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Turkish Press Review, 03-11-18Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr><LINK href="http://www.byegm.gov.tr_yayinlarimiz_chr_pics_css/tpr.css" rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning18.11.2003FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] AKP DISCUSSES ISTANBUL TERRORIST ATTACKS; DEATH TOLL RISES TO 25The ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Central Executive Board chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan convened yesterday to discuss Saturday’s terrorist attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul. Erdogan remarked there was a strong possibility the attacks were connected with al- Qaeda, adding that the bombs used were not the C-4 type but rather had been made with fertilizer. Stating that the chief suspects in the bombings were Gokhan Elaltintas and Mesut Cabuk, both deceased in the suicide attacks, Erdogan said that following DNA tests, the identity of the attackers would be certain. He added that Interior Ministry was leading investigation into the attacks and that the public would be briefed on relevant developments as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the death toll of the attacks reached 25, as funerals of the victims continued. /All Papers/[02] CICEK: “TURKEY WANTS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM”Speaking after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that Saturday’s terrorist attacks had been discussed at the gathering. “The terrorism which struck Turkey will also strike others sooner or later, ” warned Cicek. “We welcome all countries’ sending messages [of support] to Turkey, but they should know that what we seek isn’t more messages, but rather concrete international cooperation in the war against terrorism.” /All papers/[03] ZIYAL SET TO DISCUSS TERRORISM AND IRAQ WITH US STATE DEPARTMENT’S PASCOELynn Pascoe, US deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, is expected to visit Ankara on Friday to discuss the fight against terrorism and recent developments in Iraq with Foreign Ministry Undersecreatry Ugur Ziyal. Ziyal and Pascoe are also set to discuss Saturday’s terrorist attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul. In related news, Ziyal is also expected to visit Washington next month. /Cumhuriyet/[04] ISRAELI PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IN ISTANBUL FOR BOMBING VICTIMS’ FUNERALSIsraeli Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin travelled to Istanbul yesterday to attend the funeral of six Jewish Turkish citizens who died in the twin synagogue bombings on Saturday. Two Israeli parliamentary deputies accompanied him. Meanwhile, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, head of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, an interfaith group promoting peace and tolerance, also arrived for the victims’ funerals. “We denounce these attacks,” said Schneier. “Finding those who are responsible could take time.” /Sabah/[05] GREEK, ARMENIAN PATRIARCHS EXTEND CONDOLENCES TO CHIEF ISTANBUL RABBIFener Greek Patriarch Bartolomeos and Turkey’s Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II yesterday visited Istanbul Chief Rabbi Ishak (Yitzhak) Haleva to extend their condolences for Saturday’s deadly terrorist bombings of two synagogues. “This was a terrible wound, a wound for Turkey,” said Bartolomeos. “It was an assault on Turkey’s peace and unity which we condemn. Our sorrow is great.” For his part, Mesrob said, ''We suspect this attack was meant to strike a blow to Turkey’s unique mosaic of culture and progress.'' In a gesture of unity and togetherness, Bartolomeos and Mesrob later attended an Iftar fast-breaking dinner hosted by Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu. /Hurriyet/[06] TURKMEN LEADER: “FRIENDLY COUNTRIES MIGHT HELP TO ESTABLISH STABILITY IN IRAQ”Iraqi Turkmen Front head Faruk Abdullah Abdurrahman said yesterday that more than anything, Iraq needed peace and stability now and that friendly countries’ support could be pivotal in attaining these goals. On a visit to Ankara yesterday, Abdurrahman met with Foreign Ministry officials. Commenting on Ankara’s recent decision not to send troops to Iraq, he remarked that Turkish troops’ enormous contributions to peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan, Somalia and Bosnia-Herzegovina were well known and had led to the successful establishment of peace in these countries. /Turkiye/[07] TALABANI: “WE WANT TO DEVELOP RELATIONS WITH TURKEY”Current Iraqi Governing Council President and Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani said yesterday that Iraq was ready to cooperate with Turkey but would not allow Ankara to intervene into the process of Iraq’s state re-construction. Talabani yesterday began a tour of regional countries with a stop in Iran. Before his departure, he told an NTV reporter in Baghdad that during his upcoming visit to Ankara, he hoped to assuage the Turkish military’s anxieties. He stated that Kurds didn’t want to establish a Kurdish state but rather a federation within Iraq. “We are not against Turkish troops – quite the opposite, we love Turkey and Turkish troops,” said Talabani. “However, we think that only we Iraqis can ensure peace and stability in our country.” Regarding the continued PKK_KADEK terrorist presence in northern Iraq, Talabani said, “Our government is ready to cooperate with Turkey against terrorist activities which threaten it. I’ll soon discuss this issue with Turkish officials during my visit to Ankara.” The IPUK leader also reiterated his view that the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk was a part of “Kurdistan.” Claiming that Kurds constituted a majority in that region, Talabani said that Turkmen, Arabs and Kurds could solve their issues through dialogue without resorting to violence. /Turkiye/[08] TRNC OPPOSITION LEADERS VISIT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTLeaders of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) opposition parties yesterday left for Strasbourg, France at the invitation of the European Parliament. During their visit, the leaders are expected to address a two- day EP session and meet with EP President Pat Cox and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen as well as representatives of EP political groups. /Turkiye/[09] WESTON: “WE EXPECT TURKEY TO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS FOR A CYPRUS RESOLUTION BY NEXT MAY”Thomas Weston, the US special coordinator for Cyprus, arrived in Ankara yesterday to meet with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal to discuss the Cyprus issue. During their talks, Weston stated that Turkey was expected to take concrete steps towards a resolution on the island between now and next May, when Greek Cyprus is set to join the European Union. For his part, Ziyal said that next month’s elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would be conducted democratically so there was no need for worry. Speaking afterwards, Weston said that he believed a resolution should be found within the framework of the United Nations’ Cyprus plan, adding that negotiations between the TRNC and Greek Cyprus should begin as soon as possible. /Cumhuriyet/[10] CB HEAD: “TURKEY’S INFLATION WORRIES ARE PAST, BUT EXCHANGE RATES REMAIN A PROBLEM”Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti said yesterday that Turkey’s inflation problems were behind it, but added that exchange rates continued to be a problem. /Aksam/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[12] FROM THE TWIN TOWERS TO ISTANBUL BY SEDAT ERGIN (HURRIYET)Columnist Sedat Ergin comments on the weekend bomb attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul. A summary of his column is as follows:“Last weekend’s bomb attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul were a high- water mark for terrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks, which themselves were followed by a series of al Qaeda terrorist attacks in Indonesia, Tunisia, Kenya and Morocco. However, the attacks in Istanbul are considered the worst since Sept. 11 due to where they took place. The largest city of a country which is one of the US’ closest allies in the region and a NATO member and also has close relations with Israel was made a target. It’s fairly clear that Islamic fundamentalist terrorist organizations are responsible for the Istanbul attacks, and it wouldn’t be surprising if al Qaeda turned out to be behind it. Both of these attacks are the result of one or two months of planning by a group which probably left serious evidence behind it. What might be the terrorists’ message? Maybe they meant to punish Turkey’s initial decision to send soldiers to Iraq. Even though our soldiers never actually went there, Parliament’s decision in favor of it showed its preference. Thus, this terrorist action might include a warning for Turkey not to act alongside the US. However, these attacks might cause an opposite effect as well, because they could move Turkey further into the same axis as the US and Israel. Turkey will consider itself in the same boat as the US, which sees terrorism as its chief threat. Consequently these attacks could cause Turkey to engage in stronger cooperation with the US and Israel. In sum, the people who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and the Muslim and Jewish people who died at the synagogues in Istanbul last weekend shared the same unfortunate fate.” [13] INTERNATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS OF THE ISTANBUL TERRORIST ATTACKS BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen writes about the international repercussions of the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul. A summary of his column is as follows:“There are many questions that spring to mind about last weekend’s terrorist attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul. Often such questions can never be answered. This time, however, we hope that the perpetrators will soon be captured and punished. Turkey has now for the first time been the victim of a large-scale attack of global terrorism. There were supposedly two main aims of these attacks: First, to ‘punish’ and take revenge on the Jews and Israel. Second, to intimidate Turkey and force Ankara to change its foreign policy. Radical Islamist terrorist groups see our country as a collaborator with the Western world. Why? Because Turkey is secular and cooperates with the US and Israel. But couldn’t these terrorists have seen beforehand that such attacks would lead to nothing but indignation and anger? In truth, one shouldn’t search for reasonable explanations since such acts are always the outcome of miscalculations on the part of terrorists. The ‘masterminds’ behind such attacks aren’t always rational. If we look at the repercussions of these attacks in the international arena, we see that the perpetrators’ plans have already failed. Countries worldwide have expressed their support to Turkey in its fight against terrorism. Our successful synthesis of Islam and secularism is once again greatly appreciated by the international community. The attacks have in fact reinforced Turkey’s determination to combat terrorism. They have also provided us with a new opportunity to tell the world that there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ terrorism, and that Ankara condemns all kinds of terrorist attacks. In addition, we’ve already shown in years past that terrorism would never deter us from our goals. How can someone think that Turkey would change its foreign policy due to such attacks? In other words, terrorist groups miscalculated the results of their actions. Turkey will never alter its foreign policy. The best message for Turkey to send to the perpetrators of these abhorrent attacks is as follows: ‘We will stay on course. We’ll never submit to terrorism.’” ARCHIVE <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js"> </script> Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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