Turkish Press Review, 06-09-07

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

07.09.2006

CONTENTS

[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT

[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, on a one-day trip to Ankara as part of his tour of Mideast to exchange views on the Lebanon issue, yesterday met with top Turkish officials, including President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. During his talks with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Annan assured him that UN troops to be deployed in Lebanon would not engage in combat. Gul said that the Turkish public was sensitive on sending troops to Lebanon due to a recent rise in terrorist PKK attacks, adding that peace in the region could not be reached without a settlement to the Palestine issue. The UN secretary-general then met with Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Afterwards, the two leaders held a press conference where Erdogan reiterated that Turkish troops would be in Lebanon only to ensure peace in the region. /Turkiye/[03] TALAT MEETS WITH PAKISTANI PREMIER

Turkis Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat, on the last day of an official visit to Pakistan at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf, yesterday met with Premier Shaukat Aziz. During their talks, recent developments on Cyprus, and Talat’s meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopulos in July, were taken up. Stressing that the Greek Cypriot administration was blocking the European Union’s efforts to make contacts with the TRNC, Talat stated that Papadopulos aimed at forcing Ankara to abandon Turkish Cypriots during its EU accession process. The TRNC president said that they had lent support to Turkey to open its ports and harbors to Greek Cypriots, but he added that that decision should be taken simultaneously with ending the international isolation of the TRNC. Furthermore, Talat underlined that the international community should convince Greek Cypriots to reach a settlement, adding that otherwise peace on the island would be just a dream. /Turkiye/[04] TUSIAD’S SABANCI: “THE EU KNOWS NO MEASURE ON THE CYPRUS AND ARMENIAN ISSUES”

Speaking yesterday on the just-passed motion for sending soldiers to Lebanon, Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) Chair Omer Sabanci said, “I don’t want to comment on it right now. We hope that this initiative will bring an effective solution for peace and security in the region.” After the meeting, where Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was a guest, Sabanci spoke out against a highly critical new European Parliament report on Turkey, saying, “Now the EU should digest some issues. They should abandon their overblown stance on the Cyprus and Armenian issues. This report really knows no measure on these issues.” /Sabah/[05] GERMAN FM IN ISTANBUL FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE LAUNCH

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will today begin a two-day visit to Istanbul, where he and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul will launch a new initiative for intercultural dialogue. On Thursday, in the sumptuous surroundings of the historical Esma Sultan Mansion, the two top diplomats are expected to release the Ernest Reuter Manifesto, during the first meeting of intercultural dialogue between civilizations. The manifesto is named after Ernest Reuter, a German Social Democrat leader who escaped to Turkey from Nazi Germany and worked as a teacher at Ankara University. Bilateral relations, Turkey’s bid to join the European Union, the latest developments in Lebanon, and Iran’s nuclear crisis are also expected to be discussed during the Gul-Steinmeier meeting. /The New Anatolian/[06] NEW JUDICIAL YEAR BEGINS

The new judicial year began yesterday with a ceremony held at the Court of Appeals. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) Party leader Erkan Mumcu, and True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar were among those in attendance. Addressing the gathering, Court of Appeals Chief Justice Osman Arslan said that there was no definition of secularism in the Constitution, adding that characterizing secular people as atheist could create polarization in the country. He said “nobody in this country is a second- class citizen,” adding that preserving the unitary structure of Turkey is in the best interests of everyone living within its territories. Arslan stated that he appreciated the government passing a law boosting the salaries of judges and public prosecutors. In his speech, Arslan condemned the armed attack in May on members of the Council of State, saying, “No terrorist act can prevent justice from making the decisions it deems to be right. History will not forgive those responsible for that crime, and they will be remembered with hatred.” He stressed that such terrorist attacks can’t be allowed to influence the Turkish judiciary, which decides on rulings on the basis of conscience and in accordance with the law. /Milliyet/ [07] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS…[00] WHO DO THE ARMENIANS THINK THEY ARE?BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)

Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on a highly critical new European Parliament report. A summary of his column is as follows:

“The European Parliament gave a young Dutch MEP, who wants to make his career from Turkey, the task of preparing a report on Turkey. I can’t remember another report so ridiculous. His intentions are bad. It seems that cleverer politicians have misled this young MEP. Moreover, he claims to be a friend of the Turks.

He says Turkey has to accept the so-called Armenian genocide. We were surprised to see Armenia in Turkey’s EU progress report. Those who are unable or more reluctant to make Armenia withdraw from Azerbaijan's soil are criticizing our policies. How many times do we have to say it? ‘If the Armenians withdraw from Azerbaijan soil, then we would develop every relation with Armenia.’ Armenia would become a prosperous state in two years if we opened its doors to the world. Even simpletons know that there are many Armenians working illicitly in Istanbul.

But the Armenians think that this is the opportunity to form their ‘greater Armenia.’ The Kurds also think that they are close to forming their ‘greater Kurdistan.’ The PKK has become more violent. Barzani lowered the Iraqi flag. What’s happening? What do they believe? I should say it: They believe Turkey won’t stay on the US side in a war with Iran. They thing Washington will break off its relations with Turkey in such a case, and think that the Kurds and the Armenians would then have an opportunity. They are calculating that Turkey wouldn’t be considered in the Middle East. They think that such a Turkey would benefit both the Arabs and Iran. But Turkish foreign policy would never be based on such a scenario. A few Turkish mistakes shouldn’t inspire Armenian and Kurdish fantasies. We already got sunk into our debate over sending troops to Lebanon. We shouldn’t get stuck in a small part of the big game. We shouldn’t work for something impossible like finding a solution to the Palestinian problem. We shouldn’t make even one small mistake in the realities of foreign policy.”

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