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Turkish Press Review, 05-01-11Turkish 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 morning11.01.2005FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN TRAVELS TO MOSCOW TO DISCUSS POLITICAL, ECONOMIC RELATIONSPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew yesterday to Moscow for a three- day official visit. During his stay in Russia, he is due to be accompanied by four Cabinet ministers, 52 deputies, 650 businessmen and 90 journalists. Speaking before his flight, Erdogan said that the trip had been planned during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official visit to Ankara late last year, adding that he and the Russian leader would discuss a number of issues, including bilateral political and economic relations and recent regional and international developments. The premier further stated that he would try to reassure Putin that Ankara’s European Union membership bid wouldn’t hurt its ties with Russia. After the delegation’s arrival, Putin hosted Erdogan and Energy Minister Hilmi Guler for a dinner yesterday to discuss a number of issues, including Turkey’s natural gas needs, Russian energy investments, the Cyprus issue and cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Addressing the dinner, Erdogan said that he expected Russia’s support for a Cyprus resolution, adding that Ankara and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) had done their best for a settlement on the island. /Aksam/[02] GUL RECEIVES VISITING US SENATORS TO DISCUSS IRAQ, TURKEY’S EU BID AND THE MIDEASTForeign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday received a visiting US delegation led by Sen. Jon Kyl, chairman of the Senate’s Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee, along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mel Martinez. Speaking afterwards, Kyl said that they had discussed Iraq’s security, Ankara’s European Union membership bid and Israeli-Palestinian relations. The delegation also met with Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. /Cumhuriyet/[03] NSC SECRETARY-GENERAL ATTENDS ASO MEETINGNational Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Yigit Alpogan yesterday attended a meeting of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) led by ASO Chairman Zafer Caglayan. Later, speaking at a press conference alongside Caglayan, Alpogan said that he has briefed the gathering on the NSC’s mission and function in Turkey’s new legal order, adding that economic security had also discussed at the meeting. “ASO members briefed me on the link between political developments and the economy, and they said that that the NSC should also deal with economic issues,” he said, adding that he would look into this idea. For his part, Caglayan said that the country’s economic security was as important as its social and political security. /Aksam/[04] US IRAQ CMDR GEN. ABIZAID TO VISIT ANKARAGen. John Abizaid, commander of US forces in Iraq, is set to arrive in Ankara today to hold a series of contacts with Turkish officials, including Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. The meetings will focus on the recent situation in Iraq, the fight against the terrorist group PKK, and elections in the country scheduled for the end of this month. Turkish officials are expected to warn the US commander that any ethnic change in Kirkuk might ignite a powder keg in the region. /Turkiye/[05] TALABANI REITERATES CLAIMS ON KIRKUKIraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani is sticking to his claims that the key northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk is Kurdish. After meeting with Kurdish, Turkmen and Arab representatives in Kirkuk yesterday, Talabani said, “Geographically, Kirkuk is situated in the Kurdish region. It doesn’t matter if there are other ethnic groups in the city, the Kurdish population is the largest.” /Turkiye/[06] US THINK TANK URGES MEASURES AGAINST PKKA report issued yesterday by US think tank the Washington Institute said that in order to rebuild confidence in Turkish-American relations in the post-Iraq war era, the first necessary step was beginning efforts to fight the terrorist organization PKK in northern Iraq. The institute warned that the PKK’s ongoing activities in the region pose a threat to Turkish-US relations, adding that that situation had the potential to damage US interests and should be dealt with soon. /Turkiye/[07] ANKARA HOSTS IRAQ SUMMITTurkish, Iraqi and US officials are scheduled to meet today in Ankara to discuss the Iraq issue. This second round of the tripartite meeting is expected to focus on the fight against the terrorist group PKK in northern Iraq. Details of efforts to cut off the financial sources of the organization and measures needed to stop the passage of militants and weapons across Iraq’s border into Turkey will also be taken up. In addition, the upcoming elections in Iraq and Turkish citizens’ security in the country are set to be discussed during the gathering. The Turkish delegation will be headed by Ambassador Osman Koruturk. /Turkiye/[08] CICEK: “TURKEY’S LEGAL EDUCATION FALLS SHORT”The nation’s law schools fall short of what is needed, said Justice Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday. Cicek emphasized that this situation could hurt the public’s confidence in the judiciary. Cicek is doe to meet with Higher Board of Education (YOK) Chairman Erdogan Tezic today. /Sabah/[09] SEMRA SEZER LEADS EDUCATION SEMINARPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s wife Semra Sezer yesterday led a seminar on education held at Isparta’s Suleyman Demirel University. Sezer emphasized that mothers must also be well educated. Sezer also visited other faculties of the university. /Hurriyet/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[11] NEW BEGINNING FOR THE MIDDLE EAST BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the election of Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian president on Sunday and its possible repercussions for the Middle East peace process. A summary of his column is as follows:“Mahmoud Abbas has claimed victory in this week’s Palestinian presidential elections. That was the easiest part for him, winning the polls, but the difficult bit is about to begin. His election can trigger new starts, hopeful new beginnings in the region. There are a number of major domestic and foreign problems that he has to tackle. Abbas is expected to try to strengthen the Palestinian state, reduce unemployment, enact economic and social reforms and take measures to fight corruption. The important thing is that fulfilling people’s expectations on these issues largely depends upon foreign factors. Therefore, Abbas will have to exert every possible effort to improve his relations with the Israeli government. He recently expressed his willingness to establish a dialogue with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. This is a good sign. Since Israel refused to have anything to do with Arafat, peace efforts before his death proved pointless. Now, however, Israel has a new leader to talk with and discuss common problems, which means a new dialogue could commence in the region. However, Abbas must take effective measures to crack down on radical groups responsible for the spiraling violence. To achieve this goal, Israel must cooperate with Palestine. To make progress in the peace process, both sides must take steps simultaneously. These steps can be small. For example, Israel can release Palestinian prisoners and the Abbas administration can take immediate measure against acts of violence. Perhaps the best way to end the region’s vicious cycle of violence is to take such measures as soon as possible. Maybe the parties might agree on a cease-fire soon. Then real hope will be possible.” [12] PEACE IN THE MIDEAST, AND TURKEY BY ULUC GURKAN (STAR)Columnist Uluc Gurkan comments on Turkey and the peace process in the Middle East. A summary of his column is as follows:“This week’s presidential elections in Palestine were the first step of the Middle East’s 2005 election timetable. The second will be in Iraq. Next partial local elections will be held in Saudi Arabia, and new presidents will be elected in Iran in June, and Egypt in October. What do these elections mean? Will the Middle East’s Islamic geography meet democracy this way? The answer to this question is relevant to what sort of a democracy the US wants in the Middle East because those polls in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt will be held as part of the US’ Greater Middle East Project (GME). Similarly, elections in Palestine were held this way. Can we say that these elections will be an initial step on the way to democracy? Some people argue for this. However, nobody thinks that this will be first- rate democracy, that is, nobody believes that the region will be remade on the basis of democracy. It will be a second-class democracy. A nation under occupation elected the president in Palestine. If this situation doesn’t change and Palestine can’t become an independent sovereign state, can we speak of a democracy? How can Palestine become a state on its own territory? Firstly, towards this end, Israel should end its insistent policies based on the use of military force. This depends on the US putting pressure on Israel. Would the US pressure Israel for Palestine when it doesn’t trust the latter as an ally? The situation in Iraq is similar to that in Palestine. When Iraq is under US occupation and stuck in the swamp of terrorism, it will hold elections. It would be a miracle to expect a good outcome from elections under these conditions. Sad days await Iraq following the elections. In Saudi Arabia, there is only a little game instead of elections. Half of the municipal boards will be elected by men. Women have neither the right to vote nor run for office. Meanwhile, Egypt is considered the GME’S most important testing ground. For this reason, the results of elections there are important. Obviously, the US has no direct impact on Iran. However, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has been unable to carry out the reforms he promised and so the Iranian people are no longer excited about democracy. In this desert of dictatorships hemmed in by US occupation and interests, Turkey, as an oasis of democracy, holds out the hope of life to people. Is it possible not to voice our gratitude to Ataturk and his colleagues for this? However, we should seriously wonder how aware we are of this fact.” 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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