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Turkish Press Review, 02-01-24
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
24.01.2002
CONTENTS
[01] PEARSON: "ECEVIT'S VISIT TO THE US WAS SUCCESFUL"
[02] DENKTAS, CLERIDES MEET
[03] TURKEY REACTS AGAINST DECISION IN FAVOR OF EMBASSIES IN GREEK CYPRUS
[04] TURKISH RELIGIOUS SCHOOL PLANNED FOR AFGHANISTAN
[05] CEM SPEAKS ON ENERGY TRANSPORT THROUGH AFGHANISTAN
[06] DOSTUM: "WE NEED TURKEY'S HELP"
[07] ISRAEL SENDS MESSAGES TO ARAFAT THROUGH ANKARA
[08] ITALY ACCUSES PKK WITH HUMAN SMUGGLING
[09] SIGNS INCREASE OF TURKISH-BULGARIAN RAPROCHEMENT
[10] TURKISH SCIENTIST TO HEAD IMO COMMITTEE
[11] DERVIS TO BRIEF SEZER ON ECONOMIC MATTERS
[12] IMF TO MEET ON FEB. 4 TO DISCUSS TURKEY
[13] WORLD BANK TEAM VISITS VILLAGE-CITY PROJECTS
[14] "TURKISH GIANTS" TAKE THE LEAD
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[16] ECEVIT CAUTIONED SADDAM BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
[17] WARM MESSAGES FROM DAMASCUS BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[01] PEARSON: "ECEVIT'S VISIT TO THE US WAS SUCCESFUL"
US Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson said yesterday that Turkish Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to the US last week had been very successful,
adding that the US administration was greatly satisfied with the visit.
Talking to reporters during his visit to Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi,
Pearson said of Ecevit's US trip, Pearson said, "Our political leaders have
established a very important agenda for both countries, and now our duty is
to work hard to reach those targets." Underlining that all textile quotas
between Turkey and the US would be removed by 2005, Pearson said, "Up to
now, the 50% of them were already lifted." /Turkiye/
[02] DENKTAS, CLERIDES MEET
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek
Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides met yesterday as part of the direct talks
process begun last week to reach a lasting settlement to the Cyprus issue.
Following the meeting at Lefkosha International Airport, Denktas told
reporters that the two sides had discussed main principles of an agreement
as well as exchanged views. /Turkiye/
[03] TURKEY REACTS AGAINST DECISION IN FAVOR OF EMBASSIES IN GREEK CYPRUS
Turkey reacted negatively yesterday to decisions by European Union term
president Spain as well as Sweden to open embassies in Greek Cyprus, saying
that such a move would not be conducive to finding a solution for the
island. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Huseyin Dirioz pointed out
yesterday that the Turkish and Greek Cypriots have only just started new
negotiations for a lasting solution on the island. "So right now both sides
are experiencing a sensitive period," he said. "During this process, we do
not favor any initiative that might favor only one side." /Cumhuriyet/
[04] TURKISH RELIGIOUS SCHOOL PLANNED FOR AFGHANISTAN
Turkey has begun exploring the possibility of opening a religious school in
Afghanistan. A delegation from Turkey's Religious Directorate will go to
Afghanistan this week to investigate if the Turkish Islamic model can be
implemented in that country. The US has been pointing to Turkey's approach
to Islam as an example to Afghanistan, and a recent meeting of US
officials' with directorate head Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz has accelerated
Ankara's efforts on this issue. First on the agenda in investigating
establishing a school is looking at Afghanistan's sociological and
religious structure. Turkey wants to open a religious faculty in the former
Taliban strong hold of Mezar-i Sherif as a first stage. Investigations into
doing this will focus on Turkey's contributions towards religious education
in the context of Afghanistan's new economic program. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] CEM SPEAKS ON ENERGY TRANSPORT THROUGH AFGHANISTAN
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yesterday spoke on the impact of developments
in Afghanistan on a possible project to transport Caspian energy resources
through that country. Responding to a question from Justice and Development
Party (AKP) Istanbul Deputy Huseyin Kansu, Cem stated that it would be
difficult to transport such energy to Pakistan and India through
Afghanistan under the current unstable security situation. "Such a project
idea is overly optimistic right now," he added. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] DOSTUM: "WE NEED TURKEY'S HELP"
Gen. Rashid Dostum, the deputy defense minister in Afghanistan's interim
government, met yesterday with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail
Cem. Dostum briefed Cem on the situation in his country and cautioned
Turkey about Iran. Dostum said that Iran is taking advantage of the
devastation in Afghanistan and fomenting sectarianism in the region to
become more powerful. Dostum also said that Afghanistan needs Turkey's help
to train a national army and a police force as Turkey had helped train
Afghan officers in the past. "We need Turkey's help for a disciplined army,
" ha stated. For his part, Cem said that Turkey had always had close ties
with Dostum and would continue to give its full support.
/Hürriyet, Aksam/
[07] ISRAEL SENDS MESSAGES TO ARAFAT THROUGH ANKARA
Israel sent a message to Palestinian leader Yaser Arafat through Turkey
yesterday that its has three preconditions for peace in the region. Israeli
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Avi Gil, who is currently in Ankara, spoke
to Turkish daily Cumhuriyet about his country's conditions. "First of all,
I want to say that Israel wants to strengthen its cooperation with Turkey,"
he said. "We have tried to explain our approach and position. Firstly we
want the Palestinian administration to stop the violence and to take
serious measures in the struggle against terrorism. When they do it, we can
take action in line with the 'Mitchell report and the Tenet plan.' We are
committed to peace in all respects. However, the only way we can get out of
the current terrible situation is by the Palestinian administration
changing its approach towards terrorism. It should pursue its struggle
against terrorism in a serious and effective way, contrary to their current
manner. If Arafat wants peace, then he should make a strategic decision
consisting of three planks. Firstly, Arafat should stop inciting provoking
Palestinians against Israel. Secondly, he should give firm, systematic
regulations to his security units in terms of the struggle against
terrorism. Thirdly, he should cut ties with Islamic terrorist organizations
and arrest or expel them. Otherwise, the terrorist organizations will take
action not only against Israel, but also against his own Palestinian
administration." /Cumhuriyet/
[08] ITALY ACCUSES PKK WITH HUMAN SMUGGLING
This week Italy has for the first time accused the PKK terrorist
organization of being involved in human smuggling. The Anti-Mafia Division
of the northeastern city of Trieste's Security Directorate has discovered
that a human smuggling gang that it has tracked for six months is connected
to the PKK ad includes Kurds among its ranks. The Italians found that the
gang smuggled 9,000 Kurdish illegals from Anatolia to Europe via land and
sea last year and that a large part of the illicit gains from this
smuggling was channeled to the PKK. Trieste Prosecutor Federico Frezze
stated that three PKK members, Mehmet Dimez, Mehmet Aslan and Mahir Dah,
had been captured and had confessed their crimes, but that their leaders
code-named "Apo," had escaped at the last minute and the Trieste's Security
Directorate announced that it will cooperate with the Istanbul Security
Directorate. /Hurriyet/
[09] SIGNS INCREASE OF TURKISH-BULGARIAN RAPROCHEMENT
The beginning of this year is seeing further signs of a Turkish-Bulgarian
rapprochement. Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz went to Sofia
this week to meet with Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Sakskoburgotski and
ask him to act against the PKK terrorist organization. An economic
cooperation agreement was also recently signed between the two countries.
In addition, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit will pay an official
visit to Sofia on Jan. 30-31, with a program to be determined later. /Star/
[10] TURKISH SCIENTIST TO HEAD IMO COMMITTEE
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has selected a Turkish
scientist to chair one of its main committees. Osman Kamil Sag will be the
new chair of the IMO's committee overseeing standards of training and
certification for watchkeeping and seafarers. The IMO is a specialized
United Nations agency responsible for improving maritime safety and
preventing pollution from sea vessels. /Aksam/
[11] DERVIS TO BRIEF SEZER ON ECONOMIC MATTERS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will receive state Minister for the Economy
Kemal Dervis and a group of accompanying bureaucrats today. Dervis is
expected to brief the president on a bill that would rework payment plans
for real sectors debt, Treasury support for banks and related issues.
/Sabah/
[12] IMF TO MEET ON FEB. 4 TO DISCUSS TURKEY
The International Monetary Fund Board of Directors will meet on Feb. 4 in
order to discuss Turkey's Letter of Intent and its new standby agreement,
said IMF spokesperson Conny Lotze yesterday. Under the new agreement the
IMF would provide Turkey with $10 billion this year and $2 billion in
additional financing in 2003-2004. /Milliyet/
[13] WORLD BANK TEAM VISITS VILLAGE-CITY PROJECTS
A World Bank team is expected to visit the Black Sea township of Mesudiye
today, where the village-city project is being implemented in the villages
of
Yuvali, Kislacik, Cardakli, Gocbeyi, Turkkoy, Dayili, Ilısar and Esatli.
The WB is expected to give credit to Turkey in order to support the
project.
/Aksam/
[14] "TURKISH GIANTS" TAKE THE LEAD
The Turkish national basketball team defeated the Dutch team last night in
the Netherlands with a score of 89-73. Following this accomplishment, in
the fourth group qualifications match of the 33rd European Men's Basketball
Championship, the Turkish team has become group leader. /All Papers/
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[16] ECEVIT CAUTIONED SADDAM BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on Turkish-Iraqi and US relations. A
summary of his column is as follows:
"Prior to the Gulf War, Bulent Ecevit traveled to Baghdad and warned Saddam
Hussein that if he did not order his forces to evacuate Kuwait, the US
would attack Iraq. Turgut Ozal, then Turkey's president resented Ecevit's
visits and Ecevit was branded as a 'friend of Saddam' by his opponents.
Now, years later, Ecevit is warning Saddam for a second time. This warning
which was made secretly at first is being made openly now. Following his
recent visit to the US, Ecevit has begun to speak more clearly. He is
saying that if Iraq does not allow UN inspectors to look for evidence of
weapons of mass destruction, America would move against Saddam. This would
mean the deaths of thousands of Iraqis. Washington may start a war on Iraq
with air bombardments. It will tell the date of such an operation only to
its closest allies such as Great Britain and Turkey. Turkey will
participate in this war in one way or another to avoid the division of
Iraq. If Saddam abandons manufacturing weapons of mass destruction or
proves to the world that the allegations that it possesses such weapons are
false by allowing in UN inspectors, he will thwart the US project. But can
Saddam show such common sense?"
[17] WARM MESSAGES FROM DAMASCUS BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the improving state of Turkish-Syrian
relations. A summary of his column is as follows:
"Syria, which for years sheltered the terrorist organization PKK, is
sending warm messages to Turkey nowadays. Damascus, which had to expel
Ocalan and the PKK from Syria following the policy pursued by the Turkish
government with the support of its military, wants to improve its relations
with Ankara and act in unison regarding the Iraqi question. Reportedly,
Syrian President Basher Al-Assad wants to visit Turkey. However, it expects
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem to visit Damascus first. If Cem makes such a
gesture, Assad will then pay a visit to Ankara. However, Cem is in no hurry
to act on the issue. He believes that bilateral relations should be
somewhat more improved. One reason for the stance of the Foreign Ministry
is that Syria has not changed its policy over the border province of Hatay.
It is still using maps showing Hatay within its borders. In a visit to
Damascus, Gendarmerie Command General Aytac Arman has established warm
relations and expressed Turkey's view that these maps were mistaken.
Following up on the bridge formed with General Aytac's visit, a similar
visit to Beirut is also planned. Warm relations with both Damascus and
Beirut will strengthen Turkey's hand in its policies pursued towards Iraq
and the region in general. Washington is also trying to improve relations
with Syria. Ankara's diplomatic offensive seems to have enhanced its role
as a pioneer state in the region."
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