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Turkish Press Review, 06-02-13
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
13.02.2006
ERDOGAN SPEAKS IN MARAS TO MARK
ITS INDEPENDENCE DAY
GUL: “THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS
A RIGHT WITHOUT LIMIT”
DYP LEADER AGAR: “THE GOVT, NOT
TURKEY, IS WEAK,”
THOUSANDS PROTEST CARTOONS IN
ISTANBUL
PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER CENSURE
OF UNAKITAN
GREEK CYPRIOT NATL COUNCIL SET
TO EVALUATE RECENT CYPRUS DEVELOPMENTS
SENER: “TURKEY’S NATIONAL
INCOME ROSE 32% OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS”
TUZMEN: “THANKS TO GOVT
POLICIES, WE’RE SEEING A GOLDEN AGE FOR EXPORTS,
IMPORTS, AND TRADE”
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
DEFECTIVE POLITICAL PICTURE
BY TARHAN ERDEM (RADIKAL)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN SPEAKS IN MARAS TO MARK ITS
INDEPENDENCE DAY
[02] GUL: “THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A
RIGHT WITHOUT LIMIT”
[03] DYP LEADER AGAR: “THE GOVT, NOT
TURKEY, IS WEAK,”
[04] THOUSANDS PROTEST CARTOONS IN
ISTANBUL
[05] PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER CENSURE OF
UNAKITAN
[06] GREEK CYPRIOT NATL COUNCIL SET TO
EVALUATE RECENT CYPRUS DEVELOPMENTS
[07] SENER: “TURKEY’S NATIONAL INCOME
ROSE 32% OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS”
[08] TUZMEN: “THANKS TO GOVT POLICIES,
WE’RE SEEING A GOLDEN AGE FOR EXPORTS, IMPORTS,
AND TRADE”
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] DEFECTIVE POLITICAL PICTURE
BY
TARHAN ERDEM (RADIKAL)
[01] ERDOGAN SPEAKS IN MARAS TO MARK ITS
INDEPENDENCE DAY
Speaking in Kahramanmaras over
the weekend to mark the anniversary of the
independence of the province, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that when the
government came to power in November 2002, it
had started a war of economic independence. “Our
economy is now on firmer ground than ever
before,” he said. Erdogan said that the
government was striving to raise the nation’s
standard of living, adding that there was a need
to invest in both people and civilization.
“People’s lives are very important for us,” said
Erdogan. He stated that without sacrificing
fiscal discipline, macroeconomic development
should be expanded. Later, Erdogan attended the
opening ceremony of the Afsin-Elbistan B thermal
power plant. Addressing the gathering, Erdogan
said that the government would take concrete
steps in the coming period to build nuclear
power plants. “Turkey’s energy potential doesn’t
meet its increasing industrial activity,” added
Erdogan. /Turkiye-Milliyet/
[02] GUL: “THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A
RIGHT WITHOUT LIMIT”
In a speech yesterday at King
Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, where he was
attending the Seventh Jeddah Economic Forum,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said, “If
modernity is built on the rule of law, human
rights, transparency and accountability, I can
only say this: These are our own values. Indeed,
look at their history and find them here among
us.” Referring to the recent cartoon crisis
which provoked outrage in the Islamic world, Gul
underlined that there is no conflict between
respect for cultural and religious values and
freedom of speech, and added, “Article 10 of the
European Convention on Human Rights states
explicitly that identities and religious values
can’t be denigrated, let alone attacked. There’s
no right on earth that without limits.” /Star/
[03] DYP LEADER AGAR: “THE GOVT, NOT
TURKEY, IS WEAK,”
Opposition True Path Party
(DYP) leader Mehmer Agar yesterday charged that
the government is helpless in the face of
worsening problems and added, “This is the
weakness of the government, not Turkey. Turkey
has the opportunity to overcome a lack of hope.”
Agar said that unemployment is skyrocketing and
because of this the government is feeling on the
edge and has no patience and resistance, adding,
“This hopeless government is trying to hide its
failure to do its job by lashing out at those
around it.” /Cumhuriyet/
[04] THOUSANDS PROTEST CARTOONS IN
ISTANBUL
Protests against cartoons
depicting the Prophet Muhammed continued this
weekend with a demonstration organized by
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Beyazid
Square, Istanbul. Despite the cold weather,
approximately 3,000 people, including women and
children, took part in the protest. Police took
tight safety measures and afterwards, the
protesters dispersed quietly. NGOs also held a
rally in Diyarbakir. /Star/
[05] PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER CENSURE OF
UNAKITAN
An opposition-sponsored censure
motion against Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan
is set to face Parliament this Wednesday.
Parliament’s busy schedule means that the full
chamber will debate a bill on social security
premium debts on Tuesday. The next issue to be
dealt with is the censure motion against
Unakitan, with a debate due to start on
Wednesday. The same day, the full Parliament
will debate the inquiry motions submitted by the
main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
deputies about the problems of Turkish fruit and
vegetable producers. The Petition Commission
will convene on Thursday and debate some clauses
of a proposed bill on changes to Parliament
bylaws. The same day, the EU Harmonization
Commission will debate a bill on public
inspection organization. A commission set up to
investigate the incidents in Semdinli and
Yuksekova last October will meet on Tuesday to
hear from former Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz.
/The New Anatolian/
[06] GREEK CYPRIOT NATL COUNCIL SET TO
EVALUATE RECENT CYPRUS DEVELOPMENTS
Greek Cypriot leader Tasos
Papadopoulos is due to convene his country’s
National Council on Friday in order to evaluate
recent developments on the island. The council
is expected to discuss British Foreign Secretary
Jack Straw’s recent criticisms of the Greek
Cypriot administration. Greek Cypriot political
parties are expected to express their points of
view on the Cyprus issue. /Aksam/
[07] SENER: “TURKEY’S NATIONAL INCOME
ROSE 32% OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS”
Speaking at a meeting of the
ruling party in Karabuk over the weekend, Deputy
Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said that
Turkey’s national income had risen 32% over the
last four years. “We haven’t seen such growth
since 1953,” he said. “The highest growth since
then has been seen during our term in office
[since November 2002]. People who say that the
nation isn’t feeling these positive developments
are mistaken.” Sener further touted Turkey’s
falling inflation, with a current rate of 7.7%.
/Sabah/
[08] TUZMEN: “THANKS TO GOVT POLICIES,
WE’RE SEEING A GOLDEN AGE FOR EXPORTS, IMPORTS,
AND TRADE”
Speaking at a meeting of his
party in Hatay yesterday, State Minister Kursat
Tuzmen said that thanks to the government’s wise
policies, Turkey was living through a golden age
for exports, imports, and foreign trade. “Our
exports of about $36 billion in 2002 ballooned
to $73.4 billion by the end of last year,” said
Tuzmen. “The economy grew 22.1% in the last
three years and per capita income, which was
about $2,500 in 2002, rose to $4,000 by the end
of 2005.” Tuzmen stressed that the government
hoped to boost per capita income to $10,000 by
the end of 2010. He stated that over the last
three years, inflation had fallen sharply from
31.8% to 7%, adding that this year’s goal was
5%. “We solved the problems of former
governments with our neighbors and became the
number two country, following Russia, in exports
in our region,” said Tuzmen. “We are the 22nd
country in the world in terms of exports.” He
stated further that in 2002 about 5,000
foreigners had invested in the country, adding
that this number more than doubled to 11,000
over the last three years. /Sabah/
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] DEFECTIVE POLITICAL PICTURE
BY
TARHAN ERDEM (RADIKAL)
Columnist Tarhan Erdem comments
on the current political picture in Turkey. A
summary of his column is as follows: “If early
elections had been called during the final weeks
of the last year, we would have had to vote for
one of 19 parties. According to the Supreme
Board of Elections, only five of these parties
are represented in Parliament: the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP), the
Motherland Party (ANAVATAN), the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP), the True Path
Party (DYP), and the Social Democrat People’s
Party (SHP). Their seats number 357, 22, 154,
four and four, respectively. Yasar Nuri Ozturk’s
People’s Ascent Party (HYP), which has one
deputy, isn’t among the parties which will
contend in elections. Fourteen parties not
represented in Parliament among these 19 but
which can take part in elections are as follows:
the Bright Turkey Party (ATP), Independent
Turkey Party (BTP), Grand Union Party (BBP),
Democratic Left Party (DSP), Workers' Party
(EMEP), Rights and Freedoms Party (HOP), Freedom
and Change Party (HDP), Worker’s Party (IP),
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Nation Party
(MP), Nationalist Action Party (MHP), Felicity
Party (SP), and Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)
(Official Gazette, Jan. 17). Polls reflect the
situation of these 19 parties and the political
picture. According to surveys, if elections had
been held recently, at most six of these 19
parties would have passed the election threshold
and the era of coalition governments would have
begun again. Our politicians don’t like this
picture and none of the parties feel they have
enough votes. I don’t think that the public in
general would like the result with five or six
parties obliged to form a coalition. Those not
pleased with a picture making a coalition
obligatory should be asked: Do you think one
party among these 19 has won the confidence of
more than half of the public? No one has said
yes yet. The public will make a right and valid
decision which will be liked and disliked during
the next elections, naturally. The voters
evaluate the parties which have the right to run
in elections and reflect their political
decisions in the ballot box on election day.
There are 20 months until elections, but
according to DYP leader Mehmet Agar, there are
only six months! As the people find it difficult
to make a decision, they don’t reply to Agar’s
expectations positively. The term ‘early
elections’ has generally encouraged the number
of those who want elections to rise. For the
first time, these words aren’t helping to
increase the number of people supporting the
elections, because the current picture of
parties don’t make the decision easier and the
difficulty of making a decision dampens the
benefit of holding elections earlier. What will
happen tomorrow? If a solution to be accepted by
the public is suggested, that is, if the general
lines of the current picture of parties change,
the people would implement this solution. Who
can change the picture? A new party or one of
the current parties, including the ruling party,
which cuts off anti-secular policies,
establishes economic and political policies to
accelerate Turkey’s European Union membership,
and makes the public believe in them can change
the current picture. When elections will be held
is the part of that picture which can be seen
easily.”
ARCHIVE
The news and articles issued in the Turkish Press Review
may be quoted from provided due acknowledgement is made.
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