QUOTES FROM THE TURKISH PRESS 8 MAR 06
Quotes package from BBC Monitoring
8 Mar 06
Tension between army and government
Hurriyet (centre-right) “The public prosecutor [in Van] has shown
great irresponsibility and violated legal norms by including the name
of Ground Forces Commander Gen Yasar Buyukanit in his indictment,
accusing him of interfering with the judiciary and setting up a
gang… How can a public prosecutor have the nerve to put in his
indictment an accusation which could cause a great crisis in Turkey
without having any serious evidence?”
(Commentary by Tufan Turenc)
“You will be deceived if you regard this crisis as being just
about ‘a commander, a prosecutor and an indictment’. This is a
regime problem. This is another aspect of the [anti-republican]
counter-revolution that is going on all around.” (Commentary by
Bekir Coskun)
“For two days, against a background of a big media campaign, it has
been said that the accusation against Gen Buyukanit is meaningless.
However I think a judgment is necessary to understand what is what
and that the Pandora’s box has been opened cannot be closed again.”
(Commentary by Cuneyt Ulsever)
Posta (tabloid) “The picture that emerges after the judgment begins,
words that are going to be said at the phase of hearing witnesses will
create many mini crises. We are going to go through a very difficult
process… If we can overcome this with calm, the democratic regime
will be greatly strengthened; if not we shall all be shaken by the
earthquake.” (Commentary by Mehmet Ali Birand)
Milliyet (centrist) “Turkey is going through the pains, the
problems of a general and rooted change. The army, the judiciary
and politicians must act as their counterparts do in developed
democracies… Everyone must show a talent for ‘solving problems
without turning them into a crisis’, which is the most important sign
of being developed.” (Commentary by Taha Akyol)
“Why is there an insistent search for a conspiracy against the regime
through this indictment? Would it not be better if we, the media,
could put judicial reform on the agenda and discuss the need for
that…?” (Commentary by Hasan Cemal)
Yeni Safak (liberal, pro-Islamic) “Turkey is going through a great
transformation. We are transforming into a more democratic, more
transparent country with more respect for rights and freedoms… In
every system that is restructuring, some things can get out of
control during the process… The indictment by the prosecutor can
be considered as such an event. Despite all claims to the contrary,
it is also understood that the prosecutor has not been engaging in
political manipulation.” (Commentary by Fehmi Koru)
Cumhuriyet (secular, Kemalist) “On one side, an Anglo-American
initiative is pulling Turkey into the deepening Middle East trap in
Iraq. On another, it is surrounded by the Armenian, Greek Cypriot
and Greek states’ demands. On another side, it is under attack by
the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Also, in the middle of such a picture,
the AKP [Justice and Development Party] government is making a move
against the army. Is there any other such example in history?”
(Commentary by Ilhan Selcuk)
Iran’s nuclear ambitions
Milliyet “There are two reasons for Ankara’s sensitivity over this
issue [Iran’s nuclear programme]. 1. Iran’s challenging the world on
this issue is going to cause an international crisis and this will
create great tensions, especially in our region. 2. Iran’s having
atomic weapons will tilt the balances in the region to its advantage
and this will encourage the Tehran regime regarding its own aims.
That’s why Turkey wants diplomatic efforts to continue and a compromise
to be reached between Iran and IAEA [International Atomic Energy
Agency]” (Commentary by Sami Kohen)