US embassy cable - 03ANKARA2173

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002173 
 
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, APRIL 3, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Gul: Turkey in the coalition - Hurriyet 
Warm dialogue with U.S. - Vatan 
Logistical support without decree - Milliyet 
Powell: Turkey best model for Iraq - Milliyet 
High-level U.S. officials: Powell visit very productive - 
Hurriyet 
Turkey to provide humanitarian aid in N. Iraq - Turkiye 
Small anti-war groups protest Powell - Sabah 
Offensive on Baghdad in 48 hours - Hurriyet 
`Red Line' broken; Baghdad attack soon - Aksam 
30 km to Baghdad - Milliyet 
U.S. needs to find chemical weapons. fast! - Milliyet 
Civilian volunteers won't leave Baghdad - Turkiye 
U.S. stop peshmerges from revolting in Kirkuk - Aksam 
Saving Private Jessica - Vatan 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Powell got what he wanted - Cumhuriyet 
`Logistical peace' with U.S. - Radikal 
Powell leaves Ankara happy - Yeni Safak 
Powell didn't ask for the impossible; `decree' damage 
repaired - Zaman 
They're killing patients: Maternity hospital bombed - Yeni 
Safak 
U.S. not precise, hits hospital - Cumhuriyet 
American bombs don't recognize civilians - Cumhuriyet 
Losers in the war: Civilians - Radikal 
U.S. war methods worse than Halabja - Cumhuriyet 
CHP's Baykal: Let's not become part of Iraq error - Radikal 
U.S., UK tiff over post-war share - Cumhuriyet 
Tarik Aziz: Ending regime in Baghdad will hurt Ankara - 
Zaman 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Boycott on U.S., UK goods growing worldwide - Dunya 
Randy Cunningham (R) against aid for Turkey - Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: Mainstream papers agree that SecState Powell's visit 
made a positive contribution to normalization of ties with 
the U.S. after the decree crisis.  Most papers predicted 
that the Powell visit would be a "Kiss and Make Up" meeting 
after weeks of tension between the U.S. and Turkey over 
rejection by the parliament of the deployment of foreign 
troops on Turkish soil.  In a joint press conference 
Wednesday, Powell and Gul said Turkey would support search 
and rescue operations in Northern Iraq and facilitate 
transfer of humanitarian aid to the region.  Gul stressed 
that Turkey is part of the U.S.-led coalition, and that a 
new decree is not needed to meet U.S. requests.  Turkey will 
allow delivery of fuel and water for coalition forces 
through its border.  Secretary Powell has asked the Turks to 
ease measures on its border to facilitate trade among the 
Kurds, papers report.  Ankara rejected this idea, saying 
border trade money could go to terrorist groups.  Powell 
stressed that the U.S. wants to stabilize Northern Iraq, and 
that a Turkish intervention is not necessary.  The U.S. gave 
Ankara further assurances that troublesome scenarios would 
not take place in the region.  He vowed that the U.S. would 
ensure control of Mosul and Kirkuk, adding that regional oil 
revenues would go to all Iraqis, not just to the Kurds. 
Secretary Powell also declared that Turkey would be given a 
 
SIPDIS 
share in the reconstruction of post-war Iraq.  Gul 
reportedly outlined for Powell the negative impact of a war 
on Turkey's economy, and the Secretary promised that U.S. 
support for Turkey's relations with the IMF and WB would 
continue.  Commentaries regard the $1 billion grant and a 
share in Iraq's reconstruction as gains for Turkey.  Small 
anti-war groups of NGOs, unions, and students protested 
against the U.S. during Secretary Powell's meetings. 
Meanwhile, the TGS denied reports about 25 American trucks 
carrying arms and ammunition via Turkey's Habur gate to the 
Northern Iraqi town of Erbil, saying that the trucks took 
Hummer jeeps -- but no weapons -- to the region. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  War in Iraq / Powell visit 
 
 
"The Iraqi Ministers" 
Fatih Altayli notes the Iraqi propaganda war in mass appeal 
Hurriyet (4/3): "Iraqi ministers are becoming more popular 
every day with the help of their constant television 
appearances.  Always wearing their military uniforms, they 
are telling the world about Iraq's victory, and they have 
won the sympathy of the anti-war group.  Yet who are they 
actually?  A bunch of lunatics who normally should be tried 
at the International Tribunal of Human Rights had the US had 
not carried out an operation in Iraq.  A bunch of killers 
responsible for gassing thousands of Kurds.  A bunch of 
invaders responsible for occupying Kuwait. . Standing 
against the war is certainly the right thing.  However, it 
is appalling to see that those anti-war groups are looking 
for a victory on the criminals' side." 
 
 
"Repairing relations with the US" 
Murat Yetkin analyzed Secretary Powell's visit in liberal- 
intellectual Radikal (4/3): "It seems that Washington has 
realized that punishing Turkey -something the hawks have 
been insisting on --because of the decline of parliamentary 
motion is not a wise move regarding the future of Turkish- 
American bilateral relations.  Secretary Powell emphasized 
this by calling Turkey the `best model' for the future of 
Iraq and the only Muslim democracy.  Powell's visit 
underscored the intention by both Ankara and Washington to 
move forward together." 
 
 
"Powell and his `kiss-and-make-up' visit" 
Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in the sensational-mass appeal Posta 
(4/3): "The visit of Secretary of State Colin Powell to 
Ankara provided a basis for settling issues of concern to 
both sides.  Both Turkey and the United States have made 
clear that they understand their responsibility for mistakes 
or belated actions.  There was a happy ending in terms of 
the future of Turkish-American relations.  The Powell visit 
was very timely, and certainly prevented continued 
deterioration in bilateral relations.  . The positive 
atmosphere will overcome the negative developments in the 
past unless the bilateral understanding and agreements are 
violated, or unless something unexpected happens during the 
course of war." 
 
 
PEARSON