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Turkish Press Review, 07-09-11Turkish 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 morning11.09.2007CONTENTS
[01] GUL MEETS WITH ERDOGAN, BUYUKANIT, AND SYRIAN FMPresident Abdullah Gul yesterday separately received Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, who congratulated Gul for his new post. Buyukanit said that he hoped Gul would be successful in his new post. Press members showed great interest in the meeting, which lasted about half an hour. In related news, Gul later received Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem. Gul and Moallem reportedly discussed Middle Eastern conflict. Moallem left for his country yesterday after completing his contacts. Gul is expected today to start a four-day tour, including Van, Hakkari, Sirnak, and Diyarbakir. This will be Gul’s first domestic tour as president. /Turkiye/[02] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS TRNCParliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday paid his first official visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in accordance with the state’s customs. Toptan, who is the official guest of TRNC Parliament Speaker Fatma Ekenoglu, met with Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer. Ekenoglu and Soyer thanked Toptan for paying his first official visit to the TRNC. /Hurriyet/[03] ERDOGAN ADDRESSES 38TH INTERNATIONAL ASIA AND NORTH AFRICA WORKS CONGRESSSpeaking at the International Asia and North Africa Works Congress yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for cooperation in fighting terrorism. Saying that the Turkish Republic adopted peace and tranquility as basis for the whole humanity and all countries, Erdogan added that the government was doing its best to make Turkey a country of peace and justice. The premier stressed that the violence in neighboring Iraq and Middle East was very grievous. “Turkey’s fight against terror is also painful,” he added. “Under such circumstances, the roles of scientists and artists are very important.” During the opening of the congress, 12 scientists were awarded with Medal of Honor. /Sabah-Turkiye/[04] SYRIAN FM VISITS TURKEYSyrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, who paid a visit to Ankara yesterday, met with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan and the two top diplomats discussed mainly the flights of the Israeli warplanes. They reportedly said that Israeli warplanes violated both Turkish and Syrian airspace and dropped fuel tanks into Turkish territory while flying over Hatay, Sanliurfa and Gaziantep. After the meeting, Babacan told a press conference, “For us, the violation of airspace by Israeli planes is an unacceptable development,” adding, “We launched the necessary initiatives and a full investigation into the event is underway.” He said, “All countries in the region must show respect to all countries’ sovereignty and avoid acts that may lead to tensions. Otherwise, tensions further escalate and efforts to safeguard peace and stability in the region are hampered. A multilateral investigation is underway. We demanded a quick explanation from Israel.” He also said that Istanbul will host the meeting of representatives of the neighboring countries with Iraq on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. “All regional countries should cooperate to safeguard peace and stability and concentrate their energies on reaching this target, ” he stressed. Moallem was also received by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. /Aksam-Star/[05] GOVT SPOKESPERSON: “THE NEW CONSTITUTION WILL BE MADE PUBLIC WHEN READY”The Cabinet meeting of the new government was held yesterday. After the meeting which lasted for almost five hours, government’s spokesperson Cemil Cicek told a press conference that the Constitutional amendment referendum to be held on Oct. 21 won’t be cancelled. Cicek also reacted harshly to the allegations that work on the civil Constitution was being conducted secretly and said that the Turkish parliament could prepare a brand new constitution by taking into consideration modern developments, adding, “Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been assessing the draft prepared by academicians. Later the draft will be made public. Everyone can make contributions to it.” /Aksam/[06] PRIMARY SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ATTEND FIRST SCHOOL DAYAcross Turkey, 900,000 primary school and 750,000 kindergarten students attended their first day of school yesterday to begin what is known as the adaptation period. The rest of the students will start new school term on Sept. 17. /Turkish Daily News/[07] HISARCIKLIOGLU INTRODUCES PROJECT CARRIED OUT WITH UNDPAt a press conference yesterday, Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) head Rifat Hisarciklioglu introduced along with UN Turkey Representative Mahmood Ayob a project, which is being carried out with UN Development Program (UNDP). Hisarciklioglu said that they selected four subjects as preferential among the subjects determined by UNDP. “Our priorities are reducing poverty in provinces, providing gender equality, ensuring everyone with education, and protecting the environment,” added Hisarciklioglu. /Milliyet/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... [08] “MR. GENERAL, THEY’RE ALL HERE FOR YOU”BY MURAT YETKIN (RADIKAL)Columnist Murat Yetkin comments on a joke made by President Abdullah Gul to Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday. A summary of his column is as follows: “President Abdullah Gul paid his first domestic visit as a president to the Southeastern region, which is a meaningful behavior. If this is the sign that functions of the state are reviving again following the crisis about the presidential election which started in Ankara in April, this situation can be understood from the liveliness of interpretations on this visit. According to an interpretation, Gul is pursuing a stance of the state this way. The facts that Ahmet Necdet Sezer also paid his first domestic visit as a president to the Southeastern region, Gul plans to pay his first visit abroad to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as a president and that he sent messages of solidarity to Algerian President Abdulaziz Bouteflika, as he faced an attempt of assassination, are viewed as evidences supporting this stance. According to another interpretation, Gul is paying his first visit to the Southeastern region in order to have better relations with the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and that he’s sensitive about fighting terrorism and such issues as border safety and separation. As part of this, there is a foreign dimension of this visit and actually the president is also inspecting Iraqi and Iranian borders. The fact that this visit started immediately after Chief of General Staff Yasar Buyukanit’s first official visit to Gul is also meaningful for this reason. According to another comment, Gul is paying this visit for the purpose of serving domestic peace, in other words, for solving the Kurdish issue and fighting the understanding that all the Kurds are considered as supporters of the terrorist PKK. The visit coincided with just the beginning of Ramadan month, which also indicates this. The reality probably lies just in the middle of these three interpretations. Israeli jets violated the Syrian airspace last weekend and two fuel tanks dropped on the Turkish territory; it was claimed in the Arabian press that these jets took off from Turkey; the Foreign Ministry requested information from Israel after two days of silence, when Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem wanted to visit Ankara and then Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who met with Walid al-Moallem, condemned this stance of Israel by defining it ‘unacceptable’. These incidents are all parts of this. It can be seen that neither the Foreign Ministry, nor the General staff want to exaggerate this issue at a time when the Armenian bill is about to reach the US Congress again and certain cracks emerged within the Jewish lobby in the US. In addition, interesting information about the Cabinet started to leak within lobbies, where Gul paid a visit of thanks yesterday. It’s said that there is an incredible competition between ministers about duties and authorities of the Ministry of Environment, City Planning and Water, and the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources, which will be newly established. It’s also claimed that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who isn’t glad with the functioning of customs, want to attach the income part of customs to the Finance Ministry and the security part to the Interior Ministry. Similarly, it’s also claimed that the issue of sports was attached to Labor Minister Murat Basesgioglu, who rejected Gul’s presidential candidacy and that this is like a punishment, rather than a reward. None of these things are as worth mentioning in terms of politics as this incident: Indicating the reporters, President Gul said to Gen. Buyukanit, who came to congratulate him yesterday following a process which is full of debates, that they were all here for him. Obviously, there is a part of reality about this joke. Gul wants to show that debates which started in the process of a crisis concerning the presidential election are over. Is the picture which emerged yesterday indicating this? This is not certain. However, it can be certainly said that a new period started yesterday.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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