US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4895

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004895 
 
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 
MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
`Civilian' NSC postponed - Hurriyet 
Iraqi resistance organizations continue hunt for Americans - 
Sabah 
Saddam hides out in the desert - Sabah 
Al-Qaida's no. 2 threatens U.S. - Aksam 
Heat, pneumonia hit coalition soldiers in Iraq - Aksam 8/3 
IMF: Turkey deserves global support - Hurriyet 8/3 
IMF gives Ankara the kiss of life - Milliyet 8/2 
Inflation at 1987 levels - Milliyet 
Secularism debate in Britain - Sabah 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Generals warn Erdogan against fundamentalism - Cumhuriyet 
Saudi family, Al-Qaida correspondence before 9/11 - 
Cumhuriyet 8/3 
Saudi administration financed 9/11 attackers - Zaman 8/3 
Verheugen praises 7th EU package - Zaman 8/2 
Georgian troops in Baghdad - Zaman 
AKP promises IMF no new investments in 2004 - Cumhuriyet 8/2 
Rosy picture for the economy - Radikal 
President Sezer losing popular support - Yeni Safak 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
High Military Council (YAS) meeting: At meetings of the High 
Military Council (YAS) over the weekend, the TGS leadership 
convinced the government to delay for one year the 
appointment of a civilian as the National Security Council 
(NSC) Secretary General.  The military opposes AKP plans to 
trim the powers of the NSC by transforming the council into 
an advisory body.  Deputy Chief of TGS, General Yasar 
Buyukanit, has been promoted as commander of the First Army. 
General Buyukanit is set to become the chief of TGS 
following General Ozkok's retirement in 2006.  Commanders 
strongly warned Prime Minister Erdogan against the ruling 
AKP's anti-secularist policies, according to press reports. 
"Cumhuriyet" slams the government for attempting to acquire 
full control of the state structure to change the regime. 
Erdogan and the Minister of Defense, Vecdi Gonul, objected 
to the YAS decision to expel 20 fundamentalist officers from 
the army.  Erdogan and Gonul signed the decision, but said 
the dismissed officers should be given a right to appeal. 
TGS Chief General Ozkok said at the meeting that such 
objections by the ruling party would encourage 
fundamentalists in Turkey. 
 
 
New Invitation for International troops to Iraq: Washington 
is about to renew, through the Iraqi Temporary Council, its 
appeal for troops from countries which have displayed a 
reluctance to join peacekeeping operations in Iraq, Monday's 
"Cumhuriyet" reports.  The Iraqi Governing Council is 
particularly interested in participation by India and 
Pakistan.  Turkey had earlier told the U.S. that Ankara 
would prefer to deploy troops in Iraq under a UN or NATO 
umbrella, or through the direct invitation of the Iraqi 
Council. 
 
 
Economy: The decrease in the inflation rate continued in 
July, as wholesale prices (WPI) for the month fell by 0.5 
percent, and consumer price inflation (CPI) dropped by 0.4 
percent.  Annually, the WPI was estimated at 25.6 percent, 
and CPI at 27.4 percent.  Exports have increased by 31.2 
percent annually.  IMF board praised recent economic reforms 
by the GOT, and released a $476 million loan, which had been 
delayed pending the outcome of the fifth review.  The IMF 
board also approved a delayed payment schedule for Turkey's 
$16 billion loan package, which will effectively decrease 
Turkey's repayment burden by about $11 billion in 2004 and 
2005.  Weekend papers hailed the decision, calling it a 
`kiss of life' for Turkey's economy. 
 
 
President Sezer losing support - Poll: A survey by the ANAR 
service concluded that 66.7 percent of Turks believe that 
President Sezer did not show sufficient interest in the 
detention of Turkish troops in Suleymaniye, according to 
Monday's "Yeni Safak."  68 percent of those surveyed oppose 
the deployment of Turkish troops in Iraq.  42 percent 
support the Repentance Law for defectors from terrorist 
organizations, while 41 percent are opposed.  Another 
survey, conducted by the Verso organization, reported that 
57.4 percent of Turks believe that the Suleymaniye event had 
a very damaging effect on Turkish-U.S. relations.  If 
general elections were held today, AKP would get 42.2 
percent of the vote.  Other political parties trail far 
behind: CHP 16.3, DYP 12.8, Genc Party 11.6, and DEHAP 7.9 
percent. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq 
 
 
"Differences between Afghanistan and Iraq" 
Ferai Tinc wrote in mass appeal Hurriyet (8/4): "The 
establishment of the international security force in 
Afghanistan, to which Turkey is one of the contributors, is 
based on a genuine international consensus.  Moreover, this 
force will soon be under a NATO umbrella.  . The case of 
Iraq, as far as Turkey is concerned, presents a very 
different picture from that in Afghanistan.  Unlike 
Afghanistan, Turkey has not established a relationship with 
all the Iraqi groups and clans on an equal basis.  For the 
people of Iraq, Turkey represents both positive as well as 
negative images.  Thus it is not possible to believe that 
all of the Iraqi groups will happily accept a Turkish 
presence in the peacekeeping mission.  A Turkish military 
presence in Iraq must be implemented under an international 
umbrella.  Otherwise, it will harm not only Turkey, but the 
US as well." 
 
 
"Seeing the picture correctly" 
Erdal Guven opined in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(8/3): "The main motive for the US military operation 
against Iraq was neither the threat of WMD nor the link of 
Iraq with international terrorism.  These are secondary 
reasons.  The main reason stems from the US strategy to 
stabilize the Middle East region, at least for the next 
decade or so, to make it free from groups such as those who 
organized the 9/11 attacks.  This strategy has become the 
moving force behind US security considerations.  Afghanistan 
was first on the list, Iraq was next, and there will be more 
to come.  Currently the US priority is to stabilize Iraq 
first, then provide the Iraqi people with both greater 
welfare and more democracy.  Those who believe that this 
plan will be invalid once the Bush administration is gone 
are making a big mistake.  . Turkey is currently discussing 
whether or not to send Turkish soldiers to Iraq.  Yet the 
real issue is whether Turkey realizes that there is a 
process underway to re-shape the Middle East." 
 
 
DEUTSCH