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Turkish Press Review, 04-05-07Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>07.05.04Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “THE AEGEAN SHOULD BE A SEA OF PEACE”Speaking in Istanbul before leaving for Greece to pay a three-day official visit, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Aegean should be a sea of peace. Pointing to recent improvements in Turkish-Greek ties, Erdogan said, “We’ve signed a natural gas agreement, our trade volume is rising and we’re taking new steps together on tourism.” Commenting on Turkey’s European Union bid, the premier reiterated Ankara’s determination to attain membership. “With its cultural values and large economic potential, Turkey will be an important part of the EU,” said Erdogan. Later in the afternoon Erdogan, accompanied by his wife and a delegation, flew to Athens, where he was welcomed by the Greek foreign minister upon his arrival. /Turkiye/[02] PARLIAMENT COMMISSION APPROVES YOK BILLA government bill proposing structural reforms to the Higher Board of Education (YOK) as well as a new grading system for university entrance exams favoring occupational secondary schools, including religion-oriented imam hatips, was approved yesterday by Parliament’s Education Commission. Commenting on the bill, Education Minister Huseyin Celik said that the government was doing what the public wants on the matter. After six hours of discussion and debate, during which commission members from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) left the meetings, the commission passed the bill. It is expected to be debated by the full Parliament next week. On the other hand, in a press conference yesterday, YOK head Professor Erdogan Tezic criticized the proposal. Stressing that the bill was meant to open the door to university education for occupational high school and imam hatip graduates, Tezic charged that the government’s push for the measure was politically motivated. _Turkiye[03] GENERAL STAFF OFFICE ISSUES WARNING ON YOK BILLCommenting on the recent controversial push of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to amend the Higher Board of Education (YOK) Law, the Secretariat General of the Chief of General Staff yesterday issued a statement pointing out that under current law, imam hatip schools were intended solely to serve students seeking employment in religious posts. Warning that the amendments might damage the secular education system and cause unnecessary public friction even as Turkey is already dealing with a number of serious issues, the statement said that the Turkish military had faith the related institutions and organizations would act prudently and with common sense. It also called on the public to maintain its sensitivity on the matter. /Sabah/[04] WESTON: “WASHINGTON MAY PROVIDE DIRECT ECONOMIC AID TO THE TRNC”Tom Weston, the special US coordinator for Cyprus, yesterday praised the European Union’s recent steps to end the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’s (TRNC) isolation, but added that much remained to be done as these steps alone would not be sufficient. For instance, he stated that Washington was working to provide direct US flights to the TRNC, adding that the US government could also provide direct economic aid but that congressional approval was needed for this. /Cumhuriyet/[05] BELGIAN PM: “IF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S REPORT ON TURKEY IS POSITIVE, THEN WE MAY BEGIN ACCESSION TALKS”Speaking at a press conference after meeting with his Spanish counterpart Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero yesterday, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said that the European Commission’s fall report on Turkey needed to be examined before the European Union decides whether or not to begin Ankara’s accession talks. “If the commission releases a positive report, then we may begin the accession talks,” said Verhofstadt. /Aksam/[06] ANKARA WELCOMES RESOLUTION OF GEORGIAN-ADZHARIAN DISPUTEThe Foreign Ministry released a statement yesterday saying that it welcomed the recent resolution of tension in neighboring Georgia, praising the Georgian government for its prudent handling of the standoff with the leadership of its autonomous province of Adzharia (Adjara). A weeks-long standoff between Adzharian leader Aslan Abashidze and the Georgian government ended on Wednesday when Abashidze fled the region, apparently to exile in Russia after protests against his rule. In related news, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who is currently in Dublin to attend the Euro-Med Foreign Ministers’ meeting, yesterday expressed satisfaction that the problem had been resolved peacefully and added that Turkey would continue to help Georgia in whatever way it could. /Turkiye/[07] GERMAN BUSINESSWOMEN IN ANKARA LEND SUPPORT TO TURKEY’S EU BIDMembers of the Association of German Businesswomen, one of Germany’s leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs), arrived yesterday in Ankara upon the invitation of the Businesswomen’s Association (TIKAD.) Speaking afterwards, TIKAD head Nilufer Bulut said that the German businesswomen had expressed support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid, adding that they and their Turkish counterparts would cooperate to make sure Ankara gets a date for accession talks this December. /Aksam/[08] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[09] THE AZERBAIJANIS AND CYPRUS BY ERDAL GUVEN (RADIKAL)Columnist Erdal Guven comments on Turkish-Azerbaijani relations vis-a-vis the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as follows:“The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) declared its independence on November 15, 1983 and was recognized by Turkey the very same day. But for the next 21 years, no other country extended recognition. How could this be? After the TRNC was founded, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 541 condemning the TRNC’s self-declared founding and calling on all UN members not to recognize any Cypriot state besides the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ (that is, Greek Cyprus). Therefore only Ankara recognized the TRNC and even if Turkey turned its nose up, the whole rest of the world recognizes the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ as the sole legal representative of the island. The issue also carries a geopolitical aspect. The TRNC is a concrete form of separation in the context of international relations and was formed unilaterally as a result of military intervention by Turkey. However, today’s geopolitics frowns on separatism, micro-nationalism and political formations based on ethnicity excepting where there is mutual consent. On the contrary, today’s geopolitics favors integration based upon democracy, political equality and economic sharing. This is another political reason why the TRNC is not recognized. The interests and policies of countries faced with splits or threatened by separation are in line with this geopolitics. One of those countries is Azerbaijan, with its problem of upper Karabakh. The serious problem faced by Baku is that 20% of its land is currently occupied by Armenia and the upper Karabakh separatist movement. Therefore, the Azerbaijani representatives in the European Council’s Parliament were leaning towards not recognizing the TRNC. ‘The Parliament vote would mean recognizing the TRNC,’ said one Azerbaijani official. ‘This would set a risky precedent for the future recognition of the administration in upper Karabakh.’ This development should remind Turkey that in international relations there is no friendship or brotherhood, but only interests.” [10] NOT FOR EUROPE, BUT FOR OURSELVES BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on the constitutional reform package facing Parliament and its article on gender equality. A summary of his column is as follows:“Everybody was saying that we should take democratization steps not because the Europeans want it, but for ourselves, and that if we can’t get European Union membership, we should call them ‘the Istanbul criteria’ and blaze our own path. But we can’t take those steps even if the EU wants them, because our way is littered with hurdles. The amendment on gender equality was roundly rejected by Parliament in the first round of voting. Saddled by such a mentality, can we take any step for ourselves? Female deputies of the opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP) plan to bring to Parliament a new gender proposal which is also supported by women’s organizations. The reform package in its current form says that the state is responsible for implementing gender equality. The women’s organizations and the female CHP deputies want to add a sentence saying, ‘Temporary measures and arrangements towards this end cannot be considered discrimination or privilege.’ According to the Women’s Human Rights Foundation, this sentence is vital for the following purposes: * Extending women’s opportunities for representation both in the Parliament and politics in general. * Expanding women’s representation in public institutions. * Ensuring equal opportunities with men in the business world. * Creating equality of opportunity in education for girls Changing laws which discriminate against women. Those resisting such measures know that opposing gender equality is wrong. Democracy is based on equality, and there is a right to equality. Sensitivity about rights and equality starts with gender equality. If we can’t change this mentality, other changes will make no sense.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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