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Turkish Press Review, 01-10-23
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Foreign
Press in Turkey
Turkish
Press Review >>
Press
Guide
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
23.10.2001
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER: REFERENDUM CONTROVERSY MAY BE RESOLVED
[02] PARLIAMENT SEEKS SOLUTION ON REFERENDUM ISSUE
[03] TURKEY'S THREE CONDITIONS FOR A "PEACE FORCE"
[04] ISMAIL CEM VISITS TURKMENISTAN
[05] ANKARA PROPOSAL TO END AFGHANISTAN CRISIS
[06] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE TURKEY REPORT
[07] DERVIS ON CNN TURK
[08] WESTON TO VISIT ANKARA
[09] KDP DELEGATION IN ANKARA
[10] SECURITY MEETING WITH IRAN
[11] ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY
[12] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS REPORT ON TURKEY
[13] ROCHE'S INVESTMENT
[14] TOURISM PROBLEMS DISCUSSED
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[16] FROM SHANGHAI TO BRUSSELS BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
[01] SEZER: REFERENDUM CONTROVERSY MAY BE RESOLVED
The controversy between the Prime Ministry and Presidency came to an end
late on Monday, when President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a notice to the
Prime Ministry requesting that a vetoed amendment to raise deputies'
salaries to be published in the Official Gazette. With the publication of
the vetoed amendment, Article 27 of a 34-article package approved by
Parliament three weeks ago, in the Official Gazette yesterday, the
referendum process officially started. Answering reporters' questions Sezer
said, "I believe the issue can be solved without a referendum. There will
be a 120-day period following its publication. If Parliament amends the
86th article properly and if it is published before the end of the
period, there will be no need for a referendum." /All Papers/
[02] PARLIAMENT SEEKS SOLUTION ON REFERENDUM ISSUE
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi met yesterday with coalition parties
representatives seeking a solution to the referendum issue. Government
parties are planning a new, one-article amendment to void a pay rise for
deputies, which had caused a weeklong political controversy between the
government and the Presidency. The vetoed article will be reverted to its
original form to void the pay raise. The government parties are planning to
begin debate on the one-article law after debates on the new Civil Code
draft are completed. /All Papers/
[03] TURKEY'S THREE CONDITIONS FOR A "PEACE FORCE"
Turkey, which is still in the midst of its own economic crisis, has
conveyed its economic and strategic concerns to the US and Britain about
the formation of a "Peace Force" to be sent to Afghanistan. Turkey is
asking the UN to pay the cost of the operations, to define its duties
clearly and to not rush in planning the formation of such a force.
/Turkiye/
[04] ISMAIL CEM VISITS TURKMENISTAN
As part of their tour of Central Asian countries, Minister of Foreign
Affairs Ismail Cem and an accompanying delegation, were received by
Turkmenistan Head of State Saparmurat Turkmenbasi yesterday. During the
meeting, regional and Afghanistan issues were discussed. Afterwards, Cem
told reporters in Askabat that if Turkey were asked to contribute to a
"Peace Force" its approach would be positive. /Turkiye/
[05] ANKARA PROPOSAL TO END AFGHANISTAN CRISIS
Ankara has suggested to the Pakistani "Islamic Front Fighting for
Afghanistan" to hold a meeting in Istanbul in order to find a solution to
the crisis in Afghanistan and to form a broad-based government. According
to news in the Frontier Post newspaper, which is published in Pakistan and
monitors the pulse in the border city of Peshawar, the Turkish Foreign
Ministry has suggested to the Islamic Front as well as Afghan politicians
and leading figures that they meet in Istanbul. Citing "reliable sources,"
the paper states that the meeting is expected to last six days and that it
will include participants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran . The Islamic
Front Fighting for Afghanistan recently sent a delegation to Afghanistan
and made a similar proposal. The news failed to say how this Foreign
Ministry proposal was made./Turkish Daily News/
[06] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE TURKEY REPORT
The European Parliament General Assembly isset to debate on Wednesday
October 24 a report on Turkey, prepared by French Christian Democrat Alain
Lamassoure. The report will then be voted on the next day. The bill based
on the report states that Turkey has gained dynamism thanks to becoming an
official EU candidate country, that domestic reform movements and political
dialogue have both increased and that despite the economic crisis and other
tensions within the coalition, the government supports the reform program
and has the political will to see these reforms carried out. The bill also
states that failure to come up with a satisfactory solution on Cyprus would
adversely affect the EU enlargement process. It further expresses
satisfaction that Turkey's Parliament is working hard to improve human
rights and make intensive reforms towards democratization. The bill
supports the Turkish government's efforts and initiatives towards economic
reform and calls for EU financial support to be provided in a timely and
effective manner. The bill asks that Ankara take a more constructive
approach towards the Cyprus issue and expresses satisfaction in the
development of Greek-Turkish dialogue./Turkish Daily News/
[07] DERVIS ON CNN TURK
Speaking on CNN Turk, Minister of State responsible for Economy Kemal
Dervis said that a high-level IMF mission would visit Turkey this week.
Dervis said, "We must complete discussions on the 2002 budget. The IMF has
taken a decision of principle for additional loans. This week is very
important since we expect significant developments to take place." Adding
that discussions between financial and manufacturing sectors had achieved
considerable success, Dervis said that all banks should act harmoniously to
support firms which engage in exports. He said that if the conditions
necessary for an atmosphere full of confidence were sustained, Turkey might
begin to develop faster than expected. /Milliyet/
[08] WESTON TO VISIT ANKARA
US Special Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston is to visit Ankara today.
Weston is expected to be received by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. US State
Department Cyprus Representative James Sivers will accompany Weston. Weston
is expected to visit Cyprus after completing his meetings in Turkey and
Athens. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] KDP DELEGATION IN ANKARA
Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani's nephew, Nechirvan
Barzani, who is responsible for regional administration of the party,
arrived in Ankara yesterday. He met with Foreign Minister Undersecretary
Ugur Ziyal and the Foreign Ministry Middle East Department Chairman
Ambassador Turkekul Kurttekin. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] SECURITY MEETING WITH IRAN
The 8th of the Higher Security Commission meetings will be held today as
part of the security cooperation meetings which have been held since 1992
between Iran and Turkey. A delegation chaired by Iranian Deputy Interior
Minister Gholam Hossein Bolandian arrived in Ankara for the meetings
yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY
Turkey and Italy are expected to reaffirm their commitment to measures
ranging from political to financial steps to combat terrorism during
Italian Foreign Minister Renato Ruggieri`s whilwind visit to Turkey late
Tuesday. The stop over of the Italian minister in Ankara follows a three-
leg tour to Syria, Lebanon and Iran, where the Italian minister was
scheduled to meet top leaders, including Syrian President Beshir Asad and
Iranian President Mohammed Khatemi. Ruggiero arrives late afternoon today
and is expected to have one-and-a-half hour talks with Foreign Minister
Ismail Cem at his residence. The open-agenda talks are expected to focus on
the recent terrorism crisis, the future of Afghanistan and international
cooperation against terrorism. Within this framework, the Turkish side is
expected to raise the question of activities of the PKK terrorist
organization in Italy. Cem and Ruggerio are also expected to exchange
views on their respective visits to Central Asia and the Near East./Turkish
News/
[12] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS REPORT ON TURKEY
Tomorrow the General Council of the European Parliament will discuss a
report on Turkey, which was prepared by French Christian Democrat Alain
Lamassoure. The advisory draft law that is attached to the report will be
voted on at the general council session on October 25. Meanwhile, a group
of parliamentarians proposed an amendment urging Ankara to recognize the so-
called Armenian genocide. /Sabah/
[13] ROCHE'S INVESTMENT
In Gebze yesterday, the Roche Group laid for the second-biggest solid
tablet production facility in the world. Minister of Health Osman Durmus,
Roche Forma World Chairman William Burns, Roche's Executive Board Chairman
in Turkey Faruk Yoneyman, and the of the Eczacibasi Executive Board
Chairman , Bulent Eczacębasi attended the foundation laying ceremony for
the facility, which will be constructed by the company for 60 million US
dollars on an area of 18,000 square meters. During the ceremony, Yoneyman
gave a speech saying that the facility would begin operation at the end of
2003 and that it would make exports to Eastern European countries. For his
part, Burns said that with this investment they showed their confidence in
Turkey. /Sabah/
[14] TOURISM PROBLEMS DISCUSSED
During a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and attended by
Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan, State Minister responsible for
Economy Kemal Dervis, Minister of Tourism Mustafa Tasar, Minister of
Transportation Oktay Vural, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary
Ugur Ziyal problems concerning tourism were discussed. Ways for Turkey to
increase its tourism revenue next year and possible measures to soften the
blow on Turkish tourism of the terrorist attacks against the US were
discussed. Also were discussed discussed a reduction in the Value Added
Tax, which is currently 18%, a single annual setting of museum entrance
costs, and announcing this price in euros for the benefit of European
tourists. During the meeting, Tasar argued for the necessity of opening new
areas of investment so as to move tourism into new areas. Also discussed
during the meeting were proposals to encourage civilian aviation; to accept
tourism revenue as exports incomes; hold off increasing increase the visa
fees and to decrease this fee to 10 US dollars. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[16] FROM SHANGHAI TO BRUSSELS BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
Columnist Derya Sazak commented on the two important summit meetings held
over the weekend. A summary of his column is as follows:
"World leaders held two important summit meetings this weekend, one in the
Asia-Pacific region and the other in Europe. One should not wonder at the
distance between Shanghai and Brussels. As the military operations against
Afghanistan are intensifying, the steps for parcelling the world taken
between the US, Russia and China recall the days following the World War
II. Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) summit hosted by Chinese head
of state Chiang Zemin saw important talks with US President Bush and
Russian President Putin. For the US President, it was important to gain
the support of China, which maintained its silence on the developments in
Afghanistan. Mr. Bush not only added Zemin to the rapprochement he had
achieved with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but also gained APEC's
support for the fight against terrorism under the umbrella of the UN. In
return, the Russian and Chinese leaders are insisting on upholding Anti
Ballistic Missile Treaty in a way which would prevent Mr. Bush's election
dream from being carried out. In Europe, the Western leaders met in Ghent
to the north of Brussels and discussed the 'European Platform' in the
process of EU enlargement. Just as at the Nice meeting, Turkey was not
invited to this platform open for candidate countries. Foreign Minister
Cem duly reacted by saying, 'The EU should not discriminate among candidate
countries.' EU Commissioner Responsible for Enlargement Verheugen stated
that claims that Turkey's full EU membership was not favored were untrue
and told the member countries that as the negotiation process with Turkey
went on, they could not say, 'You need not be concerned. Turkey can never
be a member.' However, these words were not enough to hide certain
blemishes. It seems that theTurkey's status as a mere candidate for EU
member candidacy is being preserved. Recent reforms in the Turkish
Constitution had no impact on the EU summit. Due to the ongoing operations
in Afghanistan, Turkey's increasing strategic importance should have blown
favorable winds in Brussels. Have we been able to explain the reforms in
our Constitution to the world? "
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