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

151426Z May 03

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 003205 
 
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 
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                    -------------------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Erdogan calls Bush: Ice between U.S., Turkey melting - 
Turkiye 
Rice: Tough period with Turkey over - Sabah 
Rice: American, Turkish cooperation will continue - Vatan 
U.S. sees Riyadh attack a new beginning by Al-Qaida - Sabah 
Al-Qaida still a significant threat - Milliyet 
Saddam's killing fields - Sabah 
Saddam buried an entire town of 15,000 - Aksam 
Saddam has buried Shiites alive - Milliyet 
CIA, Turkish intelligence partnership in N. Iraq - Aksam 
`Troops decree' penalty: QIZ shelved - Milliyet 
New draft allows foreigners to buy assets - Turkiye 
Gul: Turkey might join EU in 2007- Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Powell in Russia, bomb attack in Chechnya - Radikal 
Al-Qaida alarm in Gulf - Yeni Safak 
U.S. begins withdrawal from `unsafe' Saudi Arabia - Zaman 
Washington seeking perpetrators of Riyadh attack - 
Cumhuriyet 
MFA supports U.S.: UN sanctions on Iraq must be lifted - 
Cumhuriyet 
Largest mass grave in Iraq - Yeni Safak 
Bremer to order shooting of looters - Cumhuriyet 
Irbil Kurdish Parliament: Turks must withdraw - Radikal 
Turkish Cypriots give Greeks drinking water for years - 
Zaman 
$20 banknote changes color - Zaman 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
Turkey, U.S. QIZ `frozen' - Dunya 
Gul: Turkey will become exports center - Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Erdogan condoles Bush: Prime Minister Erdogan called 
President Bush on Wednesday for condolences about the Riyadh 
bomb attack on Americans, dailies report.  Erdogan said 
Turkey would provide U.S. with the necessary support in the 
struggle against terrorism, and added that Foreign Minister 
Gul would pay a visit to Israel and Palestine soon in an 
effort to help a solution to the Middle East problem. 
Papers comment that the phone call helped in repairing the 
damage in Turkish, American relations. 
 
 
Turkey, U.S. `secret' talks on PKK/KADEK: Broadcasters 
report that CIA and Turkey's intelligence agency MIT have 
started secret talks for disarmament of PKK/KADEK militia in 
Northern Iraq.  The U.S. is getting ready to launch an 
operation to disarm PKK members, which might force 
terrorists to flee to Turkey, the report says.  No agreement 
is reached yet in the talks between Turks and Americans, but 
Ankara is about to pass a `repentance law' for terror group 
defectors, the report notes.  Papers report Foreign Minister 
Gul as saying that the PKK/KADEK, which is on the U.S. list 
of terror groups, maintained about 4,000 armed militants in 
Northern Iraq, and that Americans would not remain 
indifferent to the group's activities. 
 
 
Wolfowitz; Rice: A "Hurriyet" commentary does not find 
convincing enough Deputy Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz's 
refuting of allegations that he told Turkey to apologize for 
not supporting the U.S. in the war with Iraq.  The article 
claims Wolfowitz has humiliated Turkey by suggesting `U.S. 
will set the limits of Turkey's relations with Iran and 
Syria, all Turkey will have to do is implement it.'  On the 
other hand, all papers report National Security Advisor Rice 
as saying that U.S. and Turkey, having common strategic 
interests, would continue working together after a period of 
difficulty in relations.  Reports point to the timing of the 
Rice statement which arrived just after the condolences call 
by Prime Minister Erdogan to President Bush for Riyadh 
bombings.  Meanwhile, a "Milliyet" report from Washington 
claims that the Pentagon has instructed U.S. companies to 
refrain from giving potential Turkish sub-contractors large 
shares in Iraq reconstruction jobs.  An unidentified owner 
of a giant Turkish construction company told the paper that 
Ankara should convince the Pentagon to cease `punishing' 
Turks. 
 
 
U.S., Turkey QIZ agreement shelved: All papers report that 
the Turkey-Israel-U.S. Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ) 
project, modeled on the U.S.-Jordanian-Israeli free trade 
zones has been shelved by the U.S. Congress.  Negotiations 
on the QIZ might resurrect at a new U.S., Turkey economic 
meeting in U.S. in Autumn this year, papers expect.  Reports 
have surmized that the suspension was a U.S. attempt to 
punish Turkey for non-cooperation in the war against Iraq. 
By refusing to grant U.S. troops transit passage to Iraq, 
Turkey has lost hopes for fresh privileges in textile 
exports to the U.S., papers comment.  However, some papers 
have recognized that the aggressive campaign for the 
inclusion of textile products within the QIZ agreement was 
the main source of discordance between the sides, even 
before the Parliament's decision not to permit a northern 
front. Some leading Turkish businessmen complain that Turkey 
has lost its privileged status in the American eye.  Turkish 
Exporters' Union (TIM) called for, if the crisis is not 
sorted out, increase of Turkish customs on U.S.-made 
products, to the same level applied on Turkish products to 
the U.S. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
a) US-EU/Turkey 
b) Riyadh Bombings 
 
 
"Is Kemalism the main obstacle for Turkey in its relations 
with the US and EU?" 
Murat Yetkin argued in liberal-intellectual Radikal (5/15): 
"Even though there has not been any official-level 
confirmation, the US and EU have a common objection about 
Turkey.  The common point is that Kemalist ideology itself 
and the bureaucracy as this ideology's staunch supporter 
constitute a major problem for Turkey's ties with the West. 
Kemalist ideology is the reason for recent US reactions to 
Turkey as well as for criticism coming from EU countries. . 
Similar arguments can also be seen in a recent London-based 
IISS report, which talks about the possibility of the 
Turkish army's intervention if the ruling AKP attempts to 
change the system.  For instance, a recent article by Sedat 
Ergin in `Hurriyet' noted that Assistant Secretary of 
Defense Wolfowitz was blaming the army for troubles in 
Turkish-American relations and was defending AKP. Why? Many 
observers believe that the US sees the Kemalist bureaucracy 
as the source of all troubles. Washington allegedly 
considers the AKP as an antidote against the Kemalist 
bureaucracy.  Therefore, both Wolfowitz and Grossman, who 
are known as friends of Turkey, accused the Turkish army and 
not the AKP government for the Iraqi crisis in Turkish- 
American relations. . Who represents the Kemalist 
bureaucracy? It seems it contains TGS, MFA and some judicial 
circles. . Although Kemalism as well as Kemalist bureaucracy 
are named as the essence of problems vis--vis Turkey's 
relations with the US and EU, the Western decision makers 
are using this argument in order to disguise the main area 
for criticism, which is military-government relations in 
Turkey.  The US so far has been carrying out the debate 
behind the closed doors in order not to challenge with the 
Turkish army.  However, the EU has started making the same 
debate publicly. . As part of Turkey's EU integration 
procedures, the role of the army in Turkey's administration 
style will eventually and inevitably be brought up. 
Therefore, a discussion should start by naming clearly as 
`the army-government relations' instead of creating pretexts 
such as Kemalism." 
 
 
"The Impasse for the Saudis" 
Soli Ozel commented in mass appeal Sabah (5/15): "The Bush 
administration used three justifications before launching 
the war against terrorism, of which Iraq was the first 
target.  Al Qaida is finished.  The military operation 
against Iraq will bring stability to the region.  American 
presence in the region will play a deterrent role against 
terrorist acts. . However the Riyadh bombings seem to be 
proving otherwise.  This event also raises concerns about 
Riyadh-Washington relations.  . The events of September 11 
posed a serious blow to the special relationship between the 
US and Saudi Arabia since 1945.  Right after the 9/11 
attacks, there has been very strong anti-Saudi rhetoric in 
the US.  Comments and speculations included even the need 
for the toppling of the Riyadh regime, which represents 
radical fundamentalism and support for terrorist groups. . 
Today the Saudi regime is trapped between Al Qaida's 
aggression and the US pressure on Riyadh for change its 
style.  It remains to be seen whether the Saudi dynasty will 
be able to overcome this critical time." 
PEARSON