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Turkish Press Review, 07-10-22Turkish 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 morning22.10.2007FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] 12 SOLDIERS KILLED, 16 WOUNDED IN PKK ATTACKAround 200 terrorists based in northern Iraq early Sunday ambushed troops attached to an infantry regiment at Hakkari Daglica, in the southeast, some three miles from the Iraqi border. The terrorists blew out a bridge to block reinforcements and attacked from three different directions. Twelve soldiers died and 16 others were wounded in the clash. Ten more soldiers are unaccounted for. Following the attack, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) pursued the terrorists, killing 32 of them. Military officials stated that this crackdown will continue. In related news, rallies were held throughout the country to protest this latest deadly attack. /Sabah/Following Sunday’s deadly PKK attack in Hakkari, a minibus triggered a land mine planted by the terrorist PKK in the Daglica region, also in Hakkari. Seventeen civilians were wounded. /Sabah/ [02] PRESIDENT GUL TO MEET SEPARATELY WITH LEADERS OF POLITICAL PARTIESPresident Abdullah Gul will receive political party leaders in the Cankaya Presidential Palace today to exchange views on recent PKK attacks. Representing parties in Parliament, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli and Democratic Society Party (DTP) leader Ahmet Turk will meet separately with the president. The Democratic Left Party’s (DSP) Zeki Sezer, Great Union Party’s (BBP) Muhsin Yazicioglu and Freedom and Solidarity Party’s (ODP) Ufuk Uras will also be invited. Gul is expected to call on all parties to take joint efforts to end the terrorist threat to Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/[03] CABINET MINISTERS, OFFICIALS DISCUSS RECENT TERRORIST ATTACKSCabinet ministers and other top officials met yesterday at the Interior Ministry to discuss Sunday’s terrorist attack that killed 12 soldiers in the southeastern province of Hakkari. In attendance were Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Security Directorate head Oguz Kagan Koksal, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Emre Taner and top officials from the Gendarmerie General Command. Afterwards, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Cicek and Atalay at the Prime Ministry. /Milliyet/[04] POLITICAL, MILITARY LEADERS ATTEND ANTI-TERRORIST SUMMIT IN ANKARAAfter the deadly PKK terrorist attack in Daglica, political leaders and military commanders gathered at an emergency summit chaired by President Abdullah Gul. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdodan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin, Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Ground Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug, Gendarmerie General Commander Gen. Isik Kosaner, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Emre Taner, and Security Directorate head Oguz Kagan Koksal attended the summit at the Cankaya Palace. “It is clear that the terrorist PKK is trying to damage our unity,” said a statement released afterwards. “We believe that while our people are showing their justified reaction, they will keep their common sense. While girding our unity, we will give a meaningful answer to terror. We are ready to pay any price.” /Sabah/[05] CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES PASS EASILY IN REFERENDUMIn a referendum yesterday, the Turkish people approved a government package of constitutional changes including popular election of future presidents and reducing the presidential term to five years from the current seven. Turnout was low, and the changes passed easily, with nearly seven out of 10 voters approving the package. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) urged voters to back the changes, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) urged their rejection. /Milliyet/[06] ERDOGAN TO VISIT BRITAIN TODAYPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to London today to have talks with British officials. Cooperation against terrorism is expected to dominate his meetings, which include his British counterpart Gordon Brown. During his two-day stay, Erdogan will deliver a speech at Oxford Union on Turkish’s regional and global vision, priorities and goals. In related news, Erdogan is scheduled to pay an official visit to Romania at the end of next week. /Turkiye/[07] TALABANI: “WE’RE UNABLE TO ARREST PKK LEADERS”Amid rising tension between Turkey and Iraq after a terrorist PKK attack near the Iraqi border killed 12 Turkish soldiers, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader President Jalal Talabani and Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani yesterday met in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil. Speaking to reporters, Barzani said that they didn’t see the PKK as a terrorist group and that if northern Iraq was embroiled in a possible Turkish operation against the PKK, the region would defend itself. For his part, Talabani said his forces were unable to arrest any PKK leaders. “We cannot deliver any Kurd,” said Talabani, urging the PKK to stop its attacks. If the PKK insists on continuing its terrorist campaign, they should leave northern Iraq and not create problems here, added Talabani. /Hurriyet/[08] FM BABACAN ARRIVES IN SAUDI ARABIAForeign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday arrived in Saudi Arabia to pay an official visit. Babacan was welcomed by his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud al-Faisal, and they discussed bilateral and regional developments. Turkey’s top diplomat is also expected to be received by King Abdullah and then proceed tomorrow to Kuwait. Speaking to reporters, Babacan condemned the PKK’s latest deadly attack, adding that the attack would not help the terrorist group. /Turkiye/[09] FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS, AMBASSADOR SENSOY BACK IN WASHINGTONTurkey’s Ambassador to Washington Nabi Sensoy, who was recalled to Ankara for discussions of an Armenian resolution before the US House of Representatives, yesterday returned to Washington. Speaking to reporters in Turkey, Sensoy said that during his contacts in Washington, he would convey the concerns of both Turkish leaders and the Turkish people about the issue and urge US officials to block a possible House vote on the resolution. /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [10] ANGER AND DEMOCRACYBY MUSTAFA KARAALIOGLU (STAR)Columnist Mustafa Karaalioglu comments on Sunday’s deadly terrorist PKK attack and the referendum on constitutional changes. A summary of his column is as follows: “Yesterday’s terrorist attacks in Hakkari have surpassed the terrorist PKK’s limits of courage. The PKK and its parallel elements are clearly inviting Turkey to enter northern Iraq, and they are doing so with a method to directly provoke the people, namely killing. We must keep our heads, which is the hardest thing to do when violence and anger are surging. Even if some consider it a concession or defect, we must stay calm. The terrorist PKK shouldn’t dictate what steps we will or won’t take. If Turkey wants to and finds it suits its own interests, it will cross the border at the right time. But now, if the terrorist PKK is attacking our soldiers, thinking that a single attack would make a cross-border operation inevitable just after the motion was passed by Parliament, we should master our anger and think. Maybe it’s hard, but we should think patiently, because Turkey has certain traditions and it can’t take impulsive steps out of anger. We should understand that the moment we carry out an operation, this will be an irrevocable strike against the PKK. As a matter of fact, until yesterday, Ankara wasn’t trying to use the motion as a military instrument, but putting it on the table as a stick supporting diplomatic efforts. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the US on Nov. 5 and the upcoming meeting in Istanbul of countries neighboring Iraq will be two important chances to show the motion’s diplomatic power. Now the PKK is interfering and trying to spoil this process. But yesterday’s attacks shouldn’t take other alternatives off the table. The terrorist attacks in Hakkari showed that crossing the border also means putting Turkey into a game whose end can’t be seen. This attack should be differentiated from previous ones. We’re facing a move for the first time which has high political targets and goes beyond Turkey’s fight against the terrorist PKK. Even this situation requires being cool-headed and acting after careful thinking. As we greatly regret the loss of our soldiers and hope their families will be patient, we hope the best decision can be made to honor their memories. Meanwhile, Turkey passed an important test of democracy, under the shadow of terrorism. Turkey can solve a crisis at the ballot box. In spite of the opposition party’s urging a boycott, which surprised everybody, the news of the terrorist attack and our country’s exhaustion following the summer elections, millions of people went to the polls and approved the constitutional changes by an overwhelming majority. Thus the campaign to depress turnout at the referendum and prevent popular election of the president was defeated at the ballot box. This situation shows that the nation understands what the media doesn’t and knows very well what it means to elect the president. It proves again, following July’s general elections, that looking down on the public is a dangerous and humiliating move, because a silent but effective answer will be given at the earliest opportunity.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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