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Turkish Press Review, 07-07-10Turkish 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 morning10.07.2007FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] ISTANBUL HOSTS MEETING OF LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIESForeign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday delivered the opening speech at a ministerial conference in Istanbul of representatives of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Addressing top officials and representatives from 48 countries, Gul urged developed countries to back the least- developed countries both politically and economically to make a fairer and more livable world. Gul also asked the participants’ support for Turkey’s bid for a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Also addressing the gathering, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) head Kemal Dervis said that poor countries had gotten many promises of help, but rich countries had failed to follow through. “Developed countries should double their efforts to back the poor,” said Dervis, who is a former Turkish economy minister. He added that when it gets a seat on the UNSC Turkey will be voice of the least- developed countries. /Turkiye-Hurriyet/[02] ERDOGAN SIGNALS COMPROMISE IN CHOOSING NEXT PRESIDENTAppearing on television yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that before commenting on this year’s presidential election he first needed to see the outcome of the July 22 general elections, adding that he had no bias on the issue. Under current rules, Parliament elects the president. “Necessary discussions will be held with other political parties and all the deputies in (the new) Parliament,” said Erdogan. “Later, appropriate steps to facilitate compromise will be taken. This is what we want.” Stressing that no impositions would be accepted, Erdogan added that a constitutional referendum could change the method of presidential election to a popular vote. “The people could elect the president in the second round of voting if not the first,” added Erdogan. Later, commenting on Erdogan’s remarks, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that compromise shouldn’t mean a minority prevailing over the majority, adding that letting this happen wouldn’t be democratic. Gul ran for president as the ruling party’s candidate earlier this year, before the election was aborted due to an opposition boycott. /Cumhuriyet/[03] CABINET HOLDS LAST MEETING BEFORE GENERAL ELECTIONSThe last Cabinet meeting before the July 22 general elections was held yesterday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Escalating terrorist attacks of the terrorist PKK topped the meeting’s agenda, but no decision about a Parliament motion on a possible cross- border operation was made. Speaking afterwards, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said that if the process continues normally, the first thing the post-election Parliament would do is to elect a new president. /Sabah/[04] ARINC: “A MONTH AFTER TAKING OFFICE, THE NEW PARLIAMENT COULD ELECT A PRESIDENT”Appearing on news channel NTV yesterday, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said that a new presidential election could be held within a month after the new Parliament is formed following the July 22 general elections. /Cumhuriyet/[05] ON CAMPAIGN TRIAL, BAYKAL, AGAR CRITICIZE GOVTMain opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday continued campaigning ahead of the July 22 general elections. Speaking in Kirikkale, Baykal criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for not ending parliamentary immunity as he had pledged in the fall 2002 campaign before taking power. Agar, speaking in Izmir, criticized the government’s privatization policy. /Milliyet/[06] IRAQ’S ZEBARI: “MORE THAN 140,000 TURKISH TROOPS ARE AT OUR BORDER”There is a great mobilization on Iraq’s northern border that domestic security services and intelligence agencies estimate at more than 140,000 well-equipped military personnel, Hosyhar Zebari, Iraq’s foreign minister, told a news conference in Baghdad yesterday. He reiterated that his government was against any interference in Iraqi sovereignty from neighboring states, adding that they understand Turkey’s legitimate fears of terrorist attacks. Pointing to the tripartite mechanism among Iraq, Turkey and the US, Zebari said that they were ready to welcome the mechanism to Baghdad to solve all the issues and problems between the two countries. In related news, US State Department spokesman Sean MacCormack said that Turkish troops’ broad-based crackdown against PKK militants in southeastern Anatolia was normal. /Aksam-Hurriyet/[07] EU TO OPEN ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR NEGOTIATIONSEuropean Union Term President Portugal has reportedly reached an agreement with fellow member states to open Turkey’s chapter on consumer and health protection for negations. The topic is expected to be taken up at an EU intergovernmental conference in September. /Hurriyet/[08] LIMAK-LED CONSORTIUM WINS ISTANBUL AIRPORT BIDLimak Construction-GMR Infrastructure-Malaysia Airport Holding Berhad Consortium yesterday won a build-operate-transfer (BOT) bid for the international terminal and related facilities at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport. The consortium led by Limak offered $3.1 billion for the construction and operation of the terminal for 20 years. Auction Commission head Mete Aslan said that proceeds from the bid would be used to meet Turkey’s defense needs. /Milliyet/FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS [09] DOOR OPEN A CRACK FOR COMPROMISE OVER THE PRESIDENCYBY BILAL CETIN (VATAN)Columnist Bilal Cetin comments on the upcoming general and presidential elections. A summary of his column is as follows: “The July 22 general elections aren’t ordinary ones, but in fact early and extraordinary. Parliament’s inability to elect a new president a couple of months ago made the elections inevitable. It’s the first time this provision of the Constitution has been triggered. Two weeks from now, voters will not only elect Parliament and the ruling party but also show their preference for the presidential election. They will show which party they want the president to come from. A constitutional amendment for popular election of the president is in the pipeline, but right now it seems that our next president will be elected by Parliament under the current procedures based on a voluntary or involuntary compromise among the parties. All the political party leaders projected to cross the 10% threshold seem to have reached a compromise, as signaled by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest remarks that they’ll be open to compromise during the new term. At least it can be said that no party leaders can deadlock the system and force a constitutional referendum and subsequent two-round presidential election by popular vote after the early general elections. The failed presidential election in April didn’t show what could happen but in fact, strikingly, what couldn’t happen: 1. Even if it has more than 350 seats in Parliament, no single party can elect the president without compromise. 2. Insisting on someone whose views and attitudes on the basic values of the republic and secularism are controversial, rightfully or not, raises societal tension, disturbs state institutions including the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), and harms the democratic process. The scene after this month’s elections is important in that it will determine which party will have the strongest say in electing the next president. It’s all but clear that the new Parliament will be made up of three parties. No single party with 367 or even more seats can elect the president without compromise. Even getting the 275 seats needed for a single-party government won’t be such easy. Maybe the new Parliament will have to seek compromise for not only the presidential election but also for a government coalition. Can a compromise be reached? Looking at the recent remarks of Prime Minister Erdogan, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, it can be. All three leaders have guaranteed that the next president will be elected through compromise. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the premier believe that they will be the top party with more than 300 deputies, and they say that they will suggest more than one candidate to the opposition. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, whose failed candidacy triggered the general elections, won’t be on that list. Could Erdogan propose State Minister Abdullatif Sener, whom CHP leader Baykal once said he approved of as a candidate?” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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