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Viewing cable 03ANKARA810, ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
03ANKARA810 2003-01-31 15:00 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Ankara
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 000810 
 
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 
FRI, JANUARY 31 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                         ------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Bush divides EU: 8 Europeans back U.S. - Hurriyet 
Powell's `multimedia satellite show' on February 5 - Sabah 
Iraqi Ambassador: We won't forget if you help the Americans 
- Milliyet 
France has annual trade of $1.5 billion w/Iraq, opposes war 
- Vatan 
Turkey to ask for NATO protection in war - Aksam 
Erdogan: Still hopeful about peace - Turkiye 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
21 countries open bases to U.S. - Cumhuriyet 
U.S. troops in Northern Iraq - Radikal 
NSC to discuss sending troops to Iraq - Zaman 
Worlwide reaction to U.S. war craze growing - Yeni Safak 
Ankara warm to Papandreou's Cyprus approach - Radikal 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
U.S. discussing future legal owner of Iraqi oil - Dunya 
Moody's: Turkey will need additional $8-13 billion in war - 
Finansal Forum 
 
 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: Prime Minister Gul will try to `feel the pulse of' 
Middle Eastern leaders on the phone today, and will meet 
with the EU troika - Greek and Italian Foreign Ministers 
Papandreou and Frattini -- and EU representative Solana in 
Ankara on Friday.  The National Security Council on Friday 
afternoon will discuss the issue of Iraq, and alternative 
war plans drafted by the TGS.  Papers regard today's NSC 
meeting as `critical' because the Council is expected to 
evaluate U.S. demands from Turkey, and to  come up with a 
response regarding Turkey's involvement in a possible 
military action against Iraq.  The NSC will discuss the 
possible deployment of U.S. troops  in Turkey, and regional 
countries' reaction to Turkey's likely presence in Northern 
Iraq in the event of war.  The NSC will advise the 
government to seek parliamentary approval for Turkey's 
involvement in war.  The NSC will also decide on U.S. 
requests for construction work to upgrade Turkish bases. 
Papers report that the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Robert 
Pearson, paid a visit to Prime Minister Gul on Thursday to 
warn him that time is running short.  Pearson urged Turkey 
to take a decision as soon as possible  regarding its 
involvement in a possible operation.  Dailies carry a WP 
article saying that in an effort to ease Ankara's concerns, 
the U.S. will warn the Northern Iraqi Kurdish groups not to 
enter Mosul and Kirkuk.  "Radikal" quotes a `high-level' 
Northern Iraqi official as saying that 2,000 U.S. troops and 
intelligence personnel will enter the region from Turkey and 
be stationed around Duhok, Erbil and Sulaimanija. 
Meanwhile, dailies report Iraqi Ambassador Talib Salih's 
warnings to the Turkish government not to open bases to the 
U.S..  The Americans cannot succeed without Turkey's 
support, Salih said, and if Turkey allows U.S. troops to 
wage war against Iraq, the Iraqi nation will never forget 
it.  Meanwhile, 35 Turkish citizens have volunteered to join 
Mike Nichols O'Keefe's group of human shields, who will be 
traveling from London to Istanbul.  The groups will leave 
for Baghdad on February 5 to stay there for two months.  We 
are not going there to support Saddam, the volunteers said, 
and if we feel we are being exploited by the Iraqi regime, 
we will immediately leave Iraq. 
Turkey, EU Troika meeting: Greek and Italian Foreign 
Ministers Papandreou and Frattini, and EU representative 
Solana came to Ankara on Thursday.  Papandreou said after a 
meeting with Foreign Minister Yakis on Thursday that a 
compromise between Ankara and Athens would serve as a model 
for the sides in Cyprus.  Papandreou noted that political 
will was essential for a solution to the Cyprus problem, 
which he said is `very near.'  However, Turksih Cypriot 
leader Denktas sounded a pessimistic note, saying that even 
is there is an agreement between the two sides on the 
island, it will be difficult for the two communities to live 
together.  Papers quote EU's expansion chief Verheugen as 
stressing that even if no compromise is reached on the 
island by February 28, the Greek Cypriot side will be 
admitted to the EU as a full member in May 2003.  Verheugen 
added that the EU prefers to see a united Cyprus as a full 
member of the EU family. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq 
 
 
"This support is good enough for Bush" 
Erdal Guven wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal (1/31): 
"Following the declaration of support by eight members of 
the EU for a US operation against Iraq, it seems that the 
French-German bloc is isolated. . This is the kind of 
support that will make President Bush very happy and will be 
good enough to go ahead with his Iraq plan.  . As a result 
of this support, we can conclude that the EU has not yet 
developed a unified foreign policy; France and Germany are 
the `engine' but not the `brain' for the Union.  We also can 
infer that the EU enlargement process seems to be working 
for the US benefit rather than the European Union's." 
 
 
"Waiting for February 5" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in conservative-mass appeal Turkiye 
(1/31): "It remains to be seen whether Secretary Powell's 
arguments and the proof that he will present will be 
convincing enough for the members of the UN Security 
Council, especially France, Germany, Syria, Russia, China 
and Pakistan.  It does not appear that they will take the 
evidence as the basis for granting full support to a US 
military action against Iraq.  The UNSC members will most 
likely work on the middle-way formula, asking Iraq to comply 
and suggesting additional time for the inspectors. . 
Nothing, however, will be able to change the US position. 
The US will act the way it plans, and reactions from the 
world will be doomed to remain irrelevant.  The US is on the 
path of no return.  The operation will happen.  It is a 
matter of the welfare of the American people and the 
protection of the Pax-Americana." 
 
 
PEARSON