US embassy cable - 03ANKARA1201

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001201 
 
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, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Shocking Dialog Between Bush and Yakis-Milliyet 
Turkey and the US had mainly agreed on many issues-Sabah 
FM Yakis: If we reach an agreement with the US, the decree 
can be on Parliament's Tuesday agenda-Hurriyet 
US Troops are coming-Turkiye 
US Military Vehicles wait for Parliament decision in 
Iskenderun harbor-Hurriyet(2/23) 
Critical Day in Cyprus-Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Turkey and the US agreed on political issues, economic 
issues on hold-Zaman 
Bush Wants to use the base in Batman also-Cumhuriyet 
Perle: If Besar Esad (Syrian President) does not consider 
the reforms he can be the second target after Saddam-Yeni 
Safak 
Yakis: The main problem is the agreement on military issues 
Cyprus condition to the US-Radikal(2/22) 
The last tour in Cyprus-Radikal(2/23) 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: Papers report Turkey and U.S. have reached agreement 
about political issues, but uncertainty continued regarding 
compensation of Turkey's economic losses.  Turkey, positive 
about the U.S. plan to arm the northern Iraqi Kurds, offered 
to distribute and collect light weaponry to the groups in 
the region, but U.S. turned down the offer, reports say. 
Ankara has found unacceptable the U.S. demand for exemption 
of American troops from VAT.  Monday's papers carry Foreign 
Minister Yakis' remarks that compromise about political and 
economic issues was near.  Yakis stressed Turkey would not 
accept minority status for the Turkomen.  U.S. is against 
Turkey's demand that Turkomen should be represented in the 
post-war Iraqi administration, papers add.  Saturday's 
"Milliyet" says Ankara wanted the militia in northern Iraq 
dissolved into a single national Iraqi army after the war. 
Weekend reports say if the GOT accepts the economic and 
military aid package by the U.S., the parliament will 
probably approve on Tuesday deployment of U.S. troops in 
Turkey.  Saturday's papers report Ankara wanted a Turkish 
representative in the interim administration to be set up by 
the U.S. in post-Saddam Iraq.  Monday's papers carry 
concerns of northern Iraqi Kurdish officials' concerns over 
Turkish military presence in the region.  "Milliyet" reports 
that KDP leader Barzani has promised to refrain from 
declaring an independent Kurdish state, stay away from 
Mosul, Kirkuk, and respect the rights of Turkomen if Turks 
do not enter northern Iraq.  Weekend papers report ongoing 
Turkish military buildup on the Iraqi border.  Papers claim 
Turkey has deployed 100,000 troops in the Southeast. 
Sunday's "Hurriyet" reports U.S. military equipment was kept 
at the port of Iskenderun to be deployed to northern Iraq 
after the parliamentary decision to allow U.S. troops in 
Turkey. 
 
 
Cyprus: "Milliyet" reports that the UN Secretary General 
Kofi Annan has arrived in Ankara to present to Turkish 
officials a new version of the UN plan for resolving the 
Cyprus issue.  There were five important changes in the plan 
in line with the demands of the Turkish side, paper says. 
The UN deadline for settlement in Cyprus expires on February 
28.  Annan will hold meetings today with the Turkish 
officials and present the plan to the parties in Cyprus on 
Wednesday.  "Milliyet" lists the positive changes in the 
plan, as follows: 
1. Karpaz will remain part of Turkish Cypriot territory and 
the Greek Cypriots in the region will be allowed to set up 
their autonomous administration.  In exchange for Karpaz, 
Turkish side will give territory from the Guzelyurt region, 
to Greek side 
2. Greek Cypriots who migrate from south to north will 
exercise their political rights in the Greek Cypriot zone, 
not in the Turkish zone 
3. 50.000 of the migrated Turks (Turks from Anatolia who 
have come to Cyprus since 1974) will stay in the island 
4. The number of Turkish and Greek soldiers on the island 
will be  a total of 7200 
5. The expression `partners' used in the plan in connection 
with the two parties will be replaced with the expression 
`founding partners'. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  US-Turkey cooperation on Iraq 
 
 
"The grant should be IMF-linked" 
Enis Berberoglu commented in mass appeal Hurriyet (2/23): 
"Are we going to wait for another miracle to happen every 
year in order to save the Turkish economy?  It started first 
with the IMF support which followed by the Iraq war.  Yet 
what is to happen next year?  There is only one way to make 
Turkey a prestigious debtor: An economic program pursued by 
the IMF's control and support instead of politics-engaged 
governments.  Thus the IMF condition for the US grant is a 
must.  It is a must, not because the US wants it so, but 
because of the high risk of political abuse." 
 
 
"Just one more step" 
Fehmi Koru argued in Islamic-intellectual Yeni Safak (2/24): 
"It may be called `negotiations' between Turkey and the US, 
yet a closer look will provide us the truth.  It is about a 
tactical game played by the US in order to manipulate Turkey 
in its own war.  The bilateral relations are presented under 
the `strategic partnership' rhetoric, and it becomes a tool 
in the US hands to exert pressure on Turkey. . Washington 
not only used moral pressure via strategic partnership 
rhetoric, but also tried to close a deal with Turkey at 
almost.  Therefore a propaganda war has begun saying that 
`the US is not desperate for Turkey's support and it will be 
Turkey's loss to stay away from the war.'  . Thanks to the 
Turkish government's efforts, US tactics regarding imminent 
Turkish support failed so far.  There is still hope for a 
settlement without having a war.  Turkey can wait for a 
second UNSC resolution and can pursue diplomacy with 
Washington in the meantime.  There is no need to rush the 
authorization decree to the parliament." 
 
 
"Result will not be obtained in the short term" 
Osman Oralat wrote in economic/politics Dunya (2/24): "There 
are enough indications to believe that the driving force 
behind the US plan is about energy resources and oil fields. 
The US wants to ensure its hegemony over the resources as 
early as possible.  Therefore the Iraq operation is going to 
be the first of the many more to come.  Even if the Iraq 
operation is concluded in a short term, there will be new 
operations on the way." 
 
 
PEARSON