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Turkish Press Review, 06-07-19Turkish 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> <style type="text_css"> <!-- .baslik { margin-right:0cm; margin-left:0cm; margin-top:1cm; font-size:12.0pt; color:#000099; text-align: justify; } --> <_style> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning19.07.2006ARINC: "ON A POSSIBLE CROSS-BORDER OPERATION, PARLIAMENT WILL WORK WITH THE GOVT" ERDOGAN: “IF WE MAKE HAKKARI MORE LIKE ISTANBUL, THIS WOULD BE A REAL SUCCESS” ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO TRNC TODAY IN LONDON, GUL MEETS WITH BRITISH FM TO DISCUSS IRAQ, TERRORIST PKK ERDOGAN: “A DECISION ON N.IRAQ OPERATION ISN'T UP TO THE US AMBASSADOR” OPPOSITION PARTIES SUPPORT CROSS-BORDER OPERATION 86TH CEREMONY OF PRESIDENTIAL COMMAND OF THE ARMED GUARD CELEBRATED US STATE DEPT: “WE DIDN’T SUPPORT A CROSS-BORDER OPERATION IN THE PAST” FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS… TWO PROBLEMS OF THE NORTH BY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH) THE MILITARY WAS RIGHT BY SERDAR TURGUT (AKSAM)CONTENTS
[01] ARINC: "ON A POSSIBLE CROSS-BORDER OPERATION, PARLIAMENT WILL WORK WITH THE GOVT"Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday commented on debates over a possible cross-border operation against the terrorist PKK, saying that Parliament would do its best to meet the government’s wishes on the issue. Asked about US Ambassador Ross Wilson’s statements discouraging such an operation, Arinc declined to comment, saying that Foreign Ministry officials would make necessary statements on the issue. Saying that all of the needs of security forces were being met in the fight against terrorism, Arinc added that Turkey was using the right methods to fight the terrorist PKK. /Sabah/[02] ERDOGAN: “IF WE MAKE HAKKARI MORE LIKE ISTANBUL, THIS WOULD BE A REAL SUCCESS”Addressing at the General Assembly of Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke about Turkey’s underdeveloped areas. “Hakkari, Van and Diyarbakir should be like present-day Istanbul,” said Erdogan, adding, “If we can achieve this, we can say that we’re successful. This will start with education and health. We’ll achieve this by bringing justice, security, roads, agriculture and livestock up to European Union standards.” Erdogan said that all regions of the country should have equal standards, and that this will make Turkey stronger. “Turkey has achieved security and stability during this period,” he added. “There is economic activity in all cities. But we can’t go forward while key infrastructure problems still persist in many cities. There can be no villages without roads and running water.” /Hurriyet/[03] ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO TRNC TODAYPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due today to travel to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to attend tomorrow’s ceremonies marking the 32nd anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation. During his three-day visit, Erdogan will meet separately with TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, and former President Rauf Denktas. /Turkiye/[04] IN LONDON, GUL MEETS WITH BRITISH FM TO DISCUSS IRAQ, TERRORIST PKKForeign Minister Abdullah Gul, currently in London for an official visit, yesterday met with his British counterpart Margaret Beckett to discuss a number of issues, including Iraq. During their meeting, Gul said that the Iraqi government was unable to control northern Iraq due to its own security problems. Speaking afterwards at a joint press conference, Gul called their meeting “very fruitful,” saying that they had discussed bilateral relations, Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Cyprus, Iraq, and the fight against terrorism. Saying that he had told Beckett that the terrorist PKK takes shelter in northern Iraq due to the power vacuum there, Gul added that Iraq couldn’t control the region due to its own security problems. “We need to cooperate,” he stressed. Commenting on the Cyprus issue, Gul said that no one in the world could criticize the Turkish Cypriots or Ankara concerning the issue. In related news, under its new Anti-Terror Law, Britain has outlawed the terrorist groups Kongra-Gel and Kadek, since they are front names for the terrorist PKK. /Turkiye/[05] ERDOGAN: “A DECISION ON N.IRAQ OPERATION ISN'T UP TO THE US AMBASSADOR”During his contacts in Istanbul, Erdogan spoke to reporters about US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson’s recent statements discouraging a possible cross-border operation into Iraq. “If reports on the statement of the US ambassador are accurate, this is very mistaken,” said Erdogan. “It is not up to this ambassador or ambassadors to decide on that. It is only the government of the Republic of Turkey which will decide on and implement this.” He added, “We would prefer to act together with the concerned countries, but if there’s no willingness on their part, we will do what is necessary.” /Star/[06] OPPOSITION PARTIES SUPPORT CROSS-BORDER OPERATIONOpposition parties yesterday voiced support to the government over a possible cross-border operation into northern Iraq against the terrorist PKK. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy group leader Ali Topuz said yesterday that Turkey didn’t need anybody’s permission for such an operation. Opposition Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) Party leader Erkan Mumcu said that a cross-border operation was in Turkey’s legitimate interest. True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar said, “If Turkey can’t get any results from diplomatic initiatives, it should have the courage to exercise its rights under international law. Our opposition doesn’t go beyond the Habur [border gate with Iraq]. If Turkey uses its rights arising from international law, we don’t oppose it.” /Cumhuriyet/[07] 86TH CEREMONY OF PRESIDENTIAL COMMAND OF THE ARMED GUARD CELEBRATEDThe 86th anniversary of the Presidential Command of the Armed Guard was celebrated yesterday. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok attended the ceremony. /Sabah/[08] US STATE DEPT: “WE DIDN’T SUPPORT A CROSS-BORDER OPERATION IN THE PAST”In an interview with news channel NTV, US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson yesterday said that the US had no double standard over terrorism. “By saying ‘Israel has the right to defend itself,’ I made a call on Israel to do less damage to civilians,” said Wilson. "Conditions may change regionally. A unilateral operation in northern Iraq wouldn’t be reasonable and sensible. Turkey has an ally in Iraq. Israel doesn’t have such an opportunity.” Meanwhile, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack backed Wilson’s statements and gave this message on Turkey’s preparations for a possible cross-border operation: “I don’t believe that we supported this in the past. We support exchange of intelligence among the multinational force in Iraq, Iraqi government and Turkey and tried to respond to the terrorist threat on the Turkish population.” /Hurriyet/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[10] TWO PROBLEMS OF THE NORTHBY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)Columnist Muharrem Sarikaya comments on two problems faced by Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows: “Turkey has to solve two problems, both of which start with the north. The first is northern Iraq, as the government has been declaring its determination to carry out a cross-border operation against the terrorist PKK. The second is Northern Cyprus, which will commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the Peace Operation tomorrow. Considering its determination, there are two solutions. Firstly, the northern Iraqi administration or the coalition forces should capture high-ranking PKK members and hand them over to Turkey. Alternately, Turkey, which has the largest military power in the region, should deal with it. Otherwise, as True Path Party (DYP) deputy leader Cagri Erdogan stated, Turkey would suffer from problems in its region and it would be considered a great military power but one lacking influence. It seems that the government is also aware of this. Likewise, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday criticized the US ambassador to Ankara for saying that Turkey shouldn’t carry out a cross-border operation. While I was talking to Justice Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday, he expressed similar criticisms. Cicek said that he has voiced his wish many times that the trouble should be tackled by the US and the Iraq administration. ‘Whenever we said this, they replied that first the government must be established in Iraq,’ Cicek explained. 'When the government was established, they started to say that the government isn’t effective. We would be happy to see our allies’ determination and cooperate with them, if it would solve the problem. If they can’t do this, each country has the right to protect its borders.’ I asked Cicek if a deadline has been given to the US and Iraq after which Turkey will do what’s necessary. ‘This matter concerns the Foreign Ministry,’ he said. 'It would be wrong for me to speak about this.’ It seems that a deadline has been given to the US and Iraq to deal with the terrorist PKK. It’s expected that the allies will do what’s necessary in that period. The second problem is Northern Cyprus. Erdogan will go to Lefkosa today to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the Peace Operation. He wants Washington’s support to solve the Cyprus issue. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza met with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) administration as part of this yesterday. TRNC Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas summarized the current situation on Cyprus by saying that he wasn’t hopeful about tripartite meetings with TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos set earlier this month under the initiative of UN Deputy Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari. He added that common ground with Papadopoulos was impossible and that even if the atmosphere is favorable, no conclusion could be reached in 40 years. Denktas suggested that Turkey should make its decision and suspend its membership talks with the EU after watching the meeting between Talat and Papadopoulos at the end of this month. Actually, even if Turkey doesn’t suspend them, the EU will freeze our membership talks on the grounds that Turkey didn’t implement the additional protocol for Greek Cyprus. It seems that next month’s heat wave will be overcome by the chill coming from these ‘norths’.” [11] THE MILITARY WAS RIGHT BY SERDAR TURGUT (AKSAM)Columnist Serdar Turgut comments on Turkish-US relations. A summary of his column is as follows:“General Hilmi Ozkok made the following speech after the March 2003 motion (to allow US troops to invade northern Iraq from Turkish soil) was defeated in Parliament: ‘Everyone should know that the motion which was rejected today will put Turkey and our ally the US at odds in the long run.’ Many didn’t understand his words that day. Especially the government didn’t understand him. They thought that it was a good lesson for the US and was to Turkey's benefit in the long run. Those who weren’t of the same opinion were labeled pro-American (myself included). But developments since then have shown that those who favored the motion were right. A Kurdish structure under US control has been formed in northern Iraq, and this formation is on the way to becoming a state. Turkey lost its maneuvering room in northern Iraq by rejecting the motion and lost its chance to act together with the US and take developments in the region under control. Moreover, there were confrontations with the US which reached the level of antagonism. With the reduction of Turkish power in the region, the PKK began to be more active and the US didn’t prevent this for strategic reasons. Turkey has tried to find solutions to this problem, and it is well known that a cross-border operation is the first such solution. There is the possibility that this operation could bring Turkey and the US into a confrontation or even a war. So the predictions of the military were right. Of course it wouldn’t be good to have a confrontation with the US, the world superpower, but it is certain that such an environment would also not be good for the US. Because the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) also have extensive experience in the region and in-depth knowledge about conditions in the region in times of war. Moreover, the confrontation of the two allies would also be a diplomatic failure for the US. The US will start to rebuild the region and it will need Turkey. Israel will also need Turkey in trying to reach peace. Therefore, everyone has to be cool-headed and see that a confrontation of the two allies would cause a disaster in the Middle East. There is no obstacle to the US, which dedicates itself to the fight against terrorism, moving to intervene against the PKK. If this is done, then Turkey will be more peaceful and the way to peace in the region will be opened. But the US unfortunately isn’t signaling such a step. This is candidate for one of the biggest failures of the US government in history.” 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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