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Turkish Press Review, 07-06-29
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
29.06.2007
CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT SEZER MARKS LAND FORCES’ ANNIVERSARY
[02] ERDOGAN CAMPAIGNS IN YOZGAT, TOKAT AND CORUM
[03] BAYKAL IN GENEVA FOR SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING
[04] AGAR: “TERRORISM SHOULD BE DENIED NEW RECRUITS”
[05] LOGOGLU: “TALKING WITH KURDISH LEADERS COULD HELP SOLVE NORTHERN IRAQ_TERRORISM PROBLEM”
[06] IRAQ GOVT SPOKESMAN: “TURKEY SHOULD AVOID A CROSS-BORDER OPERATION”
[07] WILSON: “IRAQ’S SECURITY AND STABILITY ARE IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY”
[01] PRESIDENT SEZER MARKS LAND FORCES’ ANNIVERSARY
The Turkish Land Forces made great contributions to the founding of the
secular, democratic and modern Turkish Republic and its progress towards a
bright future in peace and confidence, and today continues its efforts to
eliminate separatist threats to Turkey’s integrity, said President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer yesterday. In a message to Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker
Basbug marking the Land Forces anniversary, Sezer said that the Turkish
nation was proud of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), the most important
guarantor of Turkey’s territorial integrity and national interests and
defense against domestic and foreign threats. He added that the Turkish
Land Forces, one of the world’s first regular armies, had conscientiously
fulfilled its responsibilities with its love of flag and country and had
played a vital role in the success of the War of Independence, led by
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] ERDOGAN CAMPAIGNS IN YOZGAT, TOKAT AND CORUM
Campaigning ahead of next month’s general elections, Prime Minister and
Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
accompanied by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and other Cabinet Ministers,
yesterday visited the central Anatolian city of Yozgat and the Black Sea
cities of Tokat and Corum. Addressing crowds, Erdogan criticized the
opposition parties, saying that their leaders had not traveled the length
and breadth of the country like he had, especially eastern and southeastern
Anatolia, and that true nationalism was not a matter of talk alone. He
predicted that the people would punish these parties at the ballot box.
Erdogan also stressed that his party would continue its efforts to further
develop the country after winning a second term on July 22. /Star/
[03] BAYKAL IN GENEVA FOR SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING
Main opposition Republican People’s party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal,
accompanied by Deputy Chairman Onur Oymen and international affairs
representative Petek Gurbuz, yesterday traveled to Geneva, Switzerland for
a Socialist International Council meeting set to start today. Baykal, also
the group’s deputy chairman, last night attended a banquet in honor of
member party leaders present for the gathering. /Star/
[04] AGAR: “TERRORISM SHOULD BE DENIED NEW RECRUITS”
Democrat Party (DP) leader Mehmet Agar said yesterday that in order to
fight terrorism, terror groups need to be denied new recruits, and that
this is a task of politics, not the military. Speaking to reporters before
campaigning in Amasya, Agar said that the military should only deal with
the armed side of the issue. He added that the government was failing to
deal with social, economic, diplomatic and psychological aspects of
terrorism, but that the new government after the July 22 elections would
deal with these. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] LOGOGLU: “TALKING WITH KURDISH LEADERS COULD HELP SOLVE NORTHERN
IRAQ_TERRORISM PROBLEM”
Talks should be held with Kurdish leaders to help solve the problem of
terrorism, said a senior former Turkish diplomat yesterday. Speaking to
reporters in Eregli, Zonguldak, Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies
(ASAM) head Faruk Logoglu said that Turkey had the right to defend itself,
but that this wasn’t enough to justify an intervention into northern
Iraq. He added that there were other diplomatic contacts and methods that
Turkey should use on the northern Iraq issue, some of which should be
pursued with the US and Iraqi governments and Kurdish leaders. Logoglu
served as Turkish ambassador to Washington from 2001 to 2005. /Milliyet/
[06] IRAQ GOVT SPOKESMAN: “TURKEY SHOULD AVOID A CROSS-BORDER
OPERATION”
A cross-border operation could damage Turkey’s relations with Iraq, and
PKK terrorists shouldn’t get in the way of better Turkish-Iraqi relations,
said Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbag yesterday. Speaking to Sabah
daily during a visit to Istanbul, he added that the Turkish government’s
good will towards Iraq could help defuse the current problems and that the
objective of the tripartite mechanism established by the US, Iraq and
Turkey was to discuss and eliminate these problems. Al-Dabbag stated that
whenever any side gets information concerning the PKK, it should be
presented to this mechanism and that not only the PKK itself, but
supporting it and its presence in Iraq were against Iraq’s Constitution
in addition to being harmful to Turkey. /Sabah/
[07] WILSON: “IRAQ’S SECURITY AND STABILITY ARE IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY”
US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson said yesterday that as a neighboring
country, Iraq’s security and stability are very important for Turkey.
Paying a visit to the Aegean province of Izmir, Wilson met with its
governor. Speaking to reporters, the top diplomat said that the US had been
shocked by the PKK terrorist attacks on Turkey and that the US
administration condemns them. Stressing that the US is continuing efforts
together with Turkish officials to end the terrorist attacks, Wilson said
that his administration recently gave a strong message to the Iraqi
government to do more to prevent them. /Turkiye/
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