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Turkish Press Review, 01-03-02
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
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<td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> Press
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<td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080"> Turkish
Press</td>
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<td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080"> Foreign
Press in Turkey</td>
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<td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080" bgcolor="#F0F0F0"> Turkish
Press Review >></td>
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<td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080"> Press
Guide</td>
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Summary of the political and economic
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<td width="100%">02.03.2001</td>
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CONTENTS
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CONTENTS
[01] A FUND TO BE ESTABLISHED TO SAFEGUARD THE STOCK
EXCHANGE
[02] INTERNATIONAL OLYMPICS COMMITTEE TO VISIT ISTANBUL
IN MARCH
[03] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[04] BUSH SENDS LETTER TO SEZER
[05] SEZER TO VISIT HOLLAND
[06] US READY TO HELP TURKEY
[07] CEM TO MEET POWELL
[08] US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WALKER IN ANKARA
[09] DERVIS IN TURKEY
[10] ANKARA HAPPY WITH UK ACT ON TERRORIST GANGS
[11] NEW PERIOD WITH BELGRADE
[12] CHIRAC'S REPLY TO SELCUK
[13] ALIYEV TO VISIT TURKEY
[14] CANEVI'S STATEMENT
[15] US ADMINISTRATION DISCUSSES TURKISH ECONOMY
[16] SUPPORT FROM POLAND TO TURKEY'S EU BID
[17] TRADERS TO BUY HALKBANK
[18] A FUND TO BE ESTABLISHED TO SAFEGUARD THE STOCK
EXCHANGE
[19] INTERNATIONAL OLYMPICS COMMITTEE TO VISIT ISTANBUL
IN MARCH
[20] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[21] NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR EU BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
[01] A FUND TO BE ESTABLISHED TO SAFEGUARD THE STOCK
EXCHANGE
[02] INTERNATIONAL OLYMPICS COMMITTEE TO VISIT ISTANBUL
IN MARCH
[03] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[04] BUSH SENDS LETTER TO SEZER
American President George W. Bush said the US will
continue supporting Turkey in her political and economic reforms. In a
letter to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Mr. Bush said, "Turkey is
a valuable NATO ally and a friend of the US." Emphasizing his
desire to work closely with Turkey, Mr. Bush wants Turkey to continue
her economics reforms in cooperation with the IMF. /Turkiye/
[05] SEZER TO VISIT HOLLAND
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will pay an official
visit to Holland on March 3-5 at the invitation of Dutch Queen,
Beatrix. Mr. Sezer is expected to receive Prime Minister Wim Kok,
members of the Dutch Social Economic Council and representatives of
Turkish community living in the country. Additionally, according to a
statement issued by the Presidential office, President Sezer is
scheduled to travel to Germany March 17th to attend the opening of the
Trojan Exhibition in Stuttgart. /Turkiye/
[06] US READY TO HELP TURKEY
US Ambassador Robert Pearson welcomed Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit and his wife, Deputy General Chairman of
Democratic Left Party (DSP) Rahsan Ecevit, at a lunch the day before
yesterday and received Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan and the
Deputy Undersecretary of Treasury, Ferhat Emil, yesterday. According
to information received, the economic problems and the possible
solutions were the main topic discussed during the two hour plus
lunch. After US President George W. Bush's phone call supporting
Ecevit, the meeting between the Ambassador and Ecevit, and then Ozkan
and Emil, is interpreted as a sign that Washington is ready to give
financial support to Turkey. Now, the US is worried that if the
Turkish economy bottom out, the strategic benefits to the US will be
damaged. Thus, the US wants to watch closely to see a net picture of
the crisis and how the decision-making mechanism is working.
/Hurriyet/
[07] CEM TO MEET POWELL
US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said
Secretary of State, Colin Powell, will meet with his Turkish
counterpart, Ismail Cem, Tuesday in Brussels to discuss various
topics, including the Iraqi embargo. Mr. Boucher added the Ministers
will meet again during Cem's visit to Washington on March 30th and
take up the topic of the Iraqi embargo comprehensively. Meanwhile,
Iraqi Trade Minister, Muhammed Mehdi Salih, noted the loss of various
countries due to the embargo imposed on Iraq was over $200 billion. He
estimated Turkey's loss at 30, Russia's at 40, France's at 35, the US'
at 25, Britain's at 25, China's at 25, and others at $30 billion.
/Turkiye/
[08] US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WALKER IN ANKARA
US Assistant Secretary of State responsible for
Near Eastern Affairs, Ed Walker, met with Deputy Undersecretary at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ugur Ziyal in Ankara. At his
press conference, Walker said American experts would evaluate border
trade with Iraq. Stating that border trade with Iraq was very
important for Syria, Jordan and Turkey, Walker said, "The
commercial activities along the Iraqi borders should be carried out
very carefully. We will discuss the issue with experts to avoid
damaging the Turkish economy." He added the new US policy with
Iraq was prepared taking the welfare of Iraqi civilians and neighbor
countries into account. Turkey has demanded the US consider the
situations of both Iraqi civilians and Iraq's neighbors who have
incurred losses due to the US embargo, when determining its new policy
with Iraq. Walker said the new US policy toward Iraq was more rational
than the old one however it was still not enough for Iraq to normalize
relations with the world. Turkey will convey her views on the Iraqi
issue during Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's US visit, March 31.
/Cumhuriyet/
[09] DERVIS IN TURKEY
World Bank Deputy Governor Kemal Dervis, traveled
to Ankara from Washington at the invitation of Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit, said those who come to Turkey with a long-time business plan,
will certainly benefit. Dervis added the basic structure of the
Turkish economy was sound and, thus, she would overcome this crisis.
Dervis met Ecevit at the Prime Ministry. The meeting began at 18:00
and lasted for one hour. After the meeting, Dervis gave a short
statement saying, "We have begun the meetings. We are viewing the
situation together. I appreciate Mr. Ecevit's invitation. I am ready
to help you by doing my best." /Hurriyet/
[10] ANKARA HAPPY WITH UK ACT ON TERRORIST GANGS
Enacting a tough new anti-terrorism law, Britain,
on Wednesday, announced plans to ban 21 radical groups, including the
terrorist organization PKK (Kurdistan Worker's Party), and the
Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (DHKP-C). The law was prepared
by Britain's Home office. Before the ban takes effect, the
list-contained in a draft order to Parliament - must be debated and
approved by those of the Commons and the House of Lords, a process
expected to take four to six weeks. Many of the groups have no
organized presence in Britain. The new anti-terrorist legislation,
which took effect February 19, empowers the government to ban groups
that commit violence abroad and to crack down on supporters who
channel funds and recruit for terrorist organizations. /Turkish Daily
News/
[11] NEW PERIOD WITH BELGRADE
The foundations for a new period of relations
between Turkey and Belgrade will be laid today. Within this context,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem will hold a series of critical
meetings with leading bureaucrats, including the State Minister
Vojislav Kostunitsa in the capital of the Yugoslavian Federal
Republic, Belgrade. During Cem's two-day visit, the situation of
people of Turkish origin living in this country and the latest
situation in Komodo and Southern Serbia will also be discussed.
/Hurriyet/
[12] CHIRAC'S REPLY TO SELCUK
French President Jacques Chirac sent a reply to
High Court of Appeals President Sami Selcuk's letter on the approval
of the so-called Armenian genocide. In his letter Chirac said,
"France has no intentions of either changing her policy over
Turkey or damaging her centuries-old bilateral relations with
Turkey." Chirac stated he attached great importance to Selcuk's
letter, claiming the allegations of the so-called Armenian genocide
have nothing to do with reality. He added, "I'd like to emphasize
that while approving the Armenian bill, French parliamentarians
refrained from judging modern Turkey as she could not be held
responsible for incidents in 1915." /Cumhuriyet/
[13] ALIYEV TO VISIT TURKEY
The President of Azerbaijan, Haydar Aliyev will
visit Turkey March 12-16 in response to an invitation by President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer. According to the Foreign Ministry statement the
visit will concentrate on areas of bilateral and multilateral
cooperation. /Aksam/
[14] CANEVI'S STATEMENT
Bankers and foreign experts gathered at the Risk
Management Conference organized by the Financial World in Istanbul.
During the conference, the former Central Bank Governor and the
Chairman of the Executive Board of Turkish Economy Bank (TEB) Yavuz
Canevi said, "The main axis of the problem is the banking system.
Now everybody is looking for a rescuer. We do not need a superman. The
true identification of the problem and political stability are
necessary to overcome the crisis. In addition, the targets should be
revised rapidly and an atmosphere of confidence should be
created." /Sabah/
[15] US ADMINISTRATION DISCUSSES TURKISH ECONOMY
The US Administration held a high level meeting to
discuss Turkish economy. Vise President Dick Cheney, Secretary of
State Colin Powell, Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and
National Security Advisor Condolezza Rice met yesterday to discuss the
recent economic crisis in Turkey and possible aid policies. Evaluating
the meeting, American diplomatic sources emphasized Turkey's
importance to the US adding that the US Administration attaches great
importance to Turkey's overcoming the economic crisis. /Star/
[16] SUPPORT FROM POLAND TO TURKEY'S EU BID
Jan Kulakowski, the Polish Minister responsible for
EU Affairs reportedly said his country has been supporting Turkey's EU
membership bid. Kulakowski met with Deputy Prime Minister responsible
for EU Affairs, Mesut Yilmaz, and Secretary General for EU Affairs,
Volkan Vural, yesterday in Ankara. After the meeting Yilmaz told the
reporters they had been meeting with the Minister since Poland started
its membership negotiations with EU. As Turkey is the only candidate
country that has not started membership negotiations with the EU,
Yilmaz noted they were aiming to benefit from Poland's experiences.
/Turkish Daily News/
CHHIBBER: "WORLD BANK IS ON YOUR SIDE"
The World Bank Turkey Representative, Ajay Chhibber
said, " the real sector cannot be put in order unless the fiscal
sector is set right. The sore point in the banking sector is the
situation of state-owned banks." Ajay Chhibber delivered a speech
at a meeting titled "Turkish Banking and Risk Management and New
Arrangements in Capital Markets" organized by the "Finance
World" journal. Chhibber said, "Turkish specialists
comprehend the problem and know how to solve it. An outsider may not
be helpful when he gives advice. I believe Turkey will overcome this
crisis and recover its economy with better conditions. We will support
Turkey at the World Bank." /Milliyet/
[17] TRADERS TO BUY HALKBANK
President of the Union of Turkish Traders and
Artisans Credit and Guarantee Co-operatives, Suat Yalkin said after
meeting with the Prime Minister two days ago that the Prime Minister
supported the transfer of Halkbank to traders and artisans. Yalkin
said they have around $32 million in their support fund and can become
shareholders of Halkbank within two years with an amount of $120
million accumulated in their total funds. /Aksam/
[18] A FUND TO BE ESTABLISHED TO SAFEGUARD THE STOCK
EXCHANGE
A fund will be established in the Istanbul Stock
Exchange to compensate for investors losses in cases when brokers take
excessive risks and go bankrupt. In times of dramatic market swings,
people will be prevented from trying to manipulate the operations of
the stock exchange. The Chief of the Capital Markets Board (SPK),
Dogan Cansizlar, said new arrangements will be implemented which will
increase the capital of brokers taking higher risks. /Aksam/
[19] INTERNATIONAL OLYMPICS COMMITTEE TO VISIT ISTANBUL
IN MARCH
The five candidate cities for the 2008 Olympics,
Istanbul, Beijing, Osaka, Paris and Toronto are being inspected by the
International Olympics Committee (IOC). IOC members will visit
Istanbul between March 20-25. IOC will decide on the host city July
13. /Cumhuriyet/
[20] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[21] NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR EU BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on the effects of
the economic crisis on the membership to the EU. A summary of his
column is as follows: "The economic crisis has overshadowed
Turkey's membership issue to the European Union. Economic stability is
almost as important a prerequisite for the EU as is democracy. We are
expecting wise decisions and actions from the Government as it is the
Coalition's last chance and they have no alternative. If it is
unsuccessful, an alternative will be found and perhaps, even elections
will be held. The EU officials stated that beginning membership
negotiations as early as 2002 was in our hands. In order to begin
negotiations, we must put both the economy and democracy on the right
track. The National Program we accepted in order to enter the EU
should be clearly explained to the public. Every citizen should know
what Turkey can accomplish either within the EU or without the Union.
We shall be one of the 28 EU members. Today the number of members is
15, and there are 13 candidates. We assume that 12 of the candidates
will enter the Union before us. The responsibility for former Soviet
satellites entering before us should be born by all, by the political
parties, by other institutions and establishments. We shall be a
member, with equal rights, in the most comprehensive alliance in
history. We shall implement the same principles adopted by the other
members, and grasp the ring we have been reaching for these last 200
years. If we are not able to succeed we shall enter into a close
cooperation with the US where it will be impossible for us to stand on
equal footing. Our borders will be secure within an EU framework. If
we are left outside the EU, all the demands on our borders will be
displayed. As it is out of the question to give an inch of our
territory, we shall be the only state on earth allocating 1_3 of her
budget for defense. It is not possible to attain prosperity in such a
country and democracy does not flourish in this atmosphere."
Turkish Press Review will not be published until March 12, 2001.
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