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Turkish press 17 May 05
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom
May 17, 2005
The following is a selection of quotes from editorials and
commentaries published in 17 May editions of Turkish newspapers
available to BBC Monitoring
Turkey/USA
Posta [tabloid] "If the prime minister wants to avoid a negative
atmosphere in his meeting with Bush at the White House on 8 June,
Ankara has to take a different approach. It is hard for us to work
out a solution saying: 'Our relations with the USA are very good'...
Rather than be a bystander, Ankara must certainly act against elements
that are damaging relations. Like it or not, we should not forget
that the Bush administration will rule the world for four more
years." (Commentary by Mehmet Ali Birand)
Milliyet [centrist] "Turkey found itself facing a very difficult
problem with the USA's Iraq operation. Sometimes there may not be a
'solution' to difficult problems. However, some answers are better
than others. Ankara was unable to come up with the answers that might
have been better than others. It was unable to deal with tough guy
Bush... By coming up with the answers that are better than others,
Ankara must be able to manage this old alcoholic, 'transient' but
'very dangerous' man, who thinks he has been reborn." (Commentary by
Guneri Civaoglu)
Uzbekistan
Milliyet "Do the Uzbeks, who have been suffering under a despotic
administration for years, have no place in the democracy doctrine
that Bush is trying to spread? Apparently not. Washington's lack of
concern for a public movement that brought the deaths of hundreds of
people is a sign of that... Rather than the Uzbeks achieving democracy,
the important thing for the Bush administration is that this country
continues its current policies, which serve the interests of the
USA. And [President] Karimov does that... How then could the despot
in Tashkent be toppled easily?" (Commentary by Sami Kohen)
Yeni Safak [liberal, pro-Islamic] "Will the cover of 'Islamic
terrorism' be able to conceal this massacre [in Uzbekistan] that has
happened right after Bush vigorously celebrated the anniversary of
the... revolution in Georgia? Can the expression in the White House
statement saying 'not to go too far in human rights violations'
conceal the fact that USA is an accomplice to the murderers?"
(Commentary by Akif Emre)
Tercuman [conservative] "Let the turmoil in Uzbekistan not deceive
anyone. Islom Karimov, who has been ruling the country with an iron
fist, is a very merciless leader. He is not a dictator who will
withdraw like Kyrgyz leader Askar Akayev without letting the weapons
talk... Carrying out a 'civilian coup d'etat' in Uzbekistan is a
very hard job. But even the most violent dictators will certainly
fall one day." (Commentary by Nuh Gonultas)
Armenian issue/UK
Radikal [centre-left] "As far as I know, only the UK has made
a statement at government level saying: 'There was no Armenian
genocide'. Now if the UK says 'Things that are written in the Blue
Book are all true' as an answer to our parliament's letter [asking the
British parliament to acknowledge that genocide allegations in the
so-called Blue Book were nothing but British World War I propaganda
against Turkey] what will we do then? Is there any sense losing
a friend for no reason? ... Unfortunately, Turkey's initiatives
about the Armenian issue do not give me the impression of being
trustworthy." (Commentary by Ismet Berkan)
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom
May 17, 2005
The following is a selection of quotes from editorials and
commentaries published in 17 May editions of Turkish newspapers
available to BBC Monitoring
Turkey/USA
Posta [tabloid] "If the prime minister wants to avoid a negative
atmosphere in his meeting with Bush at the White House on 8 June,
Ankara has to take a different approach. It is hard for us to work
out a solution saying: 'Our relations with the USA are very good'...
Rather than be a bystander, Ankara must certainly act against elements
that are damaging relations. Like it or not, we should not forget
that the Bush administration will rule the world for four more
years." (Commentary by Mehmet Ali Birand)
Milliyet [centrist] "Turkey found itself facing a very difficult
problem with the USA's Iraq operation. Sometimes there may not be a
'solution' to difficult problems. However, some answers are better
than others. Ankara was unable to come up with the answers that might
have been better than others. It was unable to deal with tough guy
Bush... By coming up with the answers that are better than others,
Ankara must be able to manage this old alcoholic, 'transient' but
'very dangerous' man, who thinks he has been reborn." (Commentary by
Guneri Civaoglu)
Uzbekistan
Milliyet "Do the Uzbeks, who have been suffering under a despotic
administration for years, have no place in the democracy doctrine
that Bush is trying to spread? Apparently not. Washington's lack of
concern for a public movement that brought the deaths of hundreds of
people is a sign of that... Rather than the Uzbeks achieving democracy,
the important thing for the Bush administration is that this country
continues its current policies, which serve the interests of the
USA. And [President] Karimov does that... How then could the despot
in Tashkent be toppled easily?" (Commentary by Sami Kohen)
Yeni Safak [liberal, pro-Islamic] "Will the cover of 'Islamic
terrorism' be able to conceal this massacre [in Uzbekistan] that has
happened right after Bush vigorously celebrated the anniversary of
the... revolution in Georgia? Can the expression in the White House
statement saying 'not to go too far in human rights violations'
conceal the fact that USA is an accomplice to the murderers?"
(Commentary by Akif Emre)
Tercuman [conservative] "Let the turmoil in Uzbekistan not deceive
anyone. Islom Karimov, who has been ruling the country with an iron
fist, is a very merciless leader. He is not a dictator who will
withdraw like Kyrgyz leader Askar Akayev without letting the weapons
talk... Carrying out a 'civilian coup d'etat' in Uzbekistan is a
very hard job. But even the most violent dictators will certainly
fall one day." (Commentary by Nuh Gonultas)
Armenian issue/UK
Radikal [centre-left] "As far as I know, only the UK has made
a statement at government level saying: 'There was no Armenian
genocide'. Now if the UK says 'Things that are written in the Blue
Book are all true' as an answer to our parliament's letter [asking the
British parliament to acknowledge that genocide allegations in the
so-called Blue Book were nothing but British World War I propaganda
against Turkey] what will we do then? Is there any sense losing
a friend for no reason? ... Unfortunately, Turkey's initiatives
about the Armenian issue do not give me the impression of being
trustworthy." (Commentary by Ismet Berkan)