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Turkish Press Review, 07-11-02Turkish 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 morning02.11.2007FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “THOSE WHO RECEIVE AND HARBOR TERRORISTS WILL ALSO FACE SANCTIONS”Speaking to reporters yesterday after addressing a symposium on Turkish constitutional issues, Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan said that economic sanctions on northern Iraq would not only cover the regional administration but also those who receive and harbor terrorists. “We will impose some sanctions on them,” he said. Erdogan explained that no decision has gone into effect yet and that the timetable would be announced later, adding that there has been no order to close Turkish airspace to flights to northern Iraq. /Sabah/[02] FM BABACAN: “TURKEY ONLY TARGETS THE TERRORIST PKK”Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said yesterday that Turkey’s efforts to combat terrorism cannot suffer delays. Speaking at a press conference on the Iraq summit to be held in Istanbul tomorrow, Babacan said that planned economic sanctions would be only imposed against the terrorist group PKK and its supporters, adding that Ankara doesn’t want the Iraqi people to suffer. The foreign minister also said that Turkey would take certain measures that would not be made public against the terrorist group and its supporters. Stressing that Turkey believes the Iraqi government sincerely opposes the PKK, he added, however, that it lacks the ability and wherewithal to fight the group. Pointing to Turkey’s resolve to fight the terrorist PKK, Babacan stated that certain international media outlets had deliberately misrepresented Turkey’s possible military incursion into northern Iraq as an invasion. Turkey targets only PKK terrorists, not Iraq, added the foreign minister. /Turkiye/[03] ERDOGAN: “BARZANI IS TRYING TO PROVOKE US”Speaking at his Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Central Executive Board meeting last night, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that recent remarks by Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani were meant to provoke Ankara. He said Barzani had goaded Turkey to take measures against not only the terrorists but also the Iraqi people. But Erdogan stressed that Ankara would not be manipulated and that it would impose sanctions only against terrorists and their supporters. /Star/[04] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER TOPTAN: “WE’VE RUN OUT OF PATIENCE”We’ve run out of patience with the lack of action against continued terrorist attacks, said Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday. Asked by German daily Frankfurter Rundschau why Parliament had authorized a possible cross-border operation into Iraq, Toptan said, “The terrorists have conducted many heinous attacks,” adding, “Their bases are in northern Iraq. We’ve had long discussions with the Iraqi government through diplomatic channels, but unfortunately to no avail. Now we’re out of patience.” /Sabah/[05] ERDOGAN TO MEET WITH US PRESIDENT ON MONDAYUS President George W. Bush yesterday said that he hoped to have a productive meeting next Monday with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “I look forward to discussing with Prime Minister Erdogan on this important subject as to how we can work together to prevent people from coming out of mountain ranges to do harm to Turkish troops,” he said. Erdogan will be accompanied by the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TCK) Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun and Gen. Kenan Kocak, who is in charge of a planning a possible cross-border operation. In related news, after his US visit, Erdogan will proceed on Wednesday to Italy, where he will stay as the official guest of his Italian counterpart Romano Prodi. /Aksam/[06] RICE DUE IN ANKARA TODAYAhead of tomorrow’s ministerial conference of Iraq’s neighbors and major Western powers in Istanbul, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is set to arrive in Ankara today to have talks with President Abdullah Gul and Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the PKK terrorist issue. Ankara is urging both the US and Iraqi administrations to take urgent action amid rising pressure following the deaths of dozens of Turkish soldiers in terrorist PKK attacks. Rice will proceed to Istanbul tonight to attend a dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. During her stay in Turkey, tight security measures are expected. /Hurriyet/Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki yesterday paid a surprise visit to Ankara. Speaking to reporters at Esenboga Airport, Mottaki said that he had come to Turkey to attend tomorrow’s Iraq summit in Istanbul and was in Ankara in the hope of having talks before the summit. Mottaki met with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan and is expected to be received today by President Abdullah Gul and Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan. /Turkiye/ [07] INONU’S BODY TO BE FLOWN FROM HOUSTON TO ANKARAThe body of elder statesman Erdal Inonu, who passed away on Wednesday in Houston, Texas from cancer at age 81, will be flown to Ankara today. A ceremony will be held for Inonu, former deputy prime minister and former leader of the Socialist People’s Party (SHP), in Parliament tomorrow. He will be laid to rest in Istanbul on Sunday. /Star/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [08] THE FUTURE OF A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPBY BILAL CETIN (VATAN)Columnist Bilal Cetin comments on Turkish-US relations. A summary of his column is as follows: “Turkish-US relations now face a very difficult and dangerous crossroads. Here, either our problems will be resolved and the partnership and cooperation between two allies will be strengthened, or the term ‘strategic partnership’ will be history. Both parties are positioning themselves and treading carefully in order not to suffer a mishap during this critical period. The US in particular is making intensive efforts to defuse the atmosphere, head off a land operation by Turkey against northern Iraq, and stop Turkey through an intermediate solution. It’s also urging Turkey not to go beyond limited operations and saying that Iraq and Massoud Barzani’s northern Iraqi administration can be convinced to engage in genuine, practical cooperation and that it needs time for this. But it’s unlikely to be able to convince Ankara without taking concrete steps as soon as possible, starting with an operation to drive the terrorist PKK out of northern Iraq and deliver its leaders to Turkey. This time both the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the government are very determined. Remarks this week by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan reflect this determinism as well. He said that Turkey won’t waste any more time with commissions or discussions and that it opposes retrying mechanisms which already proved ineffective. In other words, Babacan means that Turkey doesn’t want to hear any more empty words and that it won’t tolerate further delays " that we will either carry out this operation, or Turkey will do what’s necessary. Meanwhile, calls to head off Turkey aren’t coming only from the US. Other players, especially Russia, are issuing calls for ‘moderation.’ The surprise visit to Ankara paid by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki last night is being seen as a similar effort. Of course, the approaches of neighboring countries are important, but Ankara thinks that actually the important power is Washington. Washington’s stance will determine the fate of our strategic partnership. In this respect, the next three days are extremely critical. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s meetings this week with Babacan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul and what she says to them are important. But Erdogan’s meeting next Monday with US President George W. Bush at the White House carries even more weight. This meeting is historically important for the future of bilateral ties because its outcome could reshape the future of Turkish-US relations. If the result is consensus, then there’s no problem. In that case, our strategic partnership will continue even more strongly. But what if the opposite happens and Erdogan comes back to Turkey empty-handed? Then you can forget the strategic partnership, as our relations could be harder hit than even during the US military embargo against Turkey following the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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