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Turkish Press Review, 06-02-16Turkish 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 morning16.02.2006BAHRAINI PM MEETS WITH SEZER, ERDOGAN, AND ARINC GUL SPEAKS WITH ISRAELI FM ABOUT PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT IN WAKE OF HAMAS VICTORY PARLIAMENT TURNS BACK CENSURE MOTION ON UNAKITAN ANAVATAN LEADER MUMCU: “90% OF THE AKP GROUP IS AWARE OF CORRUPTION” ANKARA TOUGHENS STANCE AGAINST IRAN EUROPEAN REACTION TO ERDOGAN’S LETTER EU TERM PRESIDENT AUSTRIA’S DEPUTY FM: “TURKEY HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE” NEW GREEK FM: “MY PRIORITY WILL BE THE CYPRUS ISSUE AND DEVELOPING TURKISH-GREEK RELATIONS” JORDAN’S QUEEN RANIA TO VISIT TURKEY GULER: “WE’RE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY IN TURKEY” SENER: “ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE AGREED ON GALATAPORT TENDER” FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... IF PROBLEMS AREN’T ADDRESSED BY TAHRAN ERDEM (RADIKAL)CONTENTS
[01] BAHRAINI PM MEETS WITH SEZER, ERDOGAN, AND ARINCPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with his Bahraini counterpart Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who is in Ankara for an official visit. Also present at the meeting were Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan, State Minister Kursat Tuzmen, and Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun. During the meeting, Al Khalifa expressed support for resolving the Cyprus issue, saying that Bahrain could make tourism investments there. Al Khalifa said that a Bahraini embassy would soon be opened in Turkey. Touching on economic ties between the two countries, Al Khalifa said that the current $50 million trade volume was low and needed to be brought up. Erdogan briefed Al Khalifa on Turkey’s economic reforms over the last three years and touted recent progress in privatization. An agreement to boost investments between the two countries was signed following the meeting. Later, Al Khalifa was received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. /Turkiye/[02] GUL SPEAKS WITH ISRAELI FM ABOUT PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT IN WAKE OF HAMAS VICTORYForeign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni about recent developments in the Palestinian-Israeli issue following last month’s Palestinian elections, which brought the controversial group Hamas to power. Gul said that Ankara would continue to hold contacts with both sides to promote an atmosphere of peace. /Star/[03] PARLIAMENT TURNS BACK CENSURE MOTION ON UNAKITANParliament yesterday voted down consideration of a censure motion filed by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) against Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan on claims of corruption and abuse of power. After debate, the censure motion was turned back from a vote by 344-179. Addressing the gathering, Unakitan said that all claims about him were baseless, adding that they lacked proof. /Turkiye/[04] ANAVATAN LEADER MUMCU: “90% OF THE AKP GROUP IS AWARE OF CORRUPTION”During his party’s group meeting, opposition Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu said yesterday, “90% of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) group knows that Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan was involved in corruption,” adding, “At least half of deputies know that the premier is aware of this irregularity. I swear it.” /Cumhuriyet/[05] ANKARA TOUGHENS STANCE AGAINST IRANTurkey yesterday toughened its stance against Iran, which recently restarted its uranium enrichment program despite international warnings. Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan yesterday said that Iran, for the first time, had revealed that it concealed certain aspects of its nuclear program from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and so had lost some trust. Tan also said that Turkey was concerned about Iran’s reaction to the IAEA’s decision on restarting talks with the European Union troika and resumption of its nuclear program. /Hurriyet/[06] EUROPEAN REACTION TO ERDOGAN’S LETTEREuropeans are reacting to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s letter to the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) over the recent Muhammed cartoon crisis. Jozias Van Aarten of the People’s Party for Democracy, the second-biggest party of the Netherlands’ coalition government, said, “If Erdogan thinks that he can deliver a sermon to us, Turkey’s participation in the European Union will be difficult.” /Hurriyet/[07] EU TERM PRESIDENT AUSTRIA’S DEPUTY FM: “TURKEY HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE”The European Union yesterday stated that Turkey had played an important constructive role between Europe and the Islamic world in the ongoing cartoon crisis. At the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the incendiary cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammed were debated. European Union Term President Austria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hans Winkler said, “Freedom of expression is very valuable, but exercising it requires responsibility. Especially if it offends religious beliefs, this freedom must stay within limits.” /Cumhuriyet/[08] NEW GREEK FM: “MY PRIORITY WILL BE THE CYPRUS ISSUE AND DEVELOPING TURKISH-GREEK RELATIONS”Newly appointed Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bayonnakis said yesterday that her priority during her term in office would be the Cyprus issue and developing Turkish-Greek relations, adding that her work would focus on principles, programs, reality, and creativity. Outgoing Greek Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis said that he had worked to strengthen Turkish-Greek relations. /Milliyet/[09] JORDAN’S QUEEN RANIA TO VISIT TURKEYJordan’s Queen Rania El Abdullah, who has spearheaded many important projects on women, children, families and education, will visit Turkey on Feb. 24 as the guest of honor of the Mother Child Education Foundation’s (ACEV) campaign to promote universal kindergarten. Many domestic and foreign economists, academics, investors, businessmen and media representatives are expected to take part in the conference, which will last one day. Early childhood education’s role in brain development and its continuing influence during adolescence will be discussed. /Aksam/[10] GULER: “WE’RE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY IN TURKEY”Speaking at a workshop at Istanbul Technical University yesterday, Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said that groundwork for nuclear energy in Turkey was being carried out within a program. Guler called opposition to nuclear energy “baseless” and grounded in ignorance. “Nuclear energy is necessary for development,” said Guler. Predicting that Turkey needed to make investments of some $128 billion in the energy sector by 2020, Guler stated that the energy consumption in the world would rise 50% by that date. /Sabah/[11] SENER: “ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE AGREED ON GALATAPORT TENDER”Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said yesterday that all members of the Cabinet were in consensus over the Galataport tender. Appearing on television, Sener said that there was no friction between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, with whom he said he worked together often. Commenting on the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline project, Sener said that work on the project was continuing. /Turkiye/[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[13] IF PROBLEMS AREN’T ADDRESSED BY TAHRAN ERDEM (RADIKAL)Columnist Tarhan Erdem comments on Turkey’s need for a modern democratic party. A summary of his column is as follows: “I wrote on Monday that if early elections had been called during the final weeks of last year, we would have had to vote for one of 19 parties, and that nobody was glad with these poll results and then asked who could change this picture. Then I wrote: ‘A party which will cut off anti-secular policies, establish economic and political policies to accelerate Turkey’s European Union membership, and earn the public’s trust can change the current picture.’ Today, I will try to explain that filling in this picture is a must. An alternative to the ruling party has long been sought. But today we’re in a place different from the search for an opposition. If we can’t change our current place, that is, if a party like the one described above can’t be created, we should understand unflinchingly what we will face. One of them is the possibility of entering a period of ‘zero improvement in 10 years.’ Unreasonable politicians who only think of winning votes and want to bring the country to a dead end get more support every day. As a result of the failure to forestall the possibility of secularism falling aside due to the lack of such a party, republicans and those who are disturbed by the improvement of human rights talk almost in unison.0ur difficulties and wishes in relations with the European Union were made emotional, and the opposition turned the ruling party’s basic image into an anti-Western concept. The number of people considering terrorists and human rights defenders together is rising, because there’s not a political party distinguishing them. We face problems in every area. The lack of a modern democratic party which gives no premium to fanaticism and terrible dreams encourages strange relations. The people know how the ruling party will conduct itself, as it’s been in power for more than three years. However, it’s not known how the other parties would act. As columnist Ismet Berkan said, the opposition party doesn’t want the people to vote for itself, but not to vote for the ruling party. Can one of the current parties change this situation? In other words, can one of the parties cut off anti-secular policies and do the things mentioned above? Let’s start with the Justice and Development Party (AKP). If this party can change its anti-secular policies, the problem would be ended to a great extent, but can it take the risk of turning its back on those opposed to secularism? This is both easy and difficult. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) suits the concept of such a party the most. The party’s customary practice until the 1970s was to envisage revolutions in accordance with modern times, but today this stand is far from the need for change. What will the True Path Party (DYP), Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) and others do? If a modern democratic party doesn’t emerge and we continue with the current ones, what will happen? I tried to sum it up above: a Turkey with an upside-down economy, where the people can’t walk on the streets.” ARCHIVE The news and articles issued in the Turkish Press Review may be quoted from provided due acknowledgement is made. <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js"> </script> Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |