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Turkish Press Review, 08-05-01
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
01.05.2008
CONTENTS
[01] NATION SET FOR MAY 1 CELEBRATIONS
[02] PRESIDENT GUL HOSTS LUNCHEON FOR PARTY LEADERS
[03] ERDOGAN WELCOMES LITHUANIAN PM
[04] PARLIAMENT APPROVES CHANGES TO ARTICLE 301
[05] ERDOGAN: "FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL APPRECIATE OUR EFFORTS FOR THE NEW SOCIAL SECURITY LAW"
[06] AKP SUBMITS PRELIMINARY DEFENSE TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
[07] BABACAN: "WE WANT TO SET UP A STRATEGIC DIALOGUE MECHANISM WITH IRAQ"
[08] IRAQI VP IN ANKARA FOR TALKS
[09] CAGLAYAN TOUTS HUGE AUTO INVESTMENTS
[10] HOW MUCH LONGER WILL WE FEAR MAY 1?
[01] NATION SET FOR MAY 1 CELEBRATIONS
May 1 is set to be celebrated today across the country, by workers from a
variety of sectors, amid union demands that celebrations in Istanbul's
Taksim Square be again allowed. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
yesterday that the government wouldn't allow mass celebrations in Taksim,
and that only a small group of union representatives would be allowed to
read out a statement and lay a wreath at the Taksim Memorial. Erdogan
warned the unions against possible provocations, saying, "The Cabinet took
this decision out of security concerns." He also said that any provocation
could make the situation get out of hand, and that the government has to
safeguard people's lives. But some unions declared their determination to
hold large celebrations in Taksim anyway. The Istanbul police have planned
tight safety measures for the celebrations. The square has great symbolic
importance for unions because on May 1, 1977, known as "Bloody May 1,"
shots were fired into a crowd at Taksim, leaving five dead from gunfire and
30 others trampled to death. Since then, large May 1 celebrations in Taksim
have been banned. /Sabah/
[02] PRESIDENT GUL HOSTS LUNCHEON FOR PARTY LEADERS
President Abdullah Gul yesterday hosted a luncheon at the Cankaya
Presidential Palace for Democrat Party (DP) leader Suleyman Soylu,
Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu, Social Democrat Party (SHP)
leader Murat Karayalcin, and Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan. The
luncheon with Gul was part of his contacts with top political and social
figures. /Aksam/
[03] ERDOGAN WELCOMES LITHUANIAN PM
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas yesterday arrived in Ankara
for official talks, the first visit from a Lithuanian premier. Speaking at
a press conference after their meeting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said he and Kirkilas had discussed regional and international issues. He
stated that Lithuania lent support to Turkey's European Union membership
bid, adding that he had voiced Turkey's views and expectations on the
Cyprus issue. For his part, Kirkilas said that the two countries were
working together under the umbrella of NATO and that he hoped they could do
the same in the EU. /Milliyet/
[04] PARLIAMENT APPROVES CHANGES TO ARTICLE 301
Following eight hours of debate, and amid fierce criticism from the
nationalist opposition, Parliament early yesterday approved controversial
changes to Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) by a vote of 250-65.
Under the changes, the world "Turkishness" - a term criticized as too broad
and vague - would be replaced with "Turkish nation," and prison sentences
under the law would be reduced from three years to two, thus allowing them
to be suspended or commuted to a fine. In addition, the arrangement would
require the justice minister's approval before prosecutors could file
charges. The opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) accused the
government of betraying the country's identity and kowtowing to European
Union demands. Defending the reforms, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin
said sanctions against insulting Turkey would still exist. "With these
changes, it isn't a question of letting people freely insult Turkishness,"
he added. EU officials also welcomed the changes to the controversial law.
/Turkiye-Turkish Daily News/
[05] ERDOGAN: "FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL APPRECIATE OUR EFFORTS FOR THE NEW
SOCIAL SECURITY LAW"
Addressing the nation yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
that the effects of social security reforms passed last week by Parliament
would be felt not in just a few months, but in the years and decades to
come. Erdogan said that under the new Social Security Law, everybody living
in Turkey is now covered by health insurance. Concerning the global
economic crisis, the premier stated that Turkey is capable of resisting
economic shocks, fluctuations, uncertainties and negative surprises with
minimum losses. He added that the government will continue to do its best
to preserve the country's atmosphere of stability and confidence. /Turkiye/
[06] AKP SUBMITS PRELIMINARY DEFENSE TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chairman Dengir Mir
Mehmet Firat, accompanied by other top AKP officials, yesterday submitted
to Turkey's top court their party's preliminary defense against a case
seeking its closure. In March, Court of Appeals Chief Public Prosecutor
Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya filed a case asking the Constitutional Court to
close down the ruling party, alleging that it had become the focal point of
anti-secular activities. In his indictment, the chief prosecutor demanded
that 71 people, including President and former Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, be banned from politics for
five years. The Constitutional Court on April 2 sent the indictment to the
party, asking for its defense within one month, meaning tomorrow. The
preliminary defense will now be sent to the Supreme Court of Appeals Chief
Prosecutor's Office. After the prosecutor states his views on the merits of
the case, the party will present a verbal defense within one month.
/Turkiye/
[07] BABACAN: "WE WANT TO SET UP A STRATEGIC DIALOGUE MECHANISM WITH IRAQ"
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday said that a Turkish delegation will
soon visit Iraq and added, "We want to set up a strategic dialogue
mechanism co-chaired by the premiers of the two countries." Babacan added
that cabinet ministers from both sides would also be part of the dialogue
mechanism, meant to discuss cooperation between the two countries in all
areas. Speaking after meeting with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr
Store, Babacan said that he wants to develop cooperation with Iraq in many
sectors. Stressing energy as an important part of Turkey's cooperation with
Iraq, Babacan said he believes Turkey will play an important role in
bringing Iraq's natural resources to world markets. /Star/
[08] IRAQI VP IN ANKARA FOR TALKS
After arriving in Ankara yesterday, Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi
is set to be received by President Abdullah Gul and meet with Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During the meetings, issues such as
bilateral relations, the terrorist PKK, and the situation in the region
will be discussed. /Star/
[09] CAGLAYAN TOUTS HUGE AUTO INVESTMENTS
Industry and Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan said yesterday that an
unspecified auto industry giant was getting ready to invest €800 million
in Turkey's automotive industry, creating 5,000 jobs in the process.
Stressing that industrial goods account for more than 90 percent of
Turkey's exports, he said, "Turkey aims to reach $25 billion in automotive
exports, and to allocate $20 billion for research and development by 2011."
Caglayan also said that talks with another automaker that plans to invest
in Turkey were continuing, but did not specify the companies involved.
Touching on government efforts to simplify legal procedures for foreign
investment, he said, "The government has enacted many laws towards this end,
and will also make sweeping changes to the Turkish Commercial Code." He
added that those changes would be passed by Parliament by July at the
latest. /Hurriyet/
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[10] HOW MUCH LONGER WILL WE FEAR MAY 1?
BY MAHMUT OVUR (SABAH)
Columnist Mahmut Ovur comments on the importance of May 1. A summary of his
column is as follows:
"Today is May 1, the holiday of workers. Unfortunately, workers in Turkey
are unable to celebrate and enjoy this holiday, because the Turkish state
doesn't trust its people and wants to put pressure on it. Let's look at the
recent discussions. Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies
challenge laborers and workers with the same understanding. This same
stubbornness can be seen not only in banning celebrations of May 1 at
Istanbul's Taksim Square, but in the headscarf issue, the Kurdish and Alawi
issues, and even party closure cases. We produce no solutions, only
problems. But in modern democracies all over the world, May 1 is celebrated
the way it deserves. In Turkey, efforts were made to make people forget
this date by painting it as just a spring festival. This should change.
Today everybody who defends democracy and supports Turkey's European Union
membership should confront the dark 1977 incident in Taksim which left 37
people dead (through shooting and trampling by a panicked crowd). Those who
ignore it will be unable to fight such gangs as Ergenekon which today
threaten democracy and civilization. Maybe we can't get rid of coups and
tensions. Turkey has to confront those who turned May 1 into a blood bath,
when I too experienced the danger of being crushed. As long as we fail to
confront this, the figures who committed a massacre on May 1 re-emerge by
brazenly attacking the Council of State, assassinating Hrant Dink, and
committing murders at Malatya's Zirve Bookstore.
The current situation is hard to grasp. Let's say that in the past, perhaps
dark powers used to stoke societal tension by raising the fear of leftists
or communists taking power. But what about today? Today, we live in a
global age and Turkey and the world have changed so much since the 1990s,
including the workers' movement and socialist thinking. Only the state
remained the same, and it resists change. Actually, the state is afraid of
May 1. If it didn't, would celebrations of May 1 in Taksim Square be
banned? Such an approach can never ensure democratization and a transparent
state."
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