US embassy cable - 05ANKARA7241

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 ANKARA 007241 
 
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 
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Ambassador Wilson: US Has New Plans Regarding the PKK - 
Milliyet 
Wilson Praises Ataturk at Credentials Ceremony - Milliyet 
Erdogan: US Occupation Turned Iraq into a Training Field for 
Terrorists - Milliyet 
Rice Explains CIA Planes to European Ministers - Hurriyet 
Ahmadinajad: Israel Must be Moved to Europe - Hurriyet 
Ahmadinajad Rejects Genocide of Jews by Nazis - Vatan 
Fugitive Croat General Gotovina Captured in Canary Islands - 
Aksam 
Gotovina Charged with Killing 150 Serbs - Hurriyet 
Denmark Investigates Ties between Roj TV - PKK - Sabah 
Election Violence Claims 8 Lives in Egypt - Sabah 
Bush Stars in `Merry Christmas' Clip - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
New US Ambassador Wilson Presents Credentials to President 
Sezer - Yeni Safak 
EU: Torture, Mistreatment Diminishing in Turkey - Zaman 
EU Puts Off Talks on Financial Aid to Turkish Cyprus - 
Cumhuriyet 
Rice Persuades Europeans on CIA Planes - Yeni Safak 
Del Ponte: Gotovina Captured, Karadzic, Mladic Next - 
Radikal 
OIC `Action Plan' to Fight against Extremism, Terror - Zaman 
Al-Hayat: Talabani to Meet Insurgents, US in Suleymaniye - 
Yeni Safak 
Insurgents Claim US Captive Schulz Killed in Iraq - 
Cumhuriyet 
Ahmadinajad: Hitler Did Not Kill Jews - Zaman 
Muslim Brotherhood Wins 88 Seats in Parliament, Mubarak 
Uneasy - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ambassador Wilson Presents Credentials to President Sezer: 
The new US Ambassador to Ankara, Ross L. Wilson, presented 
his credentials to Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on 
Thursday, papers report. Welcoming the US Ambassador at the 
Presidential `Cankaya' Palace, Sezer expressed pleasure to 
receive Ambassador Wilson and staff.  Wilson conveyed to 
Sezer two letters from President Bush- the first on the 
calling back to Washington of the previous ambassador, Eric 
Edelman, after he was appointed to the US Department of 
Defense as Undersecretary for Policy, and the second 
Wilson's letters of credentials. 
 
Ambassador Wilson Interview with "Milliyet":  The following 
is a summary of an interview with Ambassador Wilson carried 
today in "Milliyet": 
 
`When I spoke of not causing unnecessary problems in 
bilateral ties with Turkey during my hearing at the US 
Senate, I had in mind the complicated nature of the US- 
Turkey relationship.  When you are the US Ambassador in 
Turkey, you have to be successful in dealing with various 
issues -- you have to juggle many balls at the same time. 
 
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While dealing with one issue, I must see that the other 
issues are not dropped.' 
 
`Eric Edelman is an old friend of mine.  He is among the 
finest diplomats of our generation.  I am aware of, and, 
disturbed by the fact that there are some in Turkey who made 
personal attacks against Edelman while he was here.  I know 
that during his last six weeks in Ankara, Edelman made 
progress toward achieving a better tone in bilateral 
relations.  Nancy McEldowney has continued those forward 
steps during her time in Ankara as Charge d'Affaires. 
During mutual high-level visits, it was diagnosed that we 
had a problem, and the necessary tone was adopted to sort 
out the problem.  My task is to build on that ground, to 
both strengthen and modernize our relationship.  The actual 
goal is not good relations but to eliminate the common 
concerns of our two peoples.' 
 
`Bilateral trade between our two countries is not at the 
level it should be with a country of Turkey's size. 
American investments, and in general, foreign investments in 
Turkey are scant.  Directing US investors to Turkey will be 
part of my job.  Furthermore, we must work together with the 
EU to improve the grounds for business and investments in 
Turkey.' 
 
`My overall goal would be getting US and Turkey to act 
together on the issues of Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and making 
sure that such joint actions are recognized by others.  Our 
diplomatic efforts should be jointed to each other -- in 
this way, we will know about each other's plans, and will 
not surprise each other.  The good point is that, Turkey has 
been helping the US a lot on Iraq.  Washington values that 
help.' 
 
`I have great sympathy for the thousands of Turks who had 
been subjected to PKK terrorism.  This sympathy is shared by 
the highest levels of the US Administration.  You know that 
we have been developing a comprehensive common approach with 
the Turkish government with regard to the PKK.  The criteria 
for the success of our policies on the PKK will first be 
seen in a decrease of violence, and then in a complete end 
to it.  Among my priorities in Ankara is to make our new 
plans a reality.' 
 
`A will spare a considerable part of my time to diplomacy 
that interfaces with the nation.  I will meet with 
universities, business circles, and civic organizations as 
much as I can in an effort to explain why the US does 
something and for what, and more importantly, to listen to 
the Turks' views.  In my understanding, public diplomacy 
means to keep quiet sometimes and listen to what the others 
are saying.' 
 
`The US Congress deems important the normalization of Turkey- 
Armenia ties.  It is US policy that the border between the 
two countries be opened.  I will consider the sensitivities 
of Armenian-Americans and our other nationals on the issue. 
I am for a dialogue between the two countries.  Some recent 
steps in Turkey and the breaking of the taboo are 
important.' 
 
`The launch of EU-Turkey accession talks was essential for 
the long-term interests of Turkey, Europe and the United 
States.  I am planning a close working relationship with the 
EU ambassadors and the EU Commission Representative in 
Ankara.  US is not a mediator in EU-Turkey talks, but can 
provide outsider support in times of trouble.' 
 
 
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`The human rights issue is important for the kind of country 
that Turkey wants to become.  The strengthening of 
democratic institutions and legal order, and respect for 
human rights and equality are necessary.  I will always 
convey to the Turkish government and nation the emphasis the 
United States puts on this issue.' 
 
FBI Chief Mueller Visits Turkey:  The Director of the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Robert Mueller 
arrived in Ankara Thursday night to hold a series of 
meetings with officials including Interior Minister 
Abdulkadir Aksu, Security Director General Gokhan Aydiner 
and Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) Chief Emre 
Taner, papers report.  Mueller will discuss al-Qaida related 
terrorist activities and drugs trafficking issues with the 
Turks.  The sides will raise the issue of establishing in 
Turkey an academy to combat terrorism.  Turks are preparing 
to set up a training center such as the UN-backed TADOC 
academy for fighting international drugs trafficking and 
organized crime.  FBI is expected to donate 3 million USD 
for the academy.  "Cumhuriyet" says in a front-page story 
that Mueller will discuss with Turkish security officials 
the smuggling of nuclear parts to Iran and Syria.  The paper 
expects the US to step up pressure on Damascus and Tehran if 
evidence is found that the two countries have acquired 
materials to manufacture nuclear weapons.  Mueller will ask 
Turks to prevent smuggling of arms to the insurgents in 
Iraq.  The Turks will tell Mueller that to achieve that 
effect, US had to strengthen security measures along the 
border with Iraq, speculates "Cumhuriyet."  Mueller will 
also be briefed on the activities of Islamic organizations 
and the PKK in Turkey.  "Milliyet" reports that Mueller made 
a `surprise' request after arrival in Ankara, and asked for 
the involvement at the talks of deputy Security Director- 
General for Organized Crime, Emin Arslan, who was sacked 
three days ago.  On Mueller's request, a reluctant Security 
Director-General Gokhan Aydiner included Arslan in the 
delegation to meet with the FBI chief, says "Milliyet." 
 
EU Sees Decrease in Torture in Turkey:  Turkish dailies 
report the Council of Europe's Committee for Prevention of 
Torture (CPT) as saying in a report that evaluated a CPT 
visit to Turkey in March 2004 that compared to previous 
years, there has been a drop in torture and mistreatment in 
Turkish prisons and police stations.  In March last year, a 
CPT delegation had visited prisons and law enforcement 
facilities in several provinces across Turkey such as Aydin, 
Gaziantep, Mugla, Mersin and Izmir.  The CPT report advises 
Turkish authorities to train law enforcement officials.  It 
underlines that the human rights training program for 
prisons and police centers personnel is seriously 
implemented in Turkey, and recommends that this program be 
extended to prosecutors and judges.  The report welcomes the 
Turkish government's work to guarantee the right of 
detainees to access to a lawyer.  The CPT is comprised of 
independent experts, and it has the right to inspect prisons 
and police headquarters of Council of Europe member 
countries. 
 
Gul on Kirkuk, December 15 Polls in Iraq:  In a letter sent 
to UNSYG Kofi Annan on December 2, Foreign Minister Abdullah 
Gul called on the UN to open a representation office in 
Kirkuk, Turkish papers report.  Gul warned that Kirkuk could 
turn into a venue of instability and confrontation, and 
asked the government to be established in Iraq to address 
this issue.  Gul stated that if the December 15 legislative 
polls are held successfully, political transformation in 
Iraq will gain legitimacy.  Gul noted that election 
observation must be done by UN members as well as other 
 
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international organizations.  Gul warned the international 
community not to repeat the earlier failures in preventing 
fraud in January polls and in the recently held referendum 
on the constitution. 
 
TGS on AKP MP Call to Move Military Compounds Outside 
Ankara:   The Turkish General Staff (TGS) responded in a 
statement yesterday to the ruling AK Party lawmaker Resul 
Tosun's call for the military to move force command 
compounds and troops outside the capital Ankara, calling the 
Tosun remarks a `delirious claim' to banish the military 
from `the sight and the heart of the Turkish nation.'  Tosun 
said in an article he wrote for the Islamist-oriented daily 
"Yeni Safak" on Wednesday that the large number of military 
buildings in Ankara gave the city an overly military 
appearance inappropriate for an aspiring EU member.  He also 
asked that military barracks on the grounds of the 
parliament be moved to outer areas of the capital, or to 
another town.  `Such initiatives are worrying, and must be 
evaluated as individual delirium,' the TGS said in a short 
statement posted on its website.  Tosun, in response, said 
in a statement yesterday that he stood behind his words `as 
a national who believes in civil democracy.'  `In my 
article, I put forward a highly objective proposal to our 
General Staff to foil the propaganda waged against our 
military.  I am a Turkish citizen who is proud of our army 
that inspires trust in our friends and fear in our enemies,' 
Tosun said. 
 
Aksu on Turkey's Handling of Refugees:  Interior Minister 
Abdulkadir Aksu told a symposium on international migration 
in Istanbul on Thursday that the Turkish government is 
working on projects for better control of Turkey's borders 
which will soon become the borders of the European Union 
(EU).  Aksu said that about 500,000 migrants enter EU 
countries illegally every year.  Aksu pointed out that 
Turkey has accepted millions of migrants and refugees in its 
history.  `Migration into Turkish lands began with the 
arrival of 300,000 Jews from Spain.  In the past 200 years, 
Turkey has been home for millions of refugees,' Aksu 
emphasized.  Aksu noted that Turkey has received 52,542 
refugees from Iraq in 1980, 300,000 from Bulgaria in the 
1980s and some 40,000 refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina in 
the 1990s.  Aksu stated that his government has opened 
shelters for the victims of human trafficking in big cities 
such as Istanbul and Ankara, and that 5.1 million USD has 
been apportioned to deal with migrants entering Turkey 
illegally.  Aksu also noted that Turkey was refurbishing its 
border crossings with the latest technology in an effort to 
tighten the control at the gates against international 
crimes. 
 
EU Drops Conditions for Direct Trade with Turkish Cyprus: 
On Thursday, the EU Commission decided in a meeting of the 
EU permanent envoys in Brussels to withdraw its 
preconditions to launch direct trade with Turkish Cyprus, 
papers report.  Turkey had strongly opposed the EU 
Commission when it had asked the Turkish side to open the 
`ghost city' of Maras (Varosha) to the Greek Cypriots, and 
to complete an exchange of properties before the EU kicks 
off free trade with Turkish Cypriots.  In the beginning of 
December, EU envoys had reached an agreement on a financial 
assistance package of 259 million USD for Turkish Cyprus in 
a package which came with conditions.  The EU Commission 
said on Thursday that it decided to pull back the conditions 
due to the strong reactions from Turkey and north Cyprus. 
 
Aksu Denies AKP Wants to Ban Liquor in Turkey:  The ruling 
AK Party denied yesterday claims by some mainstream papers 
 
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that it wants to ban liquor in Turkey, dailies report.  The 
AKP government has issued guidelines to local councils and 
those run by the AKP have started to ban alcohol from 
restaurants and cafes run by them, spreading the debate over 
whether and how to restrict alcohol sales to holiday resorts 
such as Antalya and Kusadasi.  Papers have reported that 
AKP, in an attempt to discourage drinking, wants to limit 
establishments licensed to sell alcohol to the edge of towns 
and cities.  `Observers warned that any restrictions on 
alcohol in the EU-candidate country risked damaging Turkey's 
tourist industry.  There is no question of a ban.  We are a 
government in favor of freedom, not of bans,' Interior 
Minister Abdulkadir Aksu said.  Aksu accused the AKP's 
political opponents of deliberately misrepresenting the 
government's aims. 
 
HRW to Monitor Pamuk Trial: Director of Europe and Central 
Asia for Human Rights Watch, Holly Cartner, said on Thursday 
that the trial of acclaimed Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk 
will show the world which direction Turkish justice is 
heading, international wire services reported on Thursday. 
`The right signal would be prompt acquittal and a strong 
statement from the bench affirming that Turkish law protects 
freedom of expression,' Cartner said.  Human Rights Watch is 
sending observers to the trial of Orhan Pamuk, which is due 
to start on Friday, December 16.  Pamuk is being charged 
with `insulting the Turkish identity' under article 301 of 
the criminal code.  He was indicted for telling the Swiss 
magazine "Das Bild" in February that, '30,000 Kurds and one 
million Armenians were killed in these lands.'  If 
convicted, Pamuk can be imprisoned for up to four years. 
`From the world-renowned poet Nazym Hikmet in the 1930s to 
Orhan Pamuk today, Turkish judges have prosecuted and 
imprisoned the country's greatest writers.  A Turkish judge 
needs to make a really strong declaration to prove that 
those days are finally over,' Cartner said. 
 
PKK Landmine Kills 3 soldiers Near Van:  A landmine planted 
yesterday by terrorist PKK fighters in Baskale near the 
southeastern city of Van killed three Turkish soldiers, 
papers report.  The soldiers were killed by a landmine set 
off through a remote control device.  In the Baglar district 
of Diyarbakir, a raid on a house turned up 8 kg of C-4 
plastic explosives believed to belong to PKK militants. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
"Sunni Arabs in Iraqi Equilibrium" 
Ozdem Sanberk opined in the liberal-intellectual "Radikal" 
(12/9): "The upcoming election in Iraq has an impact on 
shaping not only Iraq's future but also the security and 
future of the region.  If a stable central government 
capable of controlling all of Iraq cannot be formed within 4 
months after the elections, the constitutional process will 
be doomed to collapse.  If this happens, it will be 
extremely difficult to ensure Iraq's integrity. This will 
also increase the pressure on the Bush administration to 
pull out.  On the other hand, if the US pulls out from Iraq 
without preserving territorial integrity, there will be 
serious consequences for both the region and for the globe. 
One of the most important factors for achieving success in 
the Iraqi constitutional process is to ensure that Sunnis 
are not alienated from the political procedure.  However it 
is no secret that Sunnis do not have enough confidence in 
the US, and they have strong doubts about a just and fair 
election process.  In fact there were many irregularities as 
well as unjustifiable demographic changes during the January 
2005 elections and the October 15 referendum which 
 
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significantly minimized the participation of Sunnis and 
Turkmens in the political process.  The differences among 
the Sunni groups themselves constitute another major 
obstacle against full participation of Sunnis in the 
process." 
 
"Middle East and Democracy" 
Haluk Ulman wrote in the economic-political daily "Dunya" 
(12/9): "President Bush defended the Iraq intervention by 
saying `the victory of freedom in Iraq will be an 
inspiration for democracy advocates in Damascus and Tehran.' 
Anyone who watches the developments in Iraq knows well 
enough that President Bush is not talking about facts.  In 
fact only he and to his close aids could make this argument. 
President Bush seems to be fooling himself not only 
regarding the possibility of a democratic regime in Iraq but 
also regarding the reduction in insurgent activities.  The 
Greater Middle East project to bring democracy in the Middle 
East region is nothing but a still-born baby.  Democracy is 
not the main target here, because Bush believes that once 
these countries are ruled with democracy they will all 
pursue a pro-American line.  In fact he is very wrong to 
believe this.  Democracy in the Middle East will harm the US 
most.  The current US presence in this region is made 
possible by the conservative and authoritarian regimes. 
Unfortunately the Bush administration is mixing reality with 
dreams." 
 
"Efforts for a More Active Foreign Policy" 
Washington-based Mesut Hazar wrote in the conservative- 
nationalist "Turkiye" (12/9):  "Many senators from Bush's 
party recently requested that the US correct its mistakes in 
Iraq and end the US-single-handed war.  Therefore, it will 
not surprise anyone if the US starts pulling out from Iraq 
in 2006.  The most important issue here is what kind of a 
`peace force' will be in place once the US troops are gone. 
At this point, Turkey's value and importance as a strategic 
partner of the US is unquestionable.  In the past, the US 
did not listen to Turkey adequately.  It did not take the 
concerns of Turkish diplomats and the military officials 
into account properly.  The US should have benefited from 
Turkey's centuries-old experience.  Now it is time to 
correct the mistakes of the past.  The US should fulfill the 
requirements to improve the relations with its strategic 
partner and friend Turkey.  In order to achieve this, the US 
first should eliminate Turkey's concerns regarding northern 
Iraq.  Now it is time for action instead of promises.  The 
Turkey-US relationship will improve immensely if the US 
eliminates the PKK in northern Iraq, ignores the Greek and 
Armenian lobbies' anti-Turkey activities in the US, and if 
it  supports Turkey's EU and Cyprus policies." 
 
WILSON