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Turkish Press Review, 08-04-28
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
28.04.2008
FINE TUNING BY THE US
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN VISITS DENIZLI
[02] BAYKAL OVERWHELMINGLY REGAINS CHP'S LEADERSHIP
[03] BABACAN: "EU REFORMS WILL CONTINUE"
[04] ISRAEL'S AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA LEVY: "TURKS HELPED US TOO MUCH IN THE PAST"
[05] SWEDISH DELEGATION VISITS PARLIAMENT
[06] NEW ZEALAND'S FM ARRIVES IN ANKARA
[07] PACE RAPPORTEUR GROSS VISITS GOKCEADA AND BOZCAADA
[08] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[01] ERDOGAN VISITS DENIZLI
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by State Minister Murat
Basesgioglu, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Mehdi Eker and
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim yesterday visited western province
of Denizli to attend a series of openings. Speaking at an inauguration
ceremony, Erdogan said that protecting democratic and economic stability
was a great responsibility for all who were responsible for the country.
Stressing that as long as Turkey preserves self-confidence, all problems
can be overcome, Erdogan said, "We continue to serve our country."
/Turkiye/
[02] BAYKAL OVERWHELMINGLY REGAINS CHP'S LEADERSHIP
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal was re-elected his
party's leader for the 10th time at the 32nd CHP congress over the weekend,
after receiving 1,021 of 1,105 votes. Baykal was the only candidate in the
election thanks to the CHP's charter, which stipulates the approval of 20
percent of party delegates to participate in the election. Other possible
candidates couldn't gather necessary signatures from delegates for
electoral participation. In his victory speech, stressing the case seeking
the closure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on charges of
anti-secular activities, Baykal said, "Everyone will freely be able to
exercise their beliefs. Everyone will have the right to teach their
children their religion, but Turkish state will remain secular. Legal and
education system and politics in Turkey will continue to be secular. The
golden synthesis of Islam and secularism only exists in Turkey in the
Islamic world." Stressing that Turkish people had gained its independence
by its own struggle without any support from foreign powers, Baykal added,
"We are not enemies of the West but we want the West to respect us. They
never supported us when we were building our democracy." Baykal also
signaled that the CHP would pursue a more liberal policy on the Kurdish
issue. Losing also their seats in the party assembly as well as leadership
of the party, the intra-party opposition took pounding in the elections.
Baykal's list for the assembly was elected en bloc. The representatives of
intra-party opposition harshly criticized Baykal's administration, and anti-
democratic structure and charter of the party. In response to the
criticisms, Baykal said, "I have quit twice, but you called me back. Those
who abandoned the party in 1994 when it received only 4.7 percent of votes
are running for leadership today." /Aksam-Sabah/
[03] BABACAN: "EU REFORMS WILL CONTINUE"
Speaking to reporters on the way to Ankara from Oman, Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan said that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had
focused on issues including preparation of a defense for the AKP closure
case, forming a new Constitution and continuation of the European Union
reform process. Concerning economy, he said that the flow of direct capital
into Turkey will decrease in 2008. Undoubtedly, the global economic
fluctuation will have an impact on the flow of direct capital into Turkey,
said Babacan, adding that Turkey's domestic issues will also have an impact
on capital flow into country. Direct capital that entered Turkey in 2007
was $22 billion, Babacan said. /Turkiye/
[04] ISRAEL'S AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA LEVY: "TURKS HELPED US TOO MUCH IN THE
PAST"
Israel's Ambassador to Ankara Gaby Levy over the weekend spoke about Turkey
mediating peace negotiations between Israel and Syria, stating that Turkey
has influence in the region and added, "Turks helped us too much in the
past." Speaking to Israeli state radio, Levy said, "Turks want to partake
in this process. They have influence in the Muslim world and the region."
In related news, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that he supported
Turkey mediating Israeli-Syrian peace. /Milliyet/
[05] SWEDISH DELEGATION VISITS PARLIAMENT
A delegation led by Vice Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Liselott Hagberg
will hold meetings in Parliament today. The delegation is expected to meet
with Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan and Parliament's European Union
adaptation commission head, Yasar Yakis. Deputies from the Liberal Party,
Socialist Party and Green Party will participate in the visit. /Turkish
Daily News/
[06] NEW ZEALAND'S FM ARRIVES IN ANKARA
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters' first official visit to
Ankara begins today. During his talks with his Turkish counterpart Ali
Babacan, further development of relations, as well as regional and
international matters will be taken up. He will also be received by
President Abdullah Gul and Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan. The New
Zealander top diplomat arrived in Turkey last week and attended the 93rd
annual commemoration of the Gallipoli Wars. /Turkish Daily News/
[07] PACE RAPPORTEUR GROSS VISITS GOKCEADA AND BOZCAADA
Andreas Gross, rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) went to Gokceada and Bozcaada to prepare a report. Gross
considers that many islanders of Greek origin have left the islands as a
result of policies carried out at the time. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
FINE TUNING BY THE US
Columnist Semih Idiz comments on the US' stance on the closure case against
the Justice and Development Party (AKP). A summary of his column is as
follows:
"It can be seen that the US is following the EU, which has initially
evaluated the closure case against the Justice and Development Party (AKP)
only in terms of democracy and then started to discuss the importance of
secularism in Turkey. US Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Daniel
Fried's statements about the closure case against the AKP at the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs last week is the final example of this. As
remembered, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also said at the annual
meeting of the Turkish-American Council in Washington that the 'US believes
the case will be decided in line with Turkey's secular democratic
principles.' But just a few days before she made this statement, US State
Department Spokesman Sean Mccormack said without making any reference to
secularism that the US believes democracy was developing in Turkey and that
Turkish laws and the Constitution should be interpreted away from political
influences. These words had been considered a support by the AKP. So why
did the US need this fine tuning which obviously didn't make the AKP glad?
I guess there are a few reasons for this and clues about this can be seen
in statements made by both Rice and Fried. First of all, as Rice said
openly, Washington is closely following the closure case. Now, American
officials don't hide this. Obviously, the US thinks that results of this
case will have an impact on its regional policies this way or the other. As
the US started to understand details of the issue, it also started to see
that the view reflected in McCormack's first statement was very simple. By
the way, the impact of recent articles written by important opinion leaders
of the right like Barry Rubin that the danger of fundamentalism in Turkey
can't be ignored here. Similarly, it's interesting in these terms that
Democrat Party's John Tanner who asked a question to Fried at the Committee
on Foreign Affairs said that during his latest visit to Turkey he was told
that fundamentalism was being developed in an undesired way.
To sum up, Washington has understood that intervening in this issue would
exacerbate discussions in Turkey undesirably and that this situation
wouldn't serve its own interests. In other words, it believes that this
issue should be solved by Turks, as part of Turkish laws. So we can
conclude that the US will consider this domestic issue of Turkey during the
process of the closure case only in terms of principles and wish that a
solution to the issue will be found as part of democracy and the country's
Constitutional secular order."
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