From: Aftenposten
Date: 16.05.2003
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003257
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, Press Summaries
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2003
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES:
HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
--------------------
HEADLINES
MASS APPEAL
Springtime again in Turkey, U.S. relations - Turkiye
Bush vows support for Cyprus, Erdogan for Israel - Sabah
EU sanctions on TRNC to be removed - Hurriyet
Athens, Ankara cooperation to lift sanctions on TRNC - Aksam
Verheugen: 2007 not likely for Turkey´s EU accession - Vatan
Videotape shows execution with bomb in Saddam´s Iraq - Milliyet
OPINION MAKERS
U.S. issues warm messages for Turkey - Radikal
U.S. has warned Saudis beforehand - Radikal
Rumsfeld: Al-Qaida in Iran - Cumhuriyet
Shiites rally against U.S. in Baghdad - Yeni Safak
Mass grave of thousands of Kurds near Baghdad - Cumhuriyet
U.S.: PKK terror not our priority - Cumhuriyet
Israel unhappy with Mideast roadmap - Zaman
Putin considers amnesty for Chechen fighters - Zaman
Parliament of Europe to increase financial aid to Turkey´s
Human Rights Assoc. - Zaman
Greek tourists to Turkey increase by 42 percent - Cumhuriyet
FINANCIAL JOURNALS
TOBB:
Turkish Trade Center in Washington this year - Finansal Forum
Turkey insists on QIZ with U.S. - Dunya
BRIEFING
U.S.-Turkey ties warming:
Dailies believe strain between U.S. and Turkey to be gradually
reduced, particularly after the ´warm´ exchange of messages
between President Bush and Prime Minister Erdogan. The Turkish
leader called the President the other day to offer condolences
for the Riyadh bombings. According to all papers Bush said
that the U.S. would cooperate with Turkey in Iraq´s rebuilding
and asked for support for the Mideast road map, while Erdogan,
agreeing, vowed to send Foreign Minister Gul to Israel. The
rapprochement was further strengthened when National Security
Advisor Rice stressed the strategic alliance between the two
countries, reports note. U.S. officials bear in mind Turkey´s
concern over the security situation in Northern Iraq, and
vowed to eliminate the terrorist threat in the region.
Nevertheless, papers report that the U.S. has told Ankara that
the struggle against PKK/KADEK terror was not among immediate
American priorities. Meanwhile, "Yeni Safak" reports Deputy
SecDefense Wolfowitz would pay a ´make up´ visit to Turkish
peacekeeping troops during his trip to Bosnia Herzegovina on
Friday. Deputy Treasury Secretary John Taylor: Most dailies
and TV news report that Deputy Secretary of Treasury Taylor
said that negotiation over the $1 billion grant for Turkey
will be discussed immediately after the conclusion of the 5th
IMF review. Taylor noted Turkey´s situation would be taken up
at the upcoming G-8 finance ministers´ meeting in France.
Taylor is reported to have said that Iraq´s reconstruction
process will create job opportunities for Turkish companies,.
Minister Babacan to Bilderberg meetings: "Hurriyet" reports
State Minister for economy, Ali Babacan would attend the
Bilderberg meetings in Paris on Friday. The paper reminds
readers that Islamists have always fired strong criticism at
political figures such as ANAP´s former leader Mesut Yilmaz
and social democrat Erdal Inonu participating at the ´summit
of Zionists.´ Paul Wolfowitz will be the ´surprise´ guest at
the meetings, according to Hurriyet. Meanwhile, the ruling AKP
deputies and cabinet members will gather at a resort in
Antalya on Friday for a three-day consultation process before
the party congress in August, papers report. Commentators
point to growing disagreement among the members of AKP, which
they regard as a ´patchwork´ instead of a disciplined
political party. On the other hand, papers report Foreign
Minister Gul as saying that AKP would apply for membership to
the Christian Democrat Party´s wing of the Parliament of
Europe (ironic for an "Islamist" party). Edelman - U.S. envoy
to Ankara: A "Sabah" editorial says Eric Edelman, advisor to
Dick Cheney, and an expert on the Middle East and Russia, will
be assigned as U.S. Ambassador to Ankara later this summer.
Edelman is among the ´Preventive War´ theoreticians like
Wolfowitz and Khalilzad. The article opines that Washington is
sending a ´hawk´ to Ankara to contribute to the restructuring
of the Middle East.
EDITORIAL OPINION
a) Aftermath of Riyadh Bombings
b) Turkish-Kurdish Issues
"Return of Al Qaida"
Erdal Guven commented in liberal-intellectual Radikal (5/16):
"Despite all the indications and speculations about ´Al Qaida
is finished´, the recent Riyadh bombings seems to prove what
American expert Peter Bergen was saying. Bergen, a known Al
Qaida expert believes that the organization is more of an
ideology than a network. . Al Qaida is not only targeting the
US, but also the pro-American regimes in the region. Thus it
comes as no surprise that Saudi Arabia becomes a frequent
target. . There is a lesson to learn from the Riyadh bombings.
Al Qaida, as an ideology, is not going to be flexible in
negotiation, for making concessions or reconciliation. Yet the
antidote for Al Qaida will come through the rapid
implementation of political, economic and social reforms in
all of the Arab regimes, particularly the Saudi regime.
Otherwise the termionation of Al Qaida will remain an
impossible goal. . In the meantime, the big picture, i.e.
Palestine-Israel issue, must not be ignored. If the issue
remains unsettled, we will see the return of Al Qaida many
times." "Cold war in northern Iraq" Zeynep Gurcanli noted in
tabloid Star (5/16): "Washington stated the need for
humanitarian aid in Iraq and invited Turkish NGOs to become
involved. Ankara welcomed this message and began working for
cooperation with the US. However, the Kurdish groups in
northern Iraq are very much occupied in finding ways of
getting Turkey out of the area. The Kurdish Parliament in the
area recently adopted a decision to call for the dissolution
of the ´Peace Monitoring Force´ which protected Kurdish groups
since 1996. . This group was initiated by Turkey and kept 800
Turkish soldiers on duty. Assyrians and Turkomans also served
in this group. It remains to be seen what would be
Washington´s reaction to this unanimous decision by the
Kurdish parliament. At the moment, Ankara is asking Washington
for the continuation of the mission, while the Kurdish groups
are pressuring for the dissolution. It seems the ´cold war´ in
northern Iraq is to continue, at least for the foreseeable
future."
PEARSON