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Turkish Press Review, 07-06-22Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning22.06.2007FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN, GUL BRIEFED ON TERRORISM AT OFFICE OF GENERAL STAFFPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday visited the General Staff to be briefed on terrorism, and especially the recent state of domestic security operations and claims that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) lacks equipment effective in countering terrorist PKK mines. Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit was accompanied by other top commanders at the meeting. Erdogan and Gul were also briefed on the presence of the terrorist PKK in northern Iraq. After departing from the Office of the General Staff, Erdogan appeared on television and commented on a possible cross-border operation, saying that the government was in contact with all security forces. “We’re taking some steps and holding meetings,” he added. /Hurriyet/[02] SENER MEETS WITH SEZER, WILSONDeputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday met separately with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson. Sener and Wilson reportedly discussed Turkey’s ties with the US and the European Union besides developments in northern Iraq. Following his meetings, Sener declined to give any information about his contacts. /Hurriyet/[03] US STATE DEPT SPOKESPERSON: “WE HAVE FAITH IN TURKEY’S SECULAR DEMOCRACY”During his daily press briefing, upon a question about the meeting held in Hudson Institute last Wednesday, US State Department Spokesperson Sean McCormack said that he had no information about the issue but made a general comment saying, “And as in the Turkish Government and we have faith in Turkey's secular democracy and we believe that that secular democracy is supported by all aspects of Turkish political life, including the Turkish military and by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government.” /Cumhuriyet/[04] US SPECIAL ENVOY RALSTON: “I’D LIKE TO SEE KURDS IN NORTHERN IRAQ OUSTING THE PKK”US Special Envoy for countering the terrorist PKK retired general Joseph Ralston yesterday said that the Kurds in northern Iraq should adopt a more effective attitude against the terrorist PKK, adding, “I would like to see the Kurds in northern Iraq oppressing the terrorist PKK and ousting terrorists. Speaking at a think-tank in Washington, Ralston said that the PKK was a terrorist organization which kills innocent people and added, “You can’t indulge them. Everybody, including the US, should treat them as they are, as murderers.” Recalling that the US doesn’t favor a possible cross-border operation by Turkey, Ralston said, “I hope Turks would take into consideration their long term interests, not short term ones.” /Star/[05] GERMAN PRESIDENT HONORS TWO TURKISH WOMEN WITH MEDALS OF MERITGerman President Horst Koehler yesterday honored two Turkish women named Zulfisiyah Kaykin and Seyran Ates with medals of merit for their work on women rights. Kaykin was chosen as a recipient of the German Medal of Merit based on her efforts to bring together people of different religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Kaykin, who is the Executive Director of Duisburg Religious Affairs Turkish Islamic Union, established an association of parents and organized countless cultural activities. Meanwhile, Ates received the German Medal of Merit for her efforts in helping battered women and women forced to get married. /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS... [06] CHP CALLS ATTENTION TO EUROPEBY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on Turkey’s EU bid and political parties’ stance on the issue. A summary of her column is as follows: “Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that the European Union membership was still Turkey’s goal and thus called attention to the issue. Isn’t it strange? Is the CHP, which had an anti-European stance recently, turned its direction towards Europe? Baykal added that when the CHP comes into power, it would advance on this road by protecting Turkey’s rights. As both the ruling and opposition parties started to use this issue as a tool for domestic politics, the European train was about to take its place at the locomotive museum. Just at that time, CHP freshened Turkey’s EU bid. Political parties should take their stance clearly on this issue. The parties who oppose to Europe should do this as well. Only this way, discussions can be held on a correct basis. Otherwise, it would be impossible to prevent analyses which are examples of gossip and ignorance and develop reasonable suggestions for harmonization with the EU. A difficult, but important summit about the EU started in Brussels yesterday. A great many bargaining is made in order to ensure the operation of the EU and these bargaining also concern Turkey. If Europe can solve its institutional problems, the enlargement would be able to follow a stronger path. Meanwhile, what was the recent situation for us? The Justice and Development Party (AKP) fallowed the EU process with Brussels’ support. It thought that even if the negotiations are hindered, we would open negotiation chapters and do what is necessary, and thus adopted the technique of delaying. I would like to ask in how many months Turkey could elect its negotiator. When other members’ negotiator and the institutional structure of performing negotiations were clear, the AKP avoided the issue. This situation showed that it did not believe in this issue, didn’t it? During the work of harmonization, Turkey should have prepared its middle and long term national program. This was another sign of its lack of belief, but it couldn’t announce it to the public, because it was unable to see Europe’s own crisis and its possible reflections on Turkey. There is not a single party in Turkey which seriously deals with Turkey’s EU bid and which consists of a staff studying Europe and producing politics accordingly. The EU turned into a file which would be found by the parties in front of them when they come into power. In addition, the parties are not courageous enough to neither close it, nor deepen it. The CHP calculated that it would see this file in front of it one day and thus it’s making preparations. I wish this was not the case and the CHP expressed its views on the issue more openly. Relations with the EU cannot be continued on the basis of rights with the understanding that they can tell whatever they want and we would find an answer to them. Speaking at the National School of Administration (ENA), EU Commissioner Olli Rehn reserved half of its words to Turkey the day before. He emphasized that Turkey was important both for Europe’s stability and security and its economic future. He said that it would be the new government’s duty to show its capacity to harmonize with the EU and accelerate the negotiations. It would be insufficient for those who want to come into power only to say that their goal is EU membership. We have the right to learn why this is the situation and what would be done or not done towards this end.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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