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Turkish Press Review, 07-10-11Turkish 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 morning11.10.2007FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] DANISH AMBASSADOR PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO GULPresident Abdullah Gul yesterday received new Danish Ambassador to Ankara Jesper Vahr and an accompanying delegation at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. During the meeting, the Danish diplomat presented his letter of credentials to Gul. After congratulating Gul on his election this August, Vahr introduced his wife and members of his delegation. /Aksam/[02] ERDOGAN SIGNALS MOTION ON CROSS-BORDER OPERATION COULD BE SENT TO PARLIAMENT TODAYPrime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan yesterday said a motion requesting authorization for a cross-border operation into northern Iraq to fight the terrorist PKK could be sent to Parliament as early as today. Speaking on television, Erdogan said, “We’re planning to consider the motion after the Ramadan Holiday [next week]. It will be a limited motion. It will last for one year. We want to have the motion on hand to use when necessary.” He added, “Terrorism is losing ground and the terrorists are losing hope. Current developments are actually meant to revive their hopes.” Asked if northern Iraq could be a “trap” for Turkey, Erdogan said, "No, we have no designs on Iraq’s territorial and political integrity. We’re targeting the part of northern Iraq where the terrorist group is causing us distress. There are (northern Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud) Barzani’s statements and those of our friends in the US saying that they oppose any operation. If you are against it, make your attitude clear and do whatever is necessary. If you can’t do it, then let us.” Erdogan added that Turkey has had several meetings with Iraqi officials and that a memorandum of understanding on anti-terror efforts was signed during Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s recent visit to Turkey. “We want to see enforcement in this process rather than words and documents,” he stressed. /Turkiye/[03] DEFYING ANKARA AND BUSH ADMINISTRATION, US HOUSE COMMITTEE PASSES ARMENIAN “GENOCIDE” RESOLUTIONDefying both Ankara and the Bush administration, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday approved a non-binding resolution declaring controversial events of 1915, during World War I, to have been a “genocide.” The resolution passed 27-21, the first step towards holding a vote in the full House of Representatives. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a joint declaration on the behalf of the White House, warning that passage of the resolution would be very problematic for the US position in the Middle East. Speaking for US US military commanders, Gates added, “They believe clearly that access to airfield and to the roads and so on in Turkey [to supply US troops in Iraq] would be very much put at risk if this resolution passes and the Turks react as strongly as we believe they will." /Cumhuriyet/[04] EU’S BARROSO WARNS AGAINST ARMENIAN RESOLUTIONMeeting yesterday with Armenian leader Robert Kocharian, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso signaled that he opposes a motion on the incidents of 1915 currently before the US Hose of Representatives. Barroso said that the EU Commission does not believe in making political use of historical issues. Calling the incidents nearly a century ago “very delicate and painful,” Barroso said, “They (the US House) can decide what to discuss, but our stance is open. As a necessity of respecting victims and history, we are against using these issues in politics.” /Milliyet/[05] PARLIAMENT HOLDS FIRST VOTE ON CHANGING OCT. 21 REFERENDUMParliament yesterday held its first vote on a proposal to alter a package of constitutional changes set to go to referendum on Oct. 21. The proposal would remove from the package a provision requiring new procedures for presidential elections to be applied to the current president. The measure was approved 382-105 and is set to face a second vote next Tuesday. /Sabah/[06] BAYKAL: “THE CHP STANDS BEHIND THE CROSS-BORDER OP MOTION”Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal yesterday stated that his party would definitely support a motion requesting authorization for a cross-border operation into northern Iraq, saying, “There’s no doubt we’ll approve the motion.” In related news, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday said that it’s premature to talk about the motion before seeing it, adding, “The government shouldn’t be late with the motion.” /Star- Turkiye/[07] EU PROGRESS REPORT TO URGE ACCELERATED REFORMSThe European Union’s annual progress report on Turkey is set to be released on Nov. 7. In the report, the EU will reportedly urge Turkey to accelerate reforms, which it says have slowed down due to this summer’s general and presidential elections. /Sabah/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [08] MIND AND OPERATIONBY SOLI OZEL (SABAH)Columnist Soli Ozel comments on Turkey’s stance on the Kurdish issue. A summary of his column is as follows: “It’s not easy to do an analysis in the midst of such sadness. The public is very angry, and an atmosphere which might trigger Turkish-Kurdish conflict is getting worse. Obviously, the terrorist PKK has been longing for such an atmosphere for a long time. After 13 soldiers were killed last weekend in the southeastern province of Sirnak, Turkey is under pressure to do something. This doesn’t have to be a cross-border operation. But if, after all these incidents, Turkey doesn’t take serious steps to hurt some or all the parties which treat it with such hostility, it won’t be taken seriously and will lose its deterrent effect. But establishing this effect or a way to ensure the end of these attacks doesn’t necessarily mean entering Iraq with a large number of troops. Proponents of this idea should be asked how much they understand the issues and are taking into account Turkey’s interests. For, as every reasonable person says, the real source of PKK terrorism isn’t northern Iraq. However, the terrorist PKK is being protected in northern Iraq and it’s also being used as a trump card against Turkey. Great states can’t act hastily or emotionally. They don’t have the luxury. More importantly, serious states can’t constantly threaten others. If there is action to take, they do so. In addition, they tell the proper parties what sort of harm they can expect if expectations aren’t met. In the current situation, obviously, the terrorist PKK is the target. But a move against it would also be felt by Iraq’s Kurdish regional administration and the US. So no matter what the government decides to do, it should weigh the diplomatic and communication aspects. Whatever Turkey does, it should never allow its isolation from the international system. When debate over a cross-border operation was raging before this summer’s elections, the British-based International Institute for Strategic Studies released a very comprehensive report. It mainly concluded that all the ways to solve the issue hadn’t been tried yet and that if there’s an operation, it should be done not with a soldier-heavy approach but one focused on technology and specialization. This is still true. Under current conditions, our entering northern Iraq with a large number of troops would mean being trapped by the terrorist PKK both politically and militarily and so inadvertently helping it. Another step which might damage us would be limiting democracy within Turkey. Even if some people are complaining about the actions of the (pro- Kurdish) Democratic Society Party (DTP), closing it wouldn’t solve anything but actually make thing worse. The DTP statement after the killing of 13 soldiers was positive. The party should be encouraged to maintain this stance and resist the pressure from the PKK and Europe. Finally, institutions in Turkey should make more serious efforts to resolve their differences on the fight against terrorism. This nation can’t constantly bleed or lose its young people and hopes due to political conflicts among domestic institutions.” [09] TO OUR READERSIn observance of the Ramadan Holiday (Seker Bayrami), the Turkish Press Review will not appear tomorrow, Oct. 12. Please rejoin us next Monday, Oct. 15.Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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