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Turkish Press Review, 05-07-27
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
27.07.2005
ERDOGAN, BLAIR TO
DISCUSS TURKEY’S EU BID, CYPRUS, TERRORISM
BAYKAL MEETS WITH
ITALIAN MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER, DISCUSSES
TERRORISM AND TURKEY’S EU BID
FOREIGN MINISTRY: “THE
ADDITIONAL CUSTOMS PROTOCOL SHOULD BE SIGNED
FOLLOWING ERDOGAN’S VISIT TO BRITAIN”
ERDOGAN: “COOPERATIVE
EFFORTS AGAINST TERRORISM ARE A MUST”
CICEK: “THE COMMISSION
TASKED WITH AMENDING THE ANTI-TERROR LAW IS
FOCUSED ON COORDINATION”
SUPREME MILITARY
COUNCIL DUE TO CONVENE NEXT WEEK
DIRECT FLIGHTS START
FROM AZERBAIJAN TO TRNC
FROM THE COLUMNS...
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
THE PKK’S PROFILE
BY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN, BLAIR TO DISCUSS
TURKEY’S EU BID, CYPRUS, TERRORISM
[02] BAYKAL MEETS WITH ITALIAN
MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER, DISCUSSES TERRORISM
AND TURKEY’S EU BID
[03] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “THE
ADDITIONAL CUSTOMS PROTOCOL SHOULD BE SIGNED
FOLLOWING ERDOGAN’S VISIT TO BRITAIN”
[04] ERDOGAN: “COOPERATIVE
EFFORTS AGAINST TERRORISM ARE A MUST”
[05] CICEK: “THE COMMISSION
TASKED WITH AMENDING THE ANTI-TERROR LAW IS
FOCUSED ON COORDINATION”
[06] SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL
DUE TO CONVENE NEXT WEEK
[07] DIRECT FLIGHTS START FROM
AZERBAIJAN TO TRNC
[08] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM
THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[09] THE PKK’S PROFILE
BY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)
[01] ERDOGAN, BLAIR TO DISCUSS
TURKEY’S EU BID, CYPRUS, TERRORISM
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
yesterday flew to Britain to pay an official
visit. During his visit, Erdogan will be
accompanied by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
and State Minister for the Economy Ali
Babacan, who is also Turkey’s chief
negotiator for its European Union talks.
Erdogan is expected to meet with Blair today
to discuss Turkey’s EU membership bid,
Cyprus, terrorism, international issues and
bilateral relations. The two leaders will
speak at a press conference following their
meeting. Erdogan is also expected to meet
with British investors during his stay in
the country. /Aksam/
[02] BAYKAL MEETS WITH ITALIAN
MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER, DISCUSSES TERRORISM
AND TURKEY’S EU BID
Opposition Republican People’s Party
(CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday met with
Italian main opposition leader Piero
Fassino, who is currently in Ankara for an
official visit. During their meeting, Baykal
and Fassino discussed Turkey’s European
Union membership bid and terrorism. Fassino
said that terrorists wanted to create a
clash of civilizations, adding, “But our
mission is to bring civilizations together
and have them co-exist.” Fassino also met
with Mehmet Dulger and Mehmet Elkatmis, the
respective heads of Parliament’s Foreign
Affairs and Human Rights Commissions.
Speaking at a press conference following his
meetings, Fassino said that terrorism had
existed before the Iraq war and that the war
had not created terrorism. Touching on
Turkey’s EU bid, Fassino reiterated support
for Ankara’s bid, adding that the EU had an
interest in Turkey’s membership.
/Cumhuriyet/
[03] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “THE
ADDITIONAL CUSTOMS PROTOCOL SHOULD BE SIGNED
FOLLOWING ERDOGAN’S VISIT TO BRITAIN”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan said
yesterday that the additional Customs Union
protocol was expected to be signed following
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit
to London this week. Speaking at a press
conference, Tan said that the negotiations
on signing the protocol had ended and that
the EU Permanent Representatives Committee
had discussed the issue. “EU Term President
Britain will sign the protocol and send it
to us,” said Tan, adding that the process
will be completed. /Turkiye/
[04] ERDOGAN: “COOPERATIVE
EFFORTS AGAINST TERRORISM ARE A MUST”
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a
factory in Cankiri yesterday before flying
to Britain for an official visit, Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the
government condemned the recent terrorist
attacks in both London and Turkey itself,
adding that terrorism shouldn’t be used as a
political weapon and that cooperative
efforts against this threat were a must.
“Our government is determined to fight the
terrorist PKK,” he said. “There is no need
for worry. We’re working on the issue.”
Erdogan further criticized the term “Islamic
terrorism,” saying that the terror is
particular to no religion or race.
“Terrorism shouldn’t be considered a simple
crime,” added the premier. /Milliyet/
[05] CICEK: “THE COMMISSION
TASKED WITH AMENDING THE ANTI-TERROR LAW IS
FOCUSED ON COORDINATION”
Justice Minister and government spokesman
Cemil Cicek said yesterday that the methods
and aims of the terrorist group PKK had
changed, and there was need for legislative
changes to respond to this. Cicek said that
the government had formed a commission in
order to update the Anti-Terror Law, adding
that the commission was focused on
coordination in the fight against the PKK.
“If there is more than one institution
fighting the PKK, there should be
coordination among these institutions,” said
Cicek. “Lack of coordination tends to create
problems, and for now coordination is the
priority of our government.” /Cumhuriyet/
[06] SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL
DUE TO CONVENE NEXT WEEK
The Supreme Military Council (YAS) is due
to convene next week at the headquarters of
the General Staff. The meeting will be
chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul is
also expected to attend the meeting, at
which the promotion of 116 generals will be
discussed. /Turkiye/
[07] DIRECT FLIGHTS START FROM
AZERBAIJAN TO TRNC
The first step to lift the unfair
isolation on the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) came from Azerbaijan.
During Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
visit to Baku earlier this month,
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that
a second delegation of businessmen from
Azerbaijan would fly directly from Baku to
the TRNC’s Ercan Airport today. An
Azerbaijani delegation consisting of 38
people went to the TRNC through Istanbul
last week, and there are 100 people in the
delegation set to land in the TRNC today.
Besides businessmen, members of the media
are also in the delegation to land in the
TRNC on a direct flight from a private
airline. The Azerbaijani delegation will
hold meetings with officials from the
government. In addition, joint business
opportunities between Turkish Cypriot and
Azerbaijani businessmen will be discussed at
the TRNC-Azerbaijani Business Forum in the
TRNC. /Turkiye/
[08] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM
THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[09] THE PKK’S PROFILE
BY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)
Columnist Muharrem Sarikaya comments on
the terrorist PKK. A summary of his column
is as follows:
“There are two issues on the agenda of
the National Security Council (MGK) meeting
planned for the second half of August,
namely, the farewell of the Sea and Land
Forces commanders who will retire in August
and the profile of the terrorist PKK. After
Osman Ocalan left the group, although Murat
Karayilan is trying to act like its leader,
he lacks effectiveness. He immediately obeys
every message sent from Abdullah Ocalan from
Imrali Island, which is an indicator of
this. Interestingly, although Ocalan says
nothing from there, those who meet with him
send messages to the organization from his
mouth, as if he said those things. This is
the reason behind the conflicts within the
organization. The situation in the PKK’s
rank and file is no different. Disorganized
relations among the organization’s members
are being criticized even among the
mid-level leaders. Some 200 of its 5,400
staff are Syrian. The PKK can’t find
recruits from Turkey or other neighboring
countries, and its finances aren’t as good
as they used to be. Damascus moved closer to
Ankara and turned its back on the PKK due to
the US’ stance, which has had an important
impact on the weakening of its finances. In
addition, certain European countries stopped
their indirect economic support for the PKK,
which has income less than 50% than before.
The PKK edged towards Iranian territory
to solve its cash flow problems, and this
situation increased its opposition from
Tehran. Likewise, Iran has recently been
organizing operations against the PKK on the
Turkish-Iraqi border. In spite of the PKK’s
financial woes, its situation in terms of
weapons is good because it plundered Saddam
Hussein’s armory. However, following the
latest operation by Iran, it seems it won’t
be able to stay in Kandil any longer.
Therefore the PKK moved to the lower parts
of Iraq and put its armed terrorists in
Turkey. However, the PKK can’t find
supporters in Turkey and is unable to blend
into the public and disappear as in the
past, so now conducts hit-and-run actions
such as planting mines. However, the PKK is
still unable to turn its members into armed
terrorists. As Deputy Chief of General Staff
Gen. Ilker Basbug said last week, since 1999
the percentage of people in the group not
involved in terrorist attacks has risen.
Including its logistic staff, some 60% of
its members have never carried out a
terrorist attack. Is this possible to
separate these nearly 3,000 members from the
armed terrorists? Could a method to separate
them from the group be found, without
calling it an amnesty? Security units in
Ankara have been trying to find an answer to
these questions.”
ARCHIVE
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