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Turkish Press Review, 06-05-05
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
05.05.2006
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] PKK TERRORIST ATTACK IN HAKKARI DRAWS WIDE CONDEMNATION
[02] IN SALONIKA, ERDOGAN MEETS WITH KARAMANLIS, DISCUSSES TURKEY’S EU BID
[03] GUL: “WE’LL TAKE ALL MEASURES TO ENSURE SECURITY”
[04] LAGENDIJK CALLS ON KURDS TO URGE PKK TO END VIOLENCE
[05] US STATE DEPT’S FRIED: “EU MEMBER TURKEY WOULD DEMOLISH AL-QAEDA’S THESIS”
[06] US AMBASSADOR WILSON: “TURKEY’S HARBORS SHOULD BE OPEN TO GREEK CYPRIOTS”
[07] SENER HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE ON EFFORTS TO COMBAT FUEL SMUGGLING
[08] AT PARLIAMENT COMMISSION, CB GOVERNOR URGES CONTINUATION OF REFORMS
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] TURKEY AND ARABS BY HUSNU MAHALLI (AKSAM)
[01] PKK TERRORIST ATTACK IN HAKKARI DRAWS WIDE CONDEMNATION
After a terrorist attack on Wednesday in the southeastern province of
Hakkari targeting a school bus carrying soldiers’ children which injured 21,
including 11 children and eight soldiers, security forces began a crackdown
in the region. Authorities detained 16 people suspected of involvement in
the attack. The Hakkari State Hospital said none of the injured was in
serious condition. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer condemned the attack,
saying the militants trying to divide the country will never achieve their
goal. “By targeting children, the terrorist organization has once again
shown its ugly face,” said the president in a written statement. He also
underlined the Turkish nation’s determination to preserve its unity and
integrity. The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DPT) also issued a
message condemning the attack, adding that no matter who perpetrated it, an
attack on children especially caused deep sorrow in the party. /All Papers/
[02] IN SALONIKA, ERDOGAN MEETS WITH KARAMANLIS, DISCUSSES TURKEY’S EU BID
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Salonika to attend a summit of the
Southeastern Europe Cooperation Process (SECP) Heads of States and
Governments, yesterday met with his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis to
discuss a number of issues, including bilateral relations. During their
meeting, Karamanlis reiterated Greece’s support for Turkey’s European Union
membership bid. He also told Erdogan that the Greek administration was
expecting the Heybeliada seminary to be reopened. Karamanlis further stated
that the trade volume between Turkey and Athens surpassed 2 billion euros
and that the target was to increase this to 5 billion euros. “Turkish-Greek
relations are much better compared to the past,” he added. For his part,
Erdogan said that Ankara was working to reopen the seminary. /Sabah/
[03] GUL: “WE’LL TAKE ALL MEASURES TO ENSURE SECURITY”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Iraq had a power vacuum
and was unable to ensure its own security, adding that terrorist groups had
filled that vacuum. Appearing on NTV, Gul said that Turkey wouldn’t
hesitate to take all measures for its security. Commenting on Turkish troop
deployment along the Iraqi border, Gul stated that Turkey had never acted
illegally and respects international laws. Stressing that the US had
increased its action against the PKK, the foreign minister added, however,
that Ankara expected more on the issue. Asked about any change in the new
anti-terrorism bill, Gul said such matters should not be made into
political fodder, adding that after debates, changes could possibly be
made. He also stated that the government had no plans for early elections.
Turkey is moving forward successfully on its road, and this would not serve
the country’s interests, said the top diplomat. /Turkiye/
[04] LAGENDIJK CALLS ON KURDS TO URGE PKK TO END VIOLENCE
Dutch MEP Joost Lagendijk, in Ankara this week to co-chair the 56th Turkey-
European Union Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), meeting, yesterday
called on the Kurdish public and politicians to urge the PKK to end
violence. Speaking to reporters, Lagendijk said that the PKK was carrying
out an outmoded campaign which would lead the Kurds nowhere. Strongly
condemning the terrorist attack in Hakkari on Wednesday, the Dutch
parliamentarian said the use of violence for political aims was a “dead-end
street.” He is expected tomorrow to proceed to Diyarbakir, a southeastern
province predominantly Kurdish populated, to participate in a seminar
entitled, “Civil Rights in the Southeast.” /Sabah/
[05] US STATE DEPT’S FRIED: “EU MEMBER TURKEY WOULD DEMOLISH AL-QAEDA’S
THESIS”
Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried said
yesterday that Turkey’s being a member of the European Union would demolish
al-Qaeda’s argument that Islam and the West can’t co-exist. Speaking at an
American editorial writers’ conference, Fried said, “The Turks will say
democratic norms are consistent with Islam. Turkey also views itself not as
an Islamic country but as a secular republic with an Islamic tradition. Now
can you imagine the potential upside? If an economically successful,
democratic Turkey joined Europe, it would send a powerful message to the
world that Islam can embrace democracy.” He added that enlargement of the
European Union has been “a great success, and [Europeans] should recognize
this and let the Turks measure up” to the qualifications for EU membership.
“What you’re seeing in Turkey is a democratizing society, and a growing
culture of democracy colliding with a lot of the old more authoritarian
traditions. It’s moving in the right direction … It’s the Turks’
responsibility [to qualify for the EU]. No free ride, no lowering the bar,
no moving the goalposts.” /Milliyet/
[06] US AMBASSADOR WILSON: “TURKEY’S HARBORS SHOULD BE OPEN TO GREEK
CYPRIOTS”
US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson yesterday said that Turkey conducting a
cross-border operation into Iraq wouldn’t be wise. Wilson also said that
Turkey would have to open its harbors to Greek Cypriots. Meeting with
diplomatic correspondents, Wilson said that Turkey’s activities in northern
Iraq had somehow been declared and “obtained acceptance by the authorities
of Iraq and the coalition.” The US ambassador said that there was an
ongoing dialogue between the two countries on the terrorist PKK presence in
northern Iraq and called on all countries neighboring Iraq to show respect
to the country. Asked about the upcoming visit to Ankara of Iran’s top
nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, Wilson said that during US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice’s recent visit to Ankara, Turkish authorities openly
declared that Turkey doesn’t want to see any nuclear weapons in Iran and
that it should cooperate fully and return to the negotiating table, adding,
“I expect these to be among key messages to be conveyed by Turkish
authorities.” /Cumhuriyet/
[07] SENER HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE ON EFFORTS TO COMBAT FUEL SMUGGLING
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif
Sener said that Turkey had the capacity to pay off all of its debt to the
International Monetary Fund, but that the government wasn’t considering
such a step for now. Sener further briefed journalists on measures to fight
fuel smuggling and a bill addressing the issue. He also stated that a body
to tackle the problem had been established with a Prime Ministry circular.
Asked about last month’s inflation figures, Sener conceded that they were
above expectations, adding that oil prices were an important factor in
this. “We shouldn’t ignore the importance of fuel prices,” he said. Asked
if fuel taxes would be cut, Sener stated that the government would consider
this after public finances improve. /Aksam/
[08] AT PARLIAMENT COMMISSION, CB GOVERNOR URGES CONTINUATION OF REFORMS
Speaking to Parliament’s Planning and Budgetary Commission yesterday,
Central Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz said that Turkey’s reform process
should continue without letup, adding that these reforms would enable
sustained positive developments in the country. Durmus commented on certain
economic issues, including inflation targets, forecasts, growth, employment,
and the current account deficit. Saying that productivity in manufacturing
was continuing to rise, Durmus stated that productivity increases more than
real wages limit inflationary pressures. Commenting on the current account
deficit, Durmus stated that since the Turkish economy was growing rapidly,
the high deficit was no surprise. /Turkiye/
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] TURKEY AND ARABS BY HUSNU MAHALLI (AKSAM)
Columnist Husnu Mahalli comments on the Turkish and Arab worlds. A summary
of his column is as follows:
“I was in Qatar’s capital Doha on Monday. That evening, I was on a live
program on al Jazeera, and the subject was Turkey. The program shows the
importance the Arab public places on Turkey due to al Jazeera, which is
preparing to broadcast in Turkey soon. Turkey’s Kanal 7 Foreign News Editor
Sefer Turan, Professor Muhammed Nureddin from Lebanon and a Turkish expert
from Egypt, Dr. Ibrahim Beyyumi, also were on the show. We all took
questions on issues of Turkey’s regional role and its relations with Syria,
Iran, Iraq, Palestine and the US and Israel. We emphasized Turkey’s
regional role and importance, and the audience asked questions reflecting
the importance and necessity of this role and duty. The show was widely
watched, which is natural, because everybody has a great interest in Turkey
and they’re glad about Turkey’s rising value. Particularly Turkey’s
regional policies following its rejection of the deployment of US troops in
March 2003 make the people living in this area happy. Everybody supports
Turkey’s EU membership process and wants Turkey to undertake a more active
role in the region. Nobody wants Turkey to oppose the US or Israel with
Arab countries, or establish a pact against them. In addition, nobody wants
Turkey to look like Arab country, either. On the contrary, everybody wants
Arab countries to look like Turkey.
Everybody is following Turkey’s secular, democratic and moderate Islamic
experience. So it’s getting difficult to understand certain ‘experts’ who
are disturbed by Turkey’s developing its relations with Arab countries. The
Arab media covers Turkey every day. All the news agencies, private TV
channels and newspapers in Arab countries have reporters in Ankara and
Istanbul. However, no Turkish private or public broadcaster has a reporter
stationed in an Arab country. If I’m not mistaken, certain private channels
have reporters in Israel. In other words, while the Arab media is doing its
best to promote Turkey to its public, the Turkish media is trying to learn
about developments concerning Arabs from news and interpretations coming
from foreign news agencies. Some of them don’t find this enough, and they
have more confidence in news from American or Israeli origin. In this case,
Arabs understand Turkey and place more importance on us, whereas Turks are
tardy in understanding Arabs. One day, difficulties about this issue will
be solved and the people of the region will see the truth. This geography
is the common property of all of us, that is, the Turks, Arabs, Persians,
Kurds and others. We have to know each other, as we will have to live
together on this geography forever. And we will succeed.”
ARCHIVE
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