|
|
Turkish Press Review, 07-10-09
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
09.10.2007
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
CONTENTS
[01] GUL TO RECEIVE MIDEAST LEADERS IN RUNUP TO NOV. MEETING
[02] ERDOGAN TO VISIT LONDON
[03] TOPTAN RECEIVES FENER GREEK PATRIARCH
[04] SOLDIERS KILLED BY TERRORIST PKK LAID TO REST
[05] CABINET MEETING, SECURITY SUMMIT COME IN WAKE OF 15 SOLDERS’ DEATHS
[06] PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE AMENDS CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLES OF OCT. 21 REFERENDUM
[07] FM BABACAN CONTINUES ISRAELI VISIT
[08] BUYUKANIT RECEIVES SOUTH KOREAN CHIEF OF STAFF
[09] IN LETTER TO US DEFENSE SEC’Y GATES, GONUL WARNS AGAINST ARMENIAN RESOLUTION
[10] BAYKAL CRITICIZES PM OVER OCT. 21 REFERENDUM
[11] WILSON REITERATES US OPPOSITION TO CROSS-BORDER OPERATION INTO N. IRAQ
[12] PEOPLE’S SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION
[01] GUL TO RECEIVE MIDEAST LEADERS IN RUNUP TO NOV. MEETING
President Abdullah Gul yesterday received two muftis serving in Greece’s
Western Thrace region, Ahmet Mete and Ibrahim Serif, as well as Iraqi
Turkmen Front leader Sadettin Ergec and its Ankara Envoy Ahmet Muratli. Gul
also gave a fast-breaking Iftar dinner to representatives of labor and
civil service unions. In related news, Gul is planning to meet with Israeli
President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the runup
to a Middle East conference set for next month. A press release said that
Syrian President Bashar Assad and Jordan’s King Abdullah are also
expected to visit Gul before the conference. /Sabah/
[02] ERDOGAN TO VISIT LONDON
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to London on Oct. 20 to
hold various contacts. Before returning to Turkey, he will pay a visit to
Bucharest, Romania. Erdogan will also go to the US on Nov. 5 to meet with
US President George W. Bush. Afterwards, the prime minister is expected to
visit Italy and the Czech Republic. /Turkiye/
[03] TOPTAN RECEIVES FENER GREEK PATRIARCH
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday received Fener Greek Patriarch
Bartholomeos. Congratulating Toptan on his new post, Bartholomeos stated
that they have been working with scientists for over a decade to fight
global warming. “The environment is important not only for us but also
for future generations,” he added. “We want to make people sensitive
and conscious about the environment. We may not solve the problem, but
we’re trying to make people respect nature.” /Milliyet/
[04] SOLDIERS KILLED BY TERRORIST PKK LAID TO REST
After 13 soldiers were killed on Sunday in the southeastern province of
Sirnak, two other soldiers lost their lives yesterday to roadside
explosions in Diyarbakir and Sirnak. The fallen soldiers were laid to rest
yesterday in their hometowns. During the funerals, family members of the
soldiers condemned terrorism. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] CABINET MEETING, SECURITY SUMMIT COME IN WAKE OF 15 SOLDERS’ DEATHS
Following the deaths of 15 soldiers in terrorist PKK attacks in
southeastern Anatolia over a 24-hour period, the Cabinet met yesterday to
discuss the violence. “We are discussing a point where words have no
meaning,” said Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Cemil
Cicek. “The government is considering all possible measures against the
terrorist PKK. All necessary measures will be taken. All possibilities will
be discussed." The Cabinet meeting preceded a security summit of President
Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of General
Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit at the Presidential Palace. /Star/
[06] PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE AMENDS CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLES OF OCT. 21
REFERENDUM
Articles in a reform package set to go to referendum on Oct. 21, which
suggested that the 11th president must be elected by popular vote, were
amended by Parliament’s Constitutional Committee yesterday to prevent any
legal challenges to the current president. Articles 18 and 19 of the
package of constitutional changes include provisions related to the
election of the 11th and current president, Abdullah Gul. A group of
deputies from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) submitted the
bill last week, on the grounds that the two temporary articles did not
apply since Parliament already elected the 11th president this August.
/Aksam/
[07] FM BABACAN CONTINUES ISRAELI VISIT
On day two of his first official visit to Israel as Turkey’s top diplomat,
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert. He also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. After arriving
on Sunday, Babacan met with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Knesset Speaker
Dalia Itzik and his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni. /Turkiye/
[08] BUYUKANIT RECEIVES SOUTH KOREAN CHIEF OF STAFF
Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday received his South
Korean counterpart Gen. Kwan-Jin Kim and presented him with an order of
merit. Speaking at the ceremony, Buyukanit said that despite the thousands
of kilometers separating the countries geographically, Turkey and South
Korea enjoy strong relations. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] IN LETTER TO US DEFENSE SEC’Y GATES, GONUL WARNS AGAINST ARMENIAN
RESOLUTION
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul yesterday sent a letter to US Defense
Secretary Robert Gates arguing against passage of a resolution backing the
Armenian allegations concerning incidents in 1915. The resolution is set to
be debated tomorrow by a key committee of the US House of Representatives.
In the letter, Gonul stressed that the resolution jeopardizes Turkish-US
relations and could have a negative impact if passed. “If that happens,
it will be difficult to control the reactions of the Turkish public.” he
warned. Gonul added that passage of the resolution would not benefit either
the Turkish or US peoples. /Hurriyet/
[10] BAYKAL CRITICIZES PM OVER OCT. 21 REFERENDUM
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal
yesterday branded Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent remarks
that people should be used to referendums as “dangerous,” and added,
“Plebiscites move democratic countries closer to very dangerous
dictatorial regimes.” Speaking to news channel NTV, Baykal said, “The
referendum attempt is a fiasco for Turkey … Turkey will begin to be a
country which won’t be taken seriously from the viewpoint of
democracy.” A referendum on constitutional changes is set for Oct. 21.
/Milliyet/
[11] WILSON REITERATES US OPPOSITION TO CROSS-BORDER OPERATION INTO N. IRAQ
Even as Turks talk about a possible cross-border operation into northern
Iraq in the wake of deadly terrorist attacks, US Ambassador to Turkey Ross
Wilson yesterday reiterated that Washington opposes Turkish military
intervention in Iraq. Wilson also repeated the US position that Turkey,
Iraq and his nation should try to cooperate against the terrorist PKK.
/Star/
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[12] PEOPLE’S SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION
BY YALCIN DOGAN (HURRIYET)
Columnist Yalcin Dogan comments on the role of people’s suggestions in
drafting a new constitution. A summary of his column is as follows:
“People often send suggestions to the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AKP) through emails, telegrams or letters. AKP deputy leader Dengir
Mir Mehmet Firat is keeping a file of the suggestions to evaluate them when
it becomes necessary. Nobody should say that discussing a new constitution
is the province only of certain people such as academics, politicians or
lawyers. The public is participating in this process of its own will and
wants the best exercise of sovereignty.
Among these suggestions, there are some interesting ones. Obviously,
certain cotton producers want the constitution to set cotton prices.
Predictably, tenant-owner relations are rocky, and tenants want this
situation solved in the Constitution. Some people also suggest that the
chief of general staff and military commanders should attend the National
Security Council (NSC) in civilian dress or that the opposition party
leader should also be there. Some people say women should be required to do
military service or have to work in social security or health institutions
for 10 months, on the grounds that the current system is discriminatory.
Some people also suggested that the number of deputies be reduced, as well
as changes to the election and political systems. Some of the suggestions
are related to the Constitution, while others are so detailed that they
can’t be in the Constitution.
There is also the issue of freedoms. Firat says the draft Constitution
would greatly expand curbs on freedoms, arguing that the exercise of
sovereignty is the essence of the issue. Concerning the issue of freedoms,
Firat says that the Constitution of 1924 left sovereignty to Parliament,
but its 1961 and 1982 successors transferred the exercise of sovereignty to
authorized organs. All the organs that come to mind " the Supreme Board
of Radio and Television (RTUK), Council of Tobacco and Alcohol, etc "
exercise sovereignty. Firat also suggested that the main quarrel in the
drafting process concerns sovereignty and that the official bodies which up
to now have had sovereignty and those who want the public to have it are at
odds. He argues that this is the essence of the entire debate: Do you think
that your sovereignty should be used by authorized organs specified by the
Constitution, or through the legislative, executive and judicial
branches?”
|