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Turkish Press Review, 07-02-01
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
01.02.2007
CONTENTS
[01] SYRIAN FM MUALEM MEETS WITH GUL, ERDOGAN, SEZER
[02] GUL: "WE'RE TALKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TO PUT OUT THE FIRE IN IRAQ"
[03] CICEK: "EU MEMBER STATES HAVE THEIR OWN ARTICLE 301s"
[04] FM GUL TO VISIT ALBANIA
[05] BUYUKANIT MEETS WITH RALSTON TO DISCUSS ANTI-TERROR EFFORTS
[06] IRAQI TURKMEN LEADER ESCAPES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
[07] AGAR: "TURKEY SHOULD AVOID TENSIONS IN WAKE OF DINK MURDER"
[08] US AMBASSADOR WILSON: "PRESIDENT BUSH WILL WORK AGAINST THE ARMENIAN RESOLUTION"
[09] US STATE DEPT'S BRYZA ADMITS LACK OF PROGRESS AGAINST PKK
[10] I APPLAUD BAYKAL
[01] SYRIAN FM MUALEM MEETS WITH GUL, ERDOGAN, SEZER
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem yesterday met with his Turkish
counterpart Abdullah Gul in Ankara to discuss regional issues. After his
meeting with Gul, Mualem was received by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and during their talks, he conveyed a message from Syrian President
Bashar Assad saying that as neighboring countries, Turkey and Syria should
be more active on the Iraq issue. The two top officials discussed how
Ankara and Damascus could contribute positively to the process as countries
which share the goals of protecting Iraq's territorial
unity and Kirkuk belonging to all Iraqis. During the meeting, a possible
summit of countries neighboring Iraq, to be held in Baghdad or Cairo, was
discussed. Mualem was also received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
/Cumhuriyet/
[02] GUL: "WE'RE TALKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TO PUT OUT THE FIRE IN IRAQ"
Speaking at a ceremony yesterday marking the 79th anniversary of the
Turkish Education Association (TED), Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
commented on recent developments in Iraq, saying that Ankara was talking
with its neighbors about ways to end the violence and put out the fire in
the country. "Iraq is a dangerous place," said Gul. "Everyone should be
cautious." Stressing that the worst thing would be if the Iraqis were to
destroy themselves, Gul stated that Ankara had no intention of interfering
in Iraq's internal affairs. "It's natural for us to be concerned about our
neighbor's future," he added. In related news, Gul is expected to travel to
Washington this weekend to pay an official visit. /Turkiye/
[03] CICEK: "EU MEMBER STATES HAVE THEIR OWN ARTICLE 301s"
Speaking at a meeting of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) yesterday,
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek commented on controversial Turkish Penal Code
(TCK) Article 301, saying that European Union member states have similar
laws and they don't cause problems there. Saying that Article 301 was a
matter of penal law, Cicek stated that the issue shouldn't become embroiled
in politics. "Discussing the issue through a political prism wouldn't be
beneficial," added Cicek. /Star/
[04] FM GUL TO VISIT ALBANIA
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul today starts a two-day official visit to
Albania. Gul is expected to meet with his Albanian counterpart Besnik
Mustafaj, and the two will attend a Turkish-Albanian Business Council
meeting. Gul will also meet with Alabania's premier, Parliament speaker and
president. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] BUYUKANIT MEETS WITH RALSTON TO DISCUSS ANTI-TERROR EFFORTS
Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday met with Joseph
Ralston, the special US special envoy on countering terrorism. Ralston's
Turkish counterpart Edip Baser was also present. During the meeting,
Buyukanit stated that the Turkish nation had run out of patience to see
progress against the terrorist PKK, adding that Washington should take
concrete steps in order to prove its determination against the terror
group. For his part, Ralston stated that the US administration had tried to
close PKK offices in northern Iraq, but that some of them were later
reopened under different names. Ralston further added that he was trying to
persuade the local administration in northern Iraq to fight the terrorist
PKK. He further stressed that he wouldn't say that a military operation was
the last resort in countering terrorism. /Milliyet/
[06] IRAQI TURKMEN LEADER ESCAPES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) head Saadettin Ergec survived an assassination
attempt on Tuesday while returning from the Turkmen city of Beshir, near
Kirkuk. Ergec's convoy was targeted by an explosive placed in the road
while he was returning from Beshir to Baghdad at midday on Tuesday.
/Turkish Daily News/
[07] AGAR: "TURKEY SHOULD AVOID TENSIONS IN WAKE OF DINK MURDER"
Speaking in Eskisehir yesterday, opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader
Mehmet Agar commented on last month's murder of Hrant Dink, a Turkish
journalist of Armenian descent, saying that Turkey should steer clear of
tensions which would sow conflict and polarization in the country. "We've
seen such things in the past," added Agar. "We shouldn't go through this
again." /Turkiye/
[08] US AMBASSADOR WILSON: "PRESIDENT BUSH WILL WORK AGAINST THE ARMENIAN
RESOLUTION"
US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson yesterday said that there was no change
in the Bush administration's stance on resolutions concerning the so-called
Armenian genocide. "A resolution on tragic incidents which occurred during
the Ottoman Empire was recently introduced in the US Congress," said a
written statement by the ambassador. "The Bush administration's position on
this issue has not changed. As I have said before, the administration will
be actively involved with Congress to oppose this resolution." /Star/
[09] US STATE DEPT'S BRYZA ADMITS LACK OF PROGRESS AGAINST PKK
Speaking to Hurriyet, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Bryza
yesterday stated that they understood Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
recent statements about the terrorist PKK, adding, "His statements reflect
a deep, great anxiety. Yes, we have been unable to get concrete results so
far." Bryza underlined that US Special Envoy for countering terrorism
Joseph Ralston was making great efforts, saying, "He's moving forward by
putting all components of the equation together. We respect the thoughts of
(Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdogan. We have a commitment. If you stay
patient, you'll see this soon. We know very well what we should do." Bryza
said that if they get positive results then a military intervention in
northern Iraq by Turkey would be unnecessary, adding, "The north is Iraq's
most stable region. Needless to say, we wouldn't want a Turkish
intervention. We should fulfill our commitments on eliminating the PKK
threat." /Hurriyet/
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[10] I APPLAUD BAYKAL
Columnist Hasan Celal Guzel comments on a speech recently made by main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. A summary
of his column is as follows:
"I applaud Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal's speech at
this week's group meeting. ‘Nationalism is this society's main glue,' he
said. ‘Nobody should fear nationalism, and nobody should blame it. Of
course we'll be nationalists, love our country, be proud of our nation's
identity and accept everybody as a part of this nation without excluding
anybody. Our nationalism isn't separatist, but unifying; not exclusive, but
inclusive. This nationalism includes everybody who lives on this land and
loves this country. Nobody should toy with the nation's honor, and nobody
should show disrespect to this nation's basic values.' I would second these
remarks of Baykal's.
I appreciate that the CHP remembered its strand of nationalism. I know that
some people will say that he made these remarks so the CHP can win the
votes of nationalists. Although this is true to some extent, this doesn't
reduce the value of the CHP's stance on national sensitivities. It's not
true that the CHP moved to the right with this stance. Do the people who
claim this think that nationalism is the exclusive property of rightists?
Why wouldn't a social democrat be a nationalist as much as a conservative
is? Of course, here I must stress that the Turkish nation sees nationalism
as patriotism and it has nothing to do with a nationalism based on
discrimination, like the kind seen between the two world wars. Actually,
Baykal pointed this out in his speech and showed an understanding of
nationalism which was integrated with the nation, as opposed to ideological
nationalism.
When we talk about what the Turkish nation holds sacred, two concepts come
to mind: firstly, such national values as love of nation, country and flag,
and secondly, such spiritual values as love of religion or God. It's a
precondition for those who practice politics in this country to respect
these values. The main reason rightist parties have won elections since
Turkey adopted a multiparty system is that the people saw the CHP and other
leftist parties as being against these values, or at least they thought
that they didn't do enough to protect these values. This causes rightist
parties to get at least two-thirds of the votes. The CHP's recent policy
which protects national values boosted its share of the votes from 15% to
about 23%. Now the CHP has to go through a tougher change, as it's time for
the CHP and the Turkish left to make peace with the nation's spiritual
values. There's no reason to appear pious or give up secularism for this
purpose. When the CHP shows that it respects spiritual values, the way for
it to become the ruling party will open, and the exploitation of religion
will die down to a marginal, ineffectual noise. Finally, the CHP should
take a stance concerning the issue of democracy and publicly oppose
militarist interventions. If this change in the CHP can be supported by
sound projects, Turkey can have a new alternative and the half-century
conflict will end."
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