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 008561 
 
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, NOVEMBER 22, 2002 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
                    ------- 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Copenhagen decision: Turkey will be monitored for six months 
-Hurriyet 
Erdogan: Constitutional changes to be completed in one month 
- Milliyet 
First visit to Gul is from US - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Denktas has objections to UN plan -Radikal 
Erdogan: Cyprus issue can not be solved with hawkish 
policies - Yeni Safak 
Denktas: UN's Cyprus plan unacceptable - Cumhuriyet 
Erdogan's three keys to premiership - Yeni Safak 
Gendarme's success in the fight against torture - Radikal 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Speaker Hastert: Turkey is a model country 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
EU: "Hurriyet" revealed a roadmap prepared by the EU 
Commission for Turkey.  Reportedly, the roadmap was 
discussed during recent contacts with AKP leader Erdogan in 
Brussels.  The EU plans to present Turkey with the roadmap, 
which contains conditions for the start of accession talks, 
by December 5.  According to "Hurriyet", at the Copenhagen 
Summit Turkey will be given a `meeting date.'  The  EU will 
then monitor developments in Turkey for six months.  If 
Turkey meets all the conditions during this six months, it 
will be given a `negotiation date' at the next EU summit in 
June 2003. 
 
 
Cyprus: "Milliyet" reports that TRNC President Denktas is 
against the UN's Cyprus peace plan.  Denktas was quoted as 
saying that `we will not accept measures that will transform 
the Turkish Cypriots into a minority; the plan leaves no 
room for Turkish sovereignty in Cyprus; Turkish Cypriots 
would vanish with the migration of Greek Cypriots to the 
north.'  "Radikal" reports Erdogan's comments concerning 
Cyprus during his European tour.  Erdogan reportedly said 
that `The Cyprus issue has not been solved in decades.  We 
want a solution now, not new problems.  Hawkish policies 
will get us nowhere'. 
 
 
Constitutional Changes:  Most papers report on AKP leader 
Erdogan's intention to change the constitution in order to 
lift the barriers that prevent him from becoming  prime 
minister.  "Milliyet" reports that in a discussion with 
journalists on the plane from Dublin to Strasbourg, Erdogan 
said that article 109 of the constitution, which requires 
that the Prime Minister be a parliamentarian, would be 
amended to allow for Erdogan to become the Prime Minister 
within a month.  "Hurriyet" also quotes Erdogan as saying 
that constitutional changes for his premiership would be 
passed by the parliament within a month. 
Speaker Hastert: Most papers cover US House Speaker Dennis 
Hastert's visit to PM Gul and Speaker Arinc.  Hastert, the 
first foreign dignitary to meet with Turkey's new Prime 
Minister and the newly-elected Parliament speaker, was 
quoted as saying that `the United States would seek Turkey's 
assistance to bring stability to Iraq if the UN's inspection 
mission to Baghdad fails.  The US understands Turkey's 
concerns for a possible operation against Iraq, including 
the possible financial losses from such an operation.' 
 
 
Human Rights:  "Radikal" reports that the Turkish gendarme 
has been successful in reducing incidents of torture since 
1992, when the gendarme began training its staff on human 
rights issues.  After ten years of training, complaints to 
the European Human Rights Court originating from regions 
controlled by the gendarme have decreased dramatically. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
 
a) NATO Summit 
b)   UN Cyprus Plan 
 
 
"The NATO Summit" 
Zeynep Gurcanli wrote in the tabloid Star (11/22): "The NATO 
summit took place in the land of a former enemy, which has 
now become a brand new member of the Alliance.  The Prague 
summit in fact brought the answer to the argument that 
`there is no need for NATO any more.'  NATO is changing, and 
so are its priorities.  Communism is no longer enemy, 
instead it is terrorism. . The tight security in Prague in 
itself proved the importance of terrorism in this changing 
world.  More importantly, as the events of September 11 
showed, every member of NATO is open to the new threat. . 
The summit also set a series of new rules that change the 
concept of the fight against terrorism.  These rules forbid 
`undemocratic practices,' `violations of human rights' and 
`maintaining trade relations with human rights violators.' 
This means that the new world order led by George Bush is 
expanding into every aspect of our lives." 
 
 
"No Change in Denktas" 
Editor-in-Chief Ismet Berkan argued in the intellectual- 
liberal Radikal (11/22): "Denktas finally unveiled his real 
intention by describing the UN Cyprus plan as `not worthy of 
negotiation.'  It seems that the main goal for the Turkish 
Cypriot leader is to preserve the current deadlock on the 
issue and not to work for a solution. The reason for 
standing against the Annan plan is the so-called migration 
issue.  If the migration issue in the plan is the big plot 
against Turkish Cypriots as the voices of opposition claim, 
I should note that they most likely did not even bother to 
read the whole text.  The plan foresees a transition period 
of 20 years, which gives everyone time to sort out the 
territorial and migration details.  Besides, this is what 
negotiation is for, is it not?  . What is more important for 
the Turkish Cypriots: sovereignty or territory?  Listen to 
what former President Evren has said recently:  Denktas told 
him that `sovereignty' was most important, and in fact 
during the 1974 operation the Turkish side was planning to 
trade territory for sovereignty gains. . Given these facts, 
one really cannot possibly understand why Denktas is 
reluctant to sit at the negotiating table. . The plan is a 
chance not to be missed, and there should be the basis of an 
agreement on Cyprus before December 12."