CHIEF JUSTICE TUGCU: "CRITICISMS OF OUR DECISION SHOULD BE BASED ON THE CONSTITUTION"
Speaking at a pres conference yesterday, Constitutional Court Chief Justice Tulay Tugcu said that the court's recent ruling leading to an aborted presidential election was open to criticism, but that such criticisms should be legal, scholarly and based on the Constitution. She stressed that in democracies, the powers and responsibilities of all institutions are spelled out. Tugcu added that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's criticisms of the court's ruling were incompatible with the responsibility and seriousness he should display as a statesman. /Turkiye/
BAYKAL: "ERDOGAN IS DAMAGING THE NATION'S STABILITY"
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent remarks about the Constitutional Court ruling which resulted in an aborted presidential election. "The prime minister is hurting stability," said Baykal. "First of all, the prime minister has a very serious problem of wording. He has an appearance which is imposing and divorced from common sense. His remarks show that he has shed the last vestige of civilized understanding. Turkey has a problem with the prime minister. The main wrecker of stability mentioned by everybody is the prime minister. For the first time in the republic's history, a high court has filed a criminal complaint against a prime minister." /Cumhuriyet/
DOGRAMACI RECEIVES MEDAL OF HONOR AT PARLIAMENT
Bilkent University Rector Ihsan Dogramaci yesterday received a medal of honor at a ceremony held at Parliament. Present at the award ceremony were Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Education Minister Huseyin Celik, and State Minister Besir Atalay. /Sabah/
EU'S REHN: "CONTINUING TURKEY'S TALKS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE EU'S REPUTATION"
French President Sarkozy's dropping his opposition to Turkey opening the next phase of its European Union negotiations and sending his national security adviser Jean-David Levitte to Turkey got coverage in the European media this week. The Times of London wrote of Sarkozy, "Tough guy melts into soft-shoe shuffler," while a headline in Britain's Financial Times said, "France gives Turkish EU hopes reprieve." The paper also wrote about the domestic tension in Turkey, saying, "But against the backdrop of the recent face-off between the Turkish army and the governing AKP, many diplomats say that a coup or even an incursion by the Turkish army into northern Iraq would signify the demise of Turkey's membership hopes." Meanwhile, European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn praised Sarkozy letting three more chapters of Ankara's talks go forward unopposed, saying that continuing Ankara's negotiations was important for the Union's reputation of trustworthiness. /Star/
VATICAN VOICES SUPPORT FOR TURKEY'S EU BID
Speaking yesterday in Rome, Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone said that Turkey had made great progress in its European Union membership bid. "A dialogue of nations and governments in accordance with the basic principles of coexistence could be established," he said, adding that this could be achieved with Turkey's EU membership. /Sabah/
GENERAL STAFF SECURITY SYMPOSIUM TO BEGIN TODAY
A General Staff symposium on "New Aspects of Security and International Organizations" is scheduled to begin today. Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit is set to make the opening speech at the gathering. Some 800 representatives from 55 countries are expected to attend. /Turkiye/