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Turkish Press Review, 07-10-25
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
25.10.2007
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
CONTENTS
[01] NSC RECOMMENDS EMBARGO ON N.IRAQI GROUPS AIDING TERRORISTS
[02] TOPTAN: “GUL’S TERM WILL BE SHORTENED TO FIVE YEARS”
[03] ERDOGAN: “IF IRAQ FAILS TO TAKE ACTION, TURKEY WILL EXERCISE ITS RIGHTS”
[04] US’ RICE: “WE’RE PLANNING IMMEDIATE ACTION”
[05] TALABANI: “THOUSANDS OF PKK MILITANTS ARE IN THE KANDIL MOUNTAINS”
[06] DUTCH TURKEY RAPPORTEUR: “TURKEY HAS THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF”
[07] AYDIN: “THE WORLD NEEDS THE UN TODAY MORE THAN EVER”
[08] CITING DOMESTIC CONDITIONS, CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT POSTPONES VISIT TO ISRAEL
[09] BARZANI FAMILY SAID TO REAP BILLIONS IN OIL SMUGGLING THROUGH TURKEY
[10] ACTOR COSTNER DUE TO VISIT ISTANBUL
[11] CHICKEN HAWKS
[01] NSC RECOMMENDS EMBARGO ON N.IRAQI GROUPS AIDING TERRORISTS
The National Security Council (NSC), chaired by President Abdullah Gul,
convened yesterday. The council decided to advise the government to impose
an economic embargo on groups which lend direct or indirect support to the
terrorist PKK. During its six-hour meeting, the NSC discussed the PKK
terrorism issue and measures to combat the group. In addition to
recommending the embargo, a statement released afterwards urged people to
act with common sense and maintain the spirit of public amity. The
statement also touched on the Armenian resolution before the US House of
Representatives, calling it completely unacceptable. The NSC meeting was
the first for both a number of Cabinet ministers of the new government and
military officers who took command in August, as well as the recently
elected president. /Turkiye/
[02] TOPTAN: “GUL’S TERM WILL BE SHORTENED TO FIVE YEARS”
Following the overwhelming passage of a package of constitutional changes
in last weekend’s referendum, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan said
yesterday that under the changes, the deputies currently in office will
serve for four years and President Abdullah Gul will serve for five.
Speaking to reporters, Toptan stated that in his legal opinion, Gul can be
reelected for another five-year term if he wants one. Commenting on a
possible Turkish military incursion into northern Iraq, Toptan underlined
that Turkey is targeting the terrorists, not the region, adding that
everything necessary will be done to end the PKK terrorist threat.
/Hurriyet/
[03] ERDOGAN: “IF IRAQ FAILS TO TAKE ACTION, TURKEY WILL EXERCISE ITS
RIGHTS”
If Iraq fails to keep its promises to fight against the PKK in northern
Iraq and continues to shelter the terrorists, Turkey will definitely
exercise its rights under international law, said Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. Asked by reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport
about US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent statement saying the
US is ready to take immediate steps to prevent terrorists infiltrating
Turkey, Erdogan said that Turkey has run out of patience and needs to see
concrete steps taken. /Star/
[04] US’ RICE: “WE’RE PLANNING IMMEDIATE ACTION”
In the runup to attending the Iraq meeting in Istanbul on Nov. 2-3, US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday said that Turkey and Iraq
should make extraordinary efforts to solve the problems of cross-border
terrorism. Testifying before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rice
said this week has seen a difficult situation along the Turkish-Iraqi
border. Citing her recent conversations with Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and, separately, Iraqi Kurds, Rice said that Iraq should not be a
place where terrorism can hurt Turkey. Rice also stated that Turkey, Iraq
and US have a trilateral mechanism and are planning to take immediate
action in order to stop terrorist attacks from coming across the border.
/Aksam/
[05] TALABANI: “THOUSANDS OF PKK MILITANTS ARE IN THE KANDIL MOUNTAINS”
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said yesterday that the Kandil Mountains
provide shelter for thousands of PKK militants. Talabani early in the day
said that the Iraqi government would hand over PKK terrorists to Turkish
authorities, but later reversed this, saying that PKK leaders were not in
northern Iraqi cities, but thousands of terrorists are the Kandil
Mountains. “That’s why we can’t capture the terrorists and hand them
over to Turkey,” said Talabani. He added that they place great importance
on the Iraq summit in Istanbul next week and he could even attend it.
/Türkiye/
[06] DUTCH TURKEY RAPPORTEUR: “TURKEY HAS THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF”
Ahead of a November report by the EU commission assessing Turkey’s
progress towards full membership, lawmakers of the European Parliament
yesterday discussed a report on Turkey, amid headlines about a possible
cross-border operation into northern Iraq and the PKK’s latest attacks.
Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten, who wrote the report, said that Turkey has the
right to self-defense. Speaking to journalists, the Dutch rapporteur said
that the EP can’t tell a country not to defend itself. EU Commissioner
for Enlargement Olli Rehn also said yesterday that Turkey has a right to
protect itself. He stressed that they understand Turkey’s fight against
terrorism, adding he hopes the problem can be solved through diplomatic and
political means. /Sabah/
[07] AYDIN: “THE WORLD NEEDS THE UN TODAY MORE THAN EVER”
A reception was held yesterday in Ankara marking the United Nations 62nd
anniversary. Speaking at the gathering, State Minister Mehmet Aydin said
that the world needs the UN as an organization to promote peace and justice
in the world today more than ever. /Milliyet/
[08] CITING DOMESTIC CONDITIONS, CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT POSTPONES VISIT
TO ISRAEL
Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit has postponed his visit to
Israel scheduled for next week. Buyukanit sent a letter to his Israeli
counterpart saying that due to recent developments and exigent
circumstances in Turkey, he was obliged to postpone his trip, and that he
would like pay a visit in the near future. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] BARZANI FAMILY SAID TO REAP BILLIONS IN OIL SMUGGLING THROUGH TURKEY
Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani and his family are alleged to be reaping
billions through illegal oil smuggling along the Mersin-Erbil route between
Turkey and northern Iraq, which has become the chief route in the Mideast
for smugglers. The Barzanis are said to be reaping some $2 billion in
smuggling through Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] ACTOR COSTNER DUE TO VISIT ISTANBUL
Actor Kevin Costner will come to Istanbul in his private jet this Saturday.
Costner will be in Turkey for the first stage of the project “Hollywood
Stars in Turkey.” Next Tuesday, Costner, accompanied by his band Modern
West, will perform at Istanbul’s WOW Convention Center. /Turkish Daily
News/
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
[11] CHICKEN HAWKS
BY SOLI OZEL (SABAH)
Columnist Soli Ozel comments on US neoconservatives and Turkey’s stance
on the terrorist PKK attacks. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Most of the US neoconservatives " the designers, architects and
implementers of the US invasion of Iraq " never served in uniform. It’s
not clear if they know the meaning of ‘war’ or ‘front.’ Few have
lost relatives to war. Of course it was seen as strange that they argued
for war with such enthusiasm and fervor and supported the Iraq war even
after being personally reproached for its failure. There’s an epithet for
people like that, who never saw battle but love sending others " mostly
poor people " into arm’s way: chicken hawks.
Following the great sorrows of recent weeks, Turkey has seen a boom in the
number of its own chicken hawks. Particularly some reporters and columnists
exploit people’s emotions and send them into a rage. It’s hard to
figure out if their writing comes from their cynicism, or from their
indifference about the consequences of such writing. What’s more, they
argue that we should fight the Iraqi Kurds, as if the terrorist PKK isn’t
enough. Turkey is suffering terribly. This sorrow isn’t limited to the
families of those who died or to certain ethnic groups either. This sorrow
and anger felt by the entire nation can’t guide those formulate policies.
The people responsible for governing us have to avoid choices which are
likely to make the nation pay a higher price in the long term. Even if
politicians and the state can understand the nation’s anger, they are
also responsible for preventing shockwaves from them. Yesterday Turkey
answered the recent attacks with air power. Under current circumstances,
this was an appropriate and measured response. Besides the air operation,
there are also other steps which can be taken. Going beyond this and
launching an all-out operation with the land forces would play into the
political calculations of other and set in motion a process whose end is
unforeseeable.
As former National Intelligence Agency (MIT) Undersecretary Sonmez Koksal
told Milliyet columnist Devrim Seminay, the Turkish people have been led to
think that if a cross-border operation is carried out, terrorism will end.
He added that when it becomes clear that terrorism can’t be rooted out
with only one operation, the people will be disappointed. Koksal also said
that an operation was only one possible tool and suggested that Turkey
should produce a plan in line with the new truths in Iraq. There are also
reasons for thinking that the Iraqi Kurdish leaders saw the limits of their
power in the recent incidents. In addition, it’s evident that Turkey’s
friendship with the US is also frayed. This is one reason why the US acted
more seriously following the recent PKK attacks. Now is when we need
sustained diplomacy and cool-headed politics.”
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