This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

051403Z Mar 03

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001411 
 
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, MARCH 5, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Erdogan signals a new decree - Hurriyet 
Gul: Negotiations with U.S. continue - Hurriyet 
U.S. to increase troops in Gulf to 250,000 - Sabah 
Bush awaiting Turkey's decision - Milliyet 
Bush insists U.S. still hopeful - Turkiye 
U.S.: No northern front without Turkey - Aksam 
Turkey is cornered on Iraq, EU - Vatan 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
U.S. gives Stingers, heavy weapons to Kurds - Cumhuriyet 
Ankara warns northern Iraqi Kurds - Radikal 
Turkish obstacle on the path to war - Yeni Safak 
Ankara summit for referendum in Cyprus - Zaman 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Tensions ease in markets - Dunya 
Iraq war delayed until Spring - Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: AKP leader Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey could 
not afford to remain a passive observer of developments in 
Iraq, and signaled that the motion rejected by the 
parliament last Saturday would be discussed again soon. U.S. 
Ambassador to Ankara Robert Pearson, who made a `surprise' 
call on Prime Minister Gul on Tuesday, conveyed messages of 
hope from President Bush to the Turkish government.  Gul 
complained to Pearson about insufficient U.S. support, and 
demanded a clear response from Washington about the status 
of the Turkomen in a post-war Iraq. Ambassador Pearson said 
there would be no aid without the approval of U.S. troops, 
but added he was hopeful for a second decision.  Erdogan's 
advisor Cuneyd Zapsu has told American papers that Erdogan 
has to strengthen his position in order to convince 
lawmakers, and stressed the necessity for new U.S. offers to 
Turkey.  All papers expect the motion to be discussed by the 
parliament in mid-March, after the Siirt by-election on 
March 9.  Reports see it as possible that the U.S. and 
Turkey might work out a new deal with slight changes in the 
amount of economic aid and terms of debt repayment. 
Comments highlight the fact that after the parliamentary 
refusal, the U.S. has started voicing objection to a Turkish 
military presence in northern Iraq, and refer to U/S of 
State Grossman's warning to Turkey to refrain from 
unilateral military action in northern Iraq.  "Radikal" 
columnist Murat Yetkin talks about how some in the Turkish 
Foreign Ministry felt uneasy about Grossman's remarks, which 
were interpreted as threatening.  Yetkin also points to 
Grossman's `evasiveness' when asked by a journalist on 
February 23 whether the US would side with the Turks or the 
Kurds in the event a choice becomes necessary.  Grossman's 
response reportedly had a negative impact in the minds of 
some parliamentarians.  "Milliyet" believes that Turkey's 
military is nervous that it may not be able to thwart a new 
Kurdish state in Iraq after a war in the absence of an 
agreement with the U.S. An Iraqi Kurdish official says that 
the U.S. has armed Kurdish military units with Stinger 
missiles and heavy weapons in advance of the war on Baghdad, 
according to "Cumhuriyet." `This is absolutely a 
provocation,' Foreign Minister Yakis said, criticizing Iraqi 
Kurds who burned Turkish flags during demonstrations in 
northern Iraq on Monday. 
Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas arrived in Ankara on 
Tuesday for talks on a UN request to hold a public 
referendum on March 30 on the revised Annan peace plan to 
unite the divided island.  Dailies predict tough days for 
Denktas as political parties in the Turkish Cypriot sector 
as well as the AKP have given a green light to the UN offer. 
The EU has told Turkey that full membership in the Union 
will be difficult without a solution on Cyprus.  `It will be 
much more difficult for the EU to begin accession 
negotiations with Turkey after May next year, when the Greek 
Cypriot side, which is not recognized by Turkey, becomes a 
full member of the EU,' said EU enlargement commissioner 
Verheugen. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq/US-Turkey 
 
 
"Turkish military is uneasy" 
Hasan Cemal analyzed in mass appeal Milliyet (3/5): "The 
Turkish military is disturbed by the fact that the 
authorization decree (to permit deployment of American 
troops in Turkey and Turkish troops in Northern Iraq) was 
rejected by the parliament.  The military wants to be in 
northern Iraq to protect Turkey's national security 
interests.  With the decree rejected, the Turkish military 
presence in northern Iraq has lost its legitimacy. . 
Interestingly enough, we keep receiving negative indications 
about the Turkish army's intervention in northern Iraq. 
Marc Grossman, for instance, emphasized two points as 
Washington's view: Turkey should not act unilaterally in 
northern Iraq; and Turkey is about to lose its chance to 
participate in the Iraq process. . Along with the recent 
anti-Turkish demonstrations in the region, we should be able 
to read Washington's message as follows: `In the absence of 
Turkish permission for a US northern front, the US will not 
be helpful to Turkey on northern Iraq.' . Due to these 
developments, the Washington-Ankara line for a second 
attempt for a parliamentary decision is underway.  AKP 
leader Erdogan's latest remark to the party members, that 
`we cannot afford to sit and watch development' is no 
coincidence." 
 
 
"Bargaining continues" 
Zeynep Gurcanli wrote in tabloid Star (3/5): "It is very 
realistic to believe that the AKP government is preparing to 
sit at the table with the US again, but it will be under 
Erdogan's premiership.  It is also not a coincidence that 
the government imposed additional taxes immediately after 
the permission was declined by the parliament. . Most 
likely, the second decree will be presented to the 
parliament and with the help of Erdogan's pressure upon the 
AKP deputies, and it will be accepted with a large majority. 
This will also serve Erdogan in his efforts to reclaim his 
leadership position.  In sum,  sooner or later we will see 
the American soldiers on Turkish soil." 
PEARSON