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Turkish Press Review, 07-06-28
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
28.06.2007
CONTENTS
[01] CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT: “WE SHOULD FIGHT NOT ONLY TERRORISTS, BUT ALSO THEIR SUPPORTERS”
[02] US STATE DEPT: “A NORTHERN IRAQ OPERATION WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL”
[03] RULING AKP TOUTS ISTANBUL CANDIDATES, BLASTS OPPONENTS
[04] BAYKAL: “WITH ITS FLAWED APPROACH TO TERRORISM, THIS GOVT MUST GO”
[05] GONUL RECEIVES NORWEGIAN DEFENSE MINISTER
[06] PERKTAS APPOINTED CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CHIEF JUSTICE
[07] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RELEASES TEXT OF DECISION UPHOLDING 367-DEPUTY QUORUM
[08] TUSIAD CRITICIZES FRANCE’S ATTEMPT TO OBSTRUCT TURKEY’S EU TALKS
[09] TOBB: “POLITICAL REFORMS ARE NEEDED TO CONTINUE ECONOMIC REFORMS”
[01] CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT: “WE SHOULD FIGHT NOT ONLY TERRORISTS, BUT
ALSO THEIR SUPPORTERS”
To prevent further terrorist attacks, Turkey needs not only to fight the
terrorists themselves, but also their supporters, said Chief of General
Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday. “The biggest obstacles to our
success against terror are these supporters,” he told a press conference
in Isparta. “We need to cut off this support.” Buyukanit stated that
the terrorist PKK also gets support from abroad, both monetary and
political. Also commenting on a possible cross-border operation into
northern Iraq, Buyukanit said that he believes strongly that such an
operation is needed and that conducting one was in Turkey’s best
interests. /Turkiye-Aksam/
[02] US STATE DEPT: “A NORTHERN IRAQ OPERATION WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL”
The US continues to believe that an operation by the Turkish military into
northern Iraq would not be helpful, either in the short, medium, or long
term, said US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack yesterday. Speaking
at a daily press briefing, McCormack was asked about Chief of General Staff
Gen. Yasar Buyukanit’s statement that an operation against the PKK
presence in northern Iraq should be organized. McCormack said that the US
absolutely understands the Turkish government’s sensitivity and the
Turkish army’s need to defend the Turkish people against attacks by
terrorist groups. “All of that said, it is not our view that a
substantial land incursion by Turkish forces into Iraq is going to help the
situation,” he said, adding that the PKK is a terrorist group and that
the solution is to work together with the Turkish and Iraqi governments
against this common threat. McCormick further stated that US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice and her Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul were in
regular contact on this issue and other issues. He added, “Gen. [Joseph]
Ralston, our special [anti-terror] representative, is still working on this
issue as well and I can tell you, as a matter of fact, that our embassy is
deeply involved in the issue, working with the Turkish government … and
the Iraqi government.” /Star/
[03] RULING AKP TOUTS ISTANBUL CANDIDATES, BLASTS OPPONENTS
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) yesterday touted its
candidates for deputy for the high-profile Istanbul district. At the
gathering Prime Minister and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan took the
opportunity to criticize the opposition parties, saying that by threatening
the nation they were trying to bring back the past. Erdogan added that the
AKP had four goals: a single nation, single flag, single country, and
single state. In related news, Erdogan yesterday attended the Organization
for Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) World Forum on Statistics. Later,
he met separately with the president of Iceland and vice president of
Colombia. /Sabah-Turkiye/
[04] BAYKAL: “WITH ITS FLAWED APPROACH TO TERRORISM, THIS GOVT MUST GO”
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that
the first step needed to fight terrorism is to give the current government
its walking papers. Speaking on television, Baykal charged that the ruling
party’s approach to terrorism was flawed and criticized a law to
encourage terrorists to lay down their arms and come down from mountain
bases. Baykal said that unfortunately both PKK and Hizbullah terrorists who
had been in prison ended up being released, and they all returned to their
previous misdeeds. He added that not even a single terrorist had come down
from the mountains to surrender and that the fight against terrorism
can’t continue with this approach. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] GONUL RECEIVES NORWEGIAN DEFENSE MINISTER
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul yesterday received his Norwegian counterpart
Anne Grete Strom Erichsen in Ankara. Speaking afterwards, Gonul said that
the two countries currently lack any military agreements or defense
industry cooperation, adding that he hoped this visit would help to boost
bilateral military ties. For her part, Erichsen said that she was pleased
to say that relations between the two countries were developing. /Milliyet/
[06] PERKTAS APPOINTED CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CHIEF JUSTICE
Council of State member Zehra Ayla Perktas has been appointed
Constitutional Court chief justice, replacing the retiring Tulay Tugcu. A
Presidential Press Center statement said that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
appointed Perktas from among three candidates. Perktas, 56, has served on
the Council of State since 2000. /Aksam/
[07] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RELEASES TEXT OF DECISION UPHOLDING 367-DEPUTY
QUORUM
The full text of the Constitutional Court’s ruling upholding a
parliamentary quorum of 367 deputies for the first and second round of
presidential elections was published in the Official Gazette yesterday.
“Consensus in the first two rounds of the presidential ballot is only
possible if the necessary number of deputies, clearly stated in Article 102
of the Constitution, is presented,” said the decision. “The article
applies to both quorums and votes needed to pass legislation. Otherwise
paragraph three of that article would be meaningless. Paragraph three says
if a two-thirds majority of the total number of members cannot be obtained
in the first two ballots, a third ballot shall be held and the candidate
who receives an absolute majority of votes of the total number of members
shall be elected.” Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday criticized
the court’s reasoning, saying he found it unconvincing and lacking in
legal basis. /The New Anatolian-Turkiye/
[08] TUSIAD CRITICIZES FRANCE’S ATTEMPT TO OBSTRUCT TURKEY’S EU TALKS
France will not be able to hinder Turkey’s European Union membership
process, said the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association
(TUSIAD) yesterday. In a statement responding to France blocking the
opening of Turkey’s negotiations on monetary policy, TUSIAD said that
based on the Accession Partnership Document approved by all the EU member
states and the European Parliament, Turkey was carrying out full membership
talks with the EU, and that Turkey’s full EU membership goal had been
confirmed by the EU. The statement added that France’s new president and
government had unfortunately resulted in an unfriendly stance towards
Turkey, one that undermines both the EU’s legal basis and respect for the
EU. It further stated as that France and Turkey have no political or
economic disputes and Turkey has no unfriendly feelings towards France,
Paris’ stance is unsuitable for a democratic country in the 21st century.
/Hurriyet/
[09] TOBB: “POLITICAL REFORMS ARE NEEDED TO CONTINUE ECONOMIC REFORMS”
Reforms to Turkey’s political system are first of all needed so that its
economic reforms can continue, said Turkish Union of Chambers and
Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu yesterday.
Speaking to the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ISO), Hisarciklioglu said
that the driving force behind Turkey’s economic growth over the last five
years was the growth in the industrial sector. Stating that the reforms to
the Political Parties Law, social security system and public administration
were all needed, he added that Turkey’s political system has been subject
to turbulence over the last three years. /Star/
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