US embassy cable - 03ANKARA3934

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003934 
 
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, JUNE 18, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
 
HEADLINES: 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Iranian demonstrations spread to Europe - Turkiye 
Women lawyers protest regime in Iran - Hurriyet 
MFA assures Turkey will side with U.S. against Iran - 
Hurriyet 
MFA warns, TGS suspends Iranian commander's visit - Milliyet 
French police strike blow against Iranian opposition 
movement - Milliyet 
74 percent of Iranians want more dialogue with U.S. - Sabah 
Ziyal offers new function for Incirlik AB - Milliyet 
Galbraith: Kurdistan, in 2013 - Hurriyet 
Americans getting tougher against Iraq - Turkiye 
Verheugen urges Denktas to seize EU chance - Aksam 
Simitis: Turkey's made considerable progress toward EU - 
Vatan 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Fire spreading in Iran - Cumhuriyet 
FT: EU, Russia join U.S. against Iran - Yeni Safak 
France deals heavy blow to Iranian `Mujahedeen' - Zaman 
Perle: Support U.S. for regime change in Iran - Radikal 
U.S. State Dept: Turkey our strategic partner - Cumhuriyet 
Washington confirms strategic partnership with Turkey - 
Zaman 
Galbraith: Kurds will part with Iraq someday - Radikal 
 
 
BRIEFING: 
 
 
MFA delegation in U.S.: According to a package presented to 
the U.S. by MFA U/S Ugur Ziyal, Turkey is willing to take 
part in various sectors of Iraqi reconstruction.  Ankara is 
ready to supply medical equipment, reconstruct the Iraqi 
telecommunications system, and reform the banking sector. 
Amb. Ziyal has told the U.S. that Turkey is ready to spend 
part of the U.S.-provided $8.5 billion loan for the 
restructuring of Iraq.  Turkey has also voiced its readiness 
to contribute to the international peacekeeping force in 
Iraq.  The package also envisages that Incirlik airbase 
could be turned into a logistical support center for Iraq. 
Dailies believe that Ziyal has assured the U.S. of Turkey's 
backing for the U.S. position against Iran. 
 
 
MFA persuades TGS against Iranian army chief visit: A TGS 
attempt to invite Iran's commander of regular troops to 
Turkey was halted by the MFA, which told the military that 
the U.S. might be offended by military exchanges between 
Ankara and Tehran, according to "Milliyet."  The paper 
quotes unidentified sources as saying that the Turkish 
military would have triggered a controversy by hosting 
Iranian commanders at a critical time when allegations are 
being made by the U.S. and EU against Iran for developing 
nuclear weapons.  Following the warning, the TGS has decided 
to postpone meetings with Iranian army officials.  The paper 
regards the attempt as a response by the TGS to Wolfowitz 
and other American `hawks' who blame the military in Turkey 
for rejection of the March 1 decree that would have allowed 
foreign troops to be deployed on Turkish soil against Iraq. 
 
 
Cyprus: U.S. Special Cyprus Coordinator Thomas Weston said 
after meeting with the Turkish and Greek leaders on the 
island earlier this week that the Greeks were ready to 
negotiate the Annan plan while Denktas maintains his rigid 
stance.  Weston stressed that a settlement is expected 
before the Greek Cypriots' EU membership begins in 2004.  EU 
expansion chief Verheugen said on Tuesday that Ankara and 
Denktas should grab the opportunity provided by the Annan 
plan since, he noted, the Greek side would definitely join 
the EU next year. 
 
 
Galbraith suggests `loose federation' for Iraq: The former 
U.S. envoy to post-war Croatia, Peter Galbraith, told the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee that a loose federation 
based on the Canadian or Bosnian model is most appropriate 
for Iraq.  Kurds have been the most reliable regional ally 
for the U.S., Galbraith noted, adding that the U.S. should 
not worry much about a possible `peaceful divorce' between 
the Kurds and Iraq in ten years time. 
 
 
President approves critical UN accords: President Sezer has 
approved two UN agreements on civil, political, economic and 
cultural rights in advance of the EU summit in Thessaloniki 
this weekend.  The agreements, signed byTurkey in August 
2000, include the right of minorities to `self- 
determination' use of their mother tongue. 
 
 
EU wants election threshold lowered: "Hurriyet" claims that 
the EU has asked   Ankara, through various channels, to 
lower the 10 percent threshold applied in general elections 
in Turkey.  The EU believes that the election threshold was 
mainly implemented to keep pro-Kurdish DEHAP from winning 
parliamentary seats.  "Hurriyet" expects the new EU demand 
to put considerable pressure on the AKP, which might lose 
its comfortable majority in parliament by such a move. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iran 
 
 
"The truth about Iran" 
Cengiz Candar opined in the conservative DB Tercuman (6/18): 
"Arguing about whether or not `it's now Iran's turn' only 
serves the interests of conspiracy-theorists.  The fact of 
the matter is that the US wants to see a regime change in 
Iran as quickly as possible, and will intensify its efforts 
toward this goal.  However, this goal is not leading to a 
military operation.  There is no need for that.  It seems 
that the internal dynamics of Iran are strong and vivid 
enough to make this change without the need for external 
intervention. . The truth about Iran stands as an historic 
proof of the collapse of political Islam." 
 
 
"Iranians are just fed up" 
Zafer Atay observed in the economic-political Dunya (6/18): 
"The street protests in Iran, although minor in number, are 
very much typical of totalitarian regimes, such as the 
former Ceauscescu regime in Bucharest. . The US is doing its 
best to use Iranian anti-regime leaders.  However, the real 
energy stems from the people of Iran, who are fed up with 
the current system. . The US will not start a military 
operation at this stage against Iran as long as Iran does 
its homework.  The initial signs, however, are not 
promising.  Iran has declined to accept a team of inspectors 
from the IAEA. . Washington has already declared to the 
world that Iran has a `secret' nuclear weapons program. 
More importantly, the EU is on the US side this time.  It 
remains to be seen whether the Mullahs will take the proper 
lesson from this though, judging from past experience, it 
seems unlikely." 
 
 
PEARSON