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BBC Monitoring quotes from the Turkish press 11 July 06
Israelis and Palestinians
Hurriyet (centrist) Can there be anyone who believes that what is
happening in Palestine is not covered in information available to
the USA, or even its new Middle East map? The government in Turkey
knows what is happening in Iraq and Palestine but ignores it. It even
gives covert approval, while our Muslim brothers scream "Damn the USA,
Damn Israel!' and burn US and Israeli flags.
(Commentary by Bekir Coskun)
What nerve, what indifference the Ehud Olmert government [in Israel]
has not to hesitate openly to commit a crime not only in terms of
international law but also in terms of the law on war despite the 60
years that have passed [since the Holocaust against Jews]. The 'law
on war' definitely bans both collective responsibility and collective
punishment! (Commentary by Hadi Uluengin)
Milliyet (centrist) The world has already forgotten Bosnia. Now
it is watching the massacre by Israel in Palestine. (Commentary by
Can Dundar)
It is obvious this strategy will rebound. The violence will not stop
and Israel will not get anywhere like this. The whole world says
so openly. How far can the Olmert administration risk being pushed
into a total isolation in the international community? (Commentary
by Sami Kohen)
Radikal (centre-left) The slogan of the groups who have recently
reacted sincerely in the name of the Palestinians is 'The people of
Palestine are not alone';. But in reality the Palestinian people
have been alone, very alone from the beginning. Pro-Palestinian
public opinion in the West is far from determining foreign policy,
as usual. And we are all already well aware of the attitude of the
Muslim countries that are supposed to be backing the Palestinian
cause. (Commentary by Nuray Mert)
Turkey and USA
Bugun (centrist) Whether it is Iran, Hamas, Syria or Israel-Palestine,
Turkey is in no position to resolve any issue in the Middle East on
its own. Terms like 'mediator' or 'facilitator' are meaningful only
when there is coordination or a common vision with the USA. Documents
like the 'Strategic Vision' [recently declared by Turkey and the USA]
becomes meaningful when there are common efforts on the issues such
as Hamas and Iran. (Commentary by Cengiz Candar)
Security threats to Turkey
Cumhuriyet (secular, Kemalist) The Soviet Union has disintegrated,
Yugoslavia has disintegrated, Iraq has (de facto) disintegrated. Turkey
is under siege. Terrorists in northern Iraq under American occupation
are continuing their bloody attacks in Anatolia. An Armenian state in
the north and a (de facto) Kurdish state to the southeast of Turkey
have been formed. The enmity among the Armenian, Greek Cypriot
and Greek diasporas is becoming extreme. The process of settling
outstanding accounts with the Republic of Turkey has started.
(Commentary by Ilhan Selcuk)
Israelis and Palestinians
Hurriyet (centrist) Can there be anyone who believes that what is
happening in Palestine is not covered in information available to
the USA, or even its new Middle East map? The government in Turkey
knows what is happening in Iraq and Palestine but ignores it. It even
gives covert approval, while our Muslim brothers scream "Damn the USA,
Damn Israel!' and burn US and Israeli flags.
(Commentary by Bekir Coskun)
What nerve, what indifference the Ehud Olmert government [in Israel]
has not to hesitate openly to commit a crime not only in terms of
international law but also in terms of the law on war despite the 60
years that have passed [since the Holocaust against Jews]. The 'law
on war' definitely bans both collective responsibility and collective
punishment! (Commentary by Hadi Uluengin)
Milliyet (centrist) The world has already forgotten Bosnia. Now
it is watching the massacre by Israel in Palestine. (Commentary by
Can Dundar)
It is obvious this strategy will rebound. The violence will not stop
and Israel will not get anywhere like this. The whole world says
so openly. How far can the Olmert administration risk being pushed
into a total isolation in the international community? (Commentary
by Sami Kohen)
Radikal (centre-left) The slogan of the groups who have recently
reacted sincerely in the name of the Palestinians is 'The people of
Palestine are not alone';. But in reality the Palestinian people
have been alone, very alone from the beginning. Pro-Palestinian
public opinion in the West is far from determining foreign policy,
as usual. And we are all already well aware of the attitude of the
Muslim countries that are supposed to be backing the Palestinian
cause. (Commentary by Nuray Mert)
Turkey and USA
Bugun (centrist) Whether it is Iran, Hamas, Syria or Israel-Palestine,
Turkey is in no position to resolve any issue in the Middle East on
its own. Terms like 'mediator' or 'facilitator' are meaningful only
when there is coordination or a common vision with the USA. Documents
like the 'Strategic Vision' [recently declared by Turkey and the USA]
becomes meaningful when there are common efforts on the issues such
as Hamas and Iran. (Commentary by Cengiz Candar)
Security threats to Turkey
Cumhuriyet (secular, Kemalist) The Soviet Union has disintegrated,
Yugoslavia has disintegrated, Iraq has (de facto) disintegrated. Turkey
is under siege. Terrorists in northern Iraq under American occupation
are continuing their bloody attacks in Anatolia. An Armenian state in
the north and a (de facto) Kurdish state to the southeast of Turkey
have been formed. The enmity among the Armenian, Greek Cypriot
and Greek diasporas is becoming extreme. The process of settling
outstanding accounts with the Republic of Turkey has started.
(Commentary by Ilhan Selcuk)