US embassy cable - 03ANKARA1809

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001809 
 
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 
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Baghdad's bombing dawn - Hurriyet 
Bush: Victory or Nothing - Hurriyet 
First missiles target Saddam, commanders - Hurriyet 
. and U.S. strikes - Milliyet 
First missiles to Baghdad, Basra at dawn - Milliyet 
Delta force in Baghdad - Milliyet 
Bush: Bring me [Saddam's] head - Sabah 
Bush penalizes AKP: No $ 6 billion - Sabah 
U.S. sends home Incirlik personnel families - Turkiye 
Iraqi minister: Death will welcome U.S., UK troops here - 
Turkiye 
U.S. won't give up Northern Front - Aksam 
U.S. increases psychological pressure: 2 million flyers for 
Iraqi troops - Vatan 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
U.S. troops enter Iraq, B-Plan up - Zaman 
300,000 U.S., UK troops besiege Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
New decree: No access to Incirlik AB - Cumhuriyet 
Bush, Blair, Aznar: Sunken sailors - Yeni Safak 
Saddam's time up - Radikal 
Kurds flee to Turkey, Turks flee to west - Radikal 
U.S.: No money for air corridor - Zaman 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Markets take war position - Dunya 
30,000 Northern Iraqis flee to Turkey, Iran - Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: Today's late edition papers report that senior Iraqi 
leadership - Saddam, his sons and four commanders were 
targeted by the operation launched at 04.33 a.m. local time. 
Downtown Baghdad was not targeted, papers report and quote 
President Bush as saying `We do not accept any outcome but 
victory.  Civilians will not be hurt.'  Al papers report 
that 150,000 U.S. and UK troops have entered the 
demilitarized zone on the Kuwaiti border before the 
ultimatum to Saddam expired, papers say.  President Bush has 
decided to launch the operation earlier after receiving from 
the Pentagon information that whereabouts of Saddam and his 
top aides had been located.  President Bush is concerned 
that the operation `might be tougher than estimated, and 
take longer,' reports say.  A limited number of cruise 
missiles were used to target the Iraqi leadership.  The 
Americans were careful to inflict minimum damage on Baghdad, 
papers quote international broadcasters' reporting. 
"Milliyet" reports that commanders of the U.S. troops 
deployed in Kuwait were keeping up the spirits of their 
soldiers by encouraging them to put up `a proud fight.' 
`Iraqis are a decent nation, respect them.  Don't question 
why you are here.  You'll be welcomed as `good boys' when 
you reach the North.  Do your job and go back home.  God is 
with you,' American commanders reportedly said. 
 
 
Mainstream papers criticize the AKP government's 
indecisiveness regarding the Iraq crisis which, they 
believe, has incurred significant political, economic and 
military risk for the country.  Turkey has failed to 
guarantee a chair for the Turkomen in the post-war Iraq 
administration, has been deprived of the right to a military 
presence in Northern Iraq, and has missed the chance of $26 
billion of U.S. aid, they stress.  Concerned about the 
looming war, Ankara was readying to give the nod to the U.S. 
However, President Bush rejected further Turkish demands and 
rejected Turkey's opening its soil for U.S. troops by saying 
it was `too late,' papers emphasize.  Erdogan has suffered a 
heavy defeat in his first test.  Papers say that the U.S. 
punished the AKP government.  "Hurriyet" says the U.S. and 
Turkey have agreed that Turkish troops will enter Northern 
Iraq to halt a possible wave of refugees, and that aircraft 
belonging to the U.S.-led coalition will be given overflight 
rights, but U.S. troops will not be stationed in Turkey. 
The paper slams the government for failing to reach a 
profitable agreement and then caving in to U.S. demands for 
overflight.  "Aksam" highlights remarks by U/S State 
Grossman saying that the U.S. could extend a compensation 
fee to Turkey if the GOT takes steps forward after the 
decree is approved.  Aksam draws attention to the 
considerable amount of Turkish land rented by Americans on 
the Iraqi border, and the ongoing military equipment 
transport to the border provinces. The paper sees this as 
indicative of long term U.S. plans regarding Iraq.  A 
government decree granting a six months access to Turkish 
airspace for the U.S.-led coalition aircraft is to be sent 
to the parliament on Wednesday.  The motion would authorize 
temporary Turkish military presence in Northern Iraq to 
control refugees and prevent activities of the separatist 
Kurdish group PKK/KADEK.  Once the air corridor is opened to 
coalition planes, ONW flights will be suspended, reports 
say. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: The War on Iraq 
 
 
"Possibility for change" 
Murat Yetkin lists the disadvantages due to Turkish 
government's belated act in liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(3/20): "The crisis management of the AKP government 
presented a failure.  It seems Ankara did not realize the 
change of tone in Washington.  While the AKP government 
engaged in bargaining plans for additional financial aid 
with Washington prior to the parliament's authorization, 
Secretary Powell, by asking only permission for the 
 
SIPDIS 
overflights, closed the door for economic aid.  . In sum, 
the government acted like an amateur player who shows the 
cards in his hand to the other side. . At this point, Turkey 
cannot afford to decline the US request for overflight 
because this will only pose a heavy blow on the Turkish- 
American ties for the last 50 years.  The current picture 
can be depicted as follows: 
- The US has given up the northern front option from Turkey. 
The ongoing site modernization might be used for possible 
humanitarian reasons or rescue operations. 
- There are conflicting statements about the Turkish 
presence in northern Iraq.  Turkish government sources say 
that in exchange for the overflight permission, Secretary 
Powell accepted in principle the Turkish military presence 
in northern Iraq.  However, the American sources say that 
Turkish incursion into northern Iraq should only be for the 
humanitarian purposes and carried away with non-combating 
troops.  It seems the basic worries earlier expressed by the 
Turkish Chief of General Staff General Staff General are 
happening. 
- The government says that the agreement for political and 
military cooperation with the US remains valid, but the 
recent agreement reached with the Iraqi opposition looks 
like something written on ice. 
- The government announced that Washington was going to make 
a statement for economic support, and it was in fact a three- 
paragraph statement issued by the US Embassy in Ankara. The 
US just repeated the stereotype rhetorical support for 
Turkey and that it would continue as long as the economic 
program is implemented. Hopes for up to $24 billion American 
loans for Turkey however faded away. . According to the 
Ankara observers, lots of things can change prior to the 
debate on allowing overflights and the vote in the 
parliament." 
 
 
"It is too late for Turkey" 
Yalcin Dogan notes that Turkey cannot be a part of the 
northern front even if it wants to be, in the mass appeal 
Hurriyet (3/20):  "Even if Turkey grants the necessary 
permission, the transfer of US troops from Turkey to 
northern Iraq will take at least two weeks.  Because of the 
lateness in the action, the US seems not consider such 
possibility as an option any more.  With the exception of 
overflight permission, the authorization for the deployment 
of troops or their transit movement from Turkish soil will 
not do any good to the US, militarily speaking.  Oddly 
enough, the AKP government is not aware of this fact, and 
still tries to bargain with the US. . As clearly seen at the 
ATC meetings, the Washington administration is being 
extremely distant to Ankara.  In fact, Washington is making 
fun of the AKP government.  The government might be faced 
with immediate consequences on April 24 ("Armenian Genocide" 
Day).  Let's not be surprised at all if the Congress 
suddenly decides to pass the Armenian resolution." 
PEARSON