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Turkish Press Review, 06-02-07Turkish 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 morning07.02.2006FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] PM ERDOGAN: “MUHAMMED CARTOONS LED TO OUTRAGE IN THE MUSLIM WORLD JUST WHEN WE’RE TRYING TO FORGE AN ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS”Speaking after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on the recent controversy over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in European newspapers, lamenting how the cartoons had led to outrage in the Muslim world amid efforts to forge an alliance of civilizations. “We can’t tolerate such an immoral assault on our prophet,” said Erdogan. “Protest is normal, but we never approve of violence. We also respect other [religions’] prophets.” Also commenting on the murder last weekend of Andrea Santore, the Italian priest of the Santa Maria Catholic Church in Trabzon, Erdogan said that the case was being investigated and that the perpetrator would be caught as soon as possible. /Turkiye/[02] ERDOGAN, SPANISH PM ZAPATERO ISSUE CALL FOR COMMON SENSEPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Spanish Prime Minister Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, two leaders of the UN Alliance of Civilizations initiative, released a letter yesterday to calm the tension caused by cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammed. The letter, which was published in European newspapers including the International Herald Tribune, called for common sense and mutual respect on all sides. “With growing concern, we are witnessing the escalation in disturbing tensions provoked by the publication, in European newspapers, of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that Muslims consider deeply offensive,” it said. “We shall all be the losers if we fail to immediately defuse this situation, which can only leave a trail of mistrust and misunderstanding between both sides in its wake. Therefore, it is necessary to make an appeal for respect and calm, and let the voice of reason be heard.” In related news, Ursula Plassnik, foreign minister of European Union Term President Austria, told Austria’s ambassadors in Islamic countries that they should ask local officials to take measures to ensure the safety of life and property of European citizens. She also called on 19 countries, including Turkey, to ensure the life and property of diplomats under the Vienna Convention. The Austrian Foreign Ministry declared these 19 countries, including Turkey, “high-risk regions” and warned its citizens not to travel there. /Hurriyet/[03] CABINET URGES CALM, CIVILIZED REACTION TO CARTOONSDuring yesterday’s Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, outrage over cartoons of Muhammed published in European newspapers as well as the murder of an Italian priest in Trabzon were discussed. At a press conference after the meeting, Government spokesman Cemil Cicek called on citizens to act calmly and voice their disapproval in a civilized manner. Turkey will take an initiative to defuse the tension, said Cicek, and a commission of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, State Minister Mehmet Aydin and Cicek himself is to look into steps to be taken on the issue. Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu also said that trying to link the priest’s murder and the cartoon crisis would be misleading. /Milliyet/[04] GUL DECRIES MUHAMMED CARTOONS AS “IRRESPONSIBLE AND DISRESPECTFUL”Delivering the opening speech at a conference on public diplomacy yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul spoke on the recent controversy over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed published in European newspapers, saying that Ankara had warned Denmark when the cartoons were first published that controversy could ensue. Gul called their publication “irresponsible and disrespectful,” and stressed that freedom of the press didn’t mean that anyone could do whatever they want. Also commenting on violence in Syria and Lebanon over the cartoons, Gul said that he didn’t approve of such incidents. “These issues should be solved through diplomacy,” he said. “The publication can be protested through legal means.” Gul stressed that incidents were spiraling out of control, adding that Ankara was working with the European Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and the UN to halt these. “These incidents can sow hatred between societies, so they should be brought to an end immediately.” /Star/[05] US EMBASSY: “WE CONSIDER CARTOONS OF PROPHET MUHAMMED OFFENSIVE AND MORALLY REPUGNANT”The US Embassy in Ankara yesterday condemned the recent publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in European newspapers, saying that the US administration considered these cartoons “offensive and morally repugnant.” In a written statement on the issue, the embassy said that cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist have generated passionate controversy and debate. “It is important to communicate clearly the views of US on this critical issue,” said the embassy. “Muslims around the world have expressed the fact that they are outraged and that they take great offense at the images that were printed in a Danish newspaper as well as in other newspapers around the world. We share the offense that Muslims have taken at these images. The US considers these cartoons as offensive and morally repugnant. Anti-Muslim images are as unacceptable as anti-Semitic images and anti-Christian images.” /Hurriyet/[06] DANISH CONSUL: “THOUGH MANY MIDEAST COUNTRIES BOYCOTTED OUR PRODUCTS, REACTIONS IN TURKEY HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO PROTESTS”Danish Consul General in Istanbul Lars Rafn yesterday spoke about the recent controversy over cartoons of Prophet Muhammed published originally in Denmark, stating that though Danish products had been boycotted in many Middle Eastern countries, in Turkey reactions have been limited to protests. “Views in Turkey aren’t as radical as in other countries,” he said. “Owing to the education level of its people, Turkey can evaluate events from a different point of view.” Rafn stated that he had received many e-mails, faxes, and phone calls about the issue, but no threatening ones. “People are saying that they expect an apology,” he added. /Milliyet/[07] CHP SUBMITS CENSURE MOTION ON UNAKITANThe main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) yesterday submitted a censure motion on Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, claiming that he abused his office in the Galataport tender and in a declaration of his assets, rigged a competitive bidding process, violated commercial and banking secrecy rules, and abused his public authority. /Star/[08] RENOWNED TURKISH HISTORIAN KUTAY PASSES AWAYCemal Kutay, historian and author, died in Istanbul on Sunday night. He passed away at the Marmara University Foundation’s Teaching Hospital, where he was being treated for illnesses related to old age, at 9:17 p.m., according to a written statement issued by the hospital. The date for his funeral will be announced by members of his family today. /The New Anatolian/[09] INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS START EU SCREENINGOfficials from Turkey and the European Commission held an exploratory session yesterday in Brussels for the screening of Turkish legislation on intellectual property rights. The session is set to end today. Officials from the Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Turkish Patent Institute represented the Turkish delegation during the session. /Turkish Daily News/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[11] DANISH FIRESTORM BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak comments on recent violent outrage over cartoons published in Denmark linking the Prophet Muhammad with terrorism. A summary of his column is as follows:“Following the publication in a Danish newspaper of a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist, tension and violence between the Islamic world and the West has climbed. Danish diplomatic representations were set on fire in Beirut, after Damascus. This situation made everybody remember the adverse memories of the Sept. 11 syndrome on the West, and the East’s reactions turned from anger to outrage. However, people with common sense who find the cartoons derogatory and who want to protect humanity from new wars of religion are the majority in the worlds of both Islam and Christianity. Turkey has a special place between the East and West as a country which recently started membership talks with the European Union. The Turkish public has been trying to keep the rise of political Islam away from violence and undemocratic stances since the 1990s. While criticizing the cartoon which denigrates Muhammed, Turkey should avoid being on the Middle East’s side. An angry crowd which burned Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in effigy and women wearing clothes covering them from head to foot were shown on European television channels as Istanbul, after Damascus and Beirut. The truly unfortunate incident was the murder of Andrea Santore, the Italian priest of the Santa Maria Catholic Church in Trabzon, last weekend. The police are worried about a provocation in relation to the cartoons. It’s uncertain if fundamentalist intentions or something like the July 2003 Sulaimaniyah incident would lie at the basis of this. If Mehmet Ali Agca was welcomed with praise when he left prison, we shouldn’t be surprised that those in a similar state of mind might have chosen a priest as a target. It’s more serious that the attack might be connected to the Danish firestorm. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s warning was appropriate. He said that he considered the cartoons disrespectful to freedom and also found the violence wrong. He added that there was certainly no reason to approve shooting a clergyman in a church. Turning the Middle East into a firestorm lays a basis for the US’ strategy of intervention in Syria and Iran, doesn’t it? Isn’t there a connection between the nuclear crisis in Iran and the cartoon? Is Trabzon boiling due to its closeness to the Iranian border? We should wait for the fire to go out before falling into new traps.” ARCHIVE The news and articles issued in the Turkish Press Review may be quoted from provided due acknowledgement is made. <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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