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Turkish Press Review, 08-09-15Turkish 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 morning15.09.2008CONTENTS
[01] IN SOGUT, PRESIDENT GUL CALLS FOR UNITYA ceremony was held in Sogut, Bilecik yesterday marking the 727th anniversary of the founding of the Ottoman Empire. Among those attending the ceremony were President Abdullah Gul, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer. During the ceremony, Gul said that Turkey should direct its energy and dynamism to reach the level of contemporary civilization, as Ataturk urged. He also called on politicians to maintain unity in the country. For his part, Baykal said, "The requirements for sustaining Turkey's unity are before us." He added, "We're trying to do our part. We'll definitely find a way to take our country forward." /Cumhuriyet/[02] ERDOGAN CONTINUES TO CRITICIZE DOGAN MEDIA GROUP AND MAIN OPPOSITION CHPAddressing an Istanbul congress of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) over the weekend, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued to accuse the Dogan media group and its boss Aydin Dogan of waging a smear campaign against the government. He also slammed the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for its claims that the government had put pressure on the Capital Markets Board (SPK) to investigate the group for alleged illegal trading. "You say I gave an order to the SPK head," said Erdogan. "Anyone who fails to prove this (allegation) has no honor, no dignity. I'm saying this very clearly and openly." He added, "The SPK is an autonomous institution. I have issued no directive on this issue. Before falsely accusing the government, the CHP and its leader should first look at themselves." Stressing that the government welcomes constructive criticism, he said, "But we will continue to respond to campaigns trying to tar the government and the AKP with corruption and to defame our dignity and honor." He also said that under previous governments, the Dogan group got whatever it wanted from politicians, but that era is now over. Erdogan also said Aydin Dogan had written him two letters seeking favoritism on business matters. "I'd like to stress, sir, that you will get the same treatment as all of our other citizens," Erdogan said. He also accused the group's newspapers of failing to cover allegations about CHP leader Deniz Baykal's assets. "Just by looking at Istanbul's general outlook, one can see the great changes made by the government over the last six years," he said, citing the city's situation under CHP rule in years past. Over the weekend, Erdogan also attended an iftar fast-breaking dinner with a group of workers in the Tuzla shipyard. /Turkiye/[03] TOP US GEN. MULLEN MEETS WITH ERDOGANUS Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman Gen. Michael Mullen yesterday arrived in Istanbul at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Gen. Ilker Basbug. Mullen was also received by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a meeting which lasted about one hour. Also at the meeting were ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chairman Egemen Bagis and US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson. The meeting focused on the fight against terrorism and intelligence-sharing with the US. Mullen today is expected to meet with Basbug and President Abdullah Gul. In related news, Alliances of Civilizations co-sponsors Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Spanish Premier Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will meet today in Istanbul for an iftar fast-breaking dinner. /Sabah/[04] TURKEY-EU TROIKA TO MEET IN BRUSSELS TODAYA semi-annual Turkey-European Union Troika meeting will take place today in Brussels. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will head the Turkish delegation, and will meet with European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn, EU Term President France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the next EU presidency. At the meeting, Turkey's EU reform process, membership negotiations, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's proposal for a Caucasus platform, and regional and global issues will be discussed. /Star/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [05] FOR NOW…BY ERDAL SAFAK (SABAH)Columnist Erdal Safak comments on energy routes and gas pipelines in the Caucasus and Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows: "Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler's answer to a question at a press conference in Baku last week was noted by Western capitals and companies involved in energy, but the Turkish public missed it. The question was this: Is there talk about routing the Nabucco gas pipeline through Armenia? Guler said there was no such talk, for now. But normally he would have answered like this: 'Where did you ever get such an idea? The route of the Nabucco gas pipeline was laid down years ago, with the approval of all the parties involved. Everyone knows the line will come to Turkey via Azerbaijan and Georgia and then go to Western Europe through Bulgaria.' The difference in his answer signals that the softening atmosphere between Turkey and Armenia and even between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the wake of the Georgian-Russian conflict has radically shifted balances in the Caucasus. Indeed, Georgia is no longer a reliable route for the energy corridor, as any glance at a map of the Caucasus would tell you. Not only the section of Nabucco in Georgia, but also the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa oil pipelines and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline are all within the range of Russian tanks and field guns. Neither the European Union nor multinational investors consider it reasonable to add another entry to this list of three risky pipelines. For the Georgia alternative to stay on the table, not only the Georgian issue, but also all the stubborn conflicts in the Caucasus would have to be resolved. But just like Alexander 'resolved' the Gordian knot, Russia has resolved some of these conflicts which concern Georgia, by using swords and guns! In other words, South Ossetia and Abkhazia won't return to Georgia but will remain so high risk that no insurance company would guarantee a single cent there. On the other hand, a great opportunity has emerged for solving the Upper Karabakh issue, which is the third longstanding conflict, through Turkey's mediation. 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