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Turkish Press Review, 09-03-26Turkish 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 morning26.03.2009CONTENTS
[01] NEW INDICTMENTS HANDED DOWN IN ERGENEKON PROBEThe Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court yesterday accepted additional indictments against 56 suspects in the Ergenekon probe, involving an alleged criminal network accused of plotting a coup. Prosecutors are seeking aggravated life sentences for 13 suspects in the case. The new indictment includes allegations put forward last year by a newsweekly accusing former military commanders of involvement in the group. /All papers/[02] GUL: "WE CAN'T CALL SOMEONE GUILTY OR NOT UNTIL A COURT OF LAW DECIDES"President Abdullah Gul yesterday went to Brussels to attend a European Business World Summit. Speaking to reporters on new indictments in Ergenekon probe, Gul said that Turkey is a democratic country under the rule of law. "We cannot call someone guilty or not guilty until this is proven in a court of law," he added. "Everyone, not just officials, have the duty to respect the Constitution and the law." /Milliyet/[03] ERDOGAN ANNOUNCES NEW TAX CUT PACKAGECampaigning in Cankiri yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a series of new economic measures, including cuts in the value-added tax (VAT) for real estate and various other goods. Erdogan said that for three months they were lowering the VAT for business offices, shops, stores and other commercial properties from 18 percent to 8 percent in order to boost demand in the construction sector and help construction companies. He added that they were also cutting certain fees for buyers and sellers of real estate from 1.5 percent to 0.5 percent and the VAT on furniture, computer and information technology products, office equipment, and certain industrial agricultural and construction machinery from 10 percent to 8 percent. /Star/[04] BAYKAL, BAHCELI LAMBASTE PM ERDOGANCampaigning in Ankara yesterday ahead of Sunday's local elections, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's position on the case against the Lighthouse Foundation, a German-based charity run by Turks. Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli also charged that Erdogan is trying to ratchet up tensions, adding, "When Turkey faces plots against its unitary structure and territorial integrity, the ruling party should work to bring the two sides closer together." /Cumhuriyet-Star/[05] BABACAN: "PRESIDENT ABDULLAH GUL'S VISIT TO IRAQ MADE HISTORY"President Abdullah Gul's recent visit to Iraq was historic, said Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday. Calling the recent political climate on the fight against terrorism unprecedented, he added, "Fighting terrorism is long-term struggle, and we can't expect all problems to be solved overnight."[06] HELICOPTER CRASHES WITH BBP LEADER ON BOARDA helicopter carrying five people, including Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Muhsin Yazicioglu, crashed in Kahramanmaras yesterday. Yazicioplu and four other BBP members were traveling to Yozgat to campaign there. Vedat Türk, the BBP's Kahramanmaras head, said, "We haven't been able to get any information on Yazicioglu's condition, because we lost the connection with our colleague." /All papers/Preparations have already begun for extraordinary safety measures that will be in place in Parliament for a visit by US President Barack Obama, who is expected to arrive in Turkey next week. /Sabah/ [07] TUSIAD SENDS OBAMA LETTER ON ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONSIf the US Congress passed a resolution recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide allegations at a time when Turkey and Armenia are growing closer, this could have negative results, warned the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) yesterday in a letter to US President Barack Obama. TUSIAD Chair Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag also sent the letter to Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and National Security Adviser James Jones. /Hürriyet/[08] TUZMEN: "TURKEY HAS PROPOSED COOPERATION ON 20 NEW PROJECTS WITH IRAQ"Turkey and Iraq have signed a framework agreement for a prospective $20 billion trade deal which would allow comprehensive integration of the two countries' economies, said State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen yesterday. Stating that the two countries have signed a road map to follow for future trade engagements, he added, "We grant each other most-favored nation status under the agreement, which would allow free transit passage through borders and the removal of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers." Tuzmen said Turkey proposed cooperation on 20 new projects, including the construction of hospital compounds, new railway routes and joint work on Iraqi oil fields. /Aksam/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [09] WHY DID THE GREEK FM PANIC?BY YIGIT BULUT (VATAN)Columnist Yigit Bulut comments on the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as follows: "The Turkish press has been too preoccupied to cover this story, but Greece is seeing a panic over Cyprus. Yes, you read that right. Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis called her American counterpart Hillary Clinton, saying that Greece will never accept a two-state solution on Cyprus and that if US President Barack Obama signals this could happen, it would veto Turkey's European Union membership process. This caused a great panic! After Obama's visit to Turkey next week became definite, I wrote that if there is to be a new cooperation in the changing world order, particularly in the Middle East, there needs to be a new opening on Cyprus. I wasn't the only one to think of this. Certain figures in the US also started to mull this idea, and when Greece caught wind of this it panicked. After I saw Bakoyannis' panic, I would like to stress that the current policy isn't in favor of Turkey and reiterate my thesis. To those who claim that assimilating the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) under the 'Republic of Cyprus' and putting it under Greek Cypriot control would benefit the Turkish Republic, I would like to ask them this: What are the implications of this idea? Please explain the logic of our leaving the island! Result 1: Turkey is excluded from a strategic region which is the life- blood of the territory we live in. Result 2: In our country, certain pro-EU journalists and academics also rationalize this exclusion and try to sell it to the Turkish nation. This is a big con. According to EU Parliament decisions, the Turkish soldiers there are invaders. I would like to ask you: What is the British military installation there? Result 3: If the Turkish Republic forsakes this strategic point on the Mediterranean and it's put under the control of Greek Cypriots, there will be a new line on the Aegean Sea. This would mean an EU-supported Greek Cypriot-Greek domination, and our leaving the Aegean and Mediterranean and giving up our assertion of being a world power. Never in our struggle over the last millennium have we been pushed down this much. The current path is utterly unacceptable. In short, this new opening with the US should be questioned. We're moving towards a process where Turks will have to get visas to visit Cyprus and lose all of our rights. Now is the time to take action." 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