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Turkish Press Review, 08-09-15
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
15.09.2008
CONTENTS
[01] IN SOGUT, PRESIDENT GUL CALLS FOR UNITY
[02] ERDOGAN CONTINUES TO CRITICIZE DOGAN MEDIA GROUP AND MAIN OPPOSITION CHP
[03] TOP US GEN. MULLEN MEETS WITH ERDOGAN
[04] TURKEY-EU TROIKA TO MEET IN BRUSSELS TODAY
[05] FOR NOW…
[01] IN SOGUT, PRESIDENT GUL CALLS FOR UNITY
A ceremony was held in Sogut, Bilecik yesterday marking the 727th
anniversary of the founding of the Ottoman Empire. Among those attending
the ceremony were President Abdullah Gul, main opposition Republican
People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, opposition Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader
Zeki Sezer. During the ceremony, Gul said that Turkey should direct its
energy and dynamism to reach the level of contemporary civilization, as
Ataturk urged. He also called on politicians to maintain unity in the
country. For his part, Baykal said, "The requirements for sustaining
Turkey's unity are before us." He added, "We're trying to do our part.
We'll definitely find a way to take our country forward." /Cumhuriyet/
[02] ERDOGAN CONTINUES TO CRITICIZE DOGAN MEDIA GROUP AND MAIN OPPOSITION
CHP
Addressing an Istanbul congress of his Justice and Development Party (AKP)
over the weekend, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued to accuse
the Dogan media group and its boss Aydin Dogan of waging a smear campaign
against the government. He also slammed the main opposition Republican
People's Party (CHP) for its claims that the government had put pressure on
the Capital Markets Board (SPK) to investigate the group for alleged
illegal trading. "You say I gave an order to the SPK head," said Erdogan.
"Anyone who fails to prove this (allegation) has no honor, no dignity. I'm
saying this very clearly and openly." He added, "The SPK is an autonomous
institution. I have issued no directive on this issue. Before falsely
accusing the government, the CHP and its leader should first look at
themselves." Stressing that the government welcomes constructive criticism,
he said, "But we will continue to respond to campaigns trying to tar the
government and the AKP with corruption and to defame our dignity and
honor." He also said that under previous governments, the Dogan group got
whatever it wanted from politicians, but that era is now over. Erdogan also
said Aydin Dogan had written him two letters seeking favoritism on business
matters. "I'd like to stress, sir, that you will get the same treatment as
all of our other citizens," Erdogan said. He also accused the group's
newspapers of failing to cover allegations about CHP leader Deniz Baykal's
assets. "Just by looking at Istanbul's general outlook, one can see the
great changes made by the government over the last six years," he said,
citing the city's situation under CHP rule in years past. Over the weekend,
Erdogan also attended an iftar fast-breaking dinner with a group of workers
in the Tuzla shipyard. /Turkiye/
[03] TOP US GEN. MULLEN MEETS WITH ERDOGAN
US Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman Gen. Michael Mullen yesterday arrived in
Istanbul at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Gen. Ilker Basbug.
Mullen was also received by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a
meeting which lasted about one hour. Also at the meeting were ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chairman Egemen Bagis and US
Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson. The meeting focused on the fight against
terrorism and intelligence-sharing with the US. Mullen today is expected to
meet with Basbug and President Abdullah Gul. In related news, Alliances of
Civilizations co-sponsors Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Spanish
Premier Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will meet today in Istanbul for an
iftar fast-breaking dinner. /Sabah/
[04] TURKEY-EU TROIKA TO MEET IN BRUSSELS TODAY
A semi-annual Turkey-European Union Troika meeting will take place today in
Brussels. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will head the Turkish delegation,
and will meet with European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn,
EU Term President France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, and Czech
Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the next EU
presidency. At the meeting, Turkey's EU reform process, membership
negotiations, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's proposal for a Caucasus
platform, and regional and global issues will be discussed. /Star/
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[05] FOR NOW…
BY ERDAL SAFAK (SABAH)
Columnist Erdal Safak comments on energy routes and gas pipelines in the
Caucasus and Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:
"Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler's answer to a question
at a press conference in Baku last week was noted by Western capitals and
companies involved in energy, but the Turkish public missed it. The
question was this: Is there talk about routing the Nabucco gas pipeline
through Armenia? Guler said there was no such talk, for now. But normally
he would have answered like this: 'Where did you ever get such an idea? The
route of the Nabucco gas pipeline was laid down years ago, with the
approval of all the parties involved. Everyone knows the line will come to
Turkey via Azerbaijan and Georgia and then go to Western Europe through
Bulgaria.'
The difference in his answer signals that the softening atmosphere between
Turkey and Armenia and even between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the wake of
the Georgian-Russian conflict has radically shifted balances in the
Caucasus. Indeed, Georgia is no longer a reliable route for the energy
corridor, as any glance at a map of the Caucasus would tell you. Not only
the section of Nabucco in Georgia, but also the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and
Baku-Supsa oil pipelines and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline
are all within the range of Russian tanks and field guns. Neither the
European Union nor multinational investors consider it reasonable to add
another entry to this list of three risky pipelines.
For the Georgia alternative to stay on the table, not only the Georgian
issue, but also all the stubborn conflicts in the Caucasus would have to be
resolved. But just like Alexander 'resolved' the Gordian knot, Russia has
resolved some of these conflicts which concern Georgia, by using swords and
guns! In other words, South Ossetia and Abkhazia won't return to Georgia
but will remain so high risk that no insurance company would guarantee a
single cent there. On the other hand, a great opportunity has emerged for
solving the Upper Karabakh issue, which is the third longstanding conflict,
through Turkey's mediation.
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