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Turkish Press Review, 07-06-12Turkish 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 morning12.06.2007FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] TOP LEADERS TO HOLD TERROR SUMMITA terror summit chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be held today in Ankara. During the late afternoon gathering, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Interior Minister Osman Gunes and top commanders led by Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit are expected to discuss recent terrorist attacks and what security measures should be taken in response. /Star/[02] SENER: “ANTI-TERROR EFFORTS WILL CONTINUE”State Minister Abdullatif Sener said yesterday that the government is doing its best to end PKK terrorism. Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting, Sener said that the assembled ministers had focused on a recent escalation in terrorist attacks and measures to be taken in response. “Our government and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are working together decisively to end PKK terrorism,” said Sener. “The government is ready to meet all the equipment needs and other requirements of our army to back their anti-terror efforts.” /Sabah/[03] ERDOGAN ATTENDS INVESTMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETINGPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan yesterday attended a meeting of the Turkish Investment Advisory Council. Addressing the gathering, Erdogan said that Turkey has been developing and growing in recent years, adding that trust between the government and the nation’s productive sectors is a must for economic progress. The premier added that strong democracy was the most important guarantee of a strong economy. “Our government has done its best to achieve economic development hand in hand with democratic development,” said Erdogan. “Our determination to promote democratization and the rule of law was the guarantee of Turkey’s successes in all fields.” /Milliyet/[04] NATO’S SCHEFFER ARRIVES IN ANKARANATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer yesterday arrived in Ankara to pay an official visit. Asked about a possible cross-border operation by Turkey into northern Iraq, Scheffer said that Turkey was a member of NATO, reiterating that the alliance considers the PKK a terrorist group. He stressed that during his contacts, the issue of terrorism will also be discussed. Touching on Ankara’s decision to withdraw military support for the European Union within the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), Schheffer said that he believed Turkey would act constructively on the issue. /Milliyet/[05] REHN: “IF SARKOZY BLOCKS TURKEY’S EU BID, HE COULD SPARK A CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS”Turkey’s European Union membership will be one of the defining issues of the 21st century, said European Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn yesterday. Rehn further issued a warning to Nicolas Sarkozy, saying that if the French president blocks Turkey’s EU bid, he could set off a clash of civilizations. Rehn also stated that Turkey was a symbol of stability in the world’s most unstable region. /Aksam/[06] FALLEN SOLDIERS LAID TO RESTLt. Col. Melih Gulova, Maj. Cmdr. Ramazan Armutcuglu, and Pvt. Hasan Guresen, who were killed on Saturday by a remote-controlled explosive planted by the terrorist PKK, were laid to rest in their hometowns of Ankara, Manisa, and Istanbul yesterday. Among the mourners at Armutcuoglu’s funeral in Ankara were President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, and main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. /Hurriyet/[07] ITALIAN FM TO VISIT TURKEYItalian Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema will arrive in Ankara today at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. D’Alema is also expected to be received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In 1998, D’Alema, then Italy’s prime minister, refused to deliver terrorist Abdullah Ocalan to Turkey, claiming that Italian law wouldn’t allow it. In recent months, D’Alema has made a number of public statements backing Turkey’s European Union membership bid. /Sabah/[08] TOP JUSTICE TUGCU TO RETIRETulay Tugcu, the chief justice of the Constitutional Court, will retire today. Tugcu, the first female chief of Turkey’s top court, has held the position since July 2005. After she steps down, the new chair will be elected from among the 11 permanent members of the court. /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS [09] WHAT WILL THE DECISION BE?BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on an anti-terror summit today in Ankara. A summary of his column is as follows: “A meeting billed as a possible turning point in Turkey’s fight against terrorism will be held today in Ankara. Among the participants will be Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Interior Minister Osman Gunes, Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug, Gendarmerie General Commander Gen. Isik Koşaner and other concerned officials. Yesterday in Hurriyet, Fatih Cekirge wrote that Gul had talked with the General Staff about all sorts of scenarios and evaluated a wide range of possibilities and plans with Chief of Staff Buyukanit, including a possible split-up of Iraq. This means that Parliament is about to make an important decision. At this point, it would be useful to consider the situation we are facing. After the attack on a group of gendarmes in Pulumur, Tunceli last weekend, more killings of Turkish soldiers have followed in quick succession. Now the Turkish people are quite angry, because nobody takes Erdogan seriously any more after all his statements that Turkey's patience has run out and his warnings to the US. On the other hand, the military has made all necessary preparations and is now waiting for an order to enter northern Iraq. The funerals of slain Turkish soldiers have become forums for criticizing not the terrorist PKK, but Parliament. Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener, who was at a funeral in Ankara yesterday and earlier decided not to run reelection next month, was considered to be protesting Parliament and thus applauded by the people. On the other hand, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc tried to attend the funeral in Manisa of Lt. Col. Melih Gulova but had to leave the ceremony due to an uproar. Clearly, Turkey has no time to lose. Seeing that Parliament has considered everything, it should decide on the best plan and implement it. Let me say this: The best solution would be a military operation which would enable control of the Turkish-Iraqi border and remain in force until the problem is solved. Anything more than this would create problems. However, a ‘limited’ operation would be useful to the extent that it could create the infrastructure for a main solution. The social, political and cultural dimensions of the main solution are another issue. First and as a priority, the problem’s security dimension should be reviewed again. For many years we have seen that even if all our privates had gotten commando training, regular forces can’t be as swift as the bandit killers who have been trained as guerillas. So certain forces who have received the same training and who use the same tactics are needed. This was even tested in 1992-96. Special operation units were established, and the soldiers were organized in line with this, and very good results followed. But the officials who were leading them couldn’t keep these forces disciplined. Finally the units were dissolved, as if it was a mistake to establish a special operations group. Now we’re paying the price for our mistake through all these funerals for slain Turkish soldiers.” [10] DON’T HURT THE FALLENBY GUNGOR MENGI (VATAN)Columnist Gungor Mengi comments on the terrorist PKK’s latest attacks and the funerals of fallen soldiers. A summary of his column is as follows: “By now even our children know what foreign forces seek through their deadly attacks: They want the state to bow and the nation to submit to ethnic divisions. The raw anger we see at soldiers’ funerals is a kind of defiance. Whatever price is paid, if the nation and motherland stand together, no terrorist attack will make the state bow or the nation submit. This is what the uproars from the crowds at the funerals prove. But the accusations of some that the government is protecting the PKK are unfair. We shouldn’t confuse our friends with our enemies. It’s true that the government has made grave mistakes in its northern Iraq policy and fight against the PKK. It will pay for those mistakes politically. Turkey will protect itself thanks to the reflexes of its thousand-year state tradition. If we fail to stand shoulder to shoulder against these terrorists, we will lose more lives. Forces opposing the PKK shouldn’t point fingers at each other just because they have different political orientations. This would not only hurt our fallen soldiers but also embolden the killers. The anti- government slogans heard at yesterday’s funerals and the atmosphere they create should certainly have whetted the terrorist group’s appetite. We shouldn’t forget that Turkey isn’t ruled by idiots who believe that they will destroy Turkey by killing a few soldiers or officers every day. The leaders of the terrorist PKK are professionals with 25 years of experience. At this point, they even have the support of some foreign forces. Their aim is to split our society in half, Turks on one side and Kurds on the other, and to escalate insecurity and internal conflicts by forcing our leaders to make mistakes. So we should work to make sure fallen soldiers’ funerals don’t become traps which will only deepen divisions. The security meeting set to be held at the Prime Ministry today with top commanders may provide a new beginning. Passing a law authorizing the government to order a cross-border operation may put the fear into those trying to cow Turkey with terrorist acts.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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