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 003458
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, JUNE 17, 2004
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER
THREE THEMES:
HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
HEADLINES
MASS APPEAL
`TRNC' community now a state - Hurriyet
Istanbul ready for NATO Summit - Sabah
Human Rights Watch praises, criticizes Turkey - Milliyet
Al-Qaeda threatens to kill captive American - Milliyet
No evidence of Saddam, Al-Qaeda tie - Aksam
OPINION MAKERS
`TRNC' becomes `Turkish Cypriot State' - Radikal
Turkey gains support of Islamic countries - Zaman
NATO sends AWACS for Istanbul summit - Cumhuriyet
Scheffer: Istanbul Summit a turning point for NATO - Yeni
Safak
Greek Cypriot FM: Turkey may withdraw 5,000 troops from
Cyprus - Cumhuriyet
81 percent of Iraqis support Moqtada al-Sadr resistance -
Yeni Safak
al-Sadr urges Najaf resisters to go home - Yeni Safak
Huntington: US to become `more Christian' - Cumhuriyet
Human Rights Watch praises Turkey's progress - Radikal
Israel angered by Erdogan's `anti-Semitism' remarks -
Radikal
BRIEFING
OIC Istanbul Summit: Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told
members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
not to use the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an excuse for
delaying crucial domestic political and economic reform. At
the end of the three-day foreign ministers' meeting of the
57-nation OIC, Turkey said that the body's new, Turkish
secretary-general would promote democracy and dialogue with
SIPDIS
the West. "This points to a new transformation of the OIC,"
Gul said, noting that this was the first secretary-general
to be elected democratically by member countries. Ankara
also won a diplomatic success with the OIC decision to
recognize the Turkish Cypriot enclave in Cyprus (`TRNC') as
a "state" rather than just a "community" in its OIC
representation. The OIC countries did not grant full
diplomatic recognition to the `TRNC,' but they agreed to
lift all economic restrictions against northern Cyprus. In
a joint communique, the 57 OIC countries expressed strong
support for the new Iraqi transitional government and for an
end to the occupation there.
Bloomfield due in Ankara: US Assistant Secretary of State
Lincoln Bloomfield is to discuss with the Turks US plans for
the American military presence in Turkey and Washington's
new Global Defense Posture, "Cumhuriyet" reports.
Washington is considering a more central role for Turkey
within its plans for a global redeployment of US forces.
The US will unofficially discuss with Ankara the prospects
for building American bases on the Black Sea. Bloomfield is
to visit Moscow after Ankara in an effort to eliminate
Russian concerns with regard to the new US strategy,
according to "Cumhuriyet."
Human Rights Watch on Turkey: Despite significant human
rights reforms, the Turkish government must further improve
its record in some areas, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a
June 15 statement. HRW said that freedom of expression,
torture, and freedom of assembly are all areas where
significant additional efforts are needed. Turkish
authorities made two historic advances last week with the
first television broadcasts in minority languages, including
Kurdish, and the release of four Kurdish parliamentarians
imprisoned since 1994. "The remaining human rights problems
are serious," said HRW. The June 28 and 29 NATO summit in
Istanbul promises to be a demanding test of the Turkish
police's ability to maintain security while preserving full
respect for human rights, the report stressed.
Kurdish ex-MPs on Southeast tour: Former DEP lawmakers
Leyla Zana, Selim Sadak, Orhan Dogan and Hatip Dicle are
touring Turkey's southeast in an effort to decrease tension
in the region. Dicle said Wednesday in Siirt province that
it was time to seek a lasting, democratic solution to the
Kurdish problem. `We will accept the Republic of Turkey as
our state as long as Turkey protects Kurds' cultural
rights,' Dicle said. Meanwhile, the Turkish military went
on `yellow alert' in the southeast Turkey in the face of
intensified attacks by PKK/Kongra-Gel militants.
EU Summit in Brussels: Dailies expect EU leaders to urge
Turkey to include the Greek Cypriots in Ankara's Customs
Union (CU) agreement with the EU at the EU Summit in
Brussels Thursday. An unidentified European Commission
official said Turkey should be prepared to recognize south
Cyprus, another step that will have to be taken by Ankara
before receiving a date for EU entry talks. The EU sees
ongoing problems in judicial independence, basic freedoms,
cultural rights, and military-civilian relations in Turkey,
papers report.
Armenia requests transit passage for imports: Ankara is
considering the possibility of opening its border with
Armenia for transit passage by third countries, "Aksam"
reports. If the border gate is opened, the dispatch of
European goods to Armenia will be made through Turkey
instead of through Iran or Georgia. The MFA said that
trucks carrying goods to Armenia through Iran and Georgia
had been granted transit passage through Turkey, but that no
further step had been taken.
EDELMAN