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Turkish Press Review, 07-02-20Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning20.02.2007CONTENTS
[01] NSC TO DISCUSS IRAQThe National Security Council (NSC) will meet this Friday to discuss terrorism and Iraq. The council will focus on terrorist attacks, which are expected to increase with the coming of spring, and measures to counter them. The NSC will also discuss recent political developments in Iraq and especially in Kirkuk, as well as the terrorist PKK presence in northern Iraq. Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul are expected to share their impressions of anti-terror efforts in the context of their recent visits to the US. /Star/[02] ERDOGAN TO VISIT SAUDI ARABIAPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday for a two-day official visit. Erdogan will also attend the Eighth Jeddah Economic Forum. Erdogan will visit Riyadh on the first day of his visit and Jeddah on the second. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul recently visited Saudi Arabia following Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit to Ankara. /Aksam/[03] CICEK: "THE PROPOSALS OF THOSE WHO CALL ARTICLE 301 AMBIGIOUS ARE EVEN MORE AMBIGUOUS"Speaking after yesterday's Cabinet meeting, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that the gathering had discussed Article 301, adding that the government was working on changing the law. "There are many proposals about this law," said Cicek. "The proposals of those who call the article ambiguous are more ambiguous still." Commenting on speculations over whether early elections will be called, Cicek said the next general elections would be held on Nov. 4, as scheduled by the Supreme Board of Elections (YSK). Cicek further stated that the government wouldn't change its policies to gain advantage in the approaching elections. /Turkiye/[04] FORMER STATE MINISTER ALTINSOY LAID TO REST IN OFFICIAL FUNERALFormer State Minister Mehmet Altinsoy, who died due to a cerebral hemorrhage, was laid to rest in a state funeral yesterday. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, former President Suleyman Demirel, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, and opposition Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu were among the people at the ceremony to pay their final respects. Altinsoy was state minister under Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan in 1996-97. /Turkiye/[05] IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS TURKEYIranian Parliament Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel yesterday visited Turkey with an accompanying delegation for an official visit. Adel was received by his Turkish counterpart Bulent Arinc and also met with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During their meeting, Erdogan and Adel discussed political and trade relations as well as Iran's nuclear program. Erdogan suggested moderation, saying that he wants the problem to be solved through diplomatic means. Adel said that Iran's nuclear program was peaceful and thanked Turkey for its efforts to promote a diplomatic solution. /Cumhuriyet/[06] IRAQI VICE PRESIDENT MAHDI TO VISIT TURKEYIraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi today will begin a two-day working visit to Ankara. A Foreign Ministry statement said that Mahdi will meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. Turkish-Iraqi relations and recent developments in Iraq will be discussed during the meetings. Mahdi is expected to convey his country's determination to take steps against the PKK presence in northern Iraq. /Star/[07] PRESS COUNCIL HEAD VISITS BAYKAL TO PRESENT PROPOSALS ON ARTICLE 301Press Council head Oktay Eksi yesterday visited main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal to present his group's proposals for changes to Article 301. Speaking afterwards, Eksi said that he had voiced the council's views before the controversial law took effect, but that no one had listened. /Turkiye/[08] BABACAN: "AN IMF DELEGATION WILL VISIT TURKEY NEXT MONTH TO REVIEW THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM, BUT THE DATE ISN'T CERTAIN YET"State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said yesterday that a delegation from the International Monetary Fund would visit Turkey next month for the review of the economic program but added that the visit's date was not yet certain. "We'll complete the fifth review, and hold contacts for the sixth, seventh, and eighth reviews," said Babacan. Babacan further stressed that Turkey's interest burden in foreign debt has been falling since Turkey gained more credibility on international markets. /Sabah/[09] TRNC TO HOST GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCEAn international conference entitled "The Environment: Life and Sustainability" hosted by Near East University in Nicosia, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), started yesterday. About 1,000 scientists and researchers from over 100 countries are discussing global environmental problems and possible solutions at the conference, which will end on Saturday. TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Turkey's Ambassador to Nicosia Turkekul Kurttekin attended the conference's opening ceremony. /Cumhuriyet/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…OFFENDED, ENGAGED [00] ERDAL SAFAK (SABAH)Erdal Safak comments on Turkey's European Union membership process. A summary of his column is as follows:"Don't believe that Turkey's European Union reform process is still the focus of the weekly Cabinet meetings. The government is putting its new policy ‘the EU is no longer our priority' into action step by step. A recent and remarkable example of this was Foreign Minister Abdulah Gul's announcement that he wouldn't attend the Turkey-EU Partnership Council Meeting to be held in Brussels on March 6. If he's not there, the gathering will be inevitably postponed. Because the Partnership Council, the most important and highest-level organ between Ankara and Brussels, consists of the foreign ministers of Turkey and the current and incoming EU president states, as well as EU commissioner for enlargement. Gul didn't stop with that boycott, but also signaled that he isn't planning any visits to European country in the near future. It means that Gul's visit to Athens, which had been expected for March or April, will also be postponed. As Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan also has no visits to European states scheduled, EU relations will solely be carried out by State Minister and chief negotiator Ali Babacan, who, at every opportunity, is also drawing new lines: ‘The EU has no right to urge Ankara to submit dates for certain reforms. Because the ground has already changed. When you announce a membership date for us like you did for 10 other new member countries, then we can declare our dates. If there's no membership date, then we won't prioritize the topics dictated by the bloc.' Moreover, the government didn't heed Brussels' decision to open the operation and industrial policies chapter for talks next month, or even the EU's intention to open and close three or four chapters during Germany's term presidency. (Note: We began our talks together with Croatia, but following the Greek Cypriot harbor crisis, the EU separated us, and now has already opened and closed three chapters for Croatia.) Don't take seriously the remarks of Term President Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, ‘We're pursuing plans agreed on Turkey's membership,' and certain European politicians' statements saying, ‘We want to see Turkey in Europe. In the end, Turkey will be a member of the bloc.' Turkey is no longer on the EU's plate. If not, would Brussels have been silent to Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit's recent remarks and statements made during his trip to Washington? EU officials, up to last December's summit, protested whenever Buyukanit opened his month: ‘Commanders should only comment on military matters, not on politics.' But now they don't care what he says. In my opinion, there are two dangers of this ‘gray period' full of disappointment: First, the reform period, which has already slowed down, could halt altogether. More importantly, the halting reforms could put a brake on the development of civil society, and retard the expansion of politics' area of engagement. The second and serious danger, which we recently got hints of, is just that." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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