This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 005354
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
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2005
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:
HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
--------------------------------------------- --
HEADLINES
MASS APPEAL
Erdogan: Turkey-US Alliance Strong - Hurriyet
Rehn: The Sooner Turkey Recognizes Cyprus, the Better -
Hurriyet
Scowcroft: Armenian `Genocide' Bills Will Harm US-Turkey
Ties - Hurriyet
A `Grand Coalition' Possible in Germany - Aksam
A Second Schroeder-Fischer Coalition in Germany - Sabah
US Forces Take Control of Tal Afar - Aksam
Talabani: No Timetable for US Iraq Pullout - Sabah
Talabani Thanks to Bush for Liberating Iraq - Vatan
Iraq Raises Tensions with Syria - Aksam
Ahmedinajad: Nuclear Energy God's Gift to Iran - Vatan
OPINION MAKERS
Erdogan Issues PKK, Kirkuk Warnings in US - Yeni Safak
Erdogan: Iraq Must Not Turn into a Training Field for
Terrorists - Zaman
US to Bring Back the Annan Plan - Yeni Safak
Armenian `Genocide' Bills to be Taken to US Congress - Zaman
Schroeder: Turkey Will Make it to the EU - Radikal
Talabani: Bush Is The Man Who Saved Iraq - Cumhuriyet
Rehn: Pamuk Court Case a `Road Accident' for Turkey -
Radikal
Tide Turns in German Elections - Cumhuriyet
Schroeder, Merkel Reject a `Grand Coalition' - Zaman
Syria on Target Again - Cumhuriyet
Reform Summit Kicked Off at UN - Radikal
Black Americans Fume at Bush - Yeni Safak
Death Toll Rises in Katrina-Stricken Zones - Cumhuriyet
BRIEFING
Erdogan in New York: Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, in New
York to attend the UN summit, addressed the Foreign
Relations Council on Turkish foreign policy on Tuesday,
papers report. Erdogan said that Turkey cannot remain
indifferent to the developments concerning Kirkuk, warning
against attempts by `one ethnic group' to dominate the city,
which is sure to draw reactions from the Turkmen and other
ethnic groups. He pointed to the PKK presence in northern
Iraq as posing a serious threat against Turkey and stressed
the need to fight against the terror organization. Erdogan
underlined developments that he called `dramatic' in Cyprus
and criticized the Greek Cypriots' `uncompromising' attitude
after being `rewarded' by the EU. `No one should expect
anything from us unless the international isolation of the
Turkish Cypriots is brought to an end,' he emphasized.
Erdogan also said that integration with the EU, one of the
priorities of Turkish foreign policy, did not constitute an
alternate to Turkey's special ties with the United States.
`Our relations with the United States and the EU complement
each other,' he stressed. Erdogan stated that Turkey has
voiced readiness to Baghdad to train Iraqi security forces.
`Turkey is providing humanitarian assistance to Iraq,
including medicines and energy. We have close kinship
relations with Iraq, but the presence of PKK/Kongra-Gel in
the north makes us uneasy,' said Erdogan. The PM will
reportedly meet the presidents of Pakistan, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Albania, Kyrgyzstan and Austria, and the prime
ministers of Israel, Spain and some EU countries during his
stay in New York. Papers expect Erdogan to seek support for
a temporary seat for Turkey at the UN Security Council for
2009-2010 on the sidelines of the summit.
Erdogan on US-Turkey: Prime Minister Erdogan told the
representatives of the Turkish media aboard his plane en
route to New York to participate in the 60th UN Summit
meetings that `if an opportunity arises,' he wanted to talk
with President Bush about `important issues' such as Iraq
and Cyprus. Erdogan noted that he will also discuss the
`Alliance of Civilizations' project with Secretary-General
Annan and the Spanish PM Zapatero. As regards the US
attitude toward the PKK, Erdogan said that the Charge
d'Affaires in Ankara, Nancy McEldowney, was honest when she
stressed at a 9/11 ceremony on Sunday that the US sees no
difference between bin Ladin and Ocalan. He recalled that
SACEUR General James Jones came to Turkey, and that he made
statements to the press. `There are some positive
developments in terms of both countries. We see new and
positive steps with regard to developments in Iraq every
day, and we hope that these steps will become more concrete.
If I have a chance to meet Talabani in New York, I will ask
what he meant in some of his statements,' the PM said.
Erdogan Meets Jewish Representatives in New York: Prime
Minister Erdogan participated in a reception hosted by
President Bush in honor of the heads of state and government
attending the UN Summit in New York yesterday. Erdogan
earlier received representatives of the American Jewish
Committee (AJC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), B'nai Brith
and other Jewish associations. The Jewish representatives
said after the meeting that Erdogan had very positive ideas
and was open to suggestions. They thanked Erdogan for the
role Turkey played in the rapprochement between Israel and
Pakistan.
US Forces Take Control of Tal Afar: US forces took full
control over the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar following a
large-scale operation being carried out by 5,000 troops
since September 2, reports "Aksam." Suspects captured in
the city were sent to the Badus prison after being
interrogated at the Tomarat base. A hundred and fifty-seven
insurgents were killed during the operation, says the
report.
US to Bring Back the Annan Plan: "Yeni Safak" cites the
Greek Cypriot "Fileleftheros" daily as claiming that the US
was preparing to bring back the Annan Plan. "Fileleftheros"
quoted DAS Matt Bryza as asserting that the US will continue
to `strengthen' north Cyprus because of the support the
Turkish Cypriots gave to the UN-sponsored plan for
reunification in the divided island, says "Yeni Safak."
Scowcroft Urges Hastert to Oppose Armenian `Genocide' Bills:
The American-Turkish Council (ATC) Chairman Brent Scowcroft
urged the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Denis
Hastert, in a letter to oppose two bills claiming the
`genocide' of Armenians by Ottoman forces early in the 20th
century, papers report. Observers expect the bills to be
approved at the House Foreign Relations Committee on
Thursday. US-Turkey ties will be damaged if the bills are
submitted to the Congress, Scowcroft warned. Scowcroft
called on Armenian President Kocharian to give a positive
response to the olive branch extended by Prime Minister
Erdogan. He noted that Washington must help Turkey on the
eve of October 3, the date set for opening EU entry
negotiations with Ankara.
Turkey Sends US Humanitarian Aid of 2.5 Million USD: Turkey
gave the US Red Crescent 1.5 million USD of financial aid
for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and is to send 1
million USD of humanitarian aid to the disaster area,
reports "Yeni Safak."
Sensoy to Replace Ambassador Logoglu in Washington: Turkish
Foreign Ministry (MFA) Deputy U/S Nabi Sensoy, formerly the
Turkish Ambassador to Moscow, will replace Faruk Logoglu in
Washington, papers report. Deputy U/S for EU Volkan Bozkir
will be appointed to Brussels as Turkey's permanent
representative, and special Iraq envoy Osman Koruturk will
be the new Turkish Ambassador in Paris. President Sezer
approved the new diplomatic assignments.
Lawsuit against Pamuk Can Be Dropped: The lawsuit filed
against renowned Turkish author Orhan Pamuk can be dropped
the same day of its first hearing on grounds that the suit
was filed after the end of the legal four-month period for
taking legal action, "Hurriyet" says. Pamuk was charged
with denigrating Turkey when he said in an interview with a
Swiss magazine that one million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds
were killed by Turks. The paper stresses that PEN writers
and the "Washington Post" had described the court case as a
blow to freedom of expression on the eve of the opening of
EU entry talks with Turkey, and that the EU was closely
monitoring developments regarding the issue.
Iraq Ankara Embassy Rejects Accusations against Hamdi: On
Tuesday, the Iraq Embassy in Ankara rejected in a statement
press reports against Tarik Hamdi, the embassy press officer
saying that he was `clean.' Hamdi, a US national of Iraqi
heritage, was accused of taking satellite phone batteries to
bin Ladin in Afghanistan in 1998. Hamdi was working for ABC
TV when he met bin Ladin in Afghanistan for an interview,
the Iraq embassy said, adding that he was also `cleared' by
the FBI.
EDITORIAL OPINION: Middle East; UN
"The Chance for Regional Role"
Sami Kohen commented in the mass appeal "Milliyet" (9/14):
"The Israeli pull-out from the Gaza strip has provided some
hopes about the future of peace process. Sharon made a
courageous step by implementing the withdrawal plan. If all
goes well, we can hope for some positive developments in the
near future in the peace process. For instance, if Israel
pulls out from controlling the Gaza strip, it may lead to
the revival of negotiations regarding the West Bank. There
are two conditions to meet in order to see that things are
going in the right direction. First of all, the Abbas
administration should gain full authority in Palestine as
well as ensure full security. As for the Israeli side, the
Sharon administration should express determination about
transferring authority of the West Bank to the Palestinian
administration and should take some steps on this regard.
It goes without saying that to meet such conditions is going
to be very tough for both sides. But it is very important
to have the currently achieved momentum continue. All of
this also brings new opportunities for Turkey to play a
regional role."
"Corruption in the UN"
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the mass appeal-conservative
"Turkiye" (9/14): "President Bush's accusing UNSG Kofi Annan
of corruption [sic] is a serious development which can be
considered among the biggest corruption accusations in
history. It is funny that Kofi Annan was elected to this
position with the support of the US. But now he is accused
by the US of a severe case of corruption. It is for sure
that the US will stop its financial aid to the United
Nations. Twenty-five percent of the enormous UN budget is
provided by the US, and cutting that portion means very bad
news for the organization. This budget figure shows that
the US, in fact, is in charge of the United Nations as well.
. The new UN session starts now in the shadow of a scandal.
There seems some difficult days ahead for the UNSG Annan."
MCELDOWNEY