INTERVENTION IN NORTHERN IRAQ "MEANS WAR"
NTV Television
Oct 15 2007
Turkey
The NTV Television Network in Turkish at 1700 gmt on 15 October airs
its Monday-Thursday show "Difference of Interpretation" in the usual
format of a point-counterpoint discussion of selected current topics
by programme hosts Emre Kongar and Mehmet Barlas.
Barlas opens the show by noting that the government has decided to
ask the National Assembly for an authorization bill for a military
incursion into northern Iraq. He adds that the other big item on
Turkey’s agenda is the referendum on direct election of president to be
held on 21 October. Then, he comments at length about the fundraising
campaign started by the Haberturk TV channel to help the families of
Turkish soldiers slain in the Southeast.
To underscore public apathy for the referendum, Kongar jokingly quotes
a taxi driver saying that the referendum "is not worthy of attention"
compared to the impending "intervention in Iraq" and the "Armenian
genocide resolution" in the US Congress. Elaborating further on the
importance of these issues, Kongar emphasizes that intervention
in northern Iraq will mean "war" and expresses surprise that the
government insists on holding a referendum in these circumstances. He
argues that the government is holding the referendum "out of spite"
over the events that occurred when Abdullah Gul first ran for the
presidency. He says that he disagrees with calls for "boycotting
the referendum," including one by Republican People’s Party General
Chairman Deniz Baykal, noting that a boycott would mean the endorsement
of the constitutional amendment package by a bigger margin.
Answering a question by Barlas, Kongar says that "the election of
the president by direct popular vote is wrong in a parliamentary
democracy." He argues that this may create a "two-headed" government
system, pointing out potential conflicts between a president who wins
a large percentage of the popular vote and a government that comes
to office with a smaller percentage. Barlas says that "a president
elected by direct popular vote might turn into a dictator with the
current constitution." Noting that the new constitutional draft
reduces the powers of the president, Barlas questions the wisdom of
holding a referendum on the popular election of a president at this
time. He says that he agrees with Kongar that the referendum "makes
no sense." Kongar responds that, despite the "existential" external
problems Turkey faces, the referendum is "the most important domestic
issue this week." Barlas notes other technical contradictions in the
referendum package. Kongar accuses the government of "incompetence"
and "frivolity" on this issue, pointing out that the contents of the
amendment package were changed even as voting (by overseas Turkish
citizens at border stations) was officially under way.
Barlas says that one reason for the current situation is the failure
of both the Justice and Development Party [AKP] and "the circles that
blocked Gul’s election to the presidency the first time" to forecast
the outcome of the 22 July elections. Kongar disagrees with Barlas’s
comment that "the 22 July elections punished those who blocked Gul’s
election." He argues that the most important reason for the large
margin in the AKP’s election victory was the general desire for
"stability" and continued economic prosperity. Barlas insists that
the AKP gained because the elections were held early. Returning to
the referendum issue, Kongar says that the Supreme Election Council
must cancel the vote because of the changes that were introduced
after voting started.
Noting the time, Barlas ends the show at 1720 gmt, saying that this
discussion will continue the next day.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
