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 000838 
 
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 
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Gul: U.S. stepping up pressure on us - Milliyet 
NSC passes the `Iraq ball' to government - Sabah 2/1 
Government utters a reluctant `Yes' to U.S. - Aksam 
Gul: War inevitable - Turkiye 
Gul: Iraq operation after Sacrifice Holiday - Vatan 
NSC gives green light for `Northern Front' - Milliyet 2/2 
3,000 bombs on Baghdad in 48 hours - Hurriyet 
$14 billion to Turkey in return for transit of 50,000 U.S. 
troops - Hurriyet 2/1 
TGS deploys Hawk missiles to cover airports against Iraqi 
attacks - Sabah 
Erdogan rejects NSC criticism about Cyprus - Hurriyet 2/2 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Washington impatient, demands immediate authorization - 
Cumhuriyet 
Washington uneasy with NSC decisions - Cumhuriyet 2/2 
Decision week for Turkey - Radikal 
Yakis: Turkey asks NATO for Patriot, AWACS protection - 
Radikal 2/2 
Rice: We'll run Iraq `temporarily' after Saddam - Zaman 
3200 American poets declare February 12 `Poetry Day Against 
War' - Yeni Safak 
UN Cyprus plan to bring $7.8 billion cost - Yeni Safak 2/2 
Columbia crashes, U.S. in shock - Zaman 2/2 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Turkey, Syria tie $300 million trade deal - Dunya 
Iraq crisis increased Turkey's energy bill by 14 percent - 
Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: Papers report Prime Minister Gul's announcement of the 
government's decision to give support to the U.S. on Iraq. 
The long-term interests of Turkey oblige us to provide 
support to the U.S., Gul said.  He added that the U.S. 
wanted to begin upgrading Turkish bases and ports before 
February 10, and that a related draft would be submitted to 
the parliament in two or three days.  If approved by the 
parliament on February 6, the government will ask the TGS to 
sign a related protocol with the U.S..  The U.S. will step 
up pressure on the government for a swift parliamentary 
approval, whereas the AKP will delay a decision to avoid 
reaction from its grassroots, according to dailies. 
Opposition CHP's leader Baykal said his party would approve 
deployment of Turkish troops in Northern Iraq, but would 
object to the stationing of U.S. troops in Turkey.  The 
Turkish military's buildup on the Iraqi border continued 
over the weekend.  Friday's National Security Council (NSC) 
meeting advised the government to get parliamentary approval 
for deployment of U.S. troops in Turkey, and for sending 
Turkish troops to Northern Iraq.  Reports speculate that the 
government will seek parliamentary approval for war only 
after all peace attempts are exhausted and a new UN decision 
is reached.  Sunday's dailies write that the U.S., unhappy 
with the GOT's intention to wait for a resolution by the 
UNSC, is urging the Turkish side to make a decision before 
the Sacrifice Holiday that begins this weekend. 
 
 
Cyprus: In an exclusive to "Sabah," U/S of State Marc 
Grossman has urged the sides to exert effort for the 
approval of the UN-sponsored Cyprus peace plan before the 
February 28 deadline.  Grossman refrained from criticizing 
Denktas.  If the Cyprus issue is resolved, Grossman said, 
the EU's full membership negotiations with Turkey might even 
start earlier than the scheduled date of December 2004. 
Grossman made clear that the U.S. would oppose any agreement 
that would carry the island back to the pre-1974 situation. 
In response to a NSC warning that statements which might 
weaken Denktas' hand should be avoided, AKP leader Erdogan 
said that Turkey's interests require a compromise in Cyprus, 
and that the Annan plan was an opportunity that must be 
seized. 
 
 
Edelman slated as new U.S. envoy to Turkey: Dailies cite a 
NYT story which claimed that Vice President Cheney's 
advisor, Eric Edelman, was the candidate to replace U.S. 
Ambassador to Ankara, Robert Pearson.  A specialist on 
Russia, Edelman could be assigned to Ankara this summer. 
 
 
Erdogan critical of autonomous boards: In response to press 
reports criticizing the Banking Supervisory and Control 
Board (BDDK) protocol with the bankrupt Pamukbank, which 
relieves the owner Mehmet Emin Karamehmet of his $5.2 
billion debt, AKP leader Erdogan said that the government 
had nothing to do with the operation.  `We prefer autonomous 
boards to be subject to political authority.  Bankrupt banks 
have already put a $50 billion burden on the economy, and 
such moves add to that amount,' Erdogan complained. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
 
"The plans for northern Iraq and Ankara's delay" 
Washington correspondent of mass appeal Milliyet, Yasemin 
Congar wrote (2/3): "Mark your calendar for the meeting in 
Erbil on February 15.  The Iraqi opposition meeting will 
determine the fate of the Iraqi regime once Saddam is gone. 
. Despite the ongoing full-speed planning in Washington 
about the future shape of Iraq, Turkey has still not 
finalized its decision.  The AKP apparently has felt an 
enormous burden over its responsibility on this issue, yet 
this is only causing Ankara to become less influential on 
the process. . The Bush administration is watching the 
Turkish parliament very closely.  If the AKP administration 
decides to call a parliamentary session after the religious 
holiday, it might have a negative affect on Washington's 
operational plans as well as Ankara's plans about northern 
Iraq." 
 
 
"Matter of weeks, or maybe days" 
Hasan Unal wrote in Islamic-intellectual Zaman (2/3): "The 
statements of Bush and Blair provide a clear indication 
about the timing of the coming war.  The US will evidently 
not sit and watch after its immense military build-up.  The 
current conditions indicate the start of a war within the 
February-March period.  . The war might begin despite all of 
Turkey's efforts for a diplomatic solution.  Once the war 
starts, Turkey will be inevitably on the US's side, yet the 
delayed action will prevent Turkey from making its case 
about Iraq to its allies.  It will not only work against 
Turkey's interests, but also bring a lot trouble in the near- 
term.  In the event that Turkey persists in opposing a war, 
the US will act unilaterally, and the reshaping of Iraq will 
certainly be against Turkey's interests and security 
concerns. . Both of these options are very dangerous for 
Turkey. . The best option seems to be Turkey's full 
involvement in this affair after very good bargaining with 
the US based on Turkey's interests and benefits.  Yet time 
is running out for us to achieve such a goal.  We do not 
have the luxury to waste time or consume our energy with 
ideological rationale.  At least the AKP government should 
stay away from the anti-war debates based on ideological 
justifications.  Otherwise we will face not only undesired 
developments in Iraq but also lose America's friendship." 
 
 
PEARSON