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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005205 
 
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 
FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Shiites revolt, U.S. apologizes - Turkiye 
Turkey wants buffer zone on border with Iraq - Milliyet 
Turkish troops to area north of Baghdad - Milliyet 
Iraqi tribal leaders to Ankara for bargaining - Sabah 
Turkish Airlines to Basra - Hurriyet 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
No room for the UN in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Israel kills Islamic Jihad leader - Yeni Safak 
Schroeder: No German troops for Iraq - Yeni Safak 
Taliban, Al-Qaida attacks intensify in Afghanistan - 
Cumhuriyet 
Saddam flirts with Shiites - Radikal 
Lights go out, U.S. back to stone age - Zaman 
Power outage causes panic in U.S. - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Turks for Iraq peacekeeping: Ankara has asked Washington to 
set up a demilitarized buffer zone between Iraq and Turkey 
to prevent terrorist infiltration.  Ankara is considering 
sending 10,000 troops to be deployed to the west and 
northwest of Baghdad.  Dailies expect Ankara to demand a 
share in Iraq's rebuilding.  Foreign Minister Gul said on 
Thursday that Ankara will ask the U.S. to eliminate the 
threat posed by the PKK.  Turkey will not go to Iraq merely 
for security reasons, but to extend a helping hand to the 
Iraqi people, Gul added.  A "Cumhuriyet" report suggests 
that Islamic militants from Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia are 
behind attacks on U.S. soldiers in the Fallujah-Tikrit- 
Bakuba zone.  Turkey will warn these countries to prevent 
similar attacks against Turkish troops deployed in the 
region.  "Milliyet" claims that Turkey and the U.S. have 
agreed that the Turks should be deployed in the Salahaddin- 
Diyala-Bakuba triangle near Tikrit.  A Turkish delegation of 
military, intelligence and MFA officials will visit Iraq 
next week for talks with representatives of local ethnic 
groups.  Another delegation of lawmakers and NGO members 
will go to Iraq to meet the influential Shammar tribe, 
"Milliyet" reports.  Dailies also expect Iraqi tribal 
leaders to pay a visit to Ankara next week. 
 
 
Turkey, Iraq ties improving: Ankara has welcomed the 
election of two prominent Turkomen to the 25-member 
Constitutional Council for a democratic Iraq, papers report. 
Turkey and Iraq have signed an agreement to resume civilian 
flights between Istanbul and Basra, and train services from 
Turkey to Baghdad have also resumed. 
 
 
Transfers to AKP: Independent lawmaker Mustafa Zeydan and 
CHP's Nezir Nasiroglu formally joined the AKP on Thursday. 
With 368 seats in parliament, AKP now has a comfortable 
majority to pass constitutional amendments without support 
from the opposition. 
 
 
Turkey in EU by 2012: A survey of 39 leading EU specialists 
concluded that Turkey's EU membership is unlikely before 
¶2012.  Only 40 percent of the EU experts believe that the EU 
will begin accession negotiations with Turkey in late 2004 
or early 2005.  EU experts from leading European think-tanks 
and financial institutions believe that religion and the 
Cyprus problem are the main obstacles on Turkey's path to 
the EU. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
 
"Azeri soldiers in Iraq" 
Ferai Tinc observed in mass appeal Hurriyet (8/15):  "The 
decision of Baku to send its troops to Iraq has more 
significance for Ankara than Washington because of the 
critical ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan.  Turkey and 
Azerbaijan collaborated in peacekeeping missions in both 
Bosnia and Kosovo.  This time Azerbaijan acted alone, due to 
the lack of political sense in Ankara. . The Bush 
administration does not see developments in Iraq negatively. 
Therefore, the involvement of the UN has remained at  a 
relatively low level.  There are ongoing efforts, however, 
to increase the legitimacy of the Iraqi Governing Council 
(IGC).  The IGC will eventually ask Ankara for help in 
establishing stability and peace.  Yet the current picture 
in Ankara is confusing.  Ankara has become used to pursuing 
a policy of avoidance - always waiting for Washington's 
stance before defining its position.  It is a wrong-headed 
tactic.  Now, however, we see that the same mistake is being 
repeated again.  We don't need evasive remarks or confusing 
hints.  We should all know in clear and direct terms under 
which conditions Turkey will or will not send its troops to 
Iraq." 
 
 
"Establishing stability is not the US goal" 
Serdar Turgut argued in the mass appeal-sensational Aksam 
(8/15): "Turkey is considering sending its troops to Iraq, 
as FM Gul explained, `for the establishment of order and 
stability, and to help Iraqis improve their daily lives.' 
This is actually against the ongoing US strategy for Iraq, 
and Ankara's thinking has the potential to put Turkey at 
political risk.  . The US presence in Iraq is not concerned 
with making daily life better for Iraqis.  There is no 
electricity, no water, and no justice system.  There are 
reports about `self-declared' justice in Shiite-controlled 
areas. . The US strategy for Iraq is to ensure a permanent 
local anarchy and to institutionalize the instability.  By 
doing that, the US hopes to manipulate the system to its 
benefit. . Turkey wants to be in Iraq to establish order. 
This does not make sense if we carefully analyze the long 
term objectives and regional strategy of the United States." 
 
 
DEUTSCH