Gaza: 7 Killed - Turkiye 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
EU Leaders Disagree on Globalization - Cumhuriyet 
Reactions Continue against Ahmadinajad - Cumhuriyet 
US: Teheran's True Face Revealed - Yeni Safak 
West Furious at Ahmadinajad - Radikal 
Rafsanjani: Ahmadinajad is Unsuccessful - Yeni Safak 
Damascus Invites US to Dialogue - Yeni Safak 
As-Sadr Enters into Election Alliance with Sunnis - Yeni 
Safak 
Shiites-Sunnis Clash in Iraq: 23 Killed - Cumhuriyet 
`Peace Mother' Sheehan is Detained - Cumhuriyet 
Sheehan the New Rosa Parks - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
US Gives Clear Messages to Barzani:  President Bush urged 
the `regional president of Kurdistan' Massoud Barzani to 
seek good ties with Turkey, and stressed the importance of 
Iraq's territorial integrity and the fight against PKK 
terrorism, Turkish papers report.  An unidentified US 
official told "Hurriyet" that Bush and Barzani share the 
same view with regard to Iraq's territorial integrity.  The 
official said that Turkey had been given detailed 
information about the talks with Barzani: `We know Turkey's 
concerns, and we respect Turkish views.  We have not 
forgotten Turkey's position during our discussions with 
Barzani.'  "Turkiye" writes that Secretary Rice gave Barzani 
a similar warning.  "Milliyet" quotes a Turkish diplomat as 
saying that despite the fact that Barzani was given a 
`presidential' welcome, Turkey had been pleased by the 
messages given to the northern Iraqi Kurdish leader by US 
officials.  When asked about the PKK issue yesterday in 
Washington, Barzani said that the issue should be resolved 
`in a peaceful and democratic way.'  He added that `if 
Turkey were to make such a decision, we would do everything 
possible to support it.  Turkey is our friend and neighbor. 
We will not do anything to harm Turkey's interests.' 
 
White House Announces Intention to Nominate Wilson:  Most 
papers report a White House statement yesterday announcing 
President Bush's intention to nominate Ross Wilson as thte 
new US ambassador to Turkey.  Several papers note that 
Ankara had previously given its concurrence to Wilson's 
nomination. 
 
Erdogan Attends EU Summit in London:  Prime Minister Tayyip 
Erdogan said that Turkey will not open its ports and 
airports to Greek Cypriot vessels and aircraft unless the 
sanctions imposed on the Turkish Cypriots are removed. 
Erdogan, in London to attend a gathering of EU heads of 
government, told a press conference on Thursday that EU 
leaders had pledged to take action to end the isolation of 
northern Cyprus.  Erdogan recalled that the Greek Cypriots 
entered the EU just a week after they rejected a UN- 
sponsored peace plan for the reunification of the divided 
island.  `Turkey will immediately do what is necessary if 
they end the blockade.  We have always been the constructive 
side.  Now we expect a positive approach from them,' Erdogan 
emphasized.  Turkey had already proposed a simultaneous 
lifting of restrictions imposed on the Turkish and Greek 
parts of Cyprus.  Asked about the timeframe for approval of 
Turkey's extension of its customs union additional protocol 
by the parliament, Erdogan said that Ankara had not yet made 
a decision on the issue.  `Discussions continue, and we will 
make a decision later after talking with EU Commission 
officials,' Erdogan said. 
 
Erdogan Opens Turkish Center at LSE:  On Thursday, Prime 
Minister Tayyip Erdogan opened the new Turkish Studies 
Center at the London School of Economics (LSE).  Erdogan 
thanked all who contributed to the establishment of the 
Center, noting that he believed it would contribute to 
compromise and dialogue among civilizations.  `We may have 
different historical experiences and belief systems, but we 
are all living together on the basis of humanity.  Violence 
and a clash of cultures threaten the world,' Erdogan noted. 
 
Erdogan on Ahmadinajad's Israel Remarks:  Speaking at a 
press availability on the sidelines of the EU Summit in 
London on Thursday, Prime Minister Erdogan, asked about 
comments by Iranian President Ahmadinajad that Israel should 
be `wiped off the map,' warned Tehran not to meddle in other 
countries' ties with Israel.  `I invite them to political 
moderation' Erdogan said, and added: `Every country has the 
right to carry out its relations with others in the way it 
deems necessary.  Other countries do not have the right to 
interfere.  It would be better for them to consider their 
own affairs.'  The Iranian President had lashed out at 
Muslim countries that recognize Israel for `hoisting the 
flag of surrender,' adding that such countries will face the 
`wrath' of their people.  Erdogan also strongly denied 
Turkish press reports claiming that the US Administration 
plans to establish a Muslim peacekeeping force in Iraq, 
saying that this is `a colossal lie.' 
 
Talat in the US:  Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat 
told a meeting held by the Brookings Institute and the 
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in 
Washington that the most appropriate step to end the 
isolation of Turkish Cypriots would be to renew efforts on 
the basis of the UN-sponsored peace plan.  He added that 
removal of the blockade against Turkish Cypriots would also 
help relations between Turkey and Greece.  Talat said the 
Turkish Cypriots wanted arrangements that will encourage 
trade rather than monetary assistance, stating that the 
release of the 259 million Euros pledged by the European 
Union was `not that important' for the `TRNC.'  Talat 
praised the `very positive attitude' displayed in the visits 
by US Congressmen and businessmen to northern Cyprus.  Talat 
noted that the invitation made by Secretary Rice for him to 
visit the United States was `encouraging.'  He stressed that 
direct US and international flights to and from Ercan 
Airport in northern Cyprus will help a great deal in ending 
the isolation of the `TRNC.'  Talat also urged Washington to 
open a representation office in northern Cyprus. 
 
MFA Criticizes Prescott for Calling Turkey an "Occupier" in 
Cyprus:  The Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) said that 
British Deputy PM John Prescott's remarks describing Turkey 
as an `illegal occupying force' in Cyprus had been 
`unfortunate,' papers report.  An MFA statement said 
yesterday that the deputy PM of a country with a guarantor 
status in Cyprus had made remarks that `distorted the 
truth.'  Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat had earlier 
criticized Prescott for not being familiar with the Cyprus 
issue. 
Logoglu Urges Kurds to Stay Committed to a Unitary Iraq: 
Turkey's Ambassador to the US, Faruk Logoglu, said on Friday 
that the US should urge the Iraqi Kurds, who have announced 
their commitment to the idea of a united Iraq, to keep their 
promise.  `What is important is the declaration by the Iraqi 
Kurdish group, published in "The Washington Post," that it 
is committed to a united Iraq.  Everybody, and particularly 
the US, should urge the Kurds to keep this promise,' Logoglu 
told a meeting held by the Turkey-US Chamber of Commerce in 
Washington. 
 
MFA Condemns Hadera Attack:  The Turkish Foreign Ministry 
(MFA) condemned on Friday the terrorist attack that killed 5 
and wounded more than 10 in Hadera, Israel, saying in a 
statement that this attack aimed at blocking efforts to 
bring peace and stability to the region.  `We expect the 
sides not to allow the opponents of peace to achieve their 
goal, to behave in a moderate way, and to refrain from acts 
that may fuel violence,' the MFA said. 
 
138 Turkish Companies Accused of Illegal Trade with Saddam 
Regime:  A UN report revealed that 138 Turkish firms 
illegally profited from illicit trade that bypassed 
sanctions against Iraq under Saddam Hussein as part of the 
UN oil-for-food program, "Hurriyet" reports.  2,000 
companies around the world, including 138 Turkish 
businesses, are accused of paying millions of dollars to 
Saddam in an effort to secure oil deals, according to a new 
report released by an independent UN commission.  Six 
Turkish companies including Tupras, Delta, Tekfen Foreign 
Trade, Erdem Holding, Seta Construction, Petroleum and 
Transportation, and Emin Foreign Trade are accused of paying 
a total of 6.3 million USD in kickbacks to Saddam's regime. 
The report says that the recently privatized Turkish 
Petroleum Corporation (Tupras) paid 1.9 billion USD to Iraq 
for 10 oil deals, and claims that Tupras gave 470,000 USD in 
illegal payments to the regime.  UN Secretary-General Annan 
has asked UN member states to impose sanctions on the 
implicated companies.  A UN report released in September had 
claimed that Turkey, along with Jordan and Syria, had 
breached the embargoes imposed by illegally importing oil 
from Iraq. 
 
Child Abuse at Malatya Orphanage:  Revelations about the 
mistreatment of children at an orphanage in the eastern city 
of Malatya sparked outrage when footage aired on Tuesday 
night on "Star TV" showed orphans being badly beaten and 
humiliated by the state-run orphanage staff.  The 
parliamentary human rights committee has assigned a 
delegation to investigate the case.  Psychiatrists said they 
detected symptoms of depression among the children.  Papers 
highlight that Prime Minister Erdogan said the abuse of 
helpless orphans is a `crime against humanity,' adding that 
those responsible will be punished.  Five women have been 
arrested on charges of mistreating children, and are 
expected to be tried for torture. They could face prison 
sentences of 8-15 years.  Papers say that torture is common 
not only in Malatya, but in most orphanages around Turkey. 
They further note that child abuse is also common in many 
homes, underlining widespread domestic violence in Turkey. 
"Radikal" says that problems in orphanages had been 
highlighted in several reports prepared by state officials 
in the past.  State Minister Nimet Cubukcu and her 
predecessor, Guldal Aksit, had been warned about the 
problems, but measures for solving these problems have been 
delayed.  "Sabah" faults the AKP government, saying that the 
specialists in charge of the Malatya orphanage had been 
removed, and replaced by persons close to AKP.  A column in 
"Sabah" says that the AKP government's efforts to make 
partisan appointments had paved the way to `Abu Ghraib-type 
horrors' in Malatya orphanage.  Dailies criticize the fact 
that State Minister Cubukcu, who is responsible for 
orphanages, had not bothered to cut her trip to the UK short 
to return to deal with the scandal in Malatya.  "Milliyet" 
calls for the resignation of the officials responsible for 
the incidents in Malatya.  The paper asks whether `only the 
nurses will pay the price for torture, or will the 
government punish all who are responsible for the scandal?' 
"Milliyet" warned that the abuse scandal had become an 
important test for Turkey's progress toward the EU. 
 
Court Rules against Closure of Egitim-Sen:  The teachers' 
union Egitim-Sen won a legal battle against closure on 
Thursday when a court ruled that the union will remain open 
after it removed from its statutes references to `education 
in languages other than Turkish,' papers report. 
Prosecutors had demanded the closure of the left-leaning 
union on the grounds that its statutes, which refer to 
`education in mother tongues,' conflicted with the Turkish 
Constitution.  Egitim-Sen said it viewed the verdict as a 
positive step toward democratization. 
 
EU to Urge Turkey to Allow Education in Mother Tongues:  The 
European Commission will urge Turkey to allow instruction in 
Kurdish in schools through constitutional changes, 
"Cumhuriyet" claims.  At present, schoolchildren are taught 
only in Turkish.  The EU Commission's Turkey progress 
report, to be released on November 9, will push Ankara to 
change a constitutional provision barring the use of 
languages other than Turkish in schools, stressing that EU 
harmonization will not be possible without amending this 
provision.  The EU draft report says that Turkey had made no 
progress in protecting cultural rights, and points to 
restrictions in education in mother languages.  The report 
also criticizes bureaucratic obstacles encountered by 
Kurdish language schools, according to "Cumhuriyet." 
 
US Soldiers Vacation in `Occupied' Cyprus:  The Greek 
Cypriot daily "Filelevtheros" carried a story yesterday 
claiming that US soldiers who serve on bases in Turkey 
vacationed in the `occupied areas' of Cyprus last year.  The 
US soldiers fly to the `occupied areas' directly, according 
to the reoprt.  This move is part of a US policy to `upgrade 
the occupation regime,' and was decided after last year's 
twin referenda.  Diplomatic sources said that the soldiers 
spend their holidays in Cyprus at their own initiative, 
visiting Cyprus as tourists or private individuals. 
 
AKP Lawmakers Will Boycott Republic Day Reception:  "Vatan" 
says that AKP lawmakers invited to attend the annual 
Republic Day reception at the presidential palace without 
their wives were planning to boycott the event.  President 
Sezer invited university rectors to attend the reception 
with their spouses, while Prime Minister Erdogan, AKP 
lawmakers and cabinet ministers with wives wearing 
headscarves have been invited to attend the reception alone. 
"Vatan" claims that AKP lawmakers will return their 
invitations to Sezer.  "Yeni Safak" reports on its front 
page that Hayrunnisa Gul, wife of Foreign Minister Abdullah 
Gul, is planning to give a `lesson in civility' to Sezer by 
inviting him to attend a Republican Ball to be held on 
November 8 together with his wife. 
 
Commuter Bus Set on Fire in Istanbul:  Unidentified 
assailants tossed fire bombs toward a commuter bus in 
Istanbul's Kucukcekmece district on Thursday, the semi- 
official Anatolian News Agency (AA) reported.  Four masked 
attackers then stopped the bus and forced the passengers to 
dismbark before pouring gasoline and setting the bus ablaze. 
All four attackers escaped after the incident. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq/Rove and Libby Case 
 
"Bush is Trying to Avoid the Scandal" 
Ferai Tinc stated in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (10/28): 
"You may wonder about the reasons for the presence of 
Barzani in the White House.  Turkish Foreign Ministry 
officials were even wondering if the next step for Bush 
would be to meet with every provincial leader of Iraq in 
Washington.  The fact is that President Bush and his aides 
are trying to change the political agenda in order to take 
the sting out of a serious domestic scandal.  Barzani's 
visit to the White House as president of Iraqi Kurdistan is 
part of this scenario.  . The White House is trying to 
influence public opinion at a time when support for the war 
has sunk to about 30 percent.  The message being given to 
the public is about the success of the Iraq operation, the 
strong support from Iraqis for the US presence, and the fact 
that Iraq has been saved from a bloody dictator.  The 
approval of the constitution, the upcoming elections, and 
the trial of Saddam are also part of the message targeted at 
the American public.  The Bush administration is trying to 
highlight these messages by ignoring its past argument about 
weapons of mass destruction as the main reason for the war. 
This is because of an ongoing investigation in Washington 
that is soon to be concluded, and it proves that the Bush 
administration distorted the facts in order to justify the 
occupation." 
 
"A Civil War has started in Iraq" 
Erdal Guven observed in the conservative-sensational 
"Tercuman" (10/28):  "As expected, a civil war has erupted 
in Iraq.  At least 23 people died in clashes between the 
Sunni and Shiite insurgents.  The number of casualties grows 
every day.  What will happen next?  As US support for the 
Kurds grows, the unrest in Iraq grows even faster.  The US 
cannot protect Iraq's territorial integrity with this kind 
of approach. . As we will see in the future, the unrest and 
clashes will spread all over Iraq in a very short period of 
time, and the US administration will request Turkey's help 
in order to end the violence.  It is not possible for the US 
to control this region on its own.  No matter how fervently 
the US supports the Kurds, peace in Iraq cannot be 
established.  The Iraq issue cannot be solved without 
Turkey." 
 
MCELDOWNEY