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 004995

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, SEPTEMBER 3, 2004

THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

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

HEADLINES

MASS APPEAL
Russian mothers: Let our children go - Aksam
FSB: School raiders part of international terrorist group -
Hurriyet
Terrorists release 32 women, children - Milliyet
Russian intelligence: Mashadov, Basayev hiding in Turkey -
Sabah
Three more Turks killed in Iraq - Turkiye
Kerry vows to recognize Armenian `genocide' - Sabah

OPINION MAKERS
School terror blocks Putin's historic visit to Turkey -
Zaman
Tense waiting in Russia - Zaman
Terror actions trap Putin inside Russia - Yeni Safak
Republicans' nationalistic `marketing' of Bush - Cumhuriyet
US jetfighters hit civilians in Fallujah - Cumhuriyet
Israel threatens Syria with war - Yeni Safak
US pushes UN for sanctions on Iran - Yeni Safak
Germany presses for Turkey's EU membership - Radikal

BRIEFING

Russia hostage crisis: Two of the three Turks held hostage
at a Russian school in North Ossetia were among the 26 women
and children released on Thursday, papers report. Chechen
separatists have been holding hundreds of hostages since
Wednesday morning. The attack, which has claimed 12 lives
so far, led to the postponement of a planned visit to Turkey
by Russian President Putin. Ankara on Thursday condemned
the hostage-taking as an `unacceptable act of terrorism
which can in no way be justified.' "Sabah" reports that
Russian sources believe Chechen rebel leaders Aslan
Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev are hiding in Turkey.
President Vladimir Putin told PM Erdogan that a fresh date
for his visit to Turkey would be set soon.

Erdogan on US/PKK, Israel/Palestine: PM Erdogan said in a
roundtable meeting with Turkish journalists that Turkey is
losing patience with the US over its failure to crack down
on PKK separatists hiding in northern Iraq. Asked to
comment on NSC Adviser Rice's remarks that the US was doing
its best, through non-military means, to make PKK forces
less active and less capable, Erdogan said that the
Americans have not been responding to terror in a consistent
way. `They are bombing terrorists in Fallujah,' he said.
`We also have terrorists in northern Iraq, so why is a
different method being used there?' The Prime Minister said
that Turkey would `do what is necessary' to prevent the
killing of its people. Speaking about Turkey's relations
with Israel, Erdogan said that `Turkey is also ready to
contribute to the Middle East peace process.' `On the one
hand there is Israel, to which Turkey is bound by military,
economic, and political ties, and on the other, there is
Palestine to which we are bound by ties of faith.' `The
relationship between these two countries is an unpleasant
one,' Erdogan concluded, and we are always against the
killing of innocent people.'

MFA denies allegations of new US logistical demands: Press
reports claiming that the use of Turkish ports and airports
have been offered to the US for the transfer of military
equipment are misleading, an MFA spokesman told the
Anatolian News Agency on Thursday. The spokesman said that
the regulation, which appeared in Turkey's official gazette
on Tuesday, referred to equipment entering Turkey for use at
the Belbasi facility near Ankara. Belbasi was used during
the Cold War for detection of nuclear explosions. The
facility was subsequently turned over to Turkey for civilian
use.

More Turks killed in Iraq: Turkey said on Thursday that the
activities of its nationals in neighboring Iraq were only
aimed at helping the war-torn country, as Iraqi insurgents
announced that they had executed three more Turkish
hostages. The hostages appeared to have been killed by the
Tawhid wa al-Jihad group, run by Al-Qaeda operative Abu
Mussab al-Zarqawi. `Turkey has always felt close to the
Iraqi people. Those who stubbornly turn a blind eye to this
fact do not serve the interests of Iraq,' Turkey's MFA said
in a statement. The MFA also said it had decided to form a
"task group" to monitor the safety of Turkish nationals
working in Iraq.

AKP lawmakers return from Israel: An AK Party delegation
which had been holding meetings in Israel since Wednesday
wrapped up their talks with Israeli and Palestinian
officials and returned home Thursday evening. The lawmakers
said the visit had been extremely positive for both
countries. The delegation said that all steps that Israel
takes in the region should be taken in dialogue and
cooperation with the Palestinian side. They also noted that
Israeli officials expect PM Erdogan to visit Israel soon.

Kerry pledges to recognize Armenian `genocide': Turkish
papers report that US presidential candidate John Kerry has
promised the Armenian lobby that his administration would
recognize April 24 as "Armenian genocide day" in honor of
the Armenians killed by Ottoman forces in 1915. Kerry's
remarks have prompted Turkish-American voters to launch an
internet campaign in support of President Bush.

EDITORIAL OPINION: Chechnya

"Falling into the trap set by bin-Laden"
Erdal Safak commented in the mass appeal "Sabah" (9/3): "By
looking at recent events around the world, one could easily
draw a conclusion about how the world is being dragged into
a very dangerous era. Al-Qaeda has set as its goal to bring
about a `clash of civilizations' and has just opened a new
front in Russia following Iraq. . In a recent interview with
Al-Bahri from Yemen, formerly a bodyguard for Osama Bin-
Laden, there was clear indication about Al-Qaida's plans.
He said that the organization intended to create a conflict
between the US and the Islamic world. . The strong reaction
to the kidnapping of French journalists by Muslims all
around the world is an encouraging sign that the Islamic
world may have finally realized this trap."

"Innocent Kids"
Hasan Cemal wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (9/3):
"There is nowhere to go and nothing to achieve by smashing
the most sacred right of human beings - the right to life.
The fight against such evil acts has come very late, and now
mankind is paying the consequences. Humanity must establish
a joint front against terrorism, and time is running against
us. . The cold war lasted for 50 years. The triumph of
freedom was not an easy goal against totalitarianism. That
being said, the fight against global terror requires a
global strategy. This war cannot be won unless all people
open a joint front against terror. The Western world --
i.e., the US and Europe -- will be the `engine' to initiate
this process. The immediate priority for leadership first
goes to Washington. The establishment of a global strategy
will also be a good step toward breaking President Bush's
tendency toward unilateralism."
"Chechens use terrorism"
Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in the mass appeal-sensational
"Posta" (9/3): "We can no longer define acts committed in
the name of Chechens as resistance, the protection of
rights, or an independence war. Innocent people are being
killed. Poor, unfortunate children are suffering. The
struggle for independence cannot include the crashing of
planes, the placing of bombs, or the destruction of
buildings. . There are some Chechen associations and even
some political parties in our country who secretly support
this terrorism. They are committing a grave mistake. . The
double standard of `your terrorist is my freedom fighter' no
longer applies. Whoever murders an innocent person is a
terrorist. It does not matter if you are a Chechen, a Jew,
a Palestinian, or even a soldier taking orders from your
superiors. Times have changed. We need to be consistent
against these kinds of incidents. There is no other way."

EDELMAN

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