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Turkish Press Review, 08-05-23Turkish 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 morning23.05.2008CONTENTS
[01] GUL RECEIVES CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF BUYUKANITPresident Abdullah Gul yesterday received Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit. The regular weekly meeting lasted for 50 minutes. Last week's meeting wasn't held due to Buyukanit's visit to Brussels. /Milliyet/[02] BURKINA FASO'S FM VISITS TURKEYDjibrill Yipene Bassole, the minister of foreign affairs and regional cooperation of Burkina Faso, visiting Turkey, yesterday met with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan. Speaking to reporters following their meeting, Babacan said that Turkey had decided to open 15 embassies in Africa --one of them would open in Burkina Faso-- by the end of 2009. Economic relations between Turkey and Burkina Faso have been progressing and the trade volume amounting to 6 million USD in 2006 would reach nearly 12 million USD in 2007, Babacan said. For his part, Bassole said that the two countries could cooperate in several areas such as agriculture and textile, and called on Turkish companies to invest in his country. Turkey was working for settlement of stability and peace in the Middle East and Burkina Faso was playing an important role for solution of several problems in West Africa, he said. Bassole was also received by President Abdullah Gul. /Turkiye/[03] BABACAN: "TURKEY WILL CONTINUE TO MEDIATE PEACE TALKS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SYRIA"Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said yesterday that indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria through Turkish mediators would continue periodically in the future, adding that both sides were satisfied that this week's three-day talks in Istanbul had created "a common ground. "The Israeli-Syrian leg of the Middle Eastern peace process officially resumed after 13 years and the talks will continue under Turkey's supervision," Ali Babacan told a joint press conference with the visiting foreign minister of Burkina Faso in Ankara. He added that the contents of talks would not be made public in line with the will of both Israeli and Syrian officials, and future talks might be held elsewhere other than Istanbul or Turkey. /Turkiye/[04] IN ANTALYA, SAHIN: ""WE ARE PLEASED THAT OUR JUDGES ARE INDEPENDENT"Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin yesterday attended a gathering on judicial organization in Antalya. Touching on statement issued by President's Committee of the Supreme Court of Appeals, Sahin said, "I wish this kind of statement had been neither issued, nor responded." He added that all of them had to take lessons from this process. Sahin also spoke about the report, voted by The European Parliament (EP) yesterday. Stating that he didn't worry about the report, saying that judges in Europe aren't as independence as those in Turkey, he stressed, "We are pleased that our judges are independent." /Star/[05] BAHCELI CALLS ON GUL TO TAKE INITIATIVE TO SOLVE ROW BETWEEN GOV'T AND JUDICIARYThe opposition National Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli gave support to the declaration issued by the board of chairmen of the Supreme Court of Appeals, in which the government was accused of putting pressure on judicial institutions and trying to create a pro-government judiciary. In a written statement, Bahceli yesterday said the government caused Turkey to enter a period of dangerous political polarization and made common national and moral values of the people a subject of dispute and exploitation. Stressing that the polarization period also affected public bodies, Bahceli also accused the government of trying to control the judiciary. He also called on President Abdullah Gul to take the initiative to solve the problem and said that representatives of the government and the judiciary should come together in a dialogue meeting chaired by Gul to end the dispute between the government and judicial institutions. The Council of State's chairmen board also issued a declaration yesterday and rejected claims by the government that the judiciary interfered with the politics and acted like a political party. "The judicial institutions can publicly express their opinions on constitutional or legal changes that are directly related to the judiciary and trial process, and this cannot be seen as an interference with the politics or the legislative power's field of activity." The statement also stressed that the judiciary should protect the republic and its values. In related news, Gul said he was evaluating Bahceli's offer. /Sabah/[06] DSP LEADER SEZER: "THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD RESIGN"Opposition Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer yesterday held a press conference at Parliament and said, "Unfortunately, the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) views on the rule of law, which is sine qua non for democracy and the independence of judiciary are deformed." He added, "If it hadn't been the situation, the AKP wouldn't have imposed the new AKP constitution… The government didn't oppose to internal and external attacks on the judiciary. This government should immediately resign." In related news, opposition Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu released a statement and said the judiciary is right to condemn through a statement the pressure and criticism totally on the judiciary institutions./Cumhuriyet/[07] N. IRAQ REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION PM: "MEASURES AGAINST THE PKK WILL CONTINUE"The prime minister of northern Iraq regional administration Nehcirvan Barzani, currently in Washington, yesterday said that he was against their territory to be used as an area of threat for their neighbors and that they would continue taking measures against the terrorist PKK. He said, "Turkey's demand that our territory not be used against Turkey is a just and righteous one," adding, "On my talks with US officials and reporters in Washington, I also reiterated my views. We are serious about not letting our territory be used against our neighbors. The measures taken by northern Iraq administration to restrict and prevent the PKK's activities will continue." /Milliyet/[08] PARLIAMENT ADOPTS BILL FOR BUILDING OF NINE STATE UNIVERSITIESA bill proposing building of state universities in nine Anatolian cities was passed yesterday by Parliament. Accordingly, new universities in nine cities of Ardahan, Bartin, Bayburt, Gumushane, Hakkari, Igdir, Sirnak, Tunceli and Yalova will be built. Including new universities, the number of state universities in the country will hit 94. /Turkiye/[09] IN ISTANBUL, FISCHER ATTENDS TURKEY-AUSTRIA BUSINESS FORUMAustrian President Heinz Fischer, currently in Turkey, visited Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos as a part of his Istanbul program. Afterwards, Fischer and Bartholomeos proceeded to Aya Yorgi Church. Fischer attended Turkey-Austria Business Forum held by the Turkey-Austria Business Council of Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK). Touching on Nabucco project through which Caspian natural gas will be transported to Europe via Turkey, Fischer said that time was limited and thus the Project should be implemented at reasonable time. He also praised the economic developments in Istanbul for the last five years. Fischer also met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. /Sabah-Aksam/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [10] MY TRIP TO CYPRUSBY ERDAL GUVEN (RADIKAL)Columnist Erdal Guven comments on his visit to Cyprus and his meeting with Greek Cypriot administration leader Dimitris Christofias. A summary of his column is as follows: "I've been writing about the current situation in Cyprus and my impressions about it during my three-day visit there. As a result of this visit, I can conclude that winds of optimism for a solution to the Cyprus issue on the island and in the international community might stop soon, as Dimitris Christofias was elected the Greek Cypriot administration leader. The Turkish side is maintaining its will for a solution, despite its frustration and loss of excitement recently. The problem is on the Greek Cypriot administration. Christofias' style and language is different from that of his predecessor Tassos Papadopoulos. Christofias is more flexible and constructive in certain issues, but in the final analysis the reasons he puts forth as an obstacle on the solution cast a shadow on his plausibility. In addition, Papadopoulos was very clear, whereas Christofias is rather ambivalent. Obviously, the most important and striking side of my visit was my meeting with Christofias. After listening to him for nearly three hours, my judgment about him became stronger. Christofias can't be like Costas Simitis, former prime minister of Greece. Simitis has changed Greek's stance on Turkey strategically, but Christofias isn't a leader who can focus on the larger picture. Firstly, let me give you a note so that we can understand with whom we're dealing with. One month after Greek Cypriots' rejection of the Annan plan, Christofias said the political leadership [his Progressive Party of the Working Part of Cyprus (AKEL)] should show it collectively and clearly that the result of the referendum doesn't mean the rejection of the Annan plan and that nobody should think that the Greek Cypriot administration's rejection caused the plan to be thrown away. On the other hand, when we listened to Christofias with a group of colleagues last week, he rejected a solution to be found to the Cyprus issue through the Annan plan, objected the plan's content and the way of preparing it and he was definitely against the United Nation's arbitration role. After listening to Christofias, one can think that his final aim is not to solve the Cyprus issue, but to end Turkey's military existence and right of intervention on Cyprus. There's also another fact that the Greek Cypriot leader can't see, that is, the Cyprus issue is a lock which can be opened with four keys and which can't be opened without the key in Turkey's hands. Actually, Turkey's military existence and right of intervention, the concept of virgin birth, the UN's arbitration role and the Turkish side's argument of two states and two nations, which are considered obstacles on the solution, are nothing but pretences for them. If the Greek Cypriot side is really wiling to find a solution to the issue, there's only one matter to deal with, that is, arrangements on possessions. The Annan plan has already resolved all other issues within its own balance. When the parties decide to deal with this issue, things would become more serious. Thus the process of meetings on Cyprus will be very difficult. The Cyprus issue can't be solved through confidence building measures, but through the nation's approval which will confirm the political will and the mentioned consensus in order to be able to reach an agreement on basic subjects. After Christofias was elected the Greek Cypriot leader, he paid his first official visit in his new post to Athens, where Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis asked him if their aim was to solve the Cyprus issue, or drive Turkey into a corner. In his reply, Christofias said that of course, his intention was to solve the Cyprus issue. I hope he told the truth and he will do what's necessary towards this end. Le me tell you one more thing. A determining decision by Christofias shouldn't be accepted, before a decision is made on the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) future." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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