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Turkish Press Review, 08-03-12Turkish 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 morning12.03.2008CONTENTS
[01] TOP DTP MEMBERS MEET WITH GULAfter meeting with Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan on Monday, a group of Democratic Society Party (DTP) deputies, led by the party’s group Chairman Ahmet Turk, was received yesterday by President Abdullah Gul. Speaking to reporters after their one-hour talk, Turk said that they had told the president their views on ending violence in the country and ways to foster a democratic process. In addition, another group of DTP deputies met with State Minister Cemil Cicek. Meanwhile, speaking at his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Turk pointed to the government’s new initiatives for southeastern Anatolia. He said that they were expecting quick action to solve vital issues. Urging the government to halt military operations against the terrorist PKK, Turk called for dialogue to be established among all sectors of society. /Cumhuriyet/[02] ERDOGAN: “THE AKP HAS TO SOLVE THE SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUE BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE”Speaking to his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rebuffed claims by opposition parties and the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) that the AKP isn’t interested in the economy. Saying that on the contrary the economy is his party’s priority, he also criticized union allegations that planned social security reforms will rob workers of their rights, arguing that the opposite is true and workers’ conditions will actually improve. “Some people comment on the (social security) reform bill without reading it at all,” he said. “They haven’t been honest. Their acquired rights will continue without any change.” Stating that the AKP has to solve the social security issue before it’s too late, he added that the public has been misled. /Star/[03] BABACAN: “THE PKK WAS OUR ONLY TARGET”Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, in Dakar, Senegal to attend a foreign ministers meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), yesterday met separately with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hosyar Zebari. During his talks, Babacan stressed that the Turkish Army’s recent operations in northern Iraq targeted only the terrorist PKK, adding that last month’s ground offensive into northern Iraq was carried out as planned beforehand and ended when the offensive reached its goal. Babacan also touched on rising tension between Israel and Palestine, saying both sides should make efforts to halt the cycle of violence. /Turkiye/[04] GONUL: “SECURITY IN THE BALKANS IS OUR PRIORITY”Turkey places great importance on the security of Balkans and will strongly support every initiative to make the region more secure and raise the prosperity of the Balkan peoples, said Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul yesterday. Speaking in Sofia, Bulgaria at a meeting of his counterparts organized by the Southeastern European Cooperation Process (SEECP), Gonul also stressed that Turkey wants a solution to the Kosovo issue that ensures the well-being and safety of the Kosovar people. /Turkiye/[05] BAYKAL: “THE US IS MAKING TURKEY PLAY ITS GAME OVER THE PKK”In the US’ game, it doesn’t want terrorist elements to be removed from northern Iraq, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal told a meeting of his party’s parliamentary group yesterday. Criticizing the government over the pullout of Turkish troops from northern Iraq after a recent ground offensive, Baykal claimed that Turkey was subject from the start to US pressure to end the operation. The CHP leader alleged the US is playing a “game” in the region, even though not all the players realize this. Pointing to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani’s visit to Ankara last week, Baykal claimed that the trip proves that Turkey is being forced to negotiate a compromise on the PKK issue. /Cumhuriyet/[06] BAHCELI: “AUTHORIZATION TO CONDUCT A CROSS-BORDER OP WAS GIVEN TO THE GOVT, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE CABINET”Speaking to his parliamentary group meeting, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday said that authorization to conduct a cross-border operation was given to the government, and the responsibility for this belongs to the Cabinet. “It is the political directive that the government gave to the military which set the scope and duration of the operation,” he said. “The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) successfully achieved its tasks on military targets within the limited scope set by the government. If the government defined a limited scope, it is natural that the goals of the military operation remained limited.” /Hurriyet/[07] GEN. SAYGUN. “EUROPE IS FEEDING TERRORISM”An international conference on terrorism organized by the Turkish military at the Centre of Excellence Defense Against Terrorism in Ankara ended yesterday. Addressing the closing of the two-day meeting, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun said that certain European countries provide shelter for terrorists. “The mentality that supports the terrorist organization should not forget that this organization controls 80 percent of the drug traffic in Europe and poisons the European public,” said Saygun. Stressing that the PKK is both a terrorist group and a mafia- style crime organization, Saygun warned European countries not to fall for terrorists’ claims that they represent ethnic groups or belief groups. “They are carrying out activities in the name of so-called ideologies, people’s independence, democratic rights and freedoms,” said the top commander, urging European countries to cooperate on the issue. /Sabah/[08] TOP COURT ANNULS YOK HEAD’S CIRCULAR ON HEADSCARVESThe Council of State yesterday annulled a circular by Board of Higher Education (YOK) head Yusuf Ziya Ozcan instructing university rectors to comply with constitutional changes ending the headscarf ban at universities. The top administrative court ruled unanimously that Ozcan lacked the authority to release the circular. Parliament voted early last month to lift the university headscarf ban by changing two articles of the Constitution. But several university rectors have refused to comply, claiming that the changes violate the Constitution’s principle of secularism, and they petitioned the top court to overturn the circular. /Hurriyet/[09] TUSIAD HEAD: “OUR PRIVATE SECTOR COULD SPUR DEVELOPMENT IN THE BLACK AND CASPIAN SEA REGIONS”Turkish companies are ready to make important contributions to realize the economic and social development of the Black and Caspian Sea regions, said Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, head of both the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) and the Union of Black Sea and Caspian Sea Confederation of Enterprises (UBCCE), yesterday. Yalcindag told a meeting of the union that it intends to improve relations among companies and strongly hopes Russia will join the group. /Milliyet/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... [10] ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on Turkey’s recent cross-border land operation against the terrorist PKK. A summary of his column is as follows. “Democratic Society Party (DTP) group leader Ahmet Turk yesterday addressed his deputies about the terrorist PKK and Turkey’s recent cross- border land operation against it. During the Spanish Civil War, Spaniards used to express their weariness at war by saying, ‘Ya Basta!’ in other words, ‘Enough is enough!’ All Turks would agree with Turk saying this. After all, if it were enough to utter those words, there would be no problem. But many things are needed to live up to this ‘enough.’ Firstly, those using weapons against the state should declare they have abandoned this and give it up. Does Turk have news to announce on that issue? If not, and if the state security forces and terrorists are painted as equal in seeking a solution, then even if we said ‘enough’ a thousand times, nothing would change. Because if the basic condition of maintaining this nation and state is protecting it from disintegration, then people who just depend on saying ‘enough’ are betraying their own values. We can see that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is looking for ways to make a move, of course, but not of its own initiative, but Washington’s urging. I’m not only talking about suggestions to Ankara. Apparently, there’s a whole production going on. Now it’s time for the actors to play their roles well. First northern Iraqi airspace was opened to Turkish warplanes. Beginning late last year, targets were identified and bombed with the support of an effective operation. A land operation followed this late last month. Thus, under this production, the PKK was taught a lesson, Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani was shown his place, and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was sent to a country which had bombed its territory and crossed its borders, and he was made to give messages of friendship. Now it’s probably time for Turkey to praise Barzani. The first act of this play is almost over. But is this enough to fulfill the requirements of ‘enough’? Actually, this is the most critical point. I’ve always said the answer is no. In order to fulfill the requirements of ‘enough,’ any formula which takes Turkey away from the model of the nation-state should be rejected from the very start, but everyone in Turkey " irrespective of their ethnicity " should be as equal, free and safe as everyone else. In this respect, all the shortcomings on the issue should be done away with. These words probably don’t fit the production, which was prepared in Washington. As a matter of fact, we see that those who often talk of a ‘political solution’ and say, ‘It doesn’t matter, we should talk about everything, for example, a federation-type formation’ are the publicists of this production. Actually, if it didn’t go that way, US Vice President Dick Cheney wouldn’t have to take the trouble of coming to Turkey next week.” [11] ENDTurkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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