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Turkish Press Review, 08-09-12Turkish 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 morning12.09.2008CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT GUL RECEIVES CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF, OTHER MILITARY COMMANDERSPresident Abdullah Gul yesterday received Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug. Also attending the regular meeting were Land Forces Commander Gen. Isik Kosaner and Gendarmerie Commander Gen. Atila Işık. /Cumhuriyet/[02] ANTI-TERRORISM SUMMIT HELD IN ANKARAA summit on the threat of terrorism, chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, convened in Ankara yesterday to discuss security and the legal, economic, social, cultural, psychological and international aspects of anti- terrorist efforts. Attending the meeting were Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug and other military commanders, government ministers, and intelligence and security officials. According to a statement released after the two- hour-plus meeting, the fight against the PKK is nearing an end, as the terrorist group is nearing its breaking point. Turkey's determination to continue its anti-terrorist efforts both regionally and internationally was reiterated at the meeting, which was Ilker Basbug's first at the General Staff helm. A Southeastern Anatolian Project (GAP) action plan also was discussed during the meeting. /Aksam-Star/[03] BABACAN DISCUSSES ARMENIAN TIES WITH US, SWISS COUNTERPARTSForeign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday telephoned his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice. After Babacan told her about President Abdullah Gul's recent visit to Armenia, Rice reportedly said that the US welcomed Ankara's efforts and would support it in this process. Babacan also reiterated that Turkey will continue to support the Organization for Cooperation and Development's (OSCE) Minsk process, which aims to find a solution to the Nagorno-Karabagh issue, and that solving this would have a positive effect on Turkish-Armenian relations. Turkish officials are set to meet with Armenian diplomats in Geneva, Switzerland and will work on a joint declaration to be made later in New York or Istanbul. In related news, Babacan met yesterday with his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey in Bern, Switzerland. Stating that Turkey will not retreat from its current course on Armenia, he added, "Gul's visit to Yerevan was an important step for boosting relations." For her part, Calmy-Rey said that her country welcomes dialogue efforts between the two countries. /Sabah/[04] CHP LEADER BAYKAL MAKES CONGRATULATORY VISIT TO NEW CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFFMain opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday paid a courtesy visit to Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug, who rose to the position late last month, to congratulate him on his new post. /Cumhuriyet/[05] TRNC'S TALAT, CHRISTOFIAS CONTINUE COMPREHENSIVE TALKSAs part of comprehensive talks on the Cyprus issue which began earlier this month, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot administration leader Demetris Christofias yesterday met in the island's UN-controlled buffer zone to discuss administrative and power-sharing issues towards a just and lasting solution to the issue. Also attending the talks were Special UN Special Cyprus Envoy Alexander Downer and Taye-Brook Zerihoun, chief of UN operations on Cyprus. Afterwards, Downer told reporters that the meeting had gone well, characterizing it as fruitful. "The comprehensive talks are continuing and the two leaders are doing their best," he added. "But there's a long road ahead." Downer also said that Talat and Christofias had agreed not to talk to the press about their meetings. The two leaders will meet later this month to deal with property issues and continue to discuss administration and power-sharing. /Turkiye/[06] LUXEMBOURG ECONOMY MINISTER SEEKS STRONGER TRADE TIES WITH TURKEYLuxembourgian Economy and Foreign Trade Minister Jeannot Krecke, accompanied a large business delegation, yesterday arrived in Istanbul in a bid to improve trade ties with Turkey. Stating that Turkey's great potential and growing economy offer important opportunities for Luxembourg, Krecke expressed his country's strong will to boost trade relations with Turkey, especially in the banking, automotive, chemistry and service sectors. He also characterized Turkey as a catalyst country between Europe and Islamic world. /Turkiye/[07] US STATE DEPT: "WE ENJOY UNIQUE COOPERATION WITH TURKEY AGAINST TERRORISM"The US and Turkey share a "unique cooperation" against terrorism, said the US Department of State's coordinator for counterterrorism, Dell Dailey, yesterday. Speaking at a meeting in Washington, Dailey said that the two countries have cooperative, problem-free relations in many areas. He also said that his country would welcome tougher laws against terrorism in Turkey. /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [08] REASONS BEHIND CHENEY'S VISITSBY BERIL DEDEOGLU (STAR)Columnist Beril Dedeoglu comments on recent foreign visits by US Vice President Dick Cheney. A summary of his column is as follows: "Certain foreign visits are very high-profile, like President Abdullah Gul's visit to Armenia or his French counterpart Nicholas Sarkozy's visit to Moscow, while others keep to the sidelines or shadows. US Vice President Dick Cheney's recent trip to nearby countries fits in the latter category. Cheney visited Azerbaijan not even a month after the South Ossetia conflict, even as Russia hasn't implemented the cease-fire. Considering Cheney's itinerary, which continued with Georgia and Ukraine, it's clear that these visits were designed to disturb Russia. The US sent its vice president to places Russia considers vital in order to show that the US also sees them as vital. The US thus showed the entire world who it considers allies. Actually, nobody knows if the Azeris and Ukrainians really welcomed the visits, because being a close US ally in the Caucasus or Ukraine �" that is, near Russia �" carries a price. Russia can punish governments seeking a strategic relationship with the US, as it did to Georgia. Countries that the US shows a close interest in are likely to become Russian targets. Cheney's visits might actually endanger the soft Westernization policies of Azerbaijan and Ukraine, which stem mostly from their desire to get closer to the European Union. Even in explaining the reason for his visits, Cheney showed the nature of his expectations by stressing energy issues, and he more or less said that the US will do whatever is needed to keep Russia from being an energy monopoly. As his last stop Cheney met with Italian Prime Minister Silvia Berlusconi, as the issue of energy dependence on Russia worries the EU. Meanwhile, I guess by coincidence US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also visited Libya in a bid to normalize relations. Even if Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi signaled that he didn't trust the US, there was an impression that energy issues might encourage the two countries to get closer. So two top US officials pursued energy issues to Turkey's north and south, and thus showed the EU what Washington is pursuing in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. Meanwhile, Cheney stressed the importance of Turkey, located between these two regions and their energy routes, in terms of energy transportation lines, its strategic importance, and the usefulness of its possible EU membership. But Cheney talking about Turkey's importance might not be such good news. Actually everybody is saying that Turkey is important. In addition, when our conservative government thinks about it, there are many reasons to doubt that Turkish-US ties will develop in line with Turkey's interests. So the US is expected to toe Turkey's line on the Montreux Treaty, the future of northern Iraq, NATO enlargement, and how duties are divided in international peacekeeping forces. As part of this, Turkey might have to take measures to head off pressure in such areas as Cyprus, the so-called Armenian genocide issue, and the Kurdish issue as soon as possible, at least before Cheney comes here." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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