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Viewing cable 03ANKARA2811, ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
03ANKARA2811 2003-04-30 13:25 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 002811 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                    -------------------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
US troops attempt to search Red Crescent convoy for arms - 
Sabah 
Gul to Esad: If the US leaves the region there will be chaos- 
Milliyet 
US apologizes for Turkish Special team issue-Hurriyet 
Bullets against stones: 18 dead in Iraq-Turkiye 
Syria wants to open up toward the west through Turkey-Sabah 
FM Gul conveys important messages from US to Syria-Hurriyet 
Turkey is the mediator between the US and Syria-Star 
Doves and Hawks' views will clash at NSC today-Sabah 
Government's NSC test-Milliyet 
 
 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
US troops open fire on civilians-Radikal 
FM Gul improves relations with Syria-Radikal 
Turkey acts as mediator in the Middle-East-Cumhuriyet 
Protest against US turned into a massacre-Cumhuriyet 
Warm welcome to FM Gul from Syria-Zaman 
Economy does not need another NSC crisis-Zaman 
Markets closely watch the NSC meeting-Cumhuriyet 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: "Hurriyet" runs a front page story from last week when 
an American officer in Iraq, Colonel Bill Mayville, told 
journalists that Turkish special teams trying to smuggle 
arms to Kirkuk were caught by US troops and expelled from 
Iraq.  Ankara rejected the allegations for arm smuggling, 
and reiterated that they were security guards responsible 
for the security of the Turkish Aid convoy.  Ankara further 
stated that the US headquarters in Erbil had been notified 
about the convoy and the guards, in advance.  The incident 
caused tension in Ankara, and US Ambassador Robert Pearson 
conveyed US administration's apologies to MFA.  Moreover, US 
General Colby Broadwater passed his regrets to his Turkish 
counterparts.  Although, FM Gul stated that Turkish special 
forces ensure the security for convoys carrying aid to Iraq 
from Turkey, last week, a Red Crescent convoy was 
accompanied by US troops instead of the Turkish special 
forces.  This shows that Turkey has stepped back and had 
left the responsibility to the Americans.  And the Turkish 
troops accompany only the convoys carrying logistic needs of 
Turkish troops in Northern Iraq.  According to "Hurriyet", 
after the incident last week, US has asked the Peshmerge 
militants to leave Mosul and Kirkuk, and this proves that 
the US pays attention to Turkey's complaints about the 
Peshmerge militants. 
 
 
FM Gul Visit to Syria: All papers and TV channels cover 
Foreign Minister Gul's day trip to Syria yesterday. 
"Milliyet" reports that Gul has offered to mediate between 
the US and Syria to defuse the tensions between the two 
countries.  The Damascus administration gave Gul the green 
light to mediate for them, and he has received a warm 
welcome from Syria.  "Milliyet" notes that Turkey and Syria 
have different views about the future of Iraq.  Syrian FM 
Shara  addressed the coalition forces in Iraq as occupiers 
and wanted them to leave Iraq immediately.  However, FM Gul, 
in reply to this statement, said that this would lead to 
chaos in the region, and Turkey wanted a broad- based, 
democratic government in Iraq. 
 
 
NSC meeting:  All papers report that all eyes - including 
the market's - were turned to today's NSC meeting. 
"Milliyet" reports that the government will face a test at 
today's meeting.  Chief of General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok 
held a meeting with army officials yesterday evening and 
agreed to warn the AKP government to avoid policies 
encouraging fundamentalism. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
 
a) US policy for the post Saddam era 
b) SARS epidemic 
 
 
"The new type of war" 
Hadi Uluengin commented in mass appeal Hurriyet (4/30): "A 
new type of war began as of September 11, 2001, and the US 
is going to pursue this war according to its own ethical 
parameters.  It may sound a bit odd, but the fact of the 
matter is that the US has no imperialist spirit as evidenced 
in its history.  Historically, imperialism has never taken 
root in the US.  On the contrary, America has always been 
the champion of anti-colonialism. . Yet this policy shifted 
a little bit as of the late 19th century due to US policies 
in Cuba, Haiti, and the Philippines, which can be described 
as a kind of imperialism.  However, overall US policy has 
generally been defined as `isolationist' as well as `anti- 
colonial.'  The so-called American imperialism was really 
the result of US `realpolitik' forced on the Americans by 
the Cold War.  Thus, the argument about US imperialism is 
inappropriate in the case of Iraq." 
 
 
"Is Turkey going to wait until SARS hits the country?" 
Hakki Devrim noted in liberal-intellectual Radikal (4/30): 
"Turkey is preoccupied with its internal political debates 
and angst, and all eyes are watching the upcoming National 
Security Council meeting to see the nature of the tiff 
between ruling politicians and the military over the 
secularism issue.  However, there is a very important issue 
that we tend to ignore.  Scientists are warning us about the 
SARS epidemic, which might infect up to 1 billion human 
beings around the globe over the next year.  . Now is the 
very time to categorize the countries around the world, 
noting those that are taking sensible and immediate 
precautions, and the others which are avoiding the reality. 
. Observing press coverage as well as reactions from health 
specialists, I am not optimistic about Turkey's record. 
There is no sign of panic or even worry.  Are we going to 
take action only after the epidemic hits the nation?  I 
wonder." 
 
 
PEARSON