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Turkish Press Review, 08-02-12Turkish 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 morning12.02.2008CONTENTS
[01] GUL REVIEWING CHANGES TO END UNIVERSITY HEADSCARF BANPresident Abdullah Gul yesterday said he was reviewing constitutional changes to end the university headscarf ban which need his signature to go into law. Gul made the remarks after separately receiving just-elected Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Justice Hasan Gerceker, Turkish Bar Association (TBB) head Ozdemir Ozok and members of the Turkish Confederation of Employer Unions (TISK). After the meeting, Ozok said that his talk with the president had been very fruitful, and added, “We discussed the amendments to Articles 10 and 42 of the Constitution and told the president about our latest meeting with local bar heads. We submitted a petition of our concerns and legal evaluations of the latest developments.” Gul said that he would evaluate the package of constitutional changes and has yet to make any decision. “We’re working on the package,” he added. /Turkiye-Aksam/[02] CICEK: “TERROR GROUPS WHICH TAKE MANY INNOCENT LIVES IN TURKEY HAVE UNFORTUNATELY FOUND SHELTER IN SOME OF OUR ALLIES ABROAD”Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday said that the Cabinet had discussed a controversial Belgian court ruling effectively freeing Fehriye Erdal, a member of the terrorist DHKP-C wanted for involvement in the 1996 assassination of a prominent businessman. Saying that Turkey expects genuine cooperation in its efforts against terrorism, Cicek explained, “Unfortunately, terrorist group which have taken many innocent lives in Turkey have found shelter in certain countries that we stand beside in many international organizations and even defense alliances.” Cicek also said that the government isn’t currently considering proposing changes to the Board of Higher Education (YOK) Law as part of its push to end the headscarf ban at universities. He said that now they are awaiting President Abdullah Gul’s approval of Constitutional Changes towards the same end. /Cumhuriyet-Star/[03] TURKISH VICTIMS OF GERMAN FIRE LAID TO RESTNine people, including five children, who were killed last week in a fire in Ludwigshafen, Germany were laid to rest yesterday in their family home of Gaziantep, in Turkey’s southeast. State Ministers Said Yazicioglu and Mehmet Simsek, German Ambassador to Turkey Eckart Cuntz, Gaziantep Governor Suleyman Kamci and thousands of people attended the funeral. Speaking in Turkish at the ceremony, Cuntz said that the tragic incident had brought people from Turkey and Germany together, and added, “These people were children of both Gaziantep and Ludwigshafen. I also see myself as the ambassador of Turks living in Germany.” /Turkiye/[04] COURT RECONVENES FOR DINK ASSASSINATION TRIALIstanbul’s 14th High Criminal Court reconvened yesterday for the trial of 19 suspects charged with involvement in the assassination last year of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Dink’s widow Rakel and his sister Delal were present of the hearing, which was closed to the press. In related news, Turkey-European Union Joint Parliamentary Commission Co- Chairman Joost Lagendijk, who also attended the hearing, said, “In this case, those who are behind the scenes should be found and put on trial. Up to now, (only) those working in front have faced trial.” He added, “If this case isn’t resolved by including those behind the scenes, it will damage Turkey’s image in the eyes of the EU.” /Milliyet/[05] ISRAEL’S BARAK TO PUSH DEFENSE CONTACTS DURING ANKARA VISITDuring his contacts in Ankara starting today, Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak plans to promote defense contacts with firms from his country. Barak hopes to win more M-60 tank modernization projects and will argue that joint Israeli-US Arrow missiles are superior to the US-produced Patriots for a proposed Turkish defense system. He will also push Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for a Turkish spy satellite project. During his visit, Barak is set to meet with his Turkish counterpart Vecdi Gonul, as well as President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit. /Sabah/[06] EXPORTS SOAR IN JANUARYTurkey’s export revenues soared over 38 percent in January and early February compared to the same period last year to reach $12.9 billion, said State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen yesterday. In January, exports skyrocketed 49 percent, and also rose 11.7 percent on Feb. 1-9 with revenues of $3 billion, he explained. “We want to reach annual exports of $125 billion,” Tuzmen added. /Sabah/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... [07] THE LIGHT HAS DAWNED!BY BEKIR COSKUN (HURRIYET)Columnist Bekir Coskun comments on recent developments in Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows: “Have you noticed? Certain people newly have just become aware of the situation. They saw the light! They saw the real face of the religious people overrunning Turkey. They finally understood: Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan never changed, his Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been sweeping away the republic’s secularism… Turkey is being driven away from the European Union… Anatolia is looking like Arabistan… They now realized that you can’t go forward in reverse gear, and Turkey is going to waste… After only six years. * * For six years, they fell over each other in a race to curry favor with the AKP. They ran to get a seat on the premier’s plane, and at the president’s dinner table. They praised the ruling party in their columns. They covered up the truth, and threw hopes to the people. Our TV screens were full of people and programs singing the government’s praises. * * What about us? They turned their backs when they saw us; our words and writings were beneath notice, we were deemed unworthy. While calling on them to stop acting like this, we were suffering in the corners we were squeezed in. We were hurt. We tried to tell them that no reactionary attitude benefits society, we tried to convince them that backwards developments would sooner or later destroy society, but to no avail. We were scolded and condemned… * * And now? Now, everything is clearer. While the premier was saying in Germany, ‘We’re taking decisive steps, we’ll reach the goal soon or later,’ the world media was announcing that Turkey’s secularism has collapsed. The people who couldn’t see this development for six years are the ones most deserving of condemnation. It’s time to ask them: What will you do now?” [08] THE GOVT ACTS CALMLYBY RAHIM ER (TURKIYE)Columnist Rahim Er comments on government attitudes on certain issues. A summary of his column is as follows: “We should see that the government has acted very calmly on the three basic issues. State officials successfully managed the terrorism crisis. First the government established coordination between all security forces, including the military, and began their work in harmony. Then they held talks with the US administration and convinced them to aid the Turkish military in destroying PKK militants in northern Iraq. Using their intelligence, Turkish jets hit PKK targets, and this mission is continuing. The premier stated that the fight will continue to the very end. Another calm stance of the government is on the headscarf issue. The government stayed silent on the headscarf issue during their first four years in office. It followed a clever policy. First the economy was put on track, inflation was brought down to single digits, and a date to begin accession talks with the European Union was won. They managed to please the people. The headscarf issue waited until this term. After a crisis, the AKP agreed with the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The MHP showed a historic stance on the issue, and served the nation. It also acted positively during last year’s presidential election. Now Turkey no longer has a headscarf problem. Following the 25-year PKK issue, the 40-year headscarf issue has also been settled with calm, decisiveness, and seriousness. The final calm attitude of the government was seen with the recent tragic fire in Germany. The premier could have acted aggressively while visiting Germany, but instead chose to take a calm stance, and so brought the Germans to our side. A tragedy became a way to strengthen friendship. All these brought good marks for the AKP government. Erdogan won success by acting with an even temper. This, even though some people were expecting anger and fire from him. Congratulations to Recep Tayyip Erdogan…” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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