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Turkish Press Review, 02-06-05Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr><LINK href="http://www.byegm.gov.tr_yayinlarimiz_chr_pics_css/tpr.css" rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css> <map name="FPMap1"> </map> <map name="FPMap1"></map> Press & Information Turkish Press Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning05.06.2002CONTENTS
[01] SEZER URGES PAKISTAN AND INDIA TO ENTER INTO DIALOGUEPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday called on Pakistan and India to find a settlement to the Kashmir issue through dialogue. In bilateral meetings with both Pakistani head of state Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as part of the conference for Cooperation and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Sezer said that he talked with the leaders to contribute to the international peace efforts rather than as a mediator. Sezer also addressed the conference, saying that last September’s terrorist attacks showed that international cooperation was necessary in order to fight against terrorism with determination. In addition, Sezer answered journalists’ questions regarding his invitation to all party leaders in Parliament to discuss on Friday Turkey’s EU membership bid. The president said that he expected all party leaders to attend the meeting. If Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is unable to attend the meeting for health reasons, Sezer stated that someone authorized by the Democratic Left Party (DSP) would be invited to represent the party. /All Papers/[02] US CALLS ON TURKEY TO HELP DECREASE INDIAN-PAKISTANI TENSIONSUS State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker said yesterday that the Bush administration expects a message from Turkey to continue to do what it can to help decrease tensions between India and Pakistan. Saying that US Secretary of State Colin Powell made a phone call to his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem last Saturday, Reeker, told a press conference, “Turkey has acted very effectively in the fight against terrorism up to now. On the Kashmir issue, we expect Turkey to call on both countries to act with common sense.” /Turkiye/[03] KIVRIKOGLU HOLDS MEETINGS WITH RUSSIAN LEADERSChief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, who is currently paying an official visit to Russia, met yesterday with his counterpart Gen. Anatoli Kvasnin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov in Moscow. Bilateral military relations and technical cooperation as well as Russian-NATO relations were taken up at the meetings. /Turkiye/[04] US DIPLOMAT VISITS OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFFUnited States Representative to the United Nations Ambassador John Negroponte, who is currently paying a two-day official visit to Turkey, yesterday met with Turkish military officials at the Office of the Chief of General Staff. During his meetings, Negroponte reportedly discussed a number of sensitive issues with Turkish officials such as recent developments concerning the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan (ISAF) and the threat of weapons of mass destruction developed by Iran and Iraq. Negroponte is today scheduled to meet with officials from the Foreign Ministry to exchange views on the recent situation on Cyprus. /Cumhuriyet/[05] TROOP CONTINGENT ARRIVES FOR ISAF TAKEOVERA contingent of 200 Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) troops arrived at Kabul’s airport yesterday in the leadup to Turkey’s taking the helm of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) on June 20. The Turkish troops under the command of Brigadier Gen. Emin Alpman were welcomed by Col. Tuncer Erinmezler and British Col. Richard Barrons, the peacekeeping force’s current commander. Alpman told reporters that they were glad to be in Afghanistan to take over the ISAF command at the behest of the United Nations and the international community in order to ensure the security of the Afghan people. He also added that Turkish troops would complete the command transition by the end of this month. /Turkiye/[06] CILLER: “TURKEY NEEDS AN ACTIVE PRIME MINISTER”True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller yesterday attended a panel on “Danger in the Turkish Straits and its Environmental Effects” organized by her party in Istanbul. Answering reporters’ questions regarding the president’s invitation for a summit on Friday, Ciller said that if Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit attends the meeting, she will also be there. “Our stance is not against Ecevit, we neither want to upset him, nor force him to stand at the meeting for one or two hours. However, Turkey needs an active premier, as it has urgent issues waiting to be solved,” Ciller said. /Turkiye/[07] RAHSAN ECEVIT RECEIVES DSP DEPUTIESPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s wife and Democratic Left Party (DSP) Deputy Chairwoman Rahsan Ecevit yesterday received a group of her party’s deputies at Ecevit’s office in Oran. While leaving the office, the deputies told reporters that they had conveyed their best wishes to the premier through his wife. In a handwritten note, Ecevit said that he was fine and hoped to attend Friday’s all-party summit on the EU. In addition, Rahsan Ecevit reportedly will continue to receive other DSP deputies in groups in the coming days. /Turkiye/[08] KUTAN SIGNALS SUPPORT FOR EU BIDSpeaking at his party’s group meeting yesterday, Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan said that despite all of Turkey’s problems, integration into the European Union was a great opportunity for the nation. “In the past when we called the EU a ‘Western club,’ it was accurate, but they have since changed significantly,” Kutan added. Kutan also said that today’s EU aims to be a more cosmopolitan, multicultural political union. Kutan called the current prohibition of broadcasting and education in mother tongue languages “meaningless” and suggested that the SP was opposed to the death penalty. /Star/[09] KRUGER: “I BELIEVE TURKEY WILL ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY”Hans-Christian Kruger, deputy secretary-general of the Council of Europe, yesterday met with Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk and Supreme Court Chief Justice Sami Selcuk. Answering a question on Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli’s objectionS to lifting the death penalty, Kruger said, “I will not talk about Turkey’s internal politics but I am sure that Turkey will abolish the death penalty.” /Sabah/[10] BAHCELI CRITICIZES ANAP, TUSIAD AND THE MEDIADeputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday spoke at his party’s group meeting to offer his views on recent developments concerning Turkish-EU relations and the future of the current coalition government. Harshly criticizing Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz, opposition parties and the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’ Association (TUSIAD), Bahceli remarked that everybody should be very careful when deciding on certain sensitive issues such as abolishing the death penalty and education in mother tongue languages, which are, he thinks, of great importance for Turkey’s future. Accusing ANAP, the opposition parties and the TUSIAD of ignoring Turkey’s national interests for the sake of EU membership, Bahceli stated that Turkey should improve its relations with the EU without turning a blind eye to its own interests or making any concessions which would make the Turkish nation totally dependent upon other nations. /All Papers/[11] RTUK SELECTS NEW CHAIRMANThe Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) gathered yesterday in order to select the body’s new chairman. Fatih Karaca, a RTUK member since 1995, was elected to the post. Karaca has worked for both the TV and movie industries and has twice served as the RTUK’s vice chairman. /Aksam/[12] NGOs TO TAKE COMMON STAND ON EU ACCESSIONA large gathering of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Istanbul today is set to put together a joint declaration of their common stance on the pace of Turkey’s EU accession. Nearly 200 NGOs are expected to call on the EU to set a timetable by the end of this year to begin negotiations with Turkey for its membership. /Aksam/[13] BOEING OFFICIAL: “OVER THE NEXT DECADE, TURKEY’S AIR FLEET COULD DOUBLE IN SIZE”Speaking at Ankara’s Air Museum, a representative of US company Boeing predicted yesterday that Turkey’s civilian air fleet could double in less than 10 years’ time. Aldo Basile, Turkish sales manager for Boeing, said that Turkey’s current fleet of 150 planes could grow to 300 by 2010, depending on economic growth and development. Basile was optimistic on Turkey’s economic prospects, saying its EU candidacy and educated population would be its growth engines. He predicted tourism sector growth of 10% as well. Basile’s speech coincided with an announcement that Turkey’s military planned to buy several AWACS early warning planes from Boeing. /Milliyet/[14] TURKEY SIGNS AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE BOEING DEFENSE PLANESAn agreement finalizing the purchase of early warning defense planes was signed yesterday in Ankara by authorities from the Defense Industry Undersecretariat and representatives of US company Boeing. Turkey is expected to buy at least four Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes from US company Boeing. Turkey also has the option to increase the number of planes to six. Boeing Vice President Patrick Gill stated that they were now waiting the approval of the US Congress for the purchase to take place. /Star/[15] TURK TELEKOM AND KOC GROUP TO COOPERATE ON BULGARIAN TELECOM BIDA statement issued by Koc Holding yesterday announced that state landline monopoly Turk Telekom and Koc Group’s information, communication and technology services division had decided to jointly participate in a bid for 65% of the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company. The stake in question has been offered as part of the Bulgarian company’s privatization. /Milliyet/[16] GOOD NEWS FROM TOURISM AND AUTOMOTIVE SECTORSThe number of tourists visiting Antalya has increased by 10% compared to last year, a tourism sector representative said yesterday. Stating that Antalya was riding a boom tourism wave, Professional Hotel Managers Association Chairman Turgen Sevki Bulut said, “If we can keep up the current pace, we can overtake last year’s numbers by as much as 15%.” Mediterranean Tourist Hotels Association (AKTOB) Chairman Ahmet Barut also said that he expected the number of tourists visiting Antalya to reach 5 million by the end of the year. Barut stated, “We’ve boosted the number of tourists visiting Turkey by 10%, which is a great success.” He added that such countries as Spain, Greece, Tunisia and Egypt have recently experienced large losses in the tourism sector but that Turkey was leading the pack of profitable countries in the sector. In other rosy economic news, Turkish automotive sector exports increased by 5.1% this January-May to reach $1.77 billion, the State Institute of Statistics (DIE) announced this week. The automotive sector exported automotive goods to 153 countries and autonomous regions, as well as 10 free zones in the January-May period. /Milliyet/[17] NEW CAMPAIGN FOR TURKISH TOURISM: “NOW IT’S TIME FOR TURKEY”The Tourism Research and Strategy Center has launched a new campaign in Germany entitled “Now It’s Time for Turkey,” to help boost Turkish tourism. The campaign, which is also supported by the Turkish Tourism Ministry, aims to promote Turkey and its culture to millions of German citizens. /Cumhuriyet/[18] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…[19] CATCHING UP WITH THE TIMETABLE BY SAMIM KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the EU deadline until when Turkey has to fulfil its commitments. A summary of his column is as follows:“The Czech Republic is preparing for elections which will be held in 10 days. The Czechs have successfully made the transition to a democratic system and are now holding the election campaigns in a surprisingly subdued atmosphere. Some 28 parties are competing for the 200 seats in their Parliament, but no one can speak of a notable excitement in Prague. The president of the Republic, Vaclav Havel, wants to see his nation in the EU. The present government and a majority of the people support this policy. Czechs have already completed the political criteria required for the EU. Their doubts are mainly focused on certain economic problems such as agriculture. However, a great majority would like this issue to be thoroughly discussed with the EU. As we well know, there can be no bargaining on the Copenhagen criteria. In Turkey, these political criteria are still being debated. It is a fact that Turkey has special problems such as terrorism. The EU may show understanding towards this problem but still require the candidate to fulfill its commitments. It has been this way for the candidates in Eastern and Central Europe. They also had problems peculiar to themselves. If problems pertaining to the abolition of the death penalty and broadcasting in Kurdish are solved, it is widely believed that the EU may give us a date for the start of accession negotiations before the end of the year. However, this is not in fact the case. On every occasion, EU diplomats are saying that setting a date for Turkey does not depend on just two or three problems but also on other conditions such as the implementation of laws and lifting of restrictions concerning freedom of expression. Otherwise, a great disappointment may lay in store for the people at the end of the year. Tuesday’s speech delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli has demonstrated how deeply contrasting views are held in Turkey regarding the policies to be pursued towards the EU. If this will be repeated at the summit in Cankaya on Friday, it will be very hard and even impossible to reach an agreement on two or three questions discussed for some weeks. Such a result will weaken our chances of catching up with the calendar regarding the EU. Certainly this is not the end of the world. However, like the Czechs, is not our aim to live in a civilized world and attain better living standards?” [20] BAHCELI IS FURIOUS BY SEDAT SERTOGLU (SABAH)Columnist Sedat Sertoglu writes on the speech Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli made yesterday. A summary of his column is as follows:“Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli issued messages to the Cankaya summit which will be held in three days. In brief, he said that the MHP had not changed its stance regarding capital punishment and broadcasting in mother tongues and would not do so. The media and the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) were among the institutions he criticized. However, we believe that anger won’t lead to any solutions to the issues and in fact will leave them unsolved. In this climate it would be wrong to expect a promising joint decision to come out from the Cankaya summit. This in turn may come to mean that Turkey’s EU membership may be stalled for some years to come. Following Bahceli’s declaration, the opposition leaders will begin to toughen on these two issues. Getting to power is more important for them than the wishes of 80% of the people. Can President Sezer take this issue to a referendum? This may the last hope. Then everyone will come out openly and explain their views to the public. The people will think about it and vote for it in the end. No one can oppose such a decision. In fact, I do not believe that people are really aware of the pluses and minuses of membership in the EU. I wonder what the opposition party leaders who have defended Turkey’s EU bid up to now will do in such a situation. Will they continue to do so or seem to be in support of leaving everything as it is, taking the votes that could go to Bahceli into consideration? In fact, Turkey’s not being admitted to the EU is tantamount to snatching away the future of the country and its younger generations. For over 30 years we have been talking about entering the EU. But we have not completed our homework. Talking about issues is not enough.” [21] FRIGHTENING DISTORTIONS BY OKAY GONENSIN (SABAH)Columnist Okay Gonensin writes on Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli’s press conference. A summary of his column is as follows:“Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli made his expected announcement yesterday. In a long speech, Bahceli criticized everyone who openly supported Turkey’s EU bid and particularly the press. His statement was filled with blanket accusations and lacking any specific meaning such as ‘terrifying distortion,’ ‘wrong and dangerous mentality,’ ‘dividing Turkey into two as those for and against the EU,’ ‘weakening the position of our country,’ and ‘strengthening the grounds for ethnic discrimination.’ The MHP leader accused some journalists and writers by name. Bahceli’s speech is the product of an old policy bereft of any projects for the future and unaware of the dangers Turkey is facing today and will be encountered in the future. A mentality which is unaware of the goings-on in the world and the EU, the social, economic and legal changes through which the member countries have passed, and trying to hold society in fear is now saying that it will continue to hold the country’s future hostage. This is the quite frightening mentality. The only concrete proposal in Bahceli’s speech concerns the situation of Ocalan. The Ocalan case is more important for Bahceli than all the other questions in Turkey put together. He is right as this is the mentality which has brought Ocalan to the state he is in and the MHP has reached this place thanks to Ocalan. It is unfortunate that those who lack a plan for the future of millions of people cling to Ocalan and base their policies on him. Tomorrow 175 institutions representing Turkey will respond to Bahceli. The representatives of workers, civil servants, small businessmen and other professions will have one thing to say to Bahceli. That is that they want to live in an advanced society, and they do not desire their children to face the same problems they did, and therefore they favor Turkey’s admittance to the EU.” ARCHIVE <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js"> </script> Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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