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Turkish Press Review, 08-07-01
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
01.07.2008
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN ADDRESSES THE NATION
[02] SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING BEGINS WITHOUT CHP
[03] FRANCE ASSUMING EU TERM PRESIDENCY
[04] LUXEMBOURG'S ASSELBORN: "CLOSING THE AKP WOULDN'T HALT TURKEY'S EU TALKS"
[05] TRNC'S TALAT TO MEET WITH GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER
[06] US' WILSON HAILS ERDOGAN'S VISIT TO IRAQ AS POSITIVE STEP
[07] WHO'S AT FAULT: THE SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL OR THE CHP?
[01] ERDOGAN ADDRESSES THE NATION
Addressing the nation on television yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan stressed that the government will never allow anyone to destabilize
Turkey or to cast a shadow over its achievements. Erdogan said that Turkey
should throw off talk of "crises" and never return to the past. He also
stressed that the country's current political situation clearly shows the
crucial importance of an atmosphere of stability and trust. Reiterating the
government's resolve to aid regional and global peace efforts and citing
Turkey's recent mediation between Syria and Israel, Erdogan said, "The
government will determinedly continue to pursue its efforts to ensure peace
in our region and the world." He added, "In recent years, Turkey has been
pursuing a more active and influential diplomacy for peace, not only on
disagreements it has been involved in, but also on other world disputes …
The international public is aware of Turkey's role in laying the groundwork
for dialogue to end clashes towards a lasting peace in the Middle East, and
it appreciates this." Touching on Turkey's European Union membership bid,
he said, "Turkey's full membership in the Union will contribute to
improving dialogue and rapprochement between civilizations." He added that
Turkey will continue to implement membership reforms despite any obstacles
it may face. On the economy, Erdogan said that the government wouldn't
retreat from its growth and gross national product (GDP) targets, adding
that it wants GDP to reach $1 trillion in the years to come. Erdogan also
pledged to fight inflation, to attract more foreign investments to the
country, and to boost Turkey's exports. /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/
[02] SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING BEGINS WITHOUT CHP
The 23rd Congress of the Socialist International (SI) began yesterday in
Athens with representatives of 150 political parties and organizations from
120 countries, but without Turkey's main opposition Republican People's
Party (CHP). The CHP declined to attend over fears it would face criticism
or even expulsion due to alleged violations of SI principles. At the
meeting, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' (TRNC) Republican Turkish
Party (CTP), led by Premier Ferdi Sabit Soyer, is expected to be given
observer status, and the Iraqi Patriot Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) is set to
gain full membership. /Turkiye/
[03] FRANCE ASSUMING EU TERM PRESIDENCY
France is assuming the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union
today with fanfare and a pledge to mediate the crisis over Ireland's
rejection of the Treaty of Lisbon. During its term presidency, France is
set to focus on a proposed Mediterranean Union, defense, the fight against
illegal immigration, energy policy, and rising oil prices. Meanwhile,
Ankara is urging France to treat its EU candidacy fairly and objectively,
as well as to open two chapters for negotiations. /Turkiye/
[04] LUXEMBOURG'S ASSELBORN: "CLOSING THE AKP WOULDN'T HALT TURKEY'S EU
TALKS"
Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's deputy prime minister and minister for foreign
affairs and immigration, yesterday met with Foreign Minister Ali Babacan in
Ankara. Afterwards, asked how Turkey's EU negotiation process would be
affected if the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) were closed by
court order, Asselborn said that the ruling on the closure case won't
influence Turkey's negotiating process. "As a foreign minister of an EU
country, I cannot get involved in Turkey's domestic affairs," he said. "I
don't have that authority. Turkey's Constitution developed on the basis of
the country's history. I think that today we should have respect for the
spirit of the Venice Commission (the Council of Europe's European
Commission for Democracy through Law). I heard that the Constitutional
Court could make a decision soon. I hope Turkey can face this problem in
the context of the spirit I mentioned." /Milliyet/
[05] TRNC'S TALAT TO MEET WITH GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat will
meet today with Greek Cypriot administration leader Dimitris Christofias
under the terms of a framework agreement reached in May. Before the meeting,
Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou expressed pessimism about
the possibility of direct negotiations, whereas Talat's spokesperson Hasan
Ercakica said, "We want to begin comprehensive negotiations." A senior
Turkish official said that the Greek Cypriots are failing to abide by
earlier agreements and trying to introduce new conditions. /Milliyet/
[06] US' WILSON HAILS ERDOGAN'S VISIT TO IRAQ AS POSITIVE STEP
US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson yesterday attended the opening ceremony
of a Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Project organized in Ankara by the
Turkish Education Association. Touching on an upcoming visit to Iraq by
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he praised the visit as a step forward
for relations between the two countries. Stating that Turkey has helped the
Iraqi people and government in their efforts to establish a strong, stable
society, he added that Turkey has played a large supportive role in that
process. /Star/
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
[07] WHO'S AT FAULT: THE SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL OR THE CHP?
BY MAHMUT OVUR (SABAH)
Columnist Mahmut Ovur comments on the relationship between the Republican
People's Party (CHP) and the Socialist International (SI). A summary of his
column is as follows:
"For years, the relationship between the main opposition Republican
People's Party (CHP) and the Socialist International (SI) had been a thorny
one. They suffered particular problems over the Kurdish issue. But the
biggest problem is that our social democrats haven't taken part in SI
committees since the time of the Social Democratic People's Party (SHP).
Former Culture Minister Ercan Karakas told me that nearly 160,000 parties
from various countries with different stances are part of the SI, and that
our problem is that the CHP doesn't give the SI enough importance or take
part in its committee meetings. He added that participation on these
committees is important for relations with other members of the group.
When this indifference of Turkey's social democrats was compounded by the
CHP's anti-European Union stance, particularly after 2000, relations
between the CHP and SI weakened and deteriorated. The CHP's stances on
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, the Foundations Law, and the
military's e-memorandum before last year's presidential elections mad
things worse. Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DISK) head
Suleyman Celebi said that certain CHP positions and those of European
social democrats don't gel at all and that there are great differences in
terms of democracy and global norms. He added that this problem is nothing
new and that the SI can't change course in just two months, and that the
problem is about whether the CHP will reposition itself or not.
CHP leader Deniz Baykal isn't attending this week's SI meeting in Athens,
and so the already-weakened ties will suffer more. So will they break off
entirely? Neither Karakas nor Celebi think so. More importantly, Karakas
said that nobody represents Turkey on SI committees. This obviously means
our exclusion. If you're not there, it means you're not involved in the
issues which are discussed there. Karakas added that the CHP is inward-
looking and seems not to care about international relations, and so its
influence is meager. Karakas said that we could solve a great many problems
on the international stage and that the SI could help in this. That's why
the CHP is facing questions within the left. It used to be part of the SI
as a 'modernizing party,' but now it's the target of much criticism. The
CHP should respond to this."
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