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Turkish Press Review, 01-07-26
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
26.07.2001
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER PRAISES TURKISH ARMED FORCES
[02] ECEVIT IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION
[03] NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL'S MEETING
[04] DERVIS: "A LIGHT REVISION IS NECESSARY"
[05] LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN MACEDONIA ARE CAUSING CONCERN
[06] DAWSON'S STATEMENT ON FISHCER'S TURKEY VISIT
[07] O'NEILL: "THE CRISIS WILL NOT SPREAD"
[08] GOVERNMENT PLANS ADJUSTMENT ON WITHHOLDING TAXES
[09] DYP MEETS TO DISCUSS LAW ANNULMENT
[10] BUSY YEAR IN STORE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
[11] IRAQI MINISTER OF OIL'S STATEMENT
[12] IMF PREPARES THE LETTER OF INTENT
[13] WORLD BANK OFFICIALS ON THE SALE OF TURK TELECOM
[14] TUSIAD SEEKS MEETING WITH DERVIS OVER EXCHANGE RATE REGIME
[15] THE FIRST OFFICIAL TURCO-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF TRADE ESTABLISHED
[16] FOREIGN PARTNER FOR GLOBAL MOVABLES
[17] TUPRAS STILL TURKEY'S LARGEST INDUSTRIAL CONCERN
[18] DESA CONQUERS BRITISH MARKET
[19] GREEK MESSINIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OFFICIALS IN TURKEY
[20] 'OLIVE TREE AND ROADS OF THE OLIVE OIL' ACTIVITIES IN OLD OLYMPIA
[21] TURKISH CHAIRMAN FOR INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
[22] TURKISH HISTORY TO BE REWRITTEN
[23] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[24] CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEIGHBOUR BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[25] MAGICAL WORD:CHANGE BY YAVUZ DONAT (SABAH)
[01] SEZER PRAISES TURKISH ARMED FORCES
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer attended the "Naval Forces Command's Ship Delivery and Launching ceremony" yesterday in Istanbul. Delivering a speech at the ceremony, Sezer said Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was determined to continue to defend Turkey's territorial integrity and national interests. Stating that Turkey faced multidimensional and protean security problems due to her geopolitical situation, Sezer said, "Against these problems and the ambiguities in the world, Turkey needs a TSK which is more ready to defend its country. The TSK, which accomplishes every mission it undertakes very successfully, and upon which the Turkish nation has great confidence, plays an effective role in protecting the peace and stability. Our army is being updated every day in line with the latest technological advances in the world." Meanwhile Chief of the General Staff Huseyin Kivrikoglu, said that protecting Turkey's economic interests and strategic naval transportation lines in the seas is only possible with strong Naval Forces. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] ECEVIT IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION
Responding to reporters' questions at Esenboga Airport prior to his flight to Istanbul for the National Security Council (MGK) meeting, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said, "There is a positive atmosphere in Turkey. Everything is going well. The most important factor of this positive atmosphere is the Treasury's last bid's success." He added, "The support of the Turkish people is very important. The transparency of the administration must be sustained. We attach great importance to the transparency." /Cumhuriyet/
[03] NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL'S MEETING
During the National Security Council (MGK) meeting, which was held in Istanbul and chaired by the President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the situation in the Balkans and the developments concerning the security of the country was discussed. In the written statement issued by the Secretariat General of MGK, it was recalled that the MGK was chaired by the President Ahmet Necdet Sezer with the participation of the Prime Minister, Chief of the General Staff, council-member Ministers, Commanders of the Forces, General Commander of Gendarmerie and the Secretary General of MGK at the Military Accademy Command in Istanbul. In the statement, it was added that the State Ministers and the Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli, Husamettin Ozkan and Mesut Yilmaz had also attended the meeting. It was added, "During the meeting, the report, which was about the political developments in the Balkan region prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was presented to the Council. The possible results of these developments and their impacts on our country's foreign policy have been evaluated. During the meeting, the developments in Turkey and abroad concerning the security of the country were reviewed under the light of the intelligence and security reports of last month. /Turkiye/
[04] DERVIS: "A LIGHT REVISION IS NECESSARY"
Kemal Dervis, the Minister of State responsible for Economy, stated that a light revision would be made in the economic program. He said, "We should renew the program with new macroeconomic analysis and table. Speaking to the industrialists at the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, Dervis said a fund would be established for the rehabilitation of the real sector. He added, "We have begun to work for establishing a revitalization fund similar to the ones implemented in Brazil and Korea. A World Bank delegation will visit Turkey on August 6th to discuss the issue. We will also encourage the use of Turkish Lira. He added that Turkey seemed to overcome the July crisis and that the negative atmosphere was being overcome. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN MACEDONIA ARE CAUSING CONCERN
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that after the process of political negotiations in Macedonia was stopped, the clashes have started again, which creates great concern. It was stated during the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem's visit to Macedonia, the two extreme stances, one of which is, to prolong the current situation, and the other being to bring the great expectations on the agenda, might make it hard to overcome the crisis in the country. It was stated that during his contacts in Macedonia, Cem said that the participation of all the organizations in the process of negotiations, would contribute to reach political solution that will satisfy everyone. In the statement, it was added that Cem said that the violation in the region would harm to the citizens of Macedonia. The statement further said that Ankara was pleased with the resumption of the meetings, which are held under the leadership of the Macedonian President Boris Traykovski, and participated by the leaders of four political parties in the government, the special representatives from the US and the European Union (EU), Francois Leotard and James Pardew. /Turkiye/
[06] DAWSON'S STATEMENT ON FISHCER'S TURKEY VISIT
IMF Foreign Relations Director Tom Dawson said that IMF Deputy Chairman Stanley Fischer would arrive in Turkey on Friday and that his visit would continue till Sunday. Dawson said that Fischer would visit Turkey to discuss the recent development that Turkey has achieved and which is considered as "a great success" by the IMF. Stating Fischer's visit had nothing to do with specific regulations in the program, Dawson added, "There is no need for speculations. Turkey's improvement within the program is very impressive." He also pointed out that Fisher decided to visit Turkey upon the invitation of Turkish authorities. He said he hoped the Executive Directors Council meeting, where the decision for delivering the third portion of loan ($1.5 billion) would be made, would take place on August 6. /Sabah/
[07] O'NEILL: "THE CRISIS WILL NOT SPREAD"
The US Central Bank Governor Alan Greenspan and US Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill stated that the crisis in Turkey and Argentina did not pose a danger for other countries. O'Neill argues that former administrations in Turkey were responsible for the crisis. /Sabah/
[08] GOVERNMENT PLANS ADJUSTMENT ON WITHHOLDING TAXES
The government plans to raise the withholding tax on repos and adjust the same on deposits, in a bid to enable the Treasury and banks to borrow with longer maturity. It also plans to raise the minimum limit for declaration of Treasury-bill interest gains in tax statements. The Economy Minister Kemal Dervis and Finance Minister Sumer Oral are expected to disclose the measures at a news conference today. /Turkish Daily News/
[09] DYP MEETS TO DISCUSS LAW ANNULMENT
Holding an extraordinary meeting, the True Path Party (DYP) made the decision yesterday to apply to the Constitutional Court to have several laws that had been passed by Parliament before it closed for the summer recess cancelled. With the banning of the Virtue party (FP), DYP became the senior opposition party, giving it the right to apply to the Constitutional Court to have laws abrogated. It is expected that among those laws the DYP will file to have abrogated will be the one concerning the selling of Treasury-owned land, one of the legal arrangements the government was pinning its hopes on for economic reform. /Turkish Daily News/
[10] BUSY YEAR IN STORE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
A busy year is in store for the Constitutional Curt in the new judicial year. Among the major cases to be seen by the court will be the trial instigated against the Peoples Democracy Party (HADEP) by now retired Court of Cassation Chief Public Prosecutor Vural Savas. He had accused HADEP of having organic ties to the PKK terrorist organization and that the party's leadership was entirely at the command of the PKK. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has also filed three separate lawsuits with the Constitutional Court, which he used to the Chief Justice of before becoming Turkey's tenth president. He has asked that Article 10 of the 'Decree on Amendments to be Made to Lawyers Law Number 4667' be annulled. He has also asked that an amendment to the Law on Technological Development Regions be scrapped as well as for the annulment of an arrangement made to the 'Decree on Amendments to be Made to the Law on Value Added Tax and the usage of Treasury Real Estate'. /Turkish Daily News/
[11] IRAQI MINISTER OF OIL'S STATEMENT
Iraqi Minister of Oil, Amir Muhammed Rasid, who is currently in Ankara to join the Turco-Iraqi Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting, said the construction of the natural gas pipeline that will connect the two countries would start soon. Iraqi officials have stated in November that they were continuing to hold meetings with the Turkish, French and Italian companies for the natural gas project of 1,380 km, which will cost 2.5 million US dollars. /Turkiye/
[12] IMF PREPARES THE LETTER OF INTENT
The contacts of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, chaired by the IMF'S Chief to the Turkish Desk, Juha Kahkonen, are continuing. The works to edit the Additional Letter of Intent, which will be presented to the Executive Board of the IMF at the beginning of August, are continuing at the Undersecretary of Treasury. The IMF delegation, which is currently in Ankara within the framework of the ninth review works, is expected to complete its works by the end of the week and leave Turkey. Meanwhile, Kahkonen will stay in Ankara and accompany the First Deputy Chairman of IMF, Stanley Fischer, who will come to Turkey at the end of this week or at the beginning of next week. During his visit to Ankara, Fischer is expected to meet businessmen and the finance circles during a banquet. /Turkiye/
[13] WORLD BANK OFFICIALS ON THE SALE OF TURK TELECOM
Officials from the World Bank, who are currently in Ankara, said the Turk Telecom cannot be sold immediately due to the shortages in the telecommunication sector. The sector experts of the World Bank met the officials from the Telecommunication Institution. The World Bank experts have not envisaged a clear timetable for the sale of Turk Telecom and said the shortage in the sector can be overcome in two years. During the meeting held with the officials from the Institution, it was decided that the license applications would be evaluated and concluded in a month. World Bank officials also suggested that a part of the loan amounting to 750 million US dollars, which will be ensured for Turkey, should be reserved for this kind of businesses. /Turkiye/
[14] TUSIAD SEEKS MEETING WITH DERVIS OVER EXCHANGE RATE REGIME
Turkey's upper echelon business group, the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) is seeking an appointment with Economy Minister Kemal Dervis next week to relate their views on recent economic developments and the exchange rate regime, TUSIAD resources said. TUSIAD is also hoping that IMF first Deputy Managing Director Staley Fischer will attend the meeting. /Turkish Daily News/
[15] THE FIRST OFFICIAL TURCO-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF TRADE ESTABLISHED
The first official Turco-American Chamber of Commerce in the US was established in Chicago. The well-known Turkish and American businessmen and Commercial Law experts hold positions in the Executive Board of the Turco-American Chamber of Commerce (TACCoMM). The TACCoMM will contribute to the increase of the trade volume between Turkey and the US, and will ensure contacts between the Turkish and American businessmen. Chairman of the Executive Board of TACCoMM, Cengiz Berksoy, said, "A lot of Turco-American Chambers of Commerce were established in various regions of America but none of them were official. However, the TACCoMM is approved officially. /Turkiye/
[16] FOREIGN PARTNER FOR GLOBAL MOVABLES
One of Turkey's biggest intermediary institutions, the Global Movables, is preparing to form a partnership with the international investment fund, Templeton Strategic Emerging Markets Fund LDC. A letter of intent was signed between the two companies two days ago. /Sabah/
[17] TUPRAS STILL TURKEY'S LARGEST INDUSTRIAL CONCERN
The Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) announced the results of "Turkey's 500 Major Industrial Concerns 2000." According to results, the public oil refinery TURPAS ranked first with TL 3 quadrillion sales, while the electrical power concerned TEAS ranked second with TL 1 quadrillion sales and the private sector Oyak-Reanult ran third with TL 761 trillion sales. /Turkish Daily News/
[18] DESA CONQUERS BRITISH MARKET
Desa's Deputy Executive Council Chairman Melih Celet said they increased their share in the leather business for women's ready-made clothes-market from 1.8 % to 11.7 in one year. Celet said Desa has been the only leather provider for Marks & Spencer for the past five years. /Milliyet/
[19] GREEK MESSINIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OFFICIALS IN TURKEY
The Chairman of Ankara's Chamber of Commerce (ATO), Sinan Aygun, said Greece would help Turkey concerning Turkey's being a full member of the European Union (EU). A delegation from the Greek Messinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has visited the Chairman of ATO, Aygun. During the visit, the Chairman of the Messinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Georgios Yorgo Karabatos, said, "The delegation, which will go to Ayvalik, Izmir, Ankara, Adana and Syria, aims to meet the companies and Chambers, which grow olives and produce olive oil in the Mediterranean region. We also aim to make the use of the olives and olive oil and spread them to other European countries. Marketing the olives and olive oil also means the marketing of the Mediterranean culture." Meanwhile, the Chairman of ATO, Aygun said, "The olive tree is the symbol of peace. They have put obstacles before our membership to the EU, but we thank them because they have welcomed us into the Olive Union. I hope this Union will open the doors of the EU for us." Karabatos has concluded by saying, "We share not only the European culture, but also the Mediterranean culture. Therefore we support your membership to the EU sincerely." /Turkiye/
[20] 'OLIVE TREE AND ROADS OF THE OLIVE OIL' ACTIVITIES IN OLD OLYMPIA
The first tree of the cultural activities named 'Olive Tree and Roads of the Olive Oil', which began on July 21st, was planted in Foca. Voyagers of culture, who will travel through the Mediterranean countries producing olives, said that these kinds of activities would contribute a lot to the peace in the world. The group of voyagers who arrived in Foca for the activities organized jointly by the Messinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Greek Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs received great interest in Foca. Mayor of Foca, Ali Cilhan said that he was pleased because such an expedition began in Foca. /Cumhuriyet/
[21] TURKISH CHAIRMAN FOR INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
A Turkish scientist was elected as the Chairman of the International Union for History and Philosophy of Science. The Union's 21st Congress was held in Mexico City between July 8 and 14. Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has received 98 % of the votes and has elected as the Chairman at the Congress. /Milliyet/
[22] TURKISH HISTORY TO BE REWRITTEN
The State Minister Abdulhaluk Cay went to Mongolia to make investigations on the "Turkish Monuments in the Mongolia Project", which is carried out jointly with the Mongolian Ministry of Enlightenment and the Chairmanship of the Turkish Cooperation Development Administration. According to the statement issued by the State Ministry concerning the issue, the project, which is carried out at the Gokturk Monuments in Mongolia, is the biggest archeological achievement that is held abroad by the Republic of Turkey. In a statement Cay said, "As a result of the archeological works, new findings about Turkish history are being obtained. I can say that when the project is completed, the history of Turkey will be rewritten." Cay will return to Turkey on August 3rd. /Turkiye/
[23] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[24] CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEIGHBOUR BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the changes in Bulgaria and the appointment of the overthrown King as Prime Minister. A summary of his column is as follows:
"Bulgaria has brought two new changes to her political life when the new Government undertook its responsibilities the day before yesterday. With the appointment of Simeon Saks-Koburg as Prime Minister, for the first time in whole Europe, a former king has entered political life and came to power through elections. The Turkish minority, which forms 9% of the population, is being represented in the Bulgarian Government through its political organization the Rights and Freedoms Movement (HOH) for the first time as well. This reveals the distance Bulgaria has covered in the fields of democracy and political maturity. A new period is beginning in Bulgaria due to the entrance of former King Simeon II in politics and the victory of his party the 'National Movement'. Simeon has a vision, which he shares with the Bulgarian people and that is to integrate the country with the West, and elevate the standard of living resembling those in the Western countries. In his statement the new Prime Minister said that the aim of his government was to place Bulgaria in United Europe through economic and political reforms. With this purpose, the coalition Government of Simeon took Ministers from the Socialist Party who are in opposition and the HOH. Most of the Ministers are not politicians but young experts with careers. Simeon recognizes an 800-day for himself to reach his goals. For now, the people trust him and look towards a bright future with hope.
Only15 to 20 years ago communist Bulgaria was using anti-democratic methods to assimilate Turkish minority and hundreds of thousands of Turks were migrating to Turkey to save their lives. However, with the collapse of the Todor Jhivkov Administration, and the opening of a new era in Bulgaria, Turks were able to regain their rights and freedoms and the party they formed for this purpose has a seat in the Cabinet today. Certainly, the improvement of Turco-Bulgarian relations under the new regime seems possible. One of the signals to this end is the appointment of Solomon Pasi as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Pasi is a friend of Turks who knows the country well. "
[25] MAGICAL WORD:CHANGE BY YAVUZ DONAT (SABAH)
Columnist Yavuz Donat comments on the necessity of change in political life. A summary of his column is as follows:
"When we were talking with Murat Karayalcin, former leader of the Republican People's Party and who is at present in the process of entering a new party, he said that the magical word of the day was 'change', both for the parties in the left and the right. He added that the studies to form a new party were being supervised personally by Erdal Inonu. They wanted to form a party, which would be totally new, and with a new understanding of how to conduct politics. He went on to say that new revolutionary arrangements would be brought, the leader of the party would be elected not by delegates but party members and they would also determine the candidacy of deputies or mayors. The candidates for deputies would be announced to the public a year ago. Karayalcin also said that the number of the party members would be restricted with the capacity to train and educate party supporters. In other words they would establish a sort of party school, which would be the backyard of the party. Not only members will be trained but also the administrative staff of the party, including the Chairman will be continually trained. It seems that nothing will ever be the same in politics again. Change is the rising value."
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