MIDEAST MIRROR 17.02.17, SECTION C (TURKEY & IRAN)
1-From today’s Turkish press
CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN: Bekir Coskun portrays an existential struggle in secular tabloid Sozcu: "Are strengthening parliament and the legal system not the two most irrevocable issues for someone who wants to strengthen the Turkish Republic? Yet President Erdogan is demolishing them. If the referendum results in a 'yes', the laws will be made in the presidential palace, which means the end of parliament. If the referendum results in a 'yes', Erdogan will be the legal system, which means the end of law. People should not look at this as a constitutional amendment; rather it is a vote on whether the Republic will exist or disappear. We will say 'no' to those who want to demolish the republic that means enlightenment, civilization and peace."
Emre Kongar details the dangers of a ‘Partisan State’ in secular, Kemalist Cumhuriyet: "The identification of the state with one party, the handover of the entire state apparatus, together with the judiciary, legislature and executive, to one party is one of the purest forms of fascism. We have already experienced this in its bloodiest form in Europe, in Germany and Italy’s recent history! Unfortunately, the constitutional amendment proposal that will be put to vote in April 16th referendum also contains articles that will end the Turkish republican regime and establish a ‘Partisan State’. First, the president will be partisan, and not just an ordinary partisan figure, of course, but the ruling party's leader and chairman. Second, the partisan president will appoint his deputies, and these appointees will be using the powers of the elected president and managing the people when necessary. Third, the ministers selected by the partisan president will not be accountable to parliament. Fourth, if he does not like the laws adopted by parliament, the partisan president will manage the country by decree."
Mehmet Tezkan points to the Syrian experience in centrist Milliyet: "Let me explain myself: the government says that the important thing is the future of Turkey, its ‘2071 vision’. Fine, but is there any guarantee that in 2045 the excessive powers envisaged by the constitutional proposal will not be passed on to someone who is a fascist, racist or dictator? The government says that it is an insult to the nation to say that it can elect a wrong man, and that this nation will elect the right person. Fine, but Syrian President Assad was also elected. Are our Arab brothers who elected Assad stupid? Are Arabs unable to elect the right man? Have they no ability to elect the right man?"
Emin Pazarci is confident of a ‘yes’ vote in center-right, pro-government Aksam: "Erdogan alone received more than 50 per cent of votes in the last presidential election. At the time, everyone was against him, including the MHP [Nationalist Movement Party]. Now, the MHP supports the presidential system. No one should contradict me by saying that the MHP electorate will say ‘no’ at the referendum. This is an insult to the electorate of the MHP, which is an ideological party, and which is paying a high price for supporting the presidential system in the name of this ideology! In addition, the MHP electorate cannot support such entities as the HDP [pro-Kurdish left alliance Peoples' Democratic Party], PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party], and PYD [Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party]. Do not say either: 'But FETO [Gulen movement] is working hard for a 'no' at the referendum.' This organization went to every length, including a coup, when it was most powerful, but it failed. It cannot be more effective in its current state today. The same can be said of the HDP. It does not have its former power and reputation. This leaves only the CHP [main opposition Republican People's Party] that is putting up strong resistance. However, if one looks at its leader Kilicdaroglu's statements, it seems that he is not very hopeful either. This picture is enough to declare the result of the referendum from now!"
TURKEY/U.S./RUSSIA: Taha Akyol calls for skillful diplomacy in center-right Hurriyet: "Even though U.S. President Trump is not going to storm around as he did during his electoral campaign, it is clear that his views on the status of Jerusalem as well as Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, have not changed. Turkey is facing foreign policy problems, especially when it comes to Iraq and Syria. Just as we must revitalize our 'alliance' relations with America, we must also establish relations with Egypt in the Middle East, and our relations with Russia must also be developed. It is a thousand times better to influence our relations by talking them through than to strain them by quarrelling. It is necessary to carry out skillful diplomacy, add to the number of our friends, and to avoid adopting a heroic stance in public rallies."
Mehmet Barlas is concerned about the Trump administration’s unpredictability in centrist, pro-government Sabah: "Finally, we saw that the U.S. was supporting the PKK's extension PYD, and that it continued to host FETO despite everything. For this reason, the fact that there is America's finger in the July 15th [2016] coup attempt has gained weight. Now, the new American administration and the American shadow government are confused. The fact that after his improbable election as president, Donald Trump reiterated what he said during his election campaign has confused both his country and the whole world. Organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, NATO and NAFTA are in crisis over the fact that they cannot predict what America’s new politics will be. To sum it up, the U.S., which used to guide the whole world, looks like a helpless ship on a journey with no direction."
The Iranian press does not appear on Friday
MIDEAST MIRROR 17.02.17, SECTION C (TURKEY & IRAN)
1- From today’s Turkish press
CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN: Bekir Coskun portrays an existential struggle in secular tabloid Sozcu: "Are strengthening parliament and the legal system not the two most irrevocable issues for someone who wants to strengthen the Turkish Republic? Yet President Erdogan is demolishing them. If the referendum results in a 'yes', the laws will be made in the presidential palace, which means the end of parliament. If the referendum results in a 'yes', Erdogan will be the legal system, which means the end of law. People should not look at this as a constitutional amendment; rather it is a vote on whether the Republic will exist or disappear. We will say 'no' to those who want to demolish the republic that means enlightenment, civilization and peace."
Emre Kongar details the dangers of a ‘Partisan State’ in secular, Kemalist Cumhuriyet: "The identification of the state with one party, the handover of the entire state apparatus, together with the judiciary, legislature and executive, to one party is one of the purest forms of fascism. We have already experienced this in its bloodiest form in Europe, in Germany and Italy’s recent history! Unfortunately, the constitutional amendment proposal that will be put to vote in April 16th referendum also contains articles that will end the Turkish republican regime and establish a ‘Partisan State’. First, the president will be partisan, and not just an ordinary partisan figure, of course, but the ruling party's leader and chairman. Second, the partisan president will appoint his deputies, and these appointees will be using the powers of the elected president and managing the people when necessary. Third, the ministers selected by the partisan president will not be accountable to parliament. Fourth, if he does not like the laws adopted by parliament, the partisan president will manage the country by decree."
Mehmet Tezkan points to the Syrian experience in centrist Milliyet: "Let me explain myself: the government says that the important thing is the future of Turkey, its ‘2071 vision’. Fine, but is there any guarantee that in 2045 the excessive powers envisaged by the constitutional proposal will not be passed on to someone who is a fascist, racist or dictator? The government says that it is an insult to the nation to say that it can elect a wrong man, and that this nation will elect the right person. Fine, but Syrian President Assad was also elected. Are our Arab brothers who elected Assad stupid? Are Arabs unable to elect the right man? Have they no ability to elect the right man?"
Emin Pazarci is confident of a ‘yes’ vote in center-right, pro-government Aksam: "Erdogan alone received more than 50 per cent of votes in the last presidential election. At the time, everyone was against him, including the MHP [Nationalist Movement Party]. Now, the MHP supports the presidential system. No one should contradict me by saying that the MHP electorate will say ‘no’ at the referendum. This is an insult to the electorate of the MHP, which is an ideological party, and which is paying a high price for supporting the presidential system in the name of this ideology! In addition, the MHP electorate cannot support such entities as the HDP [pro-Kurdish left alliance Peoples' Democratic Party], PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party], and PYD [Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party]. Do not say either: 'But FETO [Gulen movement] is working hard for a 'no' at the referendum.' This organization went to every length, including a coup, when it was most powerful, but it failed. It cannot be more effective in its current state today. The same can be said of the HDP. It does not have its former power and reputation. This leaves only the CHP [main opposition Republican People's Party] that is putting up strong resistance. However, if one looks at its leader Kilicdaroglu's statements, it seems that he is not very hopeful either. This picture is enough to declare the result of the referendum from now!"
TURKEY/U.S./RUSSIA: Taha Akyol calls for skillful diplomacy in center-right Hurriyet: "Even though U.S. President Trump is not going to storm around as he did during his electoral campaign, it is clear that his views on the status of Jerusalem as well as Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, have not changed. Turkey is facing foreign policy problems, especially when it comes to Iraq and Syria. Just as we must revitalize our 'alliance' relations with America, we must also establish relations with Egypt in the Middle East, and our relations with Russia must also be developed. It is a thousand times better to influence our relations by talking them through than to strain them by quarrelling. It is necessary to carry out skillful diplomacy, add to the number of our friends, and to avoid adopting a heroic stance in public rallies."
Mehmet Barlas is concerned about the Trump administration’s unpredictability in centrist, pro-government Sabah: "Finally, we saw that the U.S. was supporting the PKK's extension PYD, and that it continued to host FETO despite everything. For this reason, the fact that there is America's finger in the July 15th [2016] coup attempt has gained weight. Now, the new American administration and the American shadow government are confused. The fact that after his improbable election as president, Donald Trump reiterated what he said during his election campaign has confused both his country and the whole world. Organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, NATO and NAFTA are in crisis over the fact that they cannot predict what America’s new politics will be. To sum it up, the U.S., which used to guide the whole world, looks like a helpless ship on a journey with no direction."
The Iranian press does not appear on Friday.
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