Down below you will find a summary of topics from major Turkish papers and internet sites.
FM Davutoğlu says Turkey has turned a critical corner during Gezi protests
In reference to the Gezi Park protests, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is reported to have said yesterday that Turkey has turned a critical corner like the ones in the past. Foreign Ministry has asked embassies to prepare reports about how the protests were perceived out of Turkey.
Davutoğlu commented that the incidents were critical and his ministry had urged representations abroad to prepare reports over the perception in other countries saying “I demanded a report detailing which efforts these countries took to create a perception against Turkey and which instruments were used in this process and what our embassies did, what our citizens’ reactions were”
He added “A magnitude-4 earthquake shakes everyone but it also prepares for the bigger ones. This one did not shake us but reminded of something,” he said. “This is an experience. Our government will analyze these like an anatomy.”
Will Turkey-Eu relations hit the wall if chapter vetoed by EU
On the way to full integration to EU Turkey keeps facing obstacles. Most recently, a strong possibility that the opening of the “regional policies” chapter may be suspended by Germany and the Netherlands has emerged.
If this comes true EU may have to face a real strong reaction from Turkey such as the political dialogue between two parties being suspended by Turkey.
A senior diplomat has commented “if EU recejts opening of the chapter, our relations with the EU will return to their 1997 level”.
Turkey had suspended political dialogue with the EU in December 1997 after its candidacy for full membership was rejected at the Luxembourg Summit of the union.
Turkey’s Deputy PM says reports over resignation from the ruling party are scenarios
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc on Thursday denied media reports that he had decided to resign from his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party but was dissuaded by the Turkish president.
He said “The news story that appeared in the Taraf newspaper is groundless. I state with such sadness that this isn’t a product of a good will,” said Arinc in a written statement.
The news story alleged that Arinc stormed out of a cabinet meeting on June 10 after a tense row with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Gezi Park protests, and that he was dissuaded by President Abdullah Gul from resigning.
“We have discussed many inclusding the Gezi Park protests in that cabinet meeting. Alternative solution proposals were covered,” he said.
Iraqi Kurds announce new oil pipeline to Turkish border
Iraqi Kurdistan will start a new oil pipeline to Turkey within months, its energy minister, Ashti Hawrami, told a conference in London yesterday, increasing the autonomous region’s control over its resources in a dispute with Baghdad, as reported by Reuters.
A Turkish source stated yesterday that the planned pipeline would not cross the border. Some companies were about to finalize an agreement to carry the KRG oil near the southeastern Turkish border, the Turkish source said, adding that any company could ask authorization to build a pipeline from inside a country to the borderline.
Such a move, which was announced by Hawrami, will provoke Baghdad, energy sources said. Hawrami noted that the KRG would complete the pipeline by the end of September with an initial capacity of 300,000 barrels per day (bpd). With the further construction of new pumping stations, the pipeline would be able to export more than 1 million bpd by the end of 2015 and 2 million bpd by 2019, Hawrami said, Reuters reported.
Istanbul projects to be decided by residents
Istanbul mayor Kadir Topbas said his municipality will explain all projects to c and get their opinions on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists, Topbas said Istanbul municipality laid off four workers from jobs and terminated business deals with three subcontractors who are accused of burning the protesters’ tents in Gezi Park in the first days of the events.
Topbas also said, several shops, enterprises, first and foremost the tourism sector, suffered great losses because of the protests.
He added that he would send letters to international media, NGOs and municipalities all over the world to explain truths about Gezi Park with evidences.
20.06.2013
SOURCE: MEDIA
We do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.
