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Turkish Press Review, 07-05-09
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
09.05.2007
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: "PARLIAMENT KNOWS WHAT TO DO"
[02] BAYKAL: "IF THE AKP REMAINS IN POWER, THERE WILL BE A REGIME PROBLEM"
[03] GEN. SAYGUN: "WE'RE WAITING FOR THE IRAQI GOVT TO TAKE STEPS AGAINST THE PKK"
[04] BARZANI: "THE PKK IS A POLITICAL ISSUE"
[05] PARLIAMENT PASSES LAW PUSHING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
[06] BABACAN: "THREE MORE EU CHAPTERS WILL BE OPEN FOR NEGOTIATIONS"
[07] TOURISM MINISTER KOC: "GENERAL ELECTIONS WON'T AFFECT TOURISM"
[08] JAZZ SINGER RUACAN LAID TO REST
[01] ERDOGAN: "PARLIAMENT KNOWS WHAT TO DO"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday rejected the Turkish
Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association's (TUSIAD) suggestion that it
would be better if a package of constitutional changes were taken up by the
new Parliament following July's general elections, saying, "Parliament
knows better what to do." Before a meeting of his ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP), Erdogan also commented on the Supreme Board of
Elections' (YSK) decision to set July 22 as the date for early general
elections. "We had been pushing for June 24 or July 1," he said. "But after
the meeting between Parliament's Constitutional Committee and the YSK, July
22 was decided by Parliament. Now we're making our preparations for July
22. The countdown to the general elections has started. We've planned the
work for the general elections and have been carrying it out." /Star/
[02] BAYKAL: "IF THE AKP REMAINS IN POWER, THERE WILL BE A REGIME PROBLEM"
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal
yesterday claimed that if the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
remains in power after July's general elections, Turkey would face a regime
problem. Speaking to news channel SkyTurk, Baykal said that the Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is acting out of feelings of defeat and
revenge, adding, "You [Erdogan] couldn't elect the president. You also
couldn't change the method of electing the president, you can't do it." In
related news, the status of a proposed alliance or merger between the
Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the CHP remains unclear. Reports say
difficulties about unifying the left ahead of the elections have yet to be
solved. DSP leader Zeki Sezer yesterday convened the party's provincial
heads in Ankara to discuss the situation. /Aksam/
[03] GEN. SAYGUN: "WE'RE WAITING FOR THE IRAQI GOVT TO TAKE STEPS AGAINST
THE PKK"
Gen. Ergin Saygun, the deputy chief of the General Staff, yesterday said
that they were waiting for the Iraqi government to take steps to counter
the terrorist PKK as soon as possible, including officially designating it
a terrorist organization. Speaking to reporters at Bulgaria's military day
reception, Saygun said that no concrete steps had been taken against the
PKK by the special envoy mechanism and that these envoys for the fight
against the PKK would meet again soon. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] BARZANI: "THE PKK IS A POLITICAL ISSUE"
Northern Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, during a series of contacts
in Brussels, said yesterday that the terrorist PKK was a political issue.
Speaking before the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee,
Barzani said that he favored a diverse and democratic Iraq within a unitary
structure. Asked by Cem Ozdemir, a German Greens MEP born of Turkish
parents, what the northern Iraqi Kurdish administration had done to talk to
Turkey on the PKK issue, Barzani answered, "The PKK is a political question
that cannot be solved by military means." He said he was ready to cooperate
with Turkey and take part in a political solution to the problem. Asked if
unrest would follow a referendum in the city of Kirkuk set for later this
year, he called Kirkuk an Iraqi city with a Kurdish character. "We need to
go ahead with a referendum, as further delays can only destabilize the
situation," he said, while warning that "foreign intervention in this issue
is unacceptable." /Sabah/
[05] PARLIAMENT PASSES LAW PUSHING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
As the clock ticks down to July's general elections, the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) yesterday passed a law on nuclear energy. The law
sets regulations for constructing nuclear power plants, their operations,
and sales of their energy. The main opposition Republican People's Party
(CHP) has opposed nuclear power due to concerns over environmental
pollution. In addition, the head of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers
(EMO) charged yesterday that issues critical to Turkey's future were being
dealt with in a rush. He stressed that in the unclear situation the nation
now faces, Parliament dealing with nuclear energy was unacceptable. He also
pointed to the objections of people living in Sinop and Akkuyu, where
nuclear power plants are planned. /Milliyet/
[06] BABACAN: "THREE MORE EU CHAPTERS WILL BE OPEN FOR NEGOTIATIONS"
Ali Babacan, state minister for the economy and chief negotiator for
Turkey's European Union talks, said yesterday that Turkey had submitted to
the EU its fiscal plans for the next three years and that three more
chapters would be open for negotiations by June 26. Speaking to reporters
in Brussels after a meeting of EU candidate countries' economy and finance
ministers, Babacan said that in the coming years Ankara would not make
concessions from its fiscal policy. He stated that he had had fruitful
talks with EU officials and told them about recent developments in Turkey.
Furthermore, Babacan said that during his meeting with EU Commissioner for
Enlargement Olli Rehn, he had got a clear message that the bloc was
resolved to continue accession talks with Turkey. Saying that an
intergovernmental conference would be held on June 26, Babacan added that
the opening of the three chapters would be brought up by then. /Turkiye/
[07] TOURISM MINISTER KOC: "GENERAL ELECTIONS WON'T AFFECT TOURISM"
Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koc said yesterday the early general
elections set for July wouldn't have any negative impact on Turkey's
tourism sector. Speaking to reporters, Koc said that only during the actual
weekend of elections might there be a slight impact. He added that so far
this year reservations from abroad are up 20 percent. /Sabah/
[08] JAZZ SINGER RUACAN LAID TO REST
Famous Turkish jazz singer Nukhet Ruacan was laid to rest yesterday in
Istanbul. The chanteuse died of cancer on Sunday at age 56. /Milliyet/
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