Parliament's busy agenda, prime minister's late-night check

07 February 2011, Monday

Tension is gradually increasing in the Turkish Parliament, which will recess at the end of March due to the upcoming general elections. Party leaders are toughening their tone and making offending remarks that affect deputies as well.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is probing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s perfume expenses and his interest in personal care products. Criticizing Kılıçdaroğlu for being so brazen and unashamed about his mistakes, Erdoğan warned that if Kılıçdaroğlu continues his capricious behavior he will not be taken seriously.

During one period in the past, Erdoğan had decided to ignore CHP leader Deniz Baykal and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and had vowed not to utter their names even in criticism.

The friction between party leaders is making deputies, who are worried about being re-elected to a seat in Parliament, more aggressive. While some deputies, particularly those with a background in academia, have announced that they will not run for Parliament again, deputies who are seeking re-election are making unexpected remarks. Inspired by the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, 10 CHP deputies called on the Turkish public to take to the streets and show resistance to the government. The attempt was seen by many as an effort to win the leader’s approval and become nominated as a candidate for deputy.

But the CHP leader was not very impressed by the move.

There were other upsetting developments for Kılıçdaroğlu as well. An example was the attempt to surround Parliament to protest the sack law that is being discussed in the general assembly.

But the next bill Parliament is set to handle will be even more upsetting for the CHP leader. The bill that foresees increasing the number of chambers and members in the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State is causing unbelievable agony for not just the CHP leader but for all neo-nationalists and even the top administration of the MHP.

While the bill was being discussed in the parliamentary Justice Commission last week, CHP deputies quit their membership in the commission, which was an unprecedented move in Parliament. It was the first time deputies had resigned from a commission just to obstruct the commission’s work. If the attempt to blockade Parliament to protest the sack law had been successful, the opposition would have taken the same steps for the bill regarding the Supreme Court of Appeals. There is speculation that the opposition will try to conduct demonstrations around Parliament again as well as seek other measures.

But the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government is determined to enact the bill to relieve the higher judiciary’s heavy workload. According to the timetable that was carefully devised, Parliament was supposed to finish debating the sack law on Wednesday and start debating the bill on the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State the same day. But the timetable was not met. Parliament was supposed to finish handling the seventh part of the nine-part sack law on Friday. But instead it finished the fifth part. Noting that they are going to put Plan B into action, an AK Party executive said: “Fortunately, we have the opportunity to make up for this. By starting the work period a day early, we will be able to close the gap on Monday.” If the delay was any longer, the AK Party might have withdrawn the sack law in order to start talks on the Supreme Court of Appeals-related bill. Prime Minister Erdoğan appears very resolute with regard to the judicial reform that both the CHP and the MHP want to block.

During the part of Tuesday’s group meeting that was closed to the press, Erdoğan asked his deputies to maximize efforts to ensure that Parliament functions effectively for the next two months. Deputies with whom we spoke after the closed meeting said: “We are starting a period in which we are going to work day and night again. The prime minister wants to stand before the public with the bills passed.”

Erdoğan is so steadfast about working hard that he even checked up on deputies in Parliament in the middle of the night upon returning from a trip to Kyrgyzstan.

Misery in the MHP headquarters

Party headquarters are like a pre-election barometer. The excitement in all important opposition parties, including smaller parties with a disposition to grow, becomes clear months before the elections.

But when I visited MHP headquarters with the intent to see the excitement in the party, I did not observe the enthusiasm that an opposition party should have. On the contrary, there was a dull and gloomy atmosphere.

While speaking with MHP deputies, I noted that the lack of enthusiasm in the party headquarters was not a good sign. While some candidly voiced their misery others said: “No, you must be mistaken. We are very excited and very hopeful.”

A friend of mine who is not thinking of running for Parliament again said: “Everyone is bothered by the impression that the party has lost energy and votes while in opposition. I can see this clearly in my polling district.”

Another deputy said he was having trouble convincing his own wife and children to vote for the party.

MHP leader Bahçeli had asked every member of the party to persuade five friends from elementary school, five friends from middle school, five friends from high school, five friends from military service and five friends from his neighborhood to vote for the MHP. But forget having every member bring 25 new voters, the MHP is having trouble keeping its current constituents, and several members are even resigning from the party due to various policies that have been enforced and problems that have occurred within the party. The decisions of the Gaziantep organization, the Beypazarı mayor and Bahçeli’s own adviser to leave the party are some of the resignations that have had a cold-shower effect on the party.

Does the “fatigued” MHP really have a threshold problem?

A MHP deputy who is also a friend of mine answered this question in these words: “Forget the election problem, we cannot even tolerate the loss of a single point. Our biggest setback is the inability to criticize party discipline and the leader’s authority. Facts are not voiced so as not to upset Mr. Bahçeli, but it’s becoming clearer every day what we will experience on June 13.”

The MHP, which will compete against the CHP to become the main opposition party, is unhappy that it faces the risk of becoming a smaller instead of a bigger party.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-234742-parliaments-busy-agenda-prime-ministers-late-night-check.html.

Cold winds blow between Turkey, KKTC after protest

07 February 2011, Monday

A protest against austerity measures in Turkish Cyprus has strained ties between Ankara and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lashed out at anti-Turkey slogans, bluntly pointing out that Turkish soldiers died to protect Turkish Cypriots and that it is the Turkish financial assistance that helps the KKTC authorities pay the salaries of civil servants.

Erdoğan's remarks, made during a visit to Kyrgyzstan last week, have divided Turkish Cypriot politicians. Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister İrsen Küçük said Erdoğan's reaction reflected Erdoğan's deep sadness over the anti-Turkey placards during the Jan. 28 protest, while three opposition leaders have issued a joint statement condemning Erdoğan's remarks. President Derviş Eroğlu, for his part, said the Turkish reaction to some of the slogans, which he said could be considered “insulting,” was natural but also noted that some of this reaction stemmed from “misinformation” about the situation on the island.

“Ankara, take your hands off us; this land is ours, we will run it” and “Ankara, we don’t want your money or [austerity] package” were some of the messages the protesters wrote on placards on Jan. 28. In Kyrgyzstan, Erdoğan said protesters told Turkey to “get out” and said it was meaningful that those who rely on Turkey for their salaries come up with such a protest. “Who are you to tell me to get out? I have martyrs [who died during Turkey’s 1974 intervention in Cyprus to protect Turkish Cypriots from Greek Cypriot attacks], I have strategic interests,” Erdoğan said. “We are supporting Turkish Cyprus. Shouldn’t this be reciprocated?”

He also said the lowest salary for a Turkish Cypriot civil servant was TL 10,000 -- a figure later disputed by Eroğlu, who said as president, even he does not make that much money.

The dispute raised prospects of a revision in policy towards the KKTC. The issue is likely to come up when the Cabinet gathers for a regular meeting today.

Turkey annually transfers TL 450 million to help the Turkish Cypriot economy, which has been isolated from the rest of the world for about three decades due to an international trade embargo. This year, the KKTC government estimated the budget deficit at TL 600 million and prepared a package of austerity measures to meet TL 150 million of that deficit, which resulted in up to 40 percent cuts in civil servant salaries. The Turkish donation of TL 450 million will also be used in meeting the budget targets. In addition to the donation, three public banks also transferred 10 percent of their revenue to the KKTC to help raise living standards on the island.

Greek Cyprus linkage

On Sunday, both Erdoğan and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek, who is in charge of relations with the KKTC, appeared to put the blame on Turkish Cypriot groups that they said have links with the Greek Cypriot administration.

“What happened is the act of a group that has links with the south [Greek Cyprus],” Erdoğan told reporters before departing for the southern province of Hatay, where he later took part in a ceremony to launch construction of a dam on the border with Syria.

Çiçek, speaking to Today’s Zaman, said protesters worked in cooperation with “elements supported by the Progressive Party of Working People [AKEL],” the former party of Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias. The Greek Cypriot administration, on the other hand, denied any link with Turkish Cypriot protesters on Sunday, with Greek Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou claiming that the Turkish Cypriot protesters sent a message to Turkey about “Turkey’s illegal presence” on Cyprus, referring to about 35,000 Turkish troops deployed in Turkish Cyprus since 1974.

Çiçek blamed “bad management” of the economy for the current austerity measures in the KKTC. “One of the main problems of the KKTC economy is mismanagement of the funds coming from Turkey. When the global economic crisis came on top of this, the Turkish Cypriot government had to take some measures. But trade unions and opposition parties blame Turkey for this,” Çiçek told Today’s Zaman, also accusing Turkish Cypriot leaders of remaining silent in face of protests against Turkey until Erdoğan spoke out.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-234733-cold-winds-blow-between-turkey-kktc-after-protest.html.

PM Erdoğan calls for transitional gov't for Egypt

07 February 2011, Monday

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for a transitional administration in Egypt, which he says will help the shift to democracy and prevent further chaos and bloodshed in the Arab country.

Erdoğan called on the Egyptian authorities to pave the way for a democratic transition in the shortest time possible while talking to reporters in İstanbul at the airport before his departure to Hatay to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of a joint dam with Syria on early Sunday. “If this succeeds, people will certainly embrace such a result. But one needs to prepare the grounds for this,” the prime minister said. Erdoğan noted that there should be a trusted authority, such as a transitional administration, to oversee the change. “Achieving this will help everything there,” Erdoğan stressed. Asked about his telephone conversation with US President Barack Obama on Friday, the second in a week, Erdoğan said they agreed on things related to Egypt during their telephone conversation, and urged the Egyptian authorities to heed the democratic demands of their people without delay.

A White House statement said late Friday that Obama spoke to Erdoğan by phone, one in a series of ongoing consultations between the close allies. The statement said that the two leaders discussed the unfolding events in Egypt and their shared commitment to a future that realizes the aspirations of the Egyptian people. “President Obama and Prime Minister Erdoğan agreed that the US and Turkey would continue to consult closely as events unfold in Egypt and on our broader shared agenda,” it said.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters in Munich on Saturday that Obama and Erdoğan agreed on Friday, during their discussion on Egypt, that the foreign ministers of the two countries would “comprehensively discuss” the turmoil in Egypt on the sidelines of the 47th Munich Security Conference.

Obama first called Erdoğan last Saturday, days after the upheaval in Egypt began and both leaders “have agreed that people’s demands for legitimate and natural democratic rights should be recognized by their leaders,” a Prime Ministry statement said.

“All we want is that democratic will of the Egyptian people regarding their rights and freedoms be addressed,” Erdoğan told reporters on Sunday, stating Turkey’s position on the Egyptian unrest.

Following days of official silence, on Tuesday Erdoğan, the most admired political figure across the Arab world, speaking before his deputies, strongly urged Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, to heed the demands of his people and advance the democratic rights of Egyptians. Mubarak has ruled his country with an iron fist for 30 years.

Erdoğan said on Sunday that addressing people’s demands in Egypt is also extremely important for the prosperity and tranquility of the region. “Stability in Egypt will also affect the region very positively,” he said. Noting that he is following the developments in the region closely and sees the determination of the Egyptian people, Erdoğan said the determination to bring about change is not only on the streets of Cairo but is sweeping other regions, too.

Opposition leaders started holding talks with the Egyptian government on Sunday following 12 days of unceasing protests in several cities across Egypt calling on Mubarak to relinquish power. Starting last Wednesday, allegedly government-orchestrated pro-Mubarak mobs attacked protesters, resulting in more than 100 deaths. The total death toll since the beginning of the protests, Jan. 25, has reached to 300, according to UN estimates. Top officials from Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP), including the president’s son, Gamal Mubarak, have resigned from the party, signaling that the party will not maintain its grip during and after the September elections. Mubarak is insisting on remaining in power until the elections.

Erdoğan attributed all these negative developments to problems related to the current Egyptian administration. He said these protests are not a “limited phenomenon” but are a result of the prevalent discontent among the general public, adding that he hopes the killings and bloodshed will be stopped.

The prime minister also talked on the phone with his Greek counterpart, George Papandreou, largely discussing the recent developments in Egypt, the Prime Ministry Press Office reported on Sunday.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-234730-pm-erdogan-calls-for-transitional-govt-for-egypt.html.

Top Jordan website offline; security services blamed

Jordan's most popular news website, Ammonnews, accused the security services on Monday of taking it offline after it published a statement that denounced "a crisis of authority" in the kingdom

AFP, Monday 7 Feb 2011

"Ammonnews was completely hacked and closed down. Only the Jordanian security services have the technical capacity to do this," chief editor Basel Okoor told AFP.
"We received today (a message) that said: 'You are working against the interests of the state, we are going to hack you', which was the case a few minutes later," Okoor said.

Calling up the Ammonnews home page on Monday produced this message in Arabic: "Ammon's management announces the site has been shut down by order of the security services."

Okoor said the personal email accounts of his staff had been hacked as well, and that they no longer had "technical access" to the site.

Ammon on Sunday said it had been the target of "piracy and anonymous attacks" for having published a statement by 36 prominent individuals from the major tribes in Jordan that are the backbone of the kingdom.

The statement -- issued against the backdrop of mass protests in Egypt -- spoke of a "crisis of authority" and "profound corruption" in Jordan, adding that the kingdom would "sooner or later" face a popular revolt.

Ammonnews was Jordan's first news site when it launched in 2006. Fifty others have since sprung up, but Ammonnews remains the most popular with 250,000 daily visitors, according to data from web traffic monitor Alexa.

Popular discontent in Jordan has manifested itself in several protest rallies against rising prices and corruption, although none have called for regime change.

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5164.aspx.

Jordan PM faces popular revolt warning

Jordan's new Prime Minister faces potential upheaval less than a week after appointment

AFP, Monday 7 Feb 2011

Less than a week after his appointment, Jordan's new premier is facing potential upheaval, with the Islamist opposition refusing to join his government and key tribes warning of a popular revolt.

Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit is trying to form a cabinet tasked with pushing through reforms to counter popular discontent inspired by Tunisia's revolt and ongoing anti-regime protests in Egypt.

Bakhit has met MPs, senators, trade unions as well as the powerful Islamist movement, which said on Sunday it has rejected an offer to join the new government after questioning the prime minister's reformist credentials.

At the same time, 36 members of major tribes, which form the backbone of the regime in Jordan, condemned the country's "crisis of authority" and corruption, warning of a popular revolt.

"We did not discuss the details of the offer, but all what I can say is that taking part in this government under the current circumstances is out of the question," Hamzah Mansur, leader of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, told AFP.

"We are not asking for miracles. Our demands are realistic, practical and do-able. We demand early general polls in line with a new electoral law."

The tribal leaders joined the Islamists in their demands.

"We call for a modern electoral law based on consultations with all political forces in Jordan, enhancing freedoms and the formation of a national salvation government to oversee a transparent parliamentary election," they said in a joint statement.

The tribes represent nearly 40 percent of the Jordanian population, and their role is vital in the country's politics and stability.

Their loyalty to the Hashemite ruling family has been crucial in times of crisis over the past century.

The IAF, which has been pushing for more political reforms, boycotted the last general election in November in protest at constituency boundaries set up under a new electoral law, which it said over-represented rural areas considered loyal to the government.

When Bakhit was appointed on Tuesday, the Islamist opposition objected to King Abdullah II's choice, saying the premier is not a reformist. But Islamist leaders expressed satisfaction on Friday after meeting both him and the king.

Bakhit said on Saturday that his cabinet -- which he hopes to have in place by next Thursday -- would "include personalities who are credible and close to the people."

The king instructed the 64-year-old career soldier and former prime minister to undertake a sweeping program of political and economic reforms following weeks of street protests.

Popular discontent in Jordan has led to several protests, inspired by the revolts which have ousted Tunisia's strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and threatened the regime of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.

"Jordan will sooner or later be the target of an uprising similar to the ones in Tunisia and Egypt due to suppression of freedoms and looting of public funds," the tribal leaders said.

They warned against the "interference in executive decisions by those who have no constitutional powers," in an apparent reference to Queen Rania, wife of King Abdullah.

"The queen is building centers to boost her power and serve her interests, against the will of Jordanians and Hashemites," the leaders said, comparing her to the wife of ousted Tunisian president Ben Ali.

The group said the country suffers from a "crisis of authority" and growing influence of "corrupt businessmen in the entourage of the executive power, affecting political decisions and ignoring national interest."

They called for a "trial of the corrupt who have looted the country and public funds, regardless of who they are and irrespective of their rank and importance."

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5125.aspx.

Jordanian tribal figures criticize queen, demand reform

By Tim Lister, CNN
February 6, 2011

Amman, Jordan (CNN) -- In unprecedented criticism of Jordan's royal family, three dozen prominent Jordanian tribal figures issued an urgent call for reform Sunday and warned that the country may follow Tunisia and Egypt into turmoil without it.

The statement from 36 members of the country's major tribes attacked what they called the interference of Queen Rania in running the country. The queen, "her sycophants and the power centers that surround her" are dividing Jordanians and "stealing from the country and the people," the letter states.

The tribal figures said they were sending a clear message to King Abdullah II. They warned that if corruption was not prosecuted and reform was not implemented, "similar events to those in Tunisia and Egypt and other Arab countries will occur." The internet and satellite television had overcome the ability of regimes to stifle the thirst for information, the statement said.

There has been no response from the royal palace to the statement, which was posted on a popular Jordanian website. But the website, ammonnews.net, later complained that it had been the target of "intentional hacking" and that the statement had been removed.

Jordan's tribes make up about 40% of the country's population and are seen as the bedrock of support for the Hashemite monarchy that has ruled the country for nearly a century.

Though it was not clear whether all the signers were speaking for their tribes, such criticism of the monarchy is rare in Jordan -- recent street protests that criticized the government stopped short of calling for King Abdullah II to step down.

Abdullah marks twelve years on the throne this month, but faces growing criticism among Jordanians amid a recession and allegations of widespread corruption among officials. He dismissed his Cabinet last week, acknowledging that corruption needed to be tackled and political reforms urgently pursued.

Rania, 40, has been married to Abdullah for 17 years. She has had a high profile at home and internationally and has been involved in a number of charitable causes, including youth unemployment.

The tribal leaders said Sunday that allegations of corruption by Layla Trabelsi -- the wife of longtime Tunisian strongman Zine El Abedine Ben Ali, who was forced into exile by a popular revolt in January -- and by Egyptian first lady Suzanne Mubarak have been "the catalyst of populist movements" in those countries. What has happened in Jordan is even worse, the statement said.

"We refuse the squandering of public money and aid to polish her own personal image at the expense of the nation," the statement said. The signatories demanded a breakdown of how aid money from the United States and European Union was being spent and called for a new election law and greater media freedom.

Resentment of Rania, who is Palestinian, is not new among Jordan's Bedouin tribes, but has risen sharply. In recent days, tribal sources have expressed to CNN their resentment about what they perceive as her lavish lifestyle and her interference in politics.

Source: CNN.
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/06/jordan.monarchy/?hpt=T2.

Jordan tribes slam 'crisis of authority'

A group of members of major tribes, which form the backbone of the regime in Jordan, condemned the country's "crisis of authority" and corruption, warning of a popular revolt

AFP, Sunday 6 Feb 2011

"Jordan will sooner or later be the target of an uprising similar to the ones in Tunisia and Egypt due to suppression of freedoms and looting of public funds," 36 tribal leaders said in a joint statement.

They warned against the "interference in executive decisions by those who have no constitutional powers," in an apparent reference to Queen Rania, wife of Jordan's King Abdullah II.

"The queen is building centers to boost her power and serve her interests, against the will of Jordanians and Hashemites," the leaders said, comparing her to the wife of ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The tribes represent nearly 40 percent of the Jordanian population and their role is vital in the country's politics and stability. Their loyalty to the Hashemite ruling family has been crucial in times of crises in the past century.

The group said the country suffers from a "crisis of authority" and growing influence of "corrupt businessmen in the entourage of the executive power, affecting political decisions and ignoring national interest."

They called for a "trial of the corrupt who have looted the country and public funds, regardless of who they are and irrespective of their rank and importance."
"We call for a modern electoral law based on consultations with all political forces in Jordan, enhancing freedoms and the formation of a national salvation government to oversee a transparent parliamentary election."

A popular news website, ammonnews.net, said on Sunday it was the target of "anonymous (Internet) piracy and attacks" for publishing the statement.

"The statement has been mysteriously removed from our site, which was attacked. We have been informed by some parties that we will be sued for publishing the statement," Basel Akur, the site's editor, told AFP.

Popular discontent in Jordan has led to several protests, inspired by revolts which have ousted Tunisia's strongman Ben Ali and threaten the regime of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.

Source: Ahram.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/5095.aspx.