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 001386 
 
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, MARCH 4, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Grossman: Turkey losing its chance - Turkiye 
Grossman warns: Turkey to miss Iraqi train - Aksam 
Threats did not work, but U.S. could not discard Turkey - 
Sabah 
Upgrading of Turkish bases suspended - Hurriyet 
Kurds burn Turkish flags in Erbil - Vatan 
Cost of decree refusal: Government levies new taxes - 
Turkiye 
New tax `missiles' launched by government - Milliyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Government seeks new bargaining with U.S. - Radikal 
Barzani has gone too far - Yeni Safak 
Barzani-Talabani solidarity - Zaman 
TGS Chief: We'll never allow a Kurdish state - Cumhuriyet 
Newsweek: Bush starts his day with religious texts - Zaman 
Weston: Erdogan gave assurances on Cyprus - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
IMF likes the austerity package - Dunya 
Turkey, U.S. Chamber of Commerce in NY - Dunya 
Babacan: War fear obliged us to introduce new taxes - 
Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: Analysts emphasize that the political cost to 
Washington is high if it attacks Iraq without the support of 
Turkey, for the American `Plan B' for striking Iraq solely 
from the south does not promise success.  This view follows 
the rejection by the Turkish parliament of a decision for 
foreign troop deployment in Turkey.  In an interview with 
the Turkish news channel NTV, Undersecretary of State 
Grossman voiced disappointment with the rejection of the 
decree, but stressed that Washington respected the decision 
adopted democratically by the parliament.  All papers carry 
Grossman's remarks extensively, and put the focus on his 
warnings that Turkey might miss the opportunity for playing 
an active role in the restructuring of a post-war Iraq and 
the region.  Grossman issued messages of hope with elements 
of threat, and warned Ankara to refrain from unilateral 
action in northern Iraq.  "Radikal" carried the comments of 
AKP officials urging Washington to take a step forward to 
help the government convince parliament and the electorate 
regarding permission for foreign troop deployments on 
Turkish soil.  Parliamentary speaker Arinc said that the 
motion permitting U.S. troops must not be presented to the 
assembly again in the same form.  U.S. teams in Turkey for 
modernization of air bases and harbors have suspended work 
until permission is voted by the parliament, papers report. 
Diplomatic sources think that if a second vote by parliament 
is delayed, the U.S. might merely ask the GOT to use bases 
and airspace.  `Negotiations with the U.S. continue.  The 
parliamentary decision is merely a stage in this open-ended 
process,' Foreign Minister Yakis said.  Meanwhile, thousands 
of Kurds staged an anti-Turkish rally in Erbil on Monday, 
burning Turkish flags and chanting "`Yes' to U.S. troops, 
`No' to Turks."  Papers quote a high-level MFA official as 
saying that a sovereign Kurdish state would be regarded by 
Ankara as a cause for war.  "Hurriyet" recalls that in March 
1991, it was Turkey that provided 500,000 fleeing Kurds 
shelter and food while the international community chose 
only to observe the tragedy.  "Radikal" claims that 
`diplomatic sources' have said that the U.S. participation 
in the latest Iraqi opposition meeting held in northern Iraq 
encouraged the Kurds to display this kind of reaction to 
Ankara. 
 
 
Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas has urged the UN to 
draft a new Cyprus plan through consultations with the two 
sides on the divided island.  Denktas said he was in no 
hurry, since the Greek Cypriots would join the EU in any 
case.  He is expected to visit Ankara this week before 
meeting with Annan and Papadopoulos at The Hague on March 10 
to discuss the referendum issue proposed by the UN Secretary 
General.  Reports comment that Ankara was skeptical about 
the referendum issue as well.  As a guarantor state, Turkey 
is concerned about putting a `reluctant signature' on the 
ambiguous document.  "Cumhuriyet" cites the Greek Cypriot 
daily "Fileleftheros" interview with Tom Weston, in which 
the U.S. Special Coordinator for Cyprus voiced satisfaction 
about the attitude of Ankara, and particularly of AKP leader 
Erdogan, regarding the Cyprus problem. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq/Turkish parliament's decision 
 
 
"The Ankara-Washington line for a second decree" 
Hasan Cemal wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (3/4): "It seems 
that the AKP administration is going through a kind of brain- 
storming to determine the best possible atmosphere to re- 
introduce the authorization decree to the parliament.  There 
is speculation about a second decree to be introduced in the 
event that certain steps are taken by the Bush 
administration with respect to the Turkomen and Iraqi Kurds, 
as well as some new economic gestures.  Another fact here is 
that the Turkish military is unhappy about the denial of 
permission by the parliament. . The chances for introducing 
a second decree are very small prior to the election in 
Siirt province on March 9.  Yet the fact of the matter is 
that the chances might be completely gone if Washington 
closes the door to Turkey." 
"A proud yet strategically short-sighted decision" 
Erhan Basyurt commented in Islamic-intellectual Zaman (3/4): 
"The parliament made a proud decision, yet it also contains 
the risk of being short-sighted in terms of Turkey's 
strategic interests.  The decision validates Turkey's 
concerns about northern Iraq.  The recent anti-Turkey 
demonstrations and other signs indicate that the Iraqi Kurds 
will focus more on achieving independence. . It would be 
wrong, however, for the government to produce a similar 
authorization decree in the short term.  Leaving it to the 
flow of time and waiting until certain issues are clarified 
looks like a more reasonable approach at this stage.  In 
that respect, Turkish parliamentary approval for the second 
decree might be an easier task if the UNSC passes a second 
resolution on March 7." 
 
 
"Who is behind the anti-Turkish sentiment: Kurds or the US?" 
Fatih Altayli argued in mass appeal Hurriyet (3/4): "The US 
has started playing its `Kurdish card' in an ugly way.   It 
is the US who deliberately provokes the anti-Turkey 
sentiment in northern Iraq.  Evidently this is part of US 
planning, but the demonstrations went beyond the limits by 
burning the Turkish flag.  The timing of these events is 
worth thinking about. . Oddly enough, the Turkish 
parliament's decision prevents an American-Turkish 
intervention in northern Iraq, and this is exactly what the 
Kurdish groups want.  Thus they should be thanking the 
Turkish parliament instead of burning the flags. . The US is 
playing a dirty game in northern Iraq." 
 
 
PEARSON