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Turkish Press Review, 02-01-15
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Turkish
Press Review >>
Foreign
Press Guide
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
15.01.2002
CONTENTS
[01] ECEVIT: "WE WANT TRADE, NOT AID"
[02] US PRESS SPOTLIGHTS TO ECEVIT'S US VISIT
[03] RICE: "TURKEY IS AN EXEMPLARY COUNTRY"
[04] IRAQ URGES TURKEY NOT TO SUPPORT THE US
[05] ECEVIT SENDS LETTERS TO MUSHERREF AND VAJPAYI
[06] DE SOTO TO MEET TWO CYPRUS LEADERS TODAY
[07] SAUDI ARABIA DEFENDS CASTLE DEMOLITION
[08] EU PUTS AID TO TURKEY IN SEPARATE CATEGORY
[09] RUSSIAN CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF VISITS TURKEY
[10] UPI: "TURKEY, ISRAEL AND INDIA HAVE FORMED A
TRIPLE ALLIANCE"
[11] YILMAZ: "PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO
EDUCATION"
[12] AUTO EXECUTIVE: "TURKEY HAS GREAT
POTENTIAL"
[13] TOURISM GROUP PREDICTS 17 MILLION TOURISTS IN TURKEY
IN 2010
[14] BRITISH MODERN MUSIC FESTIVAL BEGIN IN ISTANBUL
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[16] TURKEY AND THE US BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)
[17] EYES ON WASHINGTON BY FUAT BOL (TURKIYE)
[01] ECEVIT: "WE WANT TRADE, NOT AID"
Speaking to reporters before departing by plane to
the United States yesterday, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said,
"Rather than aid, we want trade and investment, and we would like
to have similar privileges as those extended to the European
Union." Ecevit remarked, "I am very hopeful for our economy,
but we have to remember that in the US lobbies and the Congress play
an important role, so we can't expect everything from the US
government and the administration." US President Bush and his
colleagues know the recent situation of Turkey and they have tried to
do their best in our relations with the International Monetary Fund
and the World Bank, Ecevit added. Ecevit also took the opportunity to
invite foreigners to invest more in Turkey. /Hürriyet/
[02] US PRESS SPOTLIGHTS TO ECEVIT'S US VISIT
Major US dailies the New York Times and Wall Street
Journal gave wide coverage to Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's
visit to the US in their Tuesday editions. The Times stated that the
sensitive issue of Iraq would inevitably be a focus during Ecevit's
visit. The Turkish government, which permits US planes to use Turkey's
Incirlik Airbase for their armed patrols of northern Iraq's
"no-fly" zone, had previously opposed U.S. intervention in
Iraq. "Ankara fears that the rise of a strong independent Kurdish
state in northern Iraq would strengthen ethnic Kurdish separatism in
Turkey", said the paper. "Turkey believes that any US
intervention in Iraq would deal a blow to the Turkish economy, which
has already suffered greatly in losses due to past US policies over
Iraq. Since the current Turkish government places a high premium on
putting the Turkish economy back on its feet, Ecevit is expected to
request that the US takes a number of economic measures to support
Turkey. Among his expected requests are lifting the current quotas on
Turkish textiles and taking appropriate measures to help Turkey
increase its competitiveness in the world market." For its part,
the Wall Street Journal stated that Ecevit would ask US President Bush
questions on US' future plans concerning Iraq and would try to gauge
Turkey's gains and losses should it support US military intervention
in that country. "Ecevit might insist that US plans for Iraq must
be prepared by taking Turkey's interests into consideration,"
said the paper. "Turkey's stability is very important for the
Bush administration, since it is the most important US ally in the
region." /Cumhuriyet/
[03] RICE: "TURKEY IS AN EXEMPLARY COUNTRY"
US National Security Chief Advisor Condoleezza Rice
yesterday said that Turkey was an exemplary country in the fight
against terrorism and in demonstrating that Islam is a religion of
peace and tolerance. In an interview with a group of Turkish
journalists at the White House, Rice said that negotiations between
Turkey and the IMF were encouraging and that financial support for
Turkey would continue as long as its economic reforms continue to be
implemented. Regarding the Iraq issue, Rice stated that the US
administration has not made any decision on how to proceed yet. /Turkiye/
[04] IRAQ URGES TURKEY NOT TO SUPPORT THE US
State-controlled Iraqi daily newspaper Babil urged
Turkey yesterday not to support any possible US intervention in Iraq.
Stating that cooperating with its neighbor Iraq would be more
beneficial for the Turkish people, the paper argued that the Iraqi
administration had always been careful in its relations with Turkey
and that the Turkish government was well aware of this fact. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] ECEVIT SENDS LETTERS TO MUSHERREF AND VAJPAYI
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent letters
yesterday to Pakistani head of state Pervez Musherref and Indian Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayi expressing his concern about the recently
increasing tension between the two countries. Ecevit remarked that any
struggle between India and Pakistan would adversely affect peace and
stability in the whole region./Cumhuriyet/
[06] DE SOTO TO MEET TWO CYPRUS LEADERS TODAY
UN Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto yesterday traveled
to Cyprus in order to observe a fresh round of direct talks on the
island due to begin tomorrow. De Soto was welcomed by Turkish Republic
of the Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot
leader Glafcos Clerides, and he said that the procedure to be followed
during the direct talks was under consideration. Commenting on Denktas'
recent statement that he could not make use of de Soto's accompanying
legal team, de Soto said, "I have my legal advisor with me, which
is his customary place. The other people on my team are all jurists.
Here they are, what can I do?" De Soto is due to meet the two
leaders again today. The TRNC delegation chaired by Denktas will
consist of Presidential Undersecretary Ergun Olgun and Foreign and
Defense Ministry Undersecretary Resat Caglar and other staff. /Aksam/
[07] SAUDI ARABIA DEFENDS CASTLE DEMOLITION
Defending an action, which has outraged many Turks,
Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Ankara Muhammed El Bassam said yesterday
that his country had been acting in the interests of Muslim pilgrims
when it recently demolished a historic Ottoman fortress in Mecca. The
Saudi government tore down the castle several weeks ago to make way
for a trade center and hotel it said was needed to serve the millions
of pilgrims who make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. "Every step
taken by the Saudi government is for the benefit of the pilgrimage and
for the safety and comfort of the pilgrims," said Ambassador Al
Bassam, reiterating that the castle was Saudi property. He repeated
Saudi government's assertion that the 200-year-old Ajyad Castle would
be reassembled elsewhere. The Turkish government has labeled the Saudi
action "a cultural massacre", which is contrary to Turkey's
policy in favor of preserving relics of the Ottoman Empire in the
Balkans and the Middle East including Mecca and Medina. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] EU PUTS AID TO TURKEY IN SEPARATE CATEGORY
In an apparent abrogation of its own Helsinki
summit recommendations regarding member candidate financial aid, the
EU's European Council decided yesterday to put its aid to Turkey in an
altogether separate category. Decisions taken at the summit had
indicated to Turkey that all EU aid to member candidates would be
treated collectively. Despite this, however, Turkish aid is being
treated by the new decision as "Mediterranean" aid, separate
from all other member candidates' financial aid. /Hürriyet/
[09] RUSSIAN CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF VISITS TURKEY
Gen. Anatoliy Kvashnin, the Russian Federation's
chief of general staff, arrived in Ankara yesterday at the invitation
of his Turkish counterpart Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu. Following meetings
between the two military men and their staffs, an agreement concerning
military cooperation and personnel training was signed. Gen.
Kivrikoglu said that the new agreement would give momentum to
relations between the two countries. Gen. Kvashnin said that the two
countries were unique in the world and they both had great
responsibilities both in Europe and Asia. /Turkiye/
[10] UPI: "TURKEY, ISRAEL AND INDIA HAVE FORMED A
TRIPLE ALLIANCE"
Quoting unnamed diplomatic sources, UPI news agency
reported yesterday that Turkey, Israel and India had formed a
"triple alliance" in the Eurasia region. The agency also
said that Turkey was acting together with Israeli security forces in
operations in northern Iraq and that the two countries hoped that the
United States would award a contract to produce Arrow 2 missiles to a
joint Turkish-Israeli consortium. India reportedly wants to join the
consortium to make the missiles. /Hürriyet/
[11] YILMAZ: "PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO
EDUCATION"
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz attended an
opening ceremony of a primary school in Bursa yesterday. Addressing
the ceremony Yilmaz said, "Turkey is trying to overcome a great
economic crisis. However, education always has priority above all
issues in Turkey." Stressing that the government had made major
initiatives in primary education since 1998, Yilmaz said, "Yet
large investments in education are still needed. We have to educate
our children according to world standards." He also asked that
citizens support government investments in education. /Turkiye/
[12] AUTO EXECUTIVE: "TURKEY HAS GREAT
POTENTIAL"
Mark A. Schulz, former Ford Otosan director general
before his promotion to Ford Motor Company deputy director general,
yesterday stated that in spite of Turkey's economic crisis, Ford had
not changed its plans concerning the country. Stating that the Turkish
automotive industry had begun a period of development in 1999 and had
continued to grow, Schulz added, "As last year's figures for the
sector show, the Turkish automotive sector's biggest opportunity lies
in its potential for exports. Among the characteristics that have
impressed me the most is the importance Turkish workers place on their
jobs and their devotion to their work," he said. Schulz went to
praise Turkey on a number of points: "Considering in particular
the cost of workmanship and comparing production quality, Turkey
clearly has a great potential. I think Turkey's location and its
qualified workforce make it an attractive option. In the future,
Turkey might be a center for European production." /Aksam/
[13] TOURISM GROUP PREDICTS 17 MILLION TOURISTS IN TURKEY
IN 2010
A study just released by the World Tourism
Organization estimates that by 2010 Turkey would see 17 million
tourists visit the country annually, and that by 2020 this number
would grow to a full 27 million. The study states that the 21
Mediterranean region currently enjoy some 200 million visitors per
year and that this number is expected to rise to 350 million by 2020.
It also predicts that Croatia and Egypt will compete with Turkey for
tourists in the years to come. /Turkiye/
[14] BRITISH MODERN MUSIC FESTIVAL BEGIN IN ISTANBUL
The British Modern Music Festival will begin in
Istanbul today. Sponsored by the British Council, the festival will
feature performances by musicians in all genres from throughout Great
Britain. The event will last through Jan. 19. /Turkiye/
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[16] TURKEY AND THE US BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)
Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on Prime Minister
Ecevit's visit to Washington and its significance regarding Turkish-US
relations. A summary of his column is as follows: "Prime Minister
Ecevit's visit to the US began yesterday. There are many reasons why
this visit bears significance both for the US and us. It is important
for Turkey as it does not have the ability to repay the heavy bills
which have piled up, as a result of years-long mistaken economic and
fiscal policies b itself; it needs US support. Furthermore, it is
certain that if these bills are not paid chaos in the streets, just as
in Argentina, or military coups may be in the offing. Therefore,
Turkey is sending its most unyielding prime minister to the US to
acquiesce to most of its demands. In return, the US knows that it
needs Turkey as a reliable ally in the region to help protect its
strategic interests. However, there are other issues, which make this
visit more interesting. During the late 1970s and during the '80s the
US wanted 'moderate Islam' to be in power. A state which had abandoned
Ataurk's reforms or the nation-state model was more in line with its
aspirations...It would be easy to mold Turkey into a model of its
choice if these two pillars were destroyed. Many supported this idea
both within Turkey and abroad. However, it seems that Turkey's base
was well built and strong. The actions of the Taliban in Afghanistan
and the Sept. 11 Twin Towers tragedy brought everyone to their senses.
It was understood that Turkey as a nation-state and based on secular
and democratic principles was important both for peace in the world
and the Middle East, and to the advantage of the West's interests.
Now, it is time to help Turkey. This is an important opportunity for
Turkey. Now, Turkey has the image of a country which must not be
shoved around and whose significance is well understood. Turkey must
use this opportunity well and for example, take steps facilitating its
membership to the EU. Therefore, the Bush administration must avoid
overtures saying that they would expect Turkish military support when
they attack Iraq. It should not give support to projects which would
lead to the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq.
Otherwise, the US will draw harsh reactions from the Turkish public.
If the US wants to take Turkey by its side, it must warn Greece and
the Greek Cypriot administration and call on them to accept the legal
rights of the Turkish Cypriots on the island."
[17] EYES ON WASHINGTON BY FUAT BOL (TURKIYE)
Columnist Fuat Bol writes on Prime Minister
Ecevit's visit to the US and its possible consequences. A summary of
his column is as follows: "Prior to Prime Minister Ecevit, Greek
Prime Minister Simitis paid an official visit to Washington and
returned to his country after holding talks there. Whatever has been
discussed with Simitis, especially on Cyprus and the disputes between
Turkey and Greece, will be understood following Ecevit's trip. The
stance of the US will be understood only after his visit. It seems
hard for Greece and Turkey to resolve their differences without the
arbitration of the US. Although Turkey intervened in Cyprus based on
its guarantorship rights recognized by international treaties, it has
been unable to explain the legality of its action to the world in the
years since 1974, when the intervention was made, and the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus established on the north of the island is
not internationally recognized. From that day on, Northern Cypriots
have suffered from a lack of identity. Their passports are not valid
in any country besides Turkey, and they have been strangled by an
incredibly harsh embargo imposed upon them. The prime minister who
decided on a military intervention in Cyprus nearly two decades ago
was Bulent Ecevit. Today, the same Ecevit is seeking a solution to the
Cyprus problem again as the prime minister of his country. Following
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Turkey's significance was understood
more clearly. The US knows this full well. The important thing here is
for Ecevit to stay firm and defend Turkey's interests. Unfortunately
Turkey has been unable to score the same successes with the US as have
Jordan and Egypt. They have both been able to get their debts to the
US erased, and were furthermore granted new and generous sums in
loans. What's more the US gave them trade privileges. In fact, Turkey
is the one country which since 1991 has born the brunt of the Gulf War
and suffered great losses amounting to billions of dollars. Now a
similar Gulf scenario is being discussed. Therefore, the US stance
regarding Cyprus and Iraq is of crucial importance to Turkey. When the
world is being shaped anew, the US needs to cooperate with Turkey as
much as Turkey needs the US."
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