Türkİye

Turkish Press Review

Friday’s papers cover election campaigning and claims that U.S.-led training for Syrian opposition forces in Turkey has begun

29.05.2015 - Update : 29.05.2015
Turkish Press Review

ISTANBUL

Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Friday’s newspapers dedicated their front pages to political party leaders’ campaign efforts only days ahead of Turkey’s June 7 general election.

Some papers also wrote about claims that a joint Turkish/U.S. training program for Syrian opposition fighters had finally begun.

Papers also reported Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks over proposals for a presidential system.

MILLIYET ran the headline: “Half of the G20 [countries] are ruled by the presidential system,” quoting Erdogan’s remarks.

“If the presidential system was a system which drives countries back, why would all these countries use this system?” Erdogan told a general assembly meeting of the Turkish Bus Federation in Ankara on Thursday. 

A constitutional amendment or a new constitution would be needed to set up a presidential system in Turkey.

In other news, HABERTURK ran the headline: “It [ruling AK Party] will declare war against Syria.”

The daily citied People’s Democratic Party co-chair Selahattin Demirtas’ remarks made during a rally in the southern Hatay province: “The AK Party will declare war against Syria after the election. It will make the army enter Syria.”

“The way is to avert this, is HDP passing the [electoral] threshold,” Demirtas said.

Under the current constitution, political parties need to win 10 percent of the vote nationally to enter parliament. It is the first time that the HDP, following a traditional pro-Kurdish stance but reaching out with an emphasis on rights and freedoms, has fought an election as a party rather than as a collection of independent candidates.

HABERTURK ran the headline: “Syrians will return home,” referring to main opposition Republican People’s Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu’s remarks.

Speaking to the newspaper he said: “We will establish peace in the Middle East and send two million Syrians back to their country.”

Kilicdaroglu added: “If you do not interfere in Syria’s internal affairs and do not send weapons to Syria, then the problem will be resolved.”

In other news, VATAN reported that U.S. military officers had started training moderate Syrian opposition forces in Turkey’s central province of Kirsehir.

“2,000 opposition members will be trained and sent to Syria in three years,” the paper wrote.

Turkey signed an agreement with the U.S. in February to train and equip moderate Syrian fighters as a part of its effort in the U.S.-led coalition fighting Daesh.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan have also agreed to join the effort to train the Syrian opposition, with Jordan already announcing that its program has already begun.

For the same story, HURRIYET wrote: “Train-equip [program] has started in Turkey.”

In economic news, DUNYA wrote: "The world's wealthiest countries gather for global economy and Greece."

It reported that countries at a G7 meeting held in Dresden, Germany looked for ways to strengthen the global economy. At the gathering, it said, the U.S. called on Europe to find a solution to end the crisis in Greece.

Greece is close to running out of funds to run its banks and public services. Credit rating agency Moody's said in a note last week that funds could run out as early as mid-June.

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