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Turkish Press Review, 02-06-20
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
20.06.2002
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER TO TRAVEL TO SPAIN FOR EU SUMMIT
[02] CEM: “TURKEY IS READY TO COOPERATE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION”
[03] YILMAZ: “I AM PESSIMISTIC ON THE FULFILLMENT OF OUR EU COMMITMENTS”
[04] DERVIS MEETS AMBASSADORS OF EU COUNTRIES
[05] DERVIS: “CRISIS IN BANKING SECTOR IS OVER”
[06] TURKEY TAKING REINS OF ISAF
[07] GUREL: “TURKEY IS THE LINK BETWEEN EURASIA AND THE EU”
[08] PAMUKBANK TAKEN OVER BY BDDK
[09] HISTORIC MILITARY AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN TURKEY AND SYRIA
[10] TUSIAD: “POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY IS JEOPARDIZING THE COUNTRY”
[11] CILLER: “THE GOVERNMENT IS BLOCKING TURKEY ON EVERY ISSUE”
[12] ERASLAN OZKAYA ELECTED NEW HEAD OF COURT OF CASSATION
[13] BEKIR AKSOY RESIGNS FROM DYP, JOINS MHP
[14] KAZAN: “IT WAS IMPROPER TO CLOSE THE WELFARE PARTY”
[15] SANDIR: “SEARCH FOR DEATH PENALTY CONSENSUS SHOULD BE CONCLUDED SOON”
[16] TASAR WELCOMES CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS IN ISTANBUL
[17] ERDOGAN PROPOSES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO LIFT DEATH PENALTY
[18] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[19] TURKISH-EU RELATIONS: THE SOUND AND THE FURY
BY SEMIH IDIZ (STAR)
[20] ANKARA AGREES WITH THE EU ON IRAN BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[01] SEZER TO TRAVEL TO SPAIN FOR EU SUMMIT
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer accompanied by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem
will travel to Spain tomorrow for this weekend’s European Union summit in
Seville. Sezer will try to convince the EU that Turkey is working hard to
make reforms for its EU membership. Sezer is also to convey the message
that Turkey has taken earnest steps to abolish the death penalty and allow
education and broadcasting in mother tongues and that he expects the same
earnestness from the EU. Sezer will also mention the importance that Turkey
places on starting its full membership negotiations this year. /Hurriyet/
[02] CEM: “TURKEY IS READY TO COOPERATE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION”
Turkey is currently working hard to dispel certain prejudices of European
Union countries concerning its efforts to combat illegal immigration and
human trafficking, two hot issues which leapt to the top of the EU’s agenda
in the wake of last September’s terrorist attacks. The recent rise of
xenophobia and the extreme right in Europe has led the EU to take urgent
action against a tide of illegal immigrants from Africa and Asia
threatening to flood the continent. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yesterday
sent a letter to EU Term President Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Picque
conveying a message that Turkey was ready to cooperate in combating illegal
immigration. Cem stressed in his letter that there was a incorrect
assumption on the part of EU countries at large that Turkey was not doing
enough to crack down on illegal immigrants. Stating that an increasing
number of illegal immigrants were being caught by Turkish security forces
every year, Cem noted that 92,365 such immigrants were intercepted in 2000
alone. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] YILMAZ: “I AM PESSIMISTIC ON THE FULFILLMENT OF OUR EU COMMITMENTS”
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz yesterday told his party’s group meeting
that he was getting pessimistic on the prospects of fulfillment of Turkey’s
European Union membership commitments. Remarking that no country which
joined the EU had later been split up, he told the closed meeting that he
wasn’t hopeful that the regulations related to the country’s EU bid would
be able to be made before Parliament went on summer recess. He also added
that despite obstacles, he was determined to take steps towards Turkey’s
full EU membership within the coalition government. /Aksam/
[04] DERVIS MEETS AMBASSADORS OF EU COUNTRIES
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis yesterday met with ambassadors
from European Union member and candidate countries at Ankara’s British
Embassy. Dervis requested that the ambassadors encourage businessmen from
their respective countries to invest in Turkey. Stating that no early
elections were expected in the near future, Dervis stressed that an exact
date should be immediately determined for the beginning of Turkey’s EU
accession negotiation process. For their part, the ambassadors remarked
that Turkey should first fulfill the EU’s political criteria in order to
begin its accession negotiation process. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] DERVIS: “CRISIS IN BANKING SECTOR IS OVER”
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis said yesterday that Turkey’s
crisis in its banking sector was now over. Following his visit to Deputy
State Minister Devlet Bahceli, Dervis answered reporters’ questions
regarding Pamukbank’s takeover by the Banking Regulation and Supervision
Agency (BDDK). Stressing that the banking sector was emerging from this
period in better shape, Dervis pointed out that bank recapitalization was a
prior condition which Turkey had completed for its International Monetary
Fund program. Meanwhile, a new Letter of Intent (LOI), prepared by the
Treasury Undersecretariat and showing the recent situation of the economy
and Turkey’s commitments to be carried out in the coming months, has been
sent to the IMF after being signed by Dervis and Central Bank Governor
Sureyya Serdengecti. The IMF Executive Board is scheduled to meet on June
28 and following the meeting, a tranche of $1.1 billion is expected to be
extended to Turkey. In addition, IMF officials expressed their approval
regarding the BDDK’s action taking over Pamukbank. /All Papers/
[06] TURKEY TAKING REINS OF ISAF
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) under Gen. Akin Zorlu are set today to take
command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in
Afghanistan from Great Britain with a ceremony. Britain is expected to
withdraw most of its forces from the country. Turkey’s command of the
international peacekeeping force is scheduled to last six months.
/Hurriyet/
[07] GUREL: “TURKEY IS THE LINK BETWEEN EURASIA AND THE EU”
In a speech at a panel on Turkish-EU Relations yesterday in Ankara, State
Minister Sukru Sina Gurel stated that Turkey is a modern, dynamic country
which will play an active role in improving relations between the EU and
Eurasia. “Turkey is a country which enjoys close contacts with EU countries,
contributes to the international community’s cooperation on peace, and also
assumes a leading role in sustaining peace and stability in Afghanistan,”
said Gurel, Turkey’s state minister for EU relations. “Turkey has placed
itself at the center of relations in Eurasia. Our country has been
successful in improving its relations with both Europe and Eurasia.”
/Cumhuriyet/
[08] PAMUKBANK TAKEN OVER BY BDDK
The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) announced yesterday
that it was putting Pamukbank, Turkey’s fifth-largest private bank, into
receivership. Pamukbank, which had previously announced plans to merge with
Yapi Kredi Bank, was taken over as it hasn’t taken required measures, had
become a danger for the confidence and stability of the financial system,
and also had a capital deficit of $2 billion. Analysts said that the BDDK’s
decision has shown its determination to withstand political pressure in
cleaning up and restructuring the banking system. Pamukbank was originally
established in 1955 in Adana to ensure finance for cotton producers in
Cukurova. Meanwhile, Pamukbank Executive Board members Mehmet Emin
Karamehmet and Osman Berkmen were both removed from their posts and barred
from travelling abroad. Regarding the takeover, BDDK Chairman Engin
Akcakoca told reporters that there was no need for uneasiness as the bank
was continuing to do business. He said that Hasan Ulukanli had been
appointed chairman of Pamukbank’s Executive Board, while Ahmet Ayaydin was
named director general. He also emphasized that for the time being, there
was no intent either to close any of Pamukbank’s branches or dismiss any of
its personnel. /All Papers/
[09] HISTORIC MILITARY AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN TURKEY AND SYRIA
The Turkish and Syrian chiefs of staff yesterday signed a historic military
agreement, marking a significant stage in an ongoing rapprochement process
between two countries which once were on the brink of war due to a
disagreement over PKK terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan. The agreement
signed by Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu and his
Syrian counterpart Hassan Turmani will pave the way for joint military
training as well as technical and scientific cooperation. Kivrikoglu stated
that the two countries’ cooperation on security issues would contribute to
peace and stability in the Middle East. /Aksam/
[10] TUSIAD: “POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY IS JEOPARDIZING THE COUNTRY”
Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) Chairman
Tuncay Ozilhan yesterday warned the government about the consequences of
political uncertainty hanging over the country. Speaking at TUSIAD’s
Consultation Board meeting, Ozilhan said that the current political
atmosphere in the country could lead to a serious impasse. “The prevailing
political uncertainty is threatening the country with disaster,” Ozilhan
added. Ozilhan also said that the collapse could come about at such a speed
that even early elections would not be able to help, and that the economy
couldn’t withstand another economic shock. /Star/
[11] CILLER: “THE GOVERNMENT IS BLOCKING TURKEY ON EVERY ISSUE”
Opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller told her party’s group
meeting yesterday that the coalition government was preventing not only
Turkey’s full European Union membership but also its enjoying full
democracy. The main opposition leader stated that she had asked for an
appointment with Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi to ask him to open the EU
membership issue to discussion in Parliament, and another appointment with
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to ask him not to block Turkey’s path leading
to full EU membership. Ciller also added that the political parties and
elections laws should be amended and Turkey should call for early elections
as soon as possible. /Aksam/
[12] ERASLAN OZKAYA ELECTED NEW HEAD OF COURT OF CASSATION
Eraslan Ozkaya was yesterday elected the new chairman of Court of Cassation
following Sami Selcuk’s exiting the post earlier this month due to his
reaching the mandatory retirement age. The two days of elections at the
court began with a field of six candidates. Eventually Ozkaya and Deputy
Chairman Mater Kaban emerged as the top contenders, with Ozkaya ultimately
prevailing by a vote of 144-85. /Milliyet/
[13] BEKIR AKSOY RESIGNS FROM DYP, JOINS MHP
True Path Party (DYP) Corum Deputy Bekir Aksoy yesterday announced his
resignation from the main opposition party led by Tansu Ciller. He also
announced that he had decided to join the right-wing coalition partner
Nationalist Action Party (MHP), and that he would join the MHP at its next
parliamentary group meeting. The resignation of Aksoy reduced the number of
parliamentary seats held by the DYP to 84. Meanwhile, Ankara Greater
Municipality Mayor Melih Gokcek declared that he would become the leader of
the center-right Democratic Party (DP), saying that he would join the party
officially this Sunday. Gokcek added that former Izmir Mayor Burhan
Ozfatura, Konya independent Deputy Huseyin Ari, and former Interior
Ministry Undersecretary Teoman Unusan would also join the DP. /Aksam/
[14] KAZAN: “IT WAS IMPROPER TO CLOSE THE WELFARE PARTY”
Sevket Kazan, a former executive at the banned Welfare Party (RP),
yesterday spoke on behalf of the Islamist political group before the
European Court of Human Rights. Kazan told the court hearing that the RP
had never engaged in activities against Turkey’s principle of secularism
and that the government had been wrong to shut down the party. The RP was
closed by Turkey’s Constitutional Court in 1998, and it filed suit in
protest at the ECHR soon thereafter. The court is to issue a decision after
hearing testimony from both sides. /Milliyet/
[15] SANDIR: “SEARCH FOR DEATH PENALTY CONSENSUS SHOULD BE CONCLUDED SOON”
Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Group Deputy leader Mehmet Sandir requested
yesterday that the search to find a consensus on lifting the death penalty
outside the government should be concluded at Parliament as soon as
possible. Stating that there was a consensus among the government partners
as part of the National Programme during Turkey’s European Union bid,
Sandir said, “The consensus being looked for in Parliament should be
reached as soon as possible and its results should be put forward. If that
consensus proves unattainable, an alternative way should be found. The
Democratic Left Party [DSP] and the Motherland Party [ANAP] have
responsibilities on this issue. There is a consensus as part of the
National Programme on the part of the government. The uncertainty stemming
from this search is causing fluctuation on the markets. Time must be used
in the best way possible in the search for consensus concerning lifting the
death penalty. A result must be achieved as soon as possible, no matter
with which way they do this. This responsibility belongs first and foremost
to the DSP and ANAP.” /Sabah/
[16] TASAR WELCOMES CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS IN ISTANBUL
Olympia Explorer, one of the world’s fastest cruise ships, arrived in
Istanbul yesterday. Tourism Minister Mustafa Tasar participated in a
ceremony held to commemorate the first port-of-call of the ship, which
ferries its passengers to Turkish and Greek islands. Tasar attached a
rosette to visitors from the ship, who were welcomed in the ceremony. He
also toured the ship and gave a plate to its owner. The ship was made by
the Royal Olympic Cruises Company in Germany, and it brought 780 tourists
to Turkey’s largest city. /Sabah/
[17] ERDOGAN PROPOSES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO LIFT DEATH PENALTY
Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday
his party wouldn’t support the Democratic Left Party’s (DSP) bill
concerning lifting the death penalty, but instead had its own proposal.
Erdogan said that the AKP had prepared a constitutional amendment under
which death sentences would be commuted to life in prison without parole
and crimes of terrorism would be ineligible for pardon, and he said the
amendment should be discussed simultaneously with the DSP’s bill. The AKP’s
proposal also envisages ending the death penalty in situations of
“terrorism, war and threat of imminent war.” /Sabah/
[18] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[19] TURKISH-EU RELATIONS: THE SOUND AND THE FURY
BY SEMIH IDIZ (STAR)
Columnist Semih Idiz writes on the recent tension in Turkish-EU relations
prior to the EU Seville summit. A summary of his column is as follows:
“The recent Turkish-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) has been turned
into a battleground for the opposition front on both sides. On the one hand
the co-chairman of the JPC, Joost Langendjik from the Netherlands, and on
the other Turkish State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel chose to move the
cacophony from the background into the fore. In other words, at a time when
a reasonable, rational and constructive background was sorely needed in
relations before the Seville summit, they preferred to step on each other’s
toes. Reports coming from Brussels clearly point to this. The first tense
moment came with Langendjik’s question directed at Gurel on Cyprus, asking
if his opinions on the issue of annexation were the same. This question
forwarded with the mistaken assumption that Turkey would annex Northern
Cyprus if the EU decided to admit the Greek Cypriot administration into the
organization certainly bore no sign of good will. The person answering such
a question should have nerves of steel. This is clear. However, it seems
that State Minister Sukru Gurel, instead of keeping his calm, chose to add
fuel to the fire. The foreign and Turkish sources I talked to in Ankara
said that such behavior should be considered normal for Gurel who is known
as the government’s most hardliner hawk. Sometimes it seems that he is not
pursuing the government’s policy but rather his own. Within this frame of
mind, Gurel answered Langendjik’s absurd question by saying, ‘Are you
talking about the entire island or the northern part?’ In frankness, we
must admit that such a reply added nothing to our standing but provided
instead fresh grist for the mill for the argument of the opposition front
in the EU. Reporters hearing this exchange of opinions stated that Gurel’s
reply led to an icy silence. I believe that the same chill was felt in the
Turkish side of the JPC. This is not a constructive but a destructive
approach. Gurel should have kept his calm, notwithstanding Langendjik’s
absurd question of Langendjik and clearly laid out Turkey’s stand. In fact,
he later expressed that Turkey’s intention was not to annex the island but
go into an integration process with it. However, such an explanation came
after the climate was disrupted and served no purpose under the
circumstances. What is more, Gurel continued his words angrily and stated
that the Greek Cypriot administration could not be a member to an
organization before Turkey is admitted there. Even TRNC President Denktas
has avoided voicing such a statement. Thus the tension was heightened.
These words, which in fact amount to praying for something possible, were
pronounced neither by Ankara nor by the TRNC. It seems that Mr. Gurel’s
intention was not to get results but to just rebuke his counterpart.
Certainly, Langendjik didn’t shy away from continuing to behave absurdly
and in an unwarranted example, he suggested Turkey to enter a dialogue with
the PKK terrorist organisation as in the case of Northern Ireland. In doing
so, he ignored the fact that neither Britain nor the Irish Republic ever
entered into a dialogue with the IRA. It is true that both countries
initiated a dialogue with the political wing of the IRA, Sinn Fein. However,
this came about as the result of an impasse going on for almost 40 years.
In fact, the problem of Northern Ireland is not yet solved. However, the
parliamentarian from the Netherlands also conveniently chose to ignore this
fact. It is evident that Langendjik has no intention of discussing the
issues in a civilized platform. Acting by impulses fed by his prejudices,
he meant to disrupt the cool of his counterpart. Unfortunately, among us
there are those who are ready to lose our heads and respond in kind to such
absurdities instead of acting rationally. The result is apparent. Not a
constructive but a destructive cacophony is seen in Turkish-EU relations. ”
[20] ANKARA AGREES WITH THE EU ON IRAN BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen writes on President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s visit to Iran
and Turkey’s policy pursued towards it. A summary of his column is as
follows:
“President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s two-day visit to Iran coincided with EU’s
decision on the policy to be pursued towards that country. Under this
decision, the EU will initiate negotiations to sign an economic and
political cooperation agreement. This EU policy made by the Council of
Ministers in Luxembourg, stands in stark contrast to the US policy
defending the opposite view, trying to isolate Iran. Sezer’s visit and the
speeches delivered there, demonstrated that Ankara’s policy tended to be
more in line with that of the EU rather than the US. The difference of
opinion between the EU and the US regarding Iran stems from a basic
approach. The US argues that Iran is one of the focal countries in its
proclaimed ‘axis of evil’. Even though, reformists lead by President
Khatami have recently increased their influence, Tehran is supporting
terrorism here and there, possessing weapons of mass destruction and
ballistic missiles, and is trying to expand its influence. Therefore,
Washington is intent on keeping Iran under pressure until it decides to
quit pursuing these policies. On the other hand, the EU defends the
necessity of opening up to Iran. The economic interests of Europeans play
an important role in adopting such a policy. In addition, the EU states
that in order to encourage reformists and weaken radicals in Tehran, it is
necessary to improve economic and political relations with the Khatami
administration. They believe that only then Iran can cooperate with the
West on issues such as terrorism. However, the EU’s stance disturbs the
US. Washington sees this as ‘naive support’ for Iran as it will continue to
do what it likes on mass destructive weapons and be a threat to the world
in consequence. For some time now, Turkey has been trying to solve disputes
with Iran stemming from its export of revolution, to focus on terrorism and
security and improving the economic relations between the two countries.
Sezer’s recent visit has been an important step forward in achieving this
goal. The pragmatic approach displayed by Turkish diplomacy on the issue
demonstrated that its point of view towards Iran is closer to that of the
EU than the US. Ankara believes this policy to be vitally important. It
also believes that such a policy will lead Iran to act more moderately and
rationally.”
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