TURKISH PRESS
AND OTHER MEDIA
No.117/07
20.06.07
A. NEWS ITEMS
1. Ercakica’s statements during his weekly press briefing
2. Salir Usar: EU experts are currently working on drafting a project for
the development of the TRNC telecommunications infrastructure
3. Ercakica complains of lack of resources for strengthening the fields of
tourism and constructions; Columnist in AFRIKA accuses him of
searching money for promoting the “TRNC”
4. “Democracy Foundation” complains about the use of frequencies by
Greek Cypriot channels
5. So-called parliamentary delegation’s contacts in London
6. The EU Commission is opposed to the opening of freedom of
movement chapter with Turkey
7. KTOS said that the occupied part of Cyprus was turned into a black
money laundering and money siphoning centre
8. A cooperation agreement between the illegal university of GAU and
BITU
9. A meeting by so-called government and military officials on security
issues
10. MGK convenes today to discuss terrorism
11. OYAK bank is sold to Dutch ING Group
12. Turkey to host meeting of world’s poor countries
B. COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS
1. How the Turkish press covered and assessed the Hudson Institute
Turkey-related scenario
2
A. NEWS ITEMS
1. Ercakica’s statements during his weekly press briefing
Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (20.06.07) reports that the leader of
the Turkish Cypriot community Mehmet Ali Talat is to leave the occupied area
for Sweden and Finland on 26 June. The self-styled Presidential spokesman
of the occupation regime in the Turkish occupied part of the Republic of
Cyprus, Hasan Ercakica, during his regular press briefing yesterday
announced that Talat will go to Sweden and Finland to meet the foreign
ministers of these countries. He said that in Sweden Mr Talat will meet the
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and then he will attend a meeting at the
Swedish International Relations Institute. Mr Talat then will go to Finland and
there he will meet the country’s Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva.
When asked to comment on Archbishop Chrisostomos II’s statements and
contacts, Ercakica alleged that these contacts and meetings are becoming
harmful. He alleged that the Archbishop continues his struggle to turn the
Cyprus problem into a religious conflict. He said that he considers this
approach very dangerous. “This will not be helpful to the solution of the
Cyprus problem, it will increase tension” Hasan Ercakica stressed. During his
regular press conference Ercakica also referred to the property issue and said
that the “Greek Cypriot administration is using, as in all aspects of the Cyprus
problem, double standards in the property issue as well”.
Answering criticism launched against his person that he is destroying with his
statements the friendship between the two communities Ercakica said that if
that is the case he is ready to tender his resignation not only from the
spokesman’s post but from other posts as well.
(MHY)
3
2. Salir Usar: EU experts are currently working on drafting a project for
the development of the TRNC telecommunications infrastructure
Illegal Bayrak television (19.06.07) broadcast the following:
“It’s been announced that the European Union has spared 14-million Euros of
funds for the improvement of the TRNC’s telecommunications infrastructure
within the framework of the Financial Assistance Regulation.
The Regulation is one of the three Regulations prepared by the European
Commission to help improve the Turkish Cypriot economy.
Commenting on the issue, the Minister of Public Works and Communication
Salih Usar said the money will be used to establish the infrastructure of the
wireless
telecommunication
system,
to
improve
and
modernize
the
telecommunications network as well as update the current system in use.
The Minister told the TAK news agency that EU experts were currently
working on drafting a project for the development of
the TRNC
telecommunications infrastructure. Mr Usar said a group of EU experts is
expected to visit the North in the coming days for contacts with technicians
from the Telecommunications Department to give the project its final shape.
Explaining that a tender will be launched in Brussels for the project, the
Minister of Public Works and Communication said that the implementation of
the project was expected to start at the beginning of 2008. Pointing out that
the current congestion faced in telecommunication services can be solved by
increasing the capacity, Mr. Usar said experts from the telecommunications
department were currently trying to determine areas where upgrades were
required.
He noted that technical teams were working round the clock to provide the
best service to the Turkish Cypriot people.
4
Also touching upon the number of GSM and normal phone subscribers in the
TRNC, Mr. Usar said that the number of subscribers in ratio to the overall
population in the TRNC was equivalent to that of developed countries.
“There are currently 300-thousand mobile and 104-normal phone subscribers.
Taking into account the De-Jure population of 260,000, this means that there
is a telephone in almost every home” he said, adding that if the planned
improvements take place there will be no homes left without a phone line by
the end of 2009.”
3. Ercakica complains of lack of resources for strengthening the fields of
tourism and constructions; Columnist in AFRIKA accuses him of
searching money for promoting the “TRNC”
Hasan Ercakica, spokesman of the Turkish Cypriot leader Talat and
columnist, writing in YENI DUZEN (18.06.07) complains of lack of resources
for promoting the fields of tourism and the construction of the breakaway
regime. He argues that measures should be taken for increasing the quality of
the product they offer in the market of the above-mentioned fields.
He says: “…However, the state mechanism is preoccupied with other things.
The sectors which ensure the growth in northern Cyprus are constructions
and tourism, but the total sum spent for the advertising of northern Cyprus is
not even 10 million dollars. …
Even if the Ministry of Finance avoids saying it, this state has a ‘beginning of
the month syndrome’. The state is facing difficulties on the issue of gathering
and paying the wages of the people who work directly for it, who are
employed in the state and public institutions and those who are even
indirectly, under the responsibility of the government. Almost the whole of the
resources are used for this. In this situation, it has no strength left for
interfering in the economic life, it is getting weak and it is becoming
5
exhausted. It can neither spend money for advertisement nor interfere in the
procedure of improving the product….”
Mr Ercakica argues that the biggest problem in the occupied northern part of
Cyprus is the fact that their economy cannot bear the weight of an
“unnecessarily large, unproductive and compared to us excessively large
public administration”.
Meanwhile, under the title “Money for advertising the TRNC is searched!” the
Turkish Cypriot columnist of AFRIKA (20.06.07), Ali Osman criticizes the
views expressed by Mr Ercakica in the above-mentioned article and reminds
that if all that has been said by the Republican Turkish Party is true, more
than 3000 persons had arbitrarily been employed in the “public sector”. He
says that Mr Ercakica is director of a private company and at the same time
he takes “a lot of money” from the “state”. Addressing Mr Ercakica, Mr Osman
says, inter alia, the following: “The party should put an end to the duties of all
those they hired, starting from you. Furthermore, you make the first move.
Resign and glory to the country! …”
Referring to Ercakica, he concludes: “…In every opportunity he submits views
for the exaltation of the TRNC. He makes everything for the sake of the
protection of the interests of his party and the members of his party in the
international relations network he established. There is no one better than him
in sitting on the lap of the army and presenting as ‘spies of the army’ all those
who exercise real opposition. Because he is the rare Indian silk of the regime”.
(I/Ts.)
6
4. “Democracy Foundation” complains about the use of frequencies by
Greek Cypriot channels
Illegal Bayrak television (19.06.07) broadcast the following:
“The Democracy Foundation has sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General’s
Special Representative for Cyprus – Chief of Mission Michael Moller to
express its disappointment over the Greek Cypriot television channels’ use of
frequencies which are already being used by Turkish Cypriot television
channels. The use of these frequencies by Greek Cypriot channels is jamming
the broadcasts of Turkish Cypriot channels.
In the letter, the Democracy Foundation Chairman Kudret Akay asked Mr
Moller’s help on the issue and explained the problems being faced as a result
of the use of same frequencies, which he warned, could turn to a `war in the
skies`. He said that such moves are not contributing to the efforts aimed at
building confidence between the two sides on the island.
In a written statement on the issue, Mr Akay said that his Foundation will
bring the issue into the agenda of the European Council, European
Commission and European Parliament as well as political groupings within the
Parliament and will underline the fact that unilateral restrictions imposed on
one of the two sides in Cyprus will not lead to positive results.
He noted that the attention will also be drawn to the fact that such moves will
heighten tensions on the island.”
5. So-called parliamentary delegation´s contacts in London
Illegal Bayrak television (19.06.07) broadcast the following:
“The Speaker of the Parliament Fatma Ekenoglu has underlined the
importance of effective lobbying activities in the struggle to voice the just
cause of the Turkish Cypriot people to the rest of the international community.
7
She said that establishing personal relations and contacts in politics will make
it much easier for Turkish Cypriots to explain themselves and their just cause
to the rest of the world.
Mrs. Ekenoglu who is currently in London with a TRNC delegation for contacts
at the British Parliament was speaking during a meeting held with
representatives from the London Cyprus Turkish Societies Council.
During its week-long visit, the TRNC delegation is going to have contacts at
the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
Drawing attention to the Greek Cypriot Side’s successful lobbying activities
within the international community, the Parliamentary speaker said that much
of the problems of representation faced today were due to the Turkish Cypriot
Side’s inconsistent foreign policies pursued over the last 30 years, many of
them which had been completely ineffective.
Pointing out that the international community’s perception of the Turkish
Cypriot people had changed following the April 2004 referendum, Mrs.
Ekenoglu said that the Turkish Cypriot Side has established numerous
contacts with the international community since, primarily with its observer
status within the Council of Europe.
Underlining the importance of networking and establishing personal contacts
within the international community, the Parliamentary speaker reminded that a
number of mutual contacts had been held with German Parliamentarians
which had resulted in an adoption of an important decision within the German
Federal Parliament.
Pointing to the fact that there was a large Turkish Cypriot population living in
England, which if united, could more effectively voice the Turkish Cypriot
8
people’s just cause to the world, Mrs. Ekenoglu said that an important duty fell
upon the Turkish Cypriot NGOs operating in England to achieve this goal.
Also underlining the importance of economic strength, Mrs. Ekenoglu said that
the Greek Cypriot Side was carrying out an effective lobbying campaign by
using its economic power.
She added that Turkish Cypriot NGOs should seek ways of becoming more
effective.
The Parliamentary Speaker also underlined the importance of the removal of
the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people, expressing the view
that this will encourage the Greek Cypriot Administration to return to the
negotiating table.
The delegation – headed by the Speaker of the Parliament Fatma Ekenoglu is
made up of the Republican Turkish Party deputies Ali Seylani and Ali Gulle,
Freedom and Reform Party deputy Mustafa Gokmen and the Communal
Democracy Party deputy Mustafa Akinci.
Besides their contacts with Turkish Cypriot NGOs based in London, members
of the delegation will hold contacts in both houses of the British Parliament.
The delegation will return to the Republic on Sunday at the end of its contacts
in Britain.”
6. The EU Commission is opposed to the opening of freedom of
movement chapter with Turkey
Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (20.06.07) reports that the EU
Commission has opposed to the opening of the chapter which envisages
freedom of movement of the goods with Turkey. The reason behind the
9
Commission’s decision was Turkey’s not implementing of the Customs Union
protocol and the lack of legislation as regards the imports of alcoholic
beverages and motor vehicles.
(MHY)
7. KTOS said that the occupied part of Cyprus was turned into a black
money laundering and money siphoning centre
According to Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (20.06.07), the Turkish
Cypriot Teachers Union (KTOS) has declared that the northern part of Cyprus
was turned into a black money laundering and money siphoning centre under
the guise of tourism. The statement made by the KTOS General Secretary
Sener Elcil stresses that the “natural beaches and mountains of the country
are being plundered and offered to the Turkish capital from Turkey”. He
strongly criticized the opening of the occupied Karpass peninsula to this
plundering and usurpation.
(MHY)
8. A cooperation agreement between the illegal university of GAU and
BITU
Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (20.06.07) reports that a cooperation
agreement was signed between the so-called Keryneia American University
(GAU) and Bangladesh Islamic Technology University (BITU) on engineering,
technology and technical education. The agreement was signed in the
occupied area. The Deputy Dean of the Bangladesh Islamic Technology
University, Prof.Fazli Ilahi, who arrived in the occupied area for this occasion,
signed the cooperation agreement on behalf of the BITU.
(MHY)
10
9. A meeting by so-called government and military officials on security
issues
Illegal Bayrak television (19.06.07) broadcast the following:
“Senior government and military officials met today at the Presidential Palace
to discuss security issues.
The 4 hour long high level meeting chaired by President Mehmet Ali Talat was
attended by Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, the Turkish Ambassador to
Lefkosia Turkekul Kurttekin, the Commander of the Turkish Peace Forces in
Cyprus, Lieutenant General Hayri Kivrikoglu, the Commander of the Cyprus
Turkish Security Forces Mehmet Eroz and the Minister of Interior Ozkan
Murat.”
10. MGK convenes today to discuss terrorism
Turkish daily TODAY´S ZAMAN newspaper (20.06.07) reports the following:
“Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK) convenes today and the focus is
certain to be on terrorism issues, including measures to take in relation to
northern Iraq and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The topics to be discussed at the meeting include strategies to combat the
PKK, the creation of a security zone in Iraq, a cross-border operation and the
official visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to Turkey. The MGK will
also consider the measures discussed at the security summit chaired by
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan on June 12. In consideration of the growing
security threat posed by the PKK, the MGK will further deliberate upon the
creation of a security zone, also known as a buffer zone, whereby Turkish
troops would be deployed 15-20 kilometres inside northern Iraq along to
prevent terrorist infiltration into Turkey through the rugged and porous border.
The agenda of the council also addresses a probable increase in the Turkish
military presence in northern Iraq.
11
Prime Minister Erdogan will meet with the Iraqi prime minister to discuss the
PKK presence in northern Iraq and strategies to be adopted in order to
effectively combat the terror organization. Maliki’s arrival in Ankara is
expected within a month. The MGK will formulate the message to be given to
Maliki upon his arrival and further discuss the procurement of additional antimine equipment and vehicles. The Finance Ministry is currently considering
transfer of additional funds to the dam and irrigation facilities in eastern and
southeastern Anatolia within the context of combating terrorism. The council
will also decide on this issue. Meanwhile in eastern Anatolia five military
personnel were injured in a confrontation between security forces and a group
of terrorists in Erzincan. Terrorists reportedly fired at the security forces from a
truck. Three terrorists were killed and two were captured in the subsequent
chase. The military personnel are also searching for the body of one of the
terrorist group. The gendarmes were ambushed during a road search. A
terrorist group of 11 fired at the patrol unit and wounded four.
In another attack security forces, returning from clearing land mines, were
attacked in the village of Kivrikli, in Gumushane Province. Pvt. Basri Aslan lost
his life and Pvt. Muhammet Karaman was injured in the attack that took place
on Tuesday at 9 a.m.”
11. OYAK bank is sold to Dutch ING Group
Turkish daily TODAY´S ZAMAN newspaper (20.06.07) reports the following:
“Turkey's Oyak Bank, a subsidiary of the Armed Forces Pension Fund
(OYAK), released a statement on Tuesday saying it will be bought by Dutch
bank ING for $2.67 billion (2 billion euros).
The transaction, which remains subject to approval by Turkish authorities, will
be conducted in cash, Oyak Bank said. The name of Oyak Bank will be
changed within one year of the sale, it added. The sale of the bank had been
on the agenda for some time. The OYAK Group has participated in the
privatizations of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TUPRAS), Turk Telekom
12
and Eregli Steel and Iron Corporation (Erdemir), which it purchased with a
$2.7 billion bid.
Neo-nationalist circles were pleased with the purchase of Erdemir by a
“national” group. Under the terms of the agreement, ING will acquire 100
percent of the shares in Oyak Bank for a cash consideration of $2.67 billion,
which will be financed entirely from existing internal resources.
Michel Tilmant, chairman of the executive board of ING Group, said: “Oyak
Bank is a high-quality bank with a strong position in the rapidly growing
Turkish market. The acquisition is in line with our strategy of supporting the
strong organic growth of the group with suitable add-on acquisitions and will
provide ING with a solid banking platform with significant further growth
potential. It also provides the opportunity to distribute wealth management
products in the future as the market further grows.”
The deal would be accretive to earnings per share from 2008, the precise
amount dependent on investment levels. Tilmant said ING also planned to
increase Oyak’s annual marketing expenditure from 5 million euros to 20
million euros and invest 25-40 million euros in IT.
Tilmant said ING would increase its market share from 3 percent to 5 percent
“relatively quickly.” He said the plan was to increase the number of branches
throughout Turkey from 360 to 400 or 450, adding: “We expect to improve
Oyak’s cost income ratio and profitability very quickly. Turkey is a fast-growing
and increasingly stable banking market that we have frequently reviewed for
opportunities. This is the platform we needed to expand profitably in Turkey.”
He said it was “the perfect time” to enter Turkey, citing a range of
demographics to justify the deal, which will result in a price/earnings multiple
of 26.6 times the 2006 normalized earnings and a price/book multiple of 3.26
of the shareholder’s equity.
13
Tilmant said Turkey would have the world’s 12th largest economy in the next
decade, with its 2006 gross domestic product (GDP) having grown 6.1
percent, adding that the country was under-banked and had “relatively high”
margins in consumer loans, credit cards and overdrafts. “If Oyak has not been
able to realize its full growth potential it has been because of lack of capital to
back their development,” Tilmant said. Eli Leenaars, the executive board
member responsible for ING’s global retail banking activities, said: “Given our
experience in Poland and Romania this is an exciting opportunity to enter
another major fast-growing market. Oyak Bank is a strong bank with an
excellent management team. By further leveraging ING’s retail banking
expertise, especially in internet banking, marketing and risk management in
combination with Oyak Bank’s strong distribution and knowledge of the
market, we are in a good position to rapidly expand our position in Turkey.”
Founded in 1984, Oyak Bank is a professional and well-managed top-10 bank
in the Turkish market with 5,581 employees and a market share of
approximately 3 percent. It offers a full range of banking services with a focus
on retail banking. The bank has 1.2 million active retail customers and 10,000
small and medium-size enterprise (SME) customers. In total it has 360
branches throughout Turkey, with a good representation in all major cities. In
2006 it made pre-tax profits of YTL 165 million and at the year end it had total
assets of YTL 11.8 billion and its book value was YTL 988 million. The
transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2007. ING was advised
by Citigroup, and Oyak by Morgan Stanley.”
12. Turkey to host meeting of world´s poor countries
Under the above title, Turkish daily TODAY´S ZAMAN newspaper (20.06.07)
reports the following:
“Turkey, which is exerting efforts to secure temporary membership in the UN
Security Council in 2009-2010, will try to prove its commitment and potential
to contribute to efforts to resolve global problems by hosting a meeting of the
14
ministers of the 50 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) next month, officials
said yesterday.
The organization marks an extension of Turkey's diplomatic efforts beyond its
own turbulent region. Ankara has recently hosted several international
meetings and organizations, including a surprise meeting between Pakistan
and Israel last year and talks between Pakistani and Afghan leaders for
resolution of their disputes earlier this year.
The ministers of some 50 LDCs will hold a meeting in Istanbul on July 9-11 to
reach a common platform for combating problems of fostering economic
growth,
said
Turkish
officials
speaking
on
condition
of
anonymity.
Representatives from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will
also participate in the talks.
The ministerial meeting will basically discuss the possible ways and means to
reach a consensus on various issues concerning benefiting from international
trade negotiations and addressing the problems that are hindering the
development processes of the LDCs. Agriculture, improvements in trade and
ways to attract foreign investment will be high on the agenda of the meeting,
whose general theme is globalization and development.
The meeting will try to draw attention to the marginalization of LDCs in the
global economy, highlight the need for beneficial integration of LDCs in the
global economy as a prerequisite for sustainable development and promote
cooperation between LDCs and developing countries -- in particular with
Turkey.
The first and second conferences on the LDCs were held in Paris in 1981 and
1990. The third was held in Brussels, hosted by the EU.
15
Thirty-four LDCs are in Africa and 15 of them are in the Pacific area, with the
remaining member, Haiti, from the Caribbean. These countries have 4 percent
of the world's income but their population is 14 percent of the global
population.
The 50 least-developed countries of the world are as follows: Angola, Benin,
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, Chad,
Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and
Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somali, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Butan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Laos, the Maldives,
Myanmar, Nepal, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Timor, Tuvalu, Vanuatu,
Yemen and Haiti.”
B. COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS
1. How the Turkish press covered and assessed the Hudson Institute
Turkey-related scenario
The Turkish Press on 19 Jun 2007 gave extensive coverage to the Turkeyrelated "disaster scenario" discussed at the Hudson Institute in Washington.
In a column by Gungor Uras in MILLIYET it is argued that certain US thinktanks and their "collaborators" in Turkey are trying to "undermine" the
relations between Ankara and Washington. Recalling that most of the public
opinion polls conducted by the Turkish NGOs, which are cooperating with the
US think-tanks, are trying to spread rumours about the increasing anti-US
atmosphere in Turkey, Uras asserts: "The Turkish people began to adopt a
skeptical
approach
misinformation.
toward
the
Americans
because
of
this
This misinformation also affects the US administration
negatively because Washington takes this gossip traffic seriously. Turkey
16
turning into an anti-US country becomes a widespread perception and
conviction."
Also in MILLIYET, Hasan Cemal challenges those who negatively react to the
Hudson Institute for discussing a disaster scenario on Turkey, saying that the
main reason for the establishment of such think-tanks is to create a platform
for brainstorming and exchange of all kinds of views in a free
atmosphere.
Pointing out that he could not understand why that scenario
made many circles nervous, Cemal asserts that the seizure of hand grenades
in a house in Istanbul's Umraniye District and many retired generals and noncommissioned officers' involvement in the incident made him "more nervous"
as that incident was a fact, not a scenario. He says: "It will be more useful
for the future of the democratic and lawful Turkish state if the government
closely deals with the hand grenades instead of the scenarios in
Washington."
The columnist concludes by urging the government to take
action against the "gangs" in Turkey.
Under the headline, "'Scenario' message to Barzani," YENI SAFAK runs a
front-page report which asserts that the participants in the recent Hudson
Institute meeting on Turkey included Kubat Talabani, an aide to northern Iraqi
Kurdish leader Mas'ud Barzani. According to the report, Kubat Talabani flew
to Iraq before the meeting ended, causing questions as to what sort of
messages he might have conveyed to Barzani about the "sinister scenarios"
discussed at the meeting.
In an article entitled "To be treated like a fool", YENI SAFAK columnist
Ibrahim Karagul expresses concern over what he refers to as the possible
affiliations revealed by the workshop at the Hudson Institute between senior
generals in the Turkish Armed Forces and foreign players and "allies"
described as "threats" to Turkish interests in recent speeches delivered by
Chief of Staff General Yasar Buyukanit. Karagul uses the said meeting as a
17
basis for posing such questions as whether the "war" that has been waged
against the Erdogan government in the past few years by names like Michael
Rubin, Daniel Pipes, and Zeyno Baran is being conducted from within Turkey,
whether the "coup scenario" posed by Zeyno Baran in the Newsweek
magazine some time ago was prepared in Turkey, whether Turkey has
already been made by Washington to go to the negotiating table with the
northern Iraqi Kurdish administration, etc.
In an article entitled "Wheels within wheels", YENI SAFAK columnist Fehmi
Koru draws attention to circumstances that "require us to take ... the horror
scenario [discussed at the Hudson Institute meeting] seriously" such as the
fact that some of the acts of violence envisaged at the meeting in Washington
have already taken place. Koru claims that the meeting poses a national
security problem owing to the way the attending Turkish generals are claimed
to have raised objections to the extradition of PKK leaders to Turkey at this
time on the grounds that it would play into the hands of the ruling AKP. He
also claims that the General Staff "owes an explanation to the public [about
the meeting] because its silence is being misinterpreted."
Under the headline, "Those Generals should talk," VAKIT carries a front-page
report which quotes former Constitutional Court President Tulay Tugcu, the
victim of the assassination envisioned as part of the "horror scenario" posed
at the Hudson Institute meeting, as saying that she expects the Turkish
officials who attended the meeting to make a statement.
In an article entitled "Conspiracy theories", VAKIT columnist Abdurrahman
Dilipak argues that it is as part of the "scenarios" suggested at the Hudson
Institute meeting on Turkey that the discussions that took place at the meeting
were leaked to the media, claiming that the AKP government is being
indirectly warned in this way about the possible course of events in
Turkey. He also asserts that "the path of democracy has been lined with
18
landmines" in Turkey in a way that could lead to the destabilization of the
country any time before or after the elections.
In an article entitled "Who is Rock Hudson in the 'Sinister Scenario?'", ZAMAN
columnist Tamer Korkmaz accuses certain commentators of deliberately
distorting facts in referring to the discussions that took place at the recent
Hudson Institute meeting as a routine "brainstorming" session and asks
whether "the deep scenarios penned at the other side of the Atlantic for years"
have not always materialized in the form of "provocative" armed attacks like
those that have taken place within the past one year in Turkey. Korkmaz also
implies that the General Staff's "virtual statement" dated 27 April was issued
at the instigation of General Ergin Saygun, with whom he claims, Zeyno Baran
met in Washington before she published her Newsweek article last November
putting the chances of a coup in Turkey at 50 percent.
In an article entitled "Our geography dictates conspiracy theories to us in the
absence of wisdom," TODAY´S ZAMAN columnist Lale Sariibrahimoglu
argues that "the Hudson-organized workshop once again highlights a problem
of the dual-state concept - i.e. the military-led secular establishment and the
political authority - existing in Turkey and inflicting serious damage on
Turkey's management of both internal and external policies."
In an article entitled "As the ship is sinking", MILLI GAZETE columnist
Mehmed Sevket Eygi lambastes what he describes as "our" lack of concern
over the "doomsday scenarios" suggested at the meeting on Turkey in
Washington and warns that "the bells are tolling for all of us. ... A civil war
might break out. Democracy could be shelved. Martial law could be declared
across the country." Eygi also asserts that certain quarters are raking in
profits to the tune of "hundreds of billions of dollars" from the fight on the PKK
and that for this reason "they would never want this war to end."
19
Finally, in an article entitled "An abundance of scenarios", MILLI GAZETE
columnist Hasan Unal argues that there will be "scenarios" about Turkey like
those posed at the meeting in Washington as long as the ruling AKP remains
ambivalent about the "dirty projects" conducted by the United States and
Israel in the Middle East. Criticizing Foreign Minister Gul for questioning why
the Turkish military officials who attended the said meeting did not leave it in
protest at some of the suggestions made, Unal asks ironically whether anyone
remembers Gul issuing a statement criticizing the participants in a US State
Department meeting on Turkey in 2003 at which, he claims, it was suggested
that a Turkish military intervention in Iraq would be opposed by the ruling
AKP, business circles in Istanbul, NGOs, and "other embedded groups."
------------------------------------------EG/