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Turkish Press Review, 07-05-14
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
14.05.2007
CONTENTS
[01] HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS DEMONSTRATE IN IZMIR
[02] MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATED
[03] ERDOGAN PLANNING CAMPAIGN APPEARANCES
[04] SOLANA: “THE EU SHOULD KEEP TURKEY ON ITS SIDE”
[05] FORMER GREEK PM: “TURKEY’S NEXT PRESIDENT WILL BE A KEMALIST”
[06] DEMIREL: “THE IZMIR RALLY SHOWS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND DEMOCRACY AHEAD OF ELECTIONS”
[07] TURKEY PLACES IN TOP 5 IN EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
[01] HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS DEMONSTRATE IN IZMIR
Hundreds of thousands of secular Turks demonstrated in the Aegean port city
of Izmir yesterday. The rally " a show of strength ahead of early general
elections on July 22 " followed similar massive demonstrations in Ankara
and Istanbul last month. The crowds chanted slogans against the government,
which they say poses a threat to the secular order of the country and the
principles of Ataturk, the founder of the republic of Turkey, and also
urged left-wing parties to unite in the runup to elections. Main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and Democratic Left
Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer were also present at the demonstration, but
separately, giving no signal that their merger talks were on track.
Meanwhile, as part of May 19 Commemoration of Ataturk and Youth and Sport
Day celebrations, many cities in Turkey staged rallies, including Ankara,
Adana, Diyarbakir, Mersin, Kayseri and Van, showing the Turkish people’s
loyalty to Ataturk’s principles. /All Papers/
[02] MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATED
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and political
party leaders, as well as Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit,
yesterday issued messages marking Mother’s Day. Sezer said that by
raising healthy, self-confident people with common sense, mothers form the
very foundation of developed countries and are one of most important
factors in their societies. In his message, Buyukanit addressed the mothers
of fallen soldiers, saying that society shared their sorrow and was doing
their best to assuage their grief. /Turkiye/
[03] ERDOGAN PLANNING CAMPAIGN APPEARANCES
After appearing at a public rally in Erzurum last week, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to participate in a Youth Festival given
on Friday by his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Youth
Branch and then spend the weekend in Usak and Burdur. The AKP’s Central
Executive Board (MYK) is set to decide some 50 provinces Erdogan will pay
campaign visits ahead of July 22 general elections and the schedule for
these appearances. /Star/
[04] SOLANA: “THE EU SHOULD KEEP TURKEY ON ITS SIDE”
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said yesterday that
Turkey must be kept on the side of Europe. Speaking to German newspaper Die
Welt am Sonntag, Solana said that Turkey is simultaneously situated in the
Middle East, Caucasus and Balkans, adding that the country has had a great
influence on the region and could help to establish stability. He further
stated that that keeping Turkish favor would also strengthen the EU’s
security, warning, “Otherwise Turkey will seek other partners.” But
Solana also urged Turkey to completely fulfill the Copenhagen criteria in
order to become a full EU member, including the adoption of principles of
the rule of law, a well-functioning market economy and implementing EU laws
and norms. /Milliyet/
[05] FORMER GREEK PM: “TURKEY’S NEXT PRESIDENT WILL BE A KEMALIST”
Turkey’s next government will certainly be a Kemalist, said former Greek
Prime Minister Konstantis Micotakis yesterday. Speaking to Greek daily
Kathimerini, he added that the new president cannot and will not be an
Islamist. Rebuffing claims by the Greek press, certain politicians and
experts that Turkey is being driven to chaos, Micotakis said that Turkey is
a serious country that will find a consensus and solution to end the
current crisis. Micotakis is also the father of current Greek Foreign
Minister Dora Bakoyannnis. /Hurriyet/
[06] DEMIREL: “THE IZMIR RALLY SHOWS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND DEMOCRACY
AHEAD OF ELECTIONS”
This weekend’s massive secularist rally in Izmir shows the power of
freedom of expression in democracy in the runup to the July 22 early
general elections, said former President Suleyman Demirel yesterday.
Addressing the world congress of the International Press Institute (IPI) in
Istanbul, Demirel added that democracy is a regime of dialogue but that
unless a dialogue exists between the leaders and the governed, no consensus
is possible. He further stated that the European Union membership process
was the last frontier that Turkey must cross and that this process will end
with Turkey’s full membership, in spite of the difficult road ahead.
/Sabah/
[07] TURKEY PLACES IN TOP 5 IN EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
Serbia’s Marija Serifovic’s ballad “Molitva” (A Prayer), a mixture
of pop, rock and circus influences, won the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest
this weekend, while Turkey won 163 points to place fourth with Kenan
Dogulu’s “Shake It Up Sekerim.” The song contest held at Helsinki’s
Hartwall Arena was packed with thousands of fans cheering for their
favorite entries. This year there were 24 contestants in the contest, and
Turkey was number 22. Doğulu, with his crescent-embroidered jacket and
white shirt representing the colors of Turkey’s flag and his dancers’
choreography, had a commanding presence at Eurovisiont. /The New Anatolia/
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