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Turkish Press Review, 07-04-06Turkish 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 morning06.04.2007CONTENTS
[01] THIS YEAR’S HONORARY AWARDS PRESENTED IN PARLIAMENT47entity and institutions including 12 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) yesterday received Parliament’s Honorary Award. Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the awards were presented to those who contributed to Turkey’s dignity, development, improvement and growth. He thanked award winners for their efforts on behalf of the Turkish nation. Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said that those who received the awards voluntarily helped people, without considering personal benefits, they only aim to make a small or a great contribution to their country’s welfare. /Hurriyet/[02] TURKEY TO TAKE OVER NATO COMMANDERSHIP IN AFGHANISTANThe Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will take over the command of Kabul Regional Commandership from France after a ceremony to be held today in Kabul. Turkey will command the NATO forces in the region for eight months and its number of troops will be increased from 750 to 1,150. At the beginning of December, Turkey will hand over the command to Italy. /Sabah/[03] YOK’S TEZIC: “PRESIDENT SHOULD BE IMPARTIAL”University rectors yesterday called for an impartial president to be elected with consensus. Speaking to reporters following the Rectors’ Committee of the Board of Higher Education (YOK) Chairman Erdogan Tezic said the tension created by the upcoming presidential election may only be resolved through a presidential candidate who has proven credentials in maintaining balance within the state, adding that candidates should believe in secularism and republic’s unchangeable principles. He also underlined that ones who run for president should have a clean criminal record. Furthermore, Tezic insisted on the presence of at least 367 deputies, two- third of the lawmakers, to begin voting on the next president in Parliament. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday kicked-off a series of meetings with nation’s leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs) by receiving a delegation from the Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions (Turk-Is). In addition, Erdogan met with a group of his Justice and development Party (AKP) deputies last evening to sound them out on his possible run for president. /Milliyet/[04] KAZAKH FM MEETS WITH GULKazakh Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin who is currently paying an official visit to Turkey, yesterday met with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. Speaking to reporters after their talks, the two top diplomats pointed to the great cooperation in the field of energy and increase in trade volume, as well as mutually growing investments between the two countries. Gul announced Turkey’s support to Kazakhstan for the 2009 presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). /Turkiye/[05] OIC SECRETARY GENERAL VISITS ANKARAOrganization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is expected to arrive in Ankara today to have talks with Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on relations between the OIC and Turkey. He will be also received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. /Turkish Daily News/[06] BAYKAL SPEAKS ABOUT ALLEGATIONS ON PROTEST RALLYRepublican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday attended a meeting entitled “World Economy and its Reflections on Turkey” within the context of 31st Economists Week held by the Istanbul University Association of the Faculty of Economist Graduates. After the meeting, Baykal spoke about allegations that the protest rally to be held on April 14 was organized by the CHP and said, “Nobody should hide what he or she is doing. Everybody takes action by assuming his or her own responsibility. Who organizes this rally is clear. If we take a decision to organize a rally, we declare it to whole Turkey. We have not launched this initiative. Everybody in Turkey should raise their voice while Turkey is going through such an important event.” /Cumhuriyet/[07] BAGIS: “THE WORLD’S NEED FOR NATO HAS INCREASED SINCE SEPT. 11”Egemen Bagis, Head of the Transatlantic Relations Committee affiliated with NATO Parliamentarian Assembly yesterday said that world’s need for the NATO had increased since Sept. 11, 2001. A delegation consisting of parliamentarians of 20 countries taking place within the Transatlantic Relations Committee was received by the Italian President Georgio Napolitano during their two-day visit to Rome. At the meeting, Bagis delivered a speech and said, “The world needs NATO especially after Sept. 11. This is a reality that we all observe.” Touching the importance of the cooperation and alliance relations between the NATO member countries, Bagis said, “There are new dangers in the world. Terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, terrorist gangs, issues such as people, drug and weapon smuggling are some of these dangers. We have to struggle jointly against these problems. The values which bring us together in NATO are the ones that we should protect together.” /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... [08] WARM DEVELOPMENTS BETWEEN DYP AND ANAVATANBY MAHMUT OVUR (SABAH)Columnist Mahmut Ovur comments on a possible unification between the True Path Party (DYP) and the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN). A summary of his column is as follows: “Would the True Path Party (DYP) and the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) unite? According to what people talk in political lobbies, if the only problem had been about these two parties, DYP leader Mehmet Agar and ANAVATAN leader Erkan Mumcu would have united. As a politician said, Agar and Mumcu might sign a new political model and become the center of attraction, like Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. However, the central right’s approach of ‘if I’m not there, it would be disaster’ prevents all the positive developments. Let’s look at the political picture. ‘Political engineering’ plans are being made almost everywhere. Of course, somebody should ask this question to current political leaders: ‘Considering that you have knowledge about politics this much, why are you in such a situation?’ Even if they have good intention, Mesut Yilmaz’s initiative, Tansu Ciller’s process of waiting on the alert and Suleyman Demirel’s involvement in everything make the things harder for these two leaders. A politician told me, ‘It’s difficult for those who are remembered by the people with their fight against each other to inspire hope.’ He added that they don’t represent the future and that following words can be told for them: ‘He left. Now we should say new things.’ He added that this hope should be given by leaders themselves and that they are those who take the risk. He further said that those who have spent these opportunities generously in the past aren’t effective anymore. Actually many people from these two parties welcome this unification. The most concrete example of this is bilateral meetings between important names from the DYP and ANAVATAN. What’s more important, Agar went to ANAVATAN headquarters to express his condolence yesterday and met with Mumcu for one hour, which caused the winds of softening. A party member interpreted this meeting as follows: ‘Politicians consider it nice to share bad times, but the important thing is to meet to share the happiness as well. I believe that they will also succeed in this.’ If the two parties of the central right don’t unite, probably they will end up like Yilmaz and Ciller. Even if the DYP passes the threshold, this situation won’t change.” [09] WE SHOULD BE READY FOR SURPRISES IN THE ELECTIONSBY TAHA KIVANC (YENI SAFAK)Columnist Taha Kivanc comments on next month’s presidential elections and autumn’s general elections. A summary of his column is as follows: “Should Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan decide to run for president, he will certainly not do that taking into account the public polls; because the parliament not the people will elect the president. What would you do if you encountered a manager of a company holding public polls? Yes! I certainly did the same and asked about the support for Tayyip Erdoğan. Here is the answer: In their past polls held a few months ago they saw a lot of reluctance, however in the last one they saw that the support is rapidly growing… I met another manager of a public poll company on the same day, believe or not.. The results are the same…The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is the pioneer far and away. The votes of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are increasing, whereas the support for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is falling. The other parties seem far away from winning seats in Parliament. One of the managers said that Cem Uzan’s Young Party (GP) is near to %7 whereas the other stated that Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) scenario of independent candidates is arousing interest. In the evening, I saw that the report of the poll carried out by Metropoll firm is on my desk. The first question was ‘For which party would you vote if an election were held today?’ Here are the results: AKP 31.2 %, CHP 12.9 %, MHP 8 %, opposition True Path Party (DYP) 5.4 %, DTP 2.8 %, Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) 2.6 %, GP 2.5 % … the rate of the hesitants and non respondents is 17.4 %. Looking at the results, I noticed that the hesitants started to make their decision and when we distribute them, we see a three-party parliament, which is composed of AKP, CHP and ANAVATAN. Metropoll firm also asked questions about the current issues. For instance they asked the people if they remember the March 1 memorandum. 65% replied in the affirmative. This poll also includes important hints. Another question is about the possibility of US’s attack to Iran. According to the poll, only 4 % viewed such an attack as accurate. An overwhelming majority of people (92.6 %) thought it would be wrong. Another interesting question is about DTP. The interviewers asked if the participants knew that DTP would run independent candidates in the elections. 32.8 % said they knew. The following question is “Would you vote for DTP’s independent candidates?” Surprise! 7.7 % replied in the affirmative. Given these results, the elections seem to be contentious and full of surprises.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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