US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4593

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004593 
 
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 
TUESDAY, JULY 22, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Wolfowitz warns Iraq's neighbors not to intervene - 
Hurriyet 
Iraqi peacekeeping tough mission for Turkey - Turkiye 
AKP discusses new decree for troop deployment - 
Hurriyet 
Erdogan: U.S. wants Turkish troops for Iraq - Sabah 
Talabani objects to Turkish troops in N. Iraq - Aksam 
John Wolf to replace Bremer - Aksam 
Gul: Northern Iraqis our relatives - Milliyet 
Bush threatens Iran, Syria - Turkiye 
Turkey to train Afghan army - Aksam 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Half of Americans doubt Bush's leadership skills - Yeni 
Safak 
Bush, Berlusconi meet in Texas - Cumhuriyet 
Islamists attack U.S. troops in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Amnesty International criticizes U.S. for mistreatment 
of Iraqis - Radikal 
Blair is cornered - Yeni Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Turkish troops for Iraqi peacekeeping: Dailies report 
that the issue of Turkey's contribution to the Iraqi 
peacekeeping mission will be clarified during Foreign 
Minister Gul's visit to the U.S.  12,000 troops will be 
deployed in central parts of Iraq, including Baghdad 
and Tikrit, according to "Milliyet."  Turkish forces in 
Northern Iraq will maintain their positions.  The 
Turkish troops will stay in Iraq for at least three 
years.  Ankara wanted to send troops to Northern Iraq, 
but the U.S. prefers for the Turks to be in the most 
troubled Iraqi cities.  PUK leader Talabani said on 
Monday that the Turks have attempted to remove the 
federal administration and the Kurdish parliament in 
Northern Iraq, and he voiced strong objection to a 
Turkish military presence in the north.  Ruling AKP 
deputies, disturbed by the Suleymaniye arrests, are 
reluctant to send soldiers to Iraq.  Some AKP lawmakers 
told the press that the parliament would be unwilling 
to approve a motion to that end.  "Hurriyet" thinks 
that because of the opposition by a large number of AKP 
deputies, the government is planning to use the March 
20 motion endorsed by the parliament to send soldiers 
to Iraq. 
 
 
FM Gul to U.S.: Turkey's contribution to Iraqi 
peacekeeping, unofficially discussed in Ankara through 
military channels last week, will be the top issue 
during Foreign Minister Gul's calls in Washington this 
week.  Gul and Secretary Powell are expected to 
announce political aspects of U.S.-Turkish cooperation 
after a meeting on July 24.  Cyprus, the Arab-Israeli 
conflict, and the struggle against terrorism will be 
other issues of discussion during the Gul visit. 
"Sabah" expects Gul to offer a helping hand to U.S. 
efforts to ensure stability in Iraq in exchange for a 
continuation of Turkey's military presence in Northern 
Iraq. 
Ankara did not respond to $1 billion grant offer: U.S. 
Ambassador to Ankara W. Robert Pearson said on Monday 
that Ankara has not yet responded to the U.S offer of 
$1 billion in grants to compensate Turkey's losses for 
the Iraqi campaign.  Pearson told "Hurriyet" that 
Washington had presented to Ankara a draft agreement 
about the aid last month. 
 
 
Gallup shows decline in support for U.S.: "Vatan" 
carries a Gallup survey conducted between April 16 and 
May 8 in 45 countries.  64 percent of Turks disapprove 
of the Iraq war.  75 percent regard the U.S. as an 
aggressor and a threat for the world.  Only 13 percent 
of Turks see the U.S. as a friend. 
 
 
Syrian PM due in Ankara: Papers report that Syrian 
Prime Minister Mustafa Miro will be in Ankara next 
week, the first official visit between the two 
countries in 17 years.  Miro will discuss with Turkish 
leaders issues including Iraq, the struggle against 
terrorism, economic cooperation, and border security. 
Miro's meetings might pave the way for a visit by the 
Syrian head of state, Bashar Assad, this fall. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq/WMD controversy 
 
 
"Turkish troops to Iraq" 
Fehmi Koru argued in the Islamist-intellectual (7/22): 
"Sending Turkish troops to Iraq has once again been 
brought onto the agenda; this is like the resurrection 
of a big mistake.  The US is trying to share with 
others the responsibility of being an occupying force 
in Iraq.  India and France have already said `no' to 
Washington, and there is no reason for Turkey to act 
differently.  It seems that the US has realized the 
emerging impasse with respect to its position in Iraq, 
and there is no need to make it more complicated.  The 
best thing is to arrange a calendar to schedule the 
departure of the occupation forces from Iraq, and hand 
over the responsibility to the UN.  It is certain that 
the Iraqis would treat a UN peacekeeping force better 
than they do the Americans.  At that stage, Turkey 
could join a UN peacekeeping force and also contribute 
to Iraq's political restructuring.  Otherwise, dragging 
Turkey into the a military swamp is not going to serve 
US interests, either." 
 
 
"The death of Dr. Kelly" 
Turgut Tarhanli wrote in the liberal-intellectual 
Radikal (7/22): "If the David Kelly case turns out to 
be a suicide, an explanation from the Blair 
Government's is in the interest not only of the UK, but 
the whole world. . The Kelly event and the emerging 
facts about the distortion of intelligence on Iraq's 
weapons of mass destruction clearly indicate an 
aggressive foreign policy on the part of the US and the 
UK.  The US remains in confusion over the intelligence 
reports about alleged WMD, and the controversy 
continues on the political level.  The issue has now 
reached a new level in the UK with the tragic death of 
Dr. Kelly." 
PEARSON