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 003858

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, JUNE 13, 2003

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

HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
-----------------

HEADLINES

MASS APPEAL
U.S. to inspect ports worlwide - Sabah
U.S. inspectors for Turkish harbors - Hurriyet
Powell: Turkey's future bright - Milliyet
Powell: U.S. supports Turkey's future in EU - Turkiye
Turkey could not prevent human trafficking - Sabah
U.S. human trafficking report like a threat - Aksam
Iranian fundamentalists on `student hunt' - Sabah
U.S. wants to move NATO HQ to Warsaw - Hurriyet

OPINION MAKERS
U.S. troops hunt for Iraqi guerrillas - Radikal
U.S. troops fire at people in Mosul - Yeni Safak
Rumsfeld, the "angry hawk," threatens to move NATO HQ from
Brussels - Zaman
Israel to continue assassinations to crush Hamas - Zaman
Israel declares full-scale war on Palestinian groups - Yeni
Safak
End nearing for Road Map - Radikal
Electric shock for the Uzan family - Radikal
Turkey in worst category in Human Trafficking Report -
Cumhuriyet
Tehran shaken by protests - Cumhuriyet

FINANCIAL JOURNALS
Japan Tobacco Int. to bid for Turkey's tobacco monopoly -
Dunya
Government seizes Uzans' privileges - Finansal Forum

BRIEFING

Human trafficking report: The annual U.S. report on human
trafficking has placed Turkey in `Tier Three,' the lowest
category, blaming the GOT for lacking the minimum
requirements for fighting human smuggling and sexual
slavery. If Ankara does not move to solve the problem
before October, economic sanctions might be imposed on
Turkey. Dailies regard the issue as a new source of tension
between the U.S. and Turkey, and since sanctions would also
apply to IMF and WB credits and U.S. military loans, some
even see the report as a new U.S. attempt to punish Turkey.

U.S. Consulate Istanbul moves to new building: The new U.S.
Consulate General building in Istanbul was opened in a
ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by a large number of
guests. Secretary Powell said in his message for the
opening that despite some difficulties, Americans and Turks
have turned to the future. Powell expressed support for
Turkey's EU drive in his message.

U.S. `inspectors' to Turkish ports: Dailies write that the
U.S. Administration is planning to send inspectors to the
ports of a number of Muslim countries, including Turkey, to
detect chemical, biological or nuclear material. Inspectors
will use radiation detectors and x-ray imaging equipment to
search high-risk cargo at the ports before they are sent to
the U.S.

NATO moves air operation center to Izmir: Despite objections
by Greece, NATO has decided to establish its air operation
command center in Izmir. The command will oversee NATO's
southern air defense. NATO is also planning to establish
three new training centers in Konya and Ankara by 2004.
Reports note that the move came at a time when the U.S. is
planning to close Incirlik air base.
Government seizes Uzan Group's energy plants: The Energy
Ministry has annulled contracts with the Uzan Group's
electricity companies and seized the plants owned by the
group for `ongoing violation of contract provisions.' The
government took over ten dams and power plants run by the
Uzan family. Reports note that the Uzans have lost two of
their most profitable businesses, and expect similar trouble
in the sale of state-owned petrochemical giant Petkim, for
which the Uzan family entered the highest bid in a
privatization tender last Friday.

Azerbaijan uneasy about Ankara's meeting with Armenians:
Azerbaijan is upset about reports of secret meetings between
Turkish diplomats and Yerevan and the Armenian diaspora in
the U.S., according to "Hurriyet." The Azerbaijani
Ambassador to Ankara blamed the Armenian lobby for pursuing
the dream of a `Greater Armenia,' and stressed that mistakes
by Ankara could hurt Turkey's positive image in Azerbaijan.

EDITORIAL OPINION

a) Middle East
b) Annual Trafficking in Persons Report

"The Roadmap Shatters"
Ali Sirmen observed in social democrat-intellectual
Cumhuriyet (6/13): "Only a week later, the roadmap has been
completely shattered. It comes as no surprise, since the
roadmap itself was doomed to fail because of fundamental
uncertainties on both sides. President Bush's priority in
the Middle East is the fight against terrorism, yet he
ignores the fact that Israel's occupation itself is a kind
of terror. The roadmap also fails to comprehend the fact
that Abbas is totally incapable of taking action against
Hammas unless Israel takes some serious steps first. .
Sharon's power stems from his acts of retaliation, which
only serve the cause of war, not peace. Sharon's policy is
making Hammas even stronger than before. . It remains a far-
fetched idea to produce peace in the Middle East, as the
implementation of the roadmap and the foundation of a
Palestinian state by 2005 seem very unlikely."

"US threatens Turkey with economic sanctions"
Zeynep Gurcanli evaluated the Annual Trafficking in Persons
Report in the tabloid Star (6/13): "Quite unexpectedly,
Turkey is facing another critical development in its
relations with the US. The US is on the verge of imposing
economic sanctions against Turkey, and it has nothing to do
with the rejection of the troop deployment decree by the
Turkish parliament during the Iraq crisis. . According to US
law, unless Turkey takes some concrete steps to counter
human trafficking within 90 days, sanctions will be
implemented automatically. . If Ankara does not take the
proper steps in a timely fashion, there is one more way for
salvation: President Bush could intervene to stop the
sanctions being imposed. This would have to be justified on
the grounds of US national interests. On this issue, the
`decree crisis' could come back to the agenda whether we
like it or not. President Bush is in a mood to `punish' or
at least `pressure' Turkey because of the failure on troop
deployments. In the current atmosphere, it seems very
unlikely that he would to stop the sanctions from being
implemented."

PEARSON

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