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 02 ANKARA 003435

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, JUNE 16, 2004

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

HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION

HEADLINES

MASS APPEALS
Turkish secretary-general for OIC - Sabah
Turkey victorious at OIC summit - Aksam
Iraqi FM: PKK has no futurei n Iraq - Milliyet
US to transfer Saddam to Iraqis in two weeks - Milliyet
Pentagon denies transfer of Saddam to Iraqis - Aksam
Karpinski: `We were ordered to treat Iraqis like dogs' -
Hurriyet
Sharon acquitted - Hurriyet
Sudan blocks international food aid for the starving - Sabah

OPINION MAKERS
First Turkish chairman for OIC - Cumhuriyet
Ankara's prestige rising in Islamic world - Zaman
Karpinski: Torture was ordered by Gen. Miller - Radikal
`Iraqi captives are like dogs,' US General told Karpinski -
Yeni Safak
Attacks against foreigners rising in Saudi Arabia - Yeni
Safak
US to `dispose of' Saddam - Radikal
Sharon cleared of bribery allegations - Cumhuriyet
London court bans headscarf - Cumhuriyet

BRIEFING

OIC Istanbul Summit: Turkey's candidate, Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu, was elected the new Secretary General of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Ihsanoglu
received 32 votes out of 56 members on Tuesday. FM Gul
praised the democratic voting process. Ankara aims to help
the OIC transform itself into an influential international
organization defending the interests of the Islamic world,
and to make the organization a bridge between East and West.
Gul said after an informal meeting with foreign ministers
from Iraq's neighboring countries that `the ministers of the
countries of the regional initiative on Iraq welcome the
transfer of sovereignty to the newly formed Iraqi interim
government by June 30, 2004.' Gul added that the transfer
`must be fully carried out.' Gul also noted that the OIC
ministers condemned terrorist acts against civilians in the
country and added that the terrorist presence in Iraq
threatened the security of its neighbors. Iraqi FM Hosyar
Zebari voiced support for calls for reform for the Middle
East. Zebari welcomed the release of Leyla Zana and the
other Kurdish ex-MPs, and stressed that violence and
conflict had no future in Turkey. He emphasized that his
government opposed the presence of neighboring countries'
troops in Iraq, even under a UN umbrella. Zebari added that
the PKK/KONGRA-GEL `has no future' in the new Iraq. The OIC
is to take the Cyprus issue today.

US `denies' PM Erdogan permission to go to Iran: US
concerns have caused PM Erdogan postpone his visit to Iran
for a second time, "Birgun" claims. The Erdogan visit to
Tehran had been previously scheduled for June 21-22. Ankara
could not manage to persuade Washington to allow it to go
ahead with the visit. The paper also claims that the TGS
had to suspend an invitation for the Iranian army commander,
General Mohamad Salimi, to visit Turkey following objections
by the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The MFA reportedly argued
that the United States could `misinterpret' such a visit.

Erdogan: Israeli policies fan anti-Semitism: PM Erdogan
said that the policies being pursued by Israel are
responsible for the rise in anti-Semitism around the world.
Addressing his party group on Tuesday, Erdogan said he
warned the Jewish lobby in the US about the negative effects
of the brutal Israeli attacks against Palestinians.
`500,000 Jews fleeing Spain were accepted by the Ottomans,'
Erdogan said. `Yesterday, Jews were suffering oppression,'
he continued, `but today, the Palestinians are suffering.'
`The Palestinians are using stones against your bombs,'
Erdogan reportedly told the Jewish Americans. Erdogan also
told the Jewish lobby that Turks regarded anti-Semitism as a
crime against humanity. `We have no problem with the
Israeli people,' he said. `Unfortunately, the current
Israeli administration's policies are increasing anti-
Semitism.'

EDITORIAL OPINION
"The Kurdish Problem"
Gunduz Aktan wrote in the liberal-intellectual Radikal
(6/16): "Montreal was the largest Canadian city at the
beginning of the 20th century, but separatist activities
that started in Quebec in the 1950s resulted in the city
dropping to third place. In other words, people and
societies have limited energy even in developed countries
such as Canada, and when minds are concentrated on
separatist tendencies, development is obstructed. Germany
and France openly say that they are practicing an
assimilation policy toward Turks and Muslims, so Turkey must
also assimilate the Kurds. This does not necessarily go
against the Kurds having their own cultural identity, of
course, but such a policy is no less necessary for other
groups in Turkey who are equally important as the Kurds.
Assimilation will modernize the Kurds, as it will the rest
of society. Turkey has a national identity, and through the
flexibility provided by the EU all groups can protect and
broaden their own cultural identities. There is no sense in
the argument that those who don't understand modernization
have the right to demand autonomy."

EDELMAN

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