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Turkish Press Review, 08-11-24Turkish 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 morning24.11.2008CONTENTS
[01] GUL TO SEEK CLOSER ENERGY TIES WITH AZERBAIJAN , TURKMENISTANPresident Abdullah Gul will meet next weekend with his Azeri and Turkmen counterparts Ilham Aliyev and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. The meeting is expected to focus on boosting energy cooperation among the three countries as well as ongoing energy projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipelines between Turkey and Turkic countries, and Nabucco, a pipeline to transport Caspian natural gas to Europe through Turkey. The European Union strongly supports Nabucco, seeing it as critical for ensuring energy security and reducing its energy dependence on Russia. The three leaders will also discuss bilateral relations among their countries. /Turkiye/[02] PM ERDOGAN: "IF THE AKP FALLS SHORT IN NEXT YEAR’S LOCAL ELECTIONS, I WILL QUIT THE PARTY HELM"Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the weekend met with Turkish businessmen in New Delhi, India and listened to their problems. During the meeting, Erdogan reportedly spoke about Turkey's local elections set for next March, saying he doesn't fear the ballot box. "If my nation decided to remove me from government, I would readily accept this," he added. "If my party comes in second in the elections, I will quit the party leadership." Erdogan agreed with the businessmen's complaints about excessive red tape, saying that even as prime minister since 2003, he is similarly crippled by bureaucracy. Asked about the global economic crisis, Erdogan complained that the Turkish Businessmen's and Industrialists' Association (TUSIAD) isn't supporting the government. Afterwards, Erdogan and his delegation proceeded to Agra and visited the Taj Mahal. /Star-Milliyet/[03] ARMENIAN FM DUE IN ISTANBUL TODAY FOR BSEC MEETINGFollowing recent moves towards thawing relations between Ankara and Yerevan, including a presidential visit to attend a football match, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian is set to arrive in Istanbul today to take over the six-month term presidency of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC). Subjects expected to be discussed include stability in the Caucasus, relations between Armenian and Azerbaijan, and the Upper Karabakh issue. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is expected to urge that the problems between Armenian and Azerbaijan be solved through dialogue in the framework of international law. /Star/[04] INTERIOR MINISTRY BEGINS NEW ANTI-TERROR PROJECTInterior Minister Besir Atalay today will begin a project aiming to take short-, medium- and long-term measures to counter terrorism. A report exploring social, economic and political aspects of terrorism, prepared following talks by scholars and experts with public servants, non- governmental organizations and residents of southeastern Anatolia, will make recommendations on how best to combat terrorism. /Star/[05] STATE MINISTER CUBUKCU TO ATTEND CONFERENCE IN CAIROState Minister Nimet Cubukcu yesterday went to Cairo to attend the second Ministerial Conference in Women's role in Development, organized by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Cubukcu told reporters that the conference aims to draw up a plan for boosting women's social role in the OIC. /Turkiye/[06] DSP'S 23RD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATEDDemocratic Leftist Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer yesterday attended a ceremony in Ankara marking the 23rd anniversary of his party. Criticizing recent overtures by the main opposition main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) towards women wearing chadors, Sezer said, "While lambasting the DSP for defending a secularism that respects religious beliefs, the CHP welcomed the membership of women in chadors." /Aksam/[07] SYRIA HOSTS MEETING ON IRAQ 'S SECURITYThe Security Coordination and Cooperation Committee on Iraq yesterday convened in Damascus, Syria for the third time. In addition to Turkey, representatives from the US, Britain, France, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Russia, China, Japan, the UN and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and Arab League came together for the two-day meeting, focusing on measures needed to ensure Iraqis' security and prosperity. /Turkiye/[08] SIMSEK: "TURKEY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SHAKE OFF THE GLOBAL CRISIS"Commenting on the impact of the global economic crisis on Turkey, State Minister for the Economy Mehmet Simsek said yesterday that Turkey has the potential to quickly shake off the crisis. He said that in addition to previously announced government measures, officials are now working on cushioning the effect on the real sector and making sure it continues to get financial sector support. Touching on talks with the International Monetary Fund, Simsek added, "We've covered a great distance towards reaching a new standby agreement with the Fund, in light of Turkey's economic priorities." In related news, State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen said yesterday that Turkey would exceed its year-end export target of $125 billion. On the crisis' impact on exports, Tuzmen said vigilance, not panic, is called for. Stressing the importance of Arab capital during the crisis, Tuzmen also said, "Arab capital could be used to finance Turkey's exports. We're trying to attract more Arab capital to Turkey." He added that this year Turkey's exports to Middle Eastern countries have risen 65 percent compared to 2007. /Hurriyet/[09] TURKEY-IRAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION TO MEETAccompanied by a group of bureaucrats and businessmen, State Minister Mehmet Simsek traveled to Tehran yesterday to attend meetings of the Turkey- Iran Joint Economic Commission (KEK) starting today. He will hold talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Wednesday and is also expected to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. /Hurriyet Daily News/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [10] THE TURKEY OF 2025 MIGHT SURPRISE EVERYBODYBY SEMIH IDIZ (MILLIYET)Columnist Semih Idiz comments on the predictions of a US National Intelligence Council (NIC) report. A summary of his column is as follows: "How Turkey will change over the next 20 years has started to attract intense world interest. Obviously, this springs from our geostrategic position and the potential for change with important regional impact. In short, people are inevitably looking towards us, because our economy is growing rapidly, we are developing socially develop numerous challenges, and we have a great dynamism at our disposal. Along these lines, the recent US National Intelligence Council's (NIC) report Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World also covers Turkey. Of course, no one knows for certain what will happen in future years and decades. We can only make educated guesses about the future in light of current trends. In his preface to the report, NIC Chairman Thomas Fingar stressed this point, saying that they weren't doing fortune telling. Even the last 20 years shows how faulty predictions can be. How many would have guessed back in 1988 that the Eastern Bloc would collapse so easily? How many people could have predicted that 'communist China ' and 'poor India ' would become the strongest rivals of the 'capitalist West' in terms of production and energy use? Hardly anybody. Still, such reports are far from meaningless. What's needed is a proper framework for evaluation, including the issues mentioned above. Such reports also reflect subjective expectations, hopes and concerns. The NIC report, which includes much that is of interest, should be considered from this point of view. So what does it say about Turkey? It projects that Turkey is likely to emerge as a model country for the Islamic world, in guiding Islamic and nationalist dynamics, as well as its closeness to modernity. Similarly, its important economic position and rising middle class will give it a growing role in the Middle East. Meanwhile, whether or not our European Union hopes weaken will be the main factor in the progress of our political reforms and human rights. As you can see, the report projects into the future from the standpoint of current political discussions, but it ignores Turkey 's sociological dynamics. For example, it writes about the rise of the middle class, but fails to see that this strengthens the secular order and democracy, as in Europe . In short, it is blind to how a weakening of secularism, democracy and reform might not necessarily result from our complex inner dynamics. On the contrary, here's what we see ahead: In 2025 Turkey might be a Western country, where the rights of believers and unbelievers are constitutionally guaranteed as part of a modern, egalitarian understanding of secularism, and where the human and democratic rights of representation of various religious and ethnic factions are respected. Looking at Turkey's inner dynamics through sociological logic, rather than political logic, I believe this scenario is more likely to come true in 20 years. But as I said, no one has a crystal ball." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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