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Turkish Press Review, 08-03-10
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
10.03.2008
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
CONTENTS
[01] IN IZMIR, ERDOGAN REJECTS OPPOSITION PARTIES’ CRITICISMS OVER END TO CROSS-BORDER OP
[02] CICEK: “TURKEY AND THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS BOTH WANT A SOLUTION ON CYPRUS”
[03] TOPTAN TO RECEIVE DEMOCRATIC TURKEY PARTY DEPUTIES
[04] BABACAN TO VISIT SENEGAL
[05] OZCELIK NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY TO IRAQ
[06] IN WAKE OF VISIT, TALABANI SENDS MESSAGE OF THANKS TO GUL
[07] ANKARA HOSTING INTL SYMPOSIUM ON TERRORISM
[08] RUSSIA’S STEP ON ABKHAZIA CALLS FOR CONSISTENCY
[01] IN IZMIR, ERDOGAN REJECTS OPPOSITION PARTIES’ CRITICISMS OVER END TO
CROSS-BORDER OP
Addressing the women’s branch of his ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) in Izmir yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected
opposition parties’ criticisms that Turkey’s recent cross-border
operation into northern Iraq had ended prematurely. In related news, Greek
Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis delivered a speech at a meeting arranged
by the ruling AKP to mark International Women’s Day on Saturday. The
AKP’s fourth Women in Local Administration Meeting brought together a
group of women politicians in Ankara. /Aksam-Today’s Zaman/
[02] CICEK: “TURKEY AND THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS BOTH WANT A SOLUTION ON
CYPRUS”
Both Turkey and Turkish Cypriots favor a resolution on Cyprus, often in the
face of longstanding Greek Cypriot intransigence, said State Minister Cemil
Cicek yesterday. Speaking at the groundbreaking for a new medical school
and hospital in Lefkosha, the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC), Cicek criticized countries that have yet to recognize the
TRNC. Underlining that Turkey and Turkish Cypriots both favor a just
settlement on the decades-long divided island, Cicek pointed to the Greek
Cypriots as being responsible for the deadlock on the island. He also urged
the Turkish Cypriots to act in unity to work to further develop their
country. Cicek was accompanied on his visit by Board of Higher Education
(YOK) head Yusuf Ziya Ozcan and fellow parliamentarians./Turkiye/
[03] TOPTAN TO RECEIVE DEMOCRATIC TURKEY PARTY DEPUTIES
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan today will meet with the deputies from the
pro-Kurdish Democratic Turkey Party (DTP). DTP Deputy Sirri Sakik said that
the meeting would focus on finding a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue,
stressing that Parliament should deal with this as soon as possible.
/Cumhuriyet/
[04] BABACAN TO VISIT SENEGAL
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is scheduled to arrive in Senegal today to
attend a meeting of his counterparts from Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) countries. Babacan will also attend the 11th Session of
the Islamic Summit Conference on Thursday and Friday. Before traveling to
Senegal, Babacan yesterday visited Mauritania and held talks with his
counterpart there, Mohammed Saleh Ould Lemine. /Turkish Daily News/
[05] OZCELIK NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY TO IRAQ
The Foreign Ministry’s Murat Ozcelik has been named Turkey’s new
special envoy to Iraq. Under the appointment, made official in
yesterday’s Official Gazette, Ozcelik will be responsible for
coordinating activities concerning Turkey’s contributions to improving
Turkish-Iraqi relations and also efforts for Iraq’s reconstruction. Along
these lines, Ozcelik will carry out necessary contacts with foreign
countries and international organizations. /Star/
[06] IN WAKE OF VISIT, TALABANI SENDS MESSAGE OF THANKS TO GUL
In the wake of his visit last week to Turkey, Iraqi President Jalal
Talabani reportedly sent a telegraph thanking his Turkish counterpart
Abdullah Gul for both his invitation and hospitality. The message said that
the visit turned a new page in the two countries’ relations and showed
the importance of developing bilateral ties. /Sabah/
[07] ANKARA HOSTING INTL SYMPOSIUM ON TERRORISM
The second international symposium on Global Terrorism and International
Cooperation, organized by the Ankara-based Centre of Excellence Defense
Against Terrorism (TMMM), will begin today in the capital. Chief of General
Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit will deliver the opening speech at the
symposium. Experts from China, Egypt, Pakistan, Spain, Mexico and Russia
are expected to present papers at the two-day gathering. /Cumhuriyet/
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
[08] RUSSIA’S STEP ON ABKHAZIA CALLS FOR CONSISTENCY
BY SEMIH IDIZ (MILLIYET)
Columnist Semih Idiz comments on Russia lifting the embargo on the
autonomous Georgian province of Abkhazia. A summary of his column is as
follows.
“As a new process is starting on Cyprus, I wonder what the role of Russia,
a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, will be in all
this. You may remember that a year or two ago a report on Cyprus by then
Secretary-General Kofi Annan about the reasons for the failure of efforts
to find a solution there was blocked by Moscow. It’s clear why Russia did
this: it’s the Greek Cypriots which ruined the process for a solution,
and the Russians don’t want Annan to make this official. This is concrete
evidence that Moscow isn’t impartial on the Cyprus issue. So how will
Moscow act in the wake of the election of new Greek Cypriot leader Demetris
Christofias? If the Soviets Union hadn’t ended, obviously, it would have
coordinated with Christofias, who is a communist. But those days are over.
Will it be able to be neutral in this new era? Or will it continue its
partiality, as revealed by Annan’s report? Actually Russia has a golden
opportunity now to prove its impartiality and good will.
Even if we share the same border and the same blood, we have failed to
follow events in one region, namely, the Caucasus. So a development there
last week was largely ignored. Moscow lifted an embargo on Georgia’s
‘separatist’ province of Abkhazia imposed in 1996 at Georgia’s
request as part of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Of course,
this step by Russia is related to Kosovo. Moscow, after failing to block
Kosovo’s independence, is trying to take revenge against the West this
way. Obviously, whatever the reason, this step by Moscow made Abkhazian
Turks living in Turkey very happy. Similarly, Irfan Argun, head of the
Istanbul-based Caucasian-Abkhazia Solidarity Committee, expressed his
happiness with a written statement. The statement showed the connection
between Kosovo and Abkhazia as well. Argun wrote that they hope the gesture
is a sign that a process recognizing Abkhazia’s independence will start
soon. Argun added that the biggest obstacle to the freedom of Abkhazians
and their relatives abroad was removed this way. Argun said he hoped this
would be good for their community.
Ankara, stuck between the Georgian and Caucasian_Abkhazian lobbies and also
fighting its own separatists, isn’t expected to say much on this issue.
Actually if there had been a chance to say something, Russia could have
been told that to be consistent it should also work to lift the
international embargo on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). So
I’d like to mention things Turkey can’t say, as Turkey has to protect
its regional interests. Meanwhile, by taking this step, Moscow will be
serving its own citizens as well. Today many Russians visit our southern
shores and Cyprus. Each impartial and positive step by Russia on the Cyprus
issue will help promote a solution and expand investment possibilities and
other opportunities for its own citizens. But if Russia is set on
continuing its current pro-Greek Cypriot stance, based on very different
political and economic interests, in other words, if it lacks an impartial
stance on this issue, I think it would be better if it stayed out of the
Cyprus issue entirely.”
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