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Turkish Press Review, 06-03-24Turkish 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 morning24.03.2006FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH US SENATE DELEGATIONPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with a group of US senators led by Sen. John W. Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, currently in Ankara for an official visit. Addressing the group, Erdogan commented on Iran’s nuclear program, saying that Ankara would continue to urge Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the international community. Asked about Iran’s nuclear program following the meeting, Warner said that they had exchanged views with Erdogan on the issue. Saying that Iran was continuing its efforts to produce nuclear weapons, Warner stressed that neither Turkey nor other countries in the region would benefit from this. Warner stated that he believed that the problem would be solved through the UN. Commenting on Iraq, Warner said that senators came to Turkey after paying two days of visits to Afghanistan and Iraq, adding that the nations of both countries were trying to establish free and democratic countries. /Turkiye/[02] OZKOK TELLS INTL TERRORISM SUMMIT THAT COMMON DEFINITION OF TERRORISM IS NECESSARYAn international terrorism symposium entitled “Global Terrorism and International Cooperation” hosted by the General Staff’s Center of Excellence-Defense Against Terrorism started yesterday in Ankara. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok were among the attendees. Addressing the gathering, Ozkok said that a common definition of terrorism should be made, adding that there can be no success in the fight against terror when one country’s terrorist is another’s “freedom fighter.” “There is only one type of terrorist,” he said. Stressing the need for international cooperation in anti-terror efforts, Ozkok said that no one country could succeed in this fight by itself. Ozkok further stated that not cooperating in this fight would help terrorism spread in the world. Stressing that terrorism is a global threat, Ozkok added that peace and security would be everywhere or nowhere. Afghan President Hamid Karzai also spoke at the gathering, saying that all religions should be respected if cooperation is sought in the fight against terror. After the meeting, asked about the reports that he’ll testify as a witness in a court case about the Semdinli bombings, Land Forces Comander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit replied, “It’s better to be a witness than a suspect.” /Turkiye/[03] US JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN GEN. PACE MEETS WITH PM ERDOGAN, GEN. OZKOKThe chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, yesterday said that the US would work against the terrorist PKK but first, stability should be ensured in Iraq. Gen. Pace met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of his contacts in Ankara. After meeting with Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Gen. Pace stated that he had had the chance to talk with Premier Erdogan about issues of importance for both countries. Gen. Pace also said that he had had a good meeting with Gen. Ozkok. Prime Minister Erdogan reportedly conveyed Turkey’s sensitivities about the Kirkuk issue. He also conveyed Turkey’s uneasiness, expectations and efforts against the terrorist PKK’s activities in Iraq. Erdogan stressed the importance of a joint fight against terrorism. Gen. Pace attended the reception held for the symposium entitled Global Terrorism and International Cooperation, where he took journalists’ questions. Gen. Pace said that he had spoken about many issues with Prime Minister Erdogan, including the terrorist PKK issue, and that they will work to counter the terrorist PKK after a government is formed in Iraq. /Turkiye/[04] ERDOGAN TO VISIT SUDANPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Sudan on Monday to attend a two-day Arab League summit in the capital of Khartoum. Erdogan is expected to deliver a speech on the “Alliance of Civilizations” project co- sponsored by Turkey and Spain and have talks with Arab leaders during the summit. /Cumhutriyet/[05] YSK PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE EARLY ELECTIONSThe Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) is taking action in order not to be caught unprepared for possible early elections. YSK acting head Ahmet Hamdi Unlu said that some preparations should be done before any elections and added, “Ballot boxes are being made. If we’re told there will be elections this September, we can’t say, ‘We don’t have the necessary materials.’ There’s no such possibility, but we have to be ready.” /Sabah/[06] ANNAN: “THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT WITH PAPADOPOULOS IN PARIS”UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan this week sent a letter to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRMC) President Mehmet Ali Talat concerning the Cyprus issue. In the letter, Annan said that he and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos had not reached any agreement at their recent meeting in Paris since both Cypriot leaders’ approval is needed for any agreement, adding that Papadopoulos didn’t give him any list of proposed changes to the Annan plan. Stressing that there was a gap between the wishes of the two sides, Annan said that he continued to examine Ankara’s Cyprus action plan. He stated that he wanted to meet with Talat to learn his views on the issue. /Milliyet/[07] EU COMMISSIONER REHN: “THE EU NEEDS A STABLE, DEMOCRATIC TURKEY”European Union member states leaders yesterday convened in Brussels to discuss the Union’s fiscal issues. Speaking before the meeting, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn commented on Ankara’s EU bid, saying that the Union needed a stable, democratic Turkey. “That’s why we gave a membership perspective to Ankara,” he said. “I think that Turkey will be ready for EU membership within 10-15 years.” Commenting on the recent Muhammed cartoon crisis, Rehn praised Turkey’s positive, constructive role in the crisis. /Sabah/[08] KURDISH BROADCASTS BEGINBroadcasts in Kurdish started yesterday for the first time on private television and radio stations. Gun TV, Soz TV and Medya FM transmitting in Sanliurfa started broadcasting in the Kirmanci dialect of Kurdish. Soz TV in Diyarbakir made the first broadcast of the news as checked by Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK). Soz TV explored the influence of Kurdish broadcasting with a program featuring interviews with citizens. Subtitles in Turkish are mandatory on Kurdish-language broadcasts, which last for 45 minutes twice a week. /Sabah/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[10] OZKOK’S LESSON BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the remarks of Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. A summary of his column is as follows:“Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok’s speech at the international symposium on ‘Global Terrorism and International Cooperation’ organized by the General Staff was like a lesson. Gen. Ozkok gave messages to the world on the definition of terrorism, the international socioeconomic features behind it, its global dimension and new methods, targets and differences and distortions in the approach towards terrorism. Gen. Ozkok drew the audience’s attention to double standards in the fight against terrorism and said that countries shouldn’t trust the security of their own borders, the right of self-defense or their share in the global economy. He stated that no one country can win the fight against terrorism single-handedly and that a nation or culture which tries to defeat terrorism targeting itself while ignoring terrorism aimed at the other countries and cultures has no chance of success. He added that the biggest mistake would be considering certain terrorists ‘villains’ and others ‘freedom fighters’ and that this false distinction served to fuel terrorism. These evaluations from Gen. Ozkok were criticisms and warnings to countries which consider only terrorism aimed at themselves to be threats and which think that they can solve all the problems with their economic and military might. Gen. Ozkok added that the history was full of examples showing that the terrorism was the most ungrateful child and that terrorism would finally lash out and destroy the hand that feeds it. One of the figures who got reporters’ attention on the sidelines of the symposium was opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. He was asked questions about the recent removal from office of Sabri Uzan, the head of the Security Directorate General’s Intelligence Division. Baykal took questions on whether the accusations against Land Forces Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit in the Semdinli indictment and the General Staff’s demands and expectations were related to Uzan’s removal. Baykal said, ‘The real reason he was removed from office should be explained. If this is related to the Semdinli file, it means that the issue jumped from Van to Ankara. The government made this. Thus, the government accepts the relationship.’ When we asked which relationship he meant, he said, ‘The relationship between Van and Ankara. The question is how this relationship will advance in the next stage.’ When another reporter asked, ‘For example, would the issue jump to the office of the prime minister’s Undersecretary Omer Dincer?’ he said, ‘It’s a good question, let’s write this down. The important thing is to ask the right question.’ Concerning Van’s Public Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya, who drew up the Semdinli indictment, Baykal said, ‘We are also anxiously awaiting the results of the report prepared by inspectors who returned from Van.’ Baykal emphasized that these developments shouldn’t close the dimension of the incident about a bombing last November in Semdinli.” 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 |