BBC MONITORING QUOTES FROM THE TURKISH PRESS 27 AUGUST 2007

BBC
Aug 27 2007

The following is a selection of quotes from articles and commentaries
published in the 27 August 07 editions of Turkish newspapers:

Presidential election

Hurriyet (centre-right)

"Wheter we accept it or not, Abdullah Gul will tomorrow be chosen
as the 11th President of The Republic of Turkey… Thus, thanks to
Hayrunnisa Gul [Gul’s wife], the politicized version of the headscarf
will enter Cankaya (the presidential residence)… We are worried that
the whole world will misunderstand the event and see Turkey as an
‘underdeveloped Middle Eastern country’. What can we do? Our people
and distinguished statesmen wanted it so." (Commentary by Rahmi Turan)

Cumhuriyet (secular, Kemalist)

"Elections are just one of the preconditions of democracy. However, one
cannot achieve democracy just by elections. It is also a condition of
democracy to criticize the elections that ignored the basic democratic
principles… As Mr Gul, who will be chosen president in the elections
that will be held tomorrow, does not symbolize a compromise in Turkey,
he is not a choice for peace and trust but for discontent." (Editorial)

Yeni Safak (liberal, pro-Islamic)

"The discussions on the ‘new [government] term’, which have been given
secondary importance because of the presidential election crisis,
will begin with the formation of a government, the establishment of a
government programme and putting urgent subjects on the agenda… [This
time], the AKP [ruling Justice and Development Party] will not face
many of the problems it faced in the past. The guarantees of this
are the powerful support of the people, the parliamentary majority
and the president who will be chosen by majority." (Commentary by
Koray Duzgoren)

Iraq

Hurriyet

"The real question is not the ability of [Iraqi Prime Minister] Maliki
or the level of influence of the neighbouring countries of Iraq. The
real problem is to what extent the US Administration wants to share
the destiny of Iraq with Iraq’s neighbours and the international
community. Similar to the fact that the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party]
settling in northern Iraq is actually the USA’s responsibility, it
is again the US Administration who is responsible for the failure of
the Maliki government." (Commentary by Ferai Tinc)

Armenian issue

Radikal (centre-left)

"It is obvious that the Jewish lobby did not like Hamas leader Halid
Mashal’s having been received in Ankara, and Ankara almost reaching
a deal on natural gas with Iran. However, for now it is impossible
to know whether a feeling of punishing Ankara has played a role in
all that have been experienced [last week when two Jewish lobbies in
Washington declaring that they would support Armenia]. What is known
is that the Anti-Defamation League [one of these two Jewish lobbies]
has opened Pandora’s box. A very painful process will start if the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide gains strength through support
for a bill in the US Congress." (Commentary by Ceyda Karan)

Milliyet (centrist)

"If the ‘Armenian Genocide bill’, which has received sufficient
support, is put on the agenda by the US Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
it will pass. It is said that Pelosi stopped because of the events
in Iraq now… The countries like the UK and Israel do not recognize
the Armenian Genocide not because they do not believe in this but
because of their national interests." (Commentary by Semih Idiz)