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| Europe | ||
| Turkish Press News | ||
| 2003-11-19 | ||
| These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey’s press on November 19, 2003. CONFESSIONS OF AL-QAIDA Confessions of a militant have unveiled acts of the Al-Qaida terrorist network, which is believed to have been behind Saturday’s devastating bomb attacks on Istanbul’s two main synagogues. Mehmet Ince, who was captured on July 30, 2002 in a joint operation of security forces and the National Intelligence Agency (MIT), confessed that he was given military and bomb training in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Ince claimed that Al-Qaida had been collecting illegal money and provided its militant with false passports. ’’SOME COUNTRIES ARE CRYING CROCODILE TEARS’’ Following Saturday’s dual bomb attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul, the government has reproached some European countries for extending support to the terrorist organization for years. Justice Minister and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek underlined that many countries had supported terrorists for years, adding, ’’some countries, which sent us messages to extend their condolences should think about everything once again. Otherwise, they would have been crying crocodile tears.’’ Noting that some countries used terrorists as ’political instruments’, Cicek said, ’’some countries have still been suspending Turkey’s requests for extradition of terrorists due to unconvincing reasons. So, how can they dare do send these messages of condolences?’’ Ouch, that’s gonna leave a mark! ’’ATTACK HAS LINK WITH AFGHANISTAN’ Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that it has emerged that bomb attacks staged on two synagogues in Istanbul had link with an organization in Afghanistan in terms of belief and understanding. Gul said that terrorist action was an action which targeted all humanity and stated that the world should fight against terrorism as a single front.
SURPRISING MISSION NATO which undertook the command of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan a few months ago is getting prepared to assign Hikmet Cetin who earlier served as Parliament Speaker and Foreign Minister to an important mission in Kabul. U.S. diplomatic sources told Milliyet that NATO Secretary General George Robertson would announce on Wednesday that Cetin would serve as the highest civilian administrator of NATO in Afghanistan. An official from the United States told Milliyet that Cetin was a leader who was known with his skills and political experience. Congratulations. ’’WE DO NOT ACCEPT MESSAGES FROM TERRORISTS’’ Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed in a speech he delivered at the group meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party), ’’if a message is tried to be given to our state through terrorism, we absolutely reject it. This heinous attack, in fact, targeted Turkey. It was understood once again that terrorism cannot have any nationalities or religious beliefs. Organizations and states expecting terrorism to help themselves, can face with the same trouble in future.’’ ’I’M REJECTING MESSAGE GIVEN THROUGH TERRORISM’ Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that no one could threaten Turkey through terrorism and stated that if there was a message which wanted to be given through terrorism to state or government, he was rejecting it. Erdogan who addressed Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) group meeting talked about bomb attacks staged on two synagogues in Istanbul and killing 25 people. ’’When I was in Cyprus, I heard some rumors asking why I don’t put an emphasis our citizens of Jewish origin? People who died in bomb attacks are all citizens of Turkey. No matter what their religions are, all of them are Turkish citizens and our people. We have made the stress on it,’’ he stated.
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #14 Ever watch Babylon V? The part about the Martian other colonies"War of Independance". |
| Posted by: Raptor 2003-11-20 9:30:29 AM |
| #13 Good Heavens! OT enuf to be banned. But what ever happened to the Martian Manhunter? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-19 7:07:15 PM |
| #12 Perhaps in a couple hundred years we'll have a global planetwide federation of sorts Unlikely the Martian Secret Service is using the so called Mossad to keep the nation states of this planet apart. (But you didn't hear that from me) |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-19 7:05:54 PM |
| #11 liberalhawk> It depends on what you call nationalism. I do also see the EU as a stepping stone to abolishing nationalism altogether. Perhaps in a couple hundred years we'll have a global planetwide federation of sorts. Aris: No thank you. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2003-11-19 6:27:08 PM |
| #10 Anonymous2U> Not sure what country you are talking about. Cyprus? I think the only reason a vote didn't take place there was because the situation was complicated enough with half the country occupied by foreign troops, and the two sides in the middle of negotiations about reunification, which also include the very fact of EU entry as a motive.... If you also had *both* communities voting twice, for EU entry and for reunification... um, that'd be even more of a mess. But I don't think *anyone* can seriously argue that Cyprus' people don't want the EU or that it's enforced to them by "daddy" from above. Support in polls is so overwhelming that it's ridiculous - above 80%. liberalhawk> It depends on what you call nationalism. I do also see the EU as a stepping stone to abolishing nationalism altogether. Perhaps in a couple hundred years we'll have a global planetwide federation of sorts. Still distant, that dream, though, so I'll settle for surpassing internal European nationalistic divisions. And it *is* a big step. Rafael> *shrug* I often feel more European than I feel specifically "Greek". If you don't believe me that's no concern to me. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2003-11-19 2:52:28 PM |
| #9 And 'European' *is* my own nation and people LOL. Put down the drugs Aris. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2003-11-19 2:01:47 PM |
| #8 This discussion group would be far less interesting without the likes of Aris or Murat, Hiryu, or any of the others I usually disagree with. I occasionally even get something useful from Murat's posts (when he's not trying to see how much trouble he can stir up, but engages in thoughtful debate), and on a lesser degree from Aris. JFM ALWAYS provides interesting comment, even when I don't agree, as do Bulldog and TGA. While there are those whose comments are always worth reading, and a few whose comments are seldom worth reading, we get exposed to a broad band of commentary which helps us to understand the situation as well as we can, and to come to conclusions - partly based on what we read, partly based on who and what we are, and partly based on how we see the world. In order to make this the best possible form of discussion, good points, good ideas should be acknowledged as such, and idiotarian statements attacked for the stupidity they espouse. The idea, however, is to attack the message, not the messanger. Sometimes the message IS the messanger - that's when the fun begins! |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-11-19 1:46:28 PM |
| #7 "And 'European' *is* my own nation and people. I simply want said nation united, the same way I would have wanted Athens united with Sparta in a voluntary union of peoples." Actually I like this far better than blatherings of some euro lefties that they are "beyond nationalism", that nationalism is really fascism, or is only for us benighted Americans, etc. Ignoring the problems with running a democracy without emotional dedication to the polity - which dedication IS nationalism. If Europe REALLY has dedication of the type Aris expresses, they have a reasonable chance of building a real democracy. As myself a citizen of a federal state, how can i assert otherwise. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-11-19 1:46:26 PM |
| #6 But Aris, how can it be mutual if one partner doesn't get to vote on whether or not he/she wants the marriage? In a certain country, it looks more like a shotgun wedding, since no vote will be allowed because daddy (their betters) know what's best. |
| Posted by: Anonymous2U 2003-11-19 12:55:00 PM |
| #5 Ptah> "who seems to favor subjugating his own nation and people to a twice removed from direct elected EU parliament and president his own nation" The EU parliament is directly elected, not "twice removed from" and such nonsense. Why do you keep on babbling about stuff you have no idea about? And I quite support making the (still non-existent) EU president directly elected also (though the US doesn't have a directly elected president either btw) -- something which is ofcourse strongly opposed by all the anti-federalists, since 99% of the anti-federalists aren't actually favouring democracy or freedom or independence or whatever they say they claim, they are only favouring nationalism in all its "let's mistrust those evil devil foreigners" ugly glory. And 'European' *is* my own nation and people. I simply want said nation united, the same way I would have wanted Athens united with Sparta in a voluntary union of peoples. It's not called "subjugation" when it's done mutually and voluntarily, Ptah. A voluntary mutual subjugation is called "marriage" instead. Not that I'd expect you to understand what that means. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2003-11-19 11:56:35 AM |
| #4 I've never disrespected Murat being a Turkish patriot, demanding that his country act in a manner that it support its citizens. My beef is that he doesn't want anyone else to be a patriot to THEIR country, or to demand that THEIR government act in a manner that supports THEIR citizens. However, I DO respect Murat, who embraces his nation and people, warts and all, over Aris, who seems to favor subjugating his own nation and people to a twice removed from direct elected EU parliament and president, and appears all too ready to chuck his fallible neighbors in favor of a yet-to-be-proven transnational government. Give me patriots over tranzis any day of the week: At least you know where the hell the former stand. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-11-19 10:46:30 AM |
| #3 Murat, I meant that as some kind of compliment; you've been disrespected often here, sometimes quite injustly, and I'm surprized your interest is pointed by such a remark. Perhaps you adjust better to ad nominem comments. IMHO, Turkey still seems to "believe in itself", still seems able to act, even act harshly; note I may not be talking about the real Turkey you live in, just the impression I have. I'm from la belle France, and my great personnal theory(tm) is that the country never recovered from its 1914-1945 suicide/traumatizing decolonization. I guess we could use a little more nationalism, a little more strenght in our supposed values (equality, laicity, unity of the state,...), a little more pride. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-19 10:32:27 AM |
| #2 Explain yourself closer Anonymus, and what country are you from? |
| Posted by: Murat 2003-11-19 10:02:19 AM |
| #1 General impression on theses? Whatever can be said about Turkey, one thing remains certain : unlike many others european nations (including mine; note that I am a castrat myself), they still haven't been neutered by political correctness, relativism, avoidance of conflicts, and all of the others "benefits" of being a post-modern society. I'm going to irrate Murat, but it is a time trip, like looking at a pre-1914 France or Belgium. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-19 9:33:30 AM |