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Turkish Press Review, 00-06-22

Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>

22.06.00

Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning


CONTENTS

  • [01] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
  • [02] PRESIDENT SEZER IN TRNC
  • [03] PRESIDENT SEZER: "POLITICAL STABILITY SHOULD NOT BE DISTURBED"
  • [04] TGNA VOTES ON COMMISSIONS REPORTS
  • [05] REACTION TO ESDI'S DECISION
  • [06] SURPRISE MEETING BETWEEN YILMAZ AND OZKAN
  • [07] FEHRIYE: A PROBLEM FOR BELGIUM
  • [08] BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA TO HEED TURKEY'S CALL
  • [09] FOREST FIRES
  • [10] PEACE WATER PROJECT
  • [11] CONTENTION IN THE U.S.A TROUBLES TURKEY
  • [12] APPROVAL FOR MOSQUE IN ATHENS
  • [13] TURCO-PALESTININAN WORK COUNCIL ESTABLISHED
  • [14] PRIVATIZATION OF TURKISH AIRLINES NEARS COMPLETION
  • [15] CAPITAL MARKET EYES THE PARLIAMENTARY VOTE
  • [16] REPAYMENTS OF OBLIGATIONS IN THE EARTHQUAKE HIT REGIONS
  • [17] WORLD BANK RELEASED REFORM CREDIT
  • [18] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
  • [19] SHADOW-BOXING BY TURKEY BY SEMIH IDIZ (STAR)

  • [01] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS

    [02] PRESIDENT SEZER IN TRNC

    President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will leave for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) today. At the invitation of the President Rauf Denktas, Sezer will pay an official visit to TRNC on June 22-23 accompanied by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Minister of State, Sukru Sina Gurel. /Turkiye/

    [03] PRESIDENT SEZER: "POLITICAL STABILITY SHOULD NOT BE DISTURBED"

    President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has relieved businessmen who were worried about an economic and political unstability. During the reception of Zafer Caglayan, the Chairman of Ankara Chamber of Industry, Sezer stated, "The continuation of the stability in economics and politics is very important for Turkey." Expressing businessmen's uneasiness about the discussions on an early election, Caglayan said, "In addition to Turkish industrialists, foreign investors, who have already invested or planning to invest in Turkey are concerned with the uncertainty." President Sezer stressed that he had called on the government to preserve the stability and added that should it be necessary, he may meet with the leaders again. /Sabah/

    [04] TGNA VOTES ON COMMISSIONS REPORTS

    Today the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) will take up seven commissions' reports including SEKA investigation commission. Parliamentarians will vote on whether to approve the commmissions decision to send Motherland Party (ANAP) Leader Mesut Yilmaz to the supreme court or not. Yilmaz has been accused of abusing office when he was prime minister between 1997 and 1998. The accusations are related to a GSM state tender and the free transfer of land known as SEKA case. Today's vote will not only effect Yilmaz's political destiny, but also define the future of the coalition. In the meantime, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit stated that the vote was a crucial stage for political stability and the harmony of the government would not be the same after the balloting even if the Parliament doesn't approve the decision of the commission. /Cumhuriyet/

    [05] REACTION TO ESDI'S DECISION

    Turkey's reaction to European Union's decision which was taken during the EU summit in Feria, Portugal on June 19-20 on the European Security and Defense Identity (ESDI), is getting stronger. Stating that the exclusion from ESDI was a disrespect to Turkey, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit stressed that the decision might be a new source of tension between Turkey and EU. Following a meeting with the Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, Ecevit said that Turkey might not attend the meeting between the EU and six NATO members which will be held on July 3rd. /Cumhuriyet/

    [06] SURPRISE MEETING BETWEEN YILMAZ AND OZKAN

    It was learned that the Chairman of the Motherland Party (ANAP) Mesut Yilmaz and Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan met two days before the important voting at the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The two leaders did not comment on the meeting but it was stated that they had discussed the critical voting to take place at the Parliament today and the developments concerning the EU full-membership process. /Hurriyet/

    [07] FEHRIYE: A PROBLEM FOR BELGIUM

    Fehriye Erdal who is accused of Ozdemir Sabanci's murder became a problem for the European countries just as Ocalan had been before. It was learned that Belgian Government which denied the request of Erdal for political asylum, has contacted other European countries to send her out of the country. However, European countries did not want Erdal as both Turkey and the powerful Sabanci family were after her. Belgium had thought of extraditing Erdal to Turkey, but as capital punishment had not been abolished in Turkey, decided against it. /Hurriyet/

    [08] BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA TO HEED TURKEY'S CALL

    Bosnia-Herzegovina has officially stated to Ankara that it has decided against opening an Embassy in the Greek-Cypriot Administration. The Bosnian Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic has assured Foreign Minister Ismail Cem that they will not open an Embassy in the Greek-Cypriot Administration and would not allow Greek-Cypriots to open an Embassy in Bosnia-Herzegovina. During the talks, the two Foreign Ministers signed agreements to cooperate on the fight against terrorism, drug-trafficking and organized crime. /Hurriyet/

    [09] FOREST FIRES

    After the fire which destroyed more than 400 hectares of forest in the Torba district of Bodrum, yesterday, in Serik, Antalya, another fire broke out. Regarding the fires started at five different places at the same time, officials are investigating the probability of sabotage. The Minister of Forestry prohibited lighting a fire in forests until September 30 to prevent fires. Meanwhile, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer issued a message on the recent fires. Stating that it was the responsibility of everybody to protect Turkey's rich flora, Sezer called on all citizens to be more sensitive on the protection of forests. /Turkiye/

    [10] PEACE WATER PROJECT

    Turkey and Israel has reached a compromise on the water-selling deal. After the meetings, lasting two years, Yakov Efranti, the Undersecretary of the Israelian Ministry of Infrastructure, who came to Turkey with an eight-person delegation at the beginning of the week, met with Cumhur Ersumer, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Following the meeting Ersumer stated that they reached a compromise on the sale of Manavgat waters. Replying to a question, Ersumer stressed that the price of water depended on the amount of the water to be sold and the duration of the sale. When "Peace Water Project" which envisages water sale to Middle East, is implemented Turkey will be able to sell water to the countries in the region, mainly to Israel. /Cumhuriyet/

    [11] CONTENTION IN THE U.S.A TROUBLES TURKEY

    Before the presidential election which will be held in the US in November, the tense contention between the Republican and Democrat Parties puts Turkey in a hot spot. While two parties are trying to change the situation in their favour, the votes of lobbies against Turkey -Armenian, Greek-Cypriot and Greek- have become important. The lobbies have increased their activities to be able to enact draft laws, against Turkey, before the end of Clinton Administration. /Cumhuriyet/

    [12] APPROVAL FOR MOSQUE IN ATHENS

    The Greek Assembly ratified the proposal of the government for construction of a mosque in Athens for the first time in 170 years, since the end of the Ottoman Administration in the country. /Cumhurriyet/

    [13] TURCO-PALESTININAN WORK COUNCIL ESTABLISHED

    Turco-Palestinian Work Council was established within the framework of Foreign Economic Relations Council. Serif Egeli who was assigned to the chairmanship of the organization, stated that Palestinian Autonomous Region wanted to improve trade relations with Turkey and with the establishment of peace in the Middle East new opportunities had risen for Turkey. Noting that trade with Palestine was conducted mainly over Israel, Egeli expressed his belief that with the improvement of direct relations with Palestine, exports to Palestine and Jordan would increase to a great extent. /Hurriyet/

    [14] PRIVATIZATION OF TURKISH AIRLINES NEARS COMPLETION

    Chairman of the Privatization Administration Ugur Bayar said that the preparation for the selling of Turkish Airlines (TA) shares has neared to final stages and will be completed in the year 2000. He explained that some of the shares of the company was planned to be offered to its own personnel in order to make them participate in the administration, Bayar added that they will apply a combined system which includes both `block selling' and `public offering'. He explained detail that %20-25 of the TA's capital will be offered in the form of block selling and another portion of %20-25, will be sold in the foreign and domestic capital markets. /Hurriyet/

    [15] CAPITAL MARKET EYES THE PARLIAMENTARY VOTE

    Capital Market of Turkey eyes carefully the parliamentary vote today which will decide if Motherland Party Leader Yylmaz to be sent to the Supreme Court or not. The volumes of transactions in the ISO (Istanbul Stock Exchanges) market has decreased dramatically in the last days since investors are waiting the results of the critical voting at the TGNA. /Hurriyet/

    [16] REPAYMENTS OF OBLIGATIONS IN THE EARTHQUAKE HIT REGIONS

    Trade and Industry Minister A. Kenan Tanrykulu announced that the trade chambers and commodity exchanges in the regions hit by earthquakes can postpone the repayments of their due obligations to the higher chambers and commodity exhanges they are affiliated to. /Star/

    [17] WORLD BANK RELEASED REFORM CREDIT

    It was announced that the first slice of the loan, $384 millions, allocated by the World Bank for the reforms in Turkish economy will be available for the use of Turkey's Treasury next week. The total amount of the loan is $759 millions. /Aksam/

    [18] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS

    [19] SHADOW-BOXING BY TURKEY BY SEMIH IDIZ (STAR)

    Columnist Semih Idiz comments on the recent developments concerning the European Security and Defence Identity. A summary of his column is as follows:

    "Boxing with an imaginary rival is called shadow-boxing. I believe that Turkey's stance concerning the European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI) seems like shadow-boxing. It was apparent that ESDI would be institutionalized at the EU Feira Summit in Portugal. It was also known for a fact that the EU members which were also members of NATO would automatically confer the military sources of the Alliance to the use of ESDI. The NATO member countries which were not members of the EU would be excluded from the decision-making mechanisms. If we sum it all up, nothing has changed since the very beginning. The EU is following the route it has drawn for itself. Meanwhile, the EU also wants to enjoy special relations with the NATO member countries which are not in the EU, even if it does not include them into decision-making mechanisms of ESDI. The EU is stating to these countries that they could participate in certain operations, express their opinions within that framework but it will have the final say on the matter.

    On the other hand, it was no secret that Turkey was upset by this situation from the very beginning and was saying to its NATO allies that if they did not take it into the decision-making mechanisms they could not avail themselves of NATO's sources automatically. That is to say, there has been no change in Turkey's stance.

    However, the Foreign Ministry has stated that it would not allow for the automotic use of NATO sources by ESDI. However this statement does not include anything new. Furthermore, if an operation is made by the ESDI in the future and Turkey's help is sought, Ankara will be hard pressed to say no. National Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu has said that Turkey would not use the power of veto in NATO at present. In fact Turkey has such a powerful trump card, as such a decision can only be taken unanimously at the Northern Atlanic Treaty Organization.

    It has been learnt that NATO member countries which were excluded from ESDI will get together in the near future and determine a strategy among themselves. This meeting may have great significance as a decision to automotically veto allocating NATO's sources to ESDI may be accepted. However, it is not yet clear if countries such as Turkey, the US, Norway, Canada, Hungary and Poland which have differing interests can agree on the issue. Therefore, shadow-boxing should be left aside and serious steps towards the EU membership should be taken. The military attaches great importance to ESDI"


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