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Turkish Press Review, 07-10-10Turkish 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 morning10.10.2007CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY MOVES CLOSER TO CROSS-BORDER OPERATIONThe Supreme Anti-Terror Board yesterday gathered under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss measures to combat the terrorist PKK. “The order has been given to take every kind of measure - legal, economic and political - also including a cross-border operation, if necessary,” said Erdogan's office in a statement afterwards. Parliament would have to authorize any large-scale military operation into Iraq . In related news, marches were held in many cities in Turkey to protest the latest deadly attacks of the terrorist group. Two thousand people took part in a march organized by Ankara ’s Hacettepe University . /Aksam/[02] GUL SENDS LETTER TO US’ BUSH WARNING AGAINST PASSAGE OF ARMENIAN RESOLUTIONPresident Abdullah Gul yesterday sent a letter to US President George W. Bush arguing against passage of a resolution on the so-called Armenian genocide allegations set to be debated today by a key US House of Representatives committee. In the letter, Gul warned that passage of the resolution would create problems in Turkish-US relations. Gul also thanked Bush for his efforts to date to block the resolution. Yesterday Gul also received Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, chairwoman of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD), together with Gerardo Diaz Ferran, head of the Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organizations (CEOE), at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. /Sabah-Hurriyet/[03] PRESIDENT GUL VISITS CONSTITUTIONAL COURTPresident Abdullah Gul yesterday visited the Constitutional Court and met with its members. Afterwards, Gul urged the Turkish people not to let recent terrorist attacks deject them, and added, “We’ll determinedly continue the fight against terrorism. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has the situation in hand.” In related news, Gul received Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos and an accompanying delegation at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. /Sabah/[04] ERDOGAN BREAKS RAMADAN FAST WITH THRACIAN GREEK MUFTISPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with muftis from Greece ’s Western Thrace region during a fast-breaking iftar meal given by the Prime Ministry’s Official Residence. State Minister Said Yazicioglu was also at the meal. The Higher Planning Board (YPK) also convened yesterday under Erdogan’s chairmanship. The meeting addressed next year’s budget and resources to be allocated for future investments. /Turkiye/[05] TOPTAN RECEIVES BASKENT UNIVERSITY DELEGATIONParliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday received Baskent University Rector Mehmet Haberal and members of the University Senate. During the meeting, Toptan said that Parliament was ready to do all it can to help combat terrorism. He added that parliamentary deputies of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) had taken an oath to protect the basic features and unity of the Turkish Republic . /Hurriyet/[06] BABACAN REITERATES TURKEY ’S DETERMINATION TO FIGHT TERRORISMForeign Minister Ali Babacan said yesterday that Turkey would do everything necessary to fight terrorism. Speaking to CNN Türk from Jordan , where he was on an official visit, Babacan said that Turkey was determined in its fight against the terrorist PKK. Stressing that Turkey is in close contact with both the Iraqi administration and the US over the presence of the terrorist group in northern Iraq , Babacan said that this week the Supreme Anti-Terror Board met in the wake of a recent string of deadly attacks. He added that all state institutions have been ordered to take necessary measures and preparations for possible action. Babacan also said that Turkey has issued warnings against an Armenian resolution before the US House of Representatives, saying its passage carries considerable risks. As part of his tour of Middle Eastern countries, Babacan visited Palestine and met with Palestinian Prime Minister Selam Feyyad. Then Babacan and his delegation went to Jordan , where he met with Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Al Khatib, King Abdullah and Prime Minister Maruf Bahit before returning to Turkey . /Turkiye/[07] CICEK MEETS WITH NGO REPRESENTATIVESDeputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday had a meeting regarding the new draft constitution with representatives of non-governmental organizations at Ankara ’s TOBB Economics and Technology University . After the meeting, Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) head Rifat Hisarciklioglu said, “First of all, the Republic of Turkey ’s status as a democratic, secular and social state under the rule of law will be the basis of the (new) constitution.” He added, “These principles have been the foundation of the Turkish Republic for 80 years. Any step giving the impression of retreating from these principles would only sow tension and polarization.” Cicek admitted that the method of drafting a new constitution had led to concern in some quarters, and added, “I am here to say this: If our method is deficient or wrong, let’s reach this goal with your method.” /Cumhuriyet/[08] AKP’S BAGIS: “ARMENIAN RESOLUTION BELONGS IN THE GARBAGE CAN”In Washington , visiting parliamentary deputies yesterday met with members of a US House of Representatives committee set to vote today on a resolution on the Armenian genocide allegations. Speaking about the resolution, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chair Egemen Bagis said, “The resolution before the US Congress on the Armenian allegations about incidents of 1915 belongs in the garbage can.” /Star/[09] OPPOSITION LEADERS CRITICIZES RULING AKP’S ANTI-TERROR POLICYMain opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday visited soldiers at Ankara ’s GATA Hospital who suffered wounds in a recent terrorist attack in the southeast. Afterwards, at his party’s group meeting, he criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) performance in fighting the terrorist PKK. In related news, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli also criticized the premier’s recent remarks about the terrorist attacks. At the MHP’s group meeting, Bahceli also suggested that the prime minister should hold a referendum on taking a cross-border operation into northern Iraq . /Hurriyet/[10] NATO CONDEMNS PKK ATTACKSNATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer yesterday said that he was deeply saddened to have learned of the death of 13 Turkish soldiers in recent terrorist attacks and offered his condolences to the Turkish army and nation. In a statement, de Hoop Scheffer said that he condemned this attack in the strongest terms and that Turkey deserved its allies’ full support. /Turkiye/[11] US: “WE’RE COMMITTED TO WORK WITH TURKEY AND IRAQ TO FIGHT THE PKK”As Parliament moves towards a possible authorization of a large-scale military operation into Iraq, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe yesterday said that the United States is committed to working with Turkey and Iraq to fight the PKK. US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack also spoke on developments in the wake of recent PKK attacks. “The US has counseled both Iraq as well as Turkey that the way to address the issue is to workcooperatively,” said McCormack. “In our view, it is not going to lead to a long-term, durable solution to have significant incursions from Turkey into Iraq . We've said this for some time. It's not new. So our focus is going to be working with each side, with the Turks, with the Iraqis, and encouraging them to work together on what is a very difficult and persistent problem.” /Aksam/ [12] ARMENIAN FM: “ARTICLE 301 IS A BARRIER TO DEBATE ON GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS”Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian yesterday called on Turkey to abolish controversial Turkish Penal Code (TCK) Article 301. Speaking to the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Oskanian said the article is a barrier to open debate on the so-called Armenian genocide issue. Referring to Turkey ’s proposal to set up a commission of historians to discuss the events of 1915, Oskanian said this offer has been used by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to put Armenia in a difficult position. /Milliyet/[13] DEPUTY PM EKREN: “ECONOMIC GROWTH WILL PROMOTE STABILITY”Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Ekren yesterday outlined the government’s economic program for its second term. Speaking at a press conference at the Prime Ministry, Ekren said that an era of transition to stability had begun. Ekren said this new era would be characterized by more jobs, stronger industry, technological advances, stronger human resources and macroeconomic stability. He said these factors would help boost per capita income to $10,000. Ekren added that the government’s five-year development plan covering 2008-2011 would be announced at the end of this month or the beginning of November. /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... [14] A CRITICAL CROSSROADSBY ISMET BERKAN (RADIKAL)Columnist Ismet Berkan comments Turkey ’s stance on the Kurdish issue. A summary of his column is as follows: “The death of 13 soldiers on Sunday in the southeastern province of Sirnak deeply saddened Turkey. Actually, the (pro-Kurdish) Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) inability to win a victory (in Turkey’s southeast) and even its defeat by the ruling Justice and Development Party (DTP) in many places in the July general elections were signs that the terrorist PKK would end its ‘inactivity,’ because the PKK might stand to lose members in these attacks, but it can’t accept a drop in its regional support. If there is a ‘red line’ for the terrorist PKK, it is the danger of losing mass support. Now it’s clear that this support started to erode during the recent time of peace. The PKK has always attracted mass support in its region by sowing terror and giving the impression of strength. Unfortunately, this is continuing today. In other words, peace doesn’t benefit the PKK. But, as you see, the paradox is just this: Politics in the region should seek a solution of the Kurdish issue that’s not under the shadow of guns. Whenever gun-free politics stands in the forefront, the PKK feels disturbed, because then it faces competition and loses ground. So the PKK is the biggest obstacle to solving the Kurdish issue. PKK attacks mean that the security and military dimensions of the problem now stand in the forefront. When guns speak, everything and everybody else is silent. PKK attacks aim to expand the problem beyond the Turkish border. This way it tries to push Turkey to launch a cross-border operation and set off an international conflict. It seems that the government has issued an order to the military and other public institutions which excludes none of these possibilities. At this stage, Turkey will think that the ‘autonomous Kurdish administration’ in northern Iraq and actually Massoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) are responsible for PKK terrorism, because all of the group’s logistics and training headquarters are in northern Iraq, as militants enter Turkey via Iraq, launch attacks and then go back to Iraq. Turkey has always held the occupying US and the central Iraqi government responsible for this. But actually the control is in Barzani’s hands. If somebody is held responsible, it should be Barzani. Firstly a message can be sent to his administration asking that they not allow PKK attacks. He can also be told that if the attacks continue, they will pay the price. If this message reaches northern Iraq , nobody should be surprised. Actually, Barzani’s northern Iraq administration should rein in the PKK. Barzani and his team actually talk about this, but these are empty words. Turkey wants to see action, not words. As we said above, the PKK continues to lose ground. A statement made by non-governmental organizations yesterday in Diyarbakir was very meaningful. Interestingly, these remarks are driving the terrorist PKK into a corner and putting it at odds with Turkish Kurds. Now Turkey stands at a very critical crossroads on the Kurdish issue. If we play our cards right and make our moves wisely, the PKK can be soon be marginalized.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |