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Turkish Press Review, 03-11-21Turkish 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 morning21.11.2003FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS GLOBAL COMPETITION AND SOLIDARITY BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)CONTENTS
[01] ISTANBUL ROCKED BY TWIN[02] TRUCK BOMBINGSTwo suicide bombers blew up trucks packed with explosives minutes apart in Istanbul yesterday outside the British Consulate and the headquarters of a London-based bank, HSBC, killing at least 27 people and injuring more than 450. The twin attacks, which coincided with US President George W. Bush's visit to Britain, caused chaos in the city still reeling from suicide bombings at two synagogues on Saturday. The first pickup truck exploded outside the headquarters of HSBC, the world's second-largest bank, destroying the facade of the 18-story building and blowing out windows. About 10 minutes later, a second truck slammed into the gate of the British Consulate five miles away in Beyoglu. The blast destroyed annexes to the main building and tore apart a wall surrounding the consulate's garden. Among the dead were British Consul-General Roger Short and his personal assistant Lisa Hallworth. Almost 100 Turkish troops were deployed after the blast. Turkey's stock market started falling after the attacks and was closed minutes later after plummeting 7 percent. It is to remain closed today. Turkish security forces have stepped up security measures both in Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, where roads leading to the US and British embassies were either controlled or sealed off to traffic. The country, after being the target of the worst terrorist attacks in its history, is on red alert. /All Papers/[03] SEZER: “TERRORISM CAN ACHIEVE NOTHING”Nothing can be achieved through terrorism, said President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday in a statement denouncing the latest deadly attacks in Istanbul. The president emphasized that terrorism constitutes a crime against humanity. “I call on our citizens to have common sense and to help the officials in charge,” added Sezer. “The aim of terror is to create fear, intimidation and panic. Together with our nation, our state has the power to overcome any problem facing it. I hope the nation will be spared such tragedies and will suffer no further causalities.” Sezer also offered his condolences to the families and relatives of the attacks’ victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. /Hurriyet/[04] ERDOGAN: “TURKEY STANDS TOGETHER IN THE FACE OF ATTACKS”Turkey will preserve its integrity in the face of the latest terrorist attacks, said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a press conference last night. Stating that the aim of yesterday’s “attacks against humanity” would not deter the will of the people or the government, Erdogan said, “Turkey will continue its international cooperation and solidarity against every kind of terror.” He added, “National solidarity should hold together in this situation. The media and politicians should fulfill their responsibilities. It is too early to tell who is behind the attacks, but their methods resemble the attacks of five days ago.” /Sabah/[05] GUL: “TURKEY WILL NOT BOW TO TERRORISM”The Turkish nation will not bow to terrorism, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul vowed yesterday after hearing of the latest deadly attacks in Istanbul. Speaking to reporters after returning from Sweden, Gul said that he didn’t see the attacks as related to the Iraq issue. “Turkey will continue its steadfast efforts for peace both at home and abroad,” he said. “No one should doubt this.” He added that terrorism could strike any country and that international cooperation in the fight against terrorism was a must. /Turkiye/[06] BUSH, BLAIR DENOUNCE LATEST BOMBINGSUS President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair denounced yesterday’s bombings in Istanbul, calling them the latest attacks in the war on terrorism. On his second day in Britain, the terrorist attacks against the British Consulate and a London-based bank overshadowed Bush’s first state visit to the country. Speaking at a joint press conference, both leaders said the Istanbul attacks would not deter them from completing the job of transforming Iraq into a free, democratic nation run by its people. Both leaders vowed to crush global terrorists, stating that the attacks showed how important it is for coalition forces to continue their mission in Iraq. Bush said the attacks show the “utter contempt” of terrorists for innocent life and for the religions of those they kill. “These are al Qaeda killers killing Muslims,” added Bush. “They need to be stopped… They have demonstrated their ambitions for murder… They hate freedom. They hate free countries… The terrorists hope to intimidate. They hope to demoralize. They particularly want to intimidate free nations. They are not going to succeed. We are united in our determination to fight this evil wherever it is found." For his part, Blair stated, “Once again we must affirm that in the face of this terrorism there must be no holding back, no compromise, no hesitation in confronting this menace, in attacking it, wherever and whenever we can, and in defeating it utterly. There must be no holding back, no compromise, no hesitation in confronting this menace [of terrorism], in attacking it wherever and whenever we can and in defeating it completely." Both leaders also expressed their deepest condolences to the Turkish government and the families of the victims, which include British Consul-General Roger Short. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council also condemned the attacks and adopted a resolution calling on all nations to work together to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice. /All Papers/[07] STRAW: “THESE APPALLING ATTACKS BOOST OUR DETERMINATION TO SEE TURKEY IN THE EU”After yesterday’s terrorist bomb attacks against the British Consulate and London-based HSBC Bank in Istanbul, slaying at least 27 people, including Consul-General Roger Short, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw flew to Istanbul to survey the damage. Straw later told reporters that the bombings were attacks against civilization itself. "Far from this hurting Turkey's application to join the European Union, [these attacks] will increase the determination of all of us to see Turkey a full member," he added. Straw is expected to meet later today with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. /Milliyet/[08] WORLD CONDEMNS ATTACKS IN ISTANBULLeaders worldwide yesterday spoke as one in their condemnation the latest terrorist attacks in Istanbul. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the attacks inhumane, adding that those responsible clearly lacked respect for humanity. The European Parliament observed a moment of silence for victims of he attacks, while the European Commission blasted the “evil” perpetrators behind the bombings. “I condemn with the utmost vigor the new terrorist attacks in Istanbul that hit a country that is close to us, and in that country, the representation of a member state of the EU,” said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, referring to the death of British Consul-General Roger Short. EU term President Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi also condemned the attacks, saying, "The ferocious attacks that have yet again hit Istanbul and Turkey leave us shocked and indignant. I express my personal condolences, as well as those of the Italian government and people, to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and the victims' family members." In a letter to his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer, French President Jacques Chirac said he was "dismayed by the terrorist violence that has once again hit" Turkey, conveying France's solidarity and his condolences to the victim's families. "You can be assured of our full support in your unceasing efforts in the fight against terrorism," the French leader said. German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder also offered his condolences to Prime Minister Erdogan. “This criminal attack shows once again that the fight against terrorism hasn't been won, and that it must be continued decisively and consistently” Schroeder told a press conference. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer also called his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul to say that he shared the pain of the Turkish people. Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis also sent a letter of condolences to his Turkish counterpart Erdogan condemning the attacks. "The tragic events in Turkey have proved once again that international terrorism is not reducing its activities," said Russian President Vladimir Putin. “It can strike in virtually any place in the world.” Putin also called Erdogan to offer his condolences. /All papers/[09] NATO CONDEMNS ISTANBUL ATTACKSNATO Secretary-General George Robertson yesterday condemned the latest attacks in Istanbul as “an outrageous attack on democratic values,” vowing the alliance's solidarity “in the face of the scourge of terrorism.” NATO yesterday stated that it has no plans to change the venue of an alliance summit scheduled for Istanbul next year. “We are not going to be intimidated; the summit continues as planned,” NATO spokesman Jamie Shea told reporters after a meeting of the alliance's decision-making North Atlantic Council (NAC), which condemned the attacks as outrageous and barbaric. “The perpetrators have a clear goal: to sow fear among innocent civilians,” Robertson said. “They constitute an attack on the democratic values that NATO stands for and I condemn this action in the strongest terms. The terrorists who carry out such barbarities will receive the contempt of all civilized people… Our solidarity is only reinforced by the latest tragic events.” Meanwhile the NATO-Russia Council also denounced the Istanbul blasts, saying, “NATO allies, Russia and all civilized peoples will stand together, determined to work shoulder-to-shoulder in eradicating the scourge of terrorism, which is a threat to us all regardless of religion, culture or nationality.” /All Papers/[10] NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS ATTACKS TODAYYesterday’s deadly terrorist attacks in Istanbul will be discussed under a “special agenda” at the National Security Council (MGK) today. A comprehensive report on fundamentalist religious organizations will be discussed. Reportedly the activities of religious terrorist groups in Turkey supporting al Qaeda and their training of militants are covered in this report. In related news, following yesterday’s deadly terrorist bombings in Istanbul, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and the General Staff office both condemned the attacks. A General Staff statement vowed it would continue to do its utmost to protect the nation’s unity. /Hurriyet/[11] PARTY LEADERS UNITED IN CONDEMNATION OF TERRORIST ATTACKSLeaders of parties across Turkey’s political spectrum yesterday united to condemn the latest terrorist attacks in Istanbul. While denouncing the deadly bombings, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal also criticized the government, saying it had ignored his own warnings that new attacks were likely after Saturday’s synagogue bombings. True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar said the attacks proved that Turkey was facing an organized opponent with deadly intent. Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Ali Talip Ozdemir called on the nation to unite against the threat of terrorism. “Everybody should be very cautious, since Turkey is passing through a vulnerable period,” added Ozdemir. /All papers/[12] AKSU: “THE ATTACKS WERE ATTEMPTS TO DAMAGE TURKEY’S VALUES AND STABILITY”The latest suicide terrorist bombings in Istanbul were attacks against Turkey’s very values and stability, said Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu yesterday. “Those trying to send a message through such attacks should know that they will never win,” he stated. Aksu added that there were clear parallels between yesterday’s attacks and last weekend’s deadly bombings of synagogues, also in Istanbul. /Turkiye/[13] IMF’S DAWSON: “WE’VE SEEN PROGRESS IN TURKEY’S ECONOMY SINCE THE SIXTH REVIEW”Tom Dawson, the International Monetary Fund’s external affairs director, said yesterday that Turkey was continuing to implement the nation’s economic program successfully as sHown by progress in its economic indicators since the completion of the sixth review. “Recent positive developments in the economic indicators show the successful implementation of the program,” he said. Asked about the possible effects of the recent terrorist attacks on the economy, Dawson declined comment, but remarked that the Turkish economy was sound. /Turkiye/[14] TALABANI: “IRAQ WANTS TO SEE AN ARMY OF TURKISH BUSINESSMEN, NOT SOLDIERS”Iraq’s current Governing Council President Jalal Talabani discussed economic issues with Turkish officials yesterday on the second day of his visit to Ankara. A protocol to improve economic cooperation between Turkey and Iraq’s Governing Council was given its final form during yesterday’s gatherings, which State Minister Kursat Tuzmen attended. Talabani also met with a number of EU representatives at the Italian Embassy in Ankara. Italy currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency. “We want to see an army of Turkish businessmen in Iraq,” Talabani said. /Cumhuriyet/[15] FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS[16] GLOBAL COMPETITION AND SOLIDARITY[17] BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on yesterday’s bomb attacks in Istanbul and global terrorism. A summary of his column is as follows:“A few days after the weekend bomb attacks in Istanbul, terrorist attacks struck Istanbul again yesterday, which shows that these attacks will continue. It was obvious that nothing would be the same and the world was facing a new era after the Sept. 11 attacks. After those attacks, US President George W. Bush and British Foreign Minister Tony Blair’s policy of invasion was unlikely to halt terrorism. Clearly terrorist actions are a challenge to the hold of the global superpowers. No matter how great are our military forces, terrorism is a threat against all countries and nations. The similarity between the methods of these attacks, the equipment used and the targets chosen show the existence of an organization which has the ability to take movement and action on the international level. Turkey should deal with this situation internationally, as international cooperation against international terrorism is a must. In this process, the US and Britain should be open to suggestions from the world, in particular from experienced countries like Turkey, and show the flexibility to review their policies if necessary. As for Turkey, it’s a country which for 20 years had been mostly left alone in its fight against terrorism, and ensuring our domestic solidarity and cooperation with all people from all walks of life seems to be the first requirement of protecting ourselves. We should do this regardless of our political efforts against terrorism. First of all, it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure this atmosphere of solidarity. The best way forward seems to be moving towards cooperation on the national and international levels without ignoring the facts or hiding them from the nation due to politics. I extend my condolences to those who lost their loved ones and my get-well soon wishes for those injured by yesterday’s attacks.” [18] TO OUR READERSIn observance of the Seker Bayram Holiday, the Turkish Press Review will not appear next week. Please join us again on Monday, December 1.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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