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Turkish Press Review, 08-03-26Turkish 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 morning26.03.2008CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN VISITS BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINAPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday paid a one-day visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina. At a joint press conference alongside his Bosnian counterpart Nikola Spiric, Erdogan spoke about US Vice President Dick Cheney’s visit this week to Ankara, saying that Cheney hadn’t asked Turkey to send additional soldiers to Afghanistan. Erdogan also delivered a speech at Sarajevo International University. /Turkiye-Hurriyet/[02] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF BUYUKANIT DUE IN TRNCChief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit will fly today to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to pay a three-day visit at the official invitation of TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat. During his stay, Buyukanit will meet with high-level TRNC state and government officials and will inspect Turkish Peace Forces deployed in the TRNC. /Star/[03] MHP’S BAHCELI: “PARLIAMENT IS THE PLACE TO RESOLVE THE AKP CLOSURE CASE”Speaking at his party’s group meeting yesterday, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli urged everyone to unite in democratic solidarity to end the tension currently rocking Turkey. Commenting on the closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Bahceli said, “The most important task ahead of us is keeping the crisis from deepening. The place for a solution is Parliament. We’re ready to do whatever we can towards this end.” In related news, opposition Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer said that it would be both unethical and unconstitutional to enact constitutional changes now which could affect the AKP closure case. Speaking at a press conference, Sezer said Turkey is going through a period of tension and uncertainty and that the economy is also feeling the effects of this. /Turkiye-Cumhuriyet/[04] BAYKAL: “WE BUILT THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY, NOT THE DEEP STATE”Speaking at his main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Deniz Baykal spoke about the controversy surrounding the ongoing Ergenekon probe into a right-wing gang. Charging that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is trying to build its own “deep state”, he said Turkey’s security forces and judges are the target of this project. Rebuffing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attempting to link the CHP with a possible “deep state, ” Baykal said that his party " Turkey’s first political party " had built the Republic of Turkey, not the deep state. Baykal also criticized the detention of Ilhan Selcuk, the chief columnist for Cumhuriyet daily, as part of the Ergenekon probe. “Such things happened in Turkey during the (1980) coup,” he said. /Aksam/[05] MOELLER: “I HOPE TO SEE TURKEY IN THE EU ONE DAY”Foreign Minister and chief negotiator for Turkey’s European Union talks Ali Babacan yesterday met with his visiting Danish counterpart Per Stig Moeller. “Turkey should continue its democratic reforms, and I would like to see Turkey in the EU in the years to come,” Moeller told a joint press conference after the talks. Asked about the case seeking the closure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Moeller said, “These kinds of issues shouldn’t be discussed in court. Courts aren’t the place to engage in political disputes. I hope Turkey will solve this issue as soon as possible.” He added that in Denmark, a political party can only be closed down if it engages in violence. /Milliyet/[06] UNIONS, BUSINESS GROUPS TO ISSUE CALL FOR COMMON SENSESeven labor unions and business groups, led by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB), are set to issue a joint statement calling for common sense to help ease the recent tension in Turkish political life. “After each of our groups discussed the recent incidents by itself, we all agreed that Turkey is swiftly heading for polarization,” said TOBB head Rifat Hisarciklioglu. “We’re very concerned.” Saying that the statement will discuss both the prosecutor’s indictment seeking the closure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the principle of the separation of powers, Hisarciklioglu added that it will warn that party closures hobble Turkey’s democratic process and democratic institutions. After the statement’s release, leaders of the signatory groups are set to meet with President Abdullah Gul and political party leaders. /Milliyet/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [07] VISITS TO ANKARABY YALCIN DOGAN (HURRIYET)Columnist Yalcin Dogan comments on visits to Ankara this week by US Vice President Dick Chenney and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov to Ankara. A summary of his column is as follows. “There were two separate meetings this week where Russia wasn’t even mentioned, but its unspoken presence dominated them. Two days ago, during a Turkish-US meeting, Ankara was thinking of Russia. At the second meeting, between Turkish and Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan was also thinking about Russia, and so it couldn’t give a clear answer to Ankara. In the space of a few hours, Ankara first welcomed US Vice President Dick Cheney and then Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov. During these two meetings, Russia was never mentioned, but its shadow loomed large. On Monday, Ankara was as if covered by fog. When Chenney was coming to Ankara, he told US television reporters that he had seen ‘Kurdistan.’ As soon as he arrived, he insisted that we should put radar there. In his eyes, this radar would help guard against a possible international ballistic missile missile (ICBM) strike from Iran or North Korea. The earlier radar detects a missile launch, the more time there is to destroy the missile in the air. Putting radar in Turkey is among the US’ priorities. It’s also trying to install radar in Poland, Romania and Kosovo. If the US does this in Turkey too, this would be a relief to Washington. This is supposedly about Iran and North Korea, but the move makes Moscow uncomfortable. We have nothing to do with ICBMs. What worries us are missiles with a range of 300 to 1,500 kilometers. This is the technical reason, but actually concerns about disturbing Russia influenced Ankara’s decision. Ankara doesn’t want missiles put there, and the vice president didn’t find what he expected in ‘Kurdistan.’ A few hours later, Ankara met with Berdimuhammedov and felt good about rejecting the US’ radar proposal. Ankara wants to discuss energy projects with Turkmenistan, but Berdimuhammedov isn’t ready for this for now. He’s thinking of Russia and doesn’t want to disturb his giant neighbor. Why would Russia be disturbed if Turkmenistan and Turkey develop closer energy ties? We should wait for the cards to be dealt.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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