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Turkish Press Review, 05-11-23Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr><LINK href="http://www.byegm.gov.tr_yayinlarimiz_chr_pics_css/tpr.css" rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning23.11.2005ITALIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH SEZER, ERDOGAN ERDOGAN ADDRESSES GROUP MEETING, CALLS TURKEY A “MOSAIC” GUL RECEIVES HEAD OF AFRICAN UNITY COMMISSION BAYKAL: “TURKISH REPUBLIC CITIZENSHIP IS A LEGAL IDENTITY” DENMARK CONTINUES TO PROTECT TERRORIST PKK TURKEY PROTESTS EDINBURGH’S APPROVAL OF ARMENIAN BILL US REITERATES ITS OPPOSITION TO PKK REHN WARNS OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION VIOLATIONS GOVERNMENT PROPOSES 15 NEW UNIVERSITIES HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ARRIVES IN SEMDINLI FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS… INCIDENTS IN SEMDINLI BY CUNEYT ULSEVER (HURRIYET)CONTENTS
[01] ITALIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH SEZER, ERDOGANItalian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, currently in Ankara for an official visit, yesterday met with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to discuss a number of issues, including Turkey’s European Union membership bid. During their meeting, Ciampi stressed that Italy’s support for Turkey’s EU bid would continue. Speaking at a joint press conference afterwards, Ciampi reiterated that Italy would continue to support Turkey’s membership in the EU, in which democracy, the rule of law, and human rights predominate. “The EU should be considered a political, economic, and cultural union,” said Ciampi. “An institutional union should be established in order to govern the expanding EU.” For his part, Sezer hailed relations between Turkey and Italy, calling them “flawless.” Sezer stressed that cooperation between the two countries should be further strengthened. Later, Ciampi was received by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During their meeting, Erdogan said that he was pleased that Ciampi was accompanied by Italian businessmen, adding that he hoped the number of Italian investors in Turkey would rise. For his part, Ciampi said that Italian businessmen had accompanied him since they were interested in investment opportunities in Turkey. In related news, the Italian businessmen, chaired by Italian Banks Union President Maurizio Sella, yesterday visited the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB). During the visit, Sella said that they weren’t only interested in banks which have been privatized. /Milliyet/[02] ERDOGAN ADDRESSES GROUP MEETING, CALLS TURKEY A “MOSAIC”Addressing his party’s group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on his recent visit to Hakkari, saying that judicial and administrative probes into the recent bombings in the province were continuing. Erdogan stated that constitutional citizenship in the Turkish Republic was an assurance and a common power, adding that Turkey was a mosaic. “There are circles in our country who welcome negative developments,” said Erdogan, meaning the bombings and unrest. “This is a problem transcending politics and all parties should cooperate to overcome it.” He stressed that the government wasn’t indifferent to the nation’s problems, saying that every corner of Turkey was equally close to the government. Erdogan added that he hadn’t visited Hakkari at the behest of other political party leaders. /Cumhuriyet/[03] GUL RECEIVES HEAD OF AFRICAN UNITY COMMISSIONForeign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with African Unity Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare in Ankara. In a reception in honor of Konare hosted by Gul, the Turkish foreign minister commented on recent incidents in Hakkari’s Semdinli. Speaking about the ongoing investigations, Gul said nothing would be closed, but rather they would try to clarify everything. He added that Turkey had greatly changed and that inquiries on the matter would be carried out to their conclusion. /Sabah/[04] BAYKAL: “TURKISH REPUBLIC CITIZENSHIP IS A LEGAL IDENTITY”Addressing his party’s first group meeting yesterday following the party’s 31st congress, Republican People’s party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recently characterization of Turkish Republic citizenship as an “upper identity,” saying Erdogan was wrong. “Turkish Republic identity is a legal identity,” added Baykal. During his Hakkari visit, Erdogan said that Turkey should respect all sub-identities, but everyone has an upper identity, a situation which shouldn’t disturb anyone. /Cumhuriyet/[05] DENMARK CONTINUES TO PROTECT TERRORIST PKKDenmark yesterday officially announced that it was not closing down Roj-TV, a station affiliated with the terrorist PKK. Denying recent remarks of Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek accusing Danish officials of failing to act on evidence provided by Turkey concerning ties between Roj-TV and the PKK, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said that no new evidence had been provided. Stressing that he hadn’t taken Cicek’s criticism into account because he didn’t interfere in police business, Moeller added that the issue was one of for the police. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union, including Denmark. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during an official visit to Denmark last week, boycotted a joint press conference with his Danish counterpart to protest the presence of reporters from Roj-TV. /Aksam/[06] TURKEY PROTESTS EDINBURGH’S APPROVAL OF ARMENIAN BILLForeign Ministry Spokesman Namýk Tan criticized yesterday the approval by the Edinburgh City Council last week of an Armenian bill concerning the so-called genocide allegedly committed by the Ottomans. Speaking at a weekly press briefing, Tan called the decision groundless and divorced from reality. He stressed that in spite of Turkish officials’ efforts and the Turkish people’s campaign to prevent such an initiative, the council had still passed the bill supporting biased Armenian allegations. /Turkiye/[07] US REITERATES ITS OPPOSITION TO PKKUS State Department spokesman Sean McCormack on Monday reiterated that the US lists the PKK as a terrorist group. At a daily press briefing, McCormack stated that halting the activities of the terrorist PKK was a longstanding plank of US foreign policy. He added that US officials were in coordination with Turkish and Iraqi officials on the matter. Furthermore, he made no comment on Turkey’s drive to ban pro-Kurdish Roj-TV broadcasts from Denmark. /Turkiye/[08] REHN WARNS OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION VIOLATIONSSpeaking to German daily Helsingin Sanomat yesterday, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said that Turkey was violating freedom of expression, adding that if it doesn’t stop doing this within one or two years, then Ankara’s EU membership talks could be suspended. Freedom of expression is one of the issues on which the EU places great importance. /Sabah/[09] GOVERNMENT PROPOSES 15 NEW UNIVERSITIESThe Justice and Development Party (AKP) government this week submitted a bill to the Office of Parliament Speaker proposing the establishment of 15 new universities in the provinces of Kirsehir, Kastamonu, Duzce, Burdur, Usak, Rize, Tekirdag, Erzincan, Aksaray, Giresun, Corum, Yozgat, Adiyaman, Ordu and Amasya. The bill also proposes 2,000 permanent staff to work at the universities in question. /Sabah/[10] HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ARRIVES IN SEMDINLIParliament Human Rights Commission head Mehmet Elkatmis and an accompanying delegation yesterday travelled to Semdinli, Hakkari to investigate the recent bombings and disturbances there. The delegation is due to prepare a report on the events. Last week, a bookstore was bombed in the town of Semdinli, triggering a chain of confrontations and clashes between locals and security forces. /The New Anatolian/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[12] INCIDENTS IN SEMDINLI BY CUNEYT ULSEVER (HURRIYET)Columnist Cuneyt Ulsever comments on recent incidents in Hakkari, Semdinli and Yuksekova. A summary of his column is as follows:“I still insist that if Turkey had accepted the deployment of US soldiers for the invasion of Iraq back in March 2003, now it could have coped with its domestic problems beyond its borders. Of course, then the Iraq war gave the PKK an opening and the opportunity to dominate masses of people. The incidents in Semdinli, Hakkari and Yuksekova showed that two elements which feed from each other came into action. Neither can live without the other. Now Turkey is under the influence of these two elements: As I mentioned above, the PKK is gaining vitality. What’s more, it’s trying to move to a political basis. The state’s deep reflex, which can’t be defined with a legal process, sprung into action as well. The PKK is trying to enter the political process perhaps with the momentum brought by the war in Iraq. It’s looking for a solution envisaging a republic with two nations. In addition, there are certain powers which support the status quo and try to make forces outside the Parliament influential by using the PKK’s salvo. These powers are also supported by certain focuses both in Turkey and abroad. The US is likely to withdraw from Turkey next year. Certain wings in Washington will want the state-within-a-state mechanism to be in the foreground, instead of the political power. Meanwhile the civil stance which wants the political power to be the winner in this confusion is also active in the US. They want to develop a common stance with the civilian power in the new era. In such a period of time, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the ‘problematic region’ is a very positive initiative. Erdogan’s visit this summer accomplished nothing as it lacked the means and it was shaped outside his will. However, now, it is he who chose the visit and it also seized developments outside the civilian and given will. I hope this will continue. All parliamentary powers should support his initiative. In this respect, today’s Parliament session in which the Semdinli incidents will be debated is very meaningful. If the chosen ones don’t want to transfer their legislative power to another power, they have to support the government so the executive branch takes a hands-on approach to Semdinli. Deputies from both the leadership and the opposition should support this. Parliament will face a difficult test today!” ARCHIVE <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js"> </script> Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |