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 007338 
 
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, NOVEMBER 28, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER 
THREE THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Surprising Thanksgiving Visit from Bush - Hurriyet 
An Extra Week for Loizidu Case - Hurriyet 
Shevardnadze Blames West - Hurriyet 
100 Thousand Turkish Cypriots Apply for Greek Passports - 
Milliyet 
British Consul Short's Body Sent Home with a Military 
Ceremony - Milliyet 
Thanksgiving Show in Iraq by Bush - Milliyet 
Saakasvili: "Turkey Our Most Important Strategic Friend" - 
Milliyet 
Shevardnadze Blames US and Europe for the Revolution - Sabah 
FM Gul Takes UEFA Decision to EU - Sabah 
FM Gul: "Sports Became the Target of the Terror" - Turkiye 
Ambassador Edelman: "Turkey Was the Target of Terrorism for 
Being a Model Country" - Hurriyet(11/25) 
Bingol-Terrorist Headquarters-Sabah (11/25) 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Justice Minister Cicek: "Islamic World Should Take Concrete 
Steps against Terrorism" -Zaman 
Gul's Request Postponed Loizidu Case - Zaman 
Government Divided by Terror - Cumhuriyet 
UEFA Did Not Take a Step Back - Cumhuriyet 
 
SIPDIS 
Civilian NSC Will Be Established after the Holidays - 
Radikal 
20 Suspects Arrested after Istanbul Bombings - Radikal 
Talabani: "We Opened a New Page with Turkey" - Radikal 
Al-UEFA Gang - Yeni Safak 
Istanbul Bombers Arrested - Yeni Safak 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
New NSC Regulations:  "Radikal" reports on the new National 
Security Council regulation adopted at the November 21 NSC 
meeting.  With the adoption of the new regulation, a new 
period for `civilianization' starts in Turkey, says 
"Radikal" columnist Murat Yetkin.  The AKP government 
prepared a draft law for to ensure transparency in the 
functioning of the institution and to restrict its broad 
authorities.  A decision of the Council of Ministers will be 
sufficient to put the new regulation into effect. 
 
 
Disagreements in AKP towards Terror:  "Cumhuriyet" 
highlights that while PM Erdogan refuses to accept the 
Islamic angle of terror, government officials give different 
statements.  Justice Minister Cicek said that Islamic 
countries should demonstrate concrete determination to crush 
terror.  Dep. PM Sahin said that terrorists picked Turkey as 
a target because a democratic and secular Muslim country is 
a bad example for them.  "Milliyet" draws attention to 
Islamist writer Fehmi Koru's words saying that `Islam does 
produce terror'.  "Cumhuriyet" draws attention to the 
Diyarbakir State Security Court indictment saying that 
`Hizbullah is an Islamic terrorist organization'.  The 
indictment comes as a response to PM Erdogan, who said that 
`the expression "Islamic terrorism" makes my blood boil'. 
 
 
UEFA Decision:  All papers criticize a Football Federation 
 
SIPDIS 
decision on two championship league games to be played 
outside of Turkey.  The two games were to have been played 
in Turkey.  However, after the terrorist attacks in 
Istanbul, UEFA decided to move the games to other countries. 
Turkish government officials and the media harshly 
criticized this decision. 
 
 
Loizidou Case:  The deadline for the payment of the 
compensation to Greek Cypriot Loizidou expired on Wednesday. 
However, at FM Gul's request, the EU Commission extended the 
deadline for another week. 
 
 
Revolution in Georgia:  "Cumhuriyet" reports on Turkey's 
concerns about an unstable Georgia after Shevardnadze's 
resignation.  An Ankara worried about the Baku-Ceyhan 
pipeline sent a message of support to the interim government 
of Georgia saying that the period of turmoil will hopefully 
end with January 4 elections and Turkey's support for them 
will continue.  Most papers cover Shevardnadze's accusations 
that the US and  Europe supported the revolution in Georgia. 
 
 
Ambassador Edelman's Visit to Istanbul Bomb Site: Tuesday's 
"Hurriyet" reports on the Ambassador's visit to the Istanbul 
Governor and Mayor.  Responding to a question during the 
visit, Ambassador Edelman was quoted as saying that Turkey 
had become a target of terror attacks because Turkey is a 
model country combining Islam and democracy successfully. 
Ambassador Edelman reiterated that PKK/KADEK is on the US 
terror list and responded to Ocalan's comments on the PKK 
being ready to help the US by saying that the `US does not 
cooperate with terrorists'. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
"To Benefit from an Opportunity or Not" 
Ismet Berkan comments in the intellectual-opinion maker 
Radikal:  `In my earlier columns I stated that to name 
terrorism is the first condition for waging a fight against 
it.  Prime Minister Erdogan has not yet replied to the 
question of whether the recent bombings are "Islamic 
terror."   During his holiday speech, the Prime Minister 
reflected on the criticism directed against him and his 
party for the failure to speak out on this issue.  What 
Erdogan wanted to say was that because the AKP has an 
Islamist political identity, some people may believe that 
they won't wage a sufficient fight against terrorism. 
Whatever it is called, the fact is that the Islamic world 
now produces terrorism, and the results of these actions 
create results that affect the entire Islamic geography.We 
need policies that will accept this fact.  We can not stay 
blind to these ugly developments even though, as Erdogan 
said, it "freezes our blood" to think of it.  Otherwise, 
terrorism will continue to feed terrorism. .Some others 
prefer silence. Prime Minister Erdogan and his AK party, who 
started their administration with a promise to put their 
stamp on the future, have a huge responsibility to carry out 
this fight.' 
 
 
"Who is that AKP Protects?" 
Hikmet Cetinkaya opines in the center-left Cumhuriyet:  Why 
is the government so reluctant to name the bloody terror 
attacks in Istanbul as Islamic terror?.We know that those 
who want to govern Turkey with religious policies have one 
aim -- to demolish the secular, democratic republic.The 
people who grew up in the `national view' movement are 
occupying the seats of government today and turning a blind 
eye to Islamic terror, saying that "religious people cannot 
be terrorists." .Unfortunately, they ignore the fact that 
being religious is very different from being fundamentalist. 
It is very difficult to fight terrorism without accepting 
this fact.Unfortunately, it is well known that some 
fundamentalist organizations are protected by certain units 
of the state.  "Cumhuriyet" received many calls from the 
foreign media asking why the Turkish government turns a 
blind eye to fundamentalist terror while screaming about the 
decision made by the UEFA. .When I compare the comments of 
the Prime Minister with those of the Foreign Minister, I 
find Foreign Minister Gul's comments more realistic and 
honest. .The religious media are still ignoring this 
difference. .Turkey should acknowledge the existence of 
fundamentalist terrorist organizations, and the government 
should explain this fact to the people of this country. 
EDELMAN