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Turkish Press Review, 03-12-10
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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e-mail :
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
10.12.2003
ERDOGAN PROMISES NEUTRALITY TOWARDS TRNC
ELECTIONS
CICEK: “INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IS THE
ANTIDOTE TO TERRORISM”
DENKTAS: “THOUGH IT WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT
TO, TURKEY ISN’T INTERVENING IN OUR ELECTIONS,”
GROSSMAN: “THE US WILL STAND BY TURKEY IN
ITS FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM AND WE WILL WIN THIS WAR TOGETHER”
PARLIAMENT GREENLIGHTS INQUIRY INTO FOUR
MINISTERS
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM
THE COLUMNS...
THE GAME OF WHO’S NEXT
BY HASAN CEMAL (MILLIYET)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN PROMISES NEUTRALITY TOWARDS TRNC
ELECTIONS
[02] CICEK: “INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IS THE
ANTIDOTE TO TERRORISM”
[03] DENKTAS: “THOUGH IT WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO,
TURKEY ISN’T INTERVENING IN OUR ELECTIONS,”
[04] GROSSMAN: “THE US WILL STAND BY TURKEY IN ITS
FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM AND WE WILL WIN THIS WAR TOGETHER”
[05] GEN. OZKOK VISITS ALBANIA
[06] PARLIAMENT GREENLIGHTS INQUIRY INTO FOUR
MINISTERS
[07] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM
THE COLUMNS...
[08] THE GAME OF WHO’S NEXT
BY HASAN CEMAL (MILLIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN PROMISES NEUTRALITY TOWARDS TRNC
ELECTIONS
Speaking at his party’s group meeting yesterday, Prime
Minister and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his party would be neutral
towards this weekend’s general elections in the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). “There may be some circles
who want to cast a shadow over the elections,” he warned. The
premier stressed that Turkey was determined to help reach a
resolution on the island, but added that Greece and the Greek
Cypriots should show the same resolve. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] CICEK: “INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IS THE
ANTIDOTE TO TERRORISM”
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek and his French counterpart
Dominique Perben, in the midst of a one-day visit to Turkey,
yesterday attended a panel in Ankara. In his opening speech,
Cicek said that terrorism was like a puzzle with many pieces
scattered over various countries. “In order to solve it, all
the pieces need to be put together,” said Cicek. Underlining
the importance of coordinated anti-terror efforts, Cicek said
that the antidote to terrorism was international cooperation.
In his address to the gathering, Perben expressed sympathy on
behalf of the French people over the recent terrorist attacks
in Istanbul, adding that his visit to Turkey was itself a
statement against terrorism. /Turkiye/
[03] DENKTAS: “THOUGH IT WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO,
TURKEY ISN’T INTERVENING IN OUR ELECTIONS,”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf
Denktas yesterday received visiting Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullatif Sener to discuss this Sunday’s general elections.
The United Nations’ Cyprus plan aims to separate the TRNC from
Turkey, warned Denktas, adding, “[UN Secretary-General Kofi]
Annan’s plan is aimed at destroying our state.” Reacting to
opposition criticisms that Ankara was trying to interfere in
the polls, Denktas said that this was not the case, but added
that in its role under international agreements as a guarantor
state for the island, “Turkey has every right to intervene.”
In related news, US Special Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas
Weston is expected to visit the island soon and meet with both
Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, who has
called for new negotiations within the framework of Annan’s
plan. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] GROSSMAN: “THE US WILL STAND BY TURKEY IN ITS
FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM AND WE WILL WIN THIS WAR TOGETHER”
Marc Grossman, US undersecretary of state for political
affairs and a former US ambassador to Ankara, yesterday met
with Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler to discuss a number of
issues, including last month’s terrorist attacks in the city.
During their talks, Grossman said that both Turkey and the US
had lived under the shadow of terrorism. “We will stand by
Turkey in its fight against terrorism and we will win this war
together,” he said, adding that last month’s terrorist attacks
were an offense against not only Turkish citizens, but all of
humanity. Touching on the Cyprus issue, Grossman said that the
US administration supported the United Nation’s Cyprus plan.
“I hope this Sunday’s general elections in the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus [TRNC] will pave the way for
negotiations on the island,” stated Grossman, adding that he
hoped the polls would be conducted democratically.
/Cumhuriyet/
[05] GEN. OZKOK VISITS ALBANIA
On his current tour of Balkan countries, Chief of General
Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok yesterday arrived in Tirana, Albania to
pay a two-day official visit. As part of his contacts in this
country, Ozkok met with his Albanian counterpart Lt. Gen.
Pellumb Qazimi, Defense Minister Pandeli Mayko and then
Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano. Today, the top Turkish
commander is expected to be received by President Alfred
Moisiu. /Turkiye/
[06] PARLIAMENT GREENLIGHTS INQUIRY INTO FOUR
MINISTERS
Parliamentary deputies decided yesterday to set up
commissions into former Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and five
other former ministers to investigate allegations of
corruptions during their terms in office. Following the
completion of the inquiries, the deputies will decide whether
or not to bring the judgement of the former ministers,
including Gunes Taner, Cumhur Ersumer, Zeki Cakan, Husamettin
Ozkan and Recep Onal, to the Supreme Court. /Hurriyet/
[07] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM
THE COLUMNS...
[08] THE GAME OF WHO’S NEXT
BY HASAN CEMAL (MILLIYET)
Columnist Hasan Cemal comments on the Cyprus issue. A
summary of his column is as follows:
“During this January’s World Economic Forum meeting in
Davos, Switzerland, I was discussing the Cyprus issue with
Justice and Development (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
Abdullah Gul, who was then serving as a caretaker prime
minister for Erdogan. Neither had good things to say about
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf
Denktas. Following the AKP’s victory in the fall 2002
elections, Erdogan made striking statements about Cyprus.
‘We’ve followed hawkish policies up to now, but to no avail,’
he said during his visits to European capitals. ’We face the
Cyprus issue everywhere. Burying our head in the sand like an
ostrich is useless.’ During a television panel last February,
Erdogan told me that there were certain obstacles to Cyprus’
EU membership and expressed discomfort that Mumtaz Soysal, who
opposes the EU, was an official advisor to Denktas. Did
Erdogan change when he became prime minister? For example,
Soysal recently wrote that Erdogan had become reasonable on
the Cyprus issue. If this is the situation, then there is
something strange afoot. Now Erdogan is going through the same
things experienced by former Premier Suleyman Demirel and the
late Turgut Ozal.
Back in 1983 Ozal became prime minister when his Motherland
Party (ANAP) won the elections. First he made a gesture to
Greece by unilaterally ending the visa requirement. He was
even hoping that he could quickly solve the Cyprus issue using
his parliamentary majority, strong government and political
decisiveness. However, for many years since the issue has
resisted solution. One day Ozal complained about Denktas to
his political advisors, saying, ‘He’s leading us around by the
nose whenever he wants.’ Probably Ozal should have been angry
not with Denktas, but with himself, because he was
representing the nation’s will.
Then Demirel became prime minister and faced the Cyprus
issue for himself. He tried to avoid being the spoilsport in
Washington’s eyes. One day Demirel too complained about
Denktas, using words similar to Ozal’s. A decade passed. Now
is it Erdogan and Gul’s turn? Or is this a game of ‘who’s next’?
Erdogan and Gul began determinedly, but have they thrown in
the towel too soon? Can’t they see that failure to solve the
Cyprus issue would cripple both themselves and the nation?”
ARCHIVE
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