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Turkish Press Review, 08-01-17Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning17.01.2008CONTENTS
[01] IN EGYPT, GUL BREAKS GROUND ON NEW TURKISH INDUSTRIAL ZONEIn Egypt, President Abdullah Gul yesterday attended the ground-breaking ceremony for a new Turkish industrial zone, being built in the November 6 City of Industry, 30 kilometers outside Cairo. During the ceremony, Gul said that in recent years Turkey has carried out a very strong economic program and done necessary reforms. In the wake of this, he said, foreign capital and investments flocked to Turkey. Gul added that Egypt has also made crucial reforms and that the difference is clear to see. Later, speaking to reporters while returning to Turkey, Gul said that he had had many fruitful meetings which helped to improve bilateral relations between Turkey and Egypt. Gul added that he and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak had discussed relations with the Arab world, the Mediterranean basin, economic and cultural cooperation, and the Middle East. /Star-Aksam/[02] ERDOGAN: “KURDS ARE A BASIC ELEMENT OF TURKEY”Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended the New Economic Forum in Madrid, Spain sponsored by the Wall Street Journal Europe. Speaking to the press, Erdogan criticized efforts by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to push alternatives to full European Union membership on Turkey. “Turkey can be accepted (as a full member) or not,” he said. “But we don’t have to accept a place in between.” Asked if Turkish Kurds will have a special status and a minority law addressed to them, he said, “This is a mistaken and incomplete question.” He added, “Kurds have the same status which I have as a prime minister. They are a basic element of Turkey. They wouldn’t accept being a minority.” /Milliyet/[03] HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS ANKARAParliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday received his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Szili. During their meeting, Szili said that her trip to Turkey was the first such visit in 15 years. “We support Turkey’s European Union bid,” she added. /Star/[04] BAYKAL: “HEADSCARVES ARE AN IMPOSITION FROM MEN”Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent remarks about headscarves, saying, “The headscarf is a political symbol.” He added, “The traditional headscarf from Anatolia and the ‘turban’ (modern headscarf) have nothing in common. Putting headscarves in the Constitution would show that Turkey has become a male-dominated society which forces women to wear headscarves through imposing constitutional force.” /Cumhuriyet/[05] GREEK PM TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT WEEKGreek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will reportedly pay an official visit to Turkey next Wednesday. After meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Karamanlis will proceed to Istanbul. During the meeting, disputes such as the Aegean continental shelf and airspace will be taken up. /Milliyet/[06] EU PRESIDENT SLOVENIA BACKS TURKEY’S MEMBERSHIP TALKSSlovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whose country currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency, yesterday criticized a proposal by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to create a Mediterranean union, which many see as a plan to sidetrack Turkey’s European Union membership bid. Jansa further expressed his support for EU membership talks with Turkey and Croatia. /Today’s Zaman/[07] TUSIAD TO VISIT DIYARBAKIRA Turkish Businessmen’s and Industrialists’ Association (TUSIAD) delegation led by Chairwoman Arzuhan Yalcındag is set to pay a visit tomorrow to Diyarbakir at the invitation of the Eastern and Southeastern Federation of Industrialists' and Business Associations (DOGUNSIFED) in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack earlier this month. /Milliyet/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...TOWARDS SINGLE- PARTY DICTATORSHIP [08] OKTAY AKBAL (CUMHURIYET)Columnist Oktay Akbal comments on Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule. A summary of his column is as follows:“Turkey had single-party rule until January 1945. The president, prime minister, chief of General Staff and all the Cabinet ministers were either members or supporters of the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Now, 63 years later, again we’re faced with a single-party administration! The president and the premier, as well as all the Cabinet ministers, are from the same party … Supporters of the ruling party have been placed in all of the country’s top positions, and bear great responsibility! For the time being, the only independent institution remaining is the General Staff! Even though the military forces are officially attached to the Prime Ministry, they are keeping their internal freedom and liberty. But how long will this last? * * This coming August, can the chief of General Staff keep his position? Or will he retire due to his age? The land forces commander is expected to be his successor, but something else entirely may happen … For the time being, the military is the only institution that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) hasn’t taken! When they bring it into their circle, Turkey will return to days of 60 years ago. * * Let’s take a look at our domestic politics. Are there any political, social or intellectual powers in Turkey stepping up to stop the AKP, which aims to fully seize the state and remake it with a new understanding? Could this be done by the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which is in a deep slumber? Or the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the AKP’s right- hand party, or large and small leftist parties with tiny one-percent followings? Above all, when the next general elections are held, and the AKP sweeps about 60 percent of votes by marshalling all the powers of the state, then this single-party rule will be entrenched. And what will happen after that? Everything that for years they have yearned for… Anyhow, I can’t foresee these days! But you will really experience them, even though today they seem only a mirage! Everybody who’s young enough will see what administration under single-party rule means, especially under democracy, which is purposely betraying both itself and the nation with dreams of being a member of the European Union! Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, recognized that proper affairs aren’t possible under single-party rule and so urged an opposition party, the Terakki Perver Republican Party, to be founded. But things didn’t go well, but instead got worse. Years later, another party appeared: the Free Republican Party… In any case, the rule of a single party continued until 1945. Now we’re again going through an order based on a single man… * * Is now not the time to rouse our all politicians and parties, divided and at loggerheads, but seeming advocates of Ataturk’s Republic, and to tell them, ‘Come on, wake up!’?” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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