US embassy cable - 05ANKARA6607

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 006607 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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 
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
President Bush Sends Message to Conference in Istanbul - 
Milliyet 
Paris Suburb Fury Spreads to Europe - Sabah 
Ankara Concerned About Paris Riots - Aksam 
EU: Turkish Village Guard System Must be Abolished - Aksam 
OSCE: Azerbaijani Elections Not Free, Fair - Vatan 
Azerbaijani Opposition to Take to Streets - Vatan 
Chalabi: Iraq Must Not be a Haven for Terrorists - Sabah 
UN Wants to Question 6 Syrian Officials - Milliyet 
US, China to Sign Textile Agreement - Milliyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Bush Praises Dialogue Efforts in Turkey - Zaman 
Gul: We Want to See New, Democratic Iraq - Yeni Safak 
Paris Suburb Riots Spill Over to Europe - Yeni Safak 
`Intifada' in Paris Suburbs - Cumhuriyet 
`Guerrilla War' in Paris - Radikal 
`Emergency Rule' in Paris - Cumhuriyet 
Simitis' Book Full of Praise for Erdogan - Radikal 
Michael Rubin: Barzani Shelters PKK Terrorists - Zaman 
US Supports OSCE on Azerbaijani Polls - Zaman 
UN Wants to Interrogate Assad's Brother-in-Law - Zaman 
Syria Ready for Cooperation with UN - Cumhuriyet 
India Gives Nuclear Support to Iran - Yeni Safak 
Husband Beats Afghan Woman Poet to Death - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Bush Sends Message to Religious Tolerance Conference in 
Istanbul:  President Bush sent a message to the second Peace 
and Tolerance Conference in Istanbul.  The conference was 
sponsored jointly by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the 
New York based Appeal of Conscience Foundation (ACF).  In 
his message read by US Charge d'Affaires Nancy McEldowney, 
Bush praised Turkey as the `ideal' country to hold such a 
gathering, and for being a `bridge between cultures.'  Bush 
said religious tolerance forms  the basis for the United 
States, and was the main reason why the country's founders 
came to America from other countries.  McEldowney said that 
Islam and terror should not be linked to each other, adding 
that terrorism perpetrated in the name of religion is 
actually the greatest terrorism against religion.  The head 
of Turkey's Religious Affairs (Diyanet), Professor Ali 
Bardakoglu, said that religious leaders should clearly 
explain that religion does not justify violence.  `We must 
also make it clear that religion cannot be used by the 
perpetrators of terrorism for their purposes,' Bardakoglu 
said.  UNSYG Kofi Annan, European Commission President 
Barroso, and Pope Benedict XVI were among other leaders who 
sent letters to the conference. 
 
Erdogan on Paris Riots:  Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told 
Turkish journalists aboard his plane yesterday that the 
riots in France proved the importance of the `alliance of 
civilizations.'  `We have told the European Union that 
Turkey is very important from the perspective of cooperation 
among civilizations, but we are having difficulty in 
explaining this to some of our friends, especially to 
 
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France,' Erdogan said.  He claimed that the headscarf ban in 
French public schools is one of the elements that incited 
the riots.  The PM reaffirmed that if Turkey is not admitted 
to the EU, clashes among civilizations will continue and the 
EU will become a `Christian club.'  Later in the day, 
Erdogan joined German Chancellor Schroeder at a dinner in 
Cologne.  Turkey's opposition parties voiced strong 
reactions to the Prime Minister's comments.  The main 
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said the remarks 
of Erdogan could be perceived as a call to Turks in Europe 
to join the protests.  The True Path Party (DYP) described 
Erdogan's statement as `dangerous.'  The Democratic Left 
Party (DSP) lashed out at Erdogan, saying that the headscarf 
issue is the prime Minister's `main concern.'   An anonymous 
French official reportedly said that Erdogan was taking an 
`opportunist' approach to the unrest in France.  Papers 
speculate that Turkish diplomats are uneasy about Erdogan's 
remarks, because they have given the impression that Turkey 
supports the rioters. 
 
Erdogan on the `CIA Plane' that Allegedly Landed in Turkey: 
Prime Minister Erdogan rejected yesterday press reports 
claiming that a CIA plane had secretly landed in Turkey to 
pick up terror suspects for transer to the United States and 
subsequent interrogation.  ` I have received no such 
information.  I have spoken with the Interior Minister, and 
will also meet with the Undersecretary of the National 
Intelligence Organization (MIT.)   We have no confirmation 
of these reports,' Erdogan said. 
 
Karamanlis Visit to Turkey `Not Scheduled':  Turkish Prime 
Ministry Spokesman Akif Beki said yesterday that Greek Prime 
Minister Costas Karamanlis' state visit to Turkey has not 
been scheduled yet.  `Erdogan and Karamanlis want to meet in 
Turkey, but both leaders have busy schedules,' Beki said. 
Greek government sources had said over the weekend that the 
Karamanlis visit, the first such call by a Greek PM in 
Turkey in 46 years, had been postponed indefinitely.  Athens 
wanted the visit to confirm good bilateral relations, but 
this is not possible right now, the sources said, citing 
three reasons: recent `counterproductive' statements by 
Turkish officials, the demonstration held by the extreme 
nationalist MHP-linked `Gray Wolves' against the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate in Istanbul, and the leak of a document by 
Turkey's National Security Council (NSC) reaffirming that 
any attempt by Greece to extend its territorial waters in 
the Aegean to 12 miles will be a cause for war.  Turkish 
diplomatic sources, however, told the Greek press that they 
still expect the visit to take place by the end of the year, 
and that the Greek government has given assurances to that 
end.  Prime Minister Erdogan told the Turkish press on 
Monday that the Karamanlis visit will take place toward the 
end of December. 
 
Rubin on the PKK:  Michael Rubin, an expert on Turkey and 
the Middle East at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), 
said that Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader 
Massoud Barzani is protecting PKK terrorists, "Zaman" 
reports.  Rubin wrote in the "New York Sun" last week that 
the struggle against the PKK has been a barometer for 
American prestige in Turkey, and blamed the US 
administration for not initiating an operation against the 
terrorist group.  Rubin said that the KDP was selling 
support materials to PKK members who come down from the 
mountains during the winter.   Rubin charged that Barzani 
protects the PKK and has been unable to provide security on 
Iraq's northern border.  He added that a US offer to offer 
an amnesty if PKK accepts a ceasefire will ridicule the 
President Bush's struggle against terrorism. 
 
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PKK Recruits Members in Baghdad:  Despite the fact that they 
are opposed by US-led coalition forces and Iraqi 
politicians, the terror organization PKK has intensified its 
activities in Iraq, "Yeni Safak" reports.  The report notes 
that the PKK has opened a political liaison office in 
Baghdad, and claims that PKK militants have started coming 
down from the Kandil mountains to establish checkpoints and 
recruit new members in parts of Suleymaniye province. 
 
PKK Groups Fight over Extortion Money:  Groups within the 
PKK are divided by disagreements about how to share profits 
they are collecting from extortion and drug smuggling, 
"Hurriyet" reports.  The Governor of Hakkari, Erdogan 
Gunduz, said that the PKK had been transformed into a 
`criminal network.'  Gunduz said that the terrorist 
organization is punishing businessmen in the region who pay 
`taxes' to rival groups within the PKK, and cited this as 
the main reason behind recent attacks in Turkey's 
southeastern provinces.  `The PKK is losing popularity,' 
Gunduz said, adding that the organization is staging bombing 
attacks to scare people and raise more funds. 
 
US Supports OSCE Assessment of Azerbaijani Polls:  "Zaman" 
reports that the US is supporting the OSCE assessment 
concerning irregularities in the November 6 parliamentary 
elections in Azerbaijan.  US State Spokesman Adam Ereli said 
that despite some improvements over previous elections, the 
US has `serious concerns' about charges of election fraud. 
`The United States looks to President Aliyev's government to 
take corrective action in the districts where impartial and 
transparent investigations show that irregularities and 
fraud affected the results.  We call on all citizens of 
Azerbaijan to address complaints about election violations 
through legal and peaceful channels and to refrain from 
violence.  We urge the government of Azerbaijan to allow for 
peaceful freedom of assembly and to exercise restraint in 
responding to protests,' Ereli said. 
 
MFA on Azerbaijani Polls:  The Turkish Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MFA) expressed satisfaction over the parliamentary 
elections in Azerbaijan in a statement issued on Monday. 
`We welcome the fact that the elections were held without 
incident,' the MFA said, and expressed hope that calm and 
stability will continue in Azerbaijan.  Fifty-two Turkish 
observers were present during the elections held in 
Azerbaijan on Sunday. 
 
Greek Cypriots Veto EU Money to Turkish Cyprus:  Turkish 
Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said that the Greek Cypriot 
administration does not want to see the economy of the 
`TRNC' improved, the semi-official Anatolian News Agency 
(AA) reported on Monday.  `The Greek Cypriot administration 
has been trying to prevent the TRNC from making use of EU 
financial assistance,' Talat said, in reference to a veto 
cast by Nicosia against a declaration by the EU regarding 
the release of 259 million Euros in financial aid to Turkish 
Cypriots.  If the regulation is not approved before December 
31, the `TRNC' will not receive the first tranche of 
assistance. 
 
Greek Diplomats Visit Ankara:  A seven-member delegation of 
Greek diplomats met with Mustafa Dundar, spokesman for the 
Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, the semi- 
official Anatolian News Agency (AA) reported on Monday.  The 
delegation came to Turkey within the context of cooperation 
among Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) and foreign diplomatic 
academies for training purposes.  The Greek Foreign Ministry 
has agreed to train Turkish diplomatic officials on EU- 
 
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related matters. 
 
Turkey Trains Iraqi Diplomats:  On Monday, Foreign Minister 
Abdullah Gul told the opening of a training course for young 
Iraqi diplomats by the Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) that 
Iraq will become a peaceful country by protecting its 
integrity, adding that Turkey will continue to support the 
Iraqi people.  `Iraq is going through a difficult transition 
period, and all its neighbors consider helping Iraq as a 
duty,' Gul noted.  The training program,l to be held from 
November 7 - December 16, aims at assisting with the 
reorganization of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. 
 
Turkmen Journalist Killed in Mosul:  "Yeni Safak" reports 
from Baghdad that unidentified masked gunmen killed a 
Turkmen journalist, Ahmad Hussein al-Maliki, during a raid 
on an internet cafe in Mosul.  Al-Maliki was the editor of 
the daily "Tal Afar", according to the report. 
 
Naval Exercises in the Aegean, Mediterranean:  Turkey's 
Minex-2005 and Eastern Mediterranean-2005 naval exercises 
will be carried out in the Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea 
simultaneously from November 8-18, the Anatolian News Agency 
(AA) reported.  The Turkish Naval Forces Command said on 
Monday that Turkish Minex-2005, the naval exercise held 
annually to develop training and cooperation against mines, 
will be conducted in the Aegean.  Turkey, Bulgaria, France, 
Italy, Germany, Spain, and Greece will participate in the 
exercise.  The Eastern Mediterranean exercise will be held 
in the Eastern Mediterranean with the participation of 
assault boats, submarines, and logistic support vessels from 
Turkey, Germany, France, and Spain. 
 
Novelist Pamuk Awarded `Prix Medicis Etranger':  Acclaimed 
Turkish author Orhan Pamuk will be awarded the Prix Medicis 
Etranger in France for his most recent novel `Snow,' papers 
report.  On October 23, Pamuk received the Peace Prize given 
by the German Booksellers Association.  Pamuk is due to face 
trial in Istanbul on December 16 for `insulting the Turkish 
identity' in an interview with a Swiss daily, where he said 
that 1,000,000 Armenians and 30,000 Kurds had been killed in 
Anatolia, and that nobody in Turkey has the courage to say 
so.  The Pamuk case is seen by the EU as a test of Turkey's 
progress on human rights and freedom of expression. 
 
48 Protesters Detained in Rally to Protest YOK:  Police 
detained 48 protestors among a large group of university 
students rallying on the November 7 anniversary of the 
establishment of the Higher Education Board (YOK) on Monday 
in Ankara.  Students from Istanbul and other provinces 
chanted slogans against the YOK, and demanded that the Board 
be abolished.  Riot police intervened and sprayed pepper gas 
after the students threw stones at them.  Fifteen Molotov 
cocktails were seized at the demonstration. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Azerbaijan Elections; FTAA; France 
 
"A Post-Election Test" 
Sami Kohen commented in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (11/8): 
"Most foreign observers and journalists agree that some 
irregularities and violations occurred in Azerbaijan during 
the election campaign and on voting day.  But it is not 
unusual to see shortcomings in a country like Azerbaijan, 
where the democratic process is relatively new.  At least we 
can say that democratic progress has been made compared with 
the previous two elections in 2000 and 2003.  . The ruling 
party claims that all is well, while the opposition alleges 
vast irregularities from beginning to end.  At this point, 
 
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Azerbaijan should be able to put all claims about election 
wrongdoing into the hands of its judiciary.   Whether Azeri 
politicians will be able to demonstrate this kind of mature 
attitude remains to be seen.  This response is an even more 
important test than the election itself." 
 
"To What Extent is the US a World Power?" 
Ilter Turkmen opined in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (11/8): 
"One of the main impacts of the Iraq war is the creation of 
anti-Americanism around the world.  The most recent example 
was the Summit of Americas in Mar del Plata.  It was 
interesting to see that President Bush remained calm despite 
Chavez's provocative anti-American remarks.   President Bush 
apparently did not want to risk American oil investments in 
Venezuela, so he kept his cool. This is another indication 
that American power has its limits. . Currently, a majority 
of Latin American countries either oppose the US-proposed 
Free Trade Agreement or are showing no interest in it. 
Although the US will remain the only global power for many 
years to come, it no longer has the power to intervene all 
around the world and to get its way on every issue.  Even in 
its own backyard, American authority is in decline.  While 
it might be emotionally satisfying to be pleased by the 
weakening of the US, it is also useful to consider that this 
development could bring chaos to the world's political and 
strategic balances." 
 
"France Pays for its Racist Policies" 
Hakan Celik commented in the mass appeal/tabloid "Posta" 
(11/8):  "France has never treated its immigrants from 
Northern Africa as its own citizens.  On the contrary, 
France forced them into ghettos.  While the UK has managed 
to integrate foreigners successfully, France has 
continuously excluded them from public life.  ...  Referring 
to the protesting immigrants as `looters,' Interior Minister 
Sarkozy reflects this same racist approach.  In the past, he 
has also been outspoken in his campaign to exclude Turkey 
from the EU.   France's power is in continuous decline 
because it cannot keep up with this century's pace of change 
on political, social, and economic issues." 
 
MCELDOWNEY