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Turkish Press Review, 08-07-25Turkish 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 morning25.07.2008CONTENTS
[01] GUL: "BTK RAILWAY PROJECT WILL REVIVE THE SILK ROAD AND CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND STABILITY"In Kars, President Abdullah Gul yesterday attended a groundbreaking ceremony to launch the construction of the Turkish leg of the Baku-Tbilisi- Kars (BTK) railway, also known as the "Iron Silk Road." Azerbaijani President Ilham Alivey and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili were also in attendance. Addressing the ceremony, Gul said that the project would create a new economic cooperation zone in the Caucaus when it is completed, in parallel to developing good relations among Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and added, "This new zone will further develop in the future." Gül said there was strong political will behind the project and that it will not be weakened because it will benefit the peoples of the region. He said, "This project will also contribute to the peace and stability in the Caucaus." Gul also said that the project was open to all countries, provided that they also contribute to the peace and stability in the region. He said that the BTK railway project would revive the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that once connected East and West. Speaking at the ceremony, Saakashvili said that the project was not just a railway project but also had economic, cultural, historical dimensions. He said it will bring closer ties among the three countries. Also speaking during the ceremony, Aliyev said that the railway would strengthen the economic ties among the three countries, adding that Asian and European countries will also benefit from the project. Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım also addressed the ceremony and said the railway links from the region will extend into Europe with the completion of an ongoing rail tunnel project linking the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, and added thanks to this, the project will link the East and West from China to England, and it will create a civilization, friendship and brotherhood bridge between the East and West. The railway is expected to be operational in 2011 and carry about 18 million tons of freight and three million passengers per year in the medium term. /Turkiye-Sabah/I [02] RAQI VICE PRESIDENT HASHEMI MEETS WITH ERDOGANIraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, currently in Ankara due to his wife's health problems, yesterday met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ertugrul Apakan also paid a courtesy visit to Hashemi. /Cumhuriyet/[03] BABACAN MEETS WITH UN SECRETARY GENERALForeign Minister Ali Babacan, currently in New York to drum up support for Turkey for the elections to be held in October for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, yesterday met with UN permanent representatives of Jewish associations, Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Arab countries as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. During their meeting, Ban expressed his pleasure over the meeting of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cyprus administration leader Dimitris Christofias for a solution on the Cyprus issue. /Star/[04] YOUNG OFFICERS RECEIVE THEIR DIPLOMAS FROM TOP OFFICIALSNewly graduated from the War Academies, the young officers received their diplomas yesterday in a ceremony attended by President Abdullah Gul, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Buyukanit, Land Forces Commander Gen. İlker Basbug, and other high-level state and military officials. During the ceremony, 29 foreign officers, who received training in the academies, also received their diplomas. The total number of the graduates was 631. /Turkiye/[05] UN SECRETARY GENERAL'S CYPRUS REPRESENTATIVE TO VISIT ISLANDAlexander Downer, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special representative to Cyprus, is expected to visit Cyprus this weekend. During his three day stay, Downer is scheduled to meet with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat, Greek Cyprus administration leader Dimitris Christofias and UN Peacekeeping Mission Chief Taye-Brook Zerihoun. /Aksam/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [06] MILESTONE OF CRISIS IS CANKAYA PRESIDENTIAL PALACE OR THE HEADSCARF ISSUE?BY RUSEN CAKIR (VATAN)Columnist Rusen Cakir comments on a brief history of the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) coming into power and following developments. A summary of his column is as follows: "When I was talking with a person who is close to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the issue of speech made by Erdogan at the end of the general elections of July 22, 200 was opened. My friend was very angry with criticisms which claimed that Erdogan didn't keep the promises he has made that night and said that those who criticize Erdogan seem to have forgotten who was next to him that night. Of course, this person was then Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. For him, mostly Gul, who insisted on his presidential candidacy and who has finally elected the president, was responsible for not keeping these promises. Certain points should be clarified to discuss this issue more healthily. According to the chronological order: 1. Erdoğan wanted to become the president for a long time but he hesitated due to various reasons. 2. Gul also expected that Erdogan would become the president and that he would take over the duty of prime ministry. 3. When Erdogan changed his mind about candidacy, he tried to look for another person whose wife doesn't cover her head, in other words, who can be adopted more easily by other institutions of the state. But after then Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc's last stake, he decided on Gul. 4. Gul undertook the candidacy reluctantly. 5. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) criticized Gul's candidacy harshly through an online memorandum on April 27, 2007. 6. As it was impossible to elect a president due to the Constitutional Court's controversial decision on compulsory 367 votes, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) decided to hold early elections. 7. The AKP based its election campaign on the unjust treatment applied on Gul about his candidacy. 8. The first message which was given by Erdogan, the leader of a party which came to power again by taking nearly 47% of votes, was hugging all the layers of society. 9. In order to avoid a crisis, Erdogan wanted National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul to become the president instead of Gul. 10. But the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) stated that it wouldn't let any other crisis of 367 and opened the way for Gul completely. 11. In spite of indirect suggestions and pressures by Erdogan and his surroundings, Gul became a candidate by saying that the nation voted for my presidency and thus he was elected the prime minister. Pages of news and articles will be written in following days particularly about indirect suggestions and pressures by Erdogan and his surroundings. What's important is that Gul has become the president through the unconditional support of minority within the party and reluctant support of the majority. But it would be misleading to relate the last nine month's crises to Gul's presidency only by taking this concept into consideration. I've been arguing from the beginning that Gul's presidency might be a possibility of triggering a crisis and also an opportunity for the secular and democratic republic. For example, I thought that Gul, who has become the president in spite of Erdogan and the party's majority, would be able to seize the opportunity of becoming the 'president of everybody.' But Gul appointed Professor Yusuf Ziya Ozcan as the Higher Education Council (YOK) head, instead of another 'wise man' who might be respected by all layers of society, and thus disappointed some optimists like me. Then the AKP made the greatest strategic mistake of the last six years and made constitutional arrangements about it. Gul waited for a few days for approval and this situation created some hope but we saw once again that he has missed another opportunity. Let's imagine it. If Gul had returned these arrangements to the Parliament, what would have happened? Obviously, there would have been a political crisis. The AKP would have been in a very difficult situation and there would be a series of speculations about the past, present and future of relations between the Cankaya Presidential Palace and the government. On the contrary, those who approach the AKP and particularly Gul doubtfully would have been very confused. Besides, the crisis to be experienced due to Gul's veto wouldn't have been as deep and unsolvable as it is now. Even maybe it would hinder or delay Chief Public Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya's bringing a case. At least, even if the case had been brought, Gul had been in a more neutral situation now. To sum up, on the basis of all the things we have experienced there is the arrangement of headscarf, rather than Gul's becoming the president. Actually, there is the fact that Gul was unable to analyze what has and what will happen correctly in spite of all his experience of real politics and approved these arrangements." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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