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 004363

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 27, 2005

THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

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

MASS APPEAL
Blair, Erdogan to Discuss Terror at 10 Downing - Sabah
Blair: London Stands Tall - Hurriyet
Erdogan to Discuss Cyprus With Blair - Aksam
The Times: Turks Most Moderate Muslims in Europe - Milliyet
Muslims Want to Flee Britain - Vatan
Life Sentence For Dutch Director's Moroccan Killer -
Milliyet
Karamanlis Postpones Turkey Visit to October - Sabah
Islam the Main Source For Iraqi Constitution - Milliyet
Saddam to be Executed In Three Weeks - Vatan
Hundreds Rally Against US at Bagram Airbase - Aksam
Extreme Rightist Bulgarians Fear Turks - Vatan

OPINION MAKERS
Muslims to Leave UK en Masse - Yeni Safak
Papadopoulos Meets Blair in London - Radikal
Pope Benedict to Meet Muslim Leaders in Germany - Yeni Safak
Pentagon: Insurgents Infiltrate Iraqi Police - Cumhuriyet
Bakiyev Gives Guarantees on US Bases - Radikal
Tajikistan to Continue Supporting US - Zaman
New Jewish Settlements in East Jerusalem - Zaman
Positive Start For North Korea Meetings in Beijing -
Cumhuriyet
US Now Eyes West African Oil - Yeni Safak
`Latin CNN' Telesur on the Air - Yeni Safak

BRIEFING

PM Erdogan in UK: Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan left for
the UK on Tuesday for talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair
on Cyprus and Turkey's ties with the European Union, papers
report. Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) Spokesman Namik Tan
announced yesterday that Turkey would finalize a key EU
protocol on Cyprus after Wednesday's Blair-Erdogan talks in
a way that will extend the Turkey-EU customs union to cover
new EU member states, including Cyprus. The protocol is
likely to be signed on Friday. Erdogan is expected to
convey to Blair Turkey's uneasiness over rising attacks
against Muslims in Britain following the bomb attacks
earlier this month in London. Erdogan said yesterday before
leaving for Britain that he would also discuss with Blair
the recent terror attacks in London and Sharm al-Sheikh,
calling on the international community to unite against
global terror. Erdogan will be accompanied by Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul and Economy Minister Ali Babacan, and
will meet also with British investors before returning home
on Wednesday.

EU Expects `Soft' Cyprus Declaration from Ankara: The
European Union (EU) is waiting for a Turkish declaration
regarding non-recognition of Cyprus that Ankara is expected
to release simultaneously with the signing of the EU
protocol. EU diplomats reportedly said that a `moderate'
declaration by Ankara would be helpful to Turkey's friends
in the EU. A strongly-worded declaration would lead to an
equally strong response by the EU, which could reopen debate
about a possible postponement of the start of accession
talks on October 3. Diplomatic sources advised that the
declaration should be in line with PM Erdogan's statements
at the December 17 2004 EU summit. A declaration that sets
out restrictions on the free circulation of Cypriot goods or
closes Turkish ports and airports to the Greek Cypriots will
be unacceptable to the EU.

Poll: Majority of Muslims Planning to Leave Britain:
Turkish papers cite a report in "The Guardian" on a poll
conducted by London-based `ICM,' in which 67 percent of
Muslims living in Britain say they are planning to leave the
country in the face of rising hostility against them. One
out of every five Muslims in Britain has been subjected to
humiliation and discrimination, according to the survey.
Police records reveal 1,200 complaints of harassment by
British Muslims, but "The Guardian" report suggests the real
figure is much higher.

PKK Kills Dissidents: An article in the
conservative/political weekly "Aksiyon" claims that the
outlawed PKK has begun to target not only its members
wishing to flee the organization, but also the Kurdish
intellectuals who `cast a shadow' on the organization's
propaganda activities, "Zaman" reports. There are allegedly
250 Kurds on a PKK `death list' issued from the PKK
leadership in the Kandil Mountains. More than 200 Kurdish
intellectuals have protested in a declaration the killing of
former People's Democracy Party (HADEP) deputy president
Hikmet Fidan in Diyarbakir last month. Fidan's family
claims that he was killed on the order of PKK leadrr Murat
Karayilan. Hasan Ozen, one of the founders of the PKK, was
subsequently killed in Vienna by PKK gunmen. Former PKK
leaders Osman Ocalan and Nizamettin Tas top the death list
because they have left the organization. A source claimed
that some 50 PKK snipers have been sent to Turkey and Europe
to carry out the killings. A PKK defector said he had
changed his mind and fled the organization after being sent
to Europe to kill Kurdish author Mehmet Uzun. The defector
is now on the `wanted list' issued by the PKK. A former PKK
trigger-man said the organization's gunmen in Europe apply
methods that leave no trace, including car accidents,
strangling, and burning. They bury the bodies of their
victims in wooded areas. The organization's activities are
seen as an effort to block Turkey's EU drive, "Aksiyon"
reports.

Azerbaijan Kicks Off Direct Flights to North Cyprus: A
private Azerbaijani passenger plane is to fly directly to
northern Cyprus on Wednesday. An Azerbaijani delegation of
100 businessmen, artists, and journalists on board the plane
will hold talks with Turkish Cypriot officials. Last week,
a delegation of 38 Azerbaijani businessmen traveled to
northern Cyprus.

Iranian Troops Fight Kurdish Militants: Papers cite Iranian
dailies "Hemsehri" and "Iran" as reporting that 16 Iranian
troops were killed in fighting with the PKK-affiliated PJAK
(Kurdistan Free Living Party) organization. Four PJAK
militants were also killed in the fighting, which erupted
after Kurds attacked a security checkpoint on Iran's border
with Turkey on Tuesday. Iranian troops launched operations
in the mountainous areas around the Kurdish towns of Meriwan-
Bane, Serdest, and Piransar-Mahabad.

Terrorist Attacks Continue in Southeast Turkey: Security
forces defused a C-4 bomb planted on a road which was to be
used by the governor of Turkey's eastern province of
Tunceli. Meanwhile, a remote-controlled bomb derailed a
train in eastern Turkey on Tuesday, but no one was injured.
It was the third attack against a train in the region this
month. The train was traveling between the eastern cities
of Elazig and Mus.

EDITORIAL OPINION: THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM

"A Test of Fire"
Gungor Mengi commented in the mass appeal "Vatan" (7/27):
"Sadly enough, the horror and insecurity created by Al-Qaeda
has changed the character of Europe. The civilized world
seems to give up so easily. An opinion poll conducted by
`The Times' indicated that a vast majority of Londoners
expect to experience more suicide bombings and support the
government's proposed tough security measures, including an
increase of detention periods from 14 days to 90. The fear
and insecurity are not one-sided. Many Muslims are feeling
the same way. They fear prejudice and attacks of revenge. .
There will be a vital test in the days to come. The result
of this test will show how deeply-rooted European
civilization actually is. Radical religious terror is
targeting Western values and standards of living. Giving up
even a small portion of these values in the name of the
fight against terrorism will only encourage Al-Qaeda."

"Terror and Democracy"
Hasan Cemal wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (7/27): "The
shooting of an innocent Brasilian has revived an old debate
over democracy and human rights in the fight against
terrorism. It is difficult to draw clear lines in this
debate. The fight against terrorism is legitimate. But it
can lead to extra-legal practices that harm democracy if the
struggle is not properly defined. If we reverse the
situation, we end up having the same dilemma. Focusing only
on democracy and human rights may encourage more terrorism.
This is the debate that the UK is going through. . London
is now discussing the necessity of new anti-terror laws and
the best ways to implement them. In the aftermath of the
London bombings, this is a very tough task."

"It's Not That simple"
Sami Kohen wrote in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (7/27): "It
would be wrong to blame Pakistan for having sole
responsibiity for the recent terrorist attacks in the UK and
Egypt. Similarly, some of the arguments claiming to analyze
the `deeper reasons' for terror are also misleading.
Terrorism, in its global scheme, is a very complex issue
that cannot be explained by a single factor. The suggested
arguments only explain the reasons for the expansion of
international terrorism. These include Iraq, Palestine
issue, perceived injustice, poverty, and oppressive regimes.
Terrorism experts seem to agree on certain points. Global
terrorism is being carried out at the initiative of Al-
Qaeda. But it is being conducted by autonomous groups that
exist in many different countries. This is a kind of `self-
service terrorism' as the French "Liberation" has put it.
These autonomous working groups share some common points.
They come from the same ideology and faith, and agree on the
pursuit of violence."

MCELDOWNEY

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