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Turkish Press Review, 08-08-14
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
14.08.2008
CONTENTS
[01] GUL HOLDS PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS RUSSIAN, GEORGIAN COUNTERPARTS
[02] ERDOGAN IN RUSSIA TO SEEK SOLUTION TO GEORGIAN CRISIS
[03] MGK TO MEET NEXT WEEK
[04] AHMADINEJAD: "TURKEY AND IRAN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GREAT POWERS"
[05] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF BUYUKANIT CONTINUES FAREWELL VISITS
[06] BAYKAL AGAIN URGES RULING AKP TO LEARN LESSONS FROM TOP COURT RULING
[07] WHAT GUL WILL TELL AHMADINEJAD
[01] GUL HOLDS PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS RUSSIAN, GEORGIAN COUNTERPARTS
President Abdullah Gul yesterday spoke separately on the telephone with his
Russian and Georgian counterparts to assess recent developments in the
armed conflict over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. "During his
conversations, President Gul expressed his deep sorrow over the death of
civilians during the clashes," said the Presidential Press Center.
"President Gul also reiterated that Turkey places great importance on
Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, solving regional problems
peacefully, and the integrated implementation of initiatives to promote
peace, stability and prosperity in all countries of the region." Hundreds
of people have died and hundreds more have been injured and left homeless
since Georgia launched a crackdown on South Ossetia last week, drawing a
harsh response from Russia. Russia halted its military operations against
Georgia on Tuesday, but the two have already traded charges over alleged
violations of the recent cease-fire agreement. /Turkiye/
[02] ERDOGAN IN RUSSIA TO SEEK SOLUTION TO GEORGIAN CRISIS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan, yesterday arrived in Moscow to hold talks with top Russian
officials on the armed conflict between Russia and Georgia over the South
Ossetia issue, with an eye to aiding efforts to secure sustainable peace
and stability in the Caucasus. During his visit, Erdogan was received by
his Russian President Dmitry Medmedev and also met with Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin. Afterwards, Erdogan told reporters that his proposal to
establish a Caucasus cooperation and stability alliance would be discussed
by the two countries' foreign ministers. Erdogan said that his talks in
Russia would be pave the way for the alliance, and added, "This cooperative
platform should assume the responsibility for solving disputes before they
break out, and it should also manage crises in the region after they
start." Touching on the issue of bilateral trade, Erdogan said, "Turkey's
trade with Russia has developed remarkably in recent years, with Russia
topping Turkey's foreign trade partners." Erdogan will today proceed from
Moscow to Tbilisi to hold talks with Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili. /Turkiye/
[03] MGK TO MEET NEXT WEEK
The National Security Council (MGK), chaired by President Abdullah Gul, is
set to convene next week in Istanbul, with Chief of General Staff Gen.
Yasar Buyukanit attending for the last time, as he is retiring at the end
of this month. Issues expected to be discussed at the gathering include the
Georgian crisis in the Caucasus, the fight against the terrorist PKK at
home and abroad, and the future of the Iraqi province of Kirkuk. Possible
changes in relations between countries of the Caucasus in light of the
conflict between Russia and Georgia, and their possible effects of energy
supplies, will also be taken up at the gathering. /Hurriyet/
[04] AHMADINEJAD: "TURKEY AND IRAN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GREAT POWERS"
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will arrive today in Istanbul for a
visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul.
Ahmadinejad is set to meet with Gul at the Ciragan Palace, along with
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Turkish counterpart Ali
Babacan, as part of his two-day working visit. Meetings between delegations
of the two countries, led by Ahmadinejad and Gul, will reportedly focus on
bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues.
Ahmadinejad will also meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Speaking to Turkish reporters before leaving for Istanbul, Ahmadinejad said
that Turkey and Iran have always been great powers. Stating that the two
countries' strength lies in friendship and efforts for peace, not
aggression, he added, "We have not occupied any country's territory or been
unfair to anyone. Turkey and Iran working together benefits everyone, but
there are some who don't want that cooperation." Pointing to the terrorist
PKK and its Iranian branch PJAK, Ahmadinejad reiterated that bilateral
cooperation against the terror groups will continue. /Star-Sabah/
[05] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF BUYUKANIT CONTINUES FAREWELL VISITS
On another farewell visit ahead of his Aug. 30 retirement, Chief of General
Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday met with Parliament Speaker Koksal
Toptan. Buyukanit is today set to visit main opposition Republican People's
Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. /Milliyet/
[06] BAYKAL AGAIN URGES RULING AKP TO LEARN LESSONS FROM TOP COURT RULING
Speaking to his party's Central Executive Board yesterday, main opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal reiterated that the
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) should engage in self-criticism
in light of a recent narrow Constitutional Court ruling to penalize it
financially rather than close it down, but added, "The AKP doesn't seem to
be eager to make such criticism." Stressing that the court had said the AKP
was the focal point of activities working against the principle of
secularism, Baykal said, "After this decision, the AKP should have signaled
that it had gotten the message and would make necessary changes. But recent
moves by the party, especially preparations for a constitutional change to
make party closures impossible, show that it won't do the required self-
criticism." /Milliyet/
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[07] WHAT GUL WILL TELL AHMADINEJAD
BY SUKRU KUCUKSAHIN (HURRIYET)
Columnist Sukru Kucuksahin comments on this week's visit by Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Turkey as well as President Gul's plans
for the next several months. A summary of his column is as follows:
"President Abdullah Gul will receive Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
today for an important meeting. Some have charged that the visit was
organized in a rush, but this haste stems from the nuclear crisis between
Iran and the US, which the meeting will focus on. In other words, time is
running out. Gul will likely give serious signals to Ahmadinejad. As Turkey
has gained great respect in the eyes of countries of the region and become
a trustworthy country which is taken seriously, Gul believes that Turkey's
role in indirect talks between Syria and Israel is a good example of this,
and that Iran feels the same way. Talking with Ahmadinejad today with this
confidence, Gul will sketch out for him Turkey's views of the region and
the world.
Gul is expected to say something like this: The US administration is
divided over how to deal with Iran. While Senator Barack Obama, who is
likely to be the next US president, is expected to take a softer stance,
Israel is pressuring the outgoing Bush administration to take action now.
This pressure may well be successful, and so time is very short. Clearly
diplomacy is the only way of solving the issue, and Europe has an important
proposal. I believe you also agree that the proposal is a bit complicated,
but very good. We should respond to this offer without delay, because
people increasingly believe that Iran is trying to buy time.
Naturally, Iran isn't the only issue that concerns Gul. I've already said
I'm curious how he will deal with the European Union issue. From what I can
tell, Gul is keeping the subject open and working on possible programs as
part of this. Between now and next summer, Gul will pay official visits to
several key EU countries and welcome the visiting heads of three EU member
states. In addition, he'll attend the Frankfurt Book Fair and meet with the
German administration. In the meantime, EU member state leaders who attend
summits on water and other issues in Turkey will also hear from Gul.
Moreover, Gul is working on domestic EU programs. The most important of
these will bring together the heads of all the legislative and executive
branch units dealing with the EU, as soon as Parliament's new legislative
year begins. Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan are all expected to attend. Such
an agenda is fitting for a president like Gul."
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