US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4911

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004911 
 
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, AUGUST 5, 2003 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
The First Bachelor As Four-Star General - Hurriyet 
PM: Expelled Military Officers Should have Right to Appeal - 
Sabah 
UN Envoy DeMello: Turkey can Play Important Role in Iraq - 
Hurriyet 
Markets Inspired by IMF Decision - Sabah 
IMF Decision Boosts Morale - Aksam 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
No Surprises in Military Appointments - Radikal 
Fundamentalists Expelled from the Military - Cumhuriyet 
DeMello: Too Early for New Decision on Iraq - Zaman 
FM Gul Talks to UN Rep About Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Rocket Attack Against Turkish Trucks - Radikal 
Turkish Truck Attacked in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
IMF Decision to Extend Loan Repayments Eases Market Concerns 
- Zaman 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
High Military Council (YAS) Decisions:  All papers 
extensively cover the results of the four-day long High 
Military Council (YAS) meeting.  The sessions concluded 
yesterday with President Sezer's approval of all decisions. 
Papers report that with the current promotion decisions, the 
path to the position of Chief of General Staff has been 
opened to General Yasar Buyukanit in 2006, General Ilker 
Basbug in 2008, and General Koksal Karabayi in 2010.  In a 
banner headline, "Hurriyet" notes that Lt.Gen. Fethi Remzi 
Tuncel is the first bachelor to reach the rank of general in 
the Turkish army.  Following his promotion, General Tuncel 
was assigned as Land Forces Staff Commander.  Lt.Gen. Sukru 
Sariisik was promoted to the rank of general and appointed 
as NSC Secretary General for one year.  "Radikal" reports 
that 18 officers have been expelled from the military for 
fundamentalist activity.  Both PM Erdogan and Defense 
Minister Gonul placed a reserve on the expulsions, arguing 
that those expelled should have the right to appeal. 
 
 
UN Iraqi Envoy Sergio De Mello:  All papers covered the 
meeting of UN Iraqi envoy De Mello with FM Gul.  "Hurriyet" 
draws attention to De Mello's views of how Turkey could play 
an important role in the reconstruction of Iraq.  De Mello 
said that `it is too early for a UN decision authorizing the 
dispatch of international peacekeeping troops to Iraq.' 
"Cumhuriyet' reports that FM Gul DeMello's attention to the 
importance of Iraq's territorial integrity, equal treatment 
of different ethnic groups, and the importance of a 
nationwide census followed by fair elections. 
 
 
Iraqis Attack Turkish Convoy: "NTV" reported that two 
Turkish truck carrying goods in a convoy for the Turkish 
Embassy in Baghdad was hit in a rocket attack yesterday. 
The trucks sustained heavy damaged, but the drivers escaped 
without serious injury. 
 
 
IMF Decision to Extend Credit Repayment:  Most papers report 
on the positive mood in Turkish markets following the IMF 
decision to extend the schedule for Turkish debt repayment 
and the release of low inflation numbers for June and July. 
The stock market rose by 4.5 percent, while interest rates 
dropped by nearly three points. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Liberia; Afghanistan 
"Justice in Liberia" 
Erdal Guven opined in the liberal-intellectual Radikal 
(8/5): "The brutal civil war in Liberia led to a UN decision 
to form a new international peacekeeping force.  It was also 
interesting to see that Liberia, even though a stabilization 
force already existed there, was begging the US to 
intervene.  . The UN force, however, has a major flaw.  The 
contributors to the UN force will not be subject to the 
International Criminal Court.   Instead, they will be tried 
according to the laws of their own countries.  It might be 
dangerous to assume that the UN peacekeeping force 
represents the `good' side, not the bad.  If the 
International community aims at bringing responsible 
Liberian leaders to justice, the same rules and regulations 
should also apply to members of the UN peacekeeping force, 
at least for the sake fairness." 
 
 
"End of the Karzai model" 
Ibrahim Karagul wrote in Islamist-intellectual Yeni Safak 
(8/5): "It seems things are not working well for the US and 
its puppet Karzai regime in Afghanistan.  Members of the 
Karzai administration have met with Taliban representatives 
in Pakistan.  This was followed by Iran's `counter-move,' 
which resulted in the return of Hikmetyar to Iran.  All of 
these developments show that the Afghan equilibrium is in 
constant flux.  The fact of the matter is that the `fight 
against terrorism' is only a pretext to cover the real goal, 
which is a war against Afghan sovereignty and for a share of 
its resources.  Afghanistan is only a part of the US plan 
for global occupation." 
 
 
DEUTSCH