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Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report

Published: Fri 29 Aug 2003 07:56 AM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
290756Z Aug 03
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005480
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
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2003
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER
THREE THEMES:
HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
--------------------------------------------- -
HEADLINES
MASS APPEALS
Ambassador Edelman: "US Expecting Support from Turkey in
Iraq" - Hurriyet
Richard Perle: "US Made Mistakes in Iraq" -Hurriyet
US Ambassador Asks Support on Iraq at his Courtesy Visit to
FM Gul - Milliyet
Bremer: "We cannot Rebuild Iraq without Foreign Support" -
Milliyet
Deputy PM Sener: "US Loan not Linked to Turkish Troops"
-Sabah
Ubeydi Tribe Wants Turkish Soldiers Under UN Umbrella -
Sabah
Arrest Warrant for Kemal Uzan - Sabah
OPINION MAKERS
HR Committee Chairman Elkatmis Warns US Delegation -
Cumhuriyet
Ankara's Humanitarian Aid Initiative Intended to Win Iraqis'
Support - Zaman
Edelman Requsts Support From FM Gul on Iraq - Zaman
Elkatmis to US Delegation: Stop Your Threats and Blackmail -
Yeni Safak
BRIEFING
Troop Deployment: Today's papers cover the news on contacts
between Turkish officials and leaders of Iraq's Arab Ubeydi
tribe. Representatives of the Ubeydi tribe met yesterday
with Deputy Undersecretary Ali Tuygan at the foreign
ministry. "Zaman" notes that the tribe offered cooperation
against Kurdish peshmerge militants. "Turkiye" reports that
the tribal leaders advised the Turks not to go into Iraq
with US forces, but rather under a UN umbrella. "Vatan"
notes that Ankara will continue its contacts with Iraqi
tribal leaders.
Ambassador Edelman: Most papers report on the courtesy
visit Ambassador Edelman paid yesterday to Foreign Minister
Gul. "Hurriyet" notes that Iraq was the top issue during
the 50-minute meeting. Ambassador Edelman told FM Gul that
`Turkey and the US are strategic partners, and this
understanding will continue.' Edelman openly expressed US
expectations about the sending of troops to Iraq. "Radikal"
reports that at a reception at his residence yesterday,
Ambassador Edelman was said that `the loans offered to
Turkey and the deployment of Turkish troops in Iraq are two
different issues. The loan is linked to cooperation in
general, not to a troop deployment in Iraq.'
US Public Diplomacy Advisory Group Visit: The US has begun
to investigate its public image in Turkey and the reasons
behind recent problems between the two countries. A
delegation from the Public Diplomacy Advisory Group at the
State Department visited Parliamentary Human Rights
Commission Chairman Mehmet Elkatmis yesterday to discuss the
issue. When asked by the delegation leader, Ambassador
Edward Djerejian -- a former deputy secretary of state,
about his evaluation of US policies, Elkatmis said that the
US must change its policies if it wants to continue its
alliance with Turkey. Current US attitudes, Elkatmis added,
are not in keeping with that friendship. If we are to
contribute to global peace together, the US must revise its
policies.'
EDITORIAL OPINION
"Weak leadership in Turkey"
Cengiz Candar noted in the mass appeal DB-Tercuman (8/28):
"Glossy statements cannot hide the weak leadership and
inconstancy of the Erdogan-Gul duo on Iraq. They are trying
to arrive at a decision through asking the Sunni Iraqi
tribal leaders who have had ambiguous relations with the
former Baath regime, opinion research questions such as
`should we go to Iraq,' and `if we do, how would you greet
us?' There is no substantial difference between President
Sezer and the government regarding foreign policy decisions.
The President's seeking international consensus on Iraq
under a UN license while the government's seeking consensus
with the Sunni Arab tribal leaders. It's interesting that
those who think too little of the Iraqi Kurdish leaders,
almost respect a blackmailing by the Arab tribal leaders who
warned that Turkish troops would be treated like Americans
in Iraq. Do you think countries with a firm vision of
future determine their foreign policy by asking it to Sunni
Arab tribal leaders?"
"Wasting Turkomen for the sake of ignoring the Kurdish
problem"
Koray Duzgoren argued in the Islamic/intellectual "Yeni
Safak" (8/28): "U.S. has clearly assumed responsibility for
the security of Northern Iraq, and told Turkey not to be
concerned of KADEK anymore. . The Turkomen minority has
become the sole reason for Turkey to remain in Northern
Iraq. . Everybody in Northern Iraq knows that the Iraqi
Turkoman Front (ITF) office in Northern Iraq is the center
of Turkey's intelligence activities. U.S. troops had seized
tons of explosives and arms at the ITF office in
Suleymaniye. Recent incidents in Suleymaniye and Kirkuk
show Turkey's decisiveness to use the Turkomen minority for
its activities in the region. . Some advise that the
Turkomen should be armed in the face of KDP and PUK
policies. Such a `national' policy by Turkey leaves the
Turkomen a sole alternative of facing atrocities and thus
leaving the region. . Turkey's interests require the
Turkomen to join Iraq's rebuilding as a main element of
Iraq. Turkey cannot waste the Turkomen for the sake of
ignoring the Kurdish problem."
EDELMAN
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