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Turkish Press Review, 08-02-11Turkish 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 morning11.02.2008FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] AFTER PASSAGE BY PARLIAMENT, END TO UNIVERSITY HEADSCARF BAN PROCEEDS TO PRESIDENT GULParliament overwhelmingly confirmed its vote to allow students to wear headscarves in universities on Saturday by 411-103, with full support from the ruling Justice and Development Party and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The constitutional amendments would go into effect after being signed by President Abdullah Gul, but the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has pledged to challenge the changes in the Constitutional Court. /Aksam/[02] IN COLOGNE, ERDOGAN URGES LOCAL TURKS TO INTEGRATE WITH GERMAN SOCIETYPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on a visit to Germany, said yesterday that Turks bring nothing but love, friendship and peace to the societies that they join. Speaking at a gathering in Cologne, Erdogan called on local Turks to integrate with German society while holding onto their own values. Stressing that Turks have made contributions to Germany’s development, the premier urged them to take active part in all democratic platforms. Commenting on Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Erdogan said that nothing besides full membership would be acceptable. /Star/[03] CROWDS TAKE TO STREETS PROTESTING PROPOSED HEADSCARF CHANGESEven as Parliament was voting on the matter, as many as 200,000 people gathered in the capital Ankara on Saturday to protest the government’s move to allow the wearing of headscarves at universities. Secularists from across the country, including judges, scholars, and representatives from 76 non-governmental organizations, gathered in the Sihhiye district and chanted “Turkey is secular and will remain secular!” Similar rallies were held in other provinces throughout the country. In related news, the Turkish Bar Association issued a declaration signed by 41 heads of regional bars criticizing the proposal to end the ban. Warning of a possible regime crisis, the lawyers said that the government’s move had sowed public division and so urged a resolution through democratic means. /Turkish Daily News-Hurriyet/[04] TURKISH VICTIMS OF GERMAN FIRE TO BE LAID TO RESTHundreds of people, most of them Turks, gathered yesterday at a memorial service for nine people killed last week in a fire in southern Germany. Turkish flags were draped over the coffins of the victims at the interfaith ceremony in Ludwigshafen. Turkish State Minister Said Yazicioglu, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, and German Commissioner for Migration Maria Boehmer also attended the event. Speaking at the ceremony, Yazicioglu reiterated the Turkish government’s pledge to make sure the fire is investigated fully. Also speaking, Baykal said that they place great importance on the safety of Turks living in Germany. “If arson was responsible, the culprits should be found as soon as possible,” he added. For her part, Boehmer said that Chancellor Angela Merkel also shares Turks’ grief. Afterwards, the bodies of the victims were sent to Turkey, where they will be laid to rest today. /Sabah/[05] ISRAEL’S DEFENSE MINISTER DUE IN ANKARA TODAYIsraeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is due in Ankara today at the official invitation of his Turkish counterpart Vecdi Gonul to discuss matters of bilateral defense cooperation. After arriving this evening, Barak, who is also the leader of Israel’s Labor Party, will begin his official contacts tomorrow. He will be received by President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and then have talks with Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, as well as Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit. /Milliyet/[06] ARGUING AGAINST KOSOVAR INDEPENDENCE, RUSSIA DRAWS PARALLEL TO TRNCKosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence would “open a Pandora’s box” in Europe, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov warned yesterday. Addressing the 44th Munich Defense Policy Conference, Ivanov argued against independence for Kosovo, adding that if European Union countries recognize Kosovo, then logically it would follow that they recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). /Cumhuriyet/[07] PARLIAMENT TO VOTE ON NEW FOUNDATIONS LAW THIS WEEKThe new Foundations Bill will be taken up this week in Parliament. On Wednesday and Thursday, lawmakers will debate the bill and then vote on it. /Turkiye/[08] ISTANBUL TO HOST INTL ECONOMIC CONGRESS IN JUNETurkey is preparing to host the 15th World Congress of International Economic Association (IEA) early this summer. The congress is held once every three years, and this year will be held on June 25-29in Istanbul. Joseph Stiglitz and Rober Solow, both Nobel Prize laureates, are expected to attend the gathering. /Star/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS [09] ENDING THE BAN WON’T SOLVE THE PROBLEMBY GUNGOR URAS (MILLIYET)Columnist Gungor Uras comments on the government proposal to lift the headscarf ban at universities. A summary of his column is as follows: “After constitutional changes to allow students to wear headscarves at universities are passed, the headscarf issue won’t end, but actually get worse. Right now the public believes that if girls barred due to their headscarves could enter universities, their problem of education and debates over the controversial headscarf issue would end. According to a recent study by Bogazici University’s Binnaz Toprak and Sabanci University’s Ersin Kalaycioglu, one girl out of 10 can’t attend university due to her wearing a headscarf. About 10.5 of 100 girls who don’t attend university do so due to family opposition, 29.8 due to failure to pass the university entrance exam, and 14.6 due to getting married instead. Others don’t attend university as they have to work (14 percent) or because their families lack the financial means (6.3 percent). When students wearing headscarves were able to attend university, before the late ‘80s, there were at most four to six students wearing headscarves in courses of 80-120 students. The number of students donning wigs as a substitute for headscarves hasn’t changed since headscarves were banned. There were still four to six girls in courses wearing wigs. I always try to follow what these journalism or public relations students do after graduation. I don’t see my former students wearing wigs or headscarves in big cities like Istanbul, Ankara or Izmir. I’ve come across a few of them while traveling in Anatolia, where they work for local TV stations, newspapers or local industrial and commercial institutions. I raise this issue for an important reason. The problem won’t end when the university headscarf ban is lifted. When their university education comes to an end, the problem is only beginning. What will happen when girls wearing headscarves graduate from university? (1) Will they take off their headscarves? (2) Will they stay home, as job opportunities are limited for girls wearing headscarves? (3) Will they wait to be allowed to work at any institution? When the university headscarf ban is lifted, it will be allowed not only for female students, but also for professors and teachers. Then women using headscarves will be able to teach, for example, at medical schools, law schools and political science faculties. So the first open door in the public service for girls wearing headscarves who graduate from universities will be teaching at university. But this isn’t enough. Will a law school graduate who wears a headscarf not be able to become a judge or public prosecutor? As they have the right to vote and run for office, won’t they be able to become a mayor or deputy? If not, there will be a problem. So proposals to lift the headscarf ban in all sorts of public services will immediately be raised. People, who say this won’t happen are either deceiving themselves or others.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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