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Turkish Press Review, 09-02-16
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
16.02.2009
CONTENTS
[01] GUL VISITS RUSSIA'S TATARSTAN AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC
[02] TOPTAN VISITS SYRIA
[03] IN SAMSUN, ERGOGAN LAMBASTES CHP
[04] CICEK: "CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES COMPROMISE"
[05] IN ISTANBUL, BAHCELI STUMPS FOR MHP CANDIDATES
[06] KILICDAROGLU DENIES CLAIMS OF CORRUPTION FROM TENURE HEADING SSK
[07] NOTE TO ISRAEL
[01] GUL VISITS RUSSIA'S TATARSTAN AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC
As part of his landmark official visit to Russia, the first-ever by a
Turkish president to this country, President Abdullah Gul on Saturday
visited the Tatarstan Autonomous Republic, the Russian Federation's largest
such republic. This visit was also the first of its kind. After his meeting
with his Tartar counterpart Mintimer Shaimiev in the capital Kazan, Gul
told a joint press conference that Turkey's good relations with its kin,
the Tatar people, help to boost relations with Russia. Stating that Turkey
opened its first consulate general in Tatarstan, showing how special
Turkish relations were, President Gul pledged to continue to support
cooperation between Turkish and Tartar businessmen. "I'm sure with this
visit we have turned a new page, and our relations will further improve,"
Gul said. For his part, Shaimiev said that Turkish companies topped foreign
firms investing in Tatarstan, and that last year thousands of Tartar people
took their vacations in Turkey. Expressing hope for more bilateral flights
between Turkey and Tatarstan, he said that Gul and he agreed to cooperate
in the Universiade Winter and Summer Games set to be held in Turkey's
eastern province of Erzurum in 2011 and then in Kazan two years later. As
part of his visit, President Gul also visited historic sites and attended a
Turkish-Tartar Business Council meeting. Gul also visited Kazan State
University, where he received an honorary degree. Speaking to reporters on
his way home, Gul called his talks in Russia very fruitful and expressed
pleasure that Ankara and Moscow share similar views on the matters
discussed during their talks, adding that both countries place great
importance on peace and stability in the region. Stressing the importance
of stability and trust both in Turkey and the region for economic
development, and referring to Turkey's efforts to solve problems with all
its neighbors to establish good neighborly relations, Gul said that Turkey
has taken major steps for this in recent years. After returning to Turkey,
Gul said that there is a broad consensus on ways to improve or replace the
Constitution. "I hope that this will be realized in a very favorable
atmosphere, in a favorable manner," he said. / Turkiye-Star/
[02] TOPTAN VISITS SYRIA
A delegation led by Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan over the weekend
visited Damascus, Syria, including Syrian-Turkish Interparliamentary
Friendship Group Chair and opposition Nationalist Movement Party deputy
leader Mehmet Sandir, ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
Deputies Mahmut Durdu and Mehmet Erdogan, and main opposition Republican
People's Party (CHP) Deputy Huseyin Unal. Praising the superb state of
relations between the two countries' parliaments, especially in recent
years, he added that this visit would give relations added momentum.
Pointing to the recent visit of a Syrian parliamentary delegation to Turkey,
he said such mutual visits help to strengthen bilateral relations. /Aksam/
[03] IN SAMSUN, ERGOGAN LAMBASTES CHP
Speaking at a campaign rally of his ruling Justice and Development Party
(AK Party) in Samsun, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday
criticized main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz
Baykal and Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the CHP's candidate for İstanbul mayor.
Erdogan also slammed the media allies of opposition parties. /Milliyet/
[04] CICEK: "CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES COMPROMISE"
Changing the Constitution is a matter of dialogue and compromise, said
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday. "It is numerically possible to
adopt constitutional changes without the main opposition party, but
constitutional amendments are a matter of compromise, not a parliamentary
majority," he added. Stating that current Constitution has long been a
matter of debate, he added that Parliament has made several changes to it.
"Many say that Turkey needs a new constitution," he said. "Political
parties have also discussed these issues, but they cannot provide unity to
change it." /Aksam/
[05] IN ISTANBUL, BAHCELI STUMPS FOR MHP CANDIDATES
At a ceremony in Istanbul yesterday, opposition Nationalist Movement Party
(MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli stumped for Ahmet Turgut, the MHP's Istanbul
mayoral hopeful, and other 39 provincial candidates. Speaking at the
ceremony, Bahceli criticized both the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AK Party) and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). In related
news, Mustafa Sarigul, the opposition Democratic Left Party's (DSP) mayoral
candidate for Istanbul's Sisli district, yesterday started campaigning for
next month's local elections. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] KILICDAROGLU DENIES CLAIMS OF CORRUPTION FROM TENURE HEADING SSK
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP)
mayoral candidate for the Istanbul Greater Municipality, yesterday
dismissed accusations that he was involved in corruption while heading the
Social Security Institution (SSK) in the 1990s. Speaking at the CHP's new
campaign office in Istanbul's Sultanbeyli district, Kilicdaroglu said he
was being targeted by these false claims due to his exposure of ruling
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) corruption over the past six
years. Accusing his rival Kadir Topbas, Istanbul's AK Party mayor, of
hiding how things really are, he said that despite enormous expenditures,
no important problem in the city has been solved. Kilicdarloglu also
pledged full transparency if elected. /Hurriyet/
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[07] NOTE TO ISRAEL
BY TAHA AKYOL (AKSAM)
Columnist Taha Akyol comments on Turkish-Israeli relations. A summary of
his column is as follows:
"Israeli Land Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi has lost his senses.
Following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's cutting remarks to Israeli
President Shimon Peres in Davos, Mizrahi said that Erdogan should look in
the mirror, because Turks massacred Armenians and now they're doing the
same thing to Kurds, and they also invaded Cyprus. The Foreign Ministry
gave Israel a note branding Mizrahi's statements 'ravings' and requested an
explanation. 'Ravings' is a very harsh expression in diplomacy, but Mizrahi
deserved it. The General Staff also said that Mizrahi had gone beyond his
duties, authorities and responsibilities and that his statements would
damage national interests. The Israeli chief of general staff should know
how serious this warning is! I'll criticize Erdogan's remarks, but first
let's look at what Mizrahi said.
First, since 1968 Israel has been the 'invading country,' and has committed
barbaric massacres in the territories it invaded. This is no mere claim,
but a reality under UN resolutions. On the other hand, Turkey is the legal
inheritor of the Ottoman state, the legitimacy of which is accepted by
European law. Turkey hasn't taken one inch more Ottoman territory than was
recognized by international law in 1914! These territories have been part
of Turkey for 1,000 years! Consider these historical and legal realities:
there is no comparison between the problems which the Ottoman government
faced in its defense after the Armenian committees allied themselves with
the Russian Army during World War I, with Israel's barbaric treatment of
Israel of civilians living in the territory it invaded; nor is there
anything in common between Turkey's legal fight against terrorism and
Israel's violence against civilians who lived in the territory that it
invaded; and failing to see that Turkey's 1974 Peace Operation was
conducted to stop the massacres in Northern Cyprus and that security and
peace prevails throughout Cyprus today, while calling Turkey an 'invader
country,' isn't a problem with reason, but a display of enmity against
Turkey. Turkey can't tolerate such a hostile stance. I don't care if
Turkish-Israeli relations suffer or not. The Israeli government is
responsible for setting things right.
I've previously written that Erdogan was right in his statements in Davos,
but the style of his remarks was problematic, because I'm bothered by the
reactions to such statements as 'you know very well how to kill people.'
Similarly, diplomats anticipated this and scolded Erdogan, who said his
reaction wasn't against Peres or the Israeli nation, but the moderator of
the Davos panel. But his words are what will be remembered. I wish Erdogan
had criticized Peres in a more diplomatic language, saying something like,
'Mr. Peres, you're a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, so it's improper of
you to defend blood and death,' and then left the panel. This way Turkey
would have won the heart of Middle Eastern nations and the praise of the
international community, and people like Mizrahi would have nothing to say,
and there would be no unfair accusations against Turkey. Leaders should be
careful and control their reactions so as not to cause unfair accusations
against their countries."
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