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Turkish Press Review, 08-12-23
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
23.12.2008
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
CONTENTS
[01] ISRAEL'S OLMERT PAYS FAREWELL VISITS TO GUL, ERDOGAN
[02] YOK SUBMITS SHORTLIST OF ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY RECTOR CANDIDATES TO PRESIDENT GUL
[03] TALABANI: "BOTH BAGHDAD AND THE REGIONAL N.IRAQI ADMINISTRATION ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PKK"
[04] IRAQI PM TO VISIT ANKARA
[05] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF BASBUG ISSUES MESSAGE MARKING ANNIVERSARY OF KUBILAY ASSASSINATION
[06] HOPES FOR SETTLEMENT ON CYPRUS PUSHED TO 2009
[07] HISTORICAL ISTANBUL SITES TO BE RESTORED
[08] TWO MISTAKES IN THE DISCUSSION BETWEEN GUL AND ARITMAN
[01] ISRAEL'S OLMERT PAYS FAREWELL VISITS TO GUL, ERDOGAN
Paying a farewell visit, outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose
term of office will end in February, was received by President Abdullah Gul
at the Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara yesterday. Foreign Minister
Ali Babacan and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ertugrul Apakan were also
present. The meeting was closed to the press, but Gul and Olmert shook
hands for the cameras. Later, Olmert met with his Turkish counterpart Recep
Tayyip Erdogan at the Prime Ministry Residence. Erdogan also hosted a
working dinner in honor of Olmert, with Babacan also in attendance.
Olmert's talks with Gul and Erdogan reportedly focused on the Middle East
peace process and Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as the negotiations
between Syria and Israel under Turkey's mediation, and how the coming
elections in Israel will affect these talks. During the meetings, Israel's
embargo on the Gaza Strip was also discussed. In related news, Erdogan had
a phone conversation with his Palestinian counterpart Ismail Haniye. The
Palestinian prime minister told about Palestine's demand that Israel lift
the embargo. Erdogan also reportedly told Olmert about Turkey's views on
the issue and what Haniye had said. /Turkiye/
[02] YOK SUBMITS SHORTLIST OF ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY RECTOR CANDIDATES TO
PRESIDENT GUL
The Board of Higher Education (YOK) yesterday submitted to President
Abdullah Gul for final selection its shortlist of rector candidates for
Istanbul University, Turkey's oldest university. The board cut down to
three a list of six candidates chosen by a university faculty vote. At the
top of the list was Professor Yunus Soylet, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's family physician, who was also selected by Gul to serve on YOK.
Soylet got the second-highest number of faculty votes. Professor Ali Akyuz,
the top vote-getter, was second on the list, and Professor Melih Boydak was
third. In the faculty elections, Akyuz got 483 votes, while Soylet got 467
and Boydak 365. /Hurriyet/
[03] TALABANI: "BOTH BAGHDAD AND THE REGIONAL N.IRAQI ADMINISTRATION ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE PKK"
Both the Iraqi government and the regional administration in northern Iraq
are concerned about the terrorist PKK's activities, said Iraqi President
Jalal Talabani yesterday. Speaking to CNN Turk, Talabani said that several
Kurdish groups continue to urge the terrorist PKK to lay down its arms.
Stressing that all Kurdish groups should explain to the terrorist PKK that
the era of armed struggle is over, he claimed that if certain conditions
are met, the PKK will lay down its arms. Asked about the possibility of
Turkey issuing a general amnesty for terrorists, he said, "I can't
interfere in Turkey's domestic affairs. I'm not in a position to tell
Turkey to do this or that. This decision is up to our Turkish brothers." He
also expressed regret that President Abdullah Gul had been forced to
postpone a visit to Iraq due to health problems. /Star/
[04] IRAQI PM TO VISIT ANKARA
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will arrive in Ankara tomorrow for
official talks with Turkish officials. Maliki will be received by President
Abdullah Gul and meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as
well as Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. Ankara will reportedly urge Maliki to
implement the decisions made at a recent tripartite meeting among the US,
Turkey and Iraq in Baghdad and take concrete measures against the terrorist
PKK, saying that otherwise military operations against the terrorist group
will continue. /Turkiye/
[05] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF BASBUG ISSUES MESSAGE MARKING ANNIVERSARY OF
KUBILAY ASSASSINATION
In a message marking the 78th anniversary of the assassination of Lt.
Kubilay by religious extremists in 1930, Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker
Basbug yesterday said that the principle of secularism is the safeguard of
Turkey's social democratic state under the rule of law. Underlining that
harming the principle of secularism through futile political debates only
causes problems, he added that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will fight all
threats to Turkey's national integrity and its indivisible territory. A
ceremony will be held today in Menemen, Izmir to commemorate Kubilay and
others slain 78 years ago. /Milliyet/
[06] HOPES FOR SETTLEMENT ON CYPRUS PUSHED TO 2009
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat and
Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias yesterday met for a 13th round of
talks for a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus. Speaking to reporters
following the meeting, UN Special Cyprus Envoy Alexander Downer said that
the two leaders have a great deal to discuss and do, adding that they are
working decisively towards a resolution. For his part, Talat said that next
year they will make more efforts to solve the issue. /Turkiye/
[07] HISTORICAL ISTANBUL SITES TO BE RESTORED
As part of the Istanbul 2010 European Culture Capital project, Istanbul
officials have stepped up work to spruce up Turkey's largest city. The
Directorate General of Foundations has decided to restore and renovate 88
historical sites in the province, including the famous Suleymaniye Mosque
and Spice Bazaar. The restoration will be carried out under the supervision
of a scientific board. /Turkiye/
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
[08] TWO MISTAKES IN THE DISCUSSION BETWEEN GUL AND ARITMAN
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila comments on a suggestion made by a Republican
People's Party (CHP) deputy about the ethnicity of President Gul's mother.
A summary of his column is as follows:
"Everyone is talking about a statement made by Canan Aritman, Republican
People's Party (CHP) Izmir deputy, which implied that President Abdullah
Gul's mother had Armenian roots. Citing his family tree, President Gul said
this argument was false. Gul stated that he is Muslim and Turkish on both
sides of his family, as 100 years of the tree proves. Gul said that he felt
he had to set the record straight in order to correct a tendentious lie
which started when he ran for president last year and has recently been
openly and deviously resurrected. He added that he wanted to establish the
truth for history's sake.
Aritman's statement implying that Gul's mother has Armenian roots was
unfortunate. The path she took was wrong. Whether Gul's mother has Armenian
roots or not shouldn't be used for political fodder. Aritman's 'racial'
approach was widely criticized, including by the CHP, her own party. This
is another sign that what Aritman did was wrong. Aritman offended Turkey's
Armenians with her suggestion about Gul. Her approach, which paints being
Armenian as a crime or deficiency, is contrary to the Turkish Republic's
founding principles. Her words ill suit a member of a party like the CHP
(Turkey's first party), which established the founding principles of the
republic. The Turkish Republic isn't based on an ethnic basis. Ataturk's
understanding of the nation wasn't racist. In an excellent formulation of
his understanding of the nation and nationalism, Ataturk said that the
nation which established the Turkish nation is called the Turkish nation.
Whatever one's ethnic background, each and every citizen of the Turkish
Republic can undertake any post or duty. The president, Parliament speaker,
prime minister, chief of General Staff and government ministers may have
different ethnic roots. This is a requirement of the republic's founding
principles.
Gul not only released his family tree, but also sued Aritman. The president
represents the entire nation, and he's head of the state. Thus his filing a
lawsuit against claims that there are Armenians in his family and
allegations of discrimination might offend our Armenian citizens. If being
an Armenian or having a family with Armenian roots is seen as something
which has to be denied, this might cause misunderstandings, particularly in
terms of Gul's responsibility to represent the entire nation. Although he
was trying to prevent political exploitation, Gul shouldn't have sued her,
but instead, out of consideration for our Armenian citizens, found it
sufficient to issue a statement. Looking at the situation in terms of the
republic's founding principles, Gul filing a lawsuit against Aritman's
statements amounts to compounding one mistake with yet another."
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