Turkish Press Review, 06-10-04

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

04.10.2006

CONTENTS

[01] ANKARA TO HOST TOP FOREIGN OFFICIALS THIS MONTH

[01] ANKARA TO HOST TOP FOREIGN OFFICIALS THIS MONTH

After completing his contacts in the US, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday proceeded to London. Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan, met with his British counterpart Tony Blair. During their talks, reportedly the Mideast, Iran and terrorist PKK issues were taken up. /Sabah/[03] ERDOGAN: “ISLAMOPHOBIA IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY”

In an interview with The Washington Post published on Tuesday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that in the same way people consider anti-Semitism a crime against humanity, Islamophobia was also such a crime. Regarding Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Erdogan stated that most Turks are in favor of EU membership for a better standard of living. Erdogan also however stressed that the EU’s stance on Cyprus had hurt its standing in the Turkish public. The premier also said that Turkey was resolved to continue the fight against terrorism. Furthermore, Erdogan also criticized people who try to link terrorism with Islam. /Sabah/[04] REHN: “AS A FRIEND, MY AIM IS TO PREVENT A TRAIN CRASH”

European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn yesterday said that he had come to Turkey both to attend a symposium held by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Turk-Is) and to prevent a “train crash” from occurring around the first anniversary of the beginning of Turkey’s EU membership negotiations. “As a friend I want to be honest with you: The reform process has slowed down,” said Rehn. “You should continue the reform process with determination and fulfill your obligations on the Ankara Protocol.” Asked about Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok’s remarks about reactionaryism, Rehn said that there had been a misunderstanding and that as a former soldier he believed in the professionalism of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Speaking about Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), Rehn said that freedom of expression was a touchstone of EU values and Turkey should consider this while deciding about the controversial law. /Star/ [05] US’ WILSON DOWNPLAYS DOMESTIC DEBATES IN TURKEY

Speaking yesterday about President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok’s recent remarks on reactionaryism, US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson said that the cacophony in domestic policy and the media was nothing to be worried about. Stating that he was surprised by debates over reactionaryism, Wilson said that Turkey was an example of a secular state and added, “Regardless of these debates, we admire Turkey.” /Cumhuriyet/[06] MERKEL TO VISIT ANKARA

Turkey’s European Union bid, dialogue between civilizations and economic relations will top talks during the first visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Turkey set to begin tomorrow. Merkel will proceed to Istanbul with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after meeting with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in Ankara. Merkel and Erdogan will both participate in the Turkish-German Economic Forum to be held in Istanbul on Friday. /Hurriyet/[07] GEN. BASBUG CALLS ON TERRORISTS TO DISARM AND UNCONDITIONALLY SURRENDER

Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug, accompanied by Gendarmerie General Commander Gen. Isik Kosaner, yesterday visited the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. During a visit to Governor Efkan Ala, Basbug urged terrorist group PKK militants to lay down their arms and unconditionally surrender to Turkish justice. Gen. Kosaner also said that the fight against the terrorist group would continue until the last militant lays down his arms. /Milliyet/[08] THY HIJACKING ENDS IN SURRENDER

A Turkish Airlines (THY) plane was hijacked over Greece yesterday after it took off from the Albanian capital of Tirana to Istanbul, apparently to protest Pope Benedict XVI’s recent controversial remarks about Islam. The Boeing 737-400 plane, carrying 107 passengers and six crew members, landed at Brindisi Airport in Italy, where the two unarmed hijackers surrendered to authorities. None of the plane’s passengers were harmed. /All papers/[09] CPI INFLATION RISES IN SEPTEMBER

The Turkish Statistics Institute (TUIK) released its monthly inflation figures for September yesterday. Consumer price index (CPI) inflation exceeded average expectations. CPI inflation in September rose by 1.29 pct to reach 10.55 pct year-on-year. Producer price index (PPI) inflation in September fell by 0.23 pct to reach 11.19 pct year-on-year. /Aksam/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS[00] SEZER AND BUYUKANITBY M. ALI KISLALI (RADIKAL)

Columnist M. Ali Kislali comments on recent speeches by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit. A summary of his column is as follows:

“President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit both recently gave historic speeches. Sezer warned of problems eroding the Republic’s constitutional legal basis and the regime’s foundation and spoke of the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) place and duties. Gen. Buyukanit was on the same page as Sezer, and gave open signals of how to approach to the TSK’s new era. Both of the speeches should be published in the form of booklets to be used to educate people uninformed about current events. The public should be told about the highest-level military and civilian evaluations which weren’t expressed completely, particularly over the last four years. The latest speech made by Sezer, who displays an exemplary stance in order to protect the constitutional regime, is unforgettable. This evaluation showed the basic dimension, which has great similarities between the Presidential Palace and the chief of General Staff. I think we’ll continue to see the signs of this healthy until the end of Sezer’s term next spring. Sezer spoke about the TSK’s mission and legal place in protecting the regime. The claims that the TSK talks about certain issues which don’t concern it are groundless, under his analysis.

Upon this sound legal basis, Gen. Buyukanit announced his decisions about what is and what will be the TSK’s approach. The point in common during civilian and military summits is the need to protect the democratic regime from the threat of fundamentalism and separatism. As long as the image that the constitutional regime can’t be protected by civilian institutions continues, the TSK will continue to carry out its task. Before the series of military speeches which started with Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug’s and continued with addresses by Air Forces Commander Gen. Faruk Comert and Naval Forces Commander Vice Adm. Yener Karahanoðlu, and ended with Gen. Buyukanit’s speech, the speech made by Sezer prepared a strong basis for the military evaluations. Important issues that should be discussed aren’t limited to the threat of fundamentalism and terrorism. They must be evaluated separately. However, it should be noted that the TSK has been determined to talk about the activities of certain domestic and foreign forces which want to damage the public’s respect for it. Thus, the General Staff’s unmasking certain evaluations and suggestions lacking sincerity will be beneficial for people of good will who want to learn about these issues. It should be noted that the remarks made by Gen. Buyukanit and the Force Commanders have already been assimilated by the TSK, and politicians should make their calculations accordingly. These remarks haven’t been made before, because of the chiefs of staff’s change of style.” [11] SHOW AT THE WHITE HOUSEBY BEKIR COSKUN (HURRIYET)

Columnist Bekir Coskun comments on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the US. A summary of his column is as follows:

They say that the meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President George W. Bush was successful on issues like the terrorist PKK. The only problem is that they forgot the name of the terrorist group PKK. Erdogan didn’t mention the PKK, he said, because he didn’t want to publicize the group, and Bush for his part just forgot its name. It’s good that they are determined on something whose name they forget or didn’t mention. Erdogan also said: ‘I see that Bush is determined.’ On what issue? It’s not clear

The happiest news in our media was that the meeting went longer than expected. The meeting was very beneficial, according to Erdogan, if only Bush hadn’t forgotten the name of the PKK. At least he didn’t forget Erdogan’s mane.

There were many Washington shows of this kind. Especially when late President Turgut Ozal got to spend the night in the White House. The visit of then Prime Minister Tansu Ciller back in the mid-‘90s was presented to the Turkish public like this: ‘The Iron Lady fascinated the US.’

Let’s look back and see what happened back then: A Kurdish state was established in northern Iraq with the help of the US. Kirkuk is no longer a Turkmen city anymore. The PKK became stronger in this region built by the US. The PKK has US arms, bombs and mines. And there is a map of Turkey in an [unofficial] US magazine on the armed forces where half of our country has become ‘Kurdistan.’

This is a show we see from time to time. On the one side, there are the mothers crying beside the coffins of their martyred sons, and on the other we see shows with colorful, insincere words from the Oval Office”

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