US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4849

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004849 
 
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 31, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
`Return Home' Project off to Quick Start - Sabah 
US Encourages PKK/KADEK to Take Advantage of Repentance Law- 
Sabah 
FM Gul: PKK Militants must not be Sent to Norway - Milliyet 
PM Erdogan: Troop Motion is not on our Agenda-Milliyet 
Speaker Arinc: People's Will Must be a Factor in Troop 
Decision - Hurriyet 
Motion Nightmare is Back - Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
US Embassy Charge Deutsch: `US welcomes Repentance Law' - 
Radikal 
Fundamentalist Organizations also Will Benefit from 
Repentance - Cumhuriyet 
Foreign Ministry: `Exile in Norway for PKK Militants 
Unacceptable' - Yeni Safak 
PM Erdogan in no Hurry for Troop Deployment Motion-Radikal 
7th Harmonization Package Passed by Parliament; All Eyes 
Turned to EU - Zaman 
One More Step Toward Democracy - Radikal 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Repentance Law: All papers and TV channels report on the 
impact of the approval of Turkey's repentance law.  "Sabah" 
reports that 240 PKK/KADEK militants have already applied to 
Turkish officials to take advantage of the law.  213 of the 
applicants are from  Turkey, and the remaining 27 are living 
abroad.  Meanwhile, the US welcomed the law and issued a 
call to PKK militants urging them to take advantage of it. 
"Radikal" quotes US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Robert Deutsch 
as saying that `the law will work to Turkey's benefit, and 
the US is pleased with it.'   Most papers report the 
reaction from the Foreign Ministry to claims that top PKK 
militants will be sent to political asylum in Norway.  FM 
Gul and Foreign Ministry spokesman Dirioz said that reports 
of the asylum plan are false, and that an exile formula for 
PKK/KADEK leaders would be totally unacceptable.  The 
Norwegian Ambassador to Turkey also denied the allegations. 
 
 
Troop Deployment:  "Milliyet" gives extensive, front-page 
coverage to the troop deployment issue.  The "Milliyet" 
headline reads `the nightmare is back.'  The government 
faces trouble in convincing President Sezer and AKP deputies 
to support the measure.  Some cabinet ministers are also 
against a Turkish troop deployment in Iraq, the paper 
reports.  Although PM Erdogan fully supported a troop 
deployment before the Iraq war, he is now largely avoiding 
the issue.  The PM said that the issue is `not on 
government's agenda.' Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said 
that `the parliament will make the best decision if a new 
motion is presented.  However, I hope no one will act 
without taking into account the will of the Turkish people.' 
 
 
7th Harmonization Package:  All papers cover the approval of 
the 7th EU reform package.  "Radikal" says that the package 
is a new step for enhancing democracy in Turkey.  With the 
acceptance of the package, parliamentary control over 
military spending has increased, and the NSC's powers have 
been constrained.  Also, the authority to coordinate NSC 
recommendations has been transferred from the NSC Secretary 
General to one of the Deputy Prime Ministers.  The NSC 
Secretary General will be nominated by the Prime Minister 
 
SIPDIS 
and appointed with the approval of the President.  If the 
nominated Secretary General is a military official, then the 
approval of the General Staff will also be required. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
"The PKK must see the facts" 
Mehmet Ali Birand commented in the mass appeal Hurriyet 
(7/31): "Necmettin Kerim, a prominent figure of the Kurdish 
lobby in Washington, believes that the PKK's life span in 
Northern Iraq is over. .  The Americans know that it will be 
impossible to improve relations with Turkey as long as a PKK 
camp remains in Northern Iraq.  Washington has declared the 
PKK to be a terrorist organization, and announced that the 
U.S. is working to eliminate terrorism in Iraq. There will 
be no foreign forces left in Northern Iraq, neither Turkish 
troops nor the PKK nor Islamist groups. .  The Americans 
expect that, once the repentance law takes effect, some 500- 
1,000 PKK members will be disarmed and sent to Turkey. 
Those who refuse to lay down their arms will be disarmed and 
moved out of Iraq by CENTCOM.  The PKK's leadership cadre -- 
some 100 people -- will be sent to Scandinavian countries as 
refugees. American officials have reportedly obtained 
approval of the idea in principle from Norway and other 
Scandinavian countries. According to Kerim, the PKK must end 
its armed struggle. It must leave DEHAP alone. If it is 
going to take part in politics, it must do so within the 
law. .  The PKK-KADEK must see the facts and take a 
decision." 
 
 
"Turkey, Iraq democracy axis" 
Cengiz Candar wrote in the mass appeal DB-Tercuman (7/31): 
"Bringing democracy to Iraq is tough. It will be painful and 
take time. .  The ideal regime for Iraq would be a 
federalist secular democracy. .  We should be aware of the 
fact that the U.S. has made possible the opening of a new 
period in Iraq, the Middle East, and the Islamic world. 
Turkey's national interest requires the implementation of 
democracy in Iraq.  Cooperation with the Americans to that 
end is obligatory." 
 
 
"New era with Syria" 
Sami Kohen opined in the mass appeal Milliyet (7/31): "There 
is no serious obstacle to improving bilateral relations 
between Turkey and Syria.  The U.S., having put Syria on a 
blacklist, is unwilling to see Turkey and Syria move closer 
to one another.  However, Ankara can play a role in 
eliminating some of the disagreements between the U.S. and 
Syria. .  Syrian Prime Minister Miro signed four economic 
cooperation agreements with Turkey during his Ankara visit. 
The trade volume between the two countries is estimated at 
around $1 billion in 2003. .  A new era of strategic 
relations might begin between Syria and Turkey." 
 
 
DEUTSCH