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Turkish Press Review, 07-04-09Turkish 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 morning09.04.2007CONTENTS
[01] SEZER’S LAST NSC TO CONVENE TOMORROWThe National Security Council (NSC) is due to convene tomorrow. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, whose term in office is due to end soon, is expected to participate in the NSC for the last time. The PKK terrorist organization, developments in Iraq, Iran, and the Turkish Republic of the Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will be on the agenda of the meeting. However, it is not clear whether or not the Council members will discuss May’s presidential election. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is expected to brief the participants on Iraq and the Middle East. Sezer is due to make a speech at the War Academy Commandership on Friday and expected to emphasize secularism and comment on such issues as terrorism, education, and health. /Aksam/[02] ERDOGAN OPENS BORCKA DAMPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by a group of Cabinet ministers, yesterday opened the Borcka Dam on the Coruh River in Artvin. Speaking at the ceremony, Erdogan underlined the importance of energy in the world. Consumption of energy per capita is an indicator of a country’s level of development, said Erdogan. Stressing that Turkey’s electricity production was 800 million KW/hr in the 1950s, and now with an increase of 200 fold, reached 173 billion KW/hr, Erdogan said that they would continue to build new dams and power plants to prevent possible energy shortage in the future. The premier also visited the Sarp border gate between Georgia and Turkey and stated that the border gate would be fully restored this summer. Erdogan also paid visits to the provinces in the Black Sea region during his travel along the Black Sea Coastal Highway, and addressed the crowds. /Milliyet/[03] DSP HOLDS NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY DEMONSTRATION OVER THE WEEKENDThe opposition Democratic Left Party (DSP) held a National Sovereignty demonstration over the weekend in Ankara with the participation of about 40, 000 people. Addressing the gathering, DSP leader Zeki Sezer criticized the government, and called for compromise for the upcoming presidential election. Referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s previous statement that Turkishness was a sub-identity, Sezer asked, “How can you sit at the Presidential Palace?” /Star/[04] FOREIGN MINISTRY HARSHLY REACTS AGAINST BARZANI’S REMARKSA Foreign Ministry official yesterday harshly reacted against Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani’s remarks that they wouldn’t allow Turkey’s interference in Kirkuk issue and that if Turkey intervenes in Kirkuk, then Iraq would intervene in Diyarbakir. The official said that Barzani was firing the dynamite, which he was sitting on. “If this dynamite explores, he can’t escape from this,” said the official. Continuing with his negative statements yesterday, Barzani said that a Kurdistan state could be established in 10 or 15 years, adding that founding a state was natural rights of the Kurds. /Cumhuriyet/[05] BAYKAL REITERATES HIS OPPOSITION TO ERDOGAN’S PRESIDENCYSpeaking in Sivas over the weekend, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shouldn’t be elected the president, adding that the president should believe in the Constitution. Touching on the terrorist PKK, Baykal warned that the PKK could make new attacks. He further stressed that Turkey would get rid of terror with a right administration. /Cumhuriyet/[06] MONACO’S PRINCE ARRIVES IN ISTANBUL FOR CIESM MEETINGAlbert II, Prince of Monaco yesterday arrived in Istanbul to attend the 38th Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM) Congress. The meeting will begin today with an opening ceremony presided over by Prince Albert. During the meetings along this week, over 750 experts will exchange information on marine and coastal research in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. /Turkiye/[07] PKK KILLS EIGHT SOLDIERS AND ONE VILLAGE GUARDDuring clashes in Bitlis, Sirnak and Bingol of the Southeastern Anatolia between soldiers and terrorist PKK militants over the weekend, eight soldiers and one village guard died. The martyrs were buried following funerals held with the attendance of high-level military officials and citizens in different provinces of the country. /Sabah/[08] BABACAN: “ISTANBUL HAS THE CAPACITY TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION CENTER”Speaking at a summit entitled “Turkey: Pacific Foreign Trade Bridge” yesterday, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said that Istanbul had the capacity to be an international transportation center, saying that the third airport project would soon start in Istanbul. Stressing that Turkey was a balance power in its region, Babacan added that Turkey achieved many things in the last 4-5 years. “After 5 years, Turkey will be highly different from its current situation,” said Babacan. /Aksam/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS... [09] WHAT IS BARZANI’S AIM?BY SEMIH IDIZ (MILLIYET)Columnist Semih Idiz comments on Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani and his remarks. A summary of his column is as follows: “What is Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani’s aim by justifying those opposing Kurds? Why he can’t see that while promising to create great problems for others, he’s also inviting a disaster for Iraqi Kurds who have seized the opportunity of stable improvement for the first time? Could it be possible that Barzani is deprived of the ability to see the lessons given by history? If he’s not, then who does he trust in? Or, did he reach a military power to turn all the balances upside down? If I had been a reasonable Kurd, I would have looked at the facts of the region and the international conjuncture and ask him these questions. Barzani couldn’t have forgotten that the ‘Mahabad Republic’ which was established in 1946 under the Soviets Union’s governance via his father who was the then Chief of General Staff, was collapsed by the Iranian Shah with the support of the US and Britain. Similarly, he also couldn’t have forgotten that the self-government accepted by Baghdad for Kurds in 1974 evaporated with the agreement between Tehran and Baghdad, in spite of the so-called support provided by the US, Israel and Iran. The Kurdish leader has always said that they deserve independence, but that they’re realistic about this issue. However, Barzani’s remarks which can be summarized as they would put 30 million Kurdish people in Turkey into action and intervene in Diyarbakir and other cities, if Turkey intervenes in Kirkuk, show that he’s living in a world of dream. It’s known that Ankara is politically sensitive about the Kirkuk issue. This situation can be seen not only in Turkey, but also in Arab countries. It’s also true that a militarist disclosure is reflected by certain people in Turkey. However, both the government and the military wing said that Turkey’s military intervention in Kirkuk can be possible only with the beginning of systematic massacres against Turks living there and these words are still in records. Why is Barzani adding fuel to the fire in spite of this fact and what’s he expecting to gain with these threats which would worry Turkey, Iran and Syria and which are full of imaginary figures? I believe that he’s trying to keep the tension high, because actually the things aren’t developing in favor of Kurds’ great aspirations. I have written before that the Baker-Hamilton report became a kind of ‘Balfour Declaration’ for Kurds. Neither this report, nor the Kirkuk report which was prepared by the International Crisis Group based in Brussels support Kurds’ thesis. What’s more, the oil law which was accepted with the US’ pressures emphasize that the Iraqi oil belong to the Iraqi people. In this case, Barzani is preparing for playing not the role of ‘calming,’ but the role of ‘complicating.’ He thinks that he will be able to reach his political aims with this complication. However, as I mentioned above, his only achievement is to play for the anti-Kurdish people’s hands and prepare a disaster for Iraqi Kurds. I think it can’t be viewed as ‘leadership’.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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