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Viewing cable 03ANKARA2975, ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
03ANKARA2975 2003-05-07 13:38 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 05 ANKARA 002975 
 
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, MAY 7, 2003 
 
 
THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
                    -------------------- 
 
 
HEADLINES 
 
 
MASS APPEALS 
Pentagon threatens Turkey - Milliyet 
Wolfowitz: Turkish rapprochement w/ Syria, Iran a mistake - 
Milliyet 
Wolfowitz: Military could not display leadership - Milliyet 
Wolfowitz: Admit your mistake, partnership will continue - 
Hurriyet 
Odd words from `brain' Wolfowitz - Sabah 
The `Hawk' bombs - Sabah 
U.S. still furious at Turkey - Turkiye 
Wolfowitz: We won't easily forgive you - Aksam 
Wolfowitz remarks hit stock markets - Vatan 
Turkey's defense minister is denied meeting in U.S. - Vatan 
Washington drafts bill to prevent looting of Iraq's antiques 
- Aksam 
 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Wolfowitz: Military, government disappointed us on Iraq - 
Radikal 
Wolfowitz: Turkey must admit mistake - Cumhuriyet 
Wolfowitz: Won't stay if we're not wanted - Zaman 
Gul: Wolfowitz's remarks well intentioned - Radikal 
`Hawk' Wolfowitz criticizes, but leaves door open - 
Cumhuriyet 
Kusay robs Iraqi Central Bank $1 billion - Zaman 
Bremer Iraq's civilian governor - Yeni Safak 
Israel's Ankara Ambassador: Mosul-Haifa oil pipeline not 
realistic - Zaman 
Greek Cypriots urge Turkey to open air corridor - Radikal 
 
 
FINANCIAL JOURNALS 
JP Morgan: Zero inflation not a distant target - Dunya 
IMF's Anne Krueger in Ankara for meetings - Finansal Forum 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
 
Iraq: All papers and electronic media lead with reports of 
CNN-Turk interview with U.S. deputy Defense Secretary Paul 
Wolfowitz. DepSecDef is quoted as saying on Tuesday that 
Turkey should admit it had made a mistake when it refused to 
allow U.S. soldiers to operate from Turkey in the Iraq 
campaign,.  Turkey's military wasn't powerful enough to sway 
politicians, Wolfowitz noted.  `Turkey has attempted to make 
deals with one of the worst dictators the world had seen. 
Turkey should admit its mistake.  We believe that Iran and 
Syria must their change attitude, and Turkish relations with 
them should be parallel to U.S. policy,' he stressed. Papers 
state Wolfowitz complained that the Turkish government and 
public have not grasped the Iraqi reality.  He also said 
that Turkey would not be given an immediate role in 
peacekeeping activities in Iraq, as that the Iraqi people 
were not positive about their neighbors, including Turkey. 
He is further quoted as saying,`We were told to leave 
Incirlik Air Base.  We will not stay anywhere we're not 
wanted.  We don't think Incirlik will maintain its 
significance in the future,' Wolfowitz added.  He also made 
it clear that U.S. would not allow unilateral military 
action in Northern Iraq, and warned that Turkish troops 
should act in coordination with the coalition forces. 
 
 
"Hurriyet" opined that Wolfowitz has openly said things thus 
far uttered only behind closed doors in the Pentagon. 
"Sabah" finds the remarks from the `brain of U.S. policy- 
making mechanism' as strange.  "Milliyet" regards the 
comments as a `threat' to Turkey when Wolfowitz urged Ankara 
to change its attitude about Iraq if it wanted to repair the 
strain in ties with the U.S.. "Aksam" says that Turkey's 
"new neighbor" (the USA with its army in northern Iraq) has 
issued strong messages, and proposed that Ankara's Iran and 
Syria policies should be in line with the U.S. conduct." 
"Turkiye" believes that U.S. is still `angry' with Turkey. 
"Cumhuriyet" believes that despite the strong criticism, 
Wolfowitz also offered a formula to sort out problems in 
bilateral relations.  Commentaries say Wolfowitz has 
disclosed the deepening rift between the two countries. Op- 
eds in mainstream papers agree that without zigzags, the 
U.S. has openly indicated that Turkey's significance as a 
strategic partner would decline if Ankara does not change 
its attitude, 
 
 
Foreign Minister Gul said Wolfowitz has issued positive 
messages for the betterment of ties between the two 
countries, adding that the Wolfowitz comments were `honest, 
pragmatic and future-bound.'  Deputy Chief of Staff, General 
Buyukanit reportedly said that such remarks were indicative 
of Wolfowitz's style.  Opposition party CHP's leader Baykal 
said on Wednesday that Wolfowitz's words reflected a 
`personal disappointment,' and criticized Wolfowitz, `the 
representative of a country aspiring to bring democracy to 
the Middle East,' for blaming the military's 
`ineffectiveness' vis--vis politicians.  `The matter has 
two sides,' said Justice Minister Cicek on Wednesday. 
`Turkey, in the last 50 years, has always responded 
positively to U.S. demands.  Wolfowitz must remember that 
U.S. has not always kept its promises to Turkey, as lately 
seen in the First Gulf War,' Cicek told the press. 
 
 
MOD is denied appointment in U.S.: Dailies report that 
Minister of Defense, Vecdi Gonul, who arrived in Washington 
on Saturday for NATO defense ministers' meeting, was denied 
appointment by senior U.S. officials except for U/S of State 
Grossman.  Papers remind readers that Gonul, who was in the 
U.S. together with Turkey's foreign and economy ministers 
before the March vote, had held meetings with high level 
officials, and was received by President Bush at the White 
House as well.  Papers agree this to be another indication 
of deteriorating U.S., Turkey ties. (In fact, Gunul had a 
tight schedule, and had not asked for DOD appointments). 
 
 
Iraq's rebuilding: MFA's Iraq rebuilding coordinator, 
Ambassador Gunduz Okcun said that contrary to general 
belief, Iraq's reconstruction would not offer a business 
volume of $150-200 billion, papers say.  Iraq will have to 
pay, in war reparation and other fees, $500 billion to 
Kuwait, Iran and some international institutions, Okcun 
noted.  Having significant experience in the region, Turkey 
is the best candidate for partnership and subcontract work 
in Iraq, Okcun stressed. 
 
 
Earthquake: "Milliyet" reports that 14 boarding schools in 
various Turkish provinces are built close to fault lines, 
endangering lives of thousands of primary school children. 
President Sezer and TGS Chief General Ozkok have paid a 
visit to the earthquake-stricken area in Bingol, papers 
report.  Sezer called for the punishment of those who 
constructed the sub-standard buildings where 167 people lost 
their lives during last week's earthquake. 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Wolfowitz remarks about Turkey 
 
 
"US has settled the accounts with Turkey" 
Ismet Berkan commented on the Wolfowitz remarks in liberal- 
intellectual Radikal (5/7): "Wolfowitz stated in a very 
clear tone that Turkey has to accept its mistake on the Iraq 
issue in order to improve US-Turkey relations.  This 
statement in fact suggests to Turkey a condition to 
normalize the bilateral ties, which Turkey would never 
accept.  My conclusion from the Wolfowitz remarks is that 
the US will remain distant toward Turkey as long as the 
basis of the March 2 atmosphere [the date of parliament's 
decline of motion] continues to exist.  It seems nothing 
will ever be the same again as far as Turkey-US relations 
are concerned, because `the vase' is broken and cannot be 
repaired any more.  The only way out is to be able to find a 
`new vase' and replace the older one." 
 
 
"The Turkey-US Fault Line" 
Erdal Safak editorialized in mass appeal Sabah (5/7): "The 
remarks by Wolfowitz very clearly indicate the huge gap in 
Turkish-American bilateral ties.  The Iraq war has turned 
into a litmus test between the US and its relations with the 
others.  Some passed the test, some -including 
Turkey-failed.  . Now it is the time to settle the accounts 
and the US is preparing the bill for the losers of this 
game.  Among them, the UN, France and Germany have started 
receiving `the bill' already.  The UN is out of the Iraqi 
rebuilding program.  France is facing punishment by not 
getting any share in the Iraqi reconstruction projects. . As 
for Turkey, we can see what type of bill we will have to 
pay.  As Wolfowitz openly stated, Turkey's bill is related 
to northern Iraq.  Turkey will no longer have a say in this 
area and related developments. . Wolfowitz on the other hand 
is not closing the door and is showing the way out to 
normalize the ties again.  Yet it remains to be seen if 
Ankara -both its military, parliament and the 
government-will be able to admit the mistakes that it made." 
"AKP is like a thorn in the eye for the US" 
Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal (5/7): 
"Wolfowitz claims that the army is the real decision 
mechanism in Turkey.  He does not conceal the serious 
disappointment in Washington toward the AKP government and 
questions the reasons for army's reluctance to stand against 
the AKP approach during the Iraq crisis. At this point, it 
seems that the AKP looks like a thorn in Washington's eye." 
 
 
"Pentagon speaks its mind in the end" 
Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in mass appeal-sensational Posta 
(5/7): "Frankly, though I had expected some reaction, I had 
not expected it be so bold.  The fact that these bitter 
words come from the Pentagon, the establishment that had 
always protected Turkey and spoken in its favor, indicates 
the gravity of the situation.  It also indicates the depth 
of the problem.  It is extremely important that Wolfowitz 
uttered these words-which were of a kind heard in Ankara for 
the first time.  Wolfowitz chose his words with utmost care. 
However, reading between the lines I get the following 
message: Northern Iraq is no longer Turkey's back garden. 
You cannot get into it and exit from it according to your 
wishes.  You cannot act freely there.  You have to notify us 
of your activities, obtain permission from us.  And, in the 
long run, it would be hard for you to remain in Northern 
Iraq-even if we managed to rebuild our relations to their 
former level.  Stop being preoccupied with the Kurds.  What 
surprised me most was Wolfowitz' remarks about the Turkish 
Armed Forces.  Pentagon used to see the Turkish military as 
its best ally and never criticized them.  This rule too has 
now been broken.  Wolfowitz stressed, for the first time and 
with special emphasis, that they were bitterly disappointed 
by way the Turkish General Staff kept quiet when an issue 
vitally important for Turkey-that is, the U.S. troop 
deployment in Turkey motion-was about to be put to a vote in 
Parliament.  When certain Pentagon officials called Ankara 
and received the following answer: `Sorry, we are not the 
proper interlocutor.  Call the government,' and the American 
military reportedly went crazy.  Wolfowitz made it all too 
clear that Turkey gives the impression that it is very close 
to Syria and Iran.  I read his message in the following 
manner: If you are going to Syria and Iran in the framework 
of our policy and in order to relay our views, then there 
will be no problem.  If not, your stance will create the 
impression that you are against us." 
 
 
PEARSON