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Turkish Press Review, 06-03-24
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
24.03.2006
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH US SENATE DELEGATION
[02] OZKOK TELLS INTL TERRORISM SUMMIT THAT COMMON DEFINITION OF TERRORISM IS NECESSARY
[03] US JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN GEN. PACE MEETS WITH PM ERDOGAN, GEN. OZKOK
[04] ERDOGAN TO VISIT SUDAN
[05] YSK PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE EARLY ELECTIONS
[06] ANNAN: “THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT WITH PAPADOPOULOS IN PARIS”
[07] EU COMMISSIONER REHN: “THE EU NEEDS A STABLE, DEMOCRATIC TURKEY”
[08] KURDISH BROADCASTS BEGIN
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] OZKOK’S LESSON BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH US SENATE DELEGATION
Prime 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 NECESSARY
An 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. OZKOK
The 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 SUDAN
Prime 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 ELECTIONS
The 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 BEGIN
Broadcasts 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.
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