US embassy cable - 05ANKARA6750

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 006750 
 
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 
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Talabani: Coalition May Pull Out of Iraq in 2006 - Sabah 
Pakistani Delegation Goes to Israel - Hurriyet 
King Abdullah Calls for `Jihad' against Terror - Sabah 
Jordanians Denounce Zarkawi - Hurriyet 11/12 
Paris Riots Spread to Athens - Aksam 
3,000 Policemen Besiege Paris - Sabah 
Rice Celebrates Birthday in Riyadh - Star 
Queen Elisabeth is al-Qaida's New Target - Aksam 
Clinton Attends Rabin Remembrance in Tel Aviv - Aksam 
Secret CIA Torture Center in Morocco - Sabah 
 
SIPDIS 
Taliban Enters Afghan Parliament - Milliyet 
Pakistan Earthquake Victims Abducted for `Jihad' - Sabah 
Sirleaf the First Woman President in Africa - Hurriyet 11/12 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Talabani: Sudden Iraqi Withdrawal Will Bring Disaster - 
Cumhuriyet 
Al-Qaida: Queen Elizabeth an Enemy of Islam - Radikal 
US Praises AKP - Radikal 11/11 
US Rejects Military Operation in northern Iraq - Zaman 
US Warns against Cross-Border Operation in Iraq - Yeni Safak 
11/11 
Bloody Operation in Baghdad: 33 Killed - Yeni Safak 11/11 
Woman Suicide Bomber Captured in Baghdad - Cumhuriyet 
Support for Bush Declines - Yeni Safak 11/11 
Zarkawi Claims Amman Hotel Bombings - Zaman 
Peaceful Rallies Continue in Baku - Zaman 
Palestinians Demand UN Investigation into Arafat Death - 
Zaman 
Annan Visits Iraq - Radikal 
Lawyers Quit Saddam's Defense Team - Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Flory Visits Ankara:  New measures against the PKK were 
discussed at the High-Level  Defense Group (HLDG) meeting 
between Turkey and the United States last week, Saturday 
papers report.  The head of the US delegation, US Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy Peter 
 
SIPDIS 
Flory, said that the real solution that Turkey is looking 
for `will take some time.'  Flory pointed to the Iraqi 
Government as the main address for the PKK problem.  `We are 
working against terrorism in Iraq on many fronts, including 
the struggle against the PKK.  The Iraqi Government is 
responsible for dealing with this problem.  The PKK problem 
is part of a more comprehensive project.  Our goal is to 
maintain Iraq's unitary structure.  The Turkish Government 
well understands our position.  It will, however, take some 
time to bring about a real solution,' Flory said.  Flory 
said that although the Iraq-Turkey border is an issue for 
those two countries, the US `does not believe that a cross- 
border operation by Turkey would contribute to Iraq's 
stability, nor would it solve the PKK problem over the long 
run.  It wouldn't be a good thing,' Flory concluded. 
 
Wilson Hearing at US Senate:  President Bush's nominee as US 
Ambassador to Turkey, Ross Wilson, told a hearing at the 
 
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Senate Foreign Relations Committee that his most important 
task will be `avoiding the creation of unnecessary problems 
between the United States and Turkey,' "Zaman" reported on 
Monday.  `Turkey's contribution to the success of Iraq will 
be more important in 2006 and beyond, and if my appointment 
is approved, this issue will be my key focus.  PKK terrorism 
poses a threat to Turkey and Iraq.  Turkey needs to join the 
international community in overcoming the problems posed by 
Iran and Syria and the threat they represent to global peace 
and security,' Wilson said.  Responding to a question on the 
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul, Wilson said that 
the US recognizes the ecumenical status of the Patriarchate, 
and that the US will continue to advocate for the reopening 
of Halki Seminary. 
 
Semdinli Bombing:  A Turkish court charged a military 
sergeant and a former PKK militant with involvement in last 
week's bombing of a bookstore in the southeastern city of 
Semdinli, papers reported on Sunday.  The ruling AK Party 
government, acting on suspicion that security forces may 
have acted outside the law and played a roled in the 
bombing, pledged a full probe into the incident in which one 
persone was killed.  Dailies say that the bombing recalled 
the `Susurluk' scandal in 1996, which erupted after a car 
carrying a senior policeman, a wanted gang leader, and a 
parliamentarian crashed in western Turkey.  The ensuing 
probes revealed shady links between politicians, police, 
military officials, and criminal gangs.  Officials said a 
local court in Semdinli had charged a civilian and a 
sergeant on Saturday, but released two other jandarma 
officials who had been detained after the incident.  The 
civilian was charged with carrying out the bombing.  He was 
identified by the media as a former member of the outlawed 
PKK who had benefited from a repentance law.  Newspapers 
said that police had found three Kalashnikov rifles, two 
grenades, a detailed map of the province, and a map 
pinpointing the bombed bookstore in the car of the arrested 
men.  Kurdish protesters lobbed rocks at th police and 
chanted slogans in support of the PKK in the aftermath of 
the bombing.  Police fired into the air and sprayed tear gas 
to dsperse the crowd.  Main opposition CHP Hakkari awmaker 
Esat Canan accused security forces for responsibility in the 
blasts and the subsequent incidents in Semdinli.  Two 
Turkish-made bombs were found in the car used by the 
bombers. The car belongs to the jandarma.  The name of the 
shopping arcade and the owner of the store were also found 
in the car.  The owner of the store was a PKK member who had 
previously served 15 years in prison.  A delegation from the 
ruling AK Party is carrying out an investigation into the 
bombing and said it will submit a motion on November 15 for 
a parliamentary inquiry into the incident.  On Sunday, 
security forces detained 24 in the eastern city of Van 
during an illegal rally held to protest against the Semdinli 
incidents. 
 
PKK Terrorists Surrender in Silopi:  Four terrorists who 
escaped from the separatist PKK organization surrendered to 
security forces in Silopi in Turkey's southeastern province 
of Sirnak, Sunday papers reported.  Another terrorist was 
captured in the southern city of Adana.  The four terrorists 
in Silopi said that the oppression and inhuman treatment 
within the organization have reached unprecedented levels. 
During their initial interrogation, the terrorists confessed 
that there are many others in the organization who are 
`biding their time' and looking to escape. 
 
Gul on EU Turkey Reports:  Turkey pledged on Thursday to 
tackle shortcomings in its political and legal reforms after 
the European Commission said its reform process had `lost 
 
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momentum,' Friday papers reported.  `Our government is 
determined to implement the reforms, and to deepen and 
strengthen our democracy,' Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul 
said.  In its annual progress report on Turkey on Wednesday, 
the Commission said that the pace of change had slowed in 
2005, and that the implementation of reforms is `uneven.' 
The report urged Ankara to improve the rights of women, 
religious minorities, and trade unions, and to stamp out 
torture.  But it also bestowed on Turkey the status of a 
`functioning market economy,' a step likely to encourage 
more foreign investment.  Gul welcomed the criticisms in the 
report as being more `careful' than in previous years. 
`There is no question that anything in the documents 
published yesterday will block our way to the EU,' Gul said. 
He warned, however, that Turkey's strategic cooperation with 
the EU may be overshadowed by some new demands with regard 
to Cyprus.  Meanwhile, State Minister Ali Babacan responded 
to demands to grant Greek Cypriots access to Turkish ports 
by saying that Turkey is waiting for steps from the EU 
before moving ahead. 
 
Gul at Forum for the Future:  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul 
condemned terrorist attacks in Jordan and Iraq at the `Forum 
for the Future' meetings held in the Bahraini capital of 
Manama, papers report.  Gul said that the region had 
problems that had `called out for a solution for a long 
time.'  Gul pointed out that enhancing dialogue among the 
regional countries and the international community will 
contribute to the reform process.  He noted that Turkey has 
supported the political process in Iraq from the outset, 
calling for all groups to take part in the process.  Gul 
stressed that the elections in Iraq to be held on December 
15 will be closely followed in Turkey.  `Elections will be 
held in Israel soon.  It is important that internal 
political developments not affect the Middle East peace 
process,' he added. 
 
ECHR Ruling on Headscarves:  The European Court of Human 
Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg rejected on Thursday the appeal 
of Leyla Sahin, a student in Istanbul who was prevented from 
going to medical school because she wears a headscarf.  The 
Court upheld its previous decision, and ruled tha the 
Turkish ban on headscarves at university is not a violation 
of human rights. 
 
Turkey Sends Humanitarian Aid to Tal Afar:  Turkey sent 624 
tons of humanitarian aid, including food and clean-up 
material, to Iraq late last week, weekend papers report. 
The Prime Minister's Office said that 200 tons of the aid 
would be delivered to the Iraqi Red Crescent, while the 
remaining 424 tons will be deilvered to Tal Afar by Turkish 
and Iraqi Red Crescent officials. 
 
Erdogan to Visit Qatar, Bahrain, Denmark:  Prime  Minister 
Tayyip Erdogan will pay state visits to Qatar and Bahrain 
from November 12-14, Erdogan's Office said on Friday.  State 
Minister Kursad Tuzmen, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, 
lawmakers and businessmen will accompany Erdogan during his 
visits.  Erdogan will then fly to Copenhagen on November 14. 
He will deliver a speech at the NATO Parliamentary 
Assembly's 51st Annual session on November 15, and meet with 
Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen. 
 
Putin to Visit Turkey:  Russian President Vladimir Putin 
will pay a working visit to Turkey on November 17, the 
Interfax news agency reported Friday.  During the visit, 
Putin will meet with the Turkish and Italian prime ministers 
in ceremonies to mark the official opening of the Blue 
Stream natural gas pipeline, which crosses the Black Sea. 
 
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