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Turkish Press Review, 03-08-11Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr><LINK href="http://www.byegm.gov.tr_yayinlarimiz_chr_pics_css/tpr.css" rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning11.08.2003FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] SEZER: “PHILOSOPHY PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN PROMOTING FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS”Speaking at the 21st World Philosophy Congress in Istanbul yesterday, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that philosophy played a key role in promoting such values as freedom, democracy and human rights. “Discussing the issues of contemporary philosophy in this city, a meeting point for East and West, will undoubtedly be very beneficial for both Turkey and our native philosophical tradition,” said Sezer. “Our life of thought stands to be enriched.” Sezer said that the congress would build a bridge between Anatolia’s deep-rooted philosophical tradition and modern thought. He further stated that philosophy was a tool for individuals to find happiness, one that could help them examine both themselves and the society in which they live. “It deals with politics as well,” he added. “Societies which short-shrift philosophy will stagnate, but those giving it a place of honor will grow in power and prestige.” /All papers/[02] BUYUKANIT: “THE DECISION ON IRAQ DEPLOYMENT RESTS WITH THE GOVERNMENT”It is the government’s call whether or not to send Turkish troops to Iraq, but the military stands ready to implement any decision, said Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday. “There is a fire at our neighbor’s, and we can’t just watch it and do nothing,” Buyukanit told a reception for journalists in Ankara. “If the government decides to send soldiers to Iraq, the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] will do what is expected of it.” He stressed that the matter was a political decision. /Hurriyet/[03] ERDOGAN: “WE WILL TAKE IMPORTANT STEPS TO ADDRESS TURKEY’S HEALTH ISSUES”Speaking at the opening of Istanbul’s Erdem Hospital on Saturday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government considered education and health to be among the nation’s most pressing problems. “Our government is determined to take important steps to overcome Turkey’s problems in health and healthcare,” said Erdogan. He added that unemployment was also a major problem, one which the government was striving to defeat. He added, however, that recent months had seen a number of positive economic developments. “We’ve had negative inflation for the last three months and also posted growth of 7.4%,” said Erdogan. /Milliyet/[04] CABINET TO DISCUSS IRAQ TROOP DEPLOYMENT ISSUEThe Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to convene today to discuss whether or not to contribute Turkish troops to an Iraq stabilization force. The view of the Cabinet ministers will then be conveyed by Erdogan to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok during a summit of the three leaders on Thursday. The government is expected to make its final decision following the Aug. 22 National Security Council (NSC) meeting, and then a motion in line with the decision will be submitted to Parliament for its approval. /Turkiye/[05] ERDOGAN’S SON GETS MARRIED IN ISTANBULPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s youngest son Bilal, 22 years old, yesterday exchanged wedding vows with Reyyan Uzuner, 17, at Istanbul’s Lutfi Kirdar International Congress and Exhibition Hall. Some 10,000 guests attended the nuptials, where the Italian and Albanian premiers, Silvio Berlusconi and Fatos Nano respectively, as well as Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul served as witnesses for the young couple’s special day. After the ceremony, Erdogan hosted a gala banquet at the Dolmabahce Palace. /All Papers/[06] SUREYYA AYHAN SCORES ANOTHER WIN IN BERLINRenowned Turkish runner Sureyya Ayhan yesterday placed first in the 1,500- meter sprint in the fourth leg of Golden League competition in Berlin. Ayhan ran the race in 3:59.58, the fastest time on record this year. After competing in the Golden League fifth leg in Zurich, Switzerland on Friday, Ayhan is going for the gold and the world top spot during the World Athleticism Championship hosted by Paris on Aug. 23-31. /All Papers/[07] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS[08] WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on what policy Turkey should take on sending its troops to Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:“Anticipation is a pleasure peculiar to Turkey, yet we don’t know why or what we’re waiting for. This characteristic of ours has even become fodder for jokes in Washington. If we’re waiting for Parliament to re-convene, we have two months ahead of us yet. During this time, troops from many countries – including Japan, Italy and Spain – will deploy in Iraq. What would you say if ultimately our troops weren’t needed there, despite their status as one of the world’s most experienced armies? Likewise, there’s the saying that the devil takes the hindmost. It’s become our national policy to take an interest in world events only when they’re drawing to a close. However, we can’t keep events and developments outside our borders waiting forever. Today having our words listened to is contingent on our pursuing a reasonable policy, one, for example, just like Poland’s. The ties Poland has with Iraq aren’t even a hundredth of ours. However, Warsaw and a great many other capitals immediately grasped that this issue isn’t about Iraq, but rather about whether one stands inside or out the Pax Americana. Parliament has successfully passed the sixth and seventh European Union harmonization packages, but now is following a wrongheaded policy on sending our troops to Iraq. And Turkey’s foreign policy is suffering. Re- orienting this policy to the right direction should be the government’s top priority. Washington has given us a wink and a nod, and the International Monetary Fund has loosened its hold on us. What more are we waiting for?” [09] DEMOCRATIC PATIENCE BY ISMET BERKAN (RADIKAL)Columnist Ismet Berkan writes on Turkey’s democracy. A summary of his column is as follows:“Maybe we’ve all forgotten the hard times we suffered during the last economic crisis. Today we’re enjoying an atmosphere of confidence. Maybe not everything is perfect economically speaking, but it’s clear that our country is on the right track. Over the last ten years, we’ve gone through many political crises. Now however we have a single-party government. We no longer fear a coalition crisis. There’s no doubt that these are all positive developments which have brought us relief. Turkey has taken concrete steps on its path towards European Union membership. Thus we all look to our future with optimism. However, my words should not be interpreted to mean that our government is very successful and should thus be exempt from criticism. All I want to stress here is that political instability should not be considered any alternative to a democratic regime. In democratic regimes, if a party wins the general elections, it rules for a set period of time without any interruptions. Meanwhile, the opposition parties criticize the ruling party and prepare for the next round of elections. Here we have an opportunity to protect our democracy. We have a single- party government, an administration whose current and planned actions need to be subjected to close criticism. However, I’m talking about constructive criticism, not purely hostile acts such as branding the government as traitorous or calling on the army to launch a coup, etc. We have of course our democratic right to criticize what we dislike, but we should never betray democracy just because we don’t like this or that government. Unfortunately democratic patience isn’t yet a common practice in our country. We all suffer from political indigestion and impatience. Whenever a party we dislike comes to power, we suddenly begin seeking ways to overthrow it. However, we should learn that in democracies, ruling parties cannot be overthrown. They come and go as a result of elections. All we need is to learn how to stay patient and get ready for the next elections.” ARCHIVE <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js"> </script> Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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