Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 10-06-29

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Eroglu asked for a three-party meeting on the Cyprus problem to be held in New York in September; He reiterates the allegation that two peoples and two democracies exist in Cyprus

[02] Huseyin Angolemli wins the by-elections securing two votes more than Eroglus daughter Resmiye Canaltay

[03] The agreement between illegal KTHY and Atlas Jet was signed yesterday

[04] Serdar Denktas says a sequestering operation has been carried out in the illegal KTHY

[05] Bozer will participate in a meeting of the IPU of the OIC

[06] Ankara interferes in the economy of the occupied territories and calls for the immediate budget equilibrium of the breakaway regime

[07] Data on the travellers who visited the occupied areas of Cyprus in May

[08] A group of Turkish Cypriot students to participate in an International Folk Dances Festival in Poland

[09] The gap between the popularity rate of CHP and AKP has dropped to 3%

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[10] Columnist says that Erdogan asked from Obama the lifting of the restrictions on the Turkish Cypriots

[11] From the Turkish Press of 28 June 2010

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Eroglu asked for a three-party meeting on the Cyprus problem to be held in New York in September; He reiterates the allegation that two peoples and two democracies exist in Cyprus

Mr Eroglu met with the UN Secretary-General for almost half an hour yesterday at the headquarters of the international organization in New York.

According to information acquired by illegal Bayrak televisions correspondent, Mr Eroglu proposed to Mr Ban Ki-moon a three-party meeting to be held in September in New York between himself, the UN Secretary-General and President Christofias. In his statements after the meeting, Mr Eroglu said he conveyed to the UN Secretary-General his wish for a solution until the end of the year and the views of the Turkish Cypriot side.

He reminded that they are discussing the property issue now with President Christofias during the Cyprus talks and added: While discussing this chapter, we do not want to pass into other chapters. We conveyed this to the Secretary-General. He alleged that the Turkish Cypriot side is sincere on the issue of the solution and called on the Greek Cypriot side to evaluate the process, noting that this process should end within a time limit.

Mr Eroglu stated that the UN Secretary-General in his report expressed the expectation for a solution to be reached in Cyprus until the end of the year and added: As TRNC we also believe in the need of the negotiations reaching a conclusion with an agreement until the end of the year. During this meeting, I tried to explain to the UN Secretary-General the views of our country and our people and our expectations from the results of the negotiations.

Mr Eroglu said that all the chapters of the Cyprus problem have been discussed for years and alleged that the Turkish side supports the need for the will for reconciliation to come up in a more sincere manner.

He alleged: The whole world knows that there are two separate peoples, two separate democracies and two separate administrations in Cyprus. The world knows that the Turkish side was the one which has been excluded from the Republic of Cyrus and in spite of this we are under isolation.

Mr Eroglu said that he told Mr Ban Ki-moon that the lifting of the so-called isolation on the Turkish Cypriots will not only eliminate the uncertainty which the Turkish Cypriots feel but it will also motivate the Greek Cypriots in finding a settlement.

Asked about the views of the UN Secretary-General for the future in case a solution is not reached, Mr Eroglu said: The wish is to reach an agreement until the end of the year, to find a solution. Therefore, if an agreement is not reached when the end of the year comes, the sides will put forward their stance.

He reiterated that one of the principles of the negotiations is that an agreement should be reached on all chapters and issues and alleged that the fact that the Greek Cypriot side does not believe in timetables for the negotiating process means that it has no intention to sign an agreement.

Called to comment on the expression in the report of the UN Secretary-General regarding the feeling of the Turkish Cypriots that they are isolated, Mr Eroglu alleged that no one denies that the Turkish Cypriots live under isolation and embargoes and claimed: We are not only feeling it, we live under embargoes. We said to the Secretary-General that the lifting of the isolations will increase the motivation of the Greek Cypriots and eliminate the lack of confidence which exists in the Turkish side.

Asked by a Greek journalist whether their views with President Christofias on important issues such as the territory and the property are close and whether he will submit any proposals to the Greek Cypriot side, Mr Eroglu replied:

At the moment we are discussing the property, we are not discussing the territory. A conclusion has not been reached on the issue of governance and power sharing as well. This chapter also remains open in the negotiations. It is not possible to reach an agreement only by saying yes to everything which Christofias asks at the negotiating table. However, we have put on the negotiating table our policies on the property issue. The Greek Cypriot side has also put its views on the table in writing. Our agenda in the next meeting will be to discuss the policies regarding the property which have been put on the table by the two sides.

The paper writes that Mr Eroglu made these statements in the Turkish language and Osman Ertug, spokesman of the Turkish Cypriot leader, was translating them into English. Mr Osman Ertug, Kudret Ozersay, Turkish Cypriot leaders Special Advisor, Kemal Gokeri, TRNCs representative in New York and Lisa Buttenheim, UN Secretary-Generals newly appointed Special Representative for Cyprus were among the participants in the meeting between Mr Ban Ki-moon and Dervis Eroglu.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Huseyin Angolemli wins the by-elections securing two votes more than Eroglus daughter Resmiye Canaltay

Angolemli and Canaltay competed for the Famagusta seat which emptied after Dervis Eroglu was elected president in the April, 2010.

A mistake was committed and the winner changed position with the defeated It is investigated if this was a mistake, or it was something else, writes Afrika and adds that a tough debate took place yesterday between UBP and TDP on the issue until the chairman of the supreme election council, Nevvar Nolan announced that because of a mistake in one ballot box, 101 instead of 91 votes were registered for Mrs Canaltay. Mr Nolan stated that they apologized both to Mrs Angolemli and Mrs Canaltay for the issue. I am very sorry. This should not have taken place. It is a shame, he stated.

Referring to the same issue Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (29.06.10) reports that the fact that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu and his delegation went to New York for the meeting they held with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, cost the Famagusta seat to Mrs Canaltay, since Mr Eroglu and his team did not vote for the by-elections.

The paper further writes that the results created shock in the UBP, while Mrs Canaltay made some very tough statements on the issue and accused the Democratic Party (DP) of not being helpful at all during the election campaign. A settling of accounts took place inside and outside UBP. DP was not helpful at the elections at all, she stated.

(CS)

[03] The agreement between illegal KTHY and Atlas Jet was signed yesterday

The trade union of the employees of KTHY, Hava-Sen, announced that the employees who went yesterday to their job were not allowed to enter into the headquarters of the KTHY. The trade unions met again yesterday and evaluated the situation. They announced that today they would protest in front of the prime ministers office.

Meanwhile, Atlas Jet Airlines has announced that at the first stage the company will give 20 million US dollars for the KTHY project.

Finally, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (29.06.10) refers to the issue of the illegal KTHY and reports that the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced on its webpage that the flights of the KTHY have stopped. Under the title Until here, the paper writes that the announcement informed the passengers that the license of the KTHY to fly was suspended and the flights stopped.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Serdar Denktas says a sequestering operation has been carried out in the illegal KTHY

Mr Denktas said as a result of the fact that the government is not taking into consideration any view expressed from outside the transfer of the KTHY to another company which is in a difficult situation was materialized with an unacceptable approach.

Mr Denktas noted, inter alia, the following: The question which should be asked now is: what is the target? The target is not rescuing the KTHY from the burden of its debt. The target is not raising the standard of living of the Turks of Cyprus. The target is not securing that the job of the trade unions is carried out in modern norms. The target is not creating a completely liberal economic system by privatizing institutions such as the DAU [illegal Eastern Mediterranean University], KIB-TEK [the Electricity Authority], the Telecommunications and TUK [the Agricultural Products Council] after the KTHY. The target is not turning the big public sector into a productive and functioning one, because the way of reaching these targets is not creating social chaos. On the contrary, this is possible with the social reconciliation. The steps which are being taken and the realities which are being put forward, are brining onto the agenda the conflict, not the social reconciliation and the civilian madness is being brought onto the agenda by bringing our police face to face with the employees.

Mr Denktas said that the trade unions, the government and all the Turkish Cypriots should examine all together to find the answer to the question of where are we are being dragged and argued that the incidents in the KTHY is the first step of a course the result of which is known. Finally, Mr Denktas called on the government to be awake and see behind the scenes.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Bozer will participate in a meeting of the IPU of the OIC

The Speaker of the Republics Assembly Hasan Bozer will be attending an extraordinary meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union of member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Damascus. Bozer will be visiting the Syrian capital as guest of the Secretary General of Inter-Parliamentary Union of OIC Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kilic and the Speaker of the Syrian Peoples Assembly Mahmud Al-Abrasha.

The extra-ordinary meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union of the OIC will take place between the dates of the 29th of June and the 1st of July.

The meeting was organized under the theme "the unjust siege on Gaza" where difficult circumstances surrounding the Palestinian People will be taken up.

During the meeting, OIC member states will be calling for the removal of the unjust blockade imposed on the Palestinian people by Israel.

[06] Ankara interferes in the economy of the occupied territories and calls for the immediate budget equilibrium of the breakaway regime

Citing information from reliable sources in Ankara, the paper writes that the Turkish Ministry of Finance has sent a confidential letter to the self-styled government of the breakaway regime asking the restructuring of the public Finances. The letter which states that the illegal regimes budget deficit grows every passing day, calls on the self-styled government to pay particular attention to the issue and take measures, while it makes on the three following proposals:

1 A monthly 10% reduction in the salaries of the public servants,

2 The introduction of a minimum tax of 3% in the pensions, and

3 The reductions of the perks the perquisites servants enjoy.

It was made known that the letter was sent to the breakaway regime last week and the proposals are expected to be discussed at the ministerial council on Wednesday, Kibrisli concludes.

(ML)

[07] Data on the travelers who visited the occupied areas of Cyprus in May

In addition, 1.535 out of the 1.580 flights, which were carried out last month, were scheduled. The paper writes that a total of 195.780 persons visited the occupied areas of Cyprus with these flights. Vatan reports that 97.373 passengers exited and 98.407 entered into the occupied areas of Cyprus. Moreover, during May, 248 ships came and 261 ships left the occupied ports of Cyprus. These ships carried 7.373 passengers to the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus and carried away 7.176 persons.

(EA)

[08] A group of Turkish Cypriot students to participate in an International Folk Dances Festival in Poland

(EA)

[09] The gap between the popularity rates of CHP and AKP has dropped to 3%

According to the results of the public opinion poll conducted by SONAR following the raid on the Mavi Marmara vessel, the gap between the popularity rates of the CHP (Republican People's Party) and the AKP (Justice and Development Party) has melted. Asked 'which party they would vote for if the elections were held today', 29.77% of the participant answered that they would vote for 'the AKP', while 26.9% answered that they would vote for 'the CHP'.

Asked 'which party they would vote for if the elections were held today' within the framework of the public opinion poll conducted by SONAR, 29.77% of the participants answered 'AKP', 26.9% answered 'CHP', 13.70% answered 'MHP (Nationalist Action Party)', 5.50% answered 'BDP (Peace and Democracy Party)', while 2.97% answered 'SP (Felicity Party) '.

According to the results of the public opinion poll entitled 'Study on the Political Tendencies and Expectations in Turkey June 2010' the gap between the popularity rates of the CHP and the AKP has dropped to three percent.

The poll was held with the 'face-to-face poll' method in 16 provinces and 33 villages, among them Istanbul, Ankara, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Mersin, and Ordu, between 9 and 15 June with the participation of a total of 3,000 persons.

Asked 'which party they would vote for if the elections were held today', 29.77% of the respondents answered 'AKP', 26.97% answered 'CHP', 13.70% answered 'MHP', 5.50% answered 'BDP', 2.97% answered 'SP', 2.67% answered 'DSP' [Democratic Left Party], 1.09% answered 'DP (Democratic Party)', 1.87% answered 'TP (Turkey Party)', 1.20% answered HEPAR (Right and Equality Party)', 0.93 answered 'BBP (Great Unity Party), and 1.67 answered 'other'. The rate of the floating votes stood at 10.86%.

Following the proportional distribution of the floating votes among the parties, the results were as follows:

The AKP 33.40%

The CHP 30.25%

The MHP 15.37%

The BDP 6.17%

The SP 3.33%

The DSP 2.99%

The DP 2.13%

The TP 2.09%

HEPAR 1.35%

The BBP 1.05%

Other 1.87%

SONAR's poll has also revealed the effect of the Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara vessel that carried humanitarian aid to Gaza on politics. In answer to a question on whether they support the fact that the AKP government has allowed the Mavi Marmara vessel and the IHH [Humanitarian Relief Foundation] to break the blockade and to sail to Gaza, 65.28% of the respondents said 'Yes I support, while 25.58% of the respondents said: 'No I do not support'.

According to the results of the opinion poll, the AKP turned the Israeli raid on the flotilla into material for domestic politics and tried to politically profit from the incident. Asked whether the political government has turned the incident into material for domestic politics and whether it has tried to direct the society, 56.33% of the respondents answered 'yes', 34.03% answered 'no', and 9.63% answered 'I do not know'.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[10] Columnist says that Erdogan asked from Obama the lifting of the restrictions on the Turkish Cypriots

At a time when both countries are in a standoff over delicate matters Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan gave US President Barack Obama messages critical enough to make history in Turkish-US relations.

Erdogan gave clear warnings to Obama about Turkey's fight with PKK terrorism. The prime minister told the US President: The differences of opinion that have emerged after the Iran nuclear issue and Israel's attack on the Gaza aid flotilla have created the impression among the Turkish people that the United States is not lending enough support against the PKK. We are doing our best to alter this perception but if the United States takes robust steps against the terrorist organization in northern Iraq and in the exchange of intelligence this could well turn things around. Prime Minister Erdogan's warnings to Obama were not limited to this alone. Erdogan has been driving home how important the United States is for Turkey ever since he came to power, but he called for leadership to be demonstrated in order to overcome mutual problems. He warned that Turkey's importance needed to be explained in the United States before bilateral relations are harmed by the anti-Ankara mood being pumped in Washington. Here are the historic messages delivered by Erdogan to Obama in person during their hour-and-a-half long meeting in Toronto, Canada, for the G-20 summit; messages that Hurriyet has managed to obtain:

Subtitle: The perception of Turkey must change

This year we have been through some trying times like with the ruling by the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee. In the current climate we are facing unfair criticism directed at Turkey in the US media, in its public and even in Congress. We need to exert our leadership in order to prevent this misunderstandings and sentiments. We expect your administration to better explain the purpose of our extensive cooperation to the American people and to your Congress. We must work together to bring under control the anti-Turkish sentiments in the US media and in Congress. If this does not happen then our bilateral relationship and cooperation, which we care so much about, is going to be harmed because Turkish-US cooperation is important not just for bilateral relations but also for regional and global peace, stability and prosperity.

Subtitle: Cobras must come in 2011

Our fight against both the PKK and Al-Qa'ida make up on the priority elements of our cooperation. To this end it is important that the Super Cobra helicopters mentioned by your Secretary of Defense Gates in his letter to his Turkish counterpart Vecdi Gonul are sent at the beginning of 2011. In addition to the military aspect of this business we are also committed to fully implementing fundamental rights and liberties by raising the standards of democracy.

Subtitle: Our nation is aware

The committed steps we have taken during the democratic overture process we call the National Unity and Fraternity Project have begun to eliminate the organization's exploitation basis. In connection with this the PKK has tried to sabotage the constitutional amendments and the referendum process. Similarly, we are seeing how the organization is trying to exploit our country's foreign policy agenda and Turkey's peaceful and multi-aspectual foreign policy vision. Turkey is today a country that has elevated its standards of democracy, that has shown important commitment to complying with EU standards, and that has managed to achieve to a significant degree its growth and development targets despite the global crisis. The organization is extremely unhappy with our country's calls for peace and dialogue, which have met with a positive response. The upshot of all this is that the PKK has escalated its actions spreading them unfortunately to the cities, and is continuing to murder our security forces and our innocent civilians alike. Our nation is well aware of what is going on here. It is responding to these attacks with the dignity born of being able to see clearly what is going on behind the scenes.

Subtitle: You declared them our common enemy

Furthermore, I sincerely want to share this with you: With these latest attacks out public has begun to question the support of our allies with respect to international cooperation in the war on terrorism. You know full well that it is the United States that is being questioned the most here because when the United States announced earlier that the PKK was our common enemy our public was thrilled to hear this. It expected the United States to fulfil its obligations to this end. Later on when you declared our relationship to be exemplary this justifiably raised our people's expectations further. During this time we have always emphasized the United States support for the fight against terrorism and its positive outlook on the future of our relations. However, the differences of opinion that have emerged between us following the Iran business and Israel's attack on the aid flotilla have created the perception that the United States is not lending enough support against the PKK. Like we said, we are doing our level best to manage this perception. However, we expect the United States to make more resolved and clearer statements against the PKK and to take steps. Putting an end to the PKK in northern Iraq and working for more intense cooperation in particular in the area of sharing intelligence against the PKK will both put pressure on the terrorist organization and turn around the negative mood in our relations by enabling us to more quickly achieve the targets we have identified for our model partnership.

Subtitle: Cobras will come, pressure on PKK will increase

US President Barack Obama also asked at the meeting that Turkey patch up its relations with Israel, that cooperation over Iran be increased and that steps be taken with respect to the Armenia protocols. He expressed that he had feelings regarding the lifting of the Gaza blockade and that he would do what he could. As for the PKK; Barack Obama stated he had given special instructions to the US Department of Defence the Pentagon and that the Super Cobras (first written about in Hurriyet) would reach Turkey within a few months. In addition, he promised to step up pressure in Europe in the form of, "Do what our alliance requires in fighting the PKK." During the meeting it was also discussed how UAVs could be jointly used more effectively in their airspaces. Obama pointed out that several powerful lobbies in Washington might be able to exploit the differences between Ankara and Washington over Israel and Iran, and he gave assurances that the administration would do what it could so that Turkey would not be harmed. It is likely that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will come to Ankara soon.

Subtitle: We will abide by our responsibilities

When it comes to Iran our goals are the same only our methods are different. It is necessary to make best use of the opportunity provided by the Tehran Joint Declaration. This declaration should in fact be seen as the result of your policy of direct engagement. The reason we voted "No" at the UNSC was primarily to keep the Joint Declaration and Iran and peace at the table. Indeed, Ahmadinezhad announced that the Joint Declaration was on the table. You will appreciate that our "No" vote pushed him in that direction. Turkey will of course abide by its responsibilities in Resolution 1929. However, the likely situations and crises that this could lead to in the field must not be forgotten. It is not right for us to be criticized over this. The nuclear fuel exchange in the Tehran Joint Declaration must be taken up in Vienna without delay. The other dialogue channel may be kept going through the Ashton-Jelili talks. We can host this.

Subtitle: They Should Pay Damages

Israel's attack on the humanitarian aid flotilla, the fact that 19 bullets were removed from nine corpses plus the fact that one US national was shot five times in the head shows the horror. We thank you for your efforts in getting all our corpses and our other victimized citizens back to our country within the first 24 hours. We want Israel to acknowledge its guilt, to openly apologize and to pay material and emotional damages. The Gaza blockade must be lifted.

Subtitle: No progress without Karabakh

The Diaspora aims to undermine our relations. There is a rift in the memories of the Turkish and Armenian nations. We are certain of our history. Even though we have not received an answer to our proposal of 2005 for a joint commission we are committed to normalization. Furthermore, it should be seen that there can be no progress in the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations unless and until progress is made in solving the Upper Karabakh problem.

Subtitle: End the restrictions

Russia is giving the impression that it is preparing grounds to obstruct a solution (on Cyprus)by blocking the Security Council, like it did with the Annan Plan referenda back in 2004. We demand that the restrictions against the Turkish people be lifted. Greece should be more active. If you or Secretary of State Clinton speak in with KKTC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) leader Eroglu in the United States soon this will support the Turkish Cypriots.

[11] From the Turkish Press of 28 June 2010

Kurdish Issue

In an interview he granted to Star correspondent Fadime Ozkan, Assistant Professor Aytekin Geleri examines the military dimensions of the struggle against terror. Drawing attention to the erroneous methods used by the Turkish Armed Forces, TSK, in its fight against terror, Geleri argues that the TSK should have made a transition to a professional army long ago, adding that at least the units fighting the PKK should have been made professional. Noting that the emergency rule imposed in the Southeast for years distanced the regional people from the state, Geleri states that killing low level terrorists does not yield result and that operations should be conducted against the high level ones. Advising a change in the position of the military outposts along the border, Geleri points out that there is no problem in intelligence gathering but that the problem arises in its assessment. Noting that Ocalan is not in control of the PKK, Geleri believes that he is a figure that is preventing the organization from disintegration, adding that some in the organization are using him to hold the different groups within the PKK together.

Assessing the request for autonomy expressed by 99 Peace and Democracy Party, BDP, municipalities as well as the PKK in an article in Star, Aziz Ustel writes that neither the government nor the opposition has yet commented on the issue. Praising the efforts exerted by the prime minister to advance the democratic overture despite the obstacles raised by the opposition, certain media groups, and NGO's, Ustel argues that the good-willed steps of the government on the issue are being left unanswered. Underlining that the good-willed intentions of only one side are not sufficient to resolve such a vital problem, the writer argues that the welcoming reception organized at Habur Gate followed by the PKK attacks and the plan to declare a democratic autonomy have proven the other side's bad intentions. With the exception of Ahmet Turk and a few other former Democratic Society Party, DTP, deputies, no one wants to end the clashes, writes Ustel, adding that it would be unfair to expect the TSK to keep calm faced with demands for autonomy. Dismissing speculations that these developments will lead to a large scale Turkish-Kurdish clash, Ustel argues that Turkish citizens of Kurdish origin are not in favor of autonomy, the initiatives taken by the DTP, or the PKK.

Underlining that it is impossible to eliminate the PKK through military or police measures in an article in Star, Mustafa Akyol argues that the major reason for this is not the support extended to the PKK by effective "domestic and foreign focal points" but rather the fact that it has tens of thousands fervent supporters and a few million sympathizers. Showing the example of the struggle between Britain the IRA, Akyol argues that just as the IRA decided to end the violence following negotiations, so can the PKK , adding: "Therefore, there is a single solution alone. The state should consider the political wing of the PKK its interlocutor and should, through this channel, convince the organization to end the violence." Calling on the government to reopen the path to a "political solution" that was initiated with the Habur arrivals but was later closed, Akyol stresses that there is no other alternative for the government.

According to a report by Burak Kara in Vatan, some 90 NGO's from Diyarbakir have changed the joint communiqué they have prepared calling on the PKK to declare a unilateral cease-fire and to end the violence upon the "threats" issued by the PKK administrators in Qandil. It is reported that the PKK asked the NGO's to address their appeal to the Turkish state and the government. The report adds that the communiqué was changed and an appeal was made to end the operations of the security forces as well as the PKK attacks.

Assessing the appeal of the Diyarbakir NGO's to end the clashes and the message conveyed by the Republican People's Party, CHP, leader that he is ready to cooperate with the government on the Kurdish issue in an article in Vatan, Okay Gonensin writes that when these developments are viewed as a whole one can observe that common sense prevails in a large sector of the society and that it is ready to unite on this issue. Welcoming the president's meeting with the political parties and the NGO's, Gonensin calls on the prime minister to abandon his angry style that goes so far as to declare that the media is supportive of terror.

Commenting on demands that an emergency rule should be declared in the Southeast in an article in Radikal, Yildirim Turker argues that insisting on such a demand is tantamount to forcing the state to declare a war, adding: "As a matter of fact, to a certain extent this is the reason why certain Kurdish local administrations are talking about declaring autonomy." Detailing the developments that took place during the period of emergency rule in the region, Turker concludes: "Now they want us to return to the very beginning when villages were burned without questions being asked, when people were exiled from their land, when torture was rampant, and when the dark extensions of the state buried the people in mass graves or threw them into wells. However, that emergency rule is to blame for our current state."

In an article entitled "Why?" Yeni Safak columnist Yusuf Kaplan reiterates his argument that promoting a sense of "Islamic brotherhood" would be the only way of solving the "Kurdish issue" effectively. He also cites two "secret" causes behind this problem, namely the birth of nation states in the modern era with destructive consequences to the Islamic fabric of society in Turkey and the creation of a climate in the post-modern period which encouraged the development of local and ethnic identities against globalization.

National Security Political Document

In an article in Milliyet, Asli Aydintasbas details the "rooted changes" that are being made to the National Security Political Document that is known as the "secret Constitution." According to these changes, the religious communities will be removed from the section on "reactionary activities." The foreign threats section is also being rewritten within the framework of "zero problems with neighbors," where Iran and Greece are no longer mentioned as threats having priorities.

In an article entitled "Tutelage and Democracy" Yeni Safak columnist Yasin Aktay argues that the CHP's appeal with the Constitutional Court against the constitutional amendment package has faced the top court with a "serious test" of its stance on democracy and bureaucratic tutelage. He claims that the court's past record gives reason to suspect that it might actually uphold the appeal based on an unwarranted presumption of "superiority" over the democratic system, adding that the court will be "officially suspending the Constitution" if it renders such a ruling. He also asserts that any form of bureaucratic tutelage over democracy reflects a perception of the people as being not mature enough to make their own decisions and is thus fundamentally at variance with the tenets of democracy.

Turkish-US Relations

Viewing the remarks made by Philip Gordon, assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasian affairs, regarding Turkey's commitment to the west as an overt warning and even as a threat in an article in Milliyet, Semih Idiz interprets Gordon's remarks to mean: "If you continue like that, you may not find us next to you when you are in need." It is beneficial to recall that Gordon's remarks came at a time when voices from within the US Congress are suggesting that Turkey be expelled from NATO, writes Idiz, speculating what might emerge from the Erdogan-Obama meeting given this background.

According to a report by Metehan Demir in Hurriyet, Prime Minister Erdogan conveyed critical messages to President Obama during their meeting in Toronto. The delivery of the Super Cobras by the beginning of 2011, more support for Turkey's struggle against the PKK, the crises the sanctions against Iran might cause, and US support for the Turkish Cypriots were among the critical messages Erdogan conveyed to Obama, details the report.

"Commenting on the Erdogan-Obama meeting in an article in Star, Mehmet Altan writes that the 45 minute delay in the meeting and Gordon's remarks on Ankara's policies will be the focus of discussions rather than the meeting itself. Noting that Turkey's policies on Iran and HAMAS have raised serious doubts in the world's outlook toward Ankara, Altan argues that if Turkish administrators well assess the world and develop the democratization process, Turkey still has a chance.

There are difficulties that need to be addressed to on the Ankara-Washington line, writes Star columnist Ardan Zenturk, adding: "However, the Turkish-Israeli crisis that has opened a big wound in the US Eastern Mediterranean-Middle Eastern security corridor is, no doubt, one of the biggest problems facing Washington." In his article, Zenturk focuses on the message conveyed to President Obama on Turkey's insistence in receiving compensation for the victims of the Gaza aid flotilla, adding that if Washington, in line with its traditional policies, allows Israel to gain time it will cause the exacerbation of the problem and a rupture between its two significant allies. Noting that Turkish-US relations are now being restructured following Turkey's elevation to the status of a regional power, Zenturk doubts that Washington will want to march with Israel in this geography that stretches from Iraq to Afghanistan and from Central Asia to the Balkans, concluding that its choice will be Turkey.

New US Ambassador to Ankara

Profiling the new US ambassador expected to be appointed to Ankara in an article in Taraf, Yasemin Congar writes that ambassador Ricciardone knows Turkish, was stationed in Ankara during 1995-99, and is well acquainted with the Kurdish issue. Detailing Ricciardone's career and his involvement in the Kurdish developments, Congar states that the ambassador believes in the establishment of a democratic federation in Iraq and in an autonomous administration for Iraqi Kurdistan. Based on her conversations with Ricciardone in the past, Congar says that the ambassador is of the opinion that the struggle against the PKK cannot be won through military methods and that violence is bound to escalate if the problems that are political in essence are left unresolved. Advocating more democracy and rights that will cause the Kurds to feel equal, Ricciardone argues that for a federal order to be established in Iraq in the aftermath of the Saddam regime not to be perceived as a threat by Turkey, Ankara has to make peace with its Kurds.

/ES

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