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Turkish Press Review, 06-08-15Turkish 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 morning15.08.2006CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY SEEKS CLEAR UN MANDATE FOR LEBANONThe conditions of Turkish soldiers’ participation in the planned UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon were discussed at a meeting yesterday chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Also in attendance were Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, Land Forces Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit and other top-level diplomats and military officials. The government took a cautious approach towards sending Turkish soldiers to Lebanon. “We’re expecting a new UN Security Council decision in the coming days that would clarify the details (of the force’s mandate and activities), ” said a statement released after the meeting. "Turkey will continue to evaluate its possible contributions to bring a lasting solution to the problem, in line with developments.” In related news, the Cabinet yesterday signed an order to award a state honor medal to outgoing Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, who is set to retire at the end of the month. /Star/[02] ERDOGAN: “NO NEIGHBORING COUNTRY SHOULD SUPPORT THE PKK”Speaking at a press conference yesterday marking the fifth anniversary of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Prime Minister and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on the recently rise in terrorist attacks of the PKK, saying that no neighboring country should support the terror group. “Countries which act slowly or don’t cooperate against terrorism should know that if everyone isn’t safe they won’t be safe either, ” said Erdogan. “No one should try to test the Turkish nation’s patience. We see what price other countries have paid in fighting terrorism, so we need to be honest and sincere.” Erdogan also evaluated the five years of work of his party, three of them in rule, in the fight against terrorism, saying that he believed that countries should cooperate against this threat. The premier stated that Turkey was doing its utmost on the issue and that it had the right to expect the same determination from other countries. Also commenting on recent conflicts in the Mideast, Erdogan said that these conflicts should be brought to an end before they become a global conflagration. “International institutions, especially the United Nations, put forward a determined stance for peace,” he added. “The world’s leading countries have serious responsibilities. No attack can be a reason for killing innocent people.” /Milliyet/[03] OLMERT’S VISIT TO TURKEY POSTPONEDIsraeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s visit to Turkey previously set for Aug. 24-26 has been postponed due to the war in Lebanon. Israeli officials said that the visit was postponed due to the conflict in Lebanon and that Olmert could visit Turkey after the situation in the region becomes normal. /Milliyet/[04] GUL TO BRIEF BAYKAL ON GOVT’S CONDITIONS FOR SENDING SOLDIERS TO LEBANONForeign Minister Abdullah Gul is due to meet this week with main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal to brief him on recent developments in Lebanon under Israeli bombings. During their meeting, Gul will brief Baykal on the conditions for the government sending soldiers to Lebanon. /Aksam/[05] SECURITY FORCES TAKES TIGHT SECURITY MEASURES IN SOUTHEASTGearing up for the anniversary of the terrorist PKK’s first armed attack, which took place on Aug. 15, 1984, security forces have taken tight security measures today in the southeast. Reports say police have obtained search warrants from the courts in advance, enabling them to respond quickly and search suspicious vehicles and premises that may belong to members of the terrorist PKK. Meanwhile, noncommissioned officer Hayati Guclu, who stepped on a land mine in Sivas’ Imranli district, was injured, and three persons were taken into custody in Sýrnak’s Beytussebap district over the killing of Gendarmerie Sgt. Levent Celik. /Cumhuriyet/[06] BAYKAL MEETS WITH RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS DIRECTORATE HEADMain opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday visited Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu. “Your recent religious edicts are guiding Turkey and other Islamic countries as well,” said Baykal. "We support your work and welcome it." Baykal and Bardakoglu discussed Israel’s attack on Lebanon and the Middle East problem. /Hurriyet/[07] SENER: “THE GOVT WILL SET UP A COMMITTEE TO UNITE FINANCIAL SECTOR INSTRUMENTS UNDER ONE ROOF”Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said yesterday that a committee was being established in order to unite Turkey’s financial sector instruments under a single roof. Saying that discussions about the issue weren’t new, Sener added that he remembered these from the past. “The issue about uniting such institutions as the Capital Markets Board (SPK) and the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) under a single roof was also discussed in the past,” he said. “The government took these arguments into consideration and decided to establish a committee.” /Aksam/[08] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS[09] A DIFFICULT DECISION[10] BY ERDAL SAFAK (SABAH)Columnist Erdal Safak comments on the UN’s recent resolution on forming a peacekeeping force in Lebanon, and Turkey’s possible contribution to this force. A summary of his column is as follows:“The possibility of Turkey’s sending troops to Lebanon as part of a UN peacekeeping force is taking Turkey back to the tense, controversial days of the motion of March 1, 2003 on whether to allow US troops to deploy in Turkish territory before the Iraq war. Although a statement released yesterday following a meeting at the Prime Ministry said that a decision had not been made yet, Lebanese Premier Fuad Siniora’s remarks that Turkey would also send troops to UN force was enough to confuse the Turkish capital and the public. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has already declared that it is firmly opposed to such a venture. Furthermore, leading non-governmental organizations and important public figures started campaigns against ‘dragging Turkey into the Mideast quagmire.’ It is highly possible that meetings, demonstrations, and other activities through the Internet and cell phones are on the way in the coming days. For the time being, government officials are holding their tongues on the matter. The feelings of deputies aren’t known, as Parliament is on summer recess. But if a decision to send troops is made and a motion is sent to Parliament, it’s not hard to predict that serious cracks will appear in the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as happened during the discussions of the March 1 motion. Because the peacekeeping force won’t be going to Lebanon for a vacation. UN Security Council Resolution 1701 foresees countering those who violate the cease-fire with weapons. In addition, the force will be in charge of ensuring the area from the Litani River to Lebanon-Israeli border is free from weapons, excluding UN troops and Lebanon troops. All these duties are meant to spur Hezbollah to withdraw from South Lebanon and hand over its weapons. However, at the very beginning, Hezbollah officials announced that they would in no way do this. That means the Shiite group will hide its weapons to use them again when necessary. On the other hand, Israel declared that if the UN force fails to dislodge Hezbollah from South Lebanon, then it would return to the region. All this shows that it’s high likely that the UN force will somehow face Hezbollah or be in the line of fires. Moreover, everybody accepts that if the clashes between Israel and Hezbollah resume, the war won’t be restricted to Lebanon, but will turn into a regional war with the participation of Syria and Iran. In short, a more dangerous mission than Afghanistan and Somali is waiting for possible Turkish troops in South Lebanon. As a result of those, ruling AKP deputies will have to resist pressures both from the public and their own base. On the other hand, there are some factors urging Turkish troops to take part in such a force:Other Muslim countries -- including Morocco, Indonesia and Malaysia – are lending support to the UN forceIt is a part of the mission of ‘Alliance of Civilizations’Contributing to peace in Lebanon is a historical duty of conscience remaining from the Ottoman era Most European countries, which are Turkey’s partners from the European Union, will take part in the force But will all these extenuating circumstances be enough to encourage the government, and more importantly, ruling party deputies to convince and overcome the public pressure? We will see, but in my opinion, it will be difficult. Too difficult...” [11] “ISLAMIC FASCISM” AND TURKEY'S EXPERIENCE IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATING BY CAN DÜNDAR (MÝLLÝYET)Columnist Can Dundar comments on religious tolerance. A summary of his column is as follows:“After the recent terror plot was thwarted, US President George W. Bush stated that the US is fighting against ‘Islamic fascists.’ Bush had earlier compared the clash of civilizations to the Crusades. The Islamic world responded to this by bringing up ‘evangelical fascists.’ These kind of statements encourage radicals in both the Islamic world and the Western world and pose a threat to the future. Isn’t there anything that wise religious people can do about this? Yes, there is something, and they are doing it. A very important congress recently took place in the Netherlands: ‘Religious Education in a Pluralist World.’ It was organized by the International Seminar for Religious Education and Values. Forty countries are represented in this organization, which gathers every two years to discuss new methods in religious education. Such discussions became very important these days. Professor Mualla Selcuk from Ankara University made the opening speech. In her presentation ‘Developing an Interfaith Dimension in Religious Education: Theological Foundations and Educational Framework with Special Reference to Turkish Experience,’ Selcuk talked about the Turkish experience. She began with the question of what Islam’s view of the ‘other’ is and whether it also accepts other religions and tries to find ways of making religious education contribute to the experience of peaceful co- existence. Selcuk stressed that there has been a very rapid change in the understanding of religion in Turkey: She pointed to new modes of religious education and said that there are three issues which need more attention: 1. Having a clear definition of the terminology 2. New ways of passing on the religious knowledge produced in universities 3. Approaches which see other religions from their own perspective rather than the Islamic perspective An important conclusion was drawn: The attendees appreciated Turkey’s important role in this area and decided to hold their next meeting in Turkey. Turkey still hasn't been able to reflect its faith pluralism in its religious education in schools, but with its geographic location and multicultural roots, Turkey can make a great contribution to humanity in a world in which new forces are trying to foment conflict from the view of the Crusades.” 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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