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Turkish Press Review, 05-12-09
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
09.12.2005
NEW US AMBASSADOR MEETS SEZER
ARINC HAILS SUCCESS OF OIC
CONFERENCE
PM ERDOGAN MEETS WITH
AUSTRALIAN PREMIER
NATO MEMBER COUNTRIES’ FOREIGN
MINISTERS CONVENE IN BRUSSELS
CITING COMPLEXITY OF THE CYPRUS
ISSUE, EU SETS ASIDE PROPOSALS TO END THE TRNC’S
ISOLATION,
CHP LEADER BAYKAL MAKES CALL
FOR SOLIDARITY IN SEMDINLI
GEN. BUYUKANIT TO TRAVEL TO THE
US
DENMARK’S RASMUSSEN: “THE PKK
IS A TERRORIST GROUP”
AKSU DENIES INITIATIVE TO
RESTRICT ALCOHOL SALES
UNAKITAN: “THE CURRENT ACCOUNTS
DEFICIT IS HIGH BUT NOT A THREAT”
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
RED LIGHTS AHEAD?
BY HALUK SAHIN (RADIKAL)
CONTENTS
[01] NEW US AMBASSADOR MEETS SEZER
[02] ARINC HAILS SUCCESS OF OIC
CONFERENCE
[03] PM ERDOGAN MEETS WITH AUSTRALIAN
PREMIER
[04] NATO MEMBER COUNTRIES’ FOREIGN
MINISTERS CONVENE IN BRUSSELS
[05] CITING COMPLEXITY OF THE CYPRUS
ISSUE, EU SETS ASIDE PROPOSALS TO END THE TRNC’S
ISOLATION,
[06] CHP LEADER BAYKAL MAKES CALL FOR
SOLIDARITY IN SEMDINLI
[07] GEN. BUYUKANIT TO TRAVEL TO THE US
[08] DENMARK’S RASMUSSEN: “THE PKK IS A
TERRORIST GROUP”
[09] AKSU DENIES INITIATIVE TO RESTRICT
ALCOHOL SALES
[10] UNAKITAN: “THE CURRENT ACCOUNTS
DEFICIT IS HIGH BUT NOT A THREAT”
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[12] RED LIGHTS AHEAD?
BY HALUK SAHIN (RADIKAL)
[01] NEW US AMBASSADOR MEETS SEZER
President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday received Ross
Wilson, the new US ambassador to Ankara, at the
Cankaya Presidential Palace. During the meeting,
Wilson presented his letter of credentials to
Sezer. While submitting his credentials, Wilson
expressed his gratitude at being received.
Wilson said that he had also brought a letter
from US President George W. Bush explaining
about former Ambassador Eric Edelman’s being
called back to Washington to take a post at the
Defense Department. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] ARINC HAILS SUCCESS OF OIC
CONFERENCE
Parliament
Speaker Bulent Arinc said yesterday that the
Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC)
had adopted a new 10-year action plan at its
recent OIC summit in Mecca. Speaking at a press
conference, Arinc said that the OIC summit had
been very successful, stressing that for years
Turkey has been at the forefront of supporting
the OIC’s work. Arinc said that the summit
participants had taken steps to make the group
work better and discussed why the OIC has been
unable to solve its own problems. The Parliament
speaker also said the importance of cooperation
in anti-terrorist efforts was stressed at the
summit. /Milliyet/
[03] PM ERDOGAN MEETS WITH AUSTRALIAN
PREMIER
Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with
his Australian counterpart John Howard.
Afterwards, at a joint press conference, Howard
spoke of his visit to Turkey in April to take
part in Anzac commemoration ceremonies at
Gallipoli. “Today, more than 100,000 Turks live
peacefully in Australia,” said Howard.
“Gallipoli is the foundation of relations
between our two countries. Turkey is an
important country in Europe and the Middle
East.” Howard also praised Turkey for its
support in the war of terror. For his part,
Erdogan said, “Gallipoli and our martyrs have a
unique importance for us. This is a reality that
comes from our civilization. We are doing our
best to pass Gallipoli on to the future without
losing its historical importance. Don’t worry;
your children are our guests. They are side by
side our martyrs.” /Star/
[04] NATO MEMBER COUNTRIES’ FOREIGN
MINISTERS CONVENE IN BRUSSELS
NATO
member countries’ foreign ministers met
yesterday in Brussels. Representing Turkey at
the gathering, Foreign Minister Abdulah Gul said
that the summit had focused on the issues of
Afghanistan, Kosovo, the Middle East, the
Balkans and enlargement of the alliance.
Arriving in Brussels after attending the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
summit in Mecca, Gul also told his counterparts
about recent developments in the Islamic world.
/Turkiye/
[05] CITING COMPLEXITY OF THE CYPRUS
ISSUE, EU SETS ASIDE PROPOSALS TO END THE TRNC’S
ISOLATION,
The
European Union Permanent Representatives
Committee (COREPER) yesterday decided to set
aside proposed financial aid and free trade
regulations to end the isolation of the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), citing the
complexity of the Cyprus issue as a reason. EU
sources stated that the regulations could later
be discussed by EU member states’ foreign
ministers at a meeting set for next week. In
related news, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said
that Ankara expected the EU to adopt regulations
to end the TRNC’s isolation. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] CHP LEADER BAYKAL MAKES CALL FOR
SOLIDARITY IN SEMDINLI
Main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal
yesterday went to Hakkari and its environs to
look into recent incidents in the region.
Speaking at Van Airport early yesterday, Baykal
said, “My visit to Hakkari and Van is an
expression of the CHP’s solidarity with the
regions’ residents.” Later, Baykal went to
Semdinli, where he met with Mayor Hursit Tekin
and Governor Altug Caglar. He later addressed
the people of Semdinli, saying, “We will do
whatever we can to live in solidarity with each
other; no discrimination, no isolation, no
denial. Turkey belongs to all of us. Everyone
should accept that.” He added, “Neglecting,
isolating, denying or accusing each other gains
us nothing. That will only bring pain and chaos
to the country.” Baykal also visited Yuksekova
and Van and paid a visit to Van Yuzuncu Yil
University (YYU) Rector Yucel Askin at the YYU
Medical School Hospital. Askin is in custody on
controversial corruption charges. /Aksam/
[07] GEN. BUYUKANIT TO TRAVEL TO THE US
Land Forces Commander Gen.Yasar
Buyukanit is set to travel to New York tomorrow
at the invitation if his US counterpart Gen.
Peter Schoomaker. After visiting the US Military
Academy at West Point, he will proceed to
Washington on Monday. During his stay in the
country through next Friday, Buyukanit is
expected to hold talks with high-level officials
including Defense Undersecretary Eric Edelman,
also a former ambassador to Ankara, and
Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey. Their
meetings will especially focus on the presence
of terrorist PKK militants in northern Iraq.
Furthermore, the Turkish commander will attend a
luncheon seminar of the American Enterprise
Institute (AEI) think-tank. /Turkiye/
[08] DENMARK’S RASMUSSEN: “THE PKK IS A
TERRORIST GROUP”
Danish Prime Minister Anders
Fogh Rasmussen said yesterday that just like all
other European Union member countries, Denmark
considers the PKK a terrorist group. Speaking to
reporters after a meeting with new German
Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Rasmussen
stated that Danish police were probing possible
links between the PKK and Roj-TV, a
Copenhagen-based television station, adding that
when these links are proven, certain measures
would be taken. /Milliyet/
[09] AKSU DENIES INITIATIVE TO RESTRICT
ALCOHOL SALES
Interior Minister Abdulkadir
Aksu yesterday denied that his ministry had sent
a directive to all provincial governors asking
for a so-called “red light project” from each.
Speaking at a press conference, Aksu denied that
there was a government initiative to restrict
alcohol sales to certain neighborhoods, noting
that they would not undertake any initiative
which would violate the Constitution. /Turkish
Daily News/
[10] UNAKITAN: “THE CURRENT ACCOUNTS
DEFICIT IS HIGH BUT NOT A THREAT”
Speaking
at a press conference yesterday, Finance
Minister Kemal Unakitan said that the recent
rise in the current accounts deficit was
unwanted and added, “We’re faced with the
highest deficit in our history, but it doesn’t
pose a threat to our economy.” He stressed that
it was important how the deficit was financed.
Unakitan said that the deficit could be reduced
by foreign capital and that no one should be
uncomfortable about such capital. Unakitan
briefed the reporters on budget figures, saying
that last month the budget surplus was $3.9
billion and the primary surplus was $6.6
billion. Commenting on the government’s recent
tax cuts, Unakitan said that the government
hopes to boost employment and create new jobs.
/Sabah/
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[12] RED LIGHTS AHEAD?
BY HALUK SAHIN (RADIKAL)
Columnist Haluk Sahin comments on reported
proposed alcohol restrictions by the Justice and
Development Party (AKP). A summary of his column
is as follows:
“I
don’t know if you’ve been following the debates
over restricting places where alcoholic
beverages are served. These debates started when
municipalities controlled by the ruling Justice
and Minister Party (AKP) prohibited alcohol at
places belonging to them and then flared up when
they wanted to spread this prohibition to other
areas. There’s been news in the press stating
that ‘red light districts’ would be established
outside cities and that meetings were held about
the issue. In some parts of the world, the
neighborhoods where you find brothels are called
red light districts. Obviously, some people
consider bars and taverns to be equivalent to
brothels, in other words, hotbeds of vice! This
situation continued until rumors began that
these restrictions would spread to such tourist
areas as Kusadasi and Antalya. People began
complaining this would hurt tourism, and finally
an official on behalf of the AKP government was
obliged to state clearly that the rumors were
untrue. I mean the statement made by Interior
Minister Abdulkadir Aksu in Istanbul. Aksu said
that there was no new proposal about areas where
alcoholic beverages are served and that people
who operate places where alcohol is currently
sold won’t lose their licenses. Aksu added that
they even encouraged opening alcohol-serving
establishments in tourist areas, instead of
prohibiting them. He even said that mayors who
declare a place a ‘red zone’ and want to cluster
places where alcohol is served on one street
were violating the law, that is, committing a
crime. He said, ‘This is a state of law. If
there is such a person, inform us and we’ll do
what’s necessary.’
I
wonder if anyone will inform or if anything will
be done. I also wonder if the exaggerated news
in a Russian newspaper stating that alcohol was
prohibited in Antalya will be countered. The
biggest tour groups visiting Turkey are Germans,
Russians and the British. These are all
alcohol-friendly nations, and if they are irked,
they can go somewhere else. There’s a saying
that a rumor of something is worse than it
actually happening. One day they might cancel
their reservations. This is the commercial side
of the issue, but we’re interested in the
political and moral aspects. I don’t know why
the AKP is fighting places where alcohol is
served. What happened? Do we have an alcoholism
problem? Were people attacked in front of bars,
or is there some other problem? Yes, alcohol
might turn into a social problem, but why is it
a priority right now? Why don’t they tackle the
problems of unemployment, the environment,
health, education, etc.? It seems some people
want to prevent us from committing sins.”
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