Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 008561

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
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2002

THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION

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HEADLINES

MASS APPEAL
Copenhagen decision: Turkey will be monitored for six months
-Hurriyet
Erdogan: Constitutional changes to be completed in one month
- Milliyet
First visit to Gul is from US - Hurriyet

OPINION MAKERS
Denktas has objections to UN plan -Radikal
Erdogan: Cyprus issue can not be solved with hawkish
policies - Yeni Safak
Denktas: UN's Cyprus plan unacceptable - Cumhuriyet
Erdogan's three keys to premiership - Yeni Safak
Gendarme's success in the fight against torture - Radikal

FINANCIAL JOURNALS
Speaker Hastert: Turkey is a model country

BRIEFING
EU: "Hurriyet" revealed a roadmap prepared by the EU
Commission for Turkey. Reportedly, the roadmap was
discussed during recent contacts with AKP leader Erdogan in
Brussels. The EU plans to present Turkey with the roadmap,
which contains conditions for the start of accession talks,
by December 5. According to "Hurriyet", at the Copenhagen
Summit Turkey will be given a `meeting date.' The EU will
then monitor developments in Turkey for six months. If
Turkey meets all the conditions during this six months, it
will be given a `negotiation date' at the next EU summit in
June 2003.

Cyprus: "Milliyet" reports that TRNC President Denktas is
against the UN's Cyprus peace plan. Denktas was quoted as
saying that `we will not accept measures that will transform
the Turkish Cypriots into a minority; the plan leaves no
room for Turkish sovereignty in Cyprus; Turkish Cypriots
would vanish with the migration of Greek Cypriots to the
north.' "Radikal" reports Erdogan's comments concerning
Cyprus during his European tour. Erdogan reportedly said
that `The Cyprus issue has not been solved in decades. We
want a solution now, not new problems. Hawkish policies
will get us nowhere'.

Constitutional Changes: Most papers report on AKP leader
Erdogan's intention to change the constitution in order to
lift the barriers that prevent him from becoming prime
minister. "Milliyet" reports that in a discussion with
journalists on the plane from Dublin to Strasbourg, Erdogan
said that article 109 of the constitution, which requires
that the Prime Minister be a parliamentarian, would be
amended to allow for Erdogan to become the Prime Minister
within a month. "Hurriyet" also quotes Erdogan as saying
that constitutional changes for his premiership would be
passed by the parliament within a month.
Speaker Hastert: Most papers cover US House Speaker Dennis
Hastert's visit to PM Gul and Speaker Arinc. Hastert, the
first foreign dignitary to meet with Turkey's new Prime
Minister and the newly-elected Parliament speaker, was
quoted as saying that `the United States would seek Turkey's
assistance to bring stability to Iraq if the UN's inspection
mission to Baghdad fails. The US understands Turkey's
concerns for a possible operation against Iraq, including
the possible financial losses from such an operation.'

Human Rights: "Radikal" reports that the Turkish gendarme
has been successful in reducing incidents of torture since
1992, when the gendarme began training its staff on human
rights issues. After ten years of training, complaints to
the European Human Rights Court originating from regions
controlled by the gendarme have decreased dramatically.

EDITORIAL OPINION:

a) NATO Summit
b) UN Cyprus Plan

"The NATO Summit"
Zeynep Gurcanli wrote in the tabloid Star (11/22): "The NATO
summit took place in the land of a former enemy, which has
now become a brand new member of the Alliance. The Prague
summit in fact brought the answer to the argument that
`there is no need for NATO any more.' NATO is changing, and
so are its priorities. Communism is no longer enemy,
instead it is terrorism. . The tight security in Prague in
itself proved the importance of terrorism in this changing
world. More importantly, as the events of September 11
showed, every member of NATO is open to the new threat. .
The summit also set a series of new rules that change the
concept of the fight against terrorism. These rules forbid
`undemocratic practices,' `violations of human rights' and
`maintaining trade relations with human rights violators.'
This means that the new world order led by George Bush is
expanding into every aspect of our lives."

"No Change in Denktas"
Editor-in-Chief Ismet Berkan argued in the intellectual-
liberal Radikal (11/22): "Denktas finally unveiled his real
intention by describing the UN Cyprus plan as `not worthy of
negotiation.' It seems that the main goal for the Turkish
Cypriot leader is to preserve the current deadlock on the
issue and not to work for a solution. The reason for
standing against the Annan plan is the so-called migration
issue. If the migration issue in the plan is the big plot
against Turkish Cypriots as the voices of opposition claim,
I should note that they most likely did not even bother to
read the whole text. The plan foresees a transition period
of 20 years, which gives everyone time to sort out the
territorial and migration details. Besides, this is what
negotiation is for, is it not? . What is more important for
the Turkish Cypriots: sovereignty or territory? Listen to
what former President Evren has said recently: Denktas told
him that `sovereignty' was most important, and in fact
during the 1974 operation the Turkish side was planning to
trade territory for sovereignty gains. . Given these facts,
one really cannot possibly understand why Denktas is
reluctant to sit at the negotiating table. . The plan is a
chance not to be missed, and there should be the basis of an
agreement on Cyprus before December 12."

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