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Turkish Press Review, 05-12-07
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
07.12.2005
CROATIAN PRESIDENT VISITS
TURKEY
ERDOGAN: “WE’RE OPPOSED TO
SEPARATISM”
FM GUL: “THE UN IS TAKING
THE INITIATIVE ON THE KIRKUK ISSUE”
SENER ADDRESSES AKP GROUP
MEETING, HAILS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
SPEAKING TO THE NEW
ANATOLIAN, GUL STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF IRAQ’S
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
POLITICAL PARTIES BEGIN
PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE EARLY ELECTIONS
BAYKAL CLAIMS GOVT TAX CUTS
ARE MEANT FOR FOREIGN FIRMS
GONUL: “RUMSFELD BRIEFED ME
ON WASHINGTON’S STANCE AGAINST TERRORIST PKK”
FENER GREEK PATRIARCH GETS
SUPPORT FROM WASHINGTON
FBI DIRECTOR TO VISIT
ANKARA
FITCH RAISES TURKEY’S
OUTLOOK TO POSITIVE
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM
THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
RULING PARTY ON THE AGENDA
ISMAIL KUCUKKAYA (AKSAM)
CONTENTS
[01] CROATIAN PRESIDENT VISITS TURKEY
[02] ERDOGAN: “WE’RE OPPOSED TO
SEPARATISM”
[03] FM GUL: “THE UN IS TAKING THE
INITIATIVE ON THE KIRKUK ISSUE”
[04] SENER ADDRESSES AKP GROUP MEETING,
HAILS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
[05] SPEAKING TO THE NEW ANATOLIAN, GUL
STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF IRAQ’S TERRITORIAL
INTEGRITY
[06] POLITICAL PARTIES BEGIN PREPARING
FOR POSSIBLE EARLY ELECTIONS
[07] BAYKAL CLAIMS GOVT TAX CUTS ARE
MEANT FOR FOREIGN FIRMS
[08] GONUL: “RUMSFELD BRIEFED ME ON
WASHINGTON’S STANCE AGAINST TERRORIST PKK”
[09] FENER GREEK PATRIARCH GETS SUPPORT
FROM WASHINGTON
[10] FBI DIRECTOR TO VISIT ANKARA
[11] FITCH RAISES TURKEY’S OUTLOOK TO
POSITIVE
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] RULING PARTY ON THE AGENDA
ISMAIL KUCUKKAYA (AKSAM)
[01] CROATIAN PRESIDENT VISITS TURKEY
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday welcomed
President of Croatia Stjepan Mesic, in Ankara
for an official visit, at the Presidential
Palace. After their meetings, a cooperative
agreement was signed between the Croatian Bank
for Reconstruction and Development and Turk
Eximbank (Turkey’s export credit bank).
Afterwards, at a joint press conference, Sezer
said, “We saw that our countries share the same
vision on the issue of close cooperation toward
the common goals of the unification of Europe,
regional harmony, and strengthening
cooperation.” For his part, Mesic said that they
were happy to see Turkey starting accession
talks with the European Union. /Star/
[02] ERDOGAN: “WE’RE OPPOSED TO
SEPARATISM”
Speaking at a conference at New
Zealand’s Canterbury University, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey was a
country comprised of some 30 ethnic groups who
have lived in peace and harmony throughout
history. Stressing that Kurds are represented in
both Parliament and senior leadership posts
without any discrimination, Erdogan stated that
the PKK was a terrorist group which exploits
citizens of Kurdish origin. “We’re opposed to
separatism,” said the premier. Commenting on
Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Erdogan
said that Turkey was heading for the EU to take
on a burden, not to be a burden to the Union.
Expressing his hope that the Greek Cypriot
administration would make efforts for a
settlement on Cyprus, Erdogan vowed that the
Turkish side would continue to do its best to
reach a peaceful resolution on the island. After
completing his contacts in New Zealand, Erdogan
proceeded to Australia, the second stop of his
official trip, last evening. /Turkiye/
[03] FM GUL: “THE UN IS TAKING THE
INITIATIVE ON THE KIRKUK ISSUE”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday attended
a foreign ministers’ meeting in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia in preparation for the Organization of
the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit which
officially starts today. Speaking to reporters,
Gul said that UN-led efforts have been underway
for clearing the names of non-residents from
voter rolls in Kirkuk, Iraq. Asked about Iraqi
Turkmens’ concerns regarding the situation in
Kirkuk, Gul described the city as a “mini Iraq”
and said that Turkey has been closely monitoring
the situation there. The foreign minister also
said that he recently sent a letter outlining
Turkey’s concerns to UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, and added that everybody is against
artificial changes to Kirkuk’s demographic
makeup. Gul also said that the “OIC 10-Year
Action Plan” covering problems facing the
Islamic world, important events, and
developments was the most important subject
discussed at the meeting of foreign ministers.
/Star/
[04] SENER ADDRESSES AKP GROUP MEETING,
HAILS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
Addressing his party’s group
meeting, standing in for Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, who is abroad, Deputy Prime
Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday said that
thanks to the government’s efforts, the
purchasing power of the nation was much higher
than it was three years ago. Sener rebuffed
suggestions that the government had a “secret
agenda,” saying that its program and policies
are transparent. “Improving the lot of our
nation is our agenda,” said Sener. Briefing the
deputies on Turkey’s macroeconomic indicators,
Sener stated that Turkey had achieved its
highest growth figures, and inflation was at its
lowest level since 1970. Sener also hailed
recent economic developments in the banking
sector, adding that unemployment hadn’t
increased in the last three years. /Turkiye/
[05] SPEAKING TO THE NEW ANATOLIAN, GUL
STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF IRAQ’S TERRITORIAL
INTEGRITY
Speaking to English-language daily the New
Anatolian, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said
that Ankara wasn’t afraid of a possible division
of Iraq, adding that no one could intimidate
Ankara by using the Kurds. Gul also stressed the
importance of Iraq’s territorial integrity and
warned that the division of Iraq could sow chaos
in the Middle East. “The region, which has been
unable to solve the Palestinian-Israeli dispute
for 50 years, can’t tolerate more chaos,” said
Gul. “Northern Iraq is important for us, and
Kurds and Turkmen are our kin.” /Sabah/
[06] POLITICAL PARTIES BEGIN PREPARING
FOR POSSIBLE EARLY ELECTIONS
In addition to the main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP),
other political parties including the
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the True Path
Party (DYP) and the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN),
all of which have predicted elections next year,
have begun preparations towards that end. The
opposition parties’ leaders and parliament
deputies both plan extensive visits throughout
the country to promote their policies. Although
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
leader and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has stated that the next general elections will
be held as scheduled in 2007, the AKP
administration has also called on 81 provincial
heads to meet in Ankara on Saturday. The
gathering is expected to focus on party strategy
for the next general elections. /Aksam/
[07] BAYKAL CLAIMS GOVT TAX CUTS ARE
MEANT FOR FOREIGN FIRMS
Speaking at his party’s group meeting yesterday,
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
leader Deniz Baykal criticized the government’s
recent proposed tax cuts, claiming that they
were intended for foreign firms which have
gotten a piece of the country’s privatization.
Also commenting on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s “primary identity” argument, Baykal
said that he didn’t know what Erdogan was aiming
at. “If you say that there are two nations, then
you have to know the consequences of this,” said
Baykal. Also marking the 71st anniversary of
Turkish women getting the right to vote and be
elected, Baykal stated that Turkish Republic
founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had given a
landmark right to women in 1934, while the world
was fighting fascism. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] GONUL: “RUMSFELD BRIEFED ME ON
WASHINGTON’S STANCE AGAINST TERRORIST PKK”
In
the midst of a US visit, Defense Minister Vecdi
Gonul said yesterday that US Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld had briefed him on Washington’s
stance against the terrorist PKK during their
recent meeting. “I told Rumsfeld that the
Turkish nation is concerned about the PKK,” said
Gonul, adding that he had stressed that Ankara
places great importance on Iraq’s territorial
integrity. /Sabah/
[09] FENER GREEK PATRIARCH GETS SUPPORT
FROM WASHINGTON
The US administration on Monday
said that it considers Fener Greek Patriarch
Bartholomeos to be an “ecumenical” leader,
adding that it supports the reopening the
Orthodox seminary on Heybeliada in Istanbul. In
a State Department statement released in
response to an earlier question, the department
said, “The US considers Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomeos to be a religious leader of global
standing. The US takes very seriously the issue
of religious freedom in Turkey. Among these
concerns are the status of the patriarch and
reopening of the Orthodox seminary in
Heybeliada. The US has consistently raised
concerns regarding the Ecumenical Patriarchate
with Turkish authorities at the highest levels
for many years. President George W. Bush urged
the reopening of the seminary in his June
meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan.” /Milliyet/
[10] FBI DIRECTOR TO VISIT ANKARA
Robert S. Mueller, director of
the FBI, one of the US’ most important security
agencies, will visit Ankara tomorrow. Mueller,
on a tour to see the operations of equivalent
agencies abroad, will visit Ankara before
returning to Washington. Mueller, after meeting
with Gokhan Aydiner, director general of
security, will have lunch with high-ranking
security officials on Friday before departing
Turkey. While security officials declined to
comment on the visit, sources stated that recent
al-Queda operations in Turkey would be
discussed. /Milliyet/
[11] FITCH RAISES TURKEY’S OUTLOOK TO
POSITIVE
Following Turkey’s recent
accomplishments, including lower inflation,
speedy reforms and both political and economic
stability, global credit rating agency Fitch
Ratings yesterday upgraded Turkey’s rating
outlook to positive from stable. The long-term
foreign currency and local currency ratings were
affirmed at BB minus. The agency stated its
belief that Turkey would continue its reform
programs backed by the International Monetary
Fund as well as the European Union. /Turkiye/
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] RULING PARTY ON THE AGENDA
ISMAIL KUCUKKAYA (AKSAM)
Columnist Ismail Kucukkaya comments on
yesterday’s Justice and Development Party (AKP)
group meeting. A summary of his column is as
follows:
“We’re governed by the parliamentary system, and
right now just one party holds power in Turkey.
However, the government is more important in the
system in Turkey, in other words, the executive
branch has a very large role in our democracy.
So, how does the Justice and Development Party
(AKP) group, consisting of 357 deputies, see the
agenda? The answer to this question was
discussed at the AKP’s parliamentary group
meeting hall yesterday. As Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
are both abroad, Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullatif Sener spoke during the group meeting
this week. The hall has always been full, but
yesterday the number of empty seats was
striking. As soon as I entered the hall, I
noticed that Afyon Deputy Mahmut Kocak was the
center of attention. Kocak previously did a
survey which showed falling public support for
the AKP. Balikesir Deputy Turan Comez also
attracted attention for his criticism of the
AKP. Comez was slated to make a speech on ‘The
AKP Family and Importance of Positive Dialogue,’
but the speech was ruined, for Finance Minister
Kemal Unakitan was also scheduled to speak on
next year’s budget. At that time Sener was
speaking at the podium too. I don’t think that
was a coincidence. It must be the party
leadership’s efforts to encourage solidarity.
When
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek was entering the
hall, reporters flocked around to him. He
answered their questions by saying that he would
use his right to be silent for 10 days. Those
who had great expectations about Sener’s speech
were disappointed a little, because Sener read
out the price lists of sugar, t-shirts, etc.
like former President Suleyman Demirel. Then he
read from the rules and regulations that the AKP
wasn’t and wouldn’t be a party insisting on
ideology. Unakitan was among those who applauded
these words the most. Sener’s words indicating
that the economic situation was good pleased
Unakitan greatly. Sener tried to maintain
balance in his speech, but before he has made
interesting and striking remarks, particularly
on the issue of alcoholic drinks. Terrorist PKK
head Abdullah Ocalan’s remarks on sub- and
primary identity were discussed in the hall as
well. Some of the deputies said that this would
contribute to reaching peace, but others claimed
that this was certainly a provocation of Ocalan
and that his aim was to harm the government. I
can sum up the atmosphere of the group meeting
this way.”
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