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Turkish Press Review, 07-09-13Turkish 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 morning13.09.2007FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM TH ECOLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] GUL CONTINUES HIS TOUR TO SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIAPresident Abdullah Gul completed the first leg of his visit when he arrived in eastern province of Van on Tuesday and yesterday visited Van’s Baskale and Hakkari’s Yuksekova towns. Addressing the residents of Yuksekova, Gul stressed the necessity for “fraternity” and “unity” among people of the country to have a better future. Gul said that he wanted closer relationships among people and between people and the state. “The state stands at your service with all its capabilities,” said the president. “You are aware of that. We just need to love each other and maintain the state. Then you will see years of neglect disappear in a short time. Public services will be delivered at your feet, just as you deserve them.” Gul further stressed that he was happy to make his first domestic visit to the region. The President‘s four-day tour will continue in Hakkari, Siirt, Sirnak and Diyarbakir and he is expected to return to Ankara on Friday. /Cumhuriyet/[02] GUL TO MAKE HIS FIRST VISIT TO ABROAD TO TRNCIt was declared that President Abdullah Gul would make his first visit to abroad to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). He will visit the TRNC on Sept. 18-19 and later travel to Strasbourg, France to attend a meeting of the European Council Assembly. Gul is expected to deliver a speech at the gathering. /Cumhuriyet/[03] ICT HEAD PRAISES ATMOSPHERE FOR REFORMSIndependent Commission on Turkey (ICT) members, on a visit to Turkey yesterday held a press conference in Istanbul. ICT head former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari said that the necessary atmosphere was created following the elections for the government to pursue reforms, adding that good will was important, but implementation was more important than that. ICT member former Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek said that the European Parliament accepted Turkey as a candidate since it was a secular country with a majority Muslim population. Saying that the world considered this an advantage, Geremek added that he hoped Turkey would remain secular forever and its democracy would be more stable. /Milliyet/[04] PAPADOPOULOS SEES TURKISH ARMY AS ONLY ENEMYOpening his presidential campaign, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos declared the only enemy on Cyprus is the “Turkish occupation army.” Appearing on Greek Cypriot TV at Tuesday night, Papadopoulos expressed his regret to accept United Nations’ referee in 2004 to find a settlement on the divided island. Blaming Turkish Cypriot side for the failure in his last week’s meeting with Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat, the Greek Cypriot leader said that the worst has been avoided when an UN-proposed solution plan (the Annan plan) was rejected. On the other hand, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Levent Bilman said yesterday that declaring the TSK on the island as enemy didn’t serve peace. In a weekly press briefing, Dilman said, “Mr. Papadopoulos seems to have forgotten that Turkey along with Greece and Britain is a guarantor state and that the presence of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is based on international agreements.” He added that it was unacceptable to name the TSK as an enemy. Furthermore, TRNC Premier Ferdi Soyer said yesterday that the one, who accepts Turkish soldier as an enemy, also accepts Turkish Cypriots as enemy. He also urged the Greek Cypriot leader to display a will for a settlement on the island soon. /Sabah/[05] ANTI-TERROR SUMMIT HELDTurkey’s Supreme Council on Anti-Terrorism chaired by State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek convened yesterday to discuss the foiled bomb plot in Ankara and other issues. A statement released following the three-hour meeting which brought together the top officials related to the topic, underlined the need for being in constant alert as the terrorist attacks may happen at any time and in any place. /Aksam/[06] EP FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS TURKEY TODAYThe European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs is set to discuss a draft resolution on Turkey. The draft, prepared by Dutch Christian Democrat Parliamentarian RiaOomen-Ruijten reportedly welcoming outcome of general elections in Turkey, as it enabled a wide-range of public representation in Parliament, called on new lawmakers make efforts to ensure stable democracy in the country. /Turkiye/[07] TUSIAD SEEKS SUPPORT FOR BRITISH DEPUTY FOREIGN SECRETARY MURPHYTurkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) head Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag and an accompanying delegation yesterday met with British Deputy Foreign Secretary Responsible for Foreign Affairs Jim Murphy. Speaking afterwards, Yalcindag said that Murphy backed Turkey’s European Union membership bid, adding that TUSIAD would continue its efforts to seek support towards this end. /Sabah/[08] IMF DELEGATION MEETS WITH ECONOMY’S NEW TOP OFFICIALSThe International Monetary Fund delegation headed by Turkey Desk Chief Lorenzo Giorgianni and Hossein Samiei, newly appointed senior resident representative in Turkey yesterday visited State Minister for the Economy Mehmet Simsek, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, and Nazim Ekren, state minister responsible for the coordination of economy. During the delegation’s meeting, the budget figures were discussed. The IMF delegation expressed that it welcomed the government’s savings package of 2.5 billion YTL. The delegation further expressed that there was no need to put back social security reform. /Milliyet/[09] TURKEY TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL DEFENSE FAIRTurkey for the first time participated in the Defense Systems and Equipment International Exhibition (DSEI) on Sept. 11-14 in London. In addition to the Defense Industry Undersecretariat, Turkey is being represented by 18 Turkish firms in the fair. /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM TH ECOLUMNS [10] GUL’S VISIT TO SOUTHEASTERN REGIONBY CUNEYT ULSEVER (HURRIYET)Columnist Cuneyt Ulsever comments on President Abdullah Gul’s visit to the southeast and the Kurdish issue. A summary of his column is as follows: “I think it’s very important that President Abdullah Gul paid his first domestic visit to the southeast, after he was elected the president. Some people might say that other politicians have also paid similar visits and made similar promises there, but those promises were all forgotten then. This time I’m hopeful, because the chaos in the Middle East, the fact that the US started to withdraw from Iraq gradually and possible attacks by the US against Iran might cause a worse situation for Turkey. In such a period, it’s a must for Gul to embrace the southeast. As I wrote before, Turkey is making good calculations about the role that it would play concerning the US’ policies on Iraq and Iran in the future. But, even if a conference which would bring countries neighboring Iraq together in Istanbul, a Turkey which couldn’t clean its own home can be taken seriously neither in the Middle East, nor in the entire world. If Turkey wants to protect itself from gradually-increasing problems in the Middle East and even take lessons from those developments, firstly, it has to solve its own Kurdish issue. If we don’t take place next to our Kurdish citizens, efforts for getting things mixed in this region would increase more. On the contrary, an administration which can please the people living in the southeast will be very advantageous in terms of getting prepared for playing the role of a protector. A Turkey which can consider northern Iraq not as a threat, but as an opportunity, can show its sincerity on this issue only by winning the people living in the southeast. We’re now facing the probability of an Iraq which was politically divided into three parts. If Turkey wants to protect its own peace and have a say concerning the Middle East issue, it has to protect the Kurdish people living on northern Iraq in such an atmosphere where Iran would direct Shiites and Saudi Arabia and Egypt would direct Sunnis. Kurds are always considering the possibility that both Shiites and Sunnis living in Iraq will turn northern Iraq into a common target of attack, after the US starts to withdraw from the region. Thus, Kurds are already willing to be protected by Turkey. The most realistic method of dissolving the PKK is the mutual share of confidence. If Gul could protect the southeast with sincere and realist policies, the Democratic Society Party (DTP) worked and made cooperation at Parliament for democracy and peace and Turkey invited the Iraqi president to announce its conditions and the guarantee of protection, Turkey would be taken all the measures and got prepared for playing an active role in the Middle East. The entire world has to take such a country seriously. This determination would relax the US as well and create a new rapprochement between these two allies. I hope Gul’s visit to the southeast is the part of a great strategy!” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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