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Turkish Press Review, 07-08-23
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
23.08.2007
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER PAYS FAREWELL VISITS TO MILITARY, CIVILIAN COURTS AND TURKISH BAR
[02] ERDOGAN ATTENDS EDUCATION MINISTRY CEREMONY FOR NEW TEACHER APPOINTMENTS
[03] BUYUKANIT GIVES MEDALS TO TWO TOP COMMANDERS
[04] BAYKAL CRITICIZES MHP OVER PRESIDENTIAL VOTE
[05] MHP: “THE CHP IS HOPING FOR UNDEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENTS”
[06] MAJOR US JEWISH GROUP CHANGES COURSE TO RECOGNIZE SO-CALLED “GENOCIDE”
[07] FOREIGN MINISTRY PLANS RESPONSE TO JEWISH GROUP’S “GENOCIDE” RECOGNITION
[08] UK’S GUARDIAN: “WITH GUL SET TO BECOME PRESIDENT, THE ARMY SHOULD LET EVENTS TAKE THEIR COURSE”
[09] SABANCI: “LAST MONTH’S GENERAL ELECTIONS CREATED IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TURKEY”
[01] SEZER PAYS FAREWELL VISITS TO MILITARY, CIVILIAN COURTS AND TURKISH
BAR
Outgoing President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday paid farewell visits to
several judicial institutions. First, Sezer visited the Turkish Bar
Association (TBB). Meeting with TBB head Ozdemir Ozok, former top jurist
Sezer described his term in office as “exhausting,” saying that he was
ready to hand over his duties to his successor as soon as one is elected.
He added that after stepping down he has no plans besides having some rest.
Afterwards, Sezer separately visited Supreme Court of Military Appeals head
Gen. Ahmet Alkis and Supreme Military Administrative Court head Turgut
Aribal. Later, Sezer paid farewell visits to the Council of State, the
Court of Appeals, and the Constitutional Court. /Milliyet/
[02] ERDOGAN ATTENDS EDUCATION MINISTRY CEREMONY FOR NEW TEACHER
APPOINTMENTS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended a ceremony at the
Education Ministry for the computer assignment of the appointments of 20,
000 teachers. Speaking to the gathering, Erdogan said that the new teachers
would provide an invaluable service. Stressing that the nation has some 19
million students, Erdogan said this makes Turkey a young country. “This
young population is our treasure,” said Erdogan. “We need a modern
education system to help make them dynamic.” /Turkiye/
[03] BUYUKANIT GIVES MEDALS TO TWO TOP COMMANDERS
In a ceremony yesterday, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit gave
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) Medals of Honor to Land Forces Commander Gen.
Ilker Basbug and Gendarmerie Commander Gen. Isik Kosaner. Speaking at the
ceremony, Buyukanit said that the TSK could achieve its goals with its
skilled, educated soldiers and their modern values. “This way we can
forever protect our country in this region, which is full of problems,”
added Buyukanit. /Sabah/
[04] BAYKAL CRITICIZES MHP OVER PRESIDENTIAL VOTE
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday criticized
the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) for taking part in the current
parliamentary voting to elect a new president. Speaking to news channel NTV,
Baykal charged that when the MHP leader displayed a noose while campaigning
for last month’s general elections, everybody thought that he did this
for the execution of the terrorist leader (meaning PKK leader Abdullah
Ocalan), but actually it seems to have been meant to “rescue him.”
Baykal repeated his warnings about “moderate Islam” and also criticized
the MHP for paving the way for Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to become
Turkey’s next president. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] MHP: “THE CHP IS HOPING FOR UNDEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENTS”
Responding to Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal’s
criticisms, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Secretary General Cihan Pacaci
yesterday branded Baykal “inconsistent.” Pacaci charged that the CHP is
hoping for help from “undemocratic developments” and that its policy is
based on political stubbornness and ambition. He claimed that Baykal was
the one who paved the way for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to rise
to the premiership nearly five years ago. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] MAJOR US JEWISH GROUP CHANGES COURSE TO RECOGNIZE SO-CALLED
“GENOCIDE”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a major US Jewish group, on Tuesday
announced it had changed its stance on the Armenian claims concerning
incidents during World War I, and thus had decided to recognize these
incidents as a “genocide.” But the ADL, which was founded to fight anti-
Semitism, also stated that they would continue to oppose a US House of
Representatives resolution which supports the Armenian claims. “We have
never negated but have always described the painful events of 1915-1918
perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians as massacres and
atrocities,” said ADL head Abraham Foxman in a statement. “On
reflection, we have come to share the view of [late US Ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire] Henry Morgenthau, Sr. that the consequences of those
actions were indeed tantamount to genocide. If the word genocide had
existed then, they would have called it genocide. I have consulted with my
friend and mentor Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and other respected historians
who acknowledge this consensus. I hope that Turkey will understand that it
is Turkey's friends who urge that nation to confront its past and work to
reconcile with Armenians over this dark chapter in history. Having said
that, we continue to firmly believe that a Congressional resolution on such
matters is a counterproductive diversion and will not foster reconciliation
between Turks and Armenians and may put at risk the Turkish Jewish
community and the important multilateral relationship between Turkey,
Israel and the United States.” /Hurriyet/
[07] FOREIGN MINISTRY PLANS RESPONSE TO JEWISH GROUP’S “GENOCIDE”
RECOGNITION
The Foreign Ministry yesterday began planning its response to the US Anti-
Defamation League’s (ADL) decision to acknowledge Armenians’
“genocide” claims. Ministry officials expressed concern that if other
US Jewish groups were to follow suit, this could lead the US Congress to
also recognize the claims. In past years, such groups have helped to turn
back “genocide resolutions” in Congress, in part due to Turkey’s
longstanding good ties with Israel. The ministry directed the Turkish
Embassy in Washington to hold contacts with relevant Jewish groups and work
to convince the ADL to reverse its decision as well as to prevent other
Jewish groups from taking similar steps. Turkish Ambassador to Israel Namik
Tan is also set to return to Israel from vacation two weeks early to
express Turkey’s concerns about the decision. /Milliyet/
[08] UK’S GUARDIAN: “WITH GUL SET TO BECOME PRESIDENT, THE ARMY SHOULD
LET EVENTS TAKE THEIR COURSE”
Barring some unforeseen event, Abdullah Gul, a “devout Muslim who once
flirted with Islamism,” will become Turkey’s president next week, said
Britain’s The Guardian yesterday. “The military, if it is wise, will
let parliamentary events take their course,” said the paper’s lead
editorial, “Islam and democracy.” “The army has toppled four Turkish
governments during the past 50 years, and to do so again would be bad for
the military itself (since the AKP has a clear mandate), bad for Turkey and,
indeed, bad for the rest of the Muslim world.” /Star/
[09] SABANCI: “LAST MONTH’S GENERAL ELECTIONS CREATED IMPORTANT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR TURKEY”
Sabanci Holding Chairwoman Guler Sabanci said yesterday that Turkey was on
a course towards stability and that last month’s general elections had
created important opportunities for Turkey. She stressed that if the next
five years lead to stability, then per capita income could rise above $10,
000. Also commenting on Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Sabanci
stated that the incoming government should revive the process. Sabanci
added that since macroeconomic stability has been achieved, the new
government should work to provide microeconomic stability through reforms
to social security and education. /Aksam/
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