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Turkish Press Review, 08-03-04Turkish 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 morning04.03.2008CONTENTS
[01] IN BUCHAREST, GUL TOLD OF ROMANIA’S FIRM SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BIDPresident Abdullah Gul, in the midst of a three-day visit to Romania, yesterday met with his Romanian counterpart Traian Bacescu. At a joint press conference, Gul said that relations between Turkey and Romania should be strengthened. For his part, Bacescu said, “Romania supports Turkey’s EU bid unwaveringly and without hesitation.” He also pledged to ease visa procedures for Turkish business visitors and said he welcomed French participation in the Nabucco natural gas pipeline project. Later Gul visited the Romanian Parliament, an Ataturk monument, and a cemetery for Turkish soldiers, and addressed the Turkish-Romanian Business Forum. /Turkiye/[02] ERDOGAN TELEPHONES ABBAS, OLMERT IN BID TO DEFUSE MIDEAST TENSIONIn a bid to defuse rising tensions in the wake of mutual rocket attacks and bombings, over the last two days Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made telephone calls to both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart Ehud Olmert. Speaking to Abbas, Erdogan urged moderation to help end the current tension and conflicts, and Abbas asked for his help and support. Erdogan told Olmert that Israel’s recent bombings were unacceptable and only served to block peace efforts. Erdogan also told Olmert about Turkish food aid shipments to Palestinians being held up at the Gaza border, asking him to expedite the arrival of this aid. /Milliyet/[03] PM ERDOGAN CONGRATULATES NEW RUSSIAN PRESIDENT MEDVEDEVPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday sent a message of congratulations to Dmitry Medvedev, the victor in this week’s Russian presidential election. He told Medvedev that Turkey and Russia should strengthen their relations and multifaceted partnership in the months and years to come. /Sabah/[04] AFTER CABINET MEETING, CICEK PLEDGES NO GOVT PACKAGE TO GET TERRORISTS TO ABANDON FIGHTThe Cabinet’s weekly regular meeting was held yesterday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Speaking afterwards, government spokesperson and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said nobody should expect a special package to get the terrorists to lay down their arms and abandon their bases. He added, “It wouldn’t be right, because then the terrorist group would say, ‘If it weren’t for us, these arrangements wouldn’t have been made.’ This would be unfair to both the state and the people. We have accomplished a great deal, and continue to do such things as raising democratic and economic standards.” /Aksam/[05] BUYUKANIT: “NEITHER THE US NOR ANY DOMESTIC GROUP IMPLIED WE SHOULD END OUR OP ON THE DAY WE ENDED IT”Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday dismissed allegations that last week’s cross-border land operation to eliminate the terrorist PKK in northern Iraq had ended due to US pressure. He made the remarks at a press briefing at General Staff headquarters flanked by Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun, Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug, Naval Forces Commander Adm. Metin Atac, Air Forces Commander Gen. Aydogan Babaoglu, and Gendarmerie Commander Gen. Isik Kosaner. Buyukanit called “worthless” such claims as that the US had set the theater of operations or that Turkish forces left Iraq when told to do so by the US. “Neither the United States nor any domestic circle implied that we should end the operation on the day we ended it,” he said. “I will resign from the military if any US influence is proven.” Stating that the operation’s date of completion depended on conditions, he added, “If necessary, further operations in northern Iraq will follow.” Gen. Basbug said that before the operation there were some 2,320-2,640 terrorists in northern Iraq and that the operation targeted the Zap area. “There two main reasons people join the terrorist PKK: One is PKK propaganda, and the other is poverty,” he added. /Hurriyet/[06] BAYKAL: “THE END OF THE CROSS-BORDER OP CAME AS A SURPRISE”Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday called last week’s end to Turkey’s land cross-border operation into northern Iraq a “surprise.” Speaking to news channel NTV, Baykal said the Turkish public had learned of the operation’s end from statements by Iraqi officials, adding that subsequent developments support the view that the operation’s end was a surprise decision. /Aksam/[07] US’ BRYZA VISITS ANKARAUS Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matt Bryza yesterday paid a surprise visit to Ankara. Bryza attended a series of meetings in Istanbul on Sunday and then proceeded to Ankara to hold contacts at the Foreign Ministry. Recent developments in Iraq were reportedly the main topic of their meetings. Bryza is expected to leave Turkey today. /Cumhuriyet/[08] IRANIAN PRESIDENT PROPOSES THREE-STATE ALLIANCE AGAINST PKKIranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday proposed a three-country alliance to fight the terrorist PKK and its affiliates. In a historic visit to Baghdad, Ahmedinejad said that in light of the regional threat posed by the PKK and its Iranian branch PJAK, his nation, Turkey, and Iraq should coordinate their anti-terror efforts. Ahmadinejad also stressed that a stable Iraq would benefit all countries of the region and that anti-terror efforts should neither harm states’ sovereignty nor cause civilian casualties. /Star/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... [09] MUSLIMS NEED SELF-CRITICISMBY RAHIM ER (TURKIYE)Columnist Rahim Er comments on the recent situation in the Mideast. A summary of his column is as follows: “One cannot help but feel pity for the Palestinians. Who knows how many times Israel has attacked them, how many children have been killed? Defending themselves by throwing stones against tanks and missiles, farm fields being destroyed, electricity and water cuts, mounting iron walls, and more than 100 poor people killed yet again. Israel is again punishing Palestine and the Palestinians. The US is only saying ‘stop the clashes,’ as does the European Union. The United Nations only releases statements condemning the developments. Are Israel and the others mentioned the only ones to blame? Do the Palestinians share any of the fault? Of course they do. Today Israel is crushing them, but one month ago they were crushing themselves. Such a tiny state with a tiny population and they divided themselves into supporters of Hamas and Fatah. If you don’t support each other and act in unity, then of course your enemies benefit from that. On the other hand, it is rumored that Palestinian Arabs are the richest, most intellectual Arabs in the world. Where is that culture and money, then? Why they don’t work? How clear is it who their ruler and premier are? Today’s Palestine is like yesterday’s Afghanistan. Afghan fighters defended their country against occupying communist Russians and their domestic collaborators. Through Afghans’ legendary fighting, the Russians were pushed out of Afghanistan. But then they began to fight each other. They became radical. They did harm both to themselves and Muslims in general. Now the country is in chaos. In addition, Muslims in other places of the world are also suffering. World Muslims have no leader. There is the Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC). But how influential is it, and what does it do? It has no military force and can’t send troops like the UN when needed. It couldn’t resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue, and couldn’t even make peace among Palestinians. Today the equation of Muslims and terrorists is a common allegation in the Western world. Let’s be objective… Muslims are at fault. They haven’t worked hard enough to break the chains of underdevelopment. They don’t love each other. Even in a very little conflict, they began to kill each other. How will we end this sorry situation? Through Turkey’s becoming first a regional superpower, and then a superpower. To block this, they pit the terrorist organization against Turkey. The PKK isn’t just harming Turkey, but also all Muslims and innocent victims. Turk, Arab, Kurd, Afghan, Palestinian … all Muslims need self-criticism, and to see reality. We have to understand that in addition to lives lost in the fight against the PKK, let’s also not waste time with the headscarf issue. For great tasks await Ankara…” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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