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 001990 
 
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 26, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Surprise $8.5 billion aid from U.S. - Milliyet 
Gen. Osman to set up HQ in Silopi - Hurriyet 
Bagdad can resist for six months - Sabah 
U.S. troops at Baghdad doorstep - Aksam 
Desert storm hits U.S., UK troops - Aksam 
Barzani: I'm out - Turkiye 
Blair: Northern Iraqi Kurds will stay autonomous - Vatan 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
80 km to Baghdad - Radikal 
Baghdad preparing to resist - Cumhuriyet 
Epidemic might hit 100,000 children in Basra - Yeni Safak 
Rumsfeld defends his war strategy - Zaman 
Ankara: Iraq might turn into another Lebanon - Radikal 
NYT urges Perle to resign - Yeni Safak 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Fitch lowers Turkey's grade to B(-) - Dunya 
Khalilzad believes aid might be extended to Turkey via IMF - 
Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: In a `surprising' change of attitude, say papers, the 
White House has offered Turkey $1 billion in grants which 
could be used to get loans up to $8.5 billion.  The loan 
aims to keep Turkey out of Northern Iraq, and to encourage 
increased cooperation with the U.S.  `The grant might be 
jeopardized if Turkey enters Northern Iraq,' an anonymous 
U.S. official said.  "Vatan" reports about the ongoing 
disagreement between the U.S. and Turkey over political and 
military issues.  The U.S. says Turkish troops should be put 
under the command of coalition forces, while Turkey prefers 
independent action that would be coordinated with U.S. 
troops.  "Zaman" carries the U.S. concern that Turkish 
troops might be permanently settled in the region.  AKP 
officials are busy drafting a new motion for cooperation 
with the U.S., papers report.  According to the motion, the 
U.S. will be advised to deploy troops in Northern Iraq 
instead of Turkey, and to keep Kurdish groups under control. 
On the other hand, Parliamentary Speaker Arinc blamed the 
Turkish press on Tuesday for being a mouthpiece for the 
Pentagon.  `Those who block democracy from prevailing in the 
region can't complain of Saddam.  The U.S.-UK operation 
against Iraq without a UN decision is not legitimate,' Arinc 
said.  The commander of U.S. special forces in Northern 
Iraq, General Henry Osman, said on Tuesday that they would 
exert efforts to coordinate humanitarian aid for refugees 
and the protection of minorities in the region.  "Hurriyet" 
claims Gen. Osman is planning to set up his HQ in the 
Turkish border town of Silopi.  Papers report that the U.S 
delivered six search and rescue helicopters and 82 
containers of military equipment to Iskenderun port on 
Tuesday.  The MFA confirmed that the helicopters came for 
humanitarian purposes.  Most papers asserted that U.S. 
personnel are not leaving Turkey.  "Turkiye claims that 
Washington has been abandoned by allied Kurdish groups.  PUK 
leader Talabani, engaged in a conflict with Iranian groups 
on the border, is trying to avoid fighting with Iraqi 
forces.  Barzani is reluctant to fight with the Iraqis as 
well, saying he does not have sufficient troops or weapons. 
U.S. Presidential Envoy Khalilzad had to go to Northern Iraq 
to convince Kurdish leaders to be more supportive.  The U.S.- 
led military campaign might trigger civil war in Iraq, an 
anonymous Turkish intelligence source told "Radikal."  Kurds 
might confront Arabs in the north, and Shiites might attack 
Sunnis in the south.  That is why Ankara is against U.S. 
plans for controlling Kirkuk in cooperation with Talabani, 
and sharing control of Mosul with Barzani.  Meanwhile, in a 
televised press conference from Diyarbakir, TGS Chief 
General Ozkok said Wednesday morning that a possible attack 
on Turkish troops in Northern Iraq or a flow of refugees 
have been Turkey's most serious security concerns.  If 
Turkish forces present in the region cannot manage to cope 
with such threats, Ankara might consider sending additional 
troops there, Gen. Ozkok said.  `However, our strategic 
ally, the United States, is currently engaged in a war in 
the region, and we will coordinate our action with the U.S.' 
`We do not intend to set up a permanent buffer zone inside 
Northern Iraq.  If developments reach a certain point, we 
won't engage in armed conflict except if needed for self- 
defense.  Despite all our transparency, some allied 
countries' skeptical view of Turkey has deeply affected the 
Turkish people.  I can't understand those who see a threat 
overseas but don't believe Turkey faces the same kind of 
threat just across its border,' the General said.  Ozkok 
also said that `Iraq must be disarmed for the security of 
Turkey and the region, but without ridding it of its 
capability of self-defense.  However, this is neither our 
war nor our task.  Our foreign policy requires that Iraq's 
oil resources should be used by the entire Iraqi nation.' 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  War in Iraq 
 
 
"The US in Iraq: An invader or savior?" 
Mehmet Barlas argued in mass appeal Sabah (3/26): "Currently 
the people of Iraq, regardless of their being pro-Saddam or 
not, consider the US army as an invader.  The psychology is 
much different from that of the days of Desert Storm. 
Iraqis were 
well aware of their mistake in invading Kuwait. Therefore 
the Desert Storm operation did not experience any resistance 
on the Iraqi side. . However, the situation is not the same 
at present.  The US seems to be fighting to capture Iraq 
after toppling Saddam.  The  Iraqis are fighting against the 
power that invades their motherland.  In the eyes of the 
Iraqi people, being saved from Saddam cannot be an excuse 
for being invaded by the US.   It is clear that once the war 
is over and an American victory secured, the US identity in 
Iraq will be as `occupying force,' not `savior.'" 
 
 
"The war and Turkish foreign policy" 
Sami Kohen expects some Turkish foreign policy changes 
during the post-war era in mass appeal Milliyet (3/26): 
"Once the war is over, there will be an immediate impact on 
Turkish foreign policy.  Given the fact that strategic 
relations between Turkey and the US have been damaged, it 
remains to be seen whether Turkish foreign policy will 
incline  more toward the EU side or the Islamic world. . The 
Turkish government, as can be seen in a statement by Foreign 
Minister Gul, is stressing that the tiff with the US is 
completely undesired and has not been created deliberately. 
Turkey does not consider EU and the US as alternatives to 
each other.  .The wise thing to do for the future of Turkish 
foreign policy is to pursue efforts to enhance relations 
with both the US and the EU.  The same argument goes for 
other international policy centers as well.  Yet the overall 
atmosphere in the Iraq war as well as its outcome will shape 
the new trends in Turkish foreign policy." 
 
 
PEARSON