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Turkish Press Review, 07-07-11Turkish 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 morning11.07.2007CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN, GUL CAMPAIGN IN AEGEAN, SOUTHEASTERN CITIESPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday visited the Aegean cities of Usak and Denizli to woo voters’ support for his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the July 22 general elections. Addressing crowds, Erdogan touted the record of his government over the past four-and-a-half years. In addition, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul led AKP campaign rallies in the southeastern Anatolian cities of Kilis and Mardin. Speaking at the gatherings, Gul said that he had not been a victim of the aborted presidential election in May, when he stood as a candidate, but rather that Turkey had gone through a negative period. Urging voters to reelect his party for five more years, Gul warned that coalition governments lead to instability and lack of confidence. /Turkiye/[02] BAYKAL: “OUR NEXT PRESIDENT SHOULD NOT BE BIASED”Commenting on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statement that Turkey’s next president would emerge from compromise, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that the remarks amounted to an admission of error on Erdogan’s part. Speaking to reporters before campaign visits to Bartin and Kastamonu, Baykal said that the next president should be elected through by compromise and also be unbiased, honest and loyal to the principles of the republic. He added that though Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener is an honorable person, he is unsuitable for the post. “New figures should be put forward for the presidency,” said the CHP leader. /Hurriyet/[03] MHP, DP LEADERS WOO VOTERS IN YOZGAT, ADANAAddressing a campaign rally in Yozgat, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said his supporters are the “real” nationalists and criticized the premier’s appeals to nationalism. Also speaking to Kanal B, Bahceli said that Turkey’s next president should be elected by the Parliament produced by the July 22 general elections. Meanwhile, Democrat Party (DP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday said in Izmir that he has always trusted in the people and that if the president is elected by popular vote, the people wouldn’t make a wrong choice. Then he proceeded to a campaign stop in Adana. /Aksam-Cumhuriyet-Sabah/[04] THE GUARDIAN: “US TROOPS MAY WITHDRAW TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, INCLUDING TURKEY”British daily The Guardian reported yesterday that one of the options discussed by the US administration regarding its troops in Iraq was withdrawing them into well-protected bases in neighboring countries such as Turkey, Qatar and Bahrain. The paper further stated that under this plan, the US troops would only carry out raids with special forces or lend support to the Iraqi government in special air attacks. /Milliyet/[05] TRNC’S TALAT READY TO MEET WITH GREEK CYPRIOT LEADERTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday accepted a proposal by Tassos Papadopulos, the Greek Cypriot president, to meet to break the deadlock in reunification talks on the divided island. “I have the desire to meet with Papadopulos,” Talat told a press conference in Nicosia. He added that there many measures are needed to make the initiative productive. Meanwhile, British football side Luton Town arrived in the TRNC to play a match with Turkish Cypriot club Cetinkaya, leading to outrage in southern Cyprus. The Greek Cypriot administration tried hard but failed to stop the club from visiting the TRNC. Under a strict embargo, Turkish Cypriot sports clubs cannot participate in international events. /Turkish Daily News/[06] TUZMEN: “EXPORTS ARE TURKEY’S ONLY WAY FORWARD”State Minister Kursat Tuzmen yesterday said that the real engine of Turkey’s economy is exports and growth coming from exports, adding that conditions favoring exports would allow Turkey to “show its export-fueled growth to the whole world.” Speaking to the Istanbul Mineral and Metal Association (IMMIB), Tuzmen said that exporters had no problems in production, advertising or quality, but did face difficulties over input costs. “Exports are the engine supporting Turkey’s GNP (gross national product),” he said. “Turkey has no way forward other than exports. The only prescription for democracy and adding wealth is exports.” /Aksam/[07] BABACAN: “OUR PRIORITY TARGET IS SINGLE-DIGIT INFLATION”State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan yesterday said that his priority target from now on is to ensure single-digit inflation and interest rates. Speaking on television, Babacan said that as inflation falls to more predictable and lower single-digit numbers, interest rates for the Turkish lira would fall swiftly as well. He also said that the difference between the costs of borrowing from the Turkish and US treasuries gets narrower all the time. /Sabah/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... [08] A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FROM OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT?BY ASLI AYDINTASBAS (SABAH)Columnist Asli Aydin Tasbas comments on the upcoming presidential election and talk of compromise in recent days. A summary of his column is as follows: “If you asked, ‘How are things going in Ankara now?’ my answer would be ‘Unexciting.’ We’re about to hold one of the most critical elections in our republic’s history, but there’s no excitement. It’s as if the election results and even percentages are already known. In such an atmosphere, what Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently told a reporter sent political shockwaves. The premier signaled that the next president will probably be chosen by the new Parliament. He also used the word ‘compromise’ to say that he’ll try to seek consensus with other political parties. These are words which ease the tension. This guarantee of compromise took on added importance when main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal didn’t oppose this at the beginning but left the door open. This wind of compromise made Ankara forget the general elections and again take up wagers over who’s going to be the next president, just like a few months ago. The premier saying their candidate could come from outside Parliament was interpreted as a condition by the CHP. The most important aspect of these discussions is that the constitutional amendment for popular vote of the president is already null. Both Erdogan and Baykal say that the president should be chosen by Parliament. Then why did the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) press for a hasty referendum on this constitutional change? Clearly, the referendum on the amendment set for this fall will be based on the question, ‘Should the people, not Parliament elect the president in the years to come?’ Whether the next president comes from inside or outside Parliament will be shaped by the post-election scene. But Erdogan and his party have no such guarantee. If the AKP wins enough seats to form a government, the first thing they will do is to seek compromise for someone from inside Parliament. It may be Vecdi Gonul, Besir Atalay, Zafer Caglayan or Mehmet Aydın. A candidate from outside parliament is only a Plan B, and may be chosen if the AKP can’t get the votes it wants. At this point State Minister Abdullatif Sener’s chances aren’t as good as expected. The AKP administration may hesitate over Sener, whom they accuse of abandoning the ship in stormy weather. Names such as retired Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok, Hikmet Cetin or Supreme Court of Appeals head Osman Arslan started to be heard in Ankara again, but remain only speculation. Decision-makers will take the new Parliament, elected names and the power of the parties into consideration. Later, a compromise may be sought for the presidency. What about Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, then? He’s bitter about how his presidential run was derailed, even though he says the important thing is what the people want. He probably won’t insist on running again. He’s also likely to wait for the results of the elections and act accordingly. In sum, we wouldn’t be wrong to say that right now there are no candidates for president.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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