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Turkish Press Review, 08-11-04Turkish 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 morning04.11.2008FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT GUL: "TURKEY'S GOAL IS FULL EU MEMBERSHIP"Speaking at the Ninth Annual North South Europe Economic Forum held by the Izmir Chamber of Commerce and the Institute for European Affairs (INEA), President Abdullah Gul yesterday said that Turkey is working to fulfill the European Union's membership criteria. Gul said that Turkey's goal is to become a full EU member under equal conditions as other members. Stating that Ankara is pursuing an active policy carrying vital importance for both itself and Europe, Gul said, "We're making efforts to achieve peace in the Caucasus and the Balkans. We're also working on a new project involving stability and confidence-building measures in the Middle East." Also speaking at the forum, Bosnian President Haris Slajdzic said that without Turkey, the Balkans and Southeastern Europe will always be incomplete. He added that when Turkey became a member, the EU can be a true union. /Star/[02] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH LEBANESE PM SINIORALebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora yesterday arrived in Ankara at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two discussed recent developments in the Middle East. Afterwards, Erdogan told a joint press conference that he and Siniora are in frequent contact and that ties between the two countries have made remarkable strides in recent years. Asked about provocations during his recent visit to the southeastern Anatolia region, he charged that the PKK had manipulated children. Criticizing the Democratic Society Party (DTP), he added, "This isn't democracy, human rights or freedom-fighting, these are efforts to win votes through different means." He also said, "While we were attending the opening ceremonies of two hospitals and several schools in Hakkari, DTP members were holding rallies in Yuksekova." For his part, Siniora stated that Turkey plays an important role in the Middle East. Erdogan later hosted a dinner for Siniora. /Turkiye-Aksam/[03] ECONOMIC COORDINATION BOARD CONVENES TO ADDRESS GLOBAL ECONOMIC TURMOILThe Economic Coordination Board chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan convened yesterday to address the impact of the global economic crisis and measures to counter it. Representing the Cabinet at the seven- hour-plus meeting were Deputy Prime Ministers Nazım Ekren and Hayati Yazıcı, State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen, State Minister for the Economy Mehmet Simsek, and Industry and Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan. Representatives of many labor, business and non-governmental organizations also attended. Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Erdogan said that Turkey is better-prepared to weather such a crisis than in the past. Stating that the crisis may have a negative impact on Turkey's job environment, labor market, and social structure, as in other countries, Erdogan said the government had taken all necessary measures to blunt the crisis' impact and turn it into an opportunity for the country. Stressing that the government won't allow working people and low-income earners to be hurt by the crisis, Erdogan said, "During such a crisis, social solidarity takes on more importance." He said that the government would keep meeting with representatives of labor, business and non-governmental organizations to exchange views on recent developments. Saying the crisis could cause unemployment and a drop in income, the premier said Turkey's atmosphere of confidence and stability and reforms of the last six years were helping it weather the crisis with minimal impact. He also said that increased government spending to support the poor was also cushioning the crisis' impact, adding that the government would determinedly continue to carry out the responsibility of a social welfare state. /Sabah-Turkiye/[04] CICEK CALLS ON OPPOSITION TO VISIT SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIAFollowing incidents last weekend during Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to eastern and southeastern Anatolia, Deputy Premier Cemil Cicek yesterday called on the opposition parties to visit the region together to show the unity of the state. Stressing that Erdogan had visited not to campaign for next year's local elections but to stress the region's importance, Cicek urged opposition leaders to work to boost public morale in the region, adding that the issue transcends politics. /Hurriyet/[05] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER KOKSAL TO VISIT AUSTRIAParliament Speaker Koksal Toptan will travel to Austria today at the invitation of his Austrian counterpart Barbara Prammer. Besides talks with Prammer and President Heinz Fischer, he is also scheduled to meet with members of the Austrian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and the Austria-Turkey Parliamentary group. /Hurriyet Daily News/[06] BABACAN: "TURKEY HAS IMPLEMENTED KEY REFORMS TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM"Turkey's European friends should support us in fighting the terrorist PKK, said Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday. Speaking at Esenboga Airport before leaving for a four-day European Union tour, Babacan stated that Turkey has carried out important reforms to strengthen democracy and freedom, and that the nation has been undergoing a transformation." Our European friends should recognize that reality," he added. /Star/[07] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEYOn the heels of his meeting with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will visit Turkey tomorrow at the invitation of President Abdullah Gul. Aliyev will also address Parliament on Thursday and is expected to speak about efforts to solve the Upper Karabakh issue. /Milliyet/[08] GEN. BASBUG, PM ERDOGAN TO VISIT ISPARTA COMMANDO SCHOOLChief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan today are set to visit a commando school in Egirdir, Isparta to watch commando training. Also set to be present are Cabinet members who serve on the Higher Counterterrorism Board (TMYK). /Turkiye/[09] OBAMA AHEAD AS AMERICANS SET TO CHOOSE NEW PRESIDENTWith the world and Turkey watching closely, the American people are set to cast ballots today to choose the next US president. Early voting has started in many states, and citizens abroad have been busy casting absentee ballots. The most recent polls show Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama with a substantial lead over Republican rival John McCain both nationwide and in key individual states. Obama is even ahead in many states won by President George W. Bush in the 2004 elections. A poll by Reuters and Zogby shows the Democratic candidate leading McCain in six of eight key voting areas, including the battleground states of Florida and Ohio. /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS [10] WE SHOULD CRITICIZE THE DTP, BUT…BY ORAL CALISLAR (RADIKAL)Columnist Oral Calislar comments on the Kurdish issue and the conflict between the Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). A summary of his column is as follows: "The Democratic Turkey Party's (DTP) campaign based on alleged mistreatment of convicted terrorist PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan has started to intensify. I wrote yesterday that the DTP should tone things down and that if its debate with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) flares into a pitched battle, it would be responsible. The DTP should move as soon as possible to stop violent acts which started in southeastern Anatolia and are spreading to other areas of the country. Images of children throwing Molotov cocktails and stones are casting a pall over the Turkish public. This negative state of mind in turn fosters an atmosphere hostile to finding a solution. I listened carefully to DTP leader Ahmet Turk's response to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose speech in Hakkari amounted to saying, 'Love it or leave it.' His words challenging the AKP as an electoral rival in the region were normal. His response to Erdogan saying that either you accept one flag, one nation and one country, or leave this country, was also right. Turk called for an opening on the Kurdish issue, saying we should all talk about it and develop a dialogue. So he signaled they were ready to seek a solution. Erdogan should abandon the confrontational political language which he took up during his visit. The Kurdish issue can't be solved through anger or hostile posturing, nor through campaigning for next year's local elections. As I've said from the beginning, if the AKP considered the DTP not a rival on the Kurdish issue but a partner to help solve the problem, it would be more effective both in Turkey and the region. The AKP has enjoyed electoral success there chiefly because it spurned other parties' willingness to sow tension in the region, and it responded to the General Staff proposal for a land operation in northern Iraq by saying that the problem is within Turkey and we should look inside the country. In addition, it said it was looking for a way to make peace. But Erdogan recently started to use harsher, more aggressive language, and the DTP has responded in kind. So now we're rapidly moving towards an atmosphere ripe for fighting, not a solution. The Kurdish issue is both social and political. Politicians should work to shed new light on it. The anger that overcame Erdogan and his 'love it or leave it' rhetoric make many fear that things are spiraling out of control. This issue can't be solved through anger. Anger has prevailed on this issue and spurred violence on both sides for 25 years. The picture is clear: We've lost thousands of our people and dollars. Millions have left their villages and desperately moved to cities. Erdogan has turned towards a Cold War era style, instead of understanding the Kurdish issue and its reasons, which makes things more difficult. The world has a new structure. Repression of a state's citizens even if in language alone can't stand in today's world. And those who do so will not get international support. It's high time for us to develop projects on Kurdish identity and solution proposals. No matter how angry you get with the DTP and condemn terrorist PKK violence, if new steps aren't taken to solve the issue, 'love it or leave it' will only make us lose more time." 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