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Turkish press 4 May 05
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom
May 04, 2005
The following is a selection of quotes from editorials and commentaries
published in 4 May editions of Turkish newspapers available to BBC
Monitoring
Premier's visit to Israel
Hurriyet [centre-right, largest circulation] "He [Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan] went to Israel to negotiate peace, but came back with
[an agreement to buy] 'war planes'... The price that Turkey will pay,
including [the agreement for] the renewal of missile and tanks, is
around 1bn dollars. Everybody knows that after Erdogan swaggered and
accused Israel of 'state terrorism', this is actually a price for
negotiating peace... (Commentary by Bekir Coskun)
"Turkey is very unsuccessful in terms of being a mediator in the
'Middle East peace' process. It was not the visit [of Erdogan to
Israel] where this could be seen but a meeting that was held in
London in early March. As the days coincided with the prime minister's
visit to South Africa, at the Prime Minister Tony Blair's initiative
a meeting entitled 'the restructuring of the Middle East' was held
in London. Around 35 participants from internationally influential
countries and the countries of the region took part in the meeting. Can
you guess, which was the only regional country that was not invited
to the meeting? ...Turkey." (Commentary by Fatih Altayli)
Tercuman [conservative] "Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Israel and
Palestine has helped to improve cold relations between the [Israeli
Prime Minister] Ariel Sharon's government and Turkey. Now, there is
a turn for regulating the relations with Washington. If one looks at
...his opening speech at the meeting of neighbouring countries of
Iraq last week, the fact that the agreement on Incirlik [base] was
signed in the way America wanted and that his relations with Israel
have become considerably closer, [it can be said that] the doors of
the White House will be opened to him." (Commentary by Cengiz Candar)
EU
Milliyet [centrist] "As Turkey has focused on the EU membership,
which is its right, every country and nation got into the effort
of solving their problems with Turkey and the Turks in favour of
themselves by using this way [the EU way]. [They are acting] with the
idea of taking the advantage of the situation... Armenia and southern
Cyprus have not given up their claims yet. There is not anyone taking
a step of goodwill towards Turkey either." (Commentary by Fikret Bila)
UK/elections
Sabah [centrist] "Tomorrow, British Prime Minister Tony Blair will
achieve a historic 'first': His party will win the elections for the
third consecutive time... In particular, despite losing credibility
over the Iraq war, which almost three-fourth of the British people
opposed, he has been again found 'unreliable' and seen as 'liar' by
almost half of the [British] people... Well, but why do the British
people vote for Blair whom they find 'unreliable'? The answer is very
simple: Because of the extraordinarily positive balance sheet of his
economic policies." (Commentary by Erdal Safak)
Turkey/USA
Radikal [centre-left] "Turkish-US relations are important for
Turkey provided they are balanced and based on mutual interests. The
president and the Chief of General Staff are also contributing to the
efforts of changing the attitude of the AKP, which angered the USA.
...Whether the AKP has managed to improve its USA policy will only
be seen when Erdogan is accepted by Bush during his visit to the USA
next month." (Commentary by M. Ali Kislali)
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom
May 04, 2005
The following is a selection of quotes from editorials and commentaries
published in 4 May editions of Turkish newspapers available to BBC
Monitoring
Premier's visit to Israel
Hurriyet [centre-right, largest circulation] "He [Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan] went to Israel to negotiate peace, but came back with
[an agreement to buy] 'war planes'... The price that Turkey will pay,
including [the agreement for] the renewal of missile and tanks, is
around 1bn dollars. Everybody knows that after Erdogan swaggered and
accused Israel of 'state terrorism', this is actually a price for
negotiating peace... (Commentary by Bekir Coskun)
"Turkey is very unsuccessful in terms of being a mediator in the
'Middle East peace' process. It was not the visit [of Erdogan to
Israel] where this could be seen but a meeting that was held in
London in early March. As the days coincided with the prime minister's
visit to South Africa, at the Prime Minister Tony Blair's initiative
a meeting entitled 'the restructuring of the Middle East' was held
in London. Around 35 participants from internationally influential
countries and the countries of the region took part in the meeting. Can
you guess, which was the only regional country that was not invited
to the meeting? ...Turkey." (Commentary by Fatih Altayli)
Tercuman [conservative] "Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Israel and
Palestine has helped to improve cold relations between the [Israeli
Prime Minister] Ariel Sharon's government and Turkey. Now, there is
a turn for regulating the relations with Washington. If one looks at
...his opening speech at the meeting of neighbouring countries of
Iraq last week, the fact that the agreement on Incirlik [base] was
signed in the way America wanted and that his relations with Israel
have become considerably closer, [it can be said that] the doors of
the White House will be opened to him." (Commentary by Cengiz Candar)
EU
Milliyet [centrist] "As Turkey has focused on the EU membership,
which is its right, every country and nation got into the effort
of solving their problems with Turkey and the Turks in favour of
themselves by using this way [the EU way]. [They are acting] with the
idea of taking the advantage of the situation... Armenia and southern
Cyprus have not given up their claims yet. There is not anyone taking
a step of goodwill towards Turkey either." (Commentary by Fikret Bila)
UK/elections
Sabah [centrist] "Tomorrow, British Prime Minister Tony Blair will
achieve a historic 'first': His party will win the elections for the
third consecutive time... In particular, despite losing credibility
over the Iraq war, which almost three-fourth of the British people
opposed, he has been again found 'unreliable' and seen as 'liar' by
almost half of the [British] people... Well, but why do the British
people vote for Blair whom they find 'unreliable'? The answer is very
simple: Because of the extraordinarily positive balance sheet of his
economic policies." (Commentary by Erdal Safak)
Turkey/USA
Radikal [centre-left] "Turkish-US relations are important for
Turkey provided they are balanced and based on mutual interests. The
president and the Chief of General Staff are also contributing to the
efforts of changing the attitude of the AKP, which angered the USA.
...Whether the AKP has managed to improve its USA policy will only
be seen when Erdogan is accepted by Bush during his visit to the USA
next month." (Commentary by M. Ali Kislali)