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Turkish Press Review, 07-12-06Turkish 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 morning06.12.2007CONTENTS
[01] GUL VISITS TURKMENISTANIn a press conference yesterday before leaving for Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, President Abdullah Gul said, “My visit will be an opportunity to review our common vision for the future in light of past experiences.” Gul also said that his visit would be the first from a Turkish president in seven years. /Star/[02] ALBANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS ANKARAAlbanian Parliament Speaker Josefina Topalli Coba yesterday met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Coba’s Turkish counterpart Koksal Toptan. Afterwards, Coba, together with Toptan, was received by President Abdullah Gul. /Star/[03] DEFENSE INDUSTRY STEERING BOARD REVIEWS HELICOPTER, ANTI-TANK NEEDSThe Defense Industry Steering Board, chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, convened yesterday at the Defense Industry Undersecretariat. Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and defense industry executives also attended the meeting. The board reviewed the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces, including helicopters, heavy-lift helicopters, and anti-tank systems. Gonul said that Turkey will explore domestic opportunities, adding that infantry guns and machine guns will be produced in Turkey. /Turkiye/[04] HIGHER COUNTER-TERRORISM BOARD CONVENESThe Higher Counter-Terrorism Board, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, convened yesterday at the Prime Ministry. At the meeting, participants discussed what additional measures may be taken since the Turkish Armed Forces got authorization to launch a cross-border operation into northern Iraq. “We reiterate that all state institutions are determined on our fight against terrorism,” said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office in a statement afterwards. /Turkiye/[05] BABACAN: “WE’RE STILL WAITING FOR CONCRETE STEPS FROM NORTHERN IRAQ”The northern Iraqi administration still has yet to show a clear expression of will against the terrorist PKK, said Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday. After his visit to Athens, Babacan told a press conference, “They are taking some steps. They show us photos and video footage, but if you ask us whether we’ve seen concrete steps towards fighting the terrorist group, no we haven’t.” Stating that a cross-border operation into northern Iraq has already gradually begun and that cooperation with the US is continuing, Babacan said, “If those in northern Iraq want to say something, they know how to say it. They understand what we’re saying here.” In related news, Babacan visited Greece’s Western Thrace region after meeting with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and then returned to Turkey. /Sabah/[06] CALIK OFFERS $1.1 BLN FOR ATV-SABAHCalik Group subsidiary Turkuaz Radio and Television, the only remaining contender in the sale of the ATV-Sabah media group by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), submitted a $1.1 billion offer on Wednesday. Only three pre-qualification applications were submitted for the long-awaited sale, including those from the Nurol-Carlyle and RTL-Ipek-Sancak consortiums and Calik’s Turkuaz. However, the first two withdrew just two days before the tender. The tender took place at the Ahmet Nazif Pasa mansion, seized from the Uzan Group by the TMSF for their debts. The tender commission opened the sealed bid and as the Calik Group was the only bidder, commission head Fethi Calik requested that the group raise its $1.1 billion bid, but Serhat Demir, Calik’s legal counsel, said they were tied to the offered amount and couldn’t authorize an increase. Calik then announced the offer had been accepted and that they would submit their bid to the TMSF for its approval. /Today’s Zaman/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... [07] STAND UP FOR THE REPUBLIC!BY UMIT ZILELI (CUMHURIYET)Columnist Umit Zileli comments on recent developments in Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows: “Let’s take a few snapshots of what’s happening in Turkey: When a 15-year-old girl in Adana came forward to receive an award for her composition wearing a headscarf, she was rebuked by the authorities. Then Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan called her to express his regret over the incident and told her, ‘All this will be changed.’ In addition, state officials who were just doing their duty were accused of practicing ‘discrimination’! Another 16-year-old girl in Rize took off her headscarf for an awards ceremony after she was warned by the school principal. The premier again got angry about the incident and told the girl’s father on the phone that he would take a ‘personal interest’ in it. Then an investigation was started by Rize’s governor. Officials acting in line with the law were treated like criminals… Let’s continue these snapshots… President Abdullah Gul told reporters on his plane en route to Pakistan that the Board of Higher Education (YOK) had sent him a file on an open rectorship, with one of three candidates flagged with a note saying that that his wife was wearing a black chador. Gul added that after an investigation, he found out that the candidate was actually single. YOK Chairman Erdogan Tezic immediately denied the allegation, saying they had attached no such note. Later Gul added that he didn’t say YOK was responsible. So, just as intended, YOK was battered just before the selection of a new chairman and debate over a new constitution… An iman leading the funeral of a victim of last week’s plane crash in Isparta urged people with photos of the beloved pinned to their collars to take them off, and nobody raised any objections! With a law passed by Parliament and signed by the president at lightning speed, a new era, which enables the use of interviews in the hiring process of judges and prosecutors, began. Some 4,000 vacant positions will be filled to begin with … The ATV-Sabah group was sold yesterday to the Calik Group, led by the premier’s son-in-law, in only five minutes. The group, which was the only bidder, won the tender with an offer of $1.1 billion, which was the minimum opening bid. Two other groups bowed out of the tender at the last minute. This is what we’ve seen in the last couple of days… These incidents seem to be separate from each other, but actually they’re closely connected! We’re moving quickly into becoming a religious country … The media and judiciary are being reshaped in order to accelerate that transformation. The power to stop this from happening is in the hands of the people … It’s time for us to protect the Republic, to stand up… On Sunday, there will be a rally in Ankara’s Tandogan Square called ‘Hands Off the Judiciary,’ and it will be an important opportunity to show that the country hasn’t been forsaken… Let’s stand up for the Republic, for a bright future, for our children!” [08] UNJUSTIFIED ATTACKBY METIN SEZINER (TURKIYE)Columnist Metiner Sezer comments on recent developments in Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows: “President Abdullah Gul told reporters traveling with him to Pakistan about an incident which he decried. He said that he had received a file for an open rectorship with a note attached to one of the three candidates saying that his wife was wearing a black chador, but that when he got someone to investigate this, they found out that the candidate was actually unmarried. Gul said that he was shocked. Here is Turkey... Throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick … A rector’s qualifications should be knowledge, ability and foresight. Put them aside, slander him … Mercy! Board of Higher Education (YOK) Chairman Erdogan Tezic denied the allegation. He said they had no interest in rectors’ private lives. But he’s being inconsistent. It’s widely known that in past years scholars were indexed using information from their office boys. There are plenty of similar examples. The Court of Audit recently did a study of some 140 hospitals. Their findings were a scandal " the hospitals are full of bacteria. Say, ‘These hospitals must be managed by people wearing black chadors,’ then flee … The equator got to within 260 kilometers of Turkey, so people with black chadors will again be blamed! The imam leading a funeral for a victim of last week’s plane crash in Isparta made people take photos of the victim off the front of the coffin and the mourners’ collars. Then certain experts declared that there was no such tradition in either our customs or religion, but recently it became normal and had no religious meaning. It’s a circular explanation. Religious topics can’t be pulled from both ends. If it’s a sin, it’s a sin. People who want to will obey, no need to dance around it. Inflation is over the target. Don’t trust inflation. Either his wife or daughter is wearing a black chador! Turkey should give up its tendency to assault people. This epidemic can be seen in the economy, bureaucracy, and appointments. It’s a shame…” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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