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Turkish Press Review, 07-01-24
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
24.01.2007
CONTENTS
[01] PARLIAMENT DISCUSSES IRAQ IN CLOSED SESSION
[02] POLISH PRESIDENT VISITS TURKEY
[03] ERDOGAN, PRODI OPEN MT. BOLU TUNNEL
[04] GONUL TO TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON
[05] HEAVY ITINERARY FOR FM GUL
[06] THOUSANDS BID FAREWELL TO DINK
[07] IN TRNC, GEN. BASBUG MEETS WITH DENKTAS
[08] IF WE CAN'T STOP RACISM
[01] PARLIAMENT DISCUSSES IRAQ IN CLOSED SESSION
Parliament yesterday held a closed session to discuss recent developments
in Iraq. The session was chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Addressing the assembled deputies, main opposition Republican People's
Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and opposition Motherland Party (ANAVATAN)
leader Erkan Mumcu criticized the government's stance on the issue. Later,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul responded to the criticisms and briefed the
deputies on recent developments. During the session, it was reportedly
stressed that Ankara should be determined to help preserve Iraq's
territorial integrity and that launching a military operation on Kirkuk
would be adventurism. In related news, in response to Parliament's
extraordinary session to discuss Iraq, the local Kurdishp in northern Iraq
yesterday called for an emergency session on Turkey. /Star/
[02] POLISH PRESIDENT VISITS TURKEY
Polish President Lech Kaczynski yesterday arrived in Ankara to pay an
official visit. After meeting with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the two
leaders signed a joint declaration in a bid to develop bilateral ties.
Speaking to the press, Sezer said that Poland and Turkey had close
relations during the past and that the country was a reliable member of
European and Atlantic institutions. For his part, Kaczynski said that they
had agreed to further strengthen ties and that he lent full support to
Turkey's European Union membership bid. In the evening, Sezer hosted a
dinner in the honor of his Polish counterpart along with his wife.
/Hurriyet/
[03] ERDOGAN, PRODI OPEN MT. BOLU TUNNEL
In a ceremony yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian
Prime Minister Romano Prodi opened the first part of the new Mt. Bolu
Tunnel. Addressing the gathering, Erdogan said that the people had come
together for an historic event, adding that the government had fulfilled a
dream of the nation. "We're happy to make the nation's dreams come true,"
he said. Erdogan further stressed that the tunnel shouldn't be considered a
mere road connecting Ankara and Istanbul, but an effort to raise Turkey's
level of civilization and a symbol of ties between Rome and Ankara. The
price tag of the tunnel is some $900 million. Later, Erdogan and Prodi
attended a meeting of the Italian-Turkish Strategic Economic Alliance.
Addressing the gathering, Erdogan said that there were no political
problems between Italy and Turkey, nor were there any military or economic
problems. Erdogan added that solidarity between the two countries would
rise if Turkish and Italian companies were to invest together in third
countries. /Milliyet/
[04] GONUL TO TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, accompanied by a delegation, will travel to
the US today to pay an official visit. Tomorrow Gonul is expected to attend
a signing ceremony for a Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Project at the Pentagon,
and on Friday he is scheduled to have talks with his US counterpart Robert
Gates. After completing his contacts, Gonul will return to Turkey on
Monday. /Turkiye/
[05] HEAVY ITINERARY FOR FM GUL
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is set to travel to Paris this evening to
attend a conference tomorrow to lend support to the reconstruction of
Lebanon. Then, after completing his contacts in Paris, Gul will proceed to
Brussels to represent Turkey at a NATO meeting. Twenty-six NATO member
states' foreign ministers are expected to discuss the Afghanistan and
Kosovo issues. Afterwards, Gul, accompanied by State Economy Minister Ali
Babacan, will depart for Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum
(WEF) in Davos. In addition, he is expected to hold bilateral talks with
several of his counterparts. The foreign minister will continue his busy
itinerary next month as well. In the second week of February, Gul is
scheduled to travel to the US to meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice to exchange views on Iraq and Kirkuk as well as the Mideast in
general. /Turkiye/
[06] THOUSANDS BID FAREWELL TO DINK
Hrant Dink, a prominent Turkish journalist of Armenian descent who was
murdered in Istanbul last Friday, was laid to rest yesterday after a
funeral procession attended by thousands. Speaking at the ceremony, Dink's
widow Rakel said that her husband had been separated from his family, but
not from his country. "We'll say farewell to Dink without showing
disrespect to anyone, without signs or slogans," said Rakel Dink.
Delivering Dink's eulogy, Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Mesrob II said that
Dink was an Armenian citizen of the Turkish Republic and had struggled
throughout his life with this status. In related news, Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit Dink's family to express his
condolences. /Sabah/
[07] IN TRNC, GEN. BASBUG MEETS WITH DENKTAS
Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug, currently in the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), yesterday met with former TRNC President Rauf
Denktas. During their meeting, Denktas criticized the European Union and
the Greek Cypriot administration, saying that the Greek Cypriots refused
agreements based on the reality of two equal states. "We're trying to issue
necessary warnings, but Basbug's visit is the biggest such warning," said
Denktas. For his part, Basbug said that a just solution under UN auspices
should be found on the island, adding that the goal of the Turkish nation
was to strengthen the TRNC. /Milliyet/
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[08] IF WE CAN'T STOP RACISM
Columnist Tufan Turenc comments on the funeral of Hrant Dink, a famous
Turkish journalist of Armenian descent who was murdered last Friday. A
summary of his column is as follows:
"Firstly, I must say it that the Turkish nation showed its stance on this
heinous murder in the way it should. Our nation gave an important and
meaningful message to the world. A funeral was held for Hrant Dink with the
tears of tens of thousands of people. This picture, which was incredibly
beautiful but also full of sadness, was the indication of a meaningful and
determined stance against the mentality of this slaying. No matter what the
fanatics do, the Turkish and Armenian nations will neither become enemies
nor hate each other, but love each other, because these two nations, the
product of the same lands, have shared the same fate for many centuries.
What's more important, they have been in the same culture and experienced
the same sufferings. Even Armenian fanatics who killed our diplomats
couldn't succeed in bringing these two nations at odds with each other.
Fanatical racists who have betrayed their forebears' tradition of tolerance
won't succeed in this either. These two nations will continue to love each
other.
The aspect of Dink's murder which should give us the most pause is the
alarming situation in Trabzon. At this point, the negligence of the police
in Trabzon is huge. Those who turned this beautiful city into a haven for
murderers have been left unchecked. In 2004 Yasin Hayal bombed a McDonald's
and injured six people. He was trained in bombings in Chechnya, in turn
gave training to very young people with instructions from elsewhere, then
put guns in their hands and directed them to commit murder. Hayal formed
and administered this cell in Trabzon, and how could he be left to roam
free when he had committed numerous crimes? Nobody was even curious about
his links.
What have Trabzon's governor, police chief and gendarmerie commander done
all these years? How could they ignore what's been happening in the city?
The country's rulers must think about this seriously. Actually remarks made
by Hayal's father give clues that there are certain people behind this
cell. �We're poor people,' he said. �Yasin even didn't own a cell phone.
How could he find the money for a gun and give it to someone?' As I've
written before, security forces made the murder of a priest in Trabzon seem
a simple matter and closed the case. If they could have reached the people
behind this incident, maybe Dink would still be alive now. Unfortunately,
certain people with titles share the same dangerous understanding. If we
cannot expunge this understanding from the security forces, we can never
end these murders that damage our country."
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