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Turkish Press Review, 04-04-22Turkish 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 morning22.04.2004FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH GREEK PM KARAMANLISPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with Costas Karamanlis in Sarajevo, where both leaders are attending a summit of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP). Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and his Greek counterpart Petros Molivyatis were also present at the meeting. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Erdogan and Karamanlis stated that bilateral relations and the Cyprus issue had been taken up. The two leaders added that they were determined to further develop relations between their countries. Erdogan later addressed the SEECP summit. Pointing to the importance of the Balkans in Turkish history, the Turkish premier underlined that political and economic cooperation needed to be strengthened in order to reinforce peace and stability in the region. Erdogan is also set to pay a visit to Germany next week to attend the opening of the Chamber of Turkish-German Industry and Trade. /Turkiye/[02] TALAT: “APPROVING THE UN PLAN IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE”Speaking to his fellow citizens yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat hailed the UN Cyprus plan as “a great opportunity” for Turkish Cypriots and urged its approval in Saturday’s referendum. He stated that by approving the plan, both Turkish Cyprus and Turkey itself would be saved from a great dilemma. “You can invest in your future by saying ‘yes’ in the referendum,” said Talat. /Turkiye/[03] DENKTAS CALLS FOR “MATURITY” IN COUNTDOWN TO REFERENDUMSSpeaking on recent violence in Turkish Cyprus between supporters and opponents of the UN Cyprus plan, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday called on all citizens to act calmly and go to the referendums in a “mature manner,” their differences of opinion notwithstanding. Denktas also met yesterday with Turkey’s Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli and Worker’s Party leader Dogu Perincek, who are both visiting the island. /Sabah/[04] ANNAN: “IF EITHER SIDE REJECTS THE UN CYPRUS PLAN, MY ROLE AS DEAL BROKER WILL END”Speaking at a press conference yesterday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that if either side on Cyprus rejected the UN’s plan for the island in this Saturday’s referendums, then the plan would be null and void and his role as deal broker would end. He urged both sides to accept the plan. “I hope both Turkish and Greek Cypriots are aware of the fact that the choice before them this Saturday is one of truly historic importance,” said Annan, adding that the world stood ready to help Cypriots make the plan work. “I believe this opportunity shouldn’t be missed.” Annan further said that he had no request from either side to postpone the referendums. /Aksam/[05] VERHEUGEN: “GREEK CYPRUS CHEATED ME”Just days before this weekend’s referendums on the future of Cyprus, European Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said yesterday that he had been “cheated” by the Greek Cypriot government. "I personally feel that I have been cheated by the government of [Greek] Cyprus,” Verheugen told a special session of the EU Parliament. "For months on end I have done everything I could in good faith to make it possible for the Greek Cypriot side to accept this plan on the understanding that this is what they intended to do. Now things look very different." Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos also disappointed me by rejecting the plan, added Verheugen, further charging that Greek Cypriot government wasn’t acting in a manner befitting a country on the verge of EU membership. He predicted that the Turkish Cypriots would accept the plan in the referendums while the Greek Cypriots would reject it by a large margin. "Never before have we been as close to a solution as now,” he said. “We are just inches away from our objective. But I have to say I have little hope left for our being able to push forward those remaining few inches.” /Cumhuriyet/[06] EP URGES APPROVAL OF CYPRUS PLANIn the countdown to Saturday’s referendums on Cyprus, the European Parliament yesterday passed a resolution calling on both sides on Cyprus to approve the UN Cyprus plan and expressing support for all settlement efforts. The resolution further hailed the UN plan as a historic compromise document. /Aksam/[07] DANISH PRINCE: “ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN TURKEY AND DENMARK SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED”Danish Prince Joachim, who is currently in Turkey for an official visit, yesterday attended a meeting of the Danish-Turkish Business Forum. Addressing the group, the prince said that he was proud to be in Turkey and urged the strengthening of economic ties between the two countries. He added that Turkey had numerous opportunities for foreign investors. /Aksam/[08] WASHINGTON REJECTS GREEK LOBBY’S BID TO CHANGE UN CYPRUS PLANThe Greek-American lobby, longtime opponents of the UN Cyprus plan, recently sent a letter to US President George W. Bush in a last-ditch attempt to derail the plan. The letter claimed that because UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan’s Cyprus plan tolerated “Turkish aggressiveness” and favored the Turkish side, it had to be changed. However, this request was firmly rejected by US State Department officials, with spokesman Richard Boucher calling any change in the plan “impossible” at this stage and underlining that Saturday’s referendums would be held as scheduled. He added that his administration trusted Ankara to fully implement its obligations under the plan, rebuffing Greek Cypriot claims that Turkey would not do its part. /Turkiye/[09] FRENCH FM: “ANKARA’S EU ACCESSION TALKS COULD LAST 10-15 YEARS”Appearing on television yesterday, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier predicted that European Union accession talks with Turkey, if approved, could last for 10-15 years. “Turkey won’t join the EU today or tomorrow,” said Barnier, who recently set off a controversy by remarking that “current conditions” would not allow Ankara’s EU accession. “We haven’t begun accession talks yet, and these talks may last for a long time.” The EU is set to decide this December whether or not to begin the talks. /Cumhuriyet/[10] COURT UPHOLDS SENTENCES FOR FORMER DEP DEPUTIESConcluding the retrial of former DEP deputies Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak, Ankara’s State Security Court (DGM) yesterday upheld the original 1994 sentences of 15 years in prison each for collaborating with a terrorist organization. Under the verdict, the quartet will serve out the remaining one year and two months of their sentences. In response, the European Union Commission condemned the decision, saying that it cast a shadow over Turkey’s EU membership bid. /Hurriyet/[11] IMF’S BREKK: “THE FUTURE OF TURKEY’S ECONOMIC PROGRAM LOOKS BRIGHT”International Monetary Fund Turkey Representative Odd Per Brekk said yesterday that indicators of the nation’s economic program were good, adding that it continued to yield positive results. “Turkey has scored favorable results in terms of economic growth, inflation, and continued sound public debt,” said Brekk. He called recent falls in inflation the program’s most important success, adding that he expected inflation to fall to 10.6% by the end of next year. Brekk further predicted that this year’s 6.5% primary surplus target was achievable, saying that the Turkish lira was appreciating as confidence improves in the nation’s economic stability. Brekk further stated that Ankara’s latest Letter of Intent included exemptions for three criteria, including the budget, the fiscal basis and redundant employment in State Economic Enterprises (SEEs), and that the IMF Executive Board had accepted these exemptions. /Milliyet/[12] FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS[13] WHAT A SHAME! BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen’s recent remarks. A summary of his column is as follows:“EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said yesterday, ‘I personally feel that I have been cheated by the government of [Greek] Cyprus. For months on end I have done everything I could in good faith to make it possible for the Greek Cypriot side to accept this plan on the understanding that this is what they intended to do. Now things look very different.’ So the Greek Cypriots seemed to say yes to Annan’s plan but then changed their mind and thus deceived Verheugen. I wonder if this is the case. Maybe the Greek Cypriots think that it’s Verheugen who deceived them. Maybe Verheugen is the one who didn’t keep his promises. For example, they were offended by Verheugen’s failure to deliver the Turkish Cypriot Karpaz Peninsula to them. They didn’t find it enough when he told the Turkish delegation in Switzerland, ‘You will give Karpaz. Karpaz belongs to the Greek Cypriots.’ Or they didn’t find his statement sufficiently partial: ‘If the ruling party wins the [December 2003] elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus [TRNC], we won’t consider it valid but if the opposition party wins, we would consider it legal.’ Verheugen doesn’t have the right to be offended by the Greek Cypriots. Under Verheugen’s leadership, the EU guaranteed the Greek Cypriot administration that it would become an EU member on May 1 whatever the outcome of the Cyprus issue, and confirmed this at every stage of the negotiations. However, it always threatened Ankara and the Turkish side by saying, ‘If you don’t accept Annan’s plan, Turkey won’t get a date for talks for EU membership. The embargo on the TRNC will continue and it will be sorry.’ On the other hand, they told the Greek Cypriots, ‘You can rest easy. You will be an EU member on May 1 even if there’s no deal.’ So there was no need for the Greek Cypriots to seek a deal. Now they’re continuing to take what they want from the EU and the UN until the very last minute. The EU is now trying to benefit from Turkey’s difficult situation. Ankara accepted all this in order to get a date from the EU. However, the Greek Cypriot side doesn’t have to accept any conditions under the membership guarantee. That’s why it’s behaving arrogantly. This opportunity was provided by the EU and Verheugen, and the same Verheugen is now offended by the Greek Cypriots. What a shame!” [14] GERMAN BUSINESS GROUP SUPPORTS TURKEY BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on Turkey’s EU membership bid. A summary of her column is as follows:“A group of leading German businessmen yesterday visited Istanbul’s Sabanci Museum at the invitation of Omer Sabanci. The Association of German Industry, made up of businessmen dominating an important part of European Economy, is the most influential power behind Germany’s Christian Democrats. Their message differs markedly from that of Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Angela Merkel, who has openly rebuffed Turkey’s European Union membership bid. They, on the contrary, say that Turkey should be an EU member. ‘I can say that we can see then end of the economic crisis,’ Sabanci told the group. ‘We’ve entered a period of stability. Now we’re focused on starting accession talks with the EU.’ The first response to this came from Federation of German Industry (BDI) head Michael Ragowski: ‘We see Turkey’s importance for the future of Europe. We’re in favor of starting accession talks with Turkey and will support it as long as it fulfills the Copenhagen criteria and gets a positive report from Brussels. Europe should open its doors to Turkey.’ I understood the reason for this positive approach after talking to leading industrialist Arnold Kawlath. According to Kawlath, the young generation in Europe is growing lazy. This generation has lost its passion for productivity and hard work. Europe would increase labor competition by opening its doors to new members, including Turkish workers, who are more ready to work. Turkey would contribute to the European economy not only by boosting labor quality but also as a new market. And on one point the businessmen are unanimous: Since the European public fears that Turks will come and take their jobs, Turkey must start a professional campaign to improve its image and overcome this hurdle.” TO OUR READERS: In honor of the April 23 Children’s Festival, the Turkish Press Review will not appear tomorrow. Please join us again on Monday, April 26. 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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