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Turkish Press Review, 07-03-12
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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