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Turkish Press Review, 06-04-24
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
24.04.2006
TURKEY CELEBRATES 86TH
ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY
ARINC, BAYKAL ADDRESS
PARLIAMENT TO MARK CHILDREN’S DAY
AT HOME, ERDOGAN PREPARING FOR
US SEC'Y OF STATE RICE’S VISIT
PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT VISITS
ANKARA
RICE TO ARRIVE IN ATHENS
TOMORROW EN ROUTE TO TURKEY
TURKS IN NEW YORK CITY MARCH
AGAINST ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS
PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE
ENVIRONMENT LAW THIS WEEK
IRAQ'S TALABANI CONCERNED ABOUT
TURKISH AND IRANIAN TROOP CONCENTRATIONS ON THE
BORDER
BABACAN: “THERE IS NO
SLACKENING IN TURKEY’S EFFORTS TO JOIN THE EU”
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
GEN. OZKOK’S REMARKS
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY CELEBRATES 86TH ANNIVERSARY
OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY
[02] ARINC, BAYKAL ADDRESS PARLIAMENT TO
MARK CHILDREN’S DAY
[03] AT HOME, ERDOGAN PREPARING FOR US
SEC'Y OF STATE RICE’S VISIT
[04] PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT VISITS ANKARA
[05] RICE TO ARRIVE IN ATHENS TOMORROW
EN ROUTE TO TURKEY
[06] TURKS IN NEW YORK CITY MARCH
AGAINST ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS
[07] PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE ENVIRONMENT
LAW THIS WEEK
[08] IRAQ'S TALABANI CONCERNED ABOUT
TURKISH AND IRANIAN TROOP CONCENTRATIONS ON THE
BORDER
[09] BABACAN: “THERE IS NO SLACKENING IN
TURKEY’S EFFORTS TO JOIN THE EU”
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[11] GEN. OZKOK’S REMARKS
BY
FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[01] TURKEY CELEBRATES 86TH ANNIVERSARY
OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY
National Sovereignty and
Children’s Day was celebrated yesterday
throughout the country. Celebrations began with
the visit of a delegation led by Education
Minister Huseyin Celik to Anitkabir, Ataturk’s
mausoleum. Observations in 19 Mayis Stadium in
Ankara started with Celik’s celebrating
Children’s Day but due to rain, children’s
ceremonies planned to be held at the stadium had
to be cancelled. In Istanbul, students from
Indonesia, Poland, Bulgaria, Korea, and Thailand
participated in the ceremonies held at Ali Sami
Yen Stadium. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] ARINC, BAYKAL ADDRESS PARLIAMENT TO
MARK CHILDREN’S DAY
Addressing Parliament’s special
session yesterday to mark April 23 Children’s
Day and the anniversary of the founding of the
Turkish Grand National Assembly, Parliament
Speaker Bulent Arinc said that there was a
problem of balance in the division of powers in
Turkey, adding that Parliament had lost much of
its power. Commenting on arguments over the
so-called “secret constitution,” or National
Security Policy Document, Arinc stated that this
was unacceptable in a democratic country. “Such
concepts mean that a secret, anti-democratic
government holds power,” he said. “There is only
one Constitution, and it’s the one in effect.”
Also addressing Parliament, main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz
Baykal said that the opening of Parliament in
1923 had reflected a radical mentality change,
adding that secularism was the basis of
democracy. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Chief
of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, and
ambassadors attended the special session. Later,
Arinc gave a reception to mark the day. Justice
Minister Cemil Cicek, Education Minister Huseyin
Celik, Tourism Minister Atilla Koc, opposition
Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu,
and opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader
Mehmet Agar were all present at the reception.
/Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/
[03] AT HOME, ERDOGAN PREPARING FOR US
SEC'Y OF STATE RICE’S VISIT
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan is expected to resume work by chairing
today’s Cabinet meeting, which he had suspended
for a week due to health reasons, after a
medical checkup. During his bed rest, Erdogan
was following recent developments, including the
Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) preparations for
operations against the terrorist PKK and the
controversy between the US and Iran, and he also
got prepared for US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice’s important visit to Ankara set
for Wednesday. /Star/
[04] PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT VISITS ANKARA
Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas yesterday arrived in Ankara to have talks
with Turkish officials. During his two-day stay,
Abbas is expected to meet with President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, and
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc as well as main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
leader Deniz Baykal. Furthermore, he is set to
address Turkish businessmen to call on them to
invest in Palestine. During his tour of European
countries beginning with Turkey, Abbas will seek
to regain international support following the
Hamas-led government’s coming to power in
Palestine. /Turkiye/
[05] RICE TO ARRIVE IN ATHENS TOMORROW
EN ROUTE TO TURKEY
Prior to her visit to Ankara,
US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice is set to
arrive tomorrow in Athens, Greece. She is
expected to have talks with Premier Costas
Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis.
/Turkiye/
[06] TURKS IN NEW YORK CITY MARCH
AGAINST ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS
After years of being the scene
of Armenian demonstrations, over the weekend New
York’s famous Times Square played host to
Turkish counter-demonstrations. In response to
Armenians’ demonstrations for today, April 24,
which they call the anniversary of the so-called
genocide, Turks living in the US organized a
rally entitled “End to Armenian Lies.” Many
Turks including Turkey’s Consul General to New
York Omer Onhon and Turkish Americans attended
the demonstration held by the Federation of
Turkish-American Associations (FTAA) and
Association of Young Turks. “This march is
Turkish society’s reaction to the constant
repetition of the Armenians’ baseless
allegations,” said Onhon. /Star/
[07] PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE ENVIRONMENT
LAW THIS WEEK
Parliament will debate new an
environment bill this week. Following the
discovery of toxic waste in Istanbul’s Tuzla
district, the public spotlight is on the new
bill, which proposes stricter penalties for
environmental polluters. In addition, on
Wednesday, Parliament’s Justice Commission will
discuss changes to the Anti-Terror Law, and on
Thursday, Parliament’s Forestry and Rural
Affairs Commission will debate proposals on a
law concerning the sale of former or degraded
forestland. /Turkiye/
[08] IRAQ'S TALABANI CONCERNED ABOUT
TURKISH AND IRANIAN TROOP CONCENTRATIONS ON THE
BORDER
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
yesterday expressed concern over reported
Iranian and Turkish troop concentrations on
those countries’ borders with Iraq. Turkey has
moved thousands of troops to the border region
in what its military says is an offensive
against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK). Talabani said that so far Iranian and
Turkish forces have stayed on their sides of the
border. “I have expressed my concern over these
concentrations ... Iraq is a sovereign,
independent nation that won’t let other nations
interfere in its internal affairs,” he added.
/Turkish Daily News/
[09] BABACAN: “THERE IS NO SLACKENING IN
TURKEY’S EFFORTS TO JOIN THE EU”
State Minister for the Economy
Ali Babacan, attending spring meetings of the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank
in Washington, yesterday said that there had
been no relaxation in Turkey’s efforts to gain
European Union membership. “Turkey has a
historic opportunity concerning EU membership,”
he said. “If we lose this chance, it could take
a decade to catch it again.” Speaking at a press
conference following his meetings with IMF
Managing Director Rodrigo Rato, IMF Deputy
Managing Director Anne Krueger, and US Assistant
Secretary of State for Economic and Business
Affairs Anthony Wayne, Babacan said that there
may be circles in Turkey displeased with
political and economic reforms, adding that no
one could halt the reforms. He stressed that the
government was working to reduce the tax burden
on employers, adding that this wouldn’t lead to
deviation from budget targets. /Milliyet/
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[11] GEN. OZKOK’S REMARKS
BY
FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila comments
on recent remarks by Chief of General Staff Gen.
Hilmi Ozkok. A summary of his column is as
follows:
“The
commanders were 'gone with the wind' from the
April 23 reception at the Parliament. While the
Parliament speaker was finishing welcoming the
guests and entering the hall, Chief of General
Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and force commands left
the reception together. During the commanders’
15-20-minute visit, Gen. Ozkok took brief
questions from reporters on current issues. The
first question was about military activity and
the possibility of a cross-border operation.
‘There’s activity every spring,' said Ozkok.
'When the snow melts, the area expands and we
act in line with the need. This year, there’s a
little more need for units. This changes
according to the situation every year. As long
as the area expands, needs increase. When I read
the newspapers, I see that the situation is
being overblown. Newspapers say that units are
about to go to Iraq. I learn what we're doing
from you.’ Concerning launching a cross-border
operation, Gen. Ozkok said, ‘Turkey is a
sovereign country. If the conditions arise, it
would use its rights just like every sovereign
country. The country from which the attacks are
made (Iraq) should take measures and prevent
this. If they aren’t or can’t be prevented, then
those conditions will be considered.’
When
Gen. Ozkok was asked about last week's decision
to remove Van’s public prosecutor from office,
he said, ‘This is the judiciary’s decision. We
can’t comment. We were unjustly treated and made
a complaint. However, we don’t know if they took
action due to our complaint or their own rules.
We had no impact on the decision. They made a
decision with their own mechanisms and free
will. This is the decision of the High Council
of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK). We can’t
comment on this. We only delivered our
complaint. Otherwise, can we say that this
should be done and that shouldn’t be done?’ Gen.
Ozkok also didn’t want to comment on Arinc’s
speech for April 23, National Sovereignty and
Children’s Day, taking no questions and saying
that political questions shouldn’t be asked.”
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