US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4190

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004190 
 
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, JULY 2, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
U.S. praises General Ozkok - Milliyet 
Iran key country in U.S.-Turkey relations - Milliyet 
Bush: Who is supposed to find WMD? - Sabah 
Parliament sends Armenian genocide letter to Congress - 
Hurriyet 
Government will send EU package to Sezer unchanged - Turkiye 
Israel plans total withdrawal from Palestine - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
U.S. concerned that Iraqi resistance might turn into freedom 
fight - Yeni Safak 
Americans fear `Vietnam syndrome' in Iraq - Radikal 
Invaders' casualties increasing in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Pentagon used 5,842 as guinea pigs between 1962-1973 - Yeni 
Safak 
Pentagon tested chemicals on 6,000 Americans - Zaman 
Sharon, Abbas put up show of compromise - Radikal 
Gul expects full EU membership in 2010 - Zaman 
Afghan people want Taliban - Yeni Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Washington praises Gen. Ozkok: The Washington Administration 
has sent a letter to Chief of Staff General Ozkok, lauding 
the strong leadership displayed by the top commander of 
Turkey's military, "Milliyet" reports.  Milliyet regards the 
letter as a `correction' to the controversial remarks by 
Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz, who  blamed the Turkish 
military for failing to demonstrate strong leadership during 
the Iraqi campaign. 
 
 
Government prepares new EU reform package: The AKP 
government is busy drafting a 7th package of EU 
harmonization laws, and has asked for advice from the 
military about changes to the structure of the National 
Security Council (NSC).  The government wants to change the 
NSC regulation to enable the political leadership to appoint 
a civilian to the post of NSC secretary general. 
 
 
Survey: Civilians more liberal than officials: "Radikal" 
gives details of a survey carried out by academics on 3,060 
civilians and some members of Turkey's judiciary in 15 
Turkish provinces.  73 percent of Turks believe that 
violations of human rights are widepsread in Turkey, while 
only 48 percent of the judiciary agree.  89 percent of 
civilians and 73 percent of judiciary members think that 
freedom of expression should not be restricted.  54 percent 
of Turks and 62 percent of the judiciary are against 
education in Kurdish.  74 percent of civilians and 73 
percent of judiciary members support Turkey's EU membership. 
Radikal comments that the survey results demonstrate that 
the judiciary is `lagging behind' the Turkish public with 
regard to human rights and EU issues. 
 
 
Lawmakers send `Genocide' letter to U.S. Congress: Ruling 
AKP and opposition CHP parliamentarians have sent a letter 
to U.S. Congressmen expressing `deep concern' about a 
possible U.S. endorsement of Armenian `genocide' claims, 
which lack historical support, "Hurriyet" reports. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: IRAQ 
 
 
"Problems for the U.S" 
Taha Akyol opined in mass appeal Milliyet (7/2): 
"Other than the Kurds, no one seems to be happy with the 
Americans in Iraq.  It is obvious that an anti-American 
regime will be established immediately when the US turns 
over the administration to the true representatives elected 
by the Iraqi people.  Was this the reason George Bush went 
to war?!  The reaction of the masses increases in Iraq as 
the US extends its stay in its attempt to establish 
stability.  Unfortunately, the US did not fully understand 
the 1,400-year tradition of Shiite opposition, and could not 
foresee the reaction of the Iraqi people.  The US had 
wrongly expected to be welcomed with flowers!  The US, 
recalling the countless Shiite rebellions against Saddam, US 
believed the Shiites would support the occupation.The fact 
that the US has asked for troops from Turkey and Pakistan 
for Iraq does not mean that the US will be met with flowers 
by those two countries either.  Of course, our relations 
with the US are highly important, and we cannot ignore Iraq. 
However, Turkey should avoid the being part of a `police 
force' against Iraq, and should try to convince the US to 
shape developments for Iraq's benefit." 
 
 
"Now it is understood who needs whom" 
Semih Idiz comments in mass appeal Aksam (7/2): 
"If Joseph Biden, the well know Democrat from Delaware, is 
talking about Turkey, you can believe me that there is no 
good that can come from that!  Biden is also a respected 
member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee and, until 
a short time ago, he never missed the chance to embrace an 
anti-Turkish cause.  After visiting the region with a group 
of congressmen, Biden suggested that some countries, 
including Turkey, should assume greater responsibilities in 
Iraq.  Moreover, he called for Turkish troops to `guard the 
street corners' in Baghdad!  Obviously, this is related to 
the swamp the US is sinking into in Iraq.  Let me phrase 
this differently: the US  has begun to understand that not 
only France and Germany, but also Turkey, should play a role 
in Iraq.What should Turkey do in this situation?  In my 
opinion, the worst thing for us would be to jump into the 
middle of this fire in order to make up with the US.  We 
have to evaluate the issue in its real dimensions, meaning 
that we should not `pick the US chestnuts out of the 
fire.'.If the US fully realizes the Iraqi reality and 
decides to pass this operation to the UN, then we should 
consider a serious role.  Otherwise, there is no point in 
throwing our own troops into unknown dangers just to save 
the Americans.  Before the war, I consistently told the 
Americans: `Obviously you will win this war. That is 
definite. But have you ever thought about the aftermath?!' 
Obviously, they did not." 
 
 
PEARSON