|
|
|
Turkish Press Review, 00-11-27
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
27.11.00
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-EU RELATIONS TO BE CLEAR IN DECEMBER
[02] DENKTAS:"AN ARTIFICIAL PEACE WOULD NOT SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS"
[03] DENKTAS WILL NOT ATTEND THE NEXT ROUND OF PROXIMITY TALKS
[04] TURKISH ARMED FORCES REACT TO ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT
[05] AMENDMENT TO THE TGNA BY-LAWS
[06] CEM: "CLAUDIA RUTH'S STATEMENTS ARE ANNOYING"
[07] MIDDLE EAST COMMISSION
[08] YILMAZ'S STATEMENT ON CYPRUS AND AEGEAN
[09] MAINZ: "TURKEY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE EU"
[10] "ANTAKYA, THE LOST ANCIENT CITY EXHIBITION" IN US
[11] MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION PREPARES FOR THE EU
[12] ONAL IN JAPAN
[13] DEMIRALP: "NO CONCESSIONS ABOUT OUR OBJECTIVES"
[14] FAST TRAIN FOR ANKARA-ISTANBUL RAILWAY
[15] AWARD TO EYUBOGLU HIGH SCHOOL
[01] TURKEY-EU RELATIONS TO BE CLEAR IN DECEMBER
Turkey, in a tense time with the EU due to addition of the Cyprus
and Aegean statements into the Accession Partnership Document
(APD), is entering a new phase. Next month, Ankara will make
vital decisions on both local and foreign policies, including the
EU, Cyprus, amnesty and economic topics. The route of Turkey-EU
relations will be clear in December. Stating that Turkey will not
give any concessions on these subjects, the coalition partners
are asking for an amendment to the Aegean and Cyprus topics in
the APD. The first and important reaction against the APD came
from Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf
Denktas. Mr. Denktas declared that he will not attend the sixth
round of the proximity talks. /Turkiye/
[02] DENKTAS:"AN ARTIFICIAL PEACE WOULD NOT SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS"
The President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC),
Rauf Denktas evaluated the current situation after the fifth
round of proximity talks. Mr. Denktas said, "We did not abstain
from the talks, but said that we also would not go to the brink
of the abyss. As some people may have been disturbed by peace,
Turkish soldiers were brought to the island 26 years ago. They
were trying to bring an artificial peace to the island." Mr.
Denktas said an artificial peace would lead the two societies to
the battle grounds. He said the EU's precondition for Turkey to
solve the Cyprus problem before her full membership was a
criterion that would degenerate the process."The EU wants to
adopt the right of Greek-Cypriots to return their former homes.
If this right is recognized, Greek-Cypriots will attack
Turkish-Cypriots. Mr. Denktas said those who made this proposal
know this fact, and insist on establishing a multinational force
on the island. Turkish-Cypriots do not favor this proposal.
Turkish-Cypriots want the revival of the guarantee mechanism
established in 1960 when the federal republic was established
upon this premise. /Milliyet/
[03] DENKTAS WILL NOT ATTEND THE NEXT ROUND OF PROXIMITY TALKS
The Cyprus Summit held Friday at the Cankaya Palace ended with a
statement by TRNC President Rauf Denktas. He said unless the
existence of the TRNC is accepted and equality of the two sides
on the island was established, continuation of the proximity
talks process would only be a "waste of time." The summit was
also attended by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister
Bulent Ecevit, Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli and Mesut
Yilmaz and the Chief of the General Staff, Gen.Huseyin
Kivrikoglu. Speaking to the press afterward Mr. Denktas said, "We
have reached the conclusion that these talks are nothing but a
waste of time as long as our parameters are not accepted. The
Greek-Cypriots are running on the pretext that they are the sole
legitimate government on the island. We, according to the 1960
agreements, have on an equal basis with the Greek-Cypriots, with
equal sovereignty and are as independent as the Greek-Cypriots.
When we were left stateless we had no choice but to form a state
of our own. We have continued talks in good faith after we
founded our state." Mr. Denktas said he was not calling for
recognition, but an acknowledgement of the fact that the
Greek-Cypriots do not govern the Turkish-Cypriots and never
would. He said he would tell the UN Special Envoy for Cyprus,
Alvaro de Soto to stop wasting time and called upon him to treat
both sides as equals. /Turkish Daily News/
[04] TURKISH ARMED FORCES REACT TO ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT
The Commander of the War Academies, General Nahit Senogul,
harshly critisized the conditions such as minorities' rights and
freedoms included in the accession partnership document. Replying
to certain international organizations and European countries,
Mr. Senogul said," Certain countries want Turkey to make
concessions from its indivisible structure under the guise of
demanding more rights for minorities. Our struggle as a nation is
not an easy one. Members of the War Academies are determined to
make no concessions on the unity of the Republic of Turkey. They
will always be devoted to the revolutions of Ataturk (the founder
of the Republic of Turkey)." /Sabah/
[05] AMENDMENT TO THE TGNA BY-LAWS
The government will make an amendment to the by-laws of the
Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), in order to accelerate
the law-making process. According to the new by-law, deputies
will be obliged to participate in the sessions, and the length of
their speeches will be restricted. The Parliamentary Speaker will
have enlarged powers. The government will bring the regulation to
the floor of the TGNA in a short time. /Hurriyet/
[06] CEM: "CLAUDIA RUTH'S STATEMENTS ARE ANNOYING"
During an interview in a television programme Foreign Minister
Ismail Cem said, the disputable statements by Claudia Ruth, the
Germany Federal Assembly Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid
Commission's Chairman, were also not ratified by the Turkish
Foreign Ministry. Mr. Cem called Ruth's statements, made during
her recent visit to the southeastern region of Turkey, annoying
and absurd. Yesterday, Mr. Cem left for Vienna to attend the
Organization on European Security and Cooperation (OSCE) Council
of Ministers' meeting. Before the meeting, Mr. Cem will meet with
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright this morning at a
working breakfast. /Turkiye/
[07] MIDDLE EAST COMMISSION
The Research Commission for the Middle East formed by US
President Bill Clinton to end the clashes in the Middle East and
presided over by US Senator George Mitchell, convened in New
York. One of the commission members, former president Suleyman
Demirel said the future of the 50-year Palestinian-Israeli
conflict is unpredictable. He said the delegation may arrive in
the region in mid-December. /Turkiye/
[08] YILMAZ'S STATEMENT ON CYPRUS AND AEGEAN
Speaking at the "New Policies in a New Millennium, Central
Anatolia Region Meeting", Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
State Mesut Yilmaz, stated Turkey would not make any sacrifices
on issues such as Cyprus and the so-called Armenian genocide. Mr.
Yilmaz said, "We do not want to cause any problem in our
relations with the EU. However, in order to improve Turco-EU
relations, the EU should have intentions similar to ours. If the
EU decides to solve the Aegean and Cyprus issues according to the
demand of Greece, then being an EU member would not be beneficial
for Turkey anymore." /Cumhuriyet/
[09] MAINZ: "TURKEY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE EU"
Following the meeting of the Young Entrepreneurs for Europe YES
for Europe in Brussels, the Chairman of the association, Wolfgang
Mainz evaluated Turkey-EU relations. Mr. Mainz said Turkey will
contribute to the EU with its different religion and culture. He
said, "It is not fair to wait only for Turkey to complete its
homework. The EU also has to implement its own responsibilites
and duties and increase its financial aid to Turkey." /Turkiye/
[10] "ANTAKYA, THE LOST ANCIENT CITY EXHIBITION" IN US
Historic objects, such as jewelery and sculptures, unearthed by
American archaeologists before the annexation of Hatay to the
Republic of Turkey, are being exhibited in the Worcester Museum,
Massachussetts in the US. In the exhibition titled "Antakya: The
Lost Ancient City" most of the ancient works are being exhibited
for the first time in 75 years. The exhibition will open in
Cleveland and Baltimore Museums after February 4. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION PREPARES FOR THE EU
The Ministry of National Education has begun conducting a
comparative analysis between the Turkish primary education system
and that of the EU countries. An EU desk, established within the
structure of the Ministry, began to research the education
systems of these countries. Among the topics to be observed are
compulsory education, numbers of lessons, hours of lessons,
preparation of lesson books and school types. After the research
is completed, certain necessary changes will be made in the
Turkish national education system. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] ONAL IN JAPAN
The Minister of State responsible for economics, Recep Onal
travelled to Tokyo, Japan to attend the 12th joint meeting of the
Turkish-Japanese Business Council and to meet with Japanese
officials. A delegation consisting of bureaucrats from the
Treasury and other related authorities accompanied him. Mr. Onal
and the delegation will first meet with officials from the Sakura
Bank. /Cumhuriyet/
[13] DEMIRALP: "NO CONCESSIONS ABOUT OUR OBJECTIVES"
Stating the economic stability program being jointly pursued by
the IMF will continue in 2001, Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk
Demiralp said, "We will have single-digit inflation in 2001. The
economic program will be strengthened with new tax regulations
and the 2001 budget." /Turkiye/
[14] FAST TRAIN FOR ANKARA-ISTANBUL RAILWAY
Alarko-Alsim and two Spanish firms won the tender for the
restoration of the Ankara-Istanbul railway's Ankara-Eskisehir
line. After the restoration is completed, a fast train will be
used. The total cost of the project has been calculated at Euro
437 million. A large part of the credit necessary for the project
will be met by the Spanish government and the Spanish Exim Bank.
/Turkiye/
[15] AWARD TO EYUBOGLU HIGH SCHOOL
Eyuboglu High School received an award given by the European
Council of International Schools (ECIS) for its superior
education quality by European standards. The School Director,
Sema Kan Ozkaya received the award in Nice, France. Ms.Ozkaya
said, "Our school is one of three high schools accredited
worldwide. We are happy the success of our school was recognized
by a well-acclaimed institution." /Hurriyet/
|
