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Turkish Press Review, 99-10-14Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>14.10.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[02] DEMIREL DUE IN KOSOVOPresident Suleyman Demirel is going to Kosovo tomorrow as he is due to pay a one-day official visit to this country. Demirel will be the first President to visit the country after it obtained its autonomy. Demirel will also visit the Turkish contingent, deployed in Mamusa. /Aksam/[03] ECEVIT: "SADDENED BUT NOT SURPRISED"Turkey, although stating that it had closely followed the coup d'etat in Pakistan and the changing events in its aftermath, did not officially denounce it. Deputy Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sermet Atacanli, held a weekly press conference yesterday during which he said that Turkey and Pakistan were very close friends and that a close eye was being kept on the developments in Pakistan.Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit stated that they were saddened because of the coup d'etat in Pakistan, but they were not surprised. He added that there had been increasing political disturbance in the country. Ecevit said, "Opposition parties were united against the Prime Minister, Navaz Serif, and there were also reactions from within his own party. The Government also had experienced some problems due to relations with the lMF. Furthermore, during the incidents that occurred concerning Kashmir, the General Staff rejected Serif's decision to withdraw out the military presence there. When these incidents all came together, I began to entertain doubts that there might be some negative developments in as a result in Pakistan. Of course I am very sorry. Serif is a Statesman, whom I respect very much. However, we do not interfere in the internal affairs of Pakistan. The warmth of feeling between Pakistan and Turkey surpasses the friendship Governments since it became a bond of friendship between the people of the two countries. We wish that the cutting off of democracy in Pakistan will come to an end without shedding blood and without pain as soon as possible." /Cumhuriyet/ [04] AKBULUT RECEIVES BULGARIAN MINISTERBulgaria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nadejda Mihailova, first visited the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem and then she was welcomed by the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), Yildirim Akbulut. During the meeting, Akbulut expressed his approval of relations between Bulgaria and Turkey and said, "Today, we enjoy great friendship which is appreciated in every field. But it is not enough for us. We want it to improve further."/Sabah/[05] HAKTANIR GOING TO IRANThe Under-secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Korkmaz Haktanir, will go to Iran in order to touch on certain political issues on 17th and 18th October. During the meetings, regional and international issues and relations between the two countries will also be discussed and opinions will be exchanged. /Cumhuriyet/[06] EU COMMISSION: TURKEY SHOULD BE A CANDIDATEThe European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, proposed to the Union that Turkey be granted 'candidate status' at the Helsinki Summit, but it maintained that negotiations can start only once Turkey meets the Copenhagen criteria, the obligatory economic and political issues. Meanwhile, the EU Commission has proposed to 'start negotiations' with 11 countries and Malta who were granted 'candidate status' two years ago. So, while beginning full membership negotiations with these countries, which became a candidate two years ago, Turkey might obtain candidate status after a two-year delay. In the Progress Report issued yesterday by the Commission, Turkey's economic and political structure have been evaluated and, although there was some criticism of the political situation, it is stressed that economically Turkey is on a 'good road'. Meanwhile, Turkish officials pointed out that the report was generally 'positive and encouraging', but also includes some points that they do not confirm. /Hurriyet/[07] HUMAN RIGHTS SUMMITToday, the representatives of 23 human rights organizations and the relevant commissions from the Turkish Grand National Assembly are coming together in Ankara. This meeting, aiming to solve human rights issues with the help of non-governmental organizations, is being held for the first time in Turkey. Famous academicians from Turkey will also attend the one-day-meeting in the Ankara Palas Hotel, which was organized by State Minister Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik, the Minister responsible for Human Rights. Emphasizing that problems can be solved by improving awareness of our 'partnership with destiny', Minister Irtemcelik said that he believed that by the end of the meeting this awareness would be greatly improved. During the meeting, it is expected that representatives of the TGNA will produce political solutions while the academicians will help tackle the technical issues with their proposals such as those concerning legal revisions. State Minister Irtemcelik had also received representatives of the Human Rights Association a while ago and listened to their problems. /Hurriyet/[08] DIPLOMACY ON CYPRUSThe American President's special representative to Cyprus, Alfred Moses, is coming to Turkey today. Moses will meet the Turkish Prime Minister, Bulent Ecevit today. Moses is also expected to meet Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem. The U.S.A. is stepping up President Clinton's seriousness attitute to the Cyprus issue before his visit to Turkey in November.After leaving Turkey, Moses will go to Cyprus and Greece and will try to open channels a the solution to the problem of Cyprus. Moses, who will sound out all parties' intentions in order to start face-to-face meetings on Cyprus, is expected to require Rauf Denktas to be convinced of this issue. /Cumhuriyet/ [09] WINDS OF FRIENDSHIP EVERYWHEREThe Left-Wing Union (Synaspismos), formed by various parties and non-governmental organizations, will hold a conference in Greece during which armament in the two countries will be discussed. Aliaga's Mayor Hakki Ulku and a member of the Republican People's Party, Fikri Saglar, will also attend.The Chairman of the Left-Wing Union, Nikos Constantopoulos sent a letter of invitation, in which was written: "Following the outcome of this new atmosphere, in which good will and solidarity are seen between Greece and Turkey, the questioning of the arms race engaged in by Greece and Turkey and relations between them have been placed on the agenda. Thus, the Left-Wing Union invites both sides to bring this arms race between Greece and Turkey to a halt. Our invitation was supported by Greece. Our aim is to contribute to the initiation of dialogue concerning arms reduction in the two countries." The conference will be held in Athens at the "Zappion Conference Hall", attended by many famous names from political, social and scientific circles of EU-member countries. The warming of relations between Greece and Turkey after the earthquake also reflected on tourism. Travel agencies began to organize tours to Turkey following great public demand. The dates of these trips will be mostly between 27th October and 2nd November, which encompasses Republic Day. Travel agencies report that trips to Turkey continue to attract more and more attention. /Cumhuriyet/ [10] TURKISH MARK ON ALBANIATurkish Minister of National Defence, Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, is continuing to meet his contacts in Albania. The Albanian Naval Battle School, which was reconstructed with the help of Turkey, was reopened in a ceremony attended by the two countries' Ministers of Defence.The Chairman of the Turkish team in Albania, Captain Ibrahim Oflaz said, "In spite of the earthquake disaster that occurred in Turkey, there have been no problems with the project; they have prepared the school for education in a very short period of time, that is in nine months." Minister of National Defence Sabahattin Cakmakoglu added, "The Naval Battle School is a good example of friendly relations between the people of the two countries, who lived together in the past." /Turkiye/ [11] TENTS FOR 23,000 FAMILIESMore than 23,000 tents for winter, which have been purchased by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to solve the problem of how to shelter the earthquake victims, have begun to be received by Turkey. The Deputy Spokesman, Sermet Atacanli, who briefed those attending the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' weekly press conference, said that the transport of 23,327 tents for winter from abroad had begun. /Cumhuriyet/[12] 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANKARAAnkara is marking the anniversary of the elevation of its status to that of capital city of the Turkish Republic. Modern Turkey was founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 75 years ago on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. Located in the heart of Turkey, Ankara became the symbol of the new republic and new state. President Suleyman Demirel, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Parliament Speaker Yildirim Akbulut have issued messages to mark the occasion. There were no annual celebrations this year, due to the earthquake disaster which destroyed the Marmara region. /All Papers/[13] AUTHOR FAKIR BAYKURT TO BE BURIEDFuneral services will be held for Baykurt, the famous novelist and short story writer who died of cancer in Germany last Monday, today at Tesvikiye Mosque after which he will be buried at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery. There will be a meeting to pay tribute to Baykurt at the Turkish Authors' Syndicate in Besiktas before the funeral procession carries on to Tesvikiye. /All Papers/[14] IMF AGREES TO LOAN OF 500 MILLION DOLLARSTurkey will receive the first lump sum from the foreign sources, which will be provided by foreign markets, in the form of loans and donations. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) decided to send Turkey the initial portion of 501 million dollars as part of the emergency aid loan. The donation is expected to be sent to the Treasury shortly. Officials also pointed out that a loan of 50 million dollars from the World Bank is also expected. /Aksam/[15] BID FOR NUCLEAR POWER STATIONThe Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Deputy Prime Minister, Cumhur Ersumer, concerning the nuclear power station bid, he would request an extension of a further three months as from 31st December 1999, and that if it is accepted, the bidding process would continue. Ersumer welcomed Canada's Ambassador to Turkey, Jean Marc Duval, and Argentina's Ambassador to Turkey, Atilio Molteni, separately during which receptions he answered questions posed by journalists concerning the bid for the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Station.Ersumer said, "In the specifications outlined in the bid, there is an extension clause. Last year this was delayed for one more year under this condition. This period has been postponed to 31st December but we will request a three-month extension." /Aksam/ [16] TAX REFUND TO BE ABOLISHEDDuring the meeting yesterday of the Supreme Planning Council (SPC), convened to establish the size of the budget for the year 2000, members were heavily weighted in favour of the idea of the abolishment of the tax refund, paid to workers. With the abolishment, an income of 300 billion TL. is expected to be obtained. However, this figure relates only to pensioners and it is stated that it would be difficult to predict the income for all of the workers. /Hurriyet/[17] BONUS PAYMENT TO TEACHERSThe Council of Ministers has increased bonus payments of to teachers who teach in the earthquake-hit regions, that is, some regions in Sakarya, Kocaeli, Yalova and Bolu, to 100 million Turkish lira. This amount was set at 50 million Turkish lira before. This difference of 50 million Turkish lira will be paid on 15th October. /Milliyet/[18] AID FOR ASSOCIATION SUPPORTING MODERN LIFE (CCYD)The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the British International School stated that they had given a donation of 4,262 dollars to CCYD, who aim to support both children and young people whose education possibilities are limited. /Cumhuriyet/[19] CONCERT FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMSWorld-famous foreign artists and artists from Turkey will give a concert in order to help the earthquake victims at the Olympia Concert Hall, in Paris on Sunday. The concert was organized with the initiation of organizer Erkan Ozerman by the Anatolian Cultural Centre in Paris. Income from the concert will be used for the reconstruction of a school that collapsed during the earthquake that occurred in Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/[20] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[21] FINALLY EUROPE AWAKENS - BY IZZET SEDES (AKSAM)Columnist Izzet Sedes comments on the report released by the European Commission yesterday. A summary of his column is as follows:"Finally the European countries are rising from their slumber. They have managed to think of establishing a dialogue with Turkey, or at least of giving friendly advice instead of excluding her. In the report issued by the European Commission asking for 'membership candidacy status' for Turkey, there are some conditions set forth. However, this is a step forward. The report also touches upon the difficulties for membership created by the division of Cyprus. This also is an important statement. Now it is our turn. When they rejected our candidacy for membership and granted 11 other States this status we were angered and with good reason at that. It can be said that we have achieved our aim to some extent, and Turkey is being asked to be placed among the "member candidates". First of all, we can decrease the rate of our record inflation by 2002, bring our budget deficit back to normal, and take economic measures which are considered reasonoble by the IMF and the whole world. If we can begin to implement Western democratic standards on "democratization, human rights and minority rights" there will be no obstacle left for us to become a full-member of the EU some time in the future, if not immediately. We have taken great strides forward both in the economy and in democratization. With a little more effort, we shall facilitate the situation of the Heads of State and Government who will attend the Helsinki Summit." [22] ECEVIT'S COMMENTS - BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila writes about his talk with Prime Minister Ecevit and his replies to questions concerning the military coup in Pakistan and also the energy summit. A summary of his column is as folows:"Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit stated that the was not surprised at the coup in Pakistan as the opposition parties had been united against the Government, and there was even a movement against Prime Minister Nawaz Sherif within his own party. To top it all, relations with the IMF were causing concern. In Kashmir, Sherif wanted to take a step forward and withdraw Pakistani troops but he could not agree with the Chief of General Staff on the issue. Prime Minister Ecevit also added that Turkey enjoyed special relations with Pakistan but would not intervene in its domestic affairs. He also expressed his hope that they would return to democracy in no time. Prime Minister Ecevit also said that he had asked President Demirel for a meeting concerning energy issues to determine a common policy before his visit to Russia. The Prime Minister added that Turkey wanted all pipeline projects to be carried out. He stated that "Blue Stream" was not an alternative to the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline as one of them will carry oil and the other gas. He added that criticism from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan stemmed from competition between the two States. "Blue Stream",the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, and the venture to transport Turkmen gas from the Caspian are all separate and not alternatives each to the other. Turkey is responsible for the Samsun-Mediterranean phase of the Blue Stream. However, it is not clear whether Russia has overcome its financial problems concerning the section before Samsun. Prime Minister Ecevit hoped that these issues would be discussed during his visit to Russia. In answer to a question, Prime Minister Ecevit said that he was rather concerned with waiting for fusion technology rather than opposing nuclear energy. He stated that fusion technology was cleaner but was rapidly changing. From his replies to various questions it is understood that the energy question will hold an important place during the talks of Prime Minister Ecevit in Russia." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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