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ANKARA: Stern Warning From The Top

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  • ANKARA: Stern Warning From The Top

    STERN WARNING FROM THE TOP

    New Anatolian, Turkey
    April 13 2006

    Breaking sharply from his usual reticence, President Ahmet Necdet
    Sezer yesterday issued a very severe warning against both Islamist
    fundamentalism and separatism, both of which he warned are escalating
    in Turkey.

    Speaking at a conference at the Turkish Military Academy, the
    president, criticized by both the media and Parliament for being
    silent in the face of raging controversies, issued thinly veiled
    criticism at various political groups ranging from the ruling Justice
    and Development (AK) Party to the Kurdish-dominated Democratic Society
    Party (DTP).

    His harshest criticism was reserved for the divisive Semdinli case,
    which he said the justice system had wrecked because of reckless
    statements, as well as stressing that the army has become subject to
    an unfair controversy.

    "Attempts to defame our glorious army are irreconcilable with
    rationality and patriotism. The protection of the army's prestige is
    one of the major duties of the government," he said.

    On secularism, Sezer said that it was "impermissible" that religion
    would go beyond private life and individual space to become part of
    the community life. "Certain limitations can be imposed to prevent
    the abuse of religion and in order to protect the public life, trust
    and interests of the public."

    Also implicitly criticizing the DTP, Sezer said that "certain people
    who came to power through democratic means" had adopted wording that
    sounded too close to the rhetoric of the terrorist group Kurdistan
    Workers' Party (PKK) . "This stands in direct conflict with the
    position they hold and the essence of the system that brought them
    there."

    Sezer said, on foreign policy, that nobody should expect Turkey to
    accept unfair demands on issues of national interest, such as the
    Armenian question and the Cyprus issue.

    "We deeply regret that the Greek Cypriot side, which has created
    obstacles at every step of the way to a Cyprus solution, is almost
    rewarded by the European Union," he said.

    But he sounded more reconciliatory on the United States, saying that
    the failure to see eye-to-eye on certain issues was not something
    that would affect the overall sense of alliance. "It is our sincere
    hope that the issues will be overcome," he said, in reference to Iraq.
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