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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-03-31Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>TURKISH PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA No. 60/09 31.03.09[A] NEWS ITEMS
[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS
[A] NEWS ITEMS[01] Havadis paper reports that Mr Talat will meet with Mr Ban Ki-moon in ParisTurkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (31.03.09) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat, will meet with the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon. According to diplomatic sources, the meeting will be held in Paris on Friday. Mr Talat and Mr Ban Ki-moon will stay at the same hotel in Paris and they will meet in the afternoon as the Secretary-General of the UN has planned.The UN uses this hotel in order to hold their diplomatic meetings in Europe. The diplomatic sources are quoted to have said that Mr Talat and Mr Ban Ki-moon will discuss in the meeting the bargaining, which is going on between the two leaders at the negotiation process. The same sources say that the Turkish Cypriot side may also ask for the mediation of the UN. The previous time Mr Talat met with Mr Ban Ki-moon was on the 15th of July, 2008, in Berlin. (DPs) [02] German MP calls on Turkey to fulfill its responsibilities regarding the Ankara Additional protocol by the end of 2009Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (31.03.09) reports that the German MP of the Social Democratic Party, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Federal Parliament responsible for Turkey and Cyprus affairs, Mr Gerd Andres, who is currently in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus as a guest of the Republican Turkish Party United Forces (CTP-BG), delivered a speech at the illegal Girne American University (GAU) on the latest developments regarding Cyprus in the EU.Commenting on the isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriots, Mr Andres said that they should reach to the solution through the negotiations and not through new perspectives like the ferry-boat trips between North Cyprus Israel which were in the framework of seeking ways for lifting the isolations from the Turkish Cypriots. Mr Andres also said that he asked to participate in the negotiation process between the two leaders as a rapporteur, but his proposal was not accepted by the Greek Cypriot side with the argument that an entry was made through an illegal route. Moreover, Mr Andres said: We are discussing with the two sides and this is very important for me. When we visited the island last October with the EU delegation we met and discussed with the representatives of both sides. On the same issue, Havadis newspaper reports that the German MP Mr Andres, during his speech at the illegal Girne American University, said that the Cyprus problem is related closely to Turkeys accession into the EU and added that Turkey should fulfill its responsibilities from the Ankara Additional protocol by the end of 2009. The German MP met yesterday with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. No statement was issued. Moreover, Mr Andres met also with the so-called prime minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer. Mr Andres, in a statement during the meeting, said that it was very important for him to get first hand information on the course of the negotiation process and the latest developments concerning the Cyprus problem. On his part, Mr Soyer pointed to the importance of bringing a settlement to the Cyprus problem and making it possible for the two communities to join the European Union on the basis of equality. He also said: Such a move will not bring peace to the Turkish Cypriots but also for the Greek Cypriots as well and added that the solution of the Cyprus problem would also remove an artificial obstacle in the way of Turkeys EU membership. Mr Soyer also said that a comprehensive settlement to be found in Cyprus was needed for stability in Europe and the whole region. Noting that the Turkish Cypriots would show a desire towards a solution, Mr Soyer said that their aim is to have a referendum by the end of 2009 and a solution to the Cyprus problem. (DPs) [03] A public opinion poll shows that the CTP will win the elections with 33.8%Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (31.03.09) reports that a private research company in Turkey has carried out a public opinion poll regarding the strength of the political parties which will participate in the forthcoming elections in the occupied areas of Cyprus. The poll was carried out between 7 and 15 March and showed that five political parties will manage to enter into the self-styled assembly. The paper does not mention the name of the company and gives no information about the sample.According to Vatan, the results of the survey showed that the Republican Turkish Party will win the elections with 33.8% and 19-20 seats in the assembly followed by the National Unity Party (UBP) with 31.6% and 18-19 seats. The results are the following: Party Name Percentage Possible Number of Seats Republican Turkish Party (CTP) 33.8% 19-20 National Unity Party (UBP) 31.6% 18-19 Democratic Party (DP) 13.6% 4-6 Social Democracy Party (TDP) 9.2% 1-3 Freedom and Reform Party (ORP) 8.6% 1-3 Others 3.1% - (I/Ts.) [04] The final number of the registered voters in the elections of 19th April 2009Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (31.03.09) reports that the self-styled Supreme Election Council announced yesterday that the registered number of the voters in the elections of 19th April 2009 is 161.373. According to the announcement, 50.653 persons are registered in the occupied part of Lefkosia, 42.325 in occupied Famagusta, 30.428 in Keryneia, 21.017 in Morfou and 16.950 in Trikomo.(I/Ts.) [05] Cakici said that the government wants to silence Kibris paper because of its opposition stanceTurkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (31.03.09) reports that a delegation from the Social Democracy Party (TDP) headed by Mehmet Cakici, chairman of the TDP, visited yesterday the Kibris Media Group and met with Kibris newspapers news director, Ali Baturay, and its news coordinator, Emin Akkor. In his statements, Mr Cakici said that the government wants to silence Kibris newspaper because of its opposition stance. Such pressure exists only in the fascist countries, he noted and wondered: What kind of a pressure has been exerted on this newspaper? Why can Resat Akar not continue his duties?In his statements Mr Baturay noted that the fact that a journalist who works in a private company is forced to take a leave after pressure exerted by those who administrate the country will be written in history with black letters. (I/Ts.) [06] The Development Bank organized a seminar in co-operation with the ADFIMIIllegal Bayrak television (30.03.09) broadcast the following:The Development Bank has organized a seminar in cooperation with the Association of the National Development Finance Institution in Member Countries of the Islamic Development Bank (ADFIMI), an international institution based in Istanbul. Bank managers from Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Sudan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Malaysia are attending the seminar in Girne (occupied Keryneia). The three days seminar is being held under the title, Computer Spreadsheet Analysis for Banking Operations. The aim of the seminar is to impart to the participants the detailed step-by-step process of developing customized computer spreadsheet programs capturing all the real world intricacies and complexities prevalent in the business environment and thus, leading to impeccable financial decisions. In an opening speech, the deputy-Director of the Development Bank Fatma Kinis said that a thorough analyze of data obtained was essential for investment projects and management operations, but pointed out that it was hard to realize this objective in open economies which are fragile. Providing information to participants about the TRNC Development Bank, she expressed the belief that the seminar would be a cornerstone for the bank in its efforts towards reaching its objectives. For his part, the ADFIMI Secretary General Nuri Birtek briefed the participants about the activities of the institution. He said banking and finance institutions from various countries have been exchanging information with international institutions, like the ADFIMI to increase their productivity. At the end of the speeches delivered, presentations were made on various subjects. [07] Official final results of Turkish local electionsAll the Turkish newspapers today (31.03.09) report on the final results of the local elections which were held in Turkey on Sunday. Following are the final results as they are published in Turkish dailies Sabah and Hurriyet newspapers:PARTY NUMBER OF VOTES PERCENTAGE AKP 15.380.502 38.87% CHP 9.164.898 23.16% MHP 6.379-382 16.12% DTP 2.198.692 5.56% SP 2.042.957 5.16% DP 1.472.415 3.72% DSP 1.090.781 2.76% BBP 880.818 2.23% ANAP 299.135 0.76% Total number of registered voters 48.033.247 Number of voters 40.441.391 Valid votes 39.569.743 Participation rate: 84.19% AK Party: Justice and Development Party, CHP: Republican People's Party, MHP: Nationalist Action Party, DTP: Democratic Society Party, SP: Felicity Party, DSP: Democratic Left Party, DP: Democrat Party, BBP: Grand Unity Party, ANAP: Motherland Party (AK) [08] Turkish daily evaluates the election resultsTurkish daily Todays Zaman newspaper (31.03.09) publishes the following report about the election held in Turkey on the 29th of March:The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) clearly won Sunday's election for municipalities but for the first time since it came to power in 2002 saw its votes shrink. Contrary to widespread expectations that it could even exceed 50 percent, the AK Party won 39 percent of the vote in provincial assembly elections across Turkey, representing a two point decline from the last local elections in 2004 and an eight point retreat as compared to 2007's general elections. In Istanbul the AK Party's candidate for mayor, the incumbent Kadir
Topba, won again but only after a mostly unforeseen tight race with
his closest rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the secularist opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP). Topbas almost maintained the level of
support he secured in the previous elections, winning 44.3 percent of
the vote, while Kilicdaroglu increased the CHP votes by 8 percent as
compared to 2004.
An overall assessment of the results show that the CHP, which won 23
percent of the vote at national level, is not the only party which saw
a boost: The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) increased the
number of municipalities it controls in the Southeast despite the AK
Party's intense efforts to expand influence there; the Islamic Felicity
Party (SP) more than doubled its tally, getting most of its newfound
votes from the AK Party's most devout citizens; and the Nationalist
Action Party (MHP), which won 16 percent of all votes, snatched several
municipalities from the AK Party in central-western Anatolia and
increased its overall votes by almost 6 percent over 2004.
Looking at the current results, it is not satisfactory, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a midnight press conference at party
headquarters. The 39 percent vote his party won is equal to the amount
of votes the AK Partys two closest rivals garnered combined, and
Erdogan said the results were indicative of the continued confidence in
his party. But he underlined that there was a message in the results.
He added that his party would read this message appropriately and
review its policies accordingly.
This is a message from the people, and we will learn the necessary
lessons. We believe it is important to take lessons from both
successes and failures, said Erdogan. He seemed particularly downcast
that the DTP increased the number of municipalities it controls in the
Southeast and that the Mediterranean province of Antalya, one of
Turkeys 12 greater municipalities which is also a busy tourist center,
voted to replace its current mayor with the CHPs candidate despite all
the good work that the AK Party-controlled municipality did in the
city.
Erdogan did not elaborate on how he would review the policies but said
a Cabinet reshuffle was possible. A Cabinet reshuffle is possible,
though not necessarily related to the election results, he said.
Some of the Cabinet ministers, most of who have been in office since
2002, are expected to be replaced with newcomers. Speculation is that
at least eight ministers will be out of the Cabinet following a
reshuffle. The election results may take their toll on some deputies as
well. Deputies and ministers from Van, Kastamonu, Diyarbakir, Balikesir
and Manisa are particularly expected to have tough days ahead following
the AK Partys defeats there.
Despite the decrease in votes, the AK Party remains undisputedly the
biggest party in Turkey. Erdogan said his party is strong all across
the country, while its rivals control only certain regions. Although it
lost Antalya and some southeastern provinces, the AK Party found solace
in winning back the Black Sea province of Trabzon and the northeastern
province of Ardahan from the CHP.
What went wrong?
The poll results are a wake-up call for the government to return to
reforms with renewed energy, deal more effectively with the economic
crisis and review its Kurdish policy. A Cabinet reshuffle may also
follow.
But despite its clear victory, the results were widely interpreted as a
setback because Erdogan had set a higher objective than 39 percent in
his election campaign and said he would consider it a failure if the AK
Party received less than the 47 percent of votes it won in the 2007
parliamentary elections. Analysts say it was a rather unrealistic goal
amid the economic crisis, which has brought unemployment rates to 13.6
percent and pushed the economy towards recession.
The government has widely played down the global crisis, saying its
effects on the Turkish economy were insignificant. Critics said it was
too slow in reacting to the weakening global economy. The International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and Turkey have been in talks for months on a deal
markets say is key to shielding the Turkish economy from the global
crisis. The IMF talks process is expected to speed up following the
elections.
The AK Party won the record-high 47 percent in 2007 amid military
efforts to force it out of power. The high rate of support for the AK
Party was widely seen as a reaction against the military meddling in
politics.
Public disappointment with a slowdown in reforms is also a possible
factor. The AK Party pledged to rewrite the Constitution, drafted by
the military in 1982, following its historic win in 2007 but took a
step back from its pledges when the CHP threatened to block its reform
efforts.
In the Southeast, the AK Party campaigned aggressively, hoping that a
clear win there against the DTP would wipe out Kurdish separatism. But
most analysts now agree that this aggressive style may well have
provoked the voters in the region and played into the hands of the DTP.
Commenting on the election results, DTP leader Ahmet Turk said
yesterday that the votes the AK Party won in 2004 and 2007 were
entrusted to the AK Party but that the people took them back when the
AK Party failed to take steps towards resolving the Kurdish issue.
Erdogan said at his press conference that his party had put priority on
providing services, while other parties campaigned on the basis of
identity, in apparent reference to the DTP.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan left for The Hague on Monday to
participate in an international conference on Afghanistan. Babacan did
not make a statement before his departure.
The "International Conference on Afghanistan: a Comprehensive Strategy
in a Regional Context" will be held on Tuesday under the auspices of
the United Nations (UN). More than 80 countries and international
organizations have been invited to the conference.
The conference is expected to focus on political, security and
development issues in Afghanistan and its vicinity; and possible
upcoming policy choices.
After the conference in The Hague, Babacan will proceed to Brussels for
a Turkey-European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting to
take place between March 31 and April 2. Babacan will address lawmakers
in a dinner on Tuesday evening. This committee meeting will be the last
one before the European Parliament (EP) elections due on June 4-7.
Turkish and Israeli diplomats met in undersecretary level for the first
time on Monday after attacks in Gaza and the Davos crisis. The talks
aimed at normalizing relations between Turkey and Israel.
Diplomatic sources said Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary
Ertugrul Apakan and his Israeli counterpart Yossi Gal met in Ankara
within the scope of regular political negotiations held once in every
six months.
Following an earlier meeting in Brussels last week between Israeli
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan,
Israeli party emphasized the importance attached to relations with
Turkey and expressed willingness to boost cooperation despite
difference of opinions on various matters. The parties took up ways to
improve bilateral relations, as well as regional matters.
Israeli delegation later met with Ahmet Davutoglu, the foreign policy
advisor of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral summit will take place in the
Turkish capital of Ankara on April 1.
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan's President Asif Ali
Zardari will participate in the summit to be hosted by Turkish
President Abdullah Gul. Turkeys Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
will also attend the summit.
Kemal Dervis, former administrator of the United Nations Development
Program, has been named as a vice-president and the director of the
Global Economy and Development program at the Washington-based
think-tank, the Brookings Institution.
Institution's president, Strobe Talbott, said Monday Dervis was set to
replace Lael Brainard, who has been nominated by U.S. President Barack
Obama to be undersecretary of the Treasury for international affairs.
"I am delighted that a scholar and statesman of Kemal's stature,
experience, and expertise has agreed to succeed Lael," Talbott said.
Dervis run the UNDP from August 2005 through February 2009, and he also
chaired the UN Development Group, a committee consisting of the heads
of all U.N. funds, programs and departments focused on development
issues at the country level. "I am delighted to be joining Brookings,
especially at a moment of such importance," Dervis said.
Hurriyet carries an editorial entitled "According to initial results,"
by Oktay Eksi who writes that the outcome of the local elections has
clearly shown that voter support for the ruling Justice and Development
Party, AKP, is dwindling. Eksi ascribes the AKP's disappointing
performance in the elections to the global economic crisis, its policy
aimed at exacerbating political tension, and Erdogan's attempts to
dictate its terms to his opponents.
In an article entitled "These results should teach a lesson to all,"
Hurriyet columnist Mehmet Yilmaz says that the AKP has suffered a
decline in the number of votes it received in the local elections
because Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan adopted an argumentative
style as if he was the leader of an opposition party. He comments: "The
decline in the number of votes which reached seven percentage points
will certainly not trigger debates over his leadership within his party
because he is still powerful and the AKP was able to poll twice the
number of votes won by its two rivals because of Erdogan's personal
sway. Now the AKP faces two options: it will either maintain its crisis
policy which it has been pursuing since the last general election and
to see its votes drop to 30 percent in the next elections or formulate
a new policy by learning from its mistakes." Yilmaz also argues that
Republican People's Party, CHP, leader Deniz Baykal should step down in
order to enable his party to become an alternative to the ruling
party.
Hurriyet Daily News.com in English carries an unattributed editorial
entitled "Not the Finest Moment of Turkish Democracy" which says that
the local elections will not go down in the record books as an election
in which Turkish democracy distinguished itself. It notes: "It was
rather a national election undertaken by local proxies for the national
party leaderships. Even mayoral candidates in Turkey are handpicked by
the national party chairmen, an insult to the notion of local and
regional authority to deal with local issues." Pointing out that one
source hope is the post-election agenda in Ankara which appears to
represent a consensus among all the major parties for carrying out a
constitutional reform and ensuring stronger protection for human
rights, the editorial concludes by saying: " We can only hope that
those commitments will not waver, and that the coming period of reform
will ensure a more optimistic column the next time we are writing on
election day."
Milliyet carries an article entitled "What do election results tell us"
by Taha Akyol who says that the AKP polled less than it did in the last
local election although the decline in the number of votes it received
was not significant. He comments: "The history of elections show that
if there is a decline in the number of votes won by a ruling party, the
same trend will continue in subsequent elections. Yesterday's elections
served as a warning to the AKP and an alarm bell for the general
election scheduled for 2011." Akyol says that Prime Minister Recep
Erdogan should abandon its angry and argumentative attitude and focus
his attention on economic issues.
In an article entitled "The first warning to the AKP," Milliyet
columnist Fikret Bila points out that the current economic crisis was
one of the important factors behind the decline in the number of votes
received by the AKP. Noting that the outcome of the elections showed
that the policy followed by the CHP during the election campaign of its
candidates was more successful as compared with previous elections,
Bila says: "The CHP refrained from laying emphasis on secularism and
headscarf and formulated a strategy focusing on economic problems and
corruption while winning the hearts and minds of women covering their
heads and it proved successful."
Sabah carries an article entitled "Details of the picture" by Erdal
Safak who argues that the results of the local elections may lead to
the emergence of blocs in the political system which, he notes, may
have positive and negative ramifications. Pointing out that a
compromise on anticipated constitutional amendments have become
inevitable after the elections, Safak also emphasizes that the
southeastern part of the country will come under the spotlight because
of DTP's strong showing in Kurdish-populated cities. He says: "The DTP
turned this election into a referendum about the recognition of the
Kurdish identity and rights. Election returns show that it has been
successful. Its success has placed the DTP among likely candidates with
which dialogue will be established in order to resolve the Kurdish
question. In other words, it has strengthened the hands of those who
argue that no solution could be found without the DTP's involvement."
Emphasizing that the PKK has also increased its influence in the
southeast, Safak concludes by saying: "Cards will be shuffled
especially in the Southeast after this election."
Radikal carries an article entitled "And Erdogan gets his first taste
of defeat" by Murat Yetkin who says that Turkish voters gave a very
clear message to the AKP and Erdogan, advising him to refrain from
taking authoritarian or Peronist attitudes. Emphasizing that the
opposition parties will probably call for an early election in light of
the outcome of the local elections, Yetkin says: "The Prime Minister
would not want to call a snap election at a time when his fall from the
top has begun. But, Erdogan must balance and soften both his policy and
statements without delay. The results showed to the Turkish public and
the international community that the AKP is not the only option in
Turkey as predicted by CHP leader Deniz Baykal and MHP leader Devlet
Bahceli."
In an article entitled "Stalingrad," Radikal columnist Ismet Berkan
points out that it is not possible to say that the CHP and the MHP has
achieved a decisive victory in spite of an increase in the number of
votes they have received because they still trail the AKP by a wide
margin. Berkan ascribes the decline in voter support for the AKP to its
indifference to the economic crisis and its effects, Erdogan's
argumentative attitude, and interventions in people's life styles.
Berkan advises the AKP leadership to take a conciliatory attitude in
order to alleviate political tension and to try to seek opportunities
to cooperate with the opposition parties in order to find a solution to
economic problems.
Vatan carries an article entitled "The DTP is the only winner" by Okay
Gonensin who says that the election results confirmed that the DTP is
the representative of citizens of Kurdish origin. He adds that the AKP
received a warning which should not be interpreted as a message that it
should quit while the CHP showed once again that it is not capable of
reaching out to voters in all parts of the country in spite of the fact
that it increased its votes in cities where anti-AKP sentiments are
running high.
In an article entitled "An era has come to an end", Vatan columnist
Rusen Cakir argues that the AKP has suffered a defeat in the local
elections while the CHP, MHP, and the DTP emerged victorious. Pointing
out that the election results in the southeast indicated that the AKP's
Kurdish policy has failed in the face of the DTP's policy focusing on
ethnic identity, Cakir ascribes the AKP's poor showing to the economic
crisis, Erdogan's mistakes in choosing candidates, and increasing
polarization in society. He concludes by saying: "The local elections
held on 29 March closed an era which had been continuing since November
2002. It is difficult to predict what may happen in the future for the
time being."
Cumhuriyet carries an article entitled "An analysis of election
returns," in which Cumhuriyet columnist Hikmet Cetinkaya emphasizes
that effort to resolve the Kurdish question by means of "Kurdish-Islam
synthesis" failed in the face of ethnic nationalism. Pointing out that
the AKP won fewer votes than it did in the previous election in spite
of the fact that the opposition parties could not pursue effective
policies and that the election results may lead to the emergence of a
new political party which could win the next election, Cetinkaya says:
"Has the AKP been successful or unsuccessful? This picture indicates
that it certainly is. The only reason for its success is the CHP and
the MHP. Those two parties have been unsuccessful. The AKP, therefore,
seems to have achieved a successful result."
Taraf daily publishes an article entitled "Voters Have Fine-tuned the
AKP" by Markar Esayan who says that election return have vindicated
arguments that disillusioned voters affected by the economic crisis
would vote for the strongest rivals of AKP candidates. Stressing that
the election results cannot only be explained by economic factors,
Esayan says that the DTP's decisive victory against the AKP in some
Kurdish-populated cities has resulted from purely ideological reasons
and disappointment among Kurdish voters stemming from the AKP's policy
toward Kurds. Esayan also notes that the AKP's unexpectedly strong
showing in the general election in 2007 resulted from the military's
ultimatum issued on 27 April 2007, an anti-AKP campaign launched by
pro-secular groups, and the Constitutional Court's ruling about the
presidential election, adding that yesterday's election returns showed
the actual level of the AKP's popularity under normal conditions. He
says: "The AKP must draw conclusions from the election results in order
to avoid demise and get itself back on the rails of democracy by using
various leverages such as accession to the EU and constitutional
amendments."
Yeni Safak carries an article entitled "How rationally did voters
behave?" by Yasin Aktay who links "the serious loss of votes that the
AKP appears to have sustained" in the local elections to "a choice of
candidates that bypassed local democratic processes in certain
constituencies." Aktay calls attention to "reports that blocks of
voters refrained from going to polling stations in many places in order
to get across a [warning] message to the AKP." He also claims that "the
election results look set to pave the way for some strong
self-criticism" within certain parties.
Anadolu'da Vakit carries an article entitled "CHP: The Choice of
Ergenekon Suspects" by Ali Ihsan Karahasanoglu who says that it would
be an exaggeration to claim that the AKP has been totally unsuccessful
in the elections. He asserts that the AKP should be thankful for the
results of the 29 March elections because its performance means that
the global crunch has had a restricted impact on the outcome of the
election. He goes on to claim that the combined votes of the AKP, the
Felicity Party, SP, and the Grand Unity Party, BBP, should be taken as
a parameter by which to assess the overall amount of public support for
political parties that express "libertarian" views on the headscarf
issue, imam-hatip schools, Koran courses, etc. He also asserts that the
CHP emerged victorious from "ballot boxes where Ergenekon suspects cast
their votes," adding that "if those who have been put on trial for
conspiring to stage a military takeover support the CHP," this party
should consider replacing the word "republican" in its name.
In an article entitled "Who won the elections?" Vakit columnist
Abdurrahman Dilipak cites the AKP as the winner of the 29 March
elections and lists the Ergenekon network, "Ergenekon lawyer Deniz
Baykal," and "neo-nationalists" as being among the "losers." He claims
that Prime Minister Erdogan has emerged strong from the elections,
adding that the results mean that "social consensus" has been achieved
on the need to change the Constitution. He says: "In conclusion, voters
maintained their support for the AKP which lost votes while it was in
power while the CHP lost votes in opposition."
Zaman carries an article entitled "An election where everybody is
winner and loser" by Bulent Korucu who criticizes the AKP for "setting
the bar of success in the elections rather too high," adding that it
should have acted more realistically during a time of global economic
crisis and define "more modest targets." Korucu claims that it failed
to explain the meaning of its Kurdish initiatives to voters in the
southeast as well as underestimating reaction to these initiatives from
electors in the West, and that it has relied too heavily on the rally
performance of its leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, instead of the joint
work of its provincial branches. He says: "Whether or not the
opposition parties will attempt to prepare the ground for an early
election will indicate whether they are satisfied with their showing. I
do not think that they will make such an attempt because the AKP seems
to have polled as much as the number of votes received by those two
parties."
Today's Zaman carries an article entitled "What's next?" by Ihsan Dagi
who predicts "a new wave of reform" after a local election whose
results "will not dramatically change Turkey's political landscape." He
proceeds to call on the AKP to "take some bold measures" to solve
"long-term problems" like the Kurdish, Armenian, and Cyprus issues and
problems in "civilian-military relations."
Under the banner headline, "AKP obtains vote of confidence despite
crisis," Yeni Safak publishes a front-page report which interprets the
results of the local elections held yesterday as meaning that the
ruling AKP has maintained its share of the vote on the whole. The AKP
has polled more votes than the main opposition Republican People's
Party, CHP, and the Nationalist Action Party, MHP, put together, the
report says.
Also front-paged is a report entitled "AKP retains strongholds," which
highlights the "election victories" of AKP candidates for mayor of
Ankara and Istanbul, Melih Gokcek and Kadir Topbas.
In an article entitled "A sad election", Yeni Safak Editor-in-Chief
Yusuf Ziya Comert claims that while the initial results of the local
elections suggest that public confidence in the AKP continues, the
outcome appears to have been impacted by the behavior of "voters who
were left without a party to support when center right parties
collapsed in the 22 July elections," adding that the MHP seems to have
received considerable support from these voters.
Under the banner headline, "Votes cast for candidates," Vakit carries a
front-page report which asserts that electors voted for mayor
candidates rather than political parties in yesterday's local
elections. According to the report, the results indicate a two point
decrease in public support for the AKP, and a five point and two point
increase in the MHP and the Felicity Party's shares of the vote
respectively.
Under the headline, "A separate message for every party," Zaman runs a
front-page report which draws the following conclusions from the
election results: 1. The AKP maintains its 2004 share of the vote.
Voters have warned the AKP about its choice of candidates. 2. The CHP
has been successful in metropolises. The CHP has won public support
over its initiatives and its withdrawal from regime debates. 3. Voters
have got across to the MHP the message that it should maintain its
"democratic" stance.
In a news analysis entitled "Candidates lower AKP performance", Zaman
writer Omer Sahin argues that the outcome of the local elections
amounts to a "yellow card" for the AKP and notes that the election
results do not meet AKP leader Erdogan's "success criteria" of 42 or 47
percent [the results of the past two elections]. He claims that the
results indicate that voters in the southeast endorse "identity
policies" and that the AKP has been wrong in assuming that it could
obtain the support of voters of Kurdish origin by launching a Kurdish
language television station and cracking down on the "terrorist"
Ergenekon network.
In a "news analysis" entitled "Warning for the AKP, no green light for
the opposition", Zaman writer Mustafa Unal asserts that while the
results of the local elections include a cautionary message for the
AKP, "this is not a warning strong enough to threaten the AKP's ability
to continue to remain in power" because voters have not given the green
light to either the CHP or the MHP in lowering support for the AKP. He
also reads the results as a confirmation of the rule that "power
weakens the ruling party."
Under the headline, "AK party wins local polls but loses its strength,"
Today's Zaman publishes a front-page report which quotes "observers" as
saying that public support for the AKP has "slightly" decreased because
of "record unemployment and a worsening economy."
EG/
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