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Turkish Press Review, 07-10-09Turkish 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 morning09.10.2007FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] GUL TO RECEIVE MIDEAST LEADERS IN RUNUP TO NOV. MEETINGPresident Abdullah Gul yesterday received two muftis serving in Greece’s Western Thrace region, Ahmet Mete and Ibrahim Serif, as well as Iraqi Turkmen Front leader Sadettin Ergec and its Ankara Envoy Ahmet Muratli. Gul also gave a fast-breaking Iftar dinner to representatives of labor and civil service unions. In related news, Gul is planning to meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the runup to a Middle East conference set for next month. A press release said that Syrian President Bashar Assad and Jordan’s King Abdullah are also expected to visit Gul before the conference. /Sabah/[02] ERDOGAN TO VISIT LONDONPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to London on Oct. 20 to hold various contacts. Before returning to Turkey, he will pay a visit to Bucharest, Romania. Erdogan will also go to the US on Nov. 5 to meet with US President George W. Bush. Afterwards, the prime minister is expected to visit Italy and the Czech Republic. /Turkiye/[03] TOPTAN RECEIVES FENER GREEK PATRIARCHParliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday received Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos. Congratulating Toptan on his new post, Bartholomeos stated that they have been working with scientists for over a decade to fight global warming. “The environment is important not only for us but also for future generations,” he added. “We want to make people sensitive and conscious about the environment. We may not solve the problem, but we’re trying to make people respect nature.” /Milliyet/[04] SOLDIERS KILLED BY TERRORIST PKK LAID TO RESTAfter 13 soldiers were killed on Sunday in the southeastern province of Sirnak, two other soldiers lost their lives yesterday to roadside explosions in Diyarbakir and Sirnak. The fallen soldiers were laid to rest yesterday in their hometowns. During the funerals, family members of the soldiers condemned terrorism. /Cumhuriyet/[05] CABINET MEETING, SECURITY SUMMIT COME IN WAKE OF 15 SOLDERS’ DEATHSFollowing the deaths of 15 soldiers in terrorist PKK attacks in southeastern Anatolia over a 24-hour period, the Cabinet met yesterday to discuss the violence. “We are discussing a point where words have no meaning,” said Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek. “The government is considering all possible measures against the terrorist PKK. All necessary measures will be taken. All possibilities will be discussed." The Cabinet meeting preceded a security summit of President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit at the Presidential Palace. /Star/[06] PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE AMENDS CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLES OF OCT. 21 REFERENDUMArticles in a reform package set to go to referendum on Oct. 21, which suggested that the 11th president must be elected by popular vote, were amended by Parliament’s Constitutional Committee yesterday to prevent any legal challenges to the current president. Articles 18 and 19 of the package of constitutional changes include provisions related to the election of the 11th and current president, Abdullah Gul. A group of deputies from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) submitted the bill last week, on the grounds that the two temporary articles did not apply since Parliament already elected the 11th president this August. /Aksam/[07] FM BABACAN CONTINUES ISRAELI VISITOn day two of his first official visit to Israel as Turkey’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. After arriving on Sunday, Babacan met with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik and his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni. /Turkiye/[08] BUYUKANIT RECEIVES SOUTH KOREAN CHIEF OF STAFFChief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday received his South Korean counterpart Gen. Kwan-Jin Kim and presented him with an order of merit. Speaking at the ceremony, Buyukanit said that despite the thousands of kilometers separating the countries geographically, Turkey and South Korea enjoy strong relations. /Cumhuriyet/[09] IN LETTER TO US DEFENSE SEC’Y GATES, GONUL WARNS AGAINST ARMENIAN RESOLUTIONDefense Minister Vecdi Gonul yesterday sent a letter to US Defense Secretary Robert Gates arguing against passage of a resolution backing the Armenian allegations concerning incidents in 1915. The resolution is set to be debated tomorrow by a key committee of the US House of Representatives. In the letter, Gonul stressed that the resolution jeopardizes Turkish-US relations and could have a negative impact if passed. “If that happens, it will be difficult to control the reactions of the Turkish public.” he warned. Gonul added that passage of the resolution would not benefit either the Turkish or US peoples. /Hurriyet/[10] BAYKAL CRITICIZES PM OVER OCT. 21 REFERENDUMMain opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday branded Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent remarks that people should be used to referendums as “dangerous,” and added, “Plebiscites move democratic countries closer to very dangerous dictatorial regimes.” Speaking to news channel NTV, Baykal said, “The referendum attempt is a fiasco for Turkey … Turkey will begin to be a country which won’t be taken seriously from the viewpoint of democracy.” A referendum on constitutional changes is set for Oct. 21. /Milliyet/[11] WILSON REITERATES US OPPOSITION TO CROSS-BORDER OPERATION INTO N. IRAQEven as Turks talk about a possible cross-border operation into northern Iraq in the wake of deadly terrorist attacks, US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson yesterday reiterated that Washington opposes Turkish military intervention in Iraq. Wilson also repeated the US position that Turkey, Iraq and his nation should try to cooperate against the terrorist PKK. /Star/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [12] PEOPLE’S SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGING THE CONSTITUTIONBY YALCIN DOGAN (HURRIYET)Columnist Yalcin Dogan comments on the role of people’s suggestions in drafting a new constitution. A summary of his column is as follows: “People often send suggestions to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) through emails, telegrams or letters. AKP deputy leader Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat is keeping a file of the suggestions to evaluate them when it becomes necessary. Nobody should say that discussing a new constitution is the province only of certain people such as academics, politicians or lawyers. The public is participating in this process of its own will and wants the best exercise of sovereignty. Among these suggestions, there are some interesting ones. Obviously, certain cotton producers want the constitution to set cotton prices. Predictably, tenant-owner relations are rocky, and tenants want this situation solved in the Constitution. Some people also suggest that the chief of general staff and military commanders should attend the National Security Council (NSC) in civilian dress or that the opposition party leader should also be there. Some people say women should be required to do military service or have to work in social security or health institutions for 10 months, on the grounds that the current system is discriminatory. Some people also suggested that the number of deputies be reduced, as well as changes to the election and political systems. Some of the suggestions are related to the Constitution, while others are so detailed that they can’t be in the Constitution. There is also the issue of freedoms. Firat says the draft Constitution would greatly expand curbs on freedoms, arguing that the exercise of sovereignty is the essence of the issue. Concerning the issue of freedoms, Firat says that the Constitution of 1924 left sovereignty to Parliament, but its 1961 and 1982 successors transferred the exercise of sovereignty to authorized organs. All the organs that come to mind " the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK), Council of Tobacco and Alcohol, etc " exercise sovereignty. Firat also suggested that the main quarrel in the drafting process concerns sovereignty and that the official bodies which up to now have had sovereignty and those who want the public to have it are at odds. He argues that this is the essence of the entire debate: Do you think that your sovereignty should be used by authorized organs specified by the Constitution, or through the legislative, executive and judicial branches?” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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