Turkish Press Review, 06-08-28

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From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>

28.08.2006

CONTENTS

[01] ERDOGAN, QATARI EMIR MET IN ANTALYA

[01] ERDOGAN, QATARI EMIR MET IN ANTALYA

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is set to attend an international donor conference for Lebanon in Stockholm this week. Gul will reiterate that Turkey is ready to do what is necessary to extend humanitarian aid and help the reconstruction in the country and will also say that Turkey has not yet decided if it will send troops to a peacekeeping force in Lebanon. /Turkiye/ [03] ARINC CRITICIZES PRESIDENT SEZER’S OPPOSITION TO SENDING TROOPS TO LEBANON

Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc over the weekend criticized President Ahmet Necdet Sezer expressing his opposition on Friday to Turkey sending troops to an international peacekeeping force in Lebanon. “I would like to remind you of the procedures,” said Arinc. “Under Article 92 of the Constitution, the government will ask for Parliament’s approval to send troops to Lebanon. The president has no responsibility and authority at this stage. Parliament’s decision will be published in the Official Gazette without any need for the president’s approval.” /Cumhuriyet/[04] BUYUKANIT TO TAKE OVER TOP MILITARY POST FROM OZKOK

Retiring Gen. Hilmi Ozkok is set to hand over his post to Gen. Yasar Buyukanit at a ceremony today, making Buyukanit the 25th chief of Turkish General Staff. The handover ceremony will start at 4:30 p.m. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will decorate Gen Ozkok with the State Medal of Honor. /Turkish Daily News/[05] AGAR: “TURKEY HAS TO TAKE SERIOUS RISKS TO OVERCOME TERRORISM”

True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar said yesterday that Turkey has to take serious risks to overcome the problem of terrorism. “This is also a social and economic problem, and I can undertake this risky duty,” Agar said. /Sabah/ [06] US SPECIAL ENVOY TO COMBAT PKK NAMED

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander of the US in Europe Joseph W. Ralston has reportedly been named the US' special envoy to coordinate efforts in combating the terrorist PKK. Though there’s been no official statement, sources said that Ralston is expected to be appointed to the new post. Ralston served as vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1996 to 2000. He retired after serving as the NATO supreme allied commander in Europe from 2000 to 2003 and vice chair of the US Joint Chiefs. /Hurriyet/[07] ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY: “WE’LL WELCOME TURKEY’S DECISION ON DEPLOYING TROOPS IN LEBANON”

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said over the weekend that they would welcome Turkey deciding to deploy troops in Lebanon under UN auspices. Stating that they had spoken to the governments of several Muslim countries, Regev said that only countries which have diplomatic relations with Israel should send troops. In related news, the government is reportedly looking to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's visit next week to help convince Parliament on the matter. The government is planning to convene Parliament for an extraordinary session next Wednesday so Annan can convey directly to Turkish deputies his expectations on Turkey supporting Lebanon. Annan will reportedly assure Turkish deputies that the UN force won’t have a disarmament role. Meanwhile, French President Jacques Chirac called Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and underlined the importance of majority-Muslim Turkey’s participation in the force. US Secretary of Department Condoleezza Rica also telephoned her Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul and said, “The UN resolution has been released, so now we’re expecting your contribution.” /Hurriyet-Sabah/[08] MORE THAN 20 INJURED AS FOUR EXPLOSIONS HIT MARMARIS, ISTANBUL

Three separate bomb explosions hit Turkey’s southern resort area of Marmaris and another jolted Istanbul's Bagcilar district over the weekend, altogether injuring at least 22 people. “There were three bombs ... Two of them were not important, they were percussion bombs,” a Marmaris police official said, adding that the PKK was suspected of carrying out the attacks. The bombs in Marmaris exploded between midnight and 00:15, while the Istanbul blast, which injured six people, took place yesterday at 9:30 p.m. /Aksam/[09] MASSA SCORES MAIDEN VICTORY IN TURKISH GRAND PRIX

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa won the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday, his first Formula One victory after starting from the pole position with Alonso in second and Schumacher in third. Renault’s Fernando Alonso held off Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher in a thrilling duel over the last 13 laps at Istanbul Park to take second and increase his lead slightly over the German in the season standings. The next race is the Italian Grand Prix on Sept. 14. /The New Anatolian/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[00] GEN. OZKOK’S WORDS SHOWING THE WAYBY SEMIH IDIZ (MILLIYET)

Columnist Semih Idiz comments on the Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok’s handing over the helm of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). A summary of his column is as follows:

“We’re experiencing one of the most interesting duty handovers of our republic’s history. Sometimes soft messages are being sent, and sometimes stern ones. Actually, stern messages aren’t anything new, because we’re used to such remarks that our country can’t be divided. Traditional messages are given during the passing of the baton in the army as well. So it would have been strange if these messages hadn’t been given. Most of the population agrees with these messages already. However, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, who will hand over the military's helm to Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, gave certain messages which should be taken into consideration in terms of the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) young officers and our developing society. In sum, Gen. Ozkok put forth the sine qua non conditions for the TSK to be effective in a modern world. He pointed out the importance of young officers developing their intellectual talents in a modern world and added that Turkey has elite, well-trained officers who can do this. Gen. Ozkok said that not being the one who is directed, but one who directs is possible only this way. We can understand from these words that the TSK’s stature in the modern world was possible by developing the intellectual capacity which enables understanding the realties of the world and acting accordingly.

What Gen. Ozkok said to Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc while leaving the military arena and entering the civilian one was important as well. According to Ozkok, only democracy can enable Turkey to be stronger and become an exemplary country in its region. This is a very important message for those who want Turkey to take the place that it deserves in the world. We also know who wouldn’t like this message. This way we can see more clearly who's a visionary and who a reactionary. We shouldn’t forget that firstly an intellectual military class ensured our birth as a modern republic, from the ashes of a ruined empire. We should evaluate Gen. Ozkok’s remarks carefully in these days when we have the responsibility of moving the republic forward. I believe that these words will be understood by the TSK of the 2000s. However, I’m not sure if the truths pointed out by Ozkok will be welcomed enthusiastically by the entire society. I also believe that those who expect harsh winds to blow in the TSK with this handover of the helm will be wrong, because the principle of continuity is essential in the TSK. Gen. Ozkok’s remarks reflect the intellectual point reached by the TSK.”

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