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Turkish Press Review, 06-04-26Turkish 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> <style type="text_css"> <!-- .baslik { margin-right:0cm; margin-left:0cm; margin-top:1cm; font-size:12.0pt; color:#000099; text-align: justify; } --> <_style> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning26.04.2006FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CELEBRATES 44TH ANNIVERSARYConstitutional Court Chief Judge Tulay Tugcu said yesterday that interference in judicial decisions under the guise of protecting freedom of expression could not be tolerated. Addressing a ceremony marking the 44th anniversary of the Constitutional Court, Tugcu said that claims of politicization were weakening the judiciary. Furthermore, she gave thanks to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, as he enabled women to take part in the top levels of the state through the secular, democratic and modern republic. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc were also present at the gathering. When leaving the meeting, Arinc told reporters that Turkey needed social peace in certain matters. “No one can have any objection to secularism,” he said, but added that the principle should be discussed. A strict interpretation of secularism is turning private life into a prison, said the speaker. /Milliyet/[02] US SECRETARY OF STATE VISITS ANKARAAnswering reporters’ questions en route to Athens, where she paid a visit before coming to Ankara, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday, “We’re aware of the importance attached to the terrorist PKK by Turkey. We need to reinvigorate those trilateral mechanisms between Turkey, the US and Iraq to deal with the PKK problem. We want to do it in a way that doesn’t cause greater instability in the north (of Iraq).” Rice said that Turkey was the most important supporter of the Greater Middle East Initiative (GME), adding that this is “because Turks openly express that they don’t see a conflict between Islam and democracy, and Turkey is a very good example of this.” Rice arrived in Ankara in the afternoon and met first with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and then with Prime Minister Erdogan. Rice was also received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. During the talks, the two sides agreed to adopt a “common vision” paper and a new permanent mechanism to develop “strategic partnership,” Gul announced at the joint press conference. He also said that the two countries will boost bilateral visits and exchanges at all levels. The US secretary of state praised Turkey’s efforts, including a recent initiative to convince Sunni Arab groups to join the Iraqi government, and said that both countries will work with the Iraqis to avoid Iraq becoming a base for any terrorist organization or group threatening its neighbors. /Star/[03] ERDOGAN VOWS FULL SUPPORT TO PALESTINEAfter a meeting with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday in Ankara, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would continue its support to the Palestinians for their just cause. Pointing to the importance of the solidarity and unity of the Palestinians, Erdogan said that the sides in the Mideast should try to solve their problems at the negotiating table, adding that the region was tired of violence. The Turkish premier also stated that Ankara didn’t welcome the US and European countries’ cutting off financial support to Palestine. /Turkiye/[04] ERDOGAN: “THE STATE SHOULD SERVE THE NATION”Speaking at a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the state should exist for the good of the nation and serve the people. Erdogan, who chaired the meeting after resting at home for a back ailment last week, stated that sovereignty would belong unconditionally to the nation. He added that the government was determined to protect the republic together with democracy. /Turkiye/[05] FM SPOKESMAN TAN: “NO DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR VISIT OF IRANIAN NUCLEAR NEGOTIATOR”Foreign Ministry spokesperson Namik Tan yesterday said that a date hadn’t been determined for the visit to Turkey of Ali Larijani, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator. Tan said, “Larijani’s wish to visit Turkey was forwarded to the Foreign Ministry through the Iranian Embassy in Ankara, but a date couldn’t be agreed on due to the busy schedules of the related authorities.” /Cumhuriyet/[06] NSC TO MEET TOMORROWThe National Security Council (NSC) chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will meet tomorrow. This year’s second NSC meeting will be held at the Cankaya Palace at 1:30 p.m., and domestic and foreign developments will be discussed. /Cumhuriyet/[07] CHP LEADER BAYKAL CRITICIZES PARLIAMENT SPEAKER’S REMARKSMain opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday criticized Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc’s remarks on National Sovereignty and Children’s Day. Speaking at his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Baykal said that the Parliament Speaker’s Office should stand above political parties, and went on to describe Arinc’s conflicting approach to the constitutional system, of which he is part, as “odd.” Baykal called on Arinc to express and explain his opinions before the end of his term in office. /Aksam/[08] TURKEY CONDEMNS CANADIAN PM’S REMARKS ON 1915 INCIDENTSTurkish Foreign Ministry officials are protesting the Canadian government over Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s remarks last week describing the events of 1915 as an “Armenian genocide.” Turkish diplomats described Harper’s remarks as grossly prejudiced, since the allegations have not been proven by unbiased historical studies. According to ministry officials, such remarks do not contribute to a dialogue between Turkey and Armenia, and have a negative impact on Turkish-Canadian relations. In related news, in his annual message to mark the tragic events of 1915, US President George W. Bush on Monday called on Turks and Armenians to forge a dialogue in order to normalize their relations. As expected, resisting Armenian pressure in his annual speech to mark April 24, the date claimed as a commemoration of the genocide claims, he didn’t use the term “genocide,” and said, “Today we’re remembering one of the horrible tragedies of the 20th century.” /The New Anatolian/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS[10] EMIGRATION BY TURKER ALKAN (RADIKAL)Columnist Turker Alkan comments on the conflict between Armenia and Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows.“Almost everybody I met in Armenia has a relation with Anatolia. I heard such words from many Armenians: ‘My grandfather was from Kayseri’ or ‘My mother was from Sivas.’ Another April 24 has come and gone. Armenians held demonstrations which showed that they hadn’t forgotten their sorrow and which were against Turks. Nothing has changed. They insist that we confess and accept that we committed a genocide against them. The Turkish side is suspicious and asks, ‘If we were to accept the genocide now, would there be other demands tomorrow?’ When the issue is brought up, we discuss the legal meaning of the term ‘genocide’ and say, ‘No, this wasn’t genocide.’ Even if we don’t justify ourselves, we have certain explanations to excuse ourselves: ‘A mutual massacre happened in 1915, and the Armenians started it as supported by Russians.’ All this is true to a great extent, but Turks suffered greatly during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire as well. Millions of Turks who had to escape from Crete, Western Thrace, Pristina, Greece and Bulgaria were killed and they suffered pain and hunger. The world looked on and did nothing. After all, we were Muslims. We even forgot it. Almost everybody who is close to me (including my family) has emigration stories, which carry the traces of blood and tears. However, we forgot them a long time ago. We’re forgetting them rapidly as well. However, all these things neither justify, nor excuse the sad incidents which were experienced with the Armenian emigration. Even if calling this ‘emigration’ instead of ‘genocide’ has a legal meaning, it doesn’t change anything in terms of conscience. Journalist Murat Bardakci has been writing for a few days about the sad incidents that the Armenians suffered. Whatever you call them, these incidents are shameful. Some 141,000 Armenians were living in Sivas in 1914, but after 1915 there were only 8, 100. Nearly 472,000 Armenians in Erzurum, Bitlis, Van, Diyarbakir, Trabzon and Elaizg were exiled to other places. Even if those who took this decision to exile them had no intention of killing or destroying the Armenians, the result which emerged was this. It’s very natural for states to develop a thesis and determine a stance to benefit themselves. It seems Turkey and Armenia won’t change their ideas anytime soon. However, the important thing was the people who suffered and who were killed. Not the states, but academics, historians and artists can put forth this dimension of the issue. They have great duties, and individual efforts can create an atmosphere which can change the stance of states. Fortunately, Mr. Bardakci tried to do this.” 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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