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Turkish Press Review, 06-02-06
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
06.02.2006
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT SEZER: “SECULARISM IS THE SAFEGUARD OF FREEDOM”
[02] ERDOGAN RELEASES MESSAGE MARKING 69TH ANNIVERSARY OF CODIFICATION OF SECULARISM IN CONSTITUTION
[03] IN BUYUKCEKMECE AND ZEYTINBURNU, ERDOGAN ADDRESSES MEETINGS OF HIS PARTY
[04] AKP’S CELIK SHOT IN THE LEG
[05] AGRICULTURE, HEALTH MINISTRIES PREPARE PROJECT TO FIGHT AVIAN FLU
[06] ITALIAN PRIEST MURDERED IN TRABZON
[07] PAPADOPOULOS TRIES TO SHUT OUT THE US, BRITAIN FROM RESOLUTION EFFORTS
[08] EX-IMF OFFICIAL: “TURKEY’S CREDIBILITY IS RISING IN INTL MARKETS DUE TO MACROECONOMIC PROGRESS AND POLITICAL STABILITY”
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] CAN THE OPPOSITION SEE THE TEMPEST INSIDE PEOPLE? BY TUFAN TURENC (HURRIYET)
[01] PRESIDENT SEZER: “SECULARISM IS THE SAFEGUARD OF FREEDOM”
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday released a message to mark the 69th
anniversary of the codification of the principle of secularism in the
Constitution. In his message, Sezer underlined that the notion of
secularism can’t be reduced to simply the freedoms of conscience and
religion, and added, “The basic principle of the notion of secularism is
the separation of religious affairs from those of the state. Moreover,
secularism is without a doubt a sine qua non precondition for democracy and
the freedoms of conscience and religion.” Sezer said that it was thanks to
the principle of secularism that the Turkish people could live in peace and
freedom. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] ERDOGAN RELEASES MESSAGE MARKING 69TH ANNIVERSARY OF CODIFICATION OF
SECULARISM IN CONSTITUTION
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday released a message marking
the 69th anniversary of the codification of the principle of secularism in
the Turkish Constitution. Erdogan called the principle of secularism
“people’s freedoms of religion and conscience” and stressed the importance
of accepting secularism as a common value above political and ideological
concepts for peace to prevail in society. He added that this notion should
be reinterpreted in light of Turkish Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk’s rational and progressive view and his goal to reach the level of
civilized countries. /Turkiye/
[03] IN BUYUKCEKMECE AND ZEYTINBURNU, ERDOGAN ADDRESSES MEETINGS OF HIS
PARTY
Speaking at a meeting of his party in Buyukcekmece over the weekend,
Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan touted recent economic developments, saying that the interest rate
for housing loans has fallen below 1%. Touching on the recent controversy
over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in foreign newspapers, Erdogan called
for the nation to act with common sense. He stated that reacting against
the insult was normal, but that this shouldn’t result in violence. Erdogan
said that the Muslims couldn’t tolerate insults to the prophet of any
religion, adding that similar events had been seen in the past. Later,
speaking at a meeting of his party in Zeytinburnu, Erdogan said that his
party was striving to overcome poverty in the country. “More than 700,000
children can’t go to school due to poverty,” he said. “I’ve ordered all
municipalities to reach poor families and help them send their children to
school. We’re determined that by next year there will be no child who can’t
go to school due to poverty.” Responding to criticisms of the government’s
Cyprus policy, Erdogan said that Cyprus was a national cause. “We’re more
loyal to the cause than those who criticize our policy,” added Erdogan.
“We’re determinedly working for a resolution on the island, and our most
recent step for this was accepting the Annan plan. No one should expect
another step from us, since now it’s the Greek Cypriots’ turn.” /Turkiye/
[04] AKP’S CELIK SHOT IN THE LEG
A man opened fire on ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
parliamentary group deputy leader Faruk Celik on Sunday as he was entering
a party convention in the Nilufer district of Bursa, wounding him in the
left leg. The gunman was arrested but the reason for the attack wasn’t
immediately known. Celik was taken to Uludag University Hospital. He is in
stable condition. /Turkish Daily News/
[05] AGRICULTURE, HEALTH MINISTRIES PREPARE PROJECT TO FIGHT AVIAN FLU
Continuing their efforts to fight avian influenza, the Agriculture and
Health Ministries have prepared a joint project called “Turkey’s Fight
Against a Bird Flu Pandemic.” The cost of the project is $45 million, to be
financed by the World Bank. The project is expected to be presented to the
WB next week. /Star/
[06] ITALIAN PRIEST MURDERED IN TRABZON
Andrea Santore, the Italian priest of the Santa Maria Catholic Church in
the Iskenderpasa district of Trabzon, yesterday was shot dead at the
church. Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu said that the case was being
investigated from all angles. The Foreign Ministry also condemned the
murder, saying, “Approving of this murder is inconceivable.” /Aksam/
[07] PAPADOPOULOS TRIES TO SHUT OUT THE US, BRITAIN FROM RESOLUTION EFFORTS
Greek Cypriot Administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos over the weekend
stated that from now on, he wouldn’t discuss the Cyprus issue with the US
and Britain, adding, “I don’t accept the Americans and British playing a
key role. Whenever they bring me a new proposal, my answer will always be,
‘What do Russia, France and China, the three other members of the UN
Security Council, say?’ ” He also said, “The Americans and British accept
all of Turkey’s demands about Cyprus for their own interests.” /Hurriyet/
[08] EX-IMF OFFICIAL: “TURKEY’S CREDIBILITY IS RISING IN INTL MARKETS DUE
TO MACROECONOMIC PROGRESS AND POLITICAL STABILITY”
Former International Monetary Fund chief economist Kenneth Rogoff said
yesterday that Turkey’s credibility was rising in the international markets
as a result of its macroeconomic progress and political stability. Rogoff
stated that inflation had fallen to single digits, and predicted that it
would fall further. “Growth will not be lower than 5%,” he said. “Exports,
especially in the automotive sector, are very dynamic. I believe that
Turkey’s export capacity will rise further.” He stressed that reforms in
the European Union accession process and global integration had helped
Turkey achieve Asian-style growth. However, Rogoff underlined that the
current accounts deficit and the level of real wages continued to pose
risks to the country. /Sabah/
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] CAN THE OPPOSITION SEE THE TEMPEST INSIDE PEOPLE? BY TUFAN TURENC
(HURRIYET)
Columnist Tufan Turenc comments on commemoration ceremonies held for Abdi
Ipekci. A summary of his column is as follows:
“The interest in the commemoration ceremony for Abdi Ipekci was huge, even
though he was assassinated 27 years ago. I attended some panels; one of
them was at Istanbul Technical University and the other was organized by
Eskisehir’s Kemalist Thought Association. The halls were too big for the
panels, but both of them were full of people young and old. This was an
indication that awareness of our country’s problems is on the rise.
Actually, the full halls encouraged and pleased us. We tried to tell the
audience about the dangers faced by the secular democratic regime with
Professor Nur Serter, retired Tuncer Kilic, journalist Ali Sirmen and
Professor Coskun Ozdemir at the panel in Istanbul. The audience was very
receptive there. At Eskisehir it was much the same. The people listened to
the speeches, asked questions and expressed their concerns for three hours.
Journalists Altan Oymen, Fikret Bila, Derya Sazak and Turgut Kazan, a
lawyer representing the Ipekci family, and I explained journalist Ipekci’s
philosophy, the scandal of Mehmet Ali Agca’s release, political murders,
reasons for keeping them in the dark and the stance of today’s media at
this panel.
We all went to Eskisehir in this freezing weather via the land route and a
great many people filled the hall, which shows that the people are
concerned and looking for a better way. The opposition parties should
evaluate this dynamism and quest in the right way. The evaluation made by
both me and the speakers at the panel is as follows: Millions of people who
are concerned about the secular democratic republic expect that a new
political power will be established and that this power will defeat the
current power in elections. In other words, they want unification on the
both right and left wing. Millions of people who believe in Ataturk’s
enlightenment are very worried that the country will again fall into
darkness. These meetings are important warnings to the opposition. These
messages should be evaluated well, because these people believe that the
country can be saved only by defeating the rule of the Justice and
Development Party (AKP). They think that a solution contrary to democracy
won’t be a solution. I also hope that the murder of Andrea Santore, the
Italian priest of the Santa Maria Catholic Church in Trabzon, wasn’t meant
as reprisal against the irresponsible stance of certain Western newspapers.
It’s the mission of every civilized person to stand against acts intolerant
and disrespectful of people of other faiths. The reason for the murder in
Trabzon should be found immediately. No provocateur in Trabzon can destroy
Anatolia’s tolerance and respect for other religions.”
ARCHIVE
The news and articles issued in the Turkish Press Review
may be quoted from provided due acknowledgement is made.
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