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Turkish Press Review, 06-12-28
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
28.12.2006
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN TO VISIT LEBANON NEXT WEEK
[02] GUL: "TURKEY AND THE US HAVEN'T SIGNED ANY MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE PKK"
[03] NSC TO HOLD LAST MEETING OF YEAR
[04] TAN: "ANKARA EXPECTS MORE CONCRETE STEPS FROM THE EU"
[05] MUMCU CRITICIZES CHP'S STANCE ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
[06] AGAR: "THE PRESIDENCY IS A POST REQUIRING TRUST"
[07] POET MEHMET AKIF ERSOY COMMEMORATED
[08] ANKARA CELEBRATES ATATURK'S ARRIVAL IN ANKARA
[09] A WRONG CHOICE
[01] ERDOGAN TO VISIT LEBANON NEXT WEEK
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to pay an official visit to
Lebanon next Wednesday. During his short stay, Erdogan will meet with the
Lebanese president, prime minister, and Parliament speaker to promote
bilateral relations and discuss the problems of the region. The premier is
also expected to visit Turkish peacekeeping troops serving in the country.
/Aksam/
[02] GUL: "TURKEY AND THE US HAVEN'T SIGNED ANY MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
ON THE PKK"
Answering a question motion of a main opposition Republican People's Party
(CHP) deputy in Parliament yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said
that no memorandum of understanding about the terrorist PKK had been signed
between Turkey and the US, adding that there was no expression in any
document signed between the two countries saying that Turkey wouldn't
launch an operation against PKK strongholds in northern Iraq's Kandil
mountains. "Turkey considers the fight against terrorism a priority, so we
could never make any such pledge," added Gul. /Milliyet/
[03] NSC TO HOLD LAST MEETING OF YEAR
The National Security Council (NSC) is due to convene today under the
chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. During the meeting, both
domestic and foreign developments will be discussed. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] TAN: "ANKARA EXPECTS MORE CONCRETE STEPS FROM THE EU"
Speaking to reporters at his final press conference before taking his post
as Turkey's ambassador to Israel, Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan
evaluated the recent state of Turkish-European Union relations. Stressing
the EU's letter of invitation to begin accession talks on the chapter on
industry and organizations, Tan said that Ankara had expected to begin
talks on four chapters and so the current situation falls short of meeting
its expectations. "We hope that the bloc will take more concrete steps in
the coming days," the spokesman said. Commenting on the Iraq issue, Tan
said that Turkey has never intended to interfere in Iraq's domestic
affairs. In addition, concerning the revival of Armenian efforts in the US
to pass a so-called genocide resolution, Tan said that Turkey expected the
US to act with common sense. Tan will begin his tenure in Tel Aviv after
presenting his letter of credentials to Israeli President Moshe Katsav on
Jan. 22. /Turkiye/
[05] MUMCU CRITICIZES CHP'S STANCE ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, opposition Motherland Party
(ANAVATAN) Party leader Erkan Mumcu criticized the main opposition
Republican People's Party's (CHP) stance on next May's presidential
election. "The CHP is opposing the possible candidacy of [Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan], but it's doing its best for Erdogan to be a
candidate," said Mumcu. "Telling a politician like Erdogan, who is eligible
to run, that he can't be a candidate means that being president is the only
way for you. Baykal is an experienced politician and he should know this."
/Cumhuriyet/
[06] AGAR: "THE PRESIDENCY IS A POST REQUIRING TRUST"
Speaking at a press conference yesterday after meeting with the Iran's
Ambassador to Ankara Gholamreza Bagheri, opposition True Path Party (DYP)
leader Mehmet Agar commented on next May's presidential election, saying
that the presidency is a post requiring confidence. Agar added that the
nation should trust the person to be elected president. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] POET MEHMET AKIF ERSOY COMMEMORATED
Mehmet Akif Ersoy, the prominent Turkish poet who wrote the lyrics to the
Turkish national anthem, was commemorated yesterday on the 70th anniversary
of his death. Attending a ceremony held in Ankara, Parliament Speaker
Bulent Arinc said that Ersoy was an ideal model for Turkish intellectuals.
/Sabah/
[08] ANKARA CELEBRATES ATATURK'S ARRIVAL IN ANKARA
A ceremony was held yesterday in Ankara's Dikmen Keklik Pinari district to
mark Republic of Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's first arrival in
Ankara on Dec. 26, 1919 as part of his efforts to launch the War of
Independence. /Sabah/
FROM THE COLUMNS�FROM THE COLUMNS�FROM THE COLUMNS
[09] A WRONG CHOICE
BY ERDAL SAFAK (SABAH)
Columnist Erdal Safak comments on Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey and the EU.
A summary of his column is as follows:
"This Sunday Bulgaria and Romania will become the 26th and 27th members of
the European Union. We congratulate them. If the welcome mat wasn't out at
EU headquarters in Brussels, nobody would remember in Europe that two
distant relatives have joined the family. The reason for this must be
politicians' wish to experience this expansion quietly. However, this issue
is being discussed by the media, and experts are asking if Romania and
Bulgaria are ready for membership, if they've met the Copenhagen criteria
and what they will bring to the EU. Looking at the answers, the silence of
European leaders can be better understood. According to experts, the
situation of the two countries is as follows: Experts say that Romania
falls quite short in terms of fighting corruption, and its judiciary isn't
independent. In addition, they think that it's very likely that EU funds
will be misused, food safety is substandard, and its borders aren't safe
against drug, human and weapons trafficking. Experts also say that its
corruption is positively endemic and the mafia is so ubiquitous that it
provides 25% of the Bulgarian gross national product. Meanwhile, it emerged
that some experts were given the duty of preparing a report on relations
between the mafia, police and justice. The report is being kept under wraps,
but the people who prepared it are starting to talk. Klaus Jansen, a high-
level German security official, told Britain's Sunday Telegraph that claims
that high-level Bulgarian officials have links with organized crime are
true. Cologne Supreme Administrative Court Judge Sussete Schuster, who
wrote the section on the judiciary, said that while petty offenses are
punished, nothing is done against mafia members who commit murder in broad
daylight. In addition, the Bulgarian intelligence agency said that the
mafia is more prepared for EU membership than government agencies.
So why did the EU open its doors to these countries, where the Copenhagen
criteria haven't been met? Let me tell you the reasons cited by Pierre
Moscovici, the European Parliament's Romania rapporteur. He said that it
was important for him that French is widely spoken in Romania, as this will
boost France's importance in the EU. (This is why France was such a big
supporter of its membership). He added, however, that postponing the
membership of Romania and Bulgaria did more harm than good, as this may
have sent a message which damaged their morale. He also said that the EU
believes it's its historical duty to help these two countries, which joined
the Warsaw Pact 50 years ago and came under the Soviets Union's area of
influence, and so it opened its doors. So he confesses that the Copenhagen
criteria aren't the only determining factor. I think the most important
reason is the last one, in other words, moving from the East to the West.
Likewise, Romanian President Traian Basescu told Le Monde that democracy
can exist only with the EU and NATO. Half jokingly and half seriously, I
can't help but agree with those who say that Turkey made a wrong strategic
choice, because if we had joined the Warsaw Pact all those years ago, we
would be in the EU by now."
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