US embassy cable - 03ANKARA2303

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002303 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
U.S. Senate's `decree' revenge - Milliyet 
U.S. Senate: No money if you enter N. Iraq - Hurriyet 
Press is new U.S. target - Turkiye 
Baghdad war witnesses targeted - Vatan 
Black day for press - Vatan 
Two journalists killed, media mourns - Sabah 
Friendly fire on media in Baghdad - Hurriyet 
Crying broadcast from death hotel - Aksam 
Bush, Blair agree on `new Iraq' - Turkiye 
Secretary Hoon: Iraqis right to loot palaces in Basra - 
 
SIPDIS 
Sabah 
U.S. obsessed with regime in Syria - Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Baghdad siege complete - Radikal 
Civilians victimized, not Saddam - Radikal 
Civilians are massacred in the hunt for Saddam - Cumhuriyet 
Baghdad in shock, horror - Zaman 
They shoot journalists - Yeni Safak 
FIJ: Attack on press a war crime - Yeni Safak 
Bloody censure on press - Cumhuriyet 
U.S. tanks hit media - Zaman 
Bush's new target after Iraq, Palestine - Cumhuriyet 
Invasion government: Gen. Franks to administer Baghdad - 
Yeni Safak 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Annual industrial output up by 4.4 percent - Dunya 
Journalists killed; U.S. doesn't want witnesses - Finansal 
Forum 
 
 
BRIEFING 
Iraq: Dailies report that the U.S. Congress included a 
clause in its supplemental war budget that would block 
disbursement of $1 billion in cash, or $8.5 billion in loan 
guarantees, if Turkey enters Northern Iraq unilaterally. 
The clause stresses that the aid might also be cut if Turkey 
abandons implementation of economic reforms.  Commentaries 
view the clause as a kind of punishment for Turkey for 
refusing full cooperation with the U.S. in the war with 
Iraq.  Papers give extensive front-page coverage to the 
journalists killed by U.S. tank fire in Baghdad on Tuesday, 
describing the  attack as a `bloody warning' to the press. 
An Al-Jazeera manager said to "Zaman": `Whether intentional 
or not, coalition forces have begun targeting press members. 
You can imagine the threat Iraqi civilians are living 
under.'  Meanwhile, three Iraqi Embassy diplomats who were 
declared persona non grata left Turkey on Tuesday. 
Commenting on his visit to Damascus on Sunday, Foreign 
Minister Gul said that beside Iran and Syria, Ankara intends 
to hold consultations with Israel as well.  The Israeli 
foreign minister will pay a visit to Ankara next week to 
discuss the war and economic relations with Turkey. 
Opposition CHP leader Baykal criticized the government for 
seeking a rapprochement with Iran and Syria, and added that 
such moves blocked possible cooperation with the U.S.  MFA 
diplomats feel uneasy about the cancellation of Khalilzad's 
scheduled visit to Ankara this week, Baykal said.  Pointing 
to developments in Northern Iraq, Baykal claimed that the 
U.S. has not fulfilled pledges made by Secretary Powell 
during his visit to Ankara last week to prevent Kurdish 
groups from entering Mosul and Kerkuk.  Meanwhile, survivors 
of a massive 1999 earthquake in Izmit province lined up to 
donate blood to Iraqis wounded in the war, pointing out that 
Saddam Hussein donated $10 million worth of fuel after the 
quake.  The fuel was used to build homes for earthquake 
victims.  Turkey's Red Crescent (Kizilay) announced on 
Tuesday that it would send water, food, and medicine to 
Northern Iraq and Basra.  The Red Crescent said all expenses 
would be met by the International Red Cross, papers report. 
U.S., the Red Cross, and Red Crescent representatives held a 
meeting at the MFA on Tuesday, and will soon sign a protocol 
on humanitarian aid activities in the war zone.  On the 
other hand, all Iraqi opposition groups will reportedly meet 
in Nasirija in southern Iraq on Saturday. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Restructuring Iraq 
 
 
"Military victory and political defeat" 
Hasan Cemal commented in mass appeal Milliyet (4/9): "It is 
true that making peace can sometimes be harder than making 
war.  There seems to be a difference of opinion between the 
US and the UK regarding the possible role for the UN to play 
in post-war Iraq.  On the other hand, Washington is also the 
scene of a tiff between the Pentagon and the State 
Department on the future of Iraq. . All of this clearly 
indicates some different tendencies and approaches about how 
to establish security and stability in Iraq.  We should not 
ignore the legitimacy issue either.  The new Iraqi 
administration will emerge from an occupation, and it 
remains to be seen to what extent it will gain legitimacy in 
the Arab world and the larger international community. . The 
end of Saddam is clear and definite, but Iraq in the post- 
Saddam era has uncertainties.  Let's hope that we do not see 
chaos in Iraq, but rather a speedy normalization process in 
the near future." 
 
 
"End of military war, and the beginning of political war" 
Murat Yetkin opined in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(4/9): "The only way to achieve political victory in Iraq is 
to establish an administration with the support of the 
people instead of one imposed by foreign military powers. 
Yet there is no indication that the former will happen 
instead of the latter.  It is irrational to believe that a 
former US army general or a former ambassador will be able 
to establish a new administration in Iraq with popular 
support.  It is also risky to appoint a local figure to head 
an American-led administration.  There are names circulating 
for the new administration, such as Ahmad Chalabi or Bahram 
Salih, which are seen by the majority of Iraqis as either 
`crooks' or `traitors.'  .If Washington wants to turn its 
military victory into a political triumph, it must create a 
synergy with the UN system as well as regional countries and 
the genuine representatives of Iraqi people." 
 
 
PEARSON