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COME ON CEMIL CICEK, NOW IS THE TIME
Hurriyet Daily News
May 9 2012
Turkey
MEHMET ALİ BİRAND
[email protected]
What do you say? Will it happen?
Until only a short time ago, those who believed that the political
elite of this country would be able to write a new constitution were
few. Those who said, "It wouldn't suit them; they would prefer to
continue with the Sept. 12 constitution," were in the majority.
Cemil Cicek, the speaker of Parliament, has been regarding this issue
as his word of honor. Maybe he really wants to write history. Whatever
his reasons are, he is certainly doing the correct thing. This
country needs a brand new constitution. A constitution that will be
able to overcome the biggest difficulties with the Kurdish issue. A
constitution that will absolutely secure all freedoms. A constitution
that will enable us to lead a democratic and secular life.
Cemil Cicek has done the right thing. Among representatives of
the private sector, he has received the most support from Turkish
Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) President Rifat
Hisarcıklıoglu. The first stage has been completed successfully,
and now a more difficult phase, the content writing phase has started.
Of course, the "presidency" debate will hyper-activate the process,
but it will not obstruct the writing of the constitution.
The title of this piece comes from football: Come on president,
come on president. Now is the right time...
The changes in Paris and Athens are no good for us
The recent elections in France and Greece should be a lesson for all
of us. The economic crisis has caused the people to take revenge on
the politicians. The reason Sarkozy lost with a margin of 3 percent
is the anger of voters at becoming poor, nothing else. The situation
is no different in Greece.
All of the politicians in office were badly beaten.
What's more, the confusion in both countries is likely to continue for
a long time. They may be due for new elections and new fluctuations.
How will these changes affect Turkey? Let's take a look.
The only positive side of the change in France is that Hollande was
elected, a leader who does not have an anti-Turkey obsession like
Sarkozy's. But don't count on that. Hollande is not against Turkey's
full membership in the EU in principle. He does not question Turkey's
European-ness like Sarkozy does.
However, he does place the condition of the acceptance of the
"Armenian Genocide" on Turkey's membership, and this stance is not
one that can be overcome easily. In short, this change in Paris will
not make a significant difference to Turkey's relations with the EU.
Hollande's presidency is likely to end and not continue at the end
of his 5-year term.
The situation is more complicated in Athens. The beating the
politicians got was as bad as the one our leaders took in our 2002
elections. In Greece, a coalition period has started and the economic
chaos looks as though will not be solved easily. Also, there is talk
of holding early elections next June. In other words, there is an
impasse. This situation bothers me.
I fear that the rising militarist and extreme-right parties in Greece
will turn toward Turkey after a while.
I wonder, to overcome the frustration they are immersed in, whether
they will begin focusing on Turkey? Will they make Turkey their
"joint enemy"? This is possible and there is such a risk. However,
the Greeks have so many problems nowadays that it looks as if they
will not turn toward us.
The TFF is harming us
It is not possible to understand what the Turkish Football Federation
(TFF) wants to do. It says its aim is to protect Turkish football from
UEFA sanctions due to the match-fixing incident. It is as though we
were under attack by foreigners, and TFF is trying to stop this course
of events in the international arena. It has gone even further and
called those who criticize this approach "factional." It is like the
TFF is playing the role of a lion, trying to save its country. They
do not seem to be aware of this fact:
With this stance, they aren't doing anyone any favors; they are
upsetting the applecart.
Take a look at the international reaction. You will see clearly
where the situation is going. With this stance of theirs the TFF
is handing over the entire future of Turkish football to the UEFA,
certainly not saving it from its grasp. You will see where the
decisions made in Geneva take us. If the TFF is thinking, "Let's
not issue any punishments, let the UEFA do it," then we will have
a harder time. It won't take long; the situation will be clear in a
few weeks. The TFF will harm us a great deal, I think.
Hurriyet Daily News
May 9 2012
Turkey
MEHMET ALİ BİRAND
[email protected]
What do you say? Will it happen?
Until only a short time ago, those who believed that the political
elite of this country would be able to write a new constitution were
few. Those who said, "It wouldn't suit them; they would prefer to
continue with the Sept. 12 constitution," were in the majority.
Cemil Cicek, the speaker of Parliament, has been regarding this issue
as his word of honor. Maybe he really wants to write history. Whatever
his reasons are, he is certainly doing the correct thing. This
country needs a brand new constitution. A constitution that will be
able to overcome the biggest difficulties with the Kurdish issue. A
constitution that will absolutely secure all freedoms. A constitution
that will enable us to lead a democratic and secular life.
Cemil Cicek has done the right thing. Among representatives of
the private sector, he has received the most support from Turkish
Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) President Rifat
Hisarcıklıoglu. The first stage has been completed successfully,
and now a more difficult phase, the content writing phase has started.
Of course, the "presidency" debate will hyper-activate the process,
but it will not obstruct the writing of the constitution.
The title of this piece comes from football: Come on president,
come on president. Now is the right time...
The changes in Paris and Athens are no good for us
The recent elections in France and Greece should be a lesson for all
of us. The economic crisis has caused the people to take revenge on
the politicians. The reason Sarkozy lost with a margin of 3 percent
is the anger of voters at becoming poor, nothing else. The situation
is no different in Greece.
All of the politicians in office were badly beaten.
What's more, the confusion in both countries is likely to continue for
a long time. They may be due for new elections and new fluctuations.
How will these changes affect Turkey? Let's take a look.
The only positive side of the change in France is that Hollande was
elected, a leader who does not have an anti-Turkey obsession like
Sarkozy's. But don't count on that. Hollande is not against Turkey's
full membership in the EU in principle. He does not question Turkey's
European-ness like Sarkozy does.
However, he does place the condition of the acceptance of the
"Armenian Genocide" on Turkey's membership, and this stance is not
one that can be overcome easily. In short, this change in Paris will
not make a significant difference to Turkey's relations with the EU.
Hollande's presidency is likely to end and not continue at the end
of his 5-year term.
The situation is more complicated in Athens. The beating the
politicians got was as bad as the one our leaders took in our 2002
elections. In Greece, a coalition period has started and the economic
chaos looks as though will not be solved easily. Also, there is talk
of holding early elections next June. In other words, there is an
impasse. This situation bothers me.
I fear that the rising militarist and extreme-right parties in Greece
will turn toward Turkey after a while.
I wonder, to overcome the frustration they are immersed in, whether
they will begin focusing on Turkey? Will they make Turkey their
"joint enemy"? This is possible and there is such a risk. However,
the Greeks have so many problems nowadays that it looks as if they
will not turn toward us.
The TFF is harming us
It is not possible to understand what the Turkish Football Federation
(TFF) wants to do. It says its aim is to protect Turkish football from
UEFA sanctions due to the match-fixing incident. It is as though we
were under attack by foreigners, and TFF is trying to stop this course
of events in the international arena. It has gone even further and
called those who criticize this approach "factional." It is like the
TFF is playing the role of a lion, trying to save its country. They
do not seem to be aware of this fact:
With this stance, they aren't doing anyone any favors; they are
upsetting the applecart.
Take a look at the international reaction. You will see clearly
where the situation is going. With this stance of theirs the TFF
is handing over the entire future of Turkish football to the UEFA,
certainly not saving it from its grasp. You will see where the
decisions made in Geneva take us. If the TFF is thinking, "Let's
not issue any punishments, let the UEFA do it," then we will have
a harder time. It won't take long; the situation will be clear in a
few weeks. The TFF will harm us a great deal, I think.