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Turkish Press Review, 08-08-13
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
13.08.2008
CONTENTS
[01] GUL: "RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CAUCASUS SHOW THE NEED FOR TURKEY TO BE POWERFUL AND STABLE IN ITS REGION"
[02] SOLDIERS SLAIN IN ERZINCAN LAID TO REST
[03] CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT PAYS FAREWELL VISIT TO PRESIDENT GUL
[04] IRAN'S AHMADINEJAD DUE IN TURKEY TOMORROW
[05] GOVT PLANS TO REVIVE AVIATION SECTOR IN EASTERN, SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA
[06] HARD GAME IN THE CAUCASUS
[01] GUL: "RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CAUCASUS SHOW THE NEED FOR TURKEY TO
BE POWERFUL AND STABLE IN ITS REGION"
At the Cankaya Presidential Palace yesterday, President Abdullah Gul was
briefed by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on recent developments in the
Caucasus. Afterwards, Gul told reporters that Turkey would continue its
initiatives to restore peace and stability to the region. Stressing that
Turkey places great importance on Georgia's territorial integrity and
sovereignty, he said that everyone should respect it. Stating that Turkey
has always been closely interested in developments in the region, he said
that it would continue to play a key role to ensure and protect the
region's peace, stability and prosperity. He also voiced support for Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's proposal for a Caucasus alliance to make
the region more stable and secure, and to boost cooperation among regional
countries, saying that the region needs mechanisms for peace and
cooperation that could prevent conflicts before they begin. Gul said that
Turkey would continue to support all international initiatives to restore
peace to the war-torn region, and added, "It is good that our government
immediately started humanitarian aid to Georgia, as political initiatives
are underway." He added, "News reports that Russia has halted military
operations are a positive development. I hope this positive development
will soon turn into a cease-fire. Implementation of a cease-fire is very
important. I believe that both parties should take care to prevent further
bloodshed." Stressing that Turkey is located in a very key region, close to
most important international developments, he said, "Recent developments
indicate that Turkey should be powerful and stable in the region and should
have a strong economy and armed forces." /Turkiye/
[02] SOLDIERS SLAIN IN ERZINCAN LAID TO REST
Nine soldiers killed by a roadside bomb planted by the terrorist PKK Monday
in the eastern province of Erzincan were laid to rest in their hometowns
yesterday. A memorial service for the soldiers at Erzincan Military
Hospital was attended by Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Transportation
Minister Binali Yildirim, and thousand of other mourners. Afterwards, the
coffins of the soldiers were sent to their hometowns for burial. /All
papers/
[03] CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT PAYS FAREWELL VISIT TO PRESIDENT GUL
Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, who will retire at the end of
this month, yesterday paid a farewell visit to President Abdullah Gul at
the Cankaya Presidential Palace. The visit, which was held behind closed
doors, lasted about 30 minutes.
[04] IRAN'S AHMADINEJAD DUE IN TURKEY TOMORROW
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is set to visit Istanbul tomorrow, in
his first-ever visit to a NATO member country. Ahmadinejad is scheduled to
meet with President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan in the city. The meetings are expected to
focus on boosting bilateral relations by exchanging views on regional
issues in line with Turkey's developing friendship and cooperation with
Iran. /Aksam/
[05] GOVT PLANS TO REVIVE AVIATION SECTOR IN EASTERN, SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA
As part of its special development plan for the eastern and southeastern
Anatolia regions, the government plans to increase aviation-related
investments in the local provinces. Under its plans, three new airports
will be constructed in the Igdir, Sirnak, and Yuksekova districts of
Hakkari, and some existing airports in the regions will be renovated. A
joint airport for the provinces of Adana and Mersin will also be built. The
new airports are expected to be operational by 2010. /Aksam/
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[06] HARD GAME IN THE CAUCASUS
BY HASAN CELAL GUZEL (RADIKAL)
Columnist Hasan Celal Guzel comments on the crisis in the Caucasus and the
role Turkey could play in resolving it. A summary of his column is as
follows:
"Did you know that throughout our history, we have been living smack in the
middle of the world's three most problematic regions? Since the beginning
of history, the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Middle East have always seen
the worst conflicts and wars. In addition, nearly all prophets emerged in
the Middle East, and there's a reason for this. World War I broke out in
the Balkans, and the Caucasus has never been governed peacefully. After the
Ottoman Empire incorporated these three regions, even if peace could have
ensured by the Pax Ottomana, after the empire fell such conflicts
continued. Turkey can't be indifferent to the issues of the countries of
the Balkans, Caucasus and Middle East and feel safe. In addition, Turkey
has very serious concerns and interests in these regions. Although the
region has seen ethnic cleansing and genocide over the last two centuries,
its Turkish population remains very high. After being conquered by Lala
Mustafa Pasha in 1578, Georgia was Islamized to a great extent. In spite of
Stalin's ethnic cleansing of Ahiska Turks, nearly 600,000 Kipchak Turks and
Borcali Qarapapahs_Terekemes still live in Georgia. Under the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP), our relations with Georgia have
developed, and there are close ties of friendship between the two
countries.
The apparent reason for the Russian-Georgian War â€" or more correctly,
Russia's unilateral attack â€" is the young and inexperienced Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili's operation against South Ossetia. It's clear
that that Russia manipulated Ossetia and trapped Saakashvili. It's also
evident that Russia has been planning this for a long time and waiting for
Saakashvili to make a mistake. While Russia is still rankled by the 2004
ouster of Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze during the Rose Revolution
as well as Ukraine's Orange Revolution, Kosovo declaring independence
earlier this year really tried Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's
patience. A planned meeting on preparations for Georgia joining NATO and
the status of Abkhazia also served to accelerate Russia's aggression.
Rising American dominance over countries of the Caucasus and former Soviet
bloc and the US-Russian rivalry also played a role in Russia's attacks. If
such a war had broken out after Georgia joined NATO, either a world war
with Turkish involvement would have begun, or, if the US and NATO had
failed to respond, NATO's prestige would have been destroyed.
Turkey can't take open sides in the Russian-Georgian war, because it has
interests in both countries. But this doesn't mean we have to stay silent.
Turkey should continue to try to help Georgia without taking sides, as it's
doing now. We should never forget that contrary to what certain anti-
American nationalists think, Turkey can never cooperate with Russia against
the West, but not because of the Ottoman-era Turkish-Russian conflict. We
have no problem with Russians, but there have been areas of foreign policy
competition within the Turkish geography since Czarist Russia and the
Soviet era. Nearly 50 million ethnic Turks are still living in a great many
autonomous and federated Turkish societies in Russia. Furthermore, Turkey's
close relations with the Central Asian Turkic Republics disturb Russia.
Moreover, Russia's negative stance on the Cyprus and terrorist PKK issues
remain unchanged. Turkey has to play the role of an organizing central
power in the Middle East and Balkans as well as in the Caucasus. So it
should strengthen its position by encouraging US and European support
without spoiling its relations with Russia. Otherwise Russia's re-emergence
as a superpower could destabilize the region."
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