US embassy cable - 05ANKARA6670

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 006670 
 
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 
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Reid: US Won't Support Process Tied to PKK, Ocalan - 
Milliyet 
EU Announces Tough Road Map for Ankara - Aksam 
EU Urges Turkey to `Move on' with Reforms - Sabah 
Terror Strikes Luxury Hotels in Amman - Hurriyet 
Al-Qaida Strikes in Amman: 62 Killed - Milliyet 
Barzani: Turkey Must Launch Talks with its Kurds - Milliyet 
Ankara to Baku: Address Irregularities in Vote - Turkiye 
Azerbaijani Opposition Takes to the Streets - Milliyet 
Opposition Urges Blair to Step Down - Aksam 
US Report Criticizes Turkey on Bahai - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
EU Gives Turkish Reforms Failing Marks - Cumhuriyet 
EU Uneasy with Slow Pace of Turkish Reforms - Zaman 
Ankara Doesn't Like EU Progress Report - Cumhuriyet 
Triple Terror Attacks in Amman - Zaman 
Police Suspect al-Qaida in Amman Blasts - Yeni Safak 
`Paris Syndrome' Spreading to Europe - Yeni Safak 
Azerbaijani Opposition Calls for Continuous Protests - Zaman 
Pentagon Admits Fault, Prohibits Torture - Cumhuriyet 
CIA Demands Investigation into Leak of `Secret Prisons' - 
Cumhuriyet 
Bush Suffers Heavy Election Defeat in Virginia - Radikal 
Damascus Cooperates with UN - Radikal 
HAMAS May Meet with Israel - Cumhuriyet 
British House of Commons Rejects Blair's Terror Bill - 
Radikal 
Saddam Left Without Defense Counsel - Radikal 
UN Calls on US to Remove Sanctions on Cuba - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
EU Releases Reports on Turkey's Accession:  In two reports 
released yesterday concerning Turkey's progress toward 
membership in the European Union, the European Commission 
warned the Turks to step up the pace of reform and do more 
to protect human rights.  `Turkey can be regarded as a 
functioning market economy, as long as it firmly maintains 
its achievements in stabilization and reform,' the 
Commission said in its annual Turkey progress report.  The 
report noted that the establishment of a market economy is a 
prerequisite for joining the EU, and will boost confidence 
in the Turkish economy, bringing a better climate for 
foreign investors.  But it also said that the pace of reform 
efforts had decelerated over the last year, adding that 
human rights violations continue to occur, and that there is 
an urgent need to implement legislation.  The Commission 
also acknowledged that torture cases are still reported in 
Turkey, and that more vigorous efforts are required to 
penalize those who perpetrate such crimes.  It noted that 
problems encountered by non-Muslim minorities persist, 
adding that there is an urgent need to adopt legislation on 
minorities in line with the EU.  `Violence against women 
remains a matter of serious concern,' the report noted.  It 
criticized article 301 of the penal code that was invoked 
against Orhan Pamuk, journalists Hrant Dink and Emin Karaca, 
 
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and writer Ragip Zarakolu.  The report added that the 
principle of fair trial had been violated in the Ocalan 
case.  It noted that the procedures followed in the 
appointment of judges posed an obstacle to an independent 
judiciary.  The EU saw little progress with regard to 
women's rights, pointing to domestic violence, `honor 
killings,' a high illiteracy rate, and low participation in 
parliament, local representative bodies, and the labor 
market.  It noted that laws obstructing the establishment of 
trade unions and associations should be removed.  Papers say 
that the EU will closely follow improvements in these five 
areas.  In a press conference announcing the reports, EU 
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said that a country with 
the size and population of Turkey is a major challenge for 
the EU's absorption capacity.  Rehn also warned Turkey to 
abide by its obligation to open its ports to Greek Cypriot 
vessels.  Rehn stressed that Turkey must ratify the 
additional protocol and implement it strictly.   Rehn added 
that there is no link between implementation of the 
additional protocol and the removal of sanctions on northern 
Cyprus.  Rehn declared that the EU has fulfilled its promise 
by kicking off accession talks with Turkey on October 3, and 
that it is now Turkey's turn.  Papers say that the next two 
years will be difficult, and Turkey will have to work hard 
to attain its medium-term goals for economic and social 
harmonization. 
 
Gul on EU reports on Turkey:  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul 
said in an evaluation of the EU Progress Report and the 
Accession Partnership Document that despite some 
`unreasonable' criticism in the EU reports, the `big 
picture' puts Turkey in an advantageous light.  `Even if we 
have certain shortcomings, the reforms we have enacted 
constitute a silent revolution,' Gul told a gathering of AKP 
members on Wednesday.  Meanwhile, Ankara disputed the claim 
that it has slowed the pace of reform.  Ankara also believes 
that the EU demand to open Turkish ports and airports to the 
Greek Cypriots is unjustified.  The Turks are pleased, 
however, that neither of the EU reports mention a need to 
recognize Cyprus in advance of full EU membership.  Ankara 
is also pleased that the PKK is mentioned specifically as an 
obstacle to progress in the southeast.  Dailies claim that 
the EU made no changes in the progress report in response to 
objections raised by Turkey. 
 
US Consul Ried Visits Sirnak:  The US Consul in Adana, 
Walter Scott Ried, told members of the pro-Kurdish party 
DEHAP that Washington will not support the involvement of 
the outlawed PKK in any efforts at a solution to Turkey's 
Kurdish problem, "Milliyet" reports.  Ried met with Izzet 
Belge, the provincial head of DEHAP in the southeastern city 
of Sirnak on Wednesday during calls in the province.  `We 
will never accept a solution process tied to Abdullah Ocalan 
and the PKK,' Ried said, stressing that problems should be 
resolved through democratic means.  Belge countered that 
Ocalan should not be disregarded, warning that the 
democratic process will be harmed if he is not taken into 
account. 
Fried on Turkey, Islamic Regimes:  Dan Fried, US State 
Department Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia, said 
that the improvements brought by the ruling AK Party toward 
a center-right democratic course in Turkey are a sign of 
liberalization in the Turkish political arena, the semi- 
official Anatolian News Agency (AA) reported on Thursday. 
Fried told journalists at a meeting in Washington yesterday 
that the US will continue to support democracy in the 
Broader Middle East region.  Responding to a question 
regarding the position of Islamic regimes, Fried stated that 
Islamic parties can advance on the path to democracy if they 
 
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distance themselves from radical approaches. 
 
US Report Mentions Bahais in Turkey:  The 2005 US 
International Religious Freedom Report pointed to some 
restrictions against Muslims, Christians, and Bahais in 
Turkey for alleged proselytizing or holding unauthorized 
meetings, "Sabah" reports.  There are approximately 10,000 
Bahais in Turkey, according to the report, but they face 
suspicion and mistrust due to the fact that the Turkish 
state does not recognize Bahaiism as a religion.  The 
Bahais' Turkey representative, Suzan Merter, said that 
Turkey is the only country to reject Bahaiism.  `We are not 
allowed to write Bahai on our identity cards issued by the 
state.  Court rulings after 1990 allow us only to identify 
ourselves as `nonreligious' on our ID cards.  Such a wording 
has a negative effect on our children's morale,' said 
Merter.  Turkey's Bahais mostly live in cities such as 
Antakya, Adana, and Iskenderun. 
 
Nationalist Turks Protest against Patriarchate in Istanbul: 
Turkish extreme nationalists, accompanied by the Independent 
Turkish Orthodox Church and families of security forces 
killed by terrorists, gathered in front of the Greek 
Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul early Thursday to protest 
against an invitation by Patriarch Bartholomew I to Greek 
Cypriot bishops to visit Istanbul to discuss problems among 
the Greek Cypriot clergy, the Anatolian News Agency (AA) 
reported.  A spokesman for the group, Kemal Kerincsiz, 
accused the Patriarchate of attempting to establish a 
`religious government' such as the Vatican.  Kerincsiz noted 
that his group launched a signature campaign 10 days ago 
aimed at `moving the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate to Greece, 
as it is acting against the Lausanne Treaty.' 
 
Turkey Condemns Amman Hotel Bombings:  The Turkish Foreign 
Ministry (MFA) strongly condemned the terrorist bombings 
that killed over 60 in the Jordanian capital of Amman last 
night.  The statement noted that Turkey feels `deep sorrow' 
over the attacks, adding that the assailants must be brought 
to justice as soon as possible.  `The attacks staged in 
Jordan have once again showed the need for international 
cooperation against this global scourge,' the MFA stressed. 
 
Ankara Urges Turks in France to Remain Calm:  Dailies report 
that Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) Spokesman Namik Tan said 
at his weekly press briefing yesterday that the Turkish 
Embassy in Paris has condemned acts of violence in France 
and called on Turkish nationals living there to remain calm. 
`Our nationals try to stay away from the riots in France, 
and are ready to cooperate with local authorities,' Tan 
said.  Tan added that as the riots could spread to other 
European countries, Ankara has also called on Turks living 
elsewhere in Europe to remain calm. 
 
US Source: Plame Visited Turkey Several Times:  An 
unidentified US intelligence source told a "Hurriyet" 
correspondent in Washington that Valerie Plame had paid 
several visits to Turkey under the guise of an `energy 
consultant.'  The source claimed that Plame was working in a 
CIA department related to the proliferation of nuclear 
weapons.  Plame allegedly visited Turkey along with nuclear 
energy officials from various countries, according to the 
report. 
 
Barzani Advises Turkey to Launch Talks with its Kurds: 
President of the Kurdistan regional administration Massoud 
Barzani said that the Turkish government should acknowledge 
the existence of Kurdish people in Turkey and start talks 
with their political representatives, "Milliyet" reports. 
 
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He warned that unless this happens, PKK violence will 
continue.  Barazani also claimed that the PKK emerged 
because of the `wrong policies' pursued against the Kurds by 
Ankara. 
 
Religious Tolerance Conference Ends in Istanbul:  The second 
Peace and Tolerance Conference, held in Istanbul under the 
auspices of European Commission President Jose Manuel 
Barroso, Greek-Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, and New 
York-based Appeal of Conscience Foundation President and 
Chief Rabbi Arthur Schneier, ended on Wednesday.  President 
Bush had sent a message to the opening of the conference on 
Tuesday.  The conference aimed at inter-religious 
cooperation for peace in southeastern Europe, the Balkans 
and Central Asia.  Religious leaders brought together from 
around the world issued messages of peace and tolerance. 
Previous conferences had brought together religious leaders 
in Vienna, Istanbul and Switzerland.  In 1994, the 
representatives adopted the Bern Declaration, which stated 
that a crime perpetrated in the name of religion constitutes 
the biggest crime against religion. 
 
Erdogan on Foreign Investments in Turkey:  `Turks have more 
confidence in themselves today.  We are working day and 
night to inform world leaders about Turkey,' Prime Minister 
Tayyip Erdogan told a conference held by Turkey's Foreign 
Capital Association (YASED) in Istanbul yesterday.  Erdogan 
said that full membership negotiations with the European 
Union will attract dozens of foreign investors to Turkey. 
He stressed that more foreign investment in Turkey will help 
create more jobs, and encourage competition to the benefit 
of consumers.  Erdogan recalled that before the November 
2002 elections won by his party, there were only 5,584 
companies owned by foreigners in Turkey.  `In the past three 
years, the number of foreign-owned businesses in Turkey has 
jumped to 11,622,' Erdogan said. 
 
Former DEP MPs Establish New Party:  Former Democracy Party 
(DEP) lawmakers Leyla Zana and and her colleagues 
established the Democratic Society Party (DTP) in Ankara on 
Wednesday, papers report.  The co-chairs of the newly 
established party, former MP Ahmet Turk and Abdullah 
Ocalan's lawyer Aysel Tugluk, told a press conference that 
the DTP will work to find a solution to the Kurdish issue 
through dialogue.  The founders of the party include former 
lawmakers Leyla Zana, Orhan Dogan, Selim Sadak, Hatip Dicle, 
and chairman of the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) Tuncer 
Bakirhan.  The emblem of the party will be a red rose on a 
yellow background. 
 
Arinc Criticizes Sezer Over Headscarf Ban at Receptions: 
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc lashed out at President 
Ahmet Necdet Sezer for `denigrating Turkish women' by 
banning headscarves at gatherings at the presidential 
palace, papers report.  `I find President Sezer's illegal 
rules applied against the headscarf at receptions wrong, and 
I see them as a degrading treatment of Turkish women,' Arinc 
said.  Arinc pointed out that Sezer's two predecessors, the 
late Turgut Ozal and Suleyman Demirel, imposed no such ban. 
`After Sezer has completed his term, no president will 
follow such a practice.  I am sure of that,' he emphasized. 
Because of the ban, none of the wives of Turkey's cabinet 
ministers attended Sezer's October 29 Turkish National Day 
reception.  Sezer backs a constitutional ban on wearing 
Islamic headgear in public buildings, viewing it as a threat 
to Turkey's secular system. 
 
Bomb Kills Two in Semdinli:  A bomb explosion in a bookstore 
in Semdinli in southeast Turkey on Wednesday killed two and 
 
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injured six others, papers report.  After the blast, a group 
of locals tried to lynch a person suspected of planting the 
bomb.  The group chanted slogans in support of the PKK, 
claiming that the car belonged to a security  official. 
Police detained the suspect and seized three Kalashnikov 
assault rifles found in a nearby car.  On Thursday, some 
1,000 protesters pulled down power lines and set up 
barricades in Semdinli, and threw Molotov cocktails at a 
police checkpoint on the edge of the town to protest the 
bombing.  Several papers claim that the undercover security 
officials are suspected of having played a role in the 
bombing.  Last week, a car bomb was detonated in front of a 
security headquarters in the same town, wounding 23 people 
and damaging 67 buildings.  The PKK was blamed in that 
incident. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Paris Burning 
 
"Conflict of Civilizations is Underway" 
Cuneyt Ulsever wrote in the mainstream daily "Hurriyet" 
(11/10):  "The true explanation of France in flames is 
related to economic and social issues, because those who 
suffer from economic isolation and social alienation are one 
and the same -- Muslims.  Continental Europe has been trying 
to overcome its economic problems for a long time. 
Decreasing productivity and a growing rate of unemployment 
in Europe are making things more difficult than before. 
Muslim workers from third world countries made significant 
contributions to Europe's wealth from 1960-1980, but their 
presence is perceived by Europeans as a thorn in their side 
now that European economies are no longer growing.  As the 
pie gets smaller, the fight for each slice becomes more 
intense. . Unfortunately, this fight is also provoking a 
conflict of civilizations. This conflict is clearly visible 
when we see the difference in reactions between Muslim 
immigrants and East Europeans.  . The events in France are 
very much related to Al-Qaeda, and must be taken very 
seriously." 
 
"How to be Positioned in Europe?" 
Soli Ozel wrote in the mass appeal "Sabah" (11/10):  "The 
uprising in France is going to incite xenophobia in other 
countries as well, and will have negative effects on 
Turkey's EU process.  Moreover, all of these incidents will 
make life difficult for the Turks residing in Europe. 
Turkey should be cautious in formulating its policies during 
this period of racial tension.  It will not serve to 
Turkey's interest to filter political issues through a 
religious perspective.  The problems of Turks living abroad 
should be viewed as a human rights issue and a problem of 
adaptation in the societies in which they live.  After all, 
hypocrisy makes no discrimination.  It exists everywhere in 
the world, both among Muslims and non-Muslims.  The 
continuing silence of the entire Muslim world in the face of 
ethnic cleansing in Sudan's Darfour region is proof of this 
fact." 
 
MCELDOWNEY