US embassy cable - 03ANKARA1359

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001359 
 
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, MARCH 3, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Powell eases Turks' concerns - Milliyet 
Erdogan: No damage in relations with U.S. - Milliyet 
U.S. is shocked - Milliyet 3/2 
Arinc target of AKP administration - Sabah 
AKP: No decree in foreseeable future - Hurriyet 
Disillusionment and hope in Washington - Hurriyet 3/2 
Arinc speaks like opposition member - Hurriyet 3/2 
Gul warns Saddam: Don't exploit the parliamentary refusal - 
Turkiye 
Europeans praise Turkish Parliament - Turkiye 3/2 
Powell: No break in our economic cooperation - Vatan 
Government seeks new guarantees before new decree - Aksam 
Annan: Lack of compromise would doom peace effort - Hurriyet 
3/1 
Annan is fed up: Accept plan, or I'll withdraw - Milliyet 
3/1 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Early crack in AKP - Cumhuriyet 
Parliamentary refusal a heavy blow to Bush - Cumhuriyet 
Peace wins - Cumhuriyet 3/2 
Erdogan, Gul at odds over decree - Cumhuriyet 3/1 
Democracy wins: Refusal upgrades Turkey's democracy - Yeni 
Safak 
Parliament says `Peace' - Yeni Safak 3/2 
World says `No' to war - Yeni Safak 3/1 
AKP shelves decree until after March 9 - Radikal 
NSC denied government support on decree - Radikal 3/1 
Tough week for markets - Zaman 
Wolfowitz admits U.S. did not meet past promises - Zaman 3/1 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Anatolian businessmen: Iraq war's yearly cost $15-20 billion 
- Dunya 
IMF holds $1.6 billion loan tranche until April - Finansal 
Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: The parliament has voted on Saturday to reject a 
government decree for deployment of foreign troops on 
Turkish soil.  Although 264 lawmakers voted for the bill and 
250 against, the motion was rejected for failing to secure 
an absolute majority of 267.  19 MPs abstained in the 
voting.  Dailies point to the fact that the number of 
deputies supporting the bill was below the required 
threshhold for a vote of confidence.  Prime Minister Gul 
said on Sunday that the government would respect the 
decision.  AKP officials view as unlikely the possibility 
that parliamentary will take up to the issue again this 
week.  Papers expect the AKP to wait for the by-election in 
Siirt on March 9 before a new decree is submitted. 
"Radikal" suggests that if the party opts to wait until 
Erdogan is Prime Minister and a new government is formed, 
disccussion of a new decree could slip to at least March 20. 
98 AKP deputies either voted against the bill or abstained, 
and the government is seeking to avoid further steps that 
could increase tension in the party ranks.  The Siirt 
elections will prove advantageous for AKP, according to 
reports, because for the government will win a new vote of 
confidence and gain time to see the attitude of the UNSC. 
PM Gul said on Sunday that the bill would not be taken to 
the parliament again unless Turkey is given guarantees 
regarding the rights of the Turkomen and the weapons to be 
given to the Kurds.  Monday's "Cumhuriyet" argues that the 
motion was rejected due to the rivalry between Erdogan and 
Gul, the negative stance of Speaker Arinc, and the NSC's 
failure to provide guidance regarding deployment of foreign 
troops at last week's meeting.  Some columnists see a kind 
of parallel between the attitudes of Arinc and Gul.  They 
blame the U.S. for refusing to concede in political and 
economic negotiations, and for alienating Turkey from 
debates regarding the future of Iraq.  They also note the 
fallacy of Erdogan's assumption that he was in firm control 
of the AKP parliamentary group, and his underestimation of 
Speaker Arinc's influence in the party.  Comments stress 
that the U.S. will not easily forget Turkey's refusal, and 
many expect a gradual decline in Washington's support: The 
Congress might shift to a hard-line position against Ankara, 
and it will be tougher to stop initiatives like the Armenian 
genocide issue.  The refusal of the motion has stripped the 
Turkish military of a legal framework for an incursion into 
northern Iraq, and Turkey is afraid that the U.S. will now 
seek closer cooperation with the Kurds.  Observers claim 
that TGS Chief General Ozkok and Prime Minister Gul explored 
the possibility of an extraordinary NSC meeting this month 
during Ozkok's call on Gul on Sunday.  Monday's papers 
report Secretary Powell as saying that the U.S. will 
continue its economic support for Turkey, as well as 
consultations between the two countries about the future of 
Iraq.  "Milliyet" says Powell's statement has eased concerns 
in Turkey.  AKP leader Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that 
his government is reviewing its options to allow U.S. troops 
into the country, but did not rule out a second attempt to 
win permission.  Erdogan said Turkey's relationship with the 
U.S. is strong enough to ride out the problem.  Erdogan also 
appealed to financial markets for calm on Monday.  Prime 
Minister Gul said on Sunday that parliamentary refusal to 
allow U.S. troops in Turkey would not damage friendly 
relations with the U.S.  Gul also warned Iraq not to exploit 
the Turkish parliamentary decision as encouragement to delay 
cooperation with UN arms inspections. 
Cyprus: Weekend papers report that UN Secretary General 
Annan will meet with Cypriot leaders Denktas and 
Papadopoulos at the Hague on March 10 to get their final say 
about taking the third UN plan to a referendum on March 30. 
If his proposal is rejected, Annan threatened to withdraw 
from the Cyprus negotiations.  Although Annan said he has 
received positive signals for a referendum from Athens and 
Ankara, Denktas and Papadopoulos indicated they would go to 
The Hague but would not accept the proposal.  Annan's 
revised Cyprus plan, which envisions two founding states on 
Cyprus, is regarded by the mainstream media a significant 
step forward in favor of the Turks. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq/Turkish parliament's decision 
 
 
"The voting at the parliament" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in mass appeal-conservative Turkiye 
(3/3): "The parliamentary vote is a reflection of the 
national will, but we should not refrain from interpreting 
the decision. . It is possible to sum up the criticism of 
the parliament's decision as follows: The decision does not 
reflect Turkey's future interests, nor does it shape a 
perspective based on Turkey's future security requirements. 
The government failed to enlighten the parliamentarians 
about the facts.  The Speaker of the Parliament acted as if 
he were the opposition leader.  The president made certain 
discouraging remarks, and the National Security Council did 
not take an active position on a very crucial matter. . We 
were all caught very unprepared.  This decision will 
certainly have an impact domestically as well as 
internationally." 
 
 
"The decree crisis" 
Hasan Unal advised in Islamic-intellectual Zaman (3/3): "The 
parliament's decision deserves respect, but it is not exempt 
from criticism.  Unfortunately, the AKP party board handled 
the issue badly, and failed to control its own members after 
carrying out an intense negotiation process with the US. 
The parliamentarians should think of the issue in a very 
broad perspective.  Their action will not be enough to stop 
the war, and if Turkey stays uninvolved in an inevitable 
war, it is to our harm.  Foreign policy should not be 
formulated by ideological considerations, or by looking at 
reaction in the streets." 
 
 
"Turkey's decision" 
Fehmi Koru argued in Islamic-intellectual Yeni Safak (3/3): 
"The Turkish parliament was asked for permission for the 
deployment of foreign troops, while the people of Turkey 
stand against the war by almost one hundred percent.  What 
is peculiar is not that the permission failed, but the fact 
that the request was brought before parliament in the first 
place. . Turkey's decision enhances the values of democracy 
and boosts hope for a settlement without war.  Let's hope 
that now the US begins to think with common sense, and acts 
under the principles of international values, human rights, 
and the supremacy of law." 
 
 
PEARSON