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Turkish Press Review, 06-04-03
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
03.04.2006
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “ALL COUNTRIES SHOULD COOPERATE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM”
[02] AGAR DECRIES “GAMES” PLAYED ON TURKEY, VOWS “OUR FLAG WILL CONTINUE TO FLY”
[03] PARLIAMENT TO BE BRIEFED ON SOUTHEAST UNREST
[04] GREEK FM BAKOYANNIS: “THE ANNAN PLAN IS HISTORY”
[05] BRITISH MEDIA: “WASHINGTON FEARS IRANIAN NUKES COULD BE USED AGAINST INCIRLIK AIRBASE”
[06] BASCI: “COMPETITION WILL PUSH CREDIT CARD INTEREST DOWN”
[07] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[08] DTP LEADER TURK’S REMARKS BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN: “ALL COUNTRIES SHOULD COOPERATE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
TERRORISM”
Addressing the Fourth World Democracy Movement Congress at Lutfi Kirdar
Congress Salon in Istanbul over the weekend, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said that the gravest threat facing the world was terrorism and
that the whole world should work to defeat it. “This terrorism struck the
US, the largest power in the world,” said Erdogan. “Terror is a phenomenon
which doesn’t have any particular religion, language, race or nation. All
countries should cooperate in this fight.” Stressing that the non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) had important roles in fighting terrorism
and ensuring an alliance of civilizations, he added, “Sometimes these civil
groups can solve problems which can’t be solved by governments.” Touching
on Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Erdogan said that Ankara placed
importance on the bid in order to better assimilate democratic standards.
“We’re in a process of freedom of thought and democracy,” he said. Also
present at the congress were Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, State
Minister Besir Atalay, Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler, and Greater
Istanbul Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbas. /Turkiye/
[02] AGAR DECRIES “GAMES” PLAYED ON TURKEY, VOWS “OUR FLAG WILL CONTINUE TO
FLY”
Speaking at a meeting of his party over the weekend, opposition True Path
Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar commented on recent incidents in Diyarbakir,
saying that “games” were being played on Turkey’s southeastern region, but
that the Turkish Republic’s flag would continue to fly. “Our nation will be
free,” he said. Stressing that some regions of world conflict were close to
Turkey’s borders, Agar said that this showed that yesterday, today, and
tomorrow were all important in the region. “Lines of energy, raw materials,
and natural resources pass through Turkey,” said Agar, adding that because
of this the games played on Turkey wouldn’t end. However, Agar added that
everybody should stay calm since Turkey is large, powerful country.
/Turkiye/
[03] PARLIAMENT TO BE BRIEFED ON SOUTHEAST UNREST
The government will hold a session tomorrow to brief Parliament’s General
Assembly on recent unrest in the southeast, with all parties with a
parliamentary group – the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the
Republican People’s Party (CHP), and the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) –
being allowed a say after Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul presents the
government’s assessment of the violence. The General Assembly will also
debate a bill allowing elderly convicts to serve out their prison sentences
at home, a measure previously vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who
argued that the bill was intended to benefit only former Prime Minister
Necmettin Erbakan. /Turkish Daily News-Aksam/
[04] GREEK FM BAKOYANNIS: “THE ANNAN PLAN IS HISTORY”
Greece Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said yesterday said that the Annan
plan became history after the Greek Cypriots rejected it in a referendum
held in April 2004. Speaking to Greek Cypriot daily Fileleftheros ahead of
her three-day scheduled visit to southern Cyprus beginning tomorrow,
Bakoyannis said, “Adaptation to EU norms and recognition of all EU member
states are both crucial for Turkey to become a member.” The Greek foreign
minister went on to list Ankara’s homework to join the bloc, stating that
Ankara needs to make contributions to efforts to find a solution to the
Cyprus problem, solve the continental shelf dispute with Athens, refrain
from all kind of violence and recognize the cultural and religious rights
of all minorities. /Star/
[05] BRITISH MEDIA: “WASHINGTON FEARS IRANIAN NUKES COULD BE USED AGAINST
INCIRLIK AIRBASE”
The British Government is reportedly to hold secret talks with its defense
chiefs today to discuss possible military strikes against Iran. According
to Britain’s Sunday Telegraph, a high-level meeting will take place in the
Ministry of Defence at which senior defense chiefs and government officials
will consider the consequences of an attack on Iran. At the center of the
crisis is Washington's fear that an Iranian nuclear weapon could be used
against Israel or US forces in the region, such as Incirlik Airbase in
Turkey. It is believed that an American-led attack, designed to destroy
Iran's ability to develop a nuclear bomb, is “inevitable” if Teheran's
leaders fail to comply with United Nations demands to freeze their uranium
enrichment program, said the Telegraph. The paper added, “The United States
government is hopeful that the military operation will be a multinational
mission, but defence chiefs believe that the Bush administration is
prepared to launch the attack on its own or with the assistance of Israel,
if there is little international support. British military chiefs believe
an attack would be limited to a series of air strikes against nuclear
plants -- a land assault is not being considered at the moment.”
/Cumhuriyet/
[06] BASCI: “COMPETITION WILL PUSH CREDIT CARD INTEREST DOWN”
Credit card interest rates will go down with competition in the Turkish
market, predicted acting Central Bank Governor Erdem Basci yesterday.
Speaking to the Economic Correspondents’ Association (EMD) at a breakfast
in Ankara, Basci stressed that the CB can’t change the interest rates that
private banks charge on their credit cards. “What it can do is to set the
maximum interest rate that banks can implement,” noted Basci. This interest
rate ceiling will be effective starting in June. /The New Anatolian/
[07] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[08] DTP LEADER TURK’S REMARKS BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila comments on Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) Co-Chair
Ahmet Turk’s remarks. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) Co-Chair Ahmet Turk appeared on CNN Turk
yesterday. Speaking on the incidents in southeastern Anatolia, he stated
that he considered the process turning into an ethnic conflict to be the
greatest danger. In this respect, he stressed that ethnic nationalism was
the greatest factor sowing grievances and hatred among the nation and so
asked the nation to steer clear of hostility. Following the program, Turk
said that he hadn’t had time to mention it during the program, but that he
appreciated the remarks and stance of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
leader Devlet Bahceli concerning the latest incidents. ‘Bahceli made the
most reasonable remarks concerning the incidents. We appreciate his stance.
He acted with more common sense than Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader
Deniz Baykal. As a social democratic leader, we expected more constructive
remarks with more common sense.’ Bahceli has called on Turkish nationalists
to maintain their silent, proud stance under every condition and no matter
what serious provocations they face. He also said that nothing could bring
Turkish nationalists to the streets to take part in a bloodbath against
their brothers. And while Bahceli was saying this, terrorist leader
Abdullah Ocalan told his lawyers in Imrali that if it was up to the MHP,
they would have killed him in two hours.
Turk also criticized the 10% election threshold and accused the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP) and CHP of trying to block independent
deputies by imposing thresholds on regions. He said, ‘If we want, we can be
elected independent deputies. The voters want this as well. They say that
they vote for us but that others are selected. They want us to hold
elections. Other party candidates who got 4,500 votes were elected deputies
due to the threshold. I can get 4,500 votes just from the villages
supporting me. If we become independent deputies, 20-25 deputies would be
elected among us.’ Turk called on the people to find solutions to problems
in peace, brotherhood, unity, solidarity and within a unitary state
structure, but actions in public squares contradict these words. He
emphasized this contradiction and said, ‘Not the symbols of a unitary state,
but other symbols are used in the demonstrations and actions in the
southeast. PKK flags and Ocalan’s posters are in the foreground. We don’t
represent or control everything and everybody. We’ve always tried to calm
down the people and prevent events from escalating’.”
ARCHIVE
The news and articles issued in the Turkish Press Review
may be quoted from provided due acknowledgement is made.
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