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Turkish Press Review, 06-03-09
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
09.03.2006
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN ATTENDS 13TH MEETING OF HIGH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
[02] GUL HAILS TURKISH-EU TROIKA MEETING AS “VERY BENEFICIAL AND SUCCESSFUL”
[03] CICEK ORDERS INVESTIGATION OF VAN PROSECUTOR
[04] GENERAL STAFF: “CIVILIANS CAN’T MEDDLE WITH THE MILITARY”
[05] EU POSTPONES JUDICIARY AND RIGHTS SCREENING, REPORTEDLY DUE TO SEMDINLI CASE
[06] ANKARA CAUTIOUS ABOUT IRAN’S NUCLEAR OFFER
[07] US STATE DEPT REPORT CLAIMS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TURKEY
[08] TURKISH WOMEN CELEBRATE THEIR DAY
[09] AGAR VISITS EXPORTERS GROUP TO DISCUSS RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[11] SEMDINLI TRIAL BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN ATTENDS 13TH MEETING OF HIGH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
Speaking at the opening of the 13th meeting of the High Science and
Technology Council yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that
research and development should continue for a stronger Turkey. Erdogan
said that he hoped scholars and researchers would carry out better work
this year than in the past. Stressing that Turkey would strengthen its
power, quality, and self-reliance through R&D, Erdogan said that this work
would spur the foundation of research institutions. “Our government will
continue to allocate important resources to the research and technology
field, which is our priority,” said Erdogan. “Our universities should have
a world-class competitive edge in the R&D field. In education and research,
universities should take the future of the world as a basis rather than
today, and our industries should develop their own technology instead of
importing it.” A number of state ministers and academics were present at
the meeting. /Star/
[02] GUL HAILS TURKISH-EU TROIKA MEETING AS “VERY BENEFICIAL AND
SUCCESSFUL”
Speaking after yesterday’s Turkish-European Union Troika meeting in Vienna,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul called the meeting “very beneficial and
successful.” Gul stated that the meeting carried great importance since it
was the first such gathering since Ankara began its accession talks with
the EU last fall, adding that he was pleased with the general progress of
talks. “There is harmony between the EU Commission and Turkey,” he said.
“There is exciting work in our institutions for our EU bid.” He stressed
that the Cyprus issue had also been discussed at the meeting, adding that
he told the EU officials that Turkey had done its best on the issue by
proposing an action plan. “I told them that now we’re waiting for steps
from the Greek Cypriots,” he added. The foreign minister stated that energy,
regional events, Iraq, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Iran’s nuclear
program, and the recent carton crisis had also been discussed. Gul met
separately with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn and EU Term
President Austria’s Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik after the meeting.
/Turkiye/
[03] CICEK ORDERS INVESTIGATION OF VAN PROSECUTOR
The Justice Ministry Inspection Board yesterday initiated an investigation
into the conduct of Van Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya in accordance with
directives from Justice Minister Cemil Cicek. Two ministry inspectors were
appointed to assess the conduct of the prosecutor and will reportedly go to
Van today. They will study the Semdinli file prepared by the prosecutor and
launch an investigation if necessary. In a statement, Cicek said that that
he had given his approval for the assessment of the accusations made by the
prosecutor, adding that all information apart from this was just
speculation. /Turkish Daily News/
[04] GENERAL STAFF: “CIVILIANS CAN’T MEDDLE WITH THE MILITARY”
In response to serious allegations against one of their own from a public
prosecutor, the General Staff yesterday issued a statement on legal
procedures regarding the prosecution of military personnel. Land Forces
Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit has been accused of establishing a crime
gang in the southeast and protecting a non-commissioned officer who’s one
of the suspects in last November’s Semdinli bombings. The statement said
that generals can only be prosecuted by military prosecutors with the
permission of the General Staff. The Semdinli indictment, which sparked
tension between the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the government early
this week and prompted Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok to hold a
series of private meetings with high-ranking officials, continued to shake
Ankara yesterday. After Ozkok’s meeting with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
on Tuesday, military officials at General Staff headquarters spent the
night working on the official response of the military. The statement also
criticized Van Chief Public Prosecutor Farhat Sarikaya, who prepared the
indictment, without mentioning his name. The General Staff underlined that
public prosecutors should send indictments in which generals or admirals
are in some way implicated to General Staff headquarters. /The New
Anatolian/
[05] EU POSTPONES JUDICIARY AND RIGHTS SCREENING, REPORTEDLY DUE TO
SEMDINLI CASE
Observers have noted the first postponement of the 35-chapter Turkish-
European Union screening process which began last October. The EU’s
postponement of the chapter on the judiciary and fundamental rights to this
fall is being seen as meant to allow monitoring of Turkey’s handling of
certain cases as the Semdinli incidents. The EU Commission is saying that
the postponement is for technical reasons, giving additional time to both
sides to better prepare themselves. /Aksam/
[06] ANKARA CAUTIOUS ABOUT IRAN’S NUCLEAR OFFER
Ankara gave a cautious response yesterday to Iran’s proposal in a newspaper
interview to carry out some of its sensitive nuclear activity on Turkish
soil as part of measures to regain the international community’s
confidence. “Iran has international responsibilities and has to convince
the international community that its program is peaceful,” one Turkish
diplomat who wished to remain anonymous underlined on Thursday, in a rather
lukewarm response to the Iranian proposal. “There’s already an ongoing
process with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on confidence-
building measures, everybody is focused on that and we also want to see
first the outcome of this,” he said. The diplomat also added that Turkey
shares the concerns of the international community and supports the
European Union’s efforts for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear
controversy. /The New Anatolian/
[07] US STATE DEPT REPORT CLAIMS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TURKEY
A new US State Department’s human rights report states that while the
Turkish government is generally respectful of citizen’s rights and progress
has been made in some areas, some serious problems still remain. The Turkey
chapter of the US State Department annual report alleged the following:
“some restrictions on political activities; torture; beating; substandard
prison conditions; corruption; long detention before seeing a judge;
restrictions on expression, the press, meetings, forming an association,
and religious freedom; violence and discrimination against women;
harassment of children; human trafficking; restrictions on laborers’
rights; and child labor.” /Sabah/
[08] TURKISH WOMEN CELEBRATE THEIR DAY
March 8 World Women’s Day was celebrated yesterday all around the country,
with Turkish women emphasizing the importance of gender equality while many
used the opportunity to highlight various concerns. In a ceremony held at
Parliament, State Minister for women’s and children’s issues Nimet Cubukcu
said women could not get stronger as long as the limitations imposed on
them in public and at home are not eliminated. /Turkish Daily News/
[09] AGAR VISITS EXPORTERS GROUP TO DISCUSS RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
Opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday visited the
Turkish Exporters’ Association (TIM) to discuss recent economic
developments. During the meeting, Agar said that the Turkish economy could
no longer endure exchange rate imbalances, adding that the economic program
couldn’t continue with the current conditions. “The government can’t keep
on managing the economy with short-term measures,” added Agar. For his part
TIM Chairman Oguz Satici said that there were positive developments in the
economy, but that producers weren’t benefiting from this. /Turkiye/
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[11] SEMDINLI TRIAL BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the indictment on the Semdinli incidents
and its results. A summary of his column is as follows:
“I’d like to write more about the indictment on the Semdinli incidents. The
army’s discomfort about Van Public Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya’s wish to
‘deepen’ the probe targeting Land Forces Command Gen. Yasar Buyukanit was
delivered to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer. Van’s 3rd High Criminal Court filed the suit in spite of heavy
accusations in the indictment. The Semdinli trial is due to start on May 4.
The Justice Ministry started an investigation into incidents on Sarikaya.
Meanwhile, the General Staff yesterday stated that Van 3rd High Criminal
Court’s accepting the indictment had nothing to do with trying the
generals. The statement said, ‘The General Staff has its legal advisors
examine the claims, takes their suggestions into consideration and makes a
decision on opening a probe or not. As a result of that probe, the military
public prosecutor files charges or says that grounds for prosecution are
lacking.’
It’s understood from these words that a legal way will be found so the
accusations against Gen. Buyukanit can be taken out of the trial in Van. As
the public prosecutor’s office hadn’t applied to the General Staff up to
now, if such a thing happens, the complaints concerning the time he worked
as the Diyarbakir 7th Corps Command will be examined by the military public
prosecutor’s office and delivered to Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi
Ozkok for ‘permission.’ Then the process about Buyukanit will become clear
as part of the General Staff’s Legal advisors’ view. The name ‘postmodern
coup’ was given to the clash between the army and the political leadership
on Feb. 28, 1997. Fortunately, we have covered a great distance since then
in our European Union membership process. In addition, Ozkok tried to
ensure that the crisis can be overcome with minimal damage with his
‘democratic’ identity and through shuttle diplomacy between the General
Staff, government and Presidential Palace. He defused the tension to a
great extent. However, the Semdinli trial shouldn’t disappear from the
horizon since it was extended to the military. The incident should be
explored.”
ARCHIVE
The news and articles issued in the Turkish Press Review
may be quoted from provided due acknowledgement is made.
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