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Turkish Press Review, 07-05-21
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
21.05.2007
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
CONTENTS
[01] NATION CELEBRATES MAY 19
[02] SAMSUN HOSTS FINAL REPUBLICAN RALLY BEFORE ELECTIONS
[03] CELIK: "CHANTING SLOGANS DOESN'T MAKE YOU A TRUE NATIONALIST"
[04] BUYUKANIT HELPS CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEHMETCIK FOUNDATION
[05] BASER: "WE EXPECT THE US TO MOVE CONCRETELY AGAINST THE PKK"
[06] BAKOYANNIS: "I'M HOPEFUL FOR A CYPRUS RESOLUTION NEXT YEAR"
[07] EUROPEAN REGIONAL RED CROSS_RED CRESCENT CONFERENCE BEGINS IN ISTANBUL
[08] 26TH TURKISH DAY PARADE HELD IN NEW YORK
[09] HOW MANY VOTES WILL CHANGE?
[01] NATION CELEBRATES MAY 19
The Turkish nation celebrated May 19, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Commemoration
and Youth and Sports Day, on Saturday with parades and ceremonies
throughout Turkey, at the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and
at Turkish missions abroad. Top leaders led by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
visited Anitkabir, Ataturk's mausoleum in Ankara. Signing the commemorative
guestbook at the mausoleum, Sezer said that Turkey's youth is the greatest
guarantor of the future of the country, adding that nobody has the power to
block Turkey's path to modernization. /Turkish Daily News/
[02] SAMSUN HOSTS FINAL REPUBLICAN RALLY BEFORE ELECTIONS
The last pro-secular republican rally ahead of July's general elections was
held yesterday in the Black Sea port city of Samsun. Tens of thousands
gathered in the city's central square to protest the government by chanting
slogans such as: "Turkey is secular and will remain secular!" They carried
Turkish flags and posters of Ataturk, the founder of the republic. In
addition, the leaders of the two main leftist parties - Deniz Baykal of the
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader and Zeki Sezer of the Democratic
Left Party (DSP), who agreed last week to work together in the elections -
made their first joint public appearance. Speaking to reporters, the
leaders said they had done their duty by joining forces for the elections,
and that now is the time for people to pool their votes at the ballot box
to take Turkey to a bright future. /All Papers/
[03] CELIK: "CHANTING SLOGANS DOESN'T MAKE YOU A TRUE NATIONALIST"
Education Minister Huseyin Celik said yesterday that he doesn't believe
chanting a few slogans in demonstrations makes anyone a true nationalist.
Visiting Konya yesterday to attend the opening of a sports and social
center at a school, Celik said that true nationalism and patriotism means
serving the country. Stressing that his government has placed great
importance on education, and citing the opening of many schools throughout
the country as evidence of this, the education minister said that members
of his party were the real nationalists. /Milliyet/
[04] BUYUKANIT HELPS CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEHMETCIK FOUNDATION
Addressing a weekend ceremony celebrating the 25th anniversary of the
Mehmetcik Foundation, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said that
he remembered the day the group was founded, adding that it serves the
families of soldiers. "It has no other purpose," said Buyukanit. Stressing
that the Turkey's citizens are patriotic and love their country, Buyukanit
added that no one has the right to judge such people. /Aksam/
[05] BASER: "WE EXPECT THE US TO MOVE CONCRETELY AGAINST THE PKK"
Turkey's Special Anti-Terror Envoy Edip Baser said yesterday that
significant progress has been seen in the fight against terrorism since the
envoy mechanism was established but complained of problems in making
further progress. "There is a concrete step which we expect from the US,"
he said. "If we don't see this step from Washington, we could decide to end
the mechanism in short order. Then there will be no need to force the
mechanism." Baser declined to specify what step he was referring to. /Star/
[06] BAKOYANNIS: "I'M HOPEFUL FOR A CYPRUS RESOLUTION NEXT YEAR"
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said yesterday that no solution to
the Cyprus issue is in the offing this year but that she is hopeful about
2008. Speaking to the Greek media yesterday, Bakoyannis said in the wake of
the Greek Cypriots' 2004 rejection of the Annan plan it was no longer being
considered. She added that though Greece and Greek Cyprus have close ties,
the island state isn't under Athens' protection. Bakoyannis also said that
she works for reunification and coexistence on the island. /Star/
[07] EUROPEAN REGIONAL RED CROSS_RED CRESCENT CONFERENCE BEGINS IN ISTANBUL
The seventh European Regional Red Cross and Red Crescent (Kizilay)
Conference began in Istanbul yesterday. The conference brings together
experts on HIV_AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and migration to discuss the
situation of migrants in Europe and to provide them with more assistance to
protect their health and rights, regardless of their legal status.
Addressing the gathering, State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin called AIDS and
TB "disasters" which have led to great losses of life. The conference
hosted by the Turkish Red Crescent will last for four days. /Turkiye/
[08] 26TH TURKISH DAY PARADE HELD IN NEW YORK
The 26th Turkish Day Parade led by the Federation of Turkish American
Associations (FTAA) was held in New York City over the weekend. The Turkish
Day Parade began at the intersection of Madison Avenue and 56th Street and
ended at Dag Hammarskjold Park, near the Turkish House. Turkey's Ambassador
to Washington Nabi Sensoy and other officials took part in the parade along
with many Turkish people living in the US. Addressing the crowd, Sensoy
said that they were living not only in an allied country, but a friendly
one. /Cumhuriyet/
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[09] HOW MANY VOTES WILL CHANGE?
BY TARHAN ERDEM (RADIKAL)
Columnist Tarhan Erdem comments on July's general elections and how people
will vote. A summary of his column is as follows:
"We go to the polls in 60 days. The question of how many people will switch
their votes is still being mulled. Today, many people who could switch
their votes believe that they will determine who will be the next ruling
party. I always ask these people this: Will you switch your vote? Most of
the time they say no, adding confidently that they won't change their party
or vote. They believe that they aren't like other people, that they are
superior (!) to them. I don't think that more than 10% of people will
switch their votes over the next two months. In addition, these people
won't jump ship from one party to another. Some people will leave a party,
and others will go to that party. In other words, a party with about 20%
support might raise this to 25% or see it fall to 15%. Five percent equals
1.5 million people. It's not easy to attract this many voters from one
party to another, because other parties won't just sit there but also try
to woo voters from other parties. Will we see projects to make this many
people jump parties in the weeks to come? Have we seen similar campaigns
before? If we knew who supports what parties now, we could predict how the
elections will turn out.
Opinion surveys give such data, but some oppose publishing the result of
these polls, arguing that voters are influenced by them. Some also say
people often jump ship from small parties to big ones, as if it's a crime
for a person to change their vote. There is a law limiting poll publication
before elections for just this reason. But this outdated provision does
nothing to promote equality and lawfulness. Ask the people who pushed this
law or claim that polls influence votes if they have changed their own
votes based on polls. They would all answer as one: 'I'm different, but
other people are being influenced!' The idea that people are irrational,
understand little and are easily swayed exaggerates the impact of campaign
rhetoric and banning publishing poll result. If data gauging voters'
preferences isn't published and if people known that support for parties
won't change by more than 5%, the election atmosphere will tone down and
politicians will speak to voters without being upset. However, today, they
seek votes by evoking fears and dreams."
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