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Turkish Press Review, 05-08-23
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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e-mail :
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
23.08.2005
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN, GUL AND BABACAN TO TOUR LEADING EU COUNTRIES TO PUSH FOR ANKARA’S ACCESSION TALKS
[02] CICEK: “WE’RE CLOSELY FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ”
[03] NSC TO CONVENE TODAY, DISCUSS TURKEY’S EU TALKS, ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL, AND FIGHT AGAINST PKK
[04] NAVAL FORCES COMMANDER ADM. ORNEK PAYS FAREWELL VISIT TO ERDOGAN
[05] US’ BRYZA, TURKISH OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS ELIMINATING PKK FROM IRAQ
[06] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[07] THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL’S REPORT BY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)
[01] ERDOGAN, GUL AND BABACAN TO TOUR LEADING EU COUNTRIES TO PUSH FOR
ANKARA’S ACCESSION TALKS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, and
State Minister for the Economy and Turkey’s chief European Union negotiator
Ali Babacan are expected to visit leading EU member states next month to
seek support ahead of Ankara’s accession talks scheduled to begin on Oct.
3. During their meetings, Erdogan, Gul and Babacan will separately
reiterate that there was no obstacle to Turkey beginning its talks since it
had met all the conditions. They will also stress that recognition of Greek
Cyprus shouldn’t be a precondition to begin talks and that there can be no
recognition before a resolution is reached on the island. In related news,
Erdogan and Gul are expected to attend a summit of UN heads of state and
government, set to be held in New York on Sept. 14-16. /Turkiye/
[02] CICEK: “WE’RE CLOSELY FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ”
Speaking after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Justice Minister and government
spokesman Cemil Cicek said that Turkey was closely following developments
in Iraq, adding that it was trying to politically contribute to the process
there. Cicek said that work to make changes to the anti-terror law was also
continuing, saying that opposition parties hadn’t properly understand Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent “Kurdish problem” statements.
“Erdogan’s remarks should be seen within Turkey’s constitutional framework,
” said Cicek. He further stressed that during the meeting, collective
bargaining talks with trade unions had also been discussed. /Turkiye/
[03] NSC TO CONVENE TODAY, DISCUSS TURKEY’S EU TALKS, ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL,
AND FIGHT AGAINST PKK
The National Security Council (NSC) is due to convene today to discuss a
number of issues, including Turkey’s European Union accession talks
scheduled to begin on Oct. 3, the additional Customs Union protocol, Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statements on a “Kurdish problem,”
and the terrorist PKK’s one-month cease-fire announcement. During the
meeting, military commanders are expected to urge Erdogan to clarify his
statements about the Kurdish issue, saying that they were uncomfortable
with them. The participants are also expected to discuss legal arrangements
to aid anti-terror efforts. /Aksam/
[04] NAVAL FORCES COMMANDER ADM. ORNEK PAYS FAREWELL VISIT TO ERDOGAN
Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ozden Ornek, whose term in office is due to end
on Aug. 30, yesterday paid a farewell visit to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan at Prime Ministry headquarters. In related news, Erdogan received
National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Emre Taner.
/Turkiye/
[05] US’ BRYZA, TURKISH OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS ELIMINATING PKK FROM IRAQ
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Matt Bryza is
due to arrive in Ankara on Thursday for an official visit. During his stay,
Bryza is expected to discuss ways to eliminate the terrorist group PKK’s
presence in northern Iraq. Turkish officials are expected to brief Bryza on
Turkey’s concerns over a recent wave of terrorist attacks and tell him that
Ankara is expecting concrete steps from the US on the issue. The Turkish
officials are also expected to reiterate that Ankara has conducted
operations against al-Qaeda, which the US has also fought, and that the US
is expected to conduct similar operations against the PKK. In related news,
US Central Command Head Gen. John Abizaid and US Forces Commander in Europe
Gen. James Jones are expected to visit Turkey next month. During their stay
in Ankara, they will discuss bilateral relations and developments in Iraq.
/Turkiye/
[06] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[07] THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL’S REPORT BY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)
Columnist Muharrem Sarikaya comments on a new report prepared by the
National Security Council (NSC). A summary of his column is as follows:
“The official agenda of today’s National Security Council (NSC) meeting has
three main headings: evaluation of domestic and foreign threats; the
foreign policy situation and developments concerning the US, including Iran,
Iraq and Cyprus; and farewell to the Sea and Air Forces commanders. That’s
it. However, this doesn’t mean that the Kurdish issue won’t be discussed.
If one of the pillars of the council brings up the subject, the discussion
can be opened. Actually, this seems inevitable. So when Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making such an fuss, why would the issue not arise?
It seems that neither security bodies nor nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) want to take up this burden. However, the NSC’s Secretariat General
has prepared a comprehensive report on the PKK terror and distributed it to
the council members and relevant units. The main theme of the NSC report is
as follows: ‘Why did this terrorist group, which spent the last six years
without attacks, grow active this May? Answers to this question fall into
two categories: the group was falling apart and undergoing a leadership
struggle. Nearly 200 of the 5,400 PKK members are Syrian, and 40% of them
haven’t taken part in an attack since 1999. In addition, it’s been
reorganizing and has had difficulties finding new recruits. The
organization was bolstered by weapons, explosives and other materials it
stole from the former stores of Saddam Hussein and started to use them in
attacks without any risk. It was thus trying to activate its personnel and
keep them together. However, it wasn’t completely successful. In addition,
its leadership problem can’t be solved in the short term. Security forces
are suggesting finding a formula to take in those who haven’t taken part in
attacks from the PKK and offer them a conditional amnesty. Meanwhile, the
NSC report urges that steps for economic and social development be taken as
soon as possible.
In addition, though the government has been implementing democratization
for two years, it didn’t place importance on economic and social openings
in the region. Obviously, Erdogan’s recent words caused the Kurds, except
those connected with the PKK, to raise their voices and showed the variety
of voices among them. The remarks made by businessmen in Diyarbakir and a
group of artists and musicians yesterday are indications of this, even if
they were made at the Justice and Development (AKP) provincial office.”
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