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Turkish Press Review, 99-04-26Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>26.04.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] DEMIREL: "TURKEY IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE SILK ROAD AND THE WEST"[02] FURRER, "THERE IS NO UNEASINESS CONCERNING THE RESULT OF ELECTIONS"[03] FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS[04] TURKEY SECURES LAST-DITCH CHANGE IN NATO DOCUMENTAt the end of a tough bargaining marathon at the NATO summit in Washington, the Turkish delegation managed to secure an amendment to the final declaration so as the European Union will not be able to use NATO for military operations if they are not approved of by the NATO Council. Fearing Turkey's exclusion from any decision-making regarding European defence and security, the Turkish delegation strongly resisted any provision that would enable NATO to automatically implement military decisions taken by the EU, of which Turkey is not a member. "It was a very tough negotiation. If we had backed off, if we had not maintained our determination until the very end, we would have failed", Foreign Minister Ismail Cem told a press conference.A statement released by the Turkish Embassy in Washington said that following the amendment in the summit documents, the development of the European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI) initiative had been associated with NATO and the participation of NATO's non-EU members in this initiative had been accepted. Also on Saturday, Demirel held a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, at which he expressed Turkey's gratitude for the efforts of the Spanish government to cancel the gathering of the co-called Kurdish Parliament-in-exile in the Basque Parliament building. Cem, for his part, met over breakfast with his German counterpart Joscka Fischer to discuss bilateral issues, as well as such international matters as Cyprus and Kosovo. Fischer reportedly expressed his desire to visit Ankara as soon as the new Turkish government is formed. Later in the day, Cem had a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart. /All papers/ [05] DEMIREL WARNS AGAINST TERRORISMPresident Suleyman Demirel and German Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder held a meeting during the NATO summit yesterday. Demirel was critical of the support of some groups in Germany for terrorism and said that the activities of these terrorist groups should also be prevented in Germany. Demirel noted that those who tolerate terrorism would ultimately be harmed by this stance and pointed out the PKK and fundamentalist terrorist organizations which are still active in Germany. Demirel also said that a mistake concerning Turco-European relations had been made during the Luxembourg Summit and added that this mistake should be corrected. /Cumhuriyet/[06] ECEVIT-DENKTAS MEETINGThe President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktas, and Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit were holding intense talks yesterday on the course to be followed in the Cyprus peace talks that are anticipated to resume this summer. Ecevit, on a `private' visit to the TRNC, is being accompanied by his wife Rahsan Ecevit, State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel and his wife. /All papers/[07] VOLKAN: "OCALAN'S TRIAL WILL CONTINUE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION"The Chief Prosecutor of the State Security Court (DGM), Cevdet Volkan, stated that the trial of the PKK Chief, Abdullah Ocalan, would continue without interruption and said that the indictment would be presented to the court within the week. Volkan added that after the trial is begun, brief statements concerning the indictment will be made to the press. He noted that Ocalan's trial was no different from others which are in progress at the DGM. /Cumhuriyet/[08] DEMIREL: "TURKEY IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE SILK ROAD AND THE WEST"President Suleyman Demirel, who delivered a speech during the `Silk Road' countries' meeting organized with the participation of a number of Central Asian and Caucasian countries as part of the NATO Summit in the US, remarked that the Silk Road is still of remarkable geopolitical significance and that Turkey fuctions as a bridge between the East and the West. Demirel also noted that there are ongoing efforts to facilitate the Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline and Transcaucasian energy corridor, which will supplement peace and stability in the region. /Milliyet/[09] "KOSOVO ISSUE BRINGS TURKEY AND GREECE CLOSER"Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Papandreu said that the Ankara and Athens governments have been brought closer as part of the cooperation with his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem. He said, "The Kosovo issue has initiated a sense of cooperation and solidarity between the countries in the region. Within this framework Turkey and Greece have begun a good cooperation process. Both countries have shown great solidarity in their humanitarian aid for the Kosovars. These developments do not mean that Turco-Greek problems have been solved but the broken contacts are re-established. We are in close contact with my Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem and I hope that this positive atmosphere will following after the establishment of the new government in Turkey." /Sabah/[10] THE ECONOMIST, "GREECE SPENDS MORE ON WEAPONS THAN TURKEY""The Economist" magazine claimed in its last issue that Greece spared more financial sources for armament than Turkey. According to 1998 dates Turkey was 11th among NATO countries concerning her military expenditur whereas Greece increased its military spending in 1998, the magazine reported. It was also noted that Turkey was the only country among the NATO countries which had tried to limit her military out-goings. /Aksam/[11] ARMENIAN CONFERENCE IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTTurkey is disturbed by news of a conference to be held by the `Committee of Armenians in Belgium' in the European Parliament on April 29-30, of which the alleged `Armenian Genocide' will constitute a major topic. The Conference is being interpreted as the first step of a more effective defence of the so-called `Armenian Question' in the next century; Turkey considers the EP's hosting of the Conference a `disturbing development'. It is reported that Turkey has initiated measures against the Conference, implying "The EU is already far from being an institution contributing to the improvement of the relations between Europe and Turkey. Such developments may result in further tension." A Turkish diplomatic source said, "What perturbs Turkey is the fact that the Conference will be held under the roof of the EP." /Milliyet/[12] FURRER, "THERE IS NO UNEASINESS CONCERNING THE RESULT OF ELECTIONS"General Director of Political Affairs for the European Council Hans Peter Furrer said in his special statement to the "Turkiye" newspaper that the possibility of the Nationalist Action Party's (MHP) inclusion in the new coalition goverment, yet to be established, should cause no uneasiness in the European Council. He added that not only the Ocalan issue and Kurdish terrorism but also the EU's unjust attitude towards Turkey have played a leading role in the increase in the number of nationalist votes in Turkey. Stressing that Turco-EU relations have rapidly improved since 1985, Furrer said that Turkey was very close to European standards of democracy. /Turkiye/[13] LOCAL ELECTION VOID IN TWO DISTRICTSMayoral elections in the Cat district of the province of Erzurum and the Ulubey district of the province of Ordu have been made null and void by the Election Boards of these districts. The cancellation decision in Cat has been taken due to the former misconduct of the True Path Party (DYP) candidate Mirza Kurt, who was announced to have won the Mayoral election in the April 18 local elections. Meanwhile, in Ulubey, the election has been cancelled with regard to the objection of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) candidate Yasar Pamuk, who argued that certain irregularities had taken place during the elections in that district. It was announced that the DYP candidate, Mehmet Yilmaz, had won the Mayoral election in Ulubey. In both districts, local elections will take place again in June. /Milliyet/[14] ULUGBAY: "TURKEY'S PRIORITES WILL NOT CHANGE"Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Responsible for Economy, Hikmet Ulugbay said that Turkey's priorities would not change in a coalition government established with the Democratic Left Party (DSP). Ulugbay, who is still in Washington attending meetings with the IMF, said, "The new government in Turkey will not start its relations with the IMF from scratch. The important thing is that politicians should establish and protect stability in Turkey." He added that they would continue their economic programme in conjuction with the IMF. /Sabah/[15] GERMANY WAS TURKEY'S MAJOR TRADING PARTNER IN 1998Turkey exported the greater part of her goods and services to Germany in 1998, followed by the US, Britain and Italy. According to the Foreign Trade Bulletin published by the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat's Economic Research and Assessment General Directorate, Turkey's imports from Italy remained the same while her exports increased. /All papers/[16] GERMANY'S OGER TOUR OPENS TURKEY'S DOORSOne of Germany's largest tour operators, Oger Tour, has organized a promotional campaign called 'Come And See Turkey for Yourself'. Within the advertising guidelines of this new pitch, members of Germany's media arrived in Kemer, Antalya, on Saturday and will stay there for four days, the Anatolia News Agency reported over the weekend. Oger Tour's Turkey representative, Huseyin Baraner, said that 45 of Germany's top tourism journalists have come to Turkey with the aim of giving the Mediterranean coast a thorough inspection. Baraner said that among their goals is to prove to people just how safe Turkey is.[17] EURAC MEETING TO BE IN ANKARATurkish Air Forces Commander-in-Chief General Ilhan Kilic will host his counterparts from 17 countries, 12 of which are NATO member countries, today in Ankara. During the meeting, which will end on 29 April, joint military exercises, military training and changing experiences in every field will be discussed. Military sources announced that EURAC meetings have an unofficial forum structure. German, Austrian, Belgian, Danish, Finnish, French, Dutch, British, Irish, Spanish, Swiss, Swedish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese and Greek generals are attending the meeting. /Turkiye/[18] DPT BREAKTHROUGH IN GAPHigh-ranking officials of the Infrastructural Group for Agriculture, Education, Health and the Urban Scene, part of the State Planning Organization (DPT), will go to Sanliurfa on a tour of observation of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP). The Director of the GAP Regional Development Administration, Erkan Alemdaroglu, said that the 20-person delegation will arrive in Sanliurfa on April 28, be given information on the GAP and visit Sanliurfa Governor Sehabettin Harput. /Hurriyet/[19] SUPPORT FOR TOURISM IN SOUTHEASTInvestments in tourist facilities, which have not been completed or are being partially used in the 26 cities in the Southeast region previously setlled on by the Council of Ministers, have been included under the heading of incentives. According to a decision published in the Official Gazette yesterday and considered to be valid as of March 5, 1999, in addition to investments in the manufacturing and agricultural industries, and in health and education, tourist facilities will also be supported through investments. /Cumhuriyet/[20] 49 PKK TERRORISTS CAPTUREDIn Sirnak and Erzurum, 49 members of the PKK terrorist organization have been captured. Meanwhile, six members of the illegal TKP_ML TIKKO organization who have been involved in bombings against police stations in the Tarabya, Balat and Karagumruk districts of Istanbul have been sentenced by the Istanbul State Security Court (DGM) and sent to prison. /Cumhuriyet/[21] EXPORTS TO BE BOOSTED IN 2000The General Director of the Machinery Chemicals Industry (MKEK), Recai Onder, said that at the end of the modernization and restructurization of the institution, they aimed to boost exports in 2000. Noting that there were 13 new projects under way at a total cost of $ 500 million, Onder said that they would increase the variety of their products. He stressed that they wanted to increase Turkey's exports in the arms industry. /Aksam/[22] TURCO-RUSSIAN COOPERATION IN ADVERTISEMENTTurkish entrepreneurs engaged in business in Russia and the Turkish Speaking Republics are turning towards the Advertisment and Public Relations sector in order to promote their activities. The first Turco-Russian Advertisment and Public Relations Agency opened last week in Moscow. The Turkish Omnia Advertisement Agency has entered into a partnership with the Russian group, Media Moment; the aim of the Media Moment-Omnia Partnership is to promote Turkish firms in business in Russia. /Aksam/[23] THE MIDDLE EAST ENERGY BRIDGEThe Middle East Energy Bridge project comprmising Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Syria will be accelerated. Syrian officials announced to the Turkish Ministry of Energy that they had already handed over the construction of the 60-kilomeyre long electric cables. It was noted that the construction would be achieved by a Turco-German consortium and will be completed in 2001. Turkish officials pointed out that the 43-kilometre long cables between Egypt and Jordan would be completed soon. They added that if the construction programme is applied, the transfer of energy between Turkey and Syria will begin in 2001. /Sabah/[24] HISTORIC MEETING AT THE ANZAC BAYOn the 84th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign people from the Antipodes commemorated their forebears. A religious ceremony was held to remember the soldiers who died during the war. Austrian General Mayor William Deane, New Zealand's International Trade Minister Lockwood Smith and five thousand visitors from New Zealand and Austria attended the ceremonies, during which Turkey was represented by State Minister Aydin Tumen. /Aksam/Turkiye/[25] COAL MINE EXPLOSION IN ZONGULDAKA gas explosion occurred in a coal mine operating illegally near Zonguldak late on Saturday night in which two miners were rescued, one lost his life and another is missing, the Anatolia News Agency reported over the weekend. The Turkish Coal Mines Board (TTK) rescue team is working at the site in an attempt to rescue the miner who is still missing.[26] STOLEN HISTORIC ARTIFACTS TO RETURN TO TURKEYDuring a handing-over ceremony to be conducted today in the Federal Prosecutor's Office in New York, historic artifacts stolen from Turkey will return to the country stage by stage. With another ceremony to be held in London in two weeks' time, the process will be completed. Turkish Culture Minister Istemihan Talay, Head of Religious Affairs Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz and one of the lawyers representing the Turkish government Larry Kaye will attend the ceremony in New York. The Turkish Ambassador to London, Ozdem Sanberk, will participate in the ceremony in London. /Cumhuriyet/[27] TURKISH STUDENTS AT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF COUNCIL OF EUROPEA Turkish delegation consisting of eight students from various high schools and universities will represent Turkey during a Youth Forum to be held by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on April 26-30 in Strasbourg on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its establishment. The Forum will be attended by 275 young people from 41 member countries. /Cumhuriyet/[28] MATHEMATICS CONTESTThe High School Students' Mathematics Contest within the European International Union has ended. At the end of the competition attended by 71 students from 14 schools in seven countries, a Turkish student from the Izmir American Collegiate Institute, Caglar Unlu, came first. In the team category, Ankara TED College, Izmir American Collegiate Institute, MEF Schools in Turkey, International College Spain and the Austrian Danube International School teams came first. /Cumhuriyet/[29] INTERNATIONAL ANKARA FILM FESTIVALThe 11th International Ankara Film Festival will begin today. Short films and documentary films will begin to be shown from today until April 30. The second part of the Festival will begin on April 30 and last until May 9 during which a national long-film competition will take place and movies around the world will be shown. /Hurriyet/[30] FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS[31] NATO, THE US, THE EU, AND TURKEY - BY SUKRU ELEKDAG (MILLIYET)Sukru Elekdag, a columnist for the `Milliyet' daily, reflects on the recent diversification of the interests of the US, EU and Turkey in the expansion process of NATO. Elekdag writes:"The representatives of 18 out of the 19 members of NATO left Washington with an impression that important and positive decisions on the part of their countries had been taken during the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the Organization. However, the same can hardly be said for Turkey. This is mainly due to the propositions put forward by the UK and France that totally exclude Turkey, already excluded from the political integration in Europe, from the defence organization which is planned to be established within the framework of the EU as well. Above all, the regulations to be implemented during the transformation process of the `European Security and Defence Identity' into the `European Defence Agency' might lead to a weakening of Turkey's influence within NATO. Furthermore, the same regulations might also impel Turkey to accept those decisions taken by certain organs in which it is not represented. However, this negative development has been prevented through the intense diplomatic struggle on the part of the Turkish delegation. In point of fact, the problem has by no means been resolved. It has simply been postponed. During the Cold War, NATO was defined as follows: "NATO aims to include the US, exclude the Soviets, and control the Germans." As far as Washington is concerned, the most significant function of NATO is still that it has remained as a forum which makes possible, and founds a legal basis for, the US military and political presence in Europe. Many expressions included in the accepted documents following the Summit, such as `the indivisibility of the fates of Europe and North America', attest to the fact that, despite those expected revolutionary changes within the framework of the EU, America has already guaranteed its military and political presence in Europe for the conceivable future. As well as that, regarding the balance of forces in Eurasia, it has also established the McKinder security belt (`cordon sanitaire') in Europe through the NATO expansion process. McKinder's a century-old argument is still in effect today: `The maintenance of peace in Europe and in the World relies upon the separation of the Germans and the Slavs by constituting a "cordon sanitaire" composed of Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. In this way, any conflict or alliance between the Germans and the Russians would be prevented.' On the other hand, the Kosovo Crisis has revealed the urgent necessity of taking new institutional measures in the field of defence for the EU. Formerly, it was provisioned that the Western European Union would be the European-leg of NATO and the defence organ of the EU. In addition, during NATO's Berlin summit in 1996, it was confirmed that the `European Security and Defence Identity' would be improved on as part of NATO, whereas it would be the Western European Union to which forces would be allocated in any military operation attempted by the EU. That was not seen as a perturbing development for Turkey because it would have an impact on the decision-making, planning and execution processes of any military operation due to its achievements within the Western European Union as a member country. However, the proposition put forward by the UK and France during the Washington Summit entailed the constitution of a `European Security and Defence Identity' which would replace the `Western European Union' as a defence organization. It would be established as part of the EU independent of NATO, and would, above all, utilize NATO forces at any time on request. This mechanism, backed by the US also, isolates Turkey from any right to intervene in the process while forcing her, adversely, to share in the responsibilities. It can hardly be imagined that Europe, which will inevitably be organized along defence lines as well, may turn down the idea of utilizing NATO forces while taking steps to this end. In this respect, one should expect us to be faced with the same question in the near future." [32] NATIONALISM IN ECONOMY - BY YAKUP KEPENEK (CUMHURIYET)Columnist Yakup Kepenek from the daily "Cumhuriyet" writes on the national economy and free market economy systems. A summary of his column is as follows:"The Election has resulted in the victory of the nationalist left and the nationalist right. The roots of nationalist ideas are based on economic development. In fact, political nationalism and economic nationalism complement each other like two halves of an apple... The Nationalist economic system is based on the protection of a country's production output in the face of foreign competition, the expansion of the domestic market and industrialization within the framework of national solidarity in both labour and capital. The state structure with all its institutions and national education system, cultural and social activities should be used for this purpose. The State industrialization programme achieved by Turkey in the 1930s reflect this view. Industrialized states like to implement the free market economy model in the area of foreign trade as their economies do not require protection. `Free market' means greater market opportunities for developed economies. The best example of this is the US. Following a strict protection period, and over a hundred years of industrialization the US has become the champion of the free market . Globalization is a movement which the industrialized states led by the US want to be accepted by the whole world. For ten years the nationalist economy model has been abandoned in Turkey and the views of the industrialized states have begun to be accepted by the public. According to this view, the State should not have anything to do with the economy and should facilitate the working-out of markets without hindrance. There is no place for protection. Protection is limited to the fields of literary property and licences, regional development and restructuring. As developing nations cannot produce new technology can they benefit from this protection? Can Turkey follow a nationalist policy in her economics? Turkey's foreign debt burden and foreign trade relations do not allow for a closed and 'protectionist' economy. Although they are few, there are ways out . Investments in research and development, regional improvement and agricultural subvention are three of these. However to follow a nationalistic economic model in Turkey there has to be an infrastructure. This infrastructure should be based on the economy, bureaucracy and politics. First of all, it should rid itelf of high interest and high inflation rates. Secondly, the bureaucrats should be helping the politicians and in addition the parties forming the government should aid the protection of stability. The success achieved will first of all help the parties themselves." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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