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 001508 
 
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, MARCH 10, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Erdogan in full power - Milliyet 
Erdogan to U.S. envoy: Turkomen problem must be solved - 
Sabah 
Grossman: Turkey can't enter northern Iraq alone - Aksam 3/8 
Grossman surprises Ankara: Can't go to Iraq without decree - 
Turkiye 3/8 
Jimmy carter: Unjust war - Hurriyet 
Blix: No evidence - Vatan 3/8 
Irak extradites Kenneth O'Keefe - Hurriyet 3/9 
Turkey will reject Annan plan at The Hague - Milliyet 3/9 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Bush disregards world, will strike Iraq without UN - 
Cumhuriyet 3/8 
Bush: Don't need permission for our security - Radikal 3/8 
U.S. stance encourages Kurdish groups - Cumhuriyet 3/9 
Turkomen: Northern Iraq might become Bosnia - Yeni Safak 
Denktas: The Hague not the last station - Cumhuriyet 
Erdogan: Annan deceived us - Radikal 
Turkish military buildup, 500 vehicles on Iraqi border - 
Zaman 3/8 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
IMF, Turkey bargaining to continue in Washington - Dunya 
EU to send 32 million Euro for unemployed - Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Erdogan's path cleared: AKP won all three seats in the Siirt 
election, clearing the path for Tayyip Erdogan to assume the 
post of Prime Minister.  AKP won 84.75 percent of the vote. 
There was a 62.31 percent turnout, largely due to the 
election boycott by pro-Kurdish DEHAP.  President Sezer will 
task Erdogan on March 13 or 14 to form a new government, 
according to press reports.  The new distribution of seats 
in parliament is: AKP 365, CHP 177, DYP 2, and 6 
independents. 
 
 
Iraq: Monday's dailies say U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Robert 
Pearson, reminded Erdogan about the U.S. ultimatum to Iraq 
to fully disarm by March 17, and urged him to submit a new 
decree for deployment of foreign troops in Turkey to the 
parliament by that date.  Erdogan in turn brought to the 
agenda Ankara's concern about the status of the Turkomen, 
and asked for solid guarantees against a prospective Kurdish 
state in Iraq.  Speaking to a TV channel on Sunday, Erdogan 
called on the U.S. to take some steps forward which would 
enable Ankara to `soften the atmosphere,' and thus convince 
renegade deputies.  Sunday's papers claim that visiting U.S. 
Congressmen pressed Ankara to pass the motion on Monday. 
Monday's "Cumhuriyet" reports on the February 8 `secret 
agreement' on base modernization between the U.S. and 
Turkey.  According to the report, the agreement allows for 
the transfer of U.S. military personnel to the Southeast, 
including the establishment of a logistical base in Mardin, 
where 600 American technicians and 200 military personnel 
will settle.  Sunday's papers highlight parliamentary 
speaker Arinc's complaint about the ongoing transfer of U.S. 
equipment from the port of Iskenderun to the Southeast.  CHP 
is about to submit a bill to the parliament requesting a 
parliamentary inquiry regarding the U.S. military 
mobilization in the region.  Saturday's papers report PUK 
leader Talabani's representative Barham Salih's meetings 
with the MFA on Friday, after which Salih said he received 
guarantees from the Turks that northern Iraq will not be 
occupied.  U/S of State Grossman warned Ankara again on CNN- 
Turk on Friday to refrain from intervention in northern 
Iraq.  Reports highlight Grossman's remarks that the U.S. is 
capable of opening a northern front without Turkey's 
assistance.  Saturday's "Hurriyet" reports on its front page 
that Mersin port's operations director Bekir Kucuksahin was 
sacked for clearing the port facilities to enable the 
unloading of U.S. military equipment from the Panama-flagged 
Cec Meridian vessel.  Hurriyet says Kucuksahin was sacked by 
the harbor management for `weakening their hand' in the 
bargaining with Americans about the rental fee.  The Cec 
Meridian, waiting at the Mersin harbor since March 5, was 
not allowed to unload. 
 
 
Cyprus: AKP leader Erdogan criticized UN Secretary General 
Annan on Sunday for `deceiving' Ankara after having promised 
changes in the third plan regarding the sovereignty and 
migration issues.  The changes were allegedly not made.  `We 
cannot accept the plan in its current shape.  However, Turks 
will go to The Hague. We will not burn bridges,' Erdogan 
said.  Denktas flew to The Hague on Sunday to reject the 
Annan plan.  Meanwhile, 15,000 Turkish Cypriots rallied 
against Denktas on Sunday. Turkish Cypriot opposition 
parties have decided to boycott the parliament until March 
30, and said they would carry out the referendum on the 
scheduled date even if the parliament decides against the 
Annan proposal. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
a) Iraq/US-Turkey 
b) Cyprus 
 
 
"This is the last week" 
Yasemin Congar wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (3/10): "It 
seems very unlikely that the war can be stopped at this 
stage.  The Bush administration is not going to change its 
policy, even though the French-led split at the UNSC signals 
a potential risk of polarization within the Western world. 
It also seems very unlikely that Saddam Hussein will take a 
significant step which might change the course of events. 
Talking to US officials in Washington, I have come to the 
conclusion that nothing can possibly prevent the war. . The 
US will use the next couple of days in efforts to convince 
the six `undecided' members of the UNSC.  There are some 
members who clearly stand against a new resolution. Yet the 
fact of the matter is that Washington's focus is not on the 
opposition at the UNSC anymore, but is more concerned about 
the war and post-war possibilities.  President Bush is well 
aware of the fact that this war is to play a determinative 
role in his political future. . The administration in 
general is very optimistic about a short and effective war 
in Iraq which, as they predict, will lead to a quick 
restructuring of Iraq.  In the end, they believe, the Iraqis 
will treat the US as a savior.  The optimism goes even 
further.  Washington believes that a newly restructured Iraq 
will stand as a model to other Arab countries, and that an 
Iraq operation will be the way to establish peace and 
stability in the Middle East.  In the event that this very 
optimistic scenario comes true, we might see George Bush as 
the new Harry Truman." 
 
 
"The strategic mistrust between Turkey and the US on the 
Kurdish issue" 
Ali Aslan writes from Washington in the Islamic-intellectual 
Zaman (3/10): "It is interesting to observe the strong 
opposition to a Turkish incursion in northern Iraq among 
both the `hawks' and `doves' in Washington.  The American 
press, right after the parliamentary vote, joined the chorus 
with a series of articles signaling a potential clash 
between Turkey and Kurdish groups. . The strangest part of 
the story comes with the fact that in the event of 
parliamentary approval, the Turkish military would have been 
in northern Iraq anyway.  How would those Kurdish groups 
with strong anti-Turkish sentiment have reacted then?  Most 
of these Kurdish leaders take every step by consulting with 
Washington first.  How could they speak so much against 
Turkey?  Why is Washington unable to stop them? . Since the 
US has assumed the role of Iraq's restructuring, and since 
the US is close enough to both the Turks and the Kurds, all 
of the potential risks can be eliminated if Washington 
handles the events with common sense.  That means being 
objective and impartial.  There is a potential risk of 
deepening Turkish-American strategic mistrust in the event 
that Washington loses its objectivity." 
 
 
"Search for a settlement on Cyprus" 
Erdal Guven opined in the intellectual-liberal Radikal 
(3/10): "The Turkish Cypriot side suffers from a lack of 
political will for a solution, and the Greek Cypriot side 
demonstrates significant uncertainty about its policy.  In 
the meantime, the clock is ticking toward the deadline.  By 
remembering the previously-imposed yet unimplemented 
deadlines, we can expect that there might be another date -- 
March 25, for example -- to reach a settlement. . However, 
there is not much hope, at least from the meeting today in 
the Hague. . The outcome of the Hague process, as a matter 
of fact, will not only affect Cyprus but also will affect a 
large number of things, predominantly Turkish-Greek 
relations, stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish- 
American relations, and Turkish-EU relations.  It is a fact 
that a mistake during the Hague process will not be easily 
corrected." 
PEARSON