Turkish Press Review, 06-09-04

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From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>

04.09.2006

CONTENTS

[01] ERDOGAN: “AFTER CRYING FOR THE LEBANESE, IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE NOT TO THE HELP THEM”

[01] ERDOGAN: “AFTER CRYING FOR THE LEBANESE, IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE NOT TO THE HELP THEM”

Parliament is due tomorrow to debate a motion for sending soldiers to a peacekeeping force in Lebanon. The vote will be chaired by Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. In related news, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul are due to address the group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to brief deputies on the issue. /Star/[03] EP TO VOTE ON TURKISH REPORT TODAY

The European Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission is expected to vote on a report on Turkey this evening. The report prepared by Dutch Christian Democrat Camiel Eurlings will be re-debated and voted in September by the full EP. The draft report calls on Turkey to speed up its reform process, especially on the issues of freedom of speech, religious and minority rights, civilian-military relations, women's rights, unions, and cultural rights. Condemning the terrorist PKK attacks, the report also urges Turkey to begin good neighborly relations with Armenia and to open its ports and harbors to Greek Cypriot ships, adding that including the Greek Cypriot administration, recognition of all EU countries during the negotiation period is compulsory. /Turkiye/[04] GONUL: “WE OWE OUR MARTYRS DEARLY SINCE THEY LOST THEIR LIVES SERVING TURKEY”

Speaking at a meeting of his party in Kocaeli over the weekend, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul commented on recent PKK attacks and Turkey sending peacekeeping soldiers to Lebanon, saying that Turkey owed its martyrs a huge debt since they lost their lives while serving their country. Commenting on arguments over sending soldiers to Lebanon before Turkey's terror problem hasn't been ended, Gonul stated that the PKK was an issue of public security. “But the Lebanese conflict is an international issue,” he said. “These issues aren’t related to each other.” /Milliyet/ [05] BAYKAL: "TURKEY SHOULDN'T BE PART OF A WAR IN LEBANON”

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that there was a war of religions in Lebanon, adding, “We think that it would be disadvantageous for Turkey to be part of this war.” Baykal stressed that all CHP deputies would be present at Parliament tomorrow when a motion on sending Turkish peacekeeping troops to Lebanon will be debated. Commenting on the fight against terrorism, Baykal said that there was no need for a coordinator to be appointed in this fight. “Fighting terrorism is Turkey’s business,” he said. “We want the US to keep its promise concerning northern Iraq.” The US last week appointed a special envoy to coordinate efforts against the PKK, and Ankara is expected to soon do the same. /Aksam/[06] TERRORISM CLAIMS EIGHT SOLDIERS

Following the murder of eight soldiers during terrorist PKK attacks on Friday and Saturday in the southeastern region of the country, the fallen soldiers were laid to rest in funerals around the country. Attending funerals in Ankara, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek and other Cabinet ministers and top-level commanders reiterated Turkey’s determination to fight terrorists to the very end. The mourners condemned the PKK, and some called on the government not to send troops overseas before totally destroying the PKK. /Sabah/[07] TRNC’S PRESIDENT PAYS LANDMARK VISIT TO PAKISTAN

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday left for Islamabad at the invitation of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. This is Talat's first visit to a country with his title of “TRNC president.” During his contacts, in addition to Musharraf, Talat will have talks with Premier Shaukat Aziz as well as the Parliament speaker and other top officials. Ankara and the TRNC see the invitation as a historic step towards recognition of the TRNC in the international community and ending its international isolation. Talat, accompanied by his wife, is expected to return to the Turkish Cyprus on Wednesday. /Turkiye/[08] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[00] TURKEY’S IMPORTANCE, AND THE US' MISTAKEBY EMRE KONGAR (CUMHURIYET)

Columnist Emre Kongar comments on Turkish-US relations. A summary of his column is as follows:

“The fate of the world is being drawn in the Middle East. The US came to the Middle East and settled there as an invading force in order to strengthen its leadership in the world, that is, its geostrategic location in the world and control oil resources. Turkey is the strongest country in the Middle East, but its importance doesn’t come only from this. Radical political Islamic terror, which is seen by US President George W. Bush as a universal threat, is using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as its raison d'etre. As a country which has been accepting the existence of both Israel and Palestine from the beginning, Turkey represents the justice, wisdom and balance which are needed for a solution. In other words, Turkey has a policy based on justice, wisdom and balance for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, its importance doesn’t only come from its being reasonable, balanced, fair and steady in terms of the Middle East conflict.

Traditionally, Turkey is an ally of the Western world and it’s a majority- Muslim society, but it’s not an Islamic state. It’s secular and democratic both as a state and society. Here, there’s a thin line. In terms of the state, one can’t be an Islamic state and secular and democratic at the same time. In terms of society, one can be both Muslim and secular and democratic. Thus, Turkey is Muslim and secular and democratic as a society, and only secular and democratic as a state. This is Turkey’s actual importance. Turkey is the one and only example in the world of a secular, democratic state in a Muslim society. So it’s a miracle of the 20th century and a beacon for the improvement of humanity. Turkey and humanity owe Ataturk and his innovations for this shining beacon. The key political and ideological hurdle to the efforts of the US and radical Islamic terrorists to try to stir up a war between the Muslim, Jewish and Christian worlds is Turkey’s secular, democratic state model in the Muslim world. The US’ mistake is that the Bush administration, which ignores the fact that the final solution lies in Islam’s democratization, is pushing Turkey to be an Islamic state favoring the US, and ignoring the solution of a secular, democratic state model in a Muslim society, because it’s not trying to solve humanity’s problems, but promoting its own interests and area of sovereignty.”[09] WILL TURKEY HAVE TO TAKE SIDES?BY OSMAN ULUAGAY (MILLIYET)

Columnist Osman Uluagay comments on Turkish foreign policy. A summary of his column is as follows:

“In my column yesterday I wrote about whether Turkey has become a country of hopeless people who think Ankara will be swept into a position where it has to choose between one of two worlds, and I reached the conclusion there's no need for panic. The belief that this world isn’t important and that the really important thing is the afterlife encourages suicide bombings. There is a multidimensional dilemma in Muslim countries ruled by authorities caused by the harmony to the global order which the Western world has created. This expression ‘two worlds’ can form the basis of an ideology of revolt in Muslim countries.

Turkey, with its economy integrated with the global economy and large middle class in Anatolia, and as a country in a process of integration with the European Union, is in a totally different situation. It seems difficult that the expression ‘two worlds’ would be common in Turkey. But there's a possibility that Turkey will have to face its own ‘two worlds.’ The next 18 months could be very interesting. Next year's presidential and general elections will make the environment for this dilemma. Both the attitude of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the front against the AKP, which sees it as a threat to the future of the republic, can be key factors. We can expect that the front against the AKP will do all it can not to let the last stronghold, the presidency, got into AKP hands if Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan runs for the office.

What concerns me is whether the sides of these two fronts will act like soldiers of the ‘two worlds.’ I may be mistaken, but it seems to me that both sides are preparing for a controversy. If such a conflict occurs, both sides will try to find supporters from abroad and the media and start a war of symbols. It's clear that this wouldn’t benefit Turkey. This could also have an effect on our economy. I hope everyone calculates wisely and Turkey won’t be swept into a position of a country teetering between the ‘two worlds’.”

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