US embassy cable - 03ANKARA3858

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003858 
 
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 
FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
----------------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
U.S. to inspect ports worlwide - Sabah 
U.S. inspectors for Turkish harbors - Hurriyet 
Powell: Turkey's future bright - Milliyet 
Powell: U.S. supports Turkey's future in EU - Turkiye 
Turkey could not prevent human trafficking - Sabah 
U.S. human trafficking report like a threat - Aksam 
Iranian fundamentalists on `student hunt' - Sabah 
U.S. wants to move NATO HQ to Warsaw - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
U.S. troops hunt for Iraqi guerrillas - Radikal 
U.S. troops fire at people in Mosul - Yeni Safak 
Rumsfeld, the "angry hawk," threatens to move NATO HQ from 
Brussels - Zaman 
Israel to continue assassinations to crush Hamas - Zaman 
Israel declares full-scale war on Palestinian groups - Yeni 
Safak 
End nearing for Road Map - Radikal 
Electric shock for the Uzan family - Radikal 
Turkey in worst category in Human Trafficking Report - 
Cumhuriyet 
Tehran shaken by protests - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Japan Tobacco Int. to bid for Turkey's tobacco monopoly - 
Dunya 
Government seizes Uzans' privileges - Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Human trafficking report: The annual U.S. report on human 
trafficking has placed Turkey in `Tier Three,' the lowest 
category, blaming the GOT for lacking the minimum 
requirements for fighting human smuggling and sexual 
slavery.  If Ankara does not move to solve the problem 
before October, economic sanctions might be imposed on 
Turkey.  Dailies regard the issue as a new source of tension 
between the U.S. and Turkey, and since sanctions would also 
apply to IMF and WB credits and U.S. military loans, some 
even see the report as a new U.S. attempt to punish Turkey. 
 
 
U.S. Consulate Istanbul moves to new building: The new U.S. 
Consulate General building in Istanbul was opened in a 
ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by a large number of 
guests.  Secretary Powell said in his message for the 
opening that despite some difficulties, Americans and Turks 
have turned to the future.  Powell expressed support for 
Turkey's EU drive in his message. 
 
 
U.S. `inspectors' to Turkish ports: Dailies write that the 
U.S. Administration is planning to send inspectors to the 
ports of a number of Muslim countries, including Turkey, to 
detect chemical, biological or nuclear material.  Inspectors 
will use radiation detectors and x-ray imaging equipment to 
search high-risk cargo at the ports before they are sent to 
the U.S. 
 
 
NATO moves air operation center to Izmir: Despite objections 
by Greece, NATO has decided to establish its air operation 
command center in Izmir.  The command will oversee NATO's 
southern air defense.  NATO is also planning to establish 
three new training centers in Konya and Ankara by 2004. 
Reports note that the move came at a time when the U.S. is 
planning to close Incirlik air base. 
Government seizes Uzan Group's energy plants: The Energy 
Ministry has annulled contracts with the Uzan Group's 
electricity companies and seized the plants owned by the 
group for `ongoing violation of contract provisions.'  The 
government took over ten dams and power plants run by the 
Uzan family.  Reports note that the Uzans have lost two of 
their most profitable businesses, and expect similar trouble 
in the sale of state-owned petrochemical giant Petkim, for 
which the Uzan family entered the highest bid in a 
privatization tender last Friday. 
 
 
Azerbaijan uneasy about Ankara's meeting with Armenians: 
Azerbaijan is upset about reports of secret meetings between 
Turkish diplomats and Yerevan and the Armenian diaspora in 
the U.S., according to "Hurriyet."  The Azerbaijani 
Ambassador to Ankara blamed the Armenian lobby for pursuing 
the dream of a `Greater Armenia,' and stressed that mistakes 
by Ankara could hurt Turkey's positive image in Azerbaijan. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
a) Middle East 
b) Annual Trafficking in Persons Report 
 
 
"The Roadmap Shatters" 
Ali Sirmen observed in social democrat-intellectual 
Cumhuriyet (6/13): "Only a week later, the roadmap has been 
completely shattered.  It comes as no surprise, since the 
roadmap itself was doomed to fail because of fundamental 
uncertainties on both sides.  President Bush's priority in 
the Middle East is the fight against terrorism, yet he 
ignores the fact that Israel's occupation itself is a kind 
of terror.  The roadmap also fails to comprehend the fact 
that Abbas is totally incapable of taking action against 
Hammas unless Israel takes some serious steps first.  . 
Sharon's power stems from his acts of retaliation, which 
only serve the cause of war, not peace.  Sharon's policy is 
making Hammas even stronger than before. . It remains a far- 
fetched idea to produce peace in the Middle East, as the 
implementation of the roadmap and the foundation of a 
Palestinian state by 2005 seem very unlikely." 
 
 
"US threatens Turkey with economic sanctions" 
Zeynep Gurcanli evaluated the Annual Trafficking in Persons 
Report in the tabloid Star (6/13): "Quite unexpectedly, 
Turkey is facing another critical development in its 
relations with the US.  The US is on the verge of imposing 
economic sanctions against Turkey, and it has nothing to do 
with the rejection of the troop deployment decree by the 
Turkish parliament during the Iraq crisis. . According to US 
law, unless Turkey takes some concrete steps to counter 
human trafficking within 90 days, sanctions will be 
implemented automatically. . If Ankara does not take the 
proper steps in a timely fashion, there is one more way for 
salvation: President Bush could intervene to stop the 
sanctions being imposed.  This would have to be justified on 
the grounds of US national interests.  On this issue, the 
`decree crisis' could come back to the agenda whether we 
like it or not.  President Bush is in a mood to `punish' or 
at least `pressure' Turkey because of the failure on troop 
deployments.  In the current atmosphere, it seems very 
unlikely that he would to stop the sanctions from being 
implemented." 
 
 
PEARSON