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Turkish Press Review, 03-03-20Turkish 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> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning20.03.2003PROPOSAL ON IRAQ TO BE DEBATED IN PARLIAMENT TODAY US STATE UNDERSECRETARY GROSSMAN: “AN ECONOMIC PACKAGE WILL BE DECIDED ON AFTER TURKEY PASSES PROPOSALS” FLEISCHER: “THE US HASN’T RULED OUT AN ECONOMIC PACKAGE FOR TURKEY” IRAQIS FLEE TO NORTH OF COUNTRY NEAR TURKISH BORDER TURKISH JOURNALISTS SENT OUT OF IRAQI BORDER PROVINCE FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS… PLAN A OUT, PLAN B IN BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE) WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS BY MURAT CELIK (STAR)CONTENTS
[01] PROPOSAL ON IRAQ TO BE DEBATED IN PARLIAMENT TODAYThe government last night sent to Parliament a proposal on Iraq authorizing Turkish troop deployment into northern Iraq and the use of Turkish airspace by foreign armed forces for six months. The proposal, unlike an earlier version voted down earlier this month, did not contain any provision for the deployment of US troops in Turkish territory. Meanwhile, US officials said that the Bush administration had withdrawn an offer of economic compensation previously agreed on to Turkey, as the package had been contingent upon the US deployments being authorized. The Iraq proposal is expected to be voted on in Parliament today. Before the balloting, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Parliamentary Group is scheduled to meet to discuss recent developments in Iraq along with the proposal. /All Papers/[02] BAYKAL: “THE US PROPOSALS FOR TURKEY ARE UNLAWFUL”Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday charged that United States proposals for military preparations and operations in Turkish territory were unlawful. “The previous US proposal included upgrading our bases and harbors, but now they also want Turkey to allow jet overflights through Turkish airspace,” Baykal told an academic gathering in Istanbul. “But Parliament didn’t approve any deployments of US troops or establishing new bases.” He also criticized the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, saying that it had failed to pursue a serious and determined Iraq policy. “The current instability has made interest rates shoot up,” said Baykal. “For a healthy investment climate, economic stability is a must.” /Aksam/[03] US STATE UNDERSECRETARY GROSSMAN: “AN ECONOMIC PACKAGE WILL BE DECIDED ON AFTER TURKEY PASSES PROPOSALS”US Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman said yesterday that if Turkey’s Parliament passes proposals authorizing US troops deployment on Turkish soil and jet overflights through Turkish airspace, then at that point the US administration would decide what to do to compensate Turkey’s possible economic losses due to war. Grossman, a former US ambassador to Ankara, added that Turkey was the only NATO member country which had yet to authorize the overflights. “We will wait to see Parliament’s decision,” said Grossman. “We hope it will approve the proposals as soon as possible.” In related news, US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher yesterday indicated that the US would provide Turkey with no special economic package if it approved only the overflights and not troop deployments. “Overflights are routinely granted by other [NATO] member nations without any questions of financial assistance or the need for dealing with any economic consequences,” Boucher added. /Aksam/[04] FLEISCHER: “THE US HASN’T RULED OUT AN ECONOMIC PACKAGE FOR TURKEY”The US administration is still considering an economic compensation package for Turkey, even if its cooperation with US war plans is smaller than originally proposed, said White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer yesterday. Asked by reporters about the recent urgent US request for jet overflight rights, Fleischer said, “The Turkish Parliament has yet to speak on that matter... And so it’s premature to make any judgments about what actions Turkey will take.” Fleischer acknowledged that while the original economic package had been contingent upon Ankara’s “total cooperation in the military endeavor,” it also recognized that Turkey’s proximity to Iraq made the nation especially vulnerable to economic damage. Finally, asked whether the Bush administration could offer a smaller package if “Turkey cooperates at some [smaller] level,” the spokesman replied, “The White House has not ruled out assistance for Turkey in this matter.” /Aksam/[05] IRAQIS FLEE TO NORTH OF COUNTRY NEAR TURKISH BORDERThousands of Iraqis, especially ones from Kirkuk and the capital Baghdad, have fled to what is seen as safer regions in northern Iraq out of fear of imminent war. The migrants are establishing tent camps within some 70-80 kilometers of the Turkish border. Over the last two days, the number of Iraqis fleeing to regions under the control of the Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) and the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) has reportedly reached 30, 000. /Turkiye/[06] TURKISH JOURNALISTS SENT OUT OF IRAQI BORDER PROVINCETurkish journalists working in Zaho, the closest Iraqi province to the border with Turkey, were sent out of the city yesterday by local military units. After detaining the journalists for some time, peshmergas from the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) sent them out of the city. Turkish reporters were then reportedly prohibited from re-entering Zaho or working in regions close to the Turkish border. /Turkiye/[07] IRAQI OPPOSITION LEADERS REACH CONSENSUS IN ANKARAA series of meetings of Iraqi opposition leaders in Ankara ended yesterday with a consensus reached among the Turkish officials, US representatives and the eight opposition groups’ leaders participating. Under the consensus, the sides agreed to oppose any discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic origin, language or religion. The participants also pledged to preserve Iraq’s sovereignty, freedom, territorial integrity and national unity. Meanwhile, Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani and Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) representative Nechirvan Barzani met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal. Talabani told reporters that they had exchanged views on a wide range of issues. He stated that Iraqi Turkmen representation at the Iraqi National Council, a body intended to help shape a future Iraq, had already been approved. Stating his view that there was no need for the deployment or intervention of Turkish troops in northern Iraq, Talabani said, “If we need help, our first phone call will be to Turkey.” /All Papers/[08] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[09] PLAN A OUT, PLAN B IN BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)Writing yesterday, Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on a US change of plans on Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:“US Secretary of State Colin Powell phoned Prime Minister Abdullah Gul at 2:00 a.m. to tell him that ‘Plan B’ would be carried out in the US’ Iraq operation. This means that the US had changed its mind about opening a second front from Turkish territory because of our government’s wavering and delaying on the issue, which the superpower found itself no longer able to tolerate. Although Turkey considered a mass deployment of US soldiers in Diyarbakir an awkward matter, this concern is understandable. However, the US should have been given the word months ago. Keeping the US waiting was both dangerous and improper. Today Washington is fuming at two states, Turkey and France. What a diplomatic coup! Ankara’s interpretation is unclear because everybody is saying something different, but it’s obvious that Washington no longer considers us a strategic ally. We’ve completely lost our credibility. This is a crushing defeat for Turkish foreign policy, one which can only be made up for through great effort. Our ability to be considered among the 30 allied countries supporting the Iraq operation depends on our at least authorizing US jet overflights. Probably our military won’t be given the necessary information to protect itself from attack by US jets. If this happens, we can’t endanger our army by moving it into Iraq. The information in question will certainly be given to the northern Iraqi peshmergas, who – thanks to us -- are America’s new strategic allies. The intense activity carried out in Turkey in order to destroy the Turkish-US friendship in the name of peace shouldn’t be forgotten. How will this all end up? That question will be the subject of future columns. At any rate the US bombardment will start at the end of this week -- or even, some say, as early as tonight.” [10] WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS BY MURAT CELIK (STAR)Columnist Murat Celik comments on Turkey’s stance on the Iraq crisis. A summary of his column is as follows:“ ‘I would like you to know that the US doesn’t need full cooperation from Turkey any longer. What we expect from Turkey now is to grant us overflight rights as soon as possible.’ These words came out of US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s mouth during a recent telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Although Turkey has very understandable concerns, Ankara’s reluctant stance on the Iraq crisis was regarded by the Bush administration as foot-dragging in a vain attempt to avert a possible US-led war. That’s why Bush’s people finally told Ankara that the US no longer needed to station its troops at Turkey’s military facilities. Some interpret this development as Turkey’s failure, but others see it as a new strategy for the Bush administration. The former group believes that Turkey will have to face severe economic consequences for its choice in the future. The latter says that the US would never give up on Turkey and will again request stationing its troops on Turkish soil in the very near future. What about behind-the-scenes discussions in Ankara? Prominent political figures are stressing that Turkey must enter northern Iraq to control future developments which could likely culminate with the establishment of an independent Kurdish state. For now, the terrorist group PKK_KADEK is staying silent. However, intelligence sources state that anti-Turkish movements in northern Iraq are being backed by this organization. The PKK is putting pressure on the two main Kurdish opposition leaders, Barzani and Talabani, to lobby against Turkey’s entrance into northern Iraq. What is happening in Ankara right now? Besides those politicians occupied with day-to-day politics, there are also other civilian and military institutions busy developing policies and strategies in line with the latest international developments, along with a close eye on our nation’s long- term interests. During such a critical period, we need to take a closer look at what these institutions are doing: * Analyzing and evaluating past events, * Trying to consider all the long- term outcomes of the latest developments, * Taking into consideration every possibility, Drawing up possible worst- and best-case scenarios. Therefore, they are trying to minimize the risk of our encountering any ‘unpleasant surprises.’ We need to listen very carefully what these institutions will say in the future and what they will recommend that Ankara do.” 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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