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Turkish Press Review, 07-03-12

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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

12.03.2007


CONTENTS

  • [01] ERDOGAN SAYS HE HOPES FOR PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO IRANIAN PROBLEM
  • [02] ERDOGAN OPENS TWO HOTELS IN ISTANBUL
  • [03] CICEK: "THE US COULD DO A LOT TO COUNTER TERRORISTS IN NORTHERN IRAQ"
  • [04] BAYKAL: "LEGAL CHANGES ALONE AREN'T ENOUGH TO SOLVE WOMENS' PROBLEMS"
  • [05] RUBIN: "DON'T MAKE THE TURKS ANGRY"
  • [06] BABACAN: "COUNTRIES COMPETE TO ATTRACT MORE FOREIGN CAPITAL, WHICH HAS NO COLOR"
  • [07] THE IRAQ ISSUE

  • [01] ERDOGAN SAYS HE HOPES FOR PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO IRANIAN PROBLEM

    Speaking to Kuwaiti daily El-Anba over the weekend, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he hoped the Iranian problem would be solved peacefully, adding that Ankara wouldn't allow other countries to use Turkish land to attack its neighbors. Stressing that all countries had the right to have nuclear energy on the condition they use it for peaceful purposes, Erdogan stated that Turkey has friendly relations with Iran. He further stated that both countries have developed mechanisms to cooperate in the field of security. Erdogan called on all regional and international organs to play an active role to stop violence in Iraq. Erdogan pointed to how the violence in Iraq has turned into sectarian clashes between Sunis and Shiites, adding that such clashes would harm not only Iraqis but all regional countries. Stressing that Ankara was carrying out contacts with all parties in Iraq without any prejudice, Erdogan added that Turkey wanted Iraq to protect its political sovereignty and demographic makeup, as well as develop good relations with its neighbors. /Milliyet/

    [02] ERDOGAN OPENS TWO HOTELS IN ISTANBUL

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended the opening ceremonies of two hotels in Istanbul built with foreign capital. Addressing the gatherings, Erdogan said that Turkey's peaceful, stable atmosphere was attracting foreign investors. Stressing that investments in tourism will continue at full speed, the premier said that about 40 million tourists are targeted to visit Turkey this year, adding that efforts are continuing to woo visitors not only in summer but throughout the year. /Turkiye/

    [03] CICEK: "THE US COULD DO A LOT TO COUNTER TERRORISTS IN NORTHERN IRAQ"

    Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said yesterday that the US could do many things to improve the problem of terrorists in northern Iraq. "At least they could hand over terrorist leaders to us," said Cicek. Appearing on TV, Cicek said Turkey has carried out a fight against the PKK single-handedly using its own resources, and that it had not been supported by the international community on the issue. Stressing that the terrorist group couldn't survive for even a day without the support of foreigners, Cicek said that Ankara expected that important figures of the PKK in Iraq would be captured and handed over to Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/

    [04] BAYKAL: "LEGAL CHANGES ALONE AREN'T ENOUGH TO SOLVE WOMENS' PROBLEMS"

    Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal over the weekend attended observances of March 8, International Women's Day. Addressing one such gathering, Baykal said that the problems of women lie at the basis of all problems and that reforms alone weren't enough to solve these, as a change in mentality is also needed. Stressing that many sweeping and important legal changes were recently made in this area, Baykal added, however, that this wasn't enough to change the reality on the ground. Baykal further stated that the nation had no concerns about May's presidential election, but rather about whether or not Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will run for the office. "He's trying to distract the nation, " said Baykal, claiming that he fears if he says he will run tension will follow. /Star/

    [05] RUBIN: "DON'T MAKE THE TURKS ANGRY"

    US expert on Iraq Michael Rubin said yesterday that the Iraqi Kurds want independence and give support to the terrorist PKK. In an article called "Enabling Kurdish Illusions" in the conservative Weekly Standard magazine, Rubin, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, criticized the US State Department for encouraging Iraqi Kurds by indulging them, adding that US officials posted in northern Iraq have sympathy for the Kurds. Stressing that weapons supplied to Iraqi peshmerga by the US end up in the hands of the terrorist PKK, Rubin said northern Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani isn't limiting the movement of the terrorists. He stated that the Iraqi Kurds underestimate Turkey's resolve. If Turks want to conduct a cross- border operation in the region, they won't be deterred by others, disapproval, wrote Rubin. /Hurriyet-Turkiye/

    [06] BABACAN: "COUNTRIES COMPETE TO ATTRACT MORE FOREIGN CAPITAL, WHICH HAS NO COLOR"

    Speaking to Turkey's Bulletin magazine over the weekend, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan criticized the opposition parties' stance on the sale of property to foreigners and foreign capital, adding that capital has no color. "Gulf capital is trying to find places in the world to go," he said. "Britain, the US, and Germany are wooing it, but in our country capital is labeled for its origin. This stance is disturbing investors." Babacan said that countries compete with each other to attract more foreign capital, adding that claims that the government is selling off the country are indications of mistrust. Pointing to the important contributions of foreign capital to the Turkish economy, Babacan stated that there were no such arguments even in China. He stressed that four years ago, the amount of foreign capital entering Turkey was less than $1 billion, adding that the government made foreign capital inflow easier with a 2003 law. /Cumhuriyet/

    FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS

    [07] THE IRAQ ISSUE

    Columnist Taha Akyol comments on Iraq's situation and Turkey's role in the issue. A summary of his column is as follows:

    "Will the civil war end? Will Iraq disintegrate? A new process is developing which shows that terrorism and Iraq's integrity aren't just ‘Iraq's domestic affair,' but a problem of the region, and even the world. As we see that neither the Iraqi people nor the US can ensure a solution in Iraq, it's likely that more political factors will get involved in the issue. Now the factor of countries neighboring Iraq is more important than ever before. A common platform is needed for the participation of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Japan. As their role rises, the possibility of Iraq's disintegration will of course fall. The US, which criticized Turkey for sitting at the table with Iran and Syria in January 2003, is now praising Turkey for such a platform including Tehran and Damascus. When I looked at the Milliyet back from Jan. 23, 2003, I saw that the US hadn't attacked Iraq yet and US President George Bush's unforgettable Defense Secretary Ronald Rumsfeld accused the nations of Europe which opposed the war of being ‘old.' The same day, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul conveyed Turkey's concerns over the invasion to Milliyet, saying that its concerns center on the uncertainties of the post-Saddam era. Unfortunately, this came true. This is Iraq's situation now and there are concerns that almost all the countries in the region could be thrown into years of uncertainty and bloody conflicts. A meeting of countries neighboring Iraq was held in Istanbul in January 2003 in order to convince Saddam Hussein and prevent the war. Iran was at the meeting, and the US was angry that Syria also attended. The other countries there were Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Our columnist Sami Kohen analyzed the meeting in his column and even wrote that it was important that they had come together in Istanbul. Kohen wrote that diplomatic problems cannot be solved even with several meetings and that the process was important.

    Four years have passed since then, with so much bloodshed, and then the US accepted Turkey's formula of neighboring countries. Of course, I'm talking about the meeting held over the weekend in Baghdad. In addition to countries neighboring Iraq, the meeting included diplomats from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: the US, Britain, France, Russia and China. The next meeting will be held in Istanbul again! This is one of the successes of four years of Arab world diplomacy by Turkey. Gul was invited to an Arab League meeting, Egypt ended its oil cooperation with the Greek Cypriots, 21 Arab countries have openly supported Turkey's candidacy for a temporary Security Council seat, Turkey has played a role in solving the problem of a lack of meetings between the US and Iran, the value of this process was emphasized during talks between Gul and his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice, Ankara was asked to participate in the process by the European Union, and Turkey reproached them by asking if they had frozen the chapter on ‘foreign relations' at the request of the Greek Cypriots… I remember Kohen's words. He wrote that diplomatic problems can't be solved in one go. If neighboring countries and these powerful countries were to work together, it would be more effective in making countries at odds sit at the table."


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