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 004655
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
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2003
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER
THREE THEMES:
HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
--------------------------------------------- -
HEADLINES
MASS APPEALS
Powell to officially ask for Turkish troops for Iraq -
Milliyet
General Abizaid: Iraq solution difficult without Turkey
- Aksam
General Abizaid: We can't succeed in Iraq without
Turkey - Hurriyet
Gul: U.S. has asked for Turkish troops for Iraq -
Turkiye
AKP lawmakers against sending troops to Iraq - Milliyet
Two `aces' killed in Mosul - Hurriyet
Uday was known for torture, rape - Sabah
Uzan family siphoned $5 billion from Imarbank -
Hurriyet
OPINION MAKERS
General Abizaid: We need Turkish troops in Iraq -
Radikal
AKP lawmakers cold to Turkish troops for Iraq- Zaman
Mahmud Osman: No need for Turkish soldiers in Iraq -
Zaman
Saddam's sons are killed - Cumhuriyet
Blair losing popular support fast - Yeni Safak
Shimon Peres: Jerusalem holy sites should be under UN
control - Yeni Safak
BRIEFING
Turkish troops for Iraqi peacekeeping: CENTCOM Chairman
General Abizaid pressed hard to convince Ankara to send
troops to Iraq during his visit here last week.
`Turkey is an essential factor in the region, and we
need Turkish soldiers in Iraq,' Abizaid reportedly
said. Commentaries argue that the U.S. has ignored the
Shiites and Sunnis who form the majority of the Iraqi
population for the sake of cooperation with the Kurds.
The U.S. request for Turkey's military support in Iraq
has strengthened the hand of Ankara on the eve of
Foreign Minister Gul's meetings in Washington.
"Hurriyet" claims that Ankara has three conditions for
cooperation in Iraq: that one of Bremer's two political
assistants should be a Turk, that a Turkish Major
General should assist General Abizaid, and that Iraq
should have a single budget (i.e., a separate budget
for the Kurds should be eliminated). Papers expect
Secretary Powell to officially ask Gul on Thursday for
SIPDIS
Turkey's contribution to the Iraq stabilization force.
AKP confused about Iraqi peacekeeping: "Cumhuriyet"
claims that the reluctance of AKP lawmakers and
concerns in the TGS over deploying Turkish troops to
Iraq have weakened the hand of FM Gul for his meetings
in the U.S. A new motion for dispatching troops could
lead to a new crisis in AKP. Cumhuriyet draws
attention to the strong opposition within the AKP, led
by Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc.
Denktas sacks dissident activists: Turkish Cypriot
leader Denktas sacked leaders of two Turkish Cypriot
civilian organizations working for a peaceful
settlement on the divided island, "Radikal" reports.
The two organizations had refused to attend official
ceremonies on July 20 marking the 29th anniversary of
the Turkish military intervention in Cyprus. The Head
of the Martyrs' Association was fired, and the
president of the Migrants' Association lost his
academic post at Eastern Mediterranean University.
Uzan-owned Imarbank fraud: The Banking Supervisory
Board (BDDK) announced that most private accounts at
Imarbank, which the Board recently seized from the Uzan
family, had not been shown in the bank's records. The
money stolen by the Uzans from Imarbank is about $5
billion, according to press reports. The IMF's Turkey
desk chief Riza Moghadam is closely monitoring the
Board's actions on Imarbank.
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraqi Stabilization Force/FM Gul to
the US
"Sending troops"
Yilmaz Oztuna opined in the mass appeal-conservative
Turkiye (7/23): "Turkey should send its troops to Iraq
only as long as certain conditions are met. The
Turkish army presence in Iraq will be a good symbol of
Turkish nationalism. However, setting the UN decision
as a precondition for that is not a realistic move on
Turkey's part. This kind of approach will serve no
purpose other than further deterioration in Turkish-
American ties. Turkey will not be able to present a
convincing argument about the need to wait for a UN
decision on Iraq while ignoring existing UN resolutions
on Cyprus. . Sending Turkish troops to Iraq will help
us have a say in Iraqi restructuring and facilitate the
reestablishment of the strategic alliance between
Turkey and the US."
"FM Gul to Washington"
Fikret Bila wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (7/23):
"Ankara is displeased with the structure of the Iraqi
Governing Council. The representation of the Turkmen
remains a worry for Ankara, and FM Gul is going to
voice his concern during his meetings in Washington. .
On the issue of sending Turkish troops to Iraq, Turkey
does not want to play only a gendarme role, but also
wants to gain influence over Iraq's restructuring. .
The Gul visit will help both sides to understand each
other better. FM Gul's tendency is not to drag on the
issues, and he'd rather resolve some of the outstanding
issues without losing time. The visit of FM Gul to
Washington will also serve as a guide to Ankara's
future policies."
"We should send troops to Iraq"
Gokalp Yildiz commented in the mass appeal-sensational
Aksam (7/23): "Turkey's participation in the
stabilization force should be taken without
emotionalism. Turkey should be a part of the
Stabilization Force, but this does not necessarily mean
that Turkey would be protecting the US occupation.
Turkey and US share common interests in Iraq despite
recent disagreements. Turkey should make its plans
based on its own security considerations. Thus, the
Turkish military presence in Iraq serves Turkey's
national security interests as well as regional
stability. . Turkey shares a common history, culture
and religion with the people of Iraq. Turkey has a
more favorable position in the eyes of the Iraqi people
than the Americans."
DEUTSCH