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Turkish Press Review, 06-11-06
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
06.11.2006
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] FORMER PM ECEVIT PASSES AWAY
[02] GOVT DISCUSSES ARTICLE 301 WITH NGOs
[03] GUL: "SADDAM'S SENTENCE IS IRAQ 'S BUSINESS"
[04] PARLIAMENT GETS READY FOR A BUSY WEEK
[05] CRITICAL WEEK BEGINS IN THE EU
[06] AT SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING IN CHILE , BAYKAL CRITICIZES PM
[07] AGAR: "SOME AKP MEMBERS ARE IMPROPERLY TRYING TO ORGANIZE RED CRESCENT ASSISTANCE IN FLOOD AREAS"
[08] HISARCIKLIOGLU: "OUR ECONOMY NEEDS TO BE SOUND FOR IT TO BE STRONG INTERNATIONALLY"
[09] HE WAS A COURAGEOUS STATESMAN
[01] FORMER PM ECEVIT PASSES AWAY
Five-time Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit died last night at Gulhane
Military Hospital (GATA), where he had been in a coma undergoing treatment
for nearly six months following a stroke. Ecevit, 81, had been a key figure
in Turkish politics for nearly a half-century. In a message of condolences,
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said, "The Turkish nation will remember Bulent
Ecevit's services to Turkey with respect." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said, "I leaned with great despair and sorrow of the death Bulent
Ecevit, who rendered important services to Turkey for many years as a
politician and a statesman. Turkish political life has lost an important
figure." Zeki Sezer, who succeeded Ecevit as leader of the Democratic Left
Party (DSP), said, "Our grief is truly endless. Yet at the same time, I
feel pride that I had the opportunity to work with Ecevit for a long time.
We have lost a great statesman and a leader. Yet his light will continue to
shine over this country forever." Deniz Baykal, leader of the Republican
People's Party (CHP), a party once headed by Ecevit, said, "He was a leader
who was set on practicing politics through principles, and he was our
teacher. His loss means the end of an historical era." /All papers/
[02] GOVT DISCUSSES ARTICLE 301 WITH NGOs
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by State Minister and
Turkey 's chief negotiator for EU accession talks Ali Babacan and Justice
Minister Cemil Cicek and bureaucrats, yesterday met with representatives of
major trade unions and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to
exchange views on Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Speaking to
the gathering, Erdogan said that the problems did not arise from the
article itself, but with the way it has been interpreted by some
prosecutors. Erdogan also asked the participants to put their proposals for
changes to Article 301 in writing so they can be discussed in another
meeting. The gathering came on the eve of this Wednesday's release of the
European Union Commission's report on Turkey , which is expected to
criticize Ankara for insufficient progress on freedom of /expression.
/Aksam_
[03] GUL: "SADDAM'S SENTENCE IS IRAQ 'S BUSINESS"
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, on a visit to his central Anatolian hometown
of Kayseri , yesterday declined to comment on the death sentence passed on
former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, saying that it was a domestic concern
of Iraq . Speaking to reporters, Gul said, "It's up to them. We don't
interfere in other countries' affairs." He stressed that Iraq is an
independent country which has territorial integrity and political unity,
adding that Turkey places great importance on this unity and integrity
continuing to serve the welfare of the Iraqi people. Hussein yesterday was
convicted of crimes against humanity in a Baghdad court and sentenced to
death by hanging. /Turkiye/
[04] PARLIAMENT GETS READY FOR A BUSY WEEK
Parliament is set to start a busy week to discuss two important issues, the
2007 budget and the controversial foundations bill. The debates on the
controversial foundations bill, also part of the ninth European Union
harmonization package, will continue this week. Another important issue
before Parliament is the 2007 budget. Officials said the busy working
schedule of Parliament will start on Tuesday and continue until late
Friday. /The New Anatolian/
[05] CRITICAL WEEK BEGINS IN THE EU
This is a critical week with far-reaching effects on the progress of
Turkish-European Union relations for the foreseeable future. The European
Union Commission will gather today and finalize its progress report on
Turkey and strategy paper, both to be released on Wednesday. After the
release of the documents, there is the possibility of a suspension of
Turkey 's EU negotiations or the imposition of restrictions on the Customs
Union and free movement of goods. In related news, disagreement continues
in the EU Commission over Turkey 's refusing to open its ports and harbors
to Greek Cypriot vessels without a corresponding end to the isolation of
the Turkish Cypriots. The Greek Cypriot administration is the only EU
country seeking a halt to the negotiation process overall. A group of
member states including France reportedly believes eight chapters should be
suspended, while Britain and Sweden are said to propose the suspension of
only three chapters. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso reportedly
favors not making any proposal on the strategy paper but leaving the
decision to December's EU leaders summit. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] AT SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING IN CHILE , BAYKAL CRITICIZES PM
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, who is
currently in Chile to attend a meeting of the Socialist International,
yesterday commented on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks that
news reports about last week's floods had been exaggerated, saying that
about 40 people has perished in those floods. "The premier should have
stood with the people instead of complaining about the news," said Baykal,
adding that Erdogan was accusing the media again, after complaining about
allegations of ties between his party and controversial holding Yimpas.
"About 10,000 people are facing difficult conditions due to the floods."
Also commenting on next year's presidential election, Baykal stated that
the election would be historic and that it wouldn't be appropriate for
Parliament to elect the president when it will have less than six months
left in its term. /Sabah/
[07] AGAR: "SOME AKP MEMBERS ARE IMPROPERLY TRYING TO ORGANIZE RED CRESCENT
ASSISTANCE IN FLOOD AREAS"
Speaking at a press conference at his party's headquarters over the weekend,
opposition Republican People's Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar commented on
last week's floods in the southeastern Anatolia region in which 40 people
lost their lives, claiming that some Justice and Development Party (AKP)
members in flood areas had tried to organize Red Crescent assistance. "This
is unacceptable," said Agar. "No one has such an authority except for
governors." Agar further criticized the Red Crescent, saying that the
assistance sent to flood areas was insufficient. He added that the Turkish
Armed Forces (TSK) had provided considerable assistance for victims of the
floods. /Milliyet/
[08] HISARCIKLIOGLU: "OUR ECONOMY NEEDS TO BE SOUND FOR IT TO BE STRONG
INTERNATIONALLY"
Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) head Rifat
Hisarciklioglu met with members of the Elazig Chamber of Trade and Industry
over the weekend. Hisarciklioglu said that the Turkish economy needed to be
sound in order to for it to be strong in the international arena. "A strong
economy means an economy at a point where it doesn't need to borrow money,"
said Hisarciklioglu. "If we borrow money, we start to make concessions,
even if we're just." He further stressed that communications and public
relations were important in the international arena, adding that Europe was
pressuring Turkey over the so-called Armenian genocide. /Sabah/
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[09] HE WAS A COURAGEOUS STATESMAN
BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)
Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on the death of senior staesman Bulent
Ecevit. A summary of his column is as follows:
"A legend of Turkish politics passed away last night. Former Prime minister
Bulent Ecevit died at the age of 81. He spent 49 years of his life serving
his nation. He was an honest politician. He is one of the few who didn't
give up even when facing the most desperate conditions.
Ecevit was a man who could risk his life for his beliefs. There was once an
assassination attempt on Ecevit when he was campaigning in Izmir . Another
attempt took place in the US when he visited the country as prime minister.
A radical Greek tried to kill him. In 1977 when he was leader of the
Republican People's Party (CHP), then Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel
warned him of an assassination plot in Istanbul 's Taksim Square . Ecevit
went there despite the warnings, and nobody could dissuade him.
It was a very serious issue to intervene in Cyprus in 1974, and he made
this decision and carried it through. Later, after the 1971 military
intervention in the administration, Ecevit said that he wouldn't cooperate
with this and resigned from his post as CHP secretary general. He was
against the military government after the Sept. 12, 1980 coup and put out a
magazine to express his view. He was put in prison twice due to his
statements, but he never gave up defending his position. His Democratic
Left Party (DSP), which he founded with the help of his wife when he was
barred from public life, ended up bringing him to power again as party
leader between 1999 and 2002. He was not only a courageous and patient man,
but also a man of great abilities. That's why we'll continue to talk about
him. I'd like to be one of the first to express my condolences and pay my
respects to him."
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