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Turkish Press Review, 07-02-28Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning28.02.2007CONTENTS
[01] DUTCH QUEEN BEATRIX MEETS WITH SEZER, ERDOGAN, ARINCAfter arriving in Ankara yesterday for an official visit, Dutch Queen Beatrix had separate meetings with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. During their talks, Erdogan and Beatrix discussed a number of issues such as violence, conflict, and the threat of terrorism across the globe. Erdogan stated that he appreciated Dutch support for Ankara's European Union membership bid. The premier also decried the $1 trillion spent worldwide on arms each year, saying that if this money were instead spent to fight poverty and illiteracy, the world would be very different. For her part, Beatrix stressed that the world couldn't be indifferent to these problems. Later, Sezer hosted a banquet in Beatrix's honor. Addressing the guests, Beatrix reiterated Dutch support for Turkey's EU bid. For his part, Sezer said that he hoped this support would continue. /Turkiye/[02] ERDOGAN ACCUSES OPPOSITION OF SCAREMONGERING ON MAY'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONAddressing his party's group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the opposition parties' stance on May's presidential election, accusing them of scaremongering. "They say that they're trying to protect the republic," said Erdogan, adding that this was the president's duty. "They don't have this authority, and they're only trying to protect their own interests. Turkey is a country of hope, not fear." The premier stated that the timing of the declaration of presidential candidates was very important. Erdogan also stressed that the next parliamentary elections would be held this November as scheduled. /Aksam/[03] FM GUL: "IRRATIONAL LEADERSHIP HAS ALWAYS BROUGHT TROUBLE TO THE MIDEAST"Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday joined the Turkish government's chorus against the recent remarks of Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, who said that Turkey and Iran should "get used to" the idea of an independent Kurdistan. Returning from a visit to Afghanistan, Gul said that irrational, unrealistic leadership had brought the people of the Middle East nothing but trouble. Stating that at a time when the region and especially Iraq are going through a critical period and Turkey was pursuing comprehensive, constructive policies, Gul said that statements like Barzani's were either tendentious or an example of irresponsibility. /Star/[04] CHP'S BAYKAL CRITICIZES ERDOGAN OVER REMARKS ON NORTHERN IRAQI ADMINISTRATIONAddressing his party's group meeting yesterday, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for saying that Turkey's relations with the northern Iraqi administration could develop. "Our national sovereignty and territorial integrity can't be a matter for talks, and shouldn't be," said Baykal. "Some issues are non-negotiable. What will you talk about with Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, who said that Iraq wouldn't fight the terrorist PKK?" /Sabah/[05] AGAR CRITICIZES EFFORTS TO UNIFY RIGHT-WING PARTIESOpposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday criticized efforts for unification among right-wing parties, saying that such plans come from people sitting comfortably in luxury hotels. "But as for us, we're traveling across the country together with non-governmental groups and trying to practice politics," he said. "This is how politics should be done." /Turkiye/[06] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION MEETS WITH US DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE BRYZAA Turkish parliamentary delegation, currently in Washington to discourage passage of the so-called Armenian genocide resolution by the US House of Representatives, yesterday met with Matt Bryza, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. Bryza reportedly told the Turkish deputies that the Bush administration was opposed to the resolution. The delegation of deputies includes Murat Mercan, Saban Disli, Necdet Budak, and Muzaffer Gulyurt from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and Haluk Koc and Mehmet Nessar from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). /Star/[07] TRNC'S TALAT: "DIRECT TRADE REGULATIONS WOULD HELP THE TURKISH CYPRIOT NATION"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat, currently in Brussels to hold various contacts, said yesterday that the Turkish Cypriots would be relieved if the European Union were to implement direct trade regulations. Talat said that the proper place to solve the Cyprus problem was the UN but that after the Greek Cypriots joined the bloc the EU had developed a parallel process. /Cumhuriyet/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…GENOCIDE IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER [08] HIKMET BILA (CUMHURIYET)Hikmet Bila comments on a verdict by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Serbia. A summary of his column is as follows:"It is very upsetting to see that in hundreds of years nothing has changed. Especially after World War II, efforts to protect human rights on an international basis led to high hopes. Crimes against humanity were condemned, and heavy punishments were foreseen for violators. But soon we could see that this was only political trickery, a strategic ruse. A serious crime against humanity like genocide has also become a tool to advance political and strategic interests. Genocide is still in the eye of the beholder, as is crime and punishment. Twelve years ago, a grave crime against humanity was committed in Bosnia. Thousands of Bosnians were slaughtered by Serbians. Thousands of women were raped. Countless old people and children were killed by snipers. And all of Europe sat and watched this tragedy unfold. One incident was particularly unbelievable. Srebrenica was declared a ‘safe area' by the United Nations, and thousands of Bosnians took shelter by laying down their arms. This ‘safe area' was to be protected by Dutch UN troops. But Serbian troops besieged the area and asked the Dutch troops to hand over the Bosnian civilians to them. And the Dutch troops did so. The Serbians slaughtered 8,000 civilians, and the Dutch soldiers did nothing but watch this massacre. Then they did toasts with these Serbian butchers. Moreover, recently, these Dutch soldiers were decorated with state medals in the Netherlands. This week the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled that the killing of 8,000 Bosnians in Srebrenica was a ‘genocide,' but that Serbia was not guilty of this crime. For this reason, Serbia isn't obligated to pay compensation to Bosnians! On the one side, calling events which happened more than 90 years ago during Ottoman rule a ‘genocide' and charging the Republic of Turkey with responsibility for these events, which have no relation to them ... On the other side, clearing people responsible for the Srebrenica genocide where the graves are still fresh. Here is the situation of the concept of human rights from the view of the court … This week, victims of another massacre were being commemorated on its 15th anniversary. On Feb. 25, 1992 Armenians killed some 1,000 of civilians in the village of Hocali, in Karabagh. Two hundred of them were women and children. In addition to this mass killing, countless Azerbeijanis were slaughtered in a number of villages. About 2 million Azerbeijanis were exiled from their homes and became immigrants in other regions of Azerbaijan, and they still are. They're trying to survive under very harsh conditions. The world is blind to them. Europe is deaf to them. As I said previously, genocide still lies in the eye of the beholder, along with massacres, crimes and punishments. Under certain political and strategic calculations, a genocide can be cleared, while others may not be even seen. Is this the modern world?" Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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