Turkish Press Review, 06-09-29

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

29.09.2006

CONTENTS

[01] ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO THE US TODAY

[01] ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO THE US TODAY

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, currently visiting Washington, yesterday addressed a press conference. Commenting on Iraqi President Jalal Talabani’s recent controversial remarks, Gul stated that he hoped these would be withdrawn. He further stressed that Turkey was one of the key countries helping Iraq, adding that if Turkey were to stop its assistance, the atmosphere in the country would change for the worse. “We provide Iraq with electricity and fuel oil,” said Gul, adding that if Ankara didn’t do that, life in the country quickly come to a standstill. “The division of Iraq would be a tragedy,” added Gul. /Milliyet/ [03] GEN. COMERT: “NO ONE SHOULD FORGET THAT ATATURK’S PRINCIPLES AND REFORMS ARE THIS COUNTRY'S GLUE”

Marking the start of the new school year at the War Academy yesterday, Land Forces Commander Gen. Faruk Comert said that no one should forget that the principles and reforms of Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk act as the glue holding the country together. “Approaches which feed reactionary movements and terrorism would hurt our nation,” said Comert. “The Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] will determinedly continue to fight the terrorist PKK. Taking civilian measures against terror along with military ones will end terrorism.” /Sabah/ [04] GEN. BASBUG: “WE’LL NEVER MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS TO TERRORISTS”

Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug said yesterday that Turkey's security forces were resolved to continue carrying out crackdowns until the terrorist group PKK has been terminated. In an article in Barem magazine, the top commander stated that the fight against terrorism would be waged without any concessions to the terrorists. He added that new policies should be developed to urge certain countries and groups to take necessary measures against the terrorist group. /Turkiye/[05] BASER: “WE WON’T ALLOW THE PKK’S POLITICIZATION”

Retired Gen. Edip Baser, Turkey’s anti-PKK special envoy, yesterday commented on arguments that the terrorist PKK would be politicized, saying that this wouldn’t be allowed. “This is well known,” said Baser. “We aren’t interested in the intent of the terrorist group or what it wants to do. We can’t negotiate with the PKK, but we’re fighting it.” /Sabah/ [06] BABACAN: “WE’RE OPEN TO NEW IDEAS ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE”

State Minister and chief EU negotiator Ali Babacan, who is currently in Italy, yesterday said that Ankara was open to new ideas for solving the Cyprus problem and hopes some steps might be taken to this end by the end of this year. After his meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema, Babacan told a press conference that no solution to the issue could be reached with steps only from the Turkish side. D’Alema said, “Turkish harbors and ports should be opened to Greek vessels, but a way to end the isolation on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should be found.” In related news, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi told Babacan that not to lose spirit but continue the reform process. /Star/[07] MEPS: “HISTORICAL INCIDENTS HAVE NO PLACE IN REPORTS ON TURKEY”

Members of the European Parliament yesterday reacted to a just-passed report on Turkey raising new issues. Turkey-European Union Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk stated that he was uncomfortable with statements about the Greek Pontians and Assyrians in the report. Lagendijk said that making these historical events into a political issue by putting them into EP reports wouldn’t benefit anyone and that he regretted the Greens’ proposal to remove these was rejected. EP Liberal Party leader Graham Watson also said that the report was far from balancing praise and criticism and that the European Union should approach Turkey with understanding. /Cumhuriyet/[08] THE US: “THERE WILL BE NO DIALOGUE WITH THE TERRORIST PKK”

The US State Department said yesterday that they would never meet with the terrorist group PKK, and urged the group to unconditionally lay down its arms. Answering a reporter’s question, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack stated that Special Envoy Joseph Ralston was working well with Iraqis against the PKK. He pointed to the success of his efforts in Iraq’s recent decision to close PKK offices in the country. McCormack added that the PKK is absolutely a terrorist group and they would in no way have talks with the group’s members. /Turkiye/[09] FRENCH PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE "GENOCIDE" MOTION

French opposition Socialist Party is again bringing a motion to criminalize rejection of the so-called Armenian genocide to the agenda of Parliament. In line with the Socialist Party’s proposal, the motion will go to a vote on Oct. 12 in the full Parliament after debate. A motion prepared by the Socialists about this issue was also debated this May, but then was pushed back to the fall session. /Cumhuriyet/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[00] WASHINGTON WINDSBY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)

Columnist Muharrem Sarikaya comments on Turkish-US relations. A summary of his column is as follows:

“Justice and Development Party (AKP) members aren’t hiding that efforts were made to arrange an appointment for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with US President George W. Bush. What will be the atmosphere during the meeting? Erdogan was being supported and there was a climate in favor of him during his previous meetings. There was a springtime in our relations with the US, and we were considered a role model for the Middle East. However, this time there will be a different picture in the background at the White House. In brief, the following background will dominate:Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug’s remarks that fundamentalism poses a greater threat than ever before. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani’s threatening words against Turkey for three days. The speech to be made this weekend by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer at Parliament’s opening, which is expected to be harsh. Remarks to be made by Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit six hours before the meeting with Bush.When anti-US feelings in Turkey reached a crescendo, no effort was made to prevent this.

Let’s say the domestic political developments are ‘ordinary’ and put them aside, and consider the developments outside. High-level state officials met with Talabani and said that they got a good impression from him. What are we going to say about Talabani’s words just after he said that he talked with the PKK and there would soon be a cease-fire? The AKP wonders if Talabani saw his dream of establishing a Kurdish state dying and so attacked us around this psychology. Let’s accept this thesis and assume that Talabani had an aggressive stance due to his bad psychological situation. Then how can we interpret an American colonel, at a briefing on the Middle East at the NATO Defense College in Rome, showing a map which divides Turkey? It seems that Turkish-US relations can’t turn normal due to the paradoxes of both sides. Even if the Pentagon apologizes and says that that map doesn’t bind them, the wound at the Pentagon can’t be healed. Washington complains that Ankara is doing nothing to prevent an anti-US stance in Turkey. On the other hand, it’s spraying oil on Turkey through northern Iraq so the anti-US stance can burst into flames. Meanwhile, the government in Ankara is suffering from an inability to take preventive measures.”

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