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

151538Z Aug 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 004790 
 
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, AUGUST 15, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Last-Minute Bargaining on Iraqi Constitution - Aksam 
Sunnis Key in Last-Minute Constitutional Talks - Sabah 
Kurds Rally for Right to Self-Determination - Milliyet 
Iraqi Turkmen Demand Autonomy - Milliyet 
Peshmerge to Undertake Security in Northern Iraq - Milliyet 
8/14 
Women Demand More Representation in Iraq - Hurriyet 8/14 
Italy Begins Iraq Pullout - Milliyet 8/14 
Israel Leaves Gaza 38 Years After - Milliyet 
No Women in New Iranian Cabinet - Miliyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
London Advises EU Members to Contact `TRNC' - Zaman 
Iran's Former Ankara Ambassador Appointed as FM - Zaman 
Ahmedinajad Forms Hardline Cabinet - Cumhuriyet 
Kurds' Show of Force in Kirkuk - Cumhuriyet 
Kurds Protest Against Jafari - Yeni Safak 
Muqtada Sadr Opposes Autonomous Shiite Region - Yeni Safak 
8/14 
US Kills 15 Civilians at Ramadi Mosque - Yeni Safak 8/14 
Bush: We May Use Force Against Iran - Yeni Safak 8/14 
Schroeder Warns Bush Not to Attack Iran - Yeni Safak 
Historic Gaza Withdrawal Begins, Settlers Resist - Zaman 
Gaza to Remain Under Israeli Control - Hurriyet 
Gaza, Iraq Critical Tests for US in the Middle East - Zaman 
8/14 
Abbas: Jerusalem to Become Capital of Palestine - Yeni Safak 
8/14 
UN, Amnesty Warn UK Against New Terror Law - Cumhuriyet 8/14 
Bakiyev Pledges Independence - Yeni Safak 
Castro Turns 79 - Radikal 
US on Yellow Security Alert - Yeni Safak 8/14 
Minorities to Outnumber White Americans in 2050 - Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Bush Letter to Erdogan:  US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Nancy 
McEldowney passed to Prime Minister Erdogan a letter from 
President Bush in which the President stressed determination 
to continue cooperation with Turkey through a shared 
`strategic vision,' Monday's "Yeni Safak" reports.  Bush 
expressed hope that cooperation would include political, 
military, and economic elements.  President Bush also 
stressed the importance of the joint struggle against 
terrorism, reiterated US support for Turkey's integration 
into the EU, and pledged that the US would continue to take 
steps to resolve the Cyprus problem.  A US diplomat 
confirmed the existence of the letter, saying that it was a 
sign of continuing dialogue between Ankara and Washington. 
 
Sakra Admits Involvement in 9/11 Attacks:  Al-Qaida militant 
Luai Sakra, a Syrian national arrested for organizing the 
bombings against British and Jewish targets in Istanbul on 
November 2003, claimed to have provided the attackers of 
September 11 with passports and money, weekend papers 
reported.  Sakra said he knew Muhammad Ata, plotter of the 
attacks against the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon, 
adding that he had also met with Zarqawi in Iraq.  Sakra 
claimed he had organized terrorist activities for `jihad,' 
but added that he drinks alcohol and does not pray.  Sakra 
is believed to be among the five top leaders of al-Qaida. 
Security officials said that Sakra had been undergoing 
psychiatric therapy.  Medicine discovered on Sakra when he 
was arrested indicated that he was receiving treatment for 
manic-depression or panic attacks.  Sakra was charged by a 
Turkish court last Thursday with plotting to bomb Israeli 
cruise liners near Turkey's Mediterranean resort of Alanya. 
Papers also report that police found a large cache of 
weapons at a villa recently purchased by Sakra and an 
accomplice in the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya, 
where the two men had reportedly lived with three women. 
 
Iraqi Diplomat Denies Charges of al-Qaida Connection:  Tarik 
Hamdi al-Adhami, a diplomat at the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara 
accused of links with Osama bin-Ladin, told the Turkish 
Foreign Ministry (MFA) yesterday that the allegations 
against him are unfounded.  The Iraqi Embassy in Ankara is 
expected to make a statement on the matter today, Monday's 
papers report.  Turkish officials said they had no evidence 
confirming al-Adhami's involvement in terrorist activities. 
Al-Adhami, who is married to a Palestinian US citizen, 
allegedly took satellite telephone batteries to Osama bin 
Ladin in Afghanistan last year.  He was assigned to the 
Iraqi Embassy in Ankara in May.  A lawsuit was filed against 
him in the United States for providing false information on 
his citizenship documents and loan applications.  How al- 
Adhami managed to leave the US remains unclear, according to 
the press. 
 
Erdogan Visits Diyarbakir:  `The Kurdish problem is 
everybody's problem -- but above all mine,' Prime Minister 
Tayyip Erdogan told a crowd in Turkey's mainly Kurdish 
southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Saturday papers reported. 
`We will solve all problems through democracy,' Erdogan 
said.  `We have made mistakes in the past.  There was 
regional discrimination.  We are ready to face these 
mistakes,' Erdogan said, adding that that the nation and the 
state would fight those who supported violence and terror. 
`The Kurdish issue will be solved within the framework of 
republican principles and constitutional order by boosting 
democracy, law, and welfare,' Erdogan stressed.  The PM 
later met with Diyarbakir mayor Osman Baydemir at the 
governor's office.  Papers highlight Erdogan remarks 
promising more democracy to solve the problems in the 
region.  However, only 700 people turned up to hear 
Erdogan;s remarks.  Some commentators say that Erdogan had 
made a goodwill gesture that was left without a response. 
Mayor Baydemir told "Milliyet" that he would have gathered 
`a crowd of one million people' if the PM had issued the 
proper messages for the region.  Baydemir said that while 
some of Erdogan's comments were inspiring, the visit was 
`far from meeting all expectations.'  `If the necessary 
conditions are created, we can convince those in the 
mountains to leave their weapons,' he stressed.  Baydemir 
also called on the PKK to end its attacks without waiting 
for a new step from the Turkish government, saying that a 
positive response should be given to Erdogan, who had 
accepted the existence of the `Kurdish problem.'  Baydemir 
admitted that the legal representatives of the Kurdish 
movement are having difficulty in convincing the PKK to give 
up its attacks.  Papers note that PKK attacks continued in 
the wake of Erdogan's visit.  A PKK militant trying to plant 
a roadside bomb near Hakkari was killed in fighting with 
security forces over the weekend.  On Sunday, Elazig 
Governor Kadir Kocdemir escaped unhurt from an attempted 
assassination by the PKK.  In Mersin, a bomb-laden car 
exploded 100 meters before it could reach a local police 
station.  One terrorist was killed in the blast.  The PKK 
said that its `legitimate resistance' would continue in the 
face of the government's polices of isolation, denial, and 
liquidation. 
 
Turkey to Give Iraq Protest Note Against Terrorist 
Infiltrations:  Ankara is to give Baghdad a note of protest 
against the infiltration of terrorists from Iraq into 
Turkey, Monday papers report.  If the Iraqi government fails 
to prevent infiltrations, Turkey will reportedly ask Baghdad 
for permission to carry out cross-border incursions against 
the terrorists inside Iraq territory.  If Baghdad turns down 
the request, Turkey could invoke article 51 of the UN Treaty 
to launch cross-border military operations.  At the three- 
party security talks among the US, Turkey, and Iraq in 
Washington last month, US officials had advised Turkey to 
handle the PKK problem with the Iraqis, the reports claim. 
An unidentified US official told "Sabah" that the US is 
encouraging Turkey to work more closely with Iraq on the PKK 
issue.  The official said it would be `natural' for Turkey 
to urge Baghdad to meet Turkish expectations on the issue. 
 
US to Open Consulate in Suleymaniye:  Sunday's "Yeni Safak" 
reported that the US is preparing to open a consulate in 
Suleymaniye in northern Iraq.  The report originated on the 
nefel.com website, whiich known to be close to Barzani and 
the KDP.  If a suitable area is not found in the northern 
Iraqi city, the US consulate will be opened in Erbil, 
according to the report. 
 
Turkmen Want Autonomy in Iraq:  Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) 
Turkey representative Ahmet Muradli told Monday's "Milliyet" 
that the Turkmen in Iraq would demand autonomy in the face 
of similar demands by the Kurds and Shiites.  Muradli said 
the proposed Turkmen Federation would cover an area from Tal 
Afar in the north to Altinkopru, Kirkuk, Dohuk, and 
Tuhurmatu in south.  Muratli noted that the Turkmen also 
wanted to be recognized as a constituent people of Iraq, and 
insisted on having their language accepted as an official 
language in the Turkmen region.  Muardli warned that the 
Turkmen would vote against the constitution if their demands 
are not met. 
 
EU Calls for Special Commission for Southeast Turkey:  The 
European Union (EU) has urged Ankara to set up a special 
commission including the EU, World Bank and IMF 
representatives to tackle the economic and social problems 
in southeastern Turkey.  Diplomatic sources said the EU had 
offered Turkey cooperation in the effort to address regional 
imbalances in the country.  Turkey was urged to prepare an 
emergency action plan for the southeast. 
 
RTUK to Issue Licenses for Kurdish Broadcasts:  Turkey's 
radio and television watchdog RTUK has asked several local 
broadcasters in the southeast to submit the necessary 
documents to get a license for broadcasts in Kurdish after 
receiving orders from PM Erdogan to speed up work for 
broadcasts in languages other than Turkish, Monday's "Yeni 
Safak" reports.  Despite the fact that regulations allowing 
broadcasts in Kurdish were passed two years ago, no 
applications by private channels for broadcasting in Turkish 
have been approved.  The paper expect RTUK to issue the 
licenses for Kurdish broadcasting before October 3, the 
starting date for EU entry talks with Turkey. 
 
Turkey a Transit Country for Refugees:  Jurgen Blechinger, 
an immigration specialist linked to the German Protestant 
Church, said that the problem of global migration cannot be 
solved without close cooperation with Turkey, Sunday's 
"Zaman" reported.  Blechinger said that refugees coming from 
Asian and African countries use Turkey as a transit country 
before taking asylum in European Union (EU) countries.  `The 
EU cannot solve the refugee problem by closing its borders 
to refugees,' he noted.  According to data released by the 
International Organization for Migration, 250,000 migrants 
use Turkey as a transit country to move on to other 
countries.  Only a few thousand of the refugees apply to 
Turkey for asylum. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iran, Turkey-Iraq/US Relations/PKK 
"Will the US Strike Against Iran?" 
Ferai Tinc commented in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (8/15): 
"President Bush has said once again that the military option 
remains on the table for Iran.  But this brings a question 
to one's mind: can President Bush really be thinking of, and 
would he pursue, a military option against Iran while the 
bodies of American soldiers continue to come from Iraq.  The 
answer to this is "why not?"  It may not happen in the 
immediate future, but the military option is certainly on 
the table.  . Moreover, the US is not the only country 
talking about a military option against Iran.  Israel has 
been talking about this for a long time.  Israel considers 
the Iranian nuclear capacity as a direct threat, as the 
mullahs' regime aims to wipe Israel off the map. . If the 
IAEI's upcoming report on Iran's nuclear capacity turns to 
be negative, the UNSC will take up the issue and an embargo 
against Iran will be discussed.  Russia and China are 
expected to oppose the embargo option, a development that 
would in fact make things easier for the pro-war advocates. 
Once this polarization occurs, the possibility of an 
intervention becomes more likely.  It seems there are more 
troubles ahead in this region." 
 
"Washington's View of PM Erdogan's Visit to Diyarbakir" 
Washington-based Yasemin Congar wrote in the mass appeal 
"Milliyet" (8/15): "Washington welcomed the messages given 
by PM Erdogan last week in Diyarbakir, where he acknowledged 
the existence of the Kurdish problem, indicated the need for 
more democracy, and warned about not repeating the mistakes 
of the past in seeking a solution. . A US official who is 
well informed about Turkey recalled previous statements by 
Erdogan about the Cyprus issue, and emphasized that `when 
Erdogan talked about the Copenhagen criteria as Ankara's 
guideline for a settlement, he remained true to his word. 
It remains to be seen what concrete steps will follow his 
statements in Diyarbakir about the Kurdish issue.' 
Regarding the nature of those steps, the US official gave a 
short but important answer: `It is for the Turkish 
government to decide what steps to take.  But you might also 
want to go back to the relevant part of the State 
Department's annual human rights report for some ideas.'  By 
referring to the DOS Human Rights report, I believe 
Washington wants to see full freedom to express the Kurdish 
identity, both socially and politically.  That obviously 
includes a more liberal use of the Kurdish language." 
 
"There is no Alternative to Turkey" 
Kamuran Ozbir commented in the nationalist "Ortadogu" 
(8/15):  "Turkey's rejection of the passage of US troops 
across its territory in 2003 had a damaging effect on Turkey- 
US relations.  The US needs Turkey as much as Turkey needs 
the US.  There have been some recent efforts on both sides 
to improve the relationship.  Meanwhile the US has found 
itself a new ally -- the Kurds.  There was no such alliance 
before, but the huge assistance the US received from the 
Kurds in Iraq paved the way for this new alliance.  . But 
the US-Kurdish partnership in northern Iraq is negatively 
affected by the continuation of a weak economy in the 
Kurdish area.  It seems certain that Washington, taking 
these factors into account, will focus more on Turkey to 
improve bilateral relations.  As I mentioned, such efforts 
have already started. . Turkey is an indispensable part of 
NATO, with its unique geographical location.  I believe the 
Americans also appreciate this fact." 
 
"The Kurdish Problem" 
Murat Yetkin wrote in the liberal-intellectual "Radikal" 
(08/14):  "When Barzani was elected head of the Kurdish 
region some weeks ago, Hak-Par chairman Abdulmelik Firat 
organized a group of tribal leaders, representatives of 
religious orders, and regional opinion makers for a visit to 
Erbil to congratulate Barzani.  In "deep Diyarbakir," people 
were talking about how Barzani had treated the delegation 
with great honor and displayed a very friendly attitude. 
They were also talking about the fact that Barzani received 
the group in a room adorned with a photograph of Sheikh 
Sait, Firat's grandfather and the instigator of the first 
large-scale Kurdish rebellion in the history of the Turkish 
Republic. 
Another grandson of Sheikh Sait, the lawyer Muhammad Akar, 
is head of the AKP district party office in Diyarbakir.  He 
explained how an old woman from a village had come to see 
him just before the Erdogan visit.  The woman came with her 
son, who was currently doing his military service.  She 
cried as she explained that while her son was charged with 
the responsibility of fighting the PKK, her husband and 
daughter had joined the ranks of the PKK in the mountains. 
The woman said she was afraid that they would come up 
against wach other during a clash and that one of them would 
be killed.  The problem was how to get them to come down 
from the mountains.  (TGS Deputy Chief General Ilker Basbug 
has said that a way must be found to entice the militants to 
leave the mountains.  From Prime Minister Erdogan's words 
yesterday, we understand that an amnesty of the kind 
advocated by DEHAP and the PKK is currently not on the 
agenda.) 
Meanwhile, every day the PKK is developing new ways to test 
its strength among the local population.  When we look from 
Ankara or Istanbul, we think that Kurdish language courses 
have been closed due to a lack of interest.  But seen from 
Diyarbakir, it becomes clear that the courses have been left 
to wither as the PKK has intimidated the population in an 
effort to force the government to accept mandatory primary 
school education in Kurdish.  MHP leader Devlet Bahceli 
criticized Erdogan yesterday for using the phrase `Kurdish 
problem,' which he viewed as a sign of weakness and 
surrender in the fight against terrorism.  The CHP, DSP, and 
ANAVATAN made similar criticisms.  But we need to ask this 
question:  Suleyman Demirel, when he was President, said 
that "this is the 29th Kurdish rebellion."  Without 
acknowledging that there is a "Kurdish problem," can we 
really resolve this?  Can we find a way out?" 
 
MCELDOWNEY