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Turkish Press Review, 09-02-25
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
25.02.2009
CONTENTS
[01] CAMPAIGNING IN YOZGAT, ERDOGAN LAMBASTES DOGAN GROUP, OPPOSITION CHP
[02] BAYKAL LAYS OUT CHP RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNTER ECONOMIC CRISIS
[03] DTP LEADER CRITICIZED FOR ADDRESSING GROUP MEETING IN KURDISH
[04] FOREIGN MINISTRY DETAILS CHANGES TO TRILATERAL ANTI-TERRORISM MECHANISM
[05] GREEK FM: " TURKEY’S ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION IS KEY"
[06] REHN REBUFFS CALL FOR MONITORING OF TURKEY'S LOCAL ELECTION NEXT MONTH
[07] TUZMEN: "TURKEY IS ON THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE ECONOMIC CRISIS"
[01] CAMPAIGNING IN YOZGAT, ERDOGAN LAMBASTES DOGAN GROUP, OPPOSITION CHP
Addressing a campaign rally in Yozgat yesterday ahead of local elections
late next month, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed remarks by
Dogan Group head Aydin Dogan to the Wall Street Journal accusing the
government of trying to muzzle its critics. Erdogan also lambasted main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. Later, in a
campaign rally in Corum, Erdogan touted his ruling Justice and Development
Party's (AK Party) record of fighting corruption, criminal gangs,
embezzlers and the mafia. /Milliyet/
[02] BAYKAL LAYS OUT CHP RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNTER ECONOMIC CRISIS
Speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting yesterday, main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal urged Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop saying that Turkey was weathering the
ongoing global economic crisis with minimal damage but instead to take
measures against it. The remarks were in apparent response to Erdogan's
call for opposition parties to weigh in on measures to fight the crisis
rather than "politicize" it. In particular, Baykal said that the government
should cut spending and increase budget savings measures, adding that there
should be a six-month value-added tax holiday for automobiles and durable
goods. Stating that the government should balance the foreign exchange rate
and work to prevent over-valuation of the lira, Baykals said that a credit
guarantee fund should be established. Baykal also said that insurance
premiums should be reduced and the unemployment fund should be used
properly by the government. /Sabah/
[03] DTP LEADER CRITICIZED FOR ADDRESSING GROUP MEETING IN KURDISH
Turkish state broadcaster TRT yesterday cut off its live feed of a
Democratic Society Party (DTP) group meeting when the party's leader, Ahmet
Turk, began addressing the deputies in Kurdish. "The Constitution and the
Political Parties Law bans the use of any language other than Turkish in
Parliament and in group meetings," said TRT in a statement. "Thus we had to
cut off the live broadcast, and we apologize for this." Speaking on the
incident, Parliament Speaker Toptan said, "Turkish is the official language
(of the Turkish Republic). This is clear in the Constitution and Political
Parties Law." Nihat Ergun, deputy chair of the ruling Justice and
Development Party's (AK Party) parliament group, branded Turk's speech a
"provocation." Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker
Onur Oymen said, "Speaking one's mother tongue is a human right, but it
should not be turned into a political show in Parliament." /Aksam-Star/
[04] FOREIGN MINISTRY DETAILS CHANGES TO TRILATERAL ANTI-TERRORISM
MECHANISM
Some changes have been made to a key branch of the trilateral mechanism
between Turkey, US and Iraq to fight the terrorist PKK so it can have
operations in Erbil, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Burak Ozuergin
yesterday. At a press conference, Ozuergin stated that Interior Minister
Besir Atalay chairs the main committee of the trilateral mechanism which
convenes every three months, adding that officials from the General Staff
and Turkish military attaché's office and embassy in Baghdad were
attending monthly meetings of a subcommittee. In related news, Foreign
Minister Ali Babacan and his US counterpart Hillary Clinton spoke on the
telephone yesterday. During the conversation, Clinton praised Turkey's
leading role in its region and beyond. The two top officials expressed
mutual will to cooperate on various foreign policy fronts and voiced their
views on issues such as the Middle East, the Caucasus, Middle Asia, the
Balkans and energy. They also spoke about US Special Middle East Envoy
George Mitchell's visit to Turkey starting today. Babacan and Clinton are
also expected to have a bilateral meeting during a summit on Gaza's
reconstruction next Thursday in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. /Cumhuriyet-
Hurriyet/
[05] GREEK FM: " TURKEY’S ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION IS KEY"
Greece believes that Turkey's accession to the European Union is important,
said Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis on Monday. Speaking at the
Brooking Institution think-tank in Washington, DC, she stated that Greece
strongly supports Turkey's accession, and has proved this over the years.
"No doubt Turkey has a long and winding road ahead," she added.
"Nevertheless, it is clear that it is a road well worth travelling because
it would benefit both Turkey and Europe." /Star/
[06] REHN REBUFFS CALL FOR MONITORING OF TURKEY'S LOCAL ELECTION NEXT MONTH
European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn yesterday rejected a
call by Austrian Socialist Harald Etttl for the EU to send monitors for
Turkey's local elections late next month. Rehn added that the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had praised the professional
and transparent work of Turkey's Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) during
the 2007 general elections. /Hurriyet/
[07] TUZMEN: "TURKEY IS ON THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE ECONOMIC CRISIS"
Rather than playing defense, the government is taking an aggressive
strategy to soften the blow of the global economic crisis on Turkey's
exports, State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen said yesterday.
Touting his official visits this year accompanied by large business
delegations to regional neighbors such as Azerbaijan, Iran, Egypt, Syria,
Saudi Arabia and Russia, Tuzmen said they signed business deals worth $1
billion during the trips. Speaking to reporters en route to Tbilisi,
Georgia for a similar visit, Tuzmen said, "Demand has fallen in many
countries across the world, including Turkey's chief trading partners like
Germany, and the crisis has hit exporters. In view of this, we're working
to boost Turkey's trade relations with neighboring and regional countries
with more isolated economies less integrated with the global economy, and
that's why the crisis has a limited impact on them." Stating that Turkey
places great importance on its trade ties with Georgia, Tuzmen said that
last year the trade volume between the two countries hit nearly $1 billion.
If Turkey's annual exports hit $100 billion this year, this will be a great
success at a time of crisis, Tuzmen added. /Aksam-Turkiye/
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