US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4701

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004701 
 
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 
THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Bush: Saddam regime has collapsed - Aksam 
Bush: Those murderers were enemies of the Iraqi people 
- Sabah 
Talabani informed on Uday, Kusay - Turkiye 
Mosul center of Iraqi resistance - Hurriyet 
Bremer cold to UN umbrella for Iraqi peacekeeping - 
Milliyet 
Pakistan asks Turkey before sending troops to Iraq - 
Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Powell says U.S. ties with Turkey strong - Yeni Safak 
Iraqis vow to avenge killing of Saddam's sons - 
Cumhuriyet 
Mahmud Osman: PKK not a terror organization - Yeni 
Safak 
Turkomen to rally in Baghdad - Zaman 
Amnesty International blames U.S. for torturing Iraqis 
- Cumhuriyet 
AI: U.S. a torturer - Radikal 
`Hi' magazine targets Arab youth - Radikal 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
FM Gul in the U.S.: Foreign Minister Gul will meet with 
Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Powell, and 
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld in Washington on 
 
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Thursday.  Dailies expect Gul to make clear that Turkey 
does not want to act as a gendarme force in Iraq, and 
does not want to come into conflict with the local 
people.  Gul will also say that Ankara will consult 
with the EU and Islamic countries before deploying its 
troops to Iraq. 
 
 
Turkish troops for Iraq peacekeeping: President Sezer 
said on Wednesday that Turkey should deploy troops in 
Iraq only in the event of a UN resolution, and that a 
new motion must be approved by the parliament in order 
for Turkey to contribute to the peacekeeping force. 
Foreign Minister Gul is expected to tell Washington 
about Ankara's preference for a UN or NATO umbrella for 
Iraqi peacekeeping. 
 
 
Turkey, Greece sign cooperation agreements: NATO 
Secretary-General Robertson said on Wednesday that 
 
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Turkey and Greece had signed two new confidence- 
building agreements regarding the exchange of military 
personnel.  The agreements will help to reduce tensions 
caused by Greek complaints against Turkey at EU and 
NATO platforms last month. 
 
 
Cabinet approves EU reforms package: The Council of 
Ministers approved a 7th package of EU harmonization 
laws on Wednesday and submitted it to the parliament 
for approval.  The package limits the authority of the 
National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General, and 
envisages that a civilian will be assigned to that 
post.  Based on objections by the TGS, however, the 
principle of secrecy in the oversight of defense 
spending will be preserved. 
 
 
Parliament rejects amnesty bill: The ruling AKP failed 
to pass a controversial amnesty bill for members of 
terrorist organizations.  About 60 AKP lawmakers voted 
against or abstained from the motion that would have 
brought reductions in criminal penalties for defectors 
from terror organizations.  The rejection has forced 
the AKP to pull back the draft for further review in 
committee. 
 
 
Former ministers charged with corruption: A 
parliamentary commission investigating corruption has 
opened the way for legal probes into two former prime 
ministers, DSP leader Bulent Ecevit and ANAP leader 
Mesut Yilmaz, and 23 other former ministers.  Yilmaz 
and Ecevit could face between six and ten years in 
prison for irregularities in state-owned banks and 
facilities.  Papers criticize the fact that some AKP 
cabinet members, like the ministers of transportation 
and finance, are immune to corruption charges against 
them, while former ministers will be investigated. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Saddam's sons dead/Iraqi 
stabilization 
 
 
"Two sides of the truth" 
Sami Kohen wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (7/24): "The 
deaths of Saddam Hussein's sons represent the 
elimination of one more reminder of Saddam's regime. 
The operation was not only a military success, but also 
boosted morale for the US following the increase in 
attacks against American soldiers in Iraq.  . On the 
other hand, continued resistance from the Iraq people, 
whether motivated by ideology or economics, is a bad 
sign for the US in Iraq.  The Bush administration has 
so far pursued a unilateral, even arrogant policy.  Yet 
it remains to be seen to what extent this policy will 
be revised in light of current situation.  It is 
certain that the Bush administration is considering the 
issue due to the growing reaction of the American 
public.  Initial signals from Washington show renewed 
US interest in dialogue with its friends and allies, 
and the possibility of establishing a  security 
mechanism under a UN umbrella.  If all of this really 
happens, the Bush administration will be able to win 
over the natural friends of the US and overcome the 
difficulties in Iraq's critical transition period." 
 
 
"The mistakes of the Hawks" 
Cuneyt Ulsever commented in mass appeal Hurriyet 
(7/24): "Turkey should send its troops to Iraq.  Yet we 
should also be able to discuss the mistakes made during 
the Iraq crisis.  Turkey's hawks made many mistakes, 
and Turkey has been left without any coherent policy on 
the issue. . The US hawks have also made many mistakes, 
however.  The ongoing mess in Iraq is proof of that. 
Hawks are good at military strategies, but fail 
dramatically when it comes to political planning and 
social order.  Their narrow-minded approach tells them 
to act with physical force at the expense of social and 
political factors.  Hawks not only lost in Iraq, but 
also managed to create seriously high anti-American 
sentiment in Turkey, which used to be staunch ally and 
friend of the US.  Hawks think and act unilaterally, 
which in itself is incompatible with societies that are 
changing in a dynamic way. . A Turkish military 
presence would help the US to overcome this problem." 
 
 
DEUTSCH