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Turkish Press Review, 01-01-15
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
15.01.01
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER'S NEW YEAR RECEPTION
[02] MORI'S CALL FOR PEACE
[03] PROTEST AGAINST FRANCE
[04] OPEN BIDDING PERIOD
[05] IMF TO START MEETINGS
[06] BLUE STREAM PIPELINE
[07] NATO HELICOPTERS TO FLY WITH TURKISH SOFTWARE
[08] RADAR CONTROL SYSTEM IN BOSPHROUS
[09] OECD SUPPORTS ANKARA IN THE FIGHT AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING
[10] WEB SITE AGAINST THE SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
[11] ARMENIAN PATRIARCH IS UNEASY ABOUT THE GENOCIDE BILL
[12] ISRAEL-TURKEY-UNITED STATES JOINT EXERCISES START
[13] CE ON 21 ITEMS OF PRODUCTS
[14] IRON MINES ON PRIVATIZATION PROGRAM
[15] TURKISH RESCUE TEAM TRAVELS TO EL SALVADOR
[16] ELECTRONIC TAX OBSERVATION FOR THE COMPANIES
[17] FOREIGN DEBT REPAYMENTS
[18] GERMAN TOURISTS PREFER TURKEY
[19] ZEUGMA ANTIC CITY
[20] TURKEY'S FIRST MODERN ARTS MUSEUM
[21] ITALIAN NEWSPAPERS:"TERIM HAS PROVEN TO BE AN EMPEROR"
[22] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[23] BLACK MARK IN THE HISTORY OF FRANCE BY SUKRU ELEKDAG
(MILLIYET)
[01] SEZER'S NEW YEAR RECEPTION
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and his wife Semra Sezer will give a
new year reception at the Presidential Palace Jan.16-17. Official
protocol, representatives of the foreign missions, artists,
representatives of professional organizations, journalists,
businessmen and representatives of nongovernmental organizations
will participate in the receptions. /Sabah/
[02] MORI'S CALL FOR PEACE
Japanese Prime Minister Yosiro Mori said rapprochement between
Turkey and Greece is an inevitable factor for the stability in
the Eastern Europe. Mr. Mori, the first Japanese Premier paying
an official visit to Athens, met with Greek President Kostis
Stefanopulos and Premier Kostas Simitis. After the meetings,
regarding Turco-Greek relations, Mr. Mori said his Greek
counterpart is exerting important efforts to improve relations
with Turkey. /Turkiye/
[03] PROTEST AGAINST FRANCE
Azerbaijani Cultural Association and Turkish World Culture and
Human Rights Association's members placed a black wreath in front
of the French Consulate in Izmir to protest discussion of the
so-called Armenian genocide bill in the French Assembly.
Stressing they would not accept any decision against Turkish
Nation by the French Assembly, the members said, "The ones who
condemn Turkey for the so-called Armenian genocide, should look
first to the Armenian genocide carried out in Anatolia yesterday
and in Azerbaijan today. The decisions do not affect the Republic
of Turkey. The loser will be the Armenians, living in Armenia,
and the Armenian State. /Turkiye/
[04] OPEN BIDDING PERIOD
An open bidding process will be followed in the public
institutions. The new state bidding law prepared by the Ministry
of Finance and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing is ready
to be sent to the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The bidding
law includes the World Trade Center and the EU norms.
Accordingly, the tenders will be completed by the bidding
commission in order to prevent any consultation with the firms
before the biddings. /Turkiye/
[05] IMF TO START MEETINGS
The IMF delegation headed by Turkey Desk Chairman, Carlo
Cottarelli, begins its meetings with Turkish authorities today.
In the meantime, the government is pushing the button to start
the reforms which were pledged to the IMF in the third letter of
intent. The delegation will also observe the reforms step by step
in banking sector. The Banking Regulation and Supervision Board
will announce the banks to be sold on Jan. 20. The IMF delegation
will leave Turkey Jan. 22. /Turkiye/
[06] BLUE STREAM PIPELINE
The main welding work on the Blue Stream Pipeline's Samsun-Ankara
section has been completed. As a part of the Blue Stream Project,
which foresees transfering Russian natural gas to Turkey via the
pipeline constructed under the Black Sea, the 501-km section to
be constructed on Turkish territory is expected to be truly
completed by April 2001. The pipeline will be 1,200 km length in
total and cost $3.4 billion. /Turkiye/
[07] NATO HELICOPTERS TO FLY WITH TURKISH SOFTWARE
A Turkish software company, Milsoft, has been commissioned to
take part in software development studies aimed at fitting out
the Sikorsky S-70 Seahawk helicopter. The Sikorsky company after
conducting technical and administrative studies at the company to
assess its suitability held talks. The contract was signed last
month. The Milsoft company has sent its software writers and
engineers to Sikorsky Aircraft facilities in Connecticut in the
United States. The company is already well known in NATO for
representing Turkey at an all-systems interoperability exercise
called JWID-2000 (Joint Warrior Interoperability Demonstration).
/Turkish Daily News/
[08] RADAR CONTROL SYSTEM IN BOSPHROUS
The preparations to establish the "Maritime Traffic
Administration and Information Systems", a plan to control and
observe maritime traffic in the Istanbul Bosphorus and Canakkale
Straits, are expected to end soon. Construction works for the
traffic control system are expected to begin on January 27 with a
ceremony. Minister of State Ramazan Mirzaoglu is expected to
attend the ceremony making the opening of the system.
/Cumhuriyet/
[09] OECD SUPPORTS ANKARA IN THE FIGHT AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING
Turkey analyst of the Financial Action Task Force on Money
Laundering (FATF), a part of the Organization of Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), John Karlsonn, said fighting
against corruption was one of the main issues in Turkey. Karlsonn
stated Turkey was efficiently fighting against corruption. He
added the Banking Regulation and Supervision Board was very
important in the fight against money laundering and corruption.
Stating that FATF was closely following the developments in
Turkey, Karlsonn said they were in close cooperation with Turkish
officials. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] WEB SITE AGAINST THE SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
The Office of the Chief of the General Staff presented historical
documents and incidents to the public on its web-site against the
allegations of the so-called Armenian genocide. The web-site
covers certain important questions about the relationship between
Armenians and the Ottoman Empire. The web site states that the
allegations of the so-called Armenian genocide are totaly untrue
and are only built on Armenian hostility towards Turkey without
any historical evidence. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] ARMENIAN PATRIARCH IS UNEASY ABOUT THE GENOCIDE BILL
Armenian Patriarch in Turkey, Mesrop Mutafyan, announced his
unease about the acceptance of the so-called Armenian genocide
bill at the Foreign Affairs Commission of the French national
assembly. Mr. Mutafyan said, "Turkey and Armenia have to solve
their mutual problems through dialogue. We will support this
dialogue." He said some people in the West wanted to use this
issue to their favor, and he was not happy about this. /Milliyet/
[12] ISRAEL-TURKEY-UNITED STATES JOINT EXERCISES START
The "Reliable Mermaid 3" military exercises started yesterday in
the Israeli territorial waters. The exercises are carrying out
search and rescue operations. /Milliyet/
[13] CE ON 21 ITEMS OF PRODUCTS
The Foreign Trade Undersecretary has completed its project for
placing the "CE" sign on certain products obligatory for
exportation of 21 items to the EU. Undersecretary has prepared a
"Bill on Preparing and Implementation Technical Regulations
related to the Products" which was sent to the TGNA as a
government's draft on December 18, 2000, The draft is expected to
be enacted as a law in 2001. /Aksam/
[14] IRON MINES ON PRIVATIZATION PROGRAM
The Turkish Iron and Steel Industry (TDCI) was put under the
privatization program by order of the Privatization
Administration Board (OIB). Two remaining enterprises operating
iron mines in Hekimhan and Divrigi will be privatized. The
representatives of the OIB said the State Monopolies (Tekel) and
some power plants will also be brought into the privatization
program. /Milliyet/
[15] TURKISH RESCUE TEAM TRAVELS TO EL SALVADOR
A 7.6 magnitude quake centered off El Salvador's southern coast
rocked Cenral America. The quake was felt across El Salvador,
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico. As search and rescue
efforts are continuing in the quake-hit area, it was stated that
a 25 person search and rescue team will travel to El Salvador to
assist. According to the Crisis Management Center statement, an
affiliated office of the Office of the Prime Minister, 15 people
from the Directorate General of Civil Defense and 10 people from
the voluntary search and rescue organizations will travel to El
Salvador. /Cumhuriyet/
[16] ELECTRONIC TAX OBSERVATION FOR THE COMPANIES
The state will closely observe companies committing tax evasion
through an internet based accountancy automation system "Say
2000i". The new system will reduce tax evasions and losses. With
the implementation of the new system, the state accounting system
will also change. /Hurriyet/
[17] FOREIGN DEBT REPAYMENTS
The Treasury will make foreign debt repayments totalling $ 195.3
million this week. The largest portion of the repayments, $ 105.9
million will take place today. /Cumhuriyet/
[18] GERMAN TOURISTS PREFER TURKEY
The German Bunde Magazine stated that Turkey was a preferrable
country for a secure holiday. Additionally, Turkey was the most
preferred country in Germany for the 2001 summer period.
/Cumhuriyet/
[19] ZEUGMA ANTIC CITY
Chairman of the Southern Anatolia Project (GAP) Administration
Olcay Unver said planning for the 2001 activities will be
completed in a month for the rescue works in Zeugma. Unver stated
that for the recovery works to be carried out in Zeugma, a
minutes of accord was signed with the American Packard Humanities
Institute, on June 7, 2000. /Cumhuriyet/
[20] TURKEY'S FIRST MODERN ARTS MUSEUM
The Minister of Culture is preparing to establish Turkey`s first
and largest modern arts museum. The museum will be constructed in
restorated train hangars. The preserved train hangars will
feature performance art such as the theatre and opera. The
project is expected to be completed in a year. /Cumhuriyet/
[21] ITALIAN NEWSPAPERS:"TERIM HAS PROVEN TO BE AN EMPEROR"
Fatih Terim, Turkish manager of Fiorentina, is on the cover of
all Italian newspapers. After defeating Milan 4-0 under the
management of Terim, all papers have headlines such as, "Terim
has proven to be an emperor" and "Terim is victorious, Fiorentina
is flying". /Milliyet/
[22] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[23] BLACK MARK IN THE HISTORY OF FRANCE BY SUKRU ELEKDAG
(MILLIYET)
"The Turkish public knows that French intentions in occupying
Cukurova at the end of World War 1 was to colonialize the region.
What is not known by the majority, is that France used Armenian
gangs and Armenian troops in French uniforms to engage in a
violent ethnic cleansing rarely witnessed throughout history.
This cruelty, torture and massacres directed against Turks,is a
black spot in French history. With the French National Assembly
trying to pass a law stating that Turks committed crimes of
genocide against the Armenians, it is necessary to shed light on
these dark pages of history.
The first action by the French while occupying Cukurova was to
appoint an administrator titled 'Syrian and Armenian High
Commissioner', and to bring the Legion d'Orient, made up of close
to ten thousand Armenians trained in Egypt, to the region. Then
the French began to implement a plan to convert the population
balance in favour of Armenians in hopes of establishing an
Armenian Republic. As a first step, it called on Armenians in
diaspora, and those who were relocated, to come to Cukurova. It
was followed by an ethnic cleansing aimed at forcing the Turks
out of Cukurova. At first, the Armenian occupying forces burning
with hatred, played an important role in these actions.
Furthermore, the French, by arming the Armenian population, gave
them a blank check to raid Turkish villages and kill the
peasants. Planned massacres against Turks took place within this
atmosphere, and torture and rape were widely seen. France has
been both an accomplice to this violence and the main responsible
party.
The US High Commissioner in Istanbul Admiral Bristol, in a report
he sent to Washington, said, 'French and Armenian troops
destroyed Turkish villages and massacred the people.'(Laurence
Evans, United States Policy and Partition of Turkey, p.259)
In the end, the French were defeated by the national resistance
movement, and withdrew from Anatolia, leaving the traces of
violent massacres, and abandoning Armenians to their fate.
The French politicians who forget this embarassement are trying
to rewrite history by enacting laws at a time when French Prime
Minister Lionel Jospin rejected a proposal to investigate the
French massacres in Algeria, saying they should leave the
judgement on the issue to the historians."
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