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Turkish Press Review, 07-10-30Turkish 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 morning30.10.2007FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] TURKEY MARKS 84TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLICThe 84th anniversary of the Turkish Republic was celebrated yesterday throughout the country. Following the traditional visit of top Turkish officials to Anitkabir, Ataturk’s mausoleum, they witnessed a parade in Ankara. Later President Abdullah Gul hosted a reception for high-level state officials, military force commanders, political party leaders, Cabinet ministers, foreign mission chiefs and representatives of religious minorities in Turkey, as well as other guests. Famous actor Kevin Costner, currently in Turkey to perform in Istanbul, was also present at the reception. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and other fellow deputies were not at the event. In addition, throngs of people visited Anitkabir to pay their respects to the leader of the War of Independence and founder of the republic. /All Papers/[02] ERDOGAN VISITS WOUNDED SOLDIERS, VETERANSPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday visited troops and veterans being treated at Ankara’s Gulhane Military Medical Hospital (GATA), including soldiers who were injured in a recent terrorist PKK attack in Hakkari. Erdogan was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Interior Minister Besir Atalay and Health Minister Recep Akdag. /Cumhuriyet/[03] AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON SENSOY: “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”In an interview with CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer on Sunday, Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington Nabi Sensoy corrected Blitzer’s characterization of a possible Turkish cross-border operation as “invading northern Iraq.” Sensoy clarified, “I wouldn't like to use the term ‘invade’ Iraq, because if there is going to be a decision to intervene militarily in the north of the country, it will have a specific target and a scope, and the target will be the PKK terrorist organizations … We are trying to employ and exhaust all the diplomatic possibilities and peaceful possibilities before we think of the last resort, which is use … of arms.” Asked why Turkey believes that it can go into northern Iraq and stop the terrorist PKK, Sensoy said members of the group flee to northern Iraq after carrying out attacks in Turkey and added, “We have lost more than 35,000 lives in the last 20 years. Now enough is enough.” /Aksam/[04] SYRIA, IRAN BACK TURKEY’S FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISMThe foreign ministers of Iran and Syria, Manuchehr Mottaki and Velid Muallim, yesterday lent their support to Turkey’s fight with the terrorist PKK. Speaking to reporters following their talks in Damascus, the two top diplomats said that they were making efforts to solve the PKK issue between Turkey and Iraq. /Turkiye/[05] AFGHAN GEN. DOSTUM: “WE ARE ON TURKEY’S SIDE IN ITS STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM”Gen. Rashid Dostum, deputy commander in chief of the Afghan Military Forces, yesterday publicly released a letter of condolences for the 12 Turkish soldiers who lost their lives in a recent terrorist PKK attack. “I condemn these terrorist attacks and sincerely share the grief and mourning of these soldiers’ families,” it said. “We support the Turkish Republic’s and Parliament’s struggle against terrorism and once we ask God’s forbearance and fortitude for the families of the fallen soldiers. I declare that Afghanistan is on Turkey’s side and ready to help in its struggle against terrorism.” /Cumhuriyet/[06] TUSIAD DELEGATION VISITING EUROPEA Turkish Industralists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) delegation is continuing a tour of Europe to explain recent developments in Turkey to European Union member states. On its stop in Rome, the delegation led by Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, TUSIAD’s chairwoman, met with the head of the Italian Confederation of Industrialists (CONFINDUSTRIA), Luca Corsero di Montezemoli. Following the meeting, Yalcindag told reporters that they had spoken about economic relations between the two countries and possible new ventures. The delegation was then received by Premier Romano Prodi. /Turkiye/[07] ANTALYA GOLDEN ORANGE FILM FESTIVAL ENDSThe 44th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival ended on Sunday at a closing ceremony in the Mediterranean city’s Cam Piramit Congress & Fair Center. More than 160 films were shown and 62 films competed during the Golden Orange Film Festival and the simultaneous Third International Eurasia Film Festival. The film “Yumurta” (Egg) directed by Semih Kaplanoglu received five awards, including Best Film. Abdullah Oguz’s “Mutluluk” (Bliss) also won five awards, including Best Actress and Actor. In addition, Turkish-German director Fatih Akin, whose film “Yasamýn Kiyisinda” (The Edge of Heaven) which won the Best Screenplay at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, received the Best Director award at the festival. /Turkish Daily News/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS [08] ATATURK, PEACE AND THE REPUBLICBY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the 84th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. A summary of his column is as follows: “Turkey celebrated the 84th anniversary of the Republic at a time when Ataturk’s saying, ‘Peace at home, peace in the world,’ is still important and a cross-border operation against northern Iraq is still being debated, because the terrorist PKK, which is trying to make the Kurdish issue into a ‘separatist’ one, started to use its weapons again. The nation’s feelings of solidarity and sadness due to victims of terrorism tinged this year’s enthusiasm for the republic. The determination, reflected in messages yesterday against the risk that the war and invasion started by the US in Iraq in 2003 would draw Turkey into the Mideast swamp due to terrorist PKK attacks, showed that everything was ventured. In spite of Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani’s statement that if Turkey enters Iraq, this would mean a declaration of war, Ankara showed everybody that it was ready for anything during celebrations of Republic Day. Following these developments, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with US President George W. Bush set for November 5 at the White House to talk about a comprehensive operation will be vitally important. Whatever the dimensions of any cross-border operation, Turkey shouldn’t postpone its ‘peace at home,’ as Ataturk said. Andrew Mango, our friend from the BBC, writes in his book ‘Ataturk: The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey’ that for decades the republic has been advancing on the road to civilization and created a new nation without departing from its ‘peaceful’ line. Mango adds that the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) was an example for Ataturk " an example of adventurism which should be avoided. He also writes that CUP leaders, who demolished the Ottoman Empire by putting it into the World War, were Balkan guerilla supporters, but Ataturk was a statesman with an international outlook who was able to win the War of Independence not only thanks to his ambition and courage, but also his talent for making realistic calculations. After the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the Republic was declared but the issue of Mosul (in Iraq, but with traditional ties to Turkey) was left unsolved. Turkey has been dealing with the Kurdish issue since 1925. We should be able to protect the republic without departing from his principle of peace at home, peace in the world. We should reach our 100th anniversary in peace and prosperity.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |