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Turkish Press Review, 05-11-22
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
22.11.2005
ERDOGAN VISITS HAKKARI
ITALIAN PRESIDENT VISITS
TURKEY
GUL: “MERKEL WON’T AFFECT
TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP PROCESS”
AGAR, MUMCU PRAISE
ERDOGAN’S VISIT TO HAKKARI
ERDOGAN MEETS WITH TOP
OFFICIALS FROM EUROPEAN COMPANIES, FOREIGN FIRMS
OPERATING IN TURKEY
SCREENING OF NEW EU CHAPTER
STARTS IN BRUSSELS
EU FOREIGN MINISTERS
DISCUSS WAYS TO END TRNC’S ISOLATION
TRNC’S EROGLU STEPS DOWN
FROM UBP HELM
EIGHT VAN UNIVERSITY
LECTURERS RESIGN
IMF REPORT HAILS ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENTS, WARNS OF HIGH CURRENT ACCOUNTS
DEFICIT
TURKEY-EU JOINT ADVISORY
COMMISSION SET TO MEET
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM
THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
THE PICTURE ERDOGAN FACED
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN VISITS HAKKARI
[02] ITALIAN PRESIDENT VISITS TURKEY
[03] GUL: “MERKEL WON’T AFFECT
TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP PROCESS”
[04] AGAR, MUMCU PRAISE ERDOGAN’S
VISIT TO HAKKARI
[05] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH TOP
OFFICIALS FROM EUROPEAN COMPANIES, FOREIGN FIRMS
OPERATING IN TURKEY
[06] SCREENING OF NEW EU CHAPTER
STARTS IN BRUSSELS
[07] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS
WAYS TO END TRNC’S ISOLATION
[08] TRNC’S EROGLU STEPS DOWN FROM
UBP HELM
[09] EIGHT VAN UNIVERSITY LECTURERS
RESIGN
[10] IMF REPORT HAILS ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENTS, WARNS OF HIGH CURRENT ACCOUNTS
DEFICIT
[11] TURKEY-EU JOINT ADVISORY
COMMISSION SET TO MEET
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] THE PICTURE ERDOGAN FACED
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN VISITS HAKKARI
Following a bombing incident 10 days ago and
mounting tension, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan accompanied by Interior Minister
Abdulkadir Aksu and Justice Minister Cemil Cicek
yesterday visited the Hakkari province’s towns
of Semdinli and Yuksekova in an effort to calm
the region. After a gathering with regional
officials, Erdogan addressed local citizens.
Stressing that everybody should respect
individuals’ sub-identities, Erdogan added,
however, that citizenship in the Republic of
Turkey stood above such sub-identities, and
urged unity and brotherhood for all. He also
vowed to fully probe the bombing incident and
asked citizens not to take part in provocative
actions. /Hurriyet/
[02] ITALIAN PRESIDENT VISITS TURKEY
Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi accompanied by some 600
businessmen yesterday arrived in Ankara to pay
an official visit. Ciampi is set to have talks
with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer
and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan today.
Sezer is expected to host a banquet in the
evening in Ciampi’s honor. Ciampi and his
delegation will attend the Turkish-Italian
Business Forum on Thursday in Istanbul.
/Turkiye/
[03] GUL: “MERKEL WON’T AFFECT
TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP PROCESS”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that all agreements with
the European Union made before the beginning of
Turkey’s accession talks continued to be valid
for all governments. Speaking to German daily
Berliner Zeitung, Gul said that during a recent
meeting with German’s incoming Chancellor Angela
Merkel in Berlin, they had both agreed to
continue the process just as scheduled. “When
the time comes, people in Europe and Turkey will
decide on Turkey’s membership, not now,” said
Gul. He also expressed his belief that he would
be good friends with Merkel, like outgoing
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. /Turkiye/
[04] AGAR, MUMCU PRAISE ERDOGAN’S
VISIT TO HAKKARI
True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar said yesterday that Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit this week
to Hakkari, the site of a recent bombing and
unrest, was positive though late in coming. Agar
added that he was expecting the government to
address the region’s problems within the law. In
related news, Motherland Party (ANAP) leader
Erkan Mumcu called the visit a “very positive
initiative,” adding that the government couldn’t
win its fight against the terrorist PKK without
the support of the citizens of the region. “They
need to see that the state stands with them,”
added Mumcu. /Milliyet/
[05] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH TOP
OFFICIALS FROM EUROPEAN COMPANIES, FOREIGN FIRMS
OPERATING IN TURKEY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with the Round Table
Delegation, a group composed of top-level
officials from European firms and foreign firms
operating in Turkey. Addressing the gathering,
Erdogan said that he expected Turkey would
attract about $15 billion in global capital in
2005-2007, adding that the government was
continuing to work to establish an investment
promotion agency towards this goal. Erdogan also
touted recent positive economic developments,
adding that now Turkey was a country of
confidence and stability offering a host of
opportunities. “Our private sector has
contributed to these positive trends,” said
Erdogan. “The state is no longer an actor in the
economy. We only have controls and regulations
while we work to find ways to bring our
businessmen to the world.” Erdogan further
reiterated that he would continue to “market”
his country, a statement which has attracted
criticism in recent weeks. State Minister Kursat
Tuzmen, Economy Minister Ali Babacan, and
Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan were also
present at the meeting. In related news, Erdogan
is due to pay an official visit to New Zealand
next month. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] SCREENING OF NEW EU CHAPTER
STARTS IN BRUSSELS
Turkish and European Union officials met in Brussels yesterday for an
exploratory screening on the right of
establishment and freedom to provide services,
one of the 35 chapters into which the European
Union’s legislation is divided. The meeting,
which is expected to last until today, was in
the form of a briefing by EU Commission experts
on the EU legislation concerning this chapter. A
detailed screening where officials from both
sides will compare the EU and Turkish
legislation is slated for Dec. 19. /Turkish
Daily News/
[07] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS
WAYS TO END TRNC’S ISOLATION
At a meeting of the European Union General Affairs Council yesterday,
EU foreign ministers discussed ways to end the
isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC). A proposed financial assistance
package for easing the TRNC’s isolation includes
259 million euros in aid to the TRNC and would
allow direct trade with EU members. The Greek
Cypriot side claims that the aid and direct
trade are separate issues, while the TRNC is
pressing on direct trade. /Star/
[08] TRNC’S EROGLU STEPS DOWN FROM
UBP HELM
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) main opposition National
Unity Party (UBP) leader Dervis Eroglu resigned
from his post yesterday. Eroglu, the UBP’s
leader for 22 consecutive years, pointed out
that his party would hold its general congress
on Dec. 24 and that he wanted to give
opportunity to young people to lead the party.
“I believe it’s time for fresh blood at the
top,” added Eroglu. /Sabah/
[09] EIGHT VAN UNIVERSITY LECTURERS
RESIGN
Eight lecturers at Van’s Yuzuncu Yil Medical Faculty, including two
professors, yesterday resigned from their posts.
The lecturers stated that they could no longer
work in the troubled atmosphere of the faculty.
The university has recently been in the news due
to corruption allegations. /Hurriyet/
[10] IMF REPORT HAILS ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENTS, WARNS OF HIGH CURRENT ACCOUNTS
DEFICIT
The International Monetary Fund yesterday issued a report on recent
developments in the Turkish economy, stating
that Ankara had signed a recent standby
agreement with the IMF in order to maintain its
fiscal stability. The report hailed the positive
results of the economic program, but added that
the current accounts deficit continued to be a
risk for the economy. The report further warned
that the economy was still fragile, adding that
Turkey should continue to adopt important
structural reforms in order to overcome its
weaknesses. /Aksam/
[11] TURKEY-EU JOINT ADVISORY
COMMISSION SET TO MEET
The 20th meeting of Turkey-European Union Joint Advisory Commission is
due to be held in Brussels next week, its first
since Ankara began its EU accession talks on
Oct. 3. There are 18 organizations in the
commission, which was established in 1995.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is also expected
to attend the gathering. The Union of Turkish
Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) is the
secretariat of the commission, which has 36
members from both sides and two co-chairmen, one
from Turkey and the other from the EU. /Star/
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] THE PICTURE ERDOGAN FACED
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila comments on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
visit this week to Semdinli, Yuksekova and
Hakkari. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
Monday paid a quick and sudden visit to
Semdinli, Yuksekova and Hakkari. Erdogan was
accompanied by Justice Minister Cemil Cicek and
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu on his one-day
trip. Although the incidents in these cities
occurred 10 days ago, the prime minister and
other ministers only visited the region
yesterday. This was a belated visit. The
criticism of the opposition, mostly True Path
Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar and True Path
Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, that the prime
minister and other ministers were indifferent to
the incidents had an impact on this sudden
visit. Obviously, this one-day visit won’t be
enough. In addition, Aksu could have visited the
region before, without waiting for Erdogan, and
seen the situation for himself. The picture that
Erdogan faced in Semdinli gave an idea about the
essence and dimension of the problem. Erdogan
was disturbed by the pro-PKK stance of those who
received him. He wanted them to take down their
banners, and the mayors silenced people who were
chanting slogans. Although not as clearly or
strongly as in previous meetings and marches,
one could see that the banners and slogans of
the people who came to listen to Erdogan didn’t
fit in with the central administration in
Ankara. One of the most striking was a banner
saying ‘Don’t close down Roj-TV.’
The demonstrations held in Adana and Mersin
to protest the incidents in Semdinli, Yuksekova
and Hakkari show that there’s a serious problem
of administration in the region. Erdogan must
have seen this during his visit. It was seen
once more that the central authority is very
weak in the region’s administration and that
local administrations and the Democratic Turkey
Party (DTP) are the real authority. Erdogan’s
recent remarks don’t cover the same ground as
his previous stance, when he said that there was
a Kurdish issue which would be solved with
democracy. Erdogan didn’t mention being Turkish
as the primary identity, but emphasized that
citizenship was the top identity. However, it
wasn’t enough for him to win support. The latest
incidents and Erdogan’s visit showed that the
PKK has lost the armed struggle, but gotten
ahead politically. Other political parties and
other institutions which follow a similar line
are more influential than the central
administration in the region. Parties and local
administrators on this line determine their
stance not according to Ankara, but according to
Abdullah Ocalan imprisoned on Imrali island, as
well as Brussels and even Kurdish leaders in
northern Iraq.”
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