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Turkish Press Review, 01-11-21

Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

21.11.2001


CONTENTS

  • [01] SEZER ASKS FOR AMENDMENT TO ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES LAW
  • [02] SEZER MARKS THE WORLD CHILDREN'S RIGHTS DAY
  • [03] TURKEY SETS OUT CONDITION FOR TURKISH TROOPS
  • [04] BUSH: "TURKEY UNDERSTAND US BETTER"
  • [05] BAHCELI CRITICIZES EU
  • [06] PEARSON MEETS KARAKOYUNLU
  • [07] TASAR: "THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT TURKEY IS SAFE"
  • [08] SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN EDUCATION MINISTERS MEET
  • [09] MEETINGS CONVENE ON AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE
  • [10] DERVIS: "THE $10 BLN IS A NEW SOURCE"
  • [11] OECD: "ECONOMIC REVIVAL WILL TAKE TIME AND DEBT"
  • [12] NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE MEETINGS BEGIN
  • [13] PKK-ASALA COOPERATE TO TRAIN TERRORISTS
  • [14] GEN. TURGUT LEAVES FOR TASHKENT
  • [15] TURKEY SUPPORT BIOWEAPONS TREATY
  • [16] ROMANIAN LAND FORCES COMMANDER VISITS TURKEY
  • [17] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
  • [18] LESSONS FROM THE BALKANS BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
  • [19] IS THE WAR OVER IN AFGHANISTAN? BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)

  • [01] SEZER ASKS FOR AMENDMENT TO ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES LAW

    President Ahmet Necdet Sezer received a delegation of Turkish Confederation of Employer Association (TISK) executive board members, headed by Refik Baydur yesterday. During the meeting, Sezer reportedly said that comprehensive amendments to the Constitution and Elections and Political Parties Law (EPPL) were needed. Sezer remarked that early elections would not be useful to Turkey under current conditions. Meanwhile, True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller visited Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi yesterday and asked him to use his authority to push for amendments to the EPPL soon. Ciller said that the DYP was ready to compromise on all topics, except that of lowering the 10% threshold for political parties to be represented in Parliament. /Turkiye/

    [02] SEZER MARKS THE WORLD CHILDREN'S RIGHTS DAY

    President Ahmet Necdet Sezer issued a message yesterday for the occasion of the World Children's Rights Day and the Second National Children's Forum. Receiving a delegation of 81 children at the Cankaya Presidential Palace yesterday, Sezer said, "Children should be provided with a healthier atmosphere and their needs should be met in a more modern manner, if Turkey hopes to reach its targets for the future. They are the hope of our world. Since they are Turkey's most precious national asset, they should be raised in a peaceful atmosphere, and any kind of violence or oppression against them should be eliminated. It's the common responsibility of all nations to make a world where love, peace and tolerance suffuse the life of children." /Cumhuriyet/

    [03] TURKEY SETS OUT CONDITION FOR TURKISH TROOPS

    Turkey has sent the message through its Foreign Minister Ismail Cem that Turkey's only condition for sending troops to Afghanistan is that they take part in the in the military decision-making mechanism. Cem who is currently in New York following this year's delayed UN General Assembly sessions, met with US and other representatives in the Afghan situation and stressed to them that "If Turkey sends any troops to Afghanistan, they should have the vanguard role." According to Cem, if Turkish troops are given second or third position in Afghanistan then none will be sent. /Hürriyet/

    [04] BUSH: "TURKEY UNDERSTAND US BETTER"

    US President George W. Bush yesterday expressed his gratitude to Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit by saying that Turkey is one of the countries which understands us best. Bush said that Turkey's support in the fight against terrorism was very important for the United States. This is the third time that Bush has taken the time out to single Turkey out for praise since the Sept. 11 attacks. Additionally, Bush yesterday gave a dinner for Muslim ambassadors in Washinghton in honor of Ramadan and Turkish Ambassador Faruk Logoglu attended the occasion. Addressing the state dinner, Bush remarked that "terrorist doesn't belong to any religion." Bush also said that he was very pleased by the support shown by Muslim countries in the fight against terrorism. /Hürriyet/

    [05] BAHCELI CRITICIZES EU

    Deputy Prime Minister and the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahceli evaluated recent developments concerning Turkey's accession period to the European Union. Charging that the EU was pursuing hypocritical and biased policies in its relations with Turkey, Bahceli said, "Countries which apply double standards in the fight against terrorism shouldn't dare to try to give lessons about democracy or human rights to Turkey." Criticizing President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz's recent statements on the EU Progress Report, Bahceli said, "Supporting the EU's stance or calling it "objective" ignores the EU's insincerity in its policies towards Turkey." Remarking that Turkey has yet to receive as much support as it has lent to its Western allies to date, Bahceli said that Turkey was much more sincere than the EU regarding the steps it takes and the sacrifices it makes. "Most European countries continue to persist in embracing terrorists who are the enemies of Turkey. When these European countries demonstrate their failure to learn any lessons from the Sept. 11 attacks, this shows just how right is Turkey in its concerns." /Cumhuriyet/

    [06] PEARSON MEETS KARAKOYUNLU

    Meeting with State Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu yesterday, US Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson asked him what sort of changes were being made regarding the Bill on Privatization. Pearson stated that the Privatization Bill was one of the most important elements of Turkey's National Programme. The bill proposes changes the authority of the Privatization Board and in certain laws such as the Law on Forestation and the Law on Coasts. Pearson reportedly argued that the importance of privatization should be explained to the Turkish people in detail. Karakoyunlu for his part stated that the bill proposed a more liberal system concerning privatization and bidding methods. "Foreign institutions will be able to participate in bids concerning privatization. Such bids will be open to everyone. We are planning to send the bill to Parliament at the beginning of December." /Cumhuriyet/

    [07] TASAR: "THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT TURKEY IS SAFE"

    Tourism Minister Mustafa Tasar said yesterday that there had been no decrease in the number of American tourists visiting Turkey this year. After meeting with US Ambassador Robert Pearson, Tasar said that their meeting had been aimed at enhancing the cooperation between Turkey and the US. "We should bolster promotional campaigns along with travel agencies to bring more American tourists to Turkey. We should also organize activities, conventions, fairs and exhibits between Turkey and the US," he said. Pearson added that the US would continue to support Turkey in the field of tourism as in others. "I wish that more American people would visit Turkey. The US government hasn't issued any warnings about visiting Turkey for tourism purposes," said Pearson. Upon being asked about Iraq, Pearson stated, "We haven't talked with the Turkish government about Iraq. We might need Turkey's help on the issue. The US expects Turkey to play a significant role in the operations in Afghanistan and in further steps in fighting terrorism." /Cumhuriyet/

    [08] SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN EDUCATION MINISTERS MEET

    Education Minister Metin Bostancioglu has stated that more importance should be paid to getting the facts right in history books. Bostancioglu gave a speech yesterday on "The future of regional cooperation in education, " at the European education ministers meeting in Strasbourg. He stated that important decisions had been taken for cooperation in education. He indicated that Turkey shared common historical and cultural values with the Balkan countries, and that great efforts should be made to make the region a peaceful and stable one. /Turkish News/

    [09] MEETINGS CONVENE ON AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE

    A meeting began in Washington yesterday with an initiative of the US and Japan on the political future of Afghanistan. In addition to Turkey, representatives from Canada, Germany, Russia, Britain, Italy, France, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, European Committee, the Organization for the Islamic Conference, the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank are attending the meetings. /Turkiye/

    [10] DERVIS: "THE $10 BLN IS A NEW SOURCE"

    State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis said yesterday that $10 billion in additional financing from International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a completely new source for Turkey. After meeting with IMF director Horst Kohler Dervis told reporters that Turkey's economic status is seen positively in the US, adding Turkey would pay back a $5 billion Supplementary Reserve Facility to the IMF next year. "This is a positive development for us, because that $5 billion was expensive, we are getting rid of these expensive loans, he commented. "This is a new program for us, and implementing this program is much better than trying to gain something by delaying repayment of that $5 billion." /Hürriyet/

    [11] OECD: "ECONOMIC REVIVAL WILL TAKE TIME AND DEBT"

    The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development released its regular biannual report yesterday. The report stated that the Turkish coalition government would have to take important measures to counter the current economic crisis and that the economy's revival would take time as well as additional debt. It also said that the Sept. 11 attacks would affect Turkey's tourism sector negatively. Because of this, it added, upcoming additional financing from the International Monetary Fund would be very important and useful for the revival of the Turkish economy. /Hürriyet/

    [12] NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE MEETINGS BEGIN

    The NATO's Military Committee's 144th ordinary meetings began in Brussels yesterday. The committee is NATO's highest military decision-making body and it is comprised of the chiefs of general staffs of NATO's 19 member countries. During the meeting, Turkey is being represented by a delegation headed by Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu. Proposed topics for the meetings are recent developments in the Balkans, and in Afghanistan, as well as European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) and NATO -Russian military cooperation. /Turkiye/

    [13] PKK-ASALA COOPERATE TO TRAIN TERRORISTS

    The terrorist organizations, the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) and ASALA, have reportedly signed an agreement concerning the training of terrorists in northern Iraq. Simon Zakarian a leader of the Armenian terrorist ASALA group,has agreed with the PKK to train 110 of its militants on suicide and close combat techniques. /Turkiye/

    [14] GEN. TURGUT LEAVES FOR TASHKENT

    In the wake of Gen. Hasan Kabas' recent visit to Uzbekistan, a delegation headed by Gen. Resat Turgut left for Tashkent yesterday. The delegation is scheduled to meet with US authorities as well as Uzbek defense minister and members of Uzbekistan's National Security Council. The US has asked Turkey in recent days to help bring Uzbek military facilities up to NATO standards. /Sabah/

    [15] TURKEY SUPPORT BIOWEAPONS TREATY

    Turkey fully supports a supplementary protocol to the Biological Weapons Treaty designed to ensure compliance with developing technology and strengthen its verification and control mechanisms. Turkey signed the original treaty in 1972 and ratified it two years later, and is one of 144 ratifying countries represented at a series of meetings which began in Geneva yesterday. In the wake of the anthrax attacks in the United States, the Biological Weapons Treaty has been in the spotlight again. The talks are expected to last for three weeks. /Turkish Daily News/

    [16] ROMANIAN LAND FORCES COMMANDER VISITS TURKEY

    Romanian Land Forces Commander Gen. Eugene Badalan visited his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hilmi Ozkok yesterday. Ozkok said that the Turkish Land Forces were trying to establish a high-level military training process with Romania. /Turkish Daily News/

    [17] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...

    [18] LESSONS FROM THE BALKANS BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)

    Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the positive developments in the Balkans, which until recently were a stage for violence and tension. A summary of his column is as follows:

    "In general, good news don't attract as much attention as bad news. Therefore the recent positive developments in Macedonia and Kosovo have gone unnoticed. Only a few months ago the spectacle of these two Balkan states sinking into chaos was the focus of international attention. That is why the good news coming from Skopje and Pristina should be welcomed with pleasure. Amendments to the Constitution in Macedonia and the parliamentary elections in Kosovo show that it is possible to halt the violence stemming from ethnic and religious differences, revive the mosaic structure of the region and re-establish the peace. The lessons to be learnt from the Balkans should be a source of inspiration for countries where similar frictions are present. Last week the present Macedonian Constitution was amended and a measure of autonomy was granted to the Albanians, who form one-third of the population. A new Constitution which recognized Macedonia as a republic formed by the Albanian and Macedonian peoples was passed. In Kosovo, the Democratic Union- a party headed by a moderate politician of Albanian origin, Ibrahim Rugova- won the parliamentary elections.The choice of a moderate party over radical nationalist, political groups shows the desire of the people for peace. In his heart of hearts, Rugova would like total independence for Kosovo. However, the UN resolution and the special conditions Kosovo is in now will not permit this for the moment. Kosovo will remain an autonomous region for three more years within the Yugoslavian state with its own administration. Probably Rugova will head a coalition government in Kosovo. These developments concern Turkey closely. Turkey wants the establishment of peace and stability in the Balkans. Turkish diplomacy has spent great efforts to this end. Therefore it is only natural that it is pleased with the results. Another fact which increases our satisfaction is that both the amendments to the Constitution in Macedonia and the elections in Kosovo have strengthened the status of Turks living in these countries. "

    [19] IS THE WAR OVER IN AFGHANISTAN? BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)

    Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on recent developments in Afghanistan. A summary of his column is as follows:

    "It is being said that the United States has achieved results in Afghanistan. This idea may be accepted as a fact, as the end of the war seems certain. The fate of the Taleban is also certain. It will retreat to the mountains and continue hit-and-run attacks as long as it can endure hunger. The situation of Al-Qaida is no different, but only in Afghan territory... Otherwise, it will not abandon its deranged ideology which has left the Islamic world in a difficult situation. Al-Qaida has spies scattered worldwide, and they may be engaged in actions in any country at any time. Meanwhile, a new government will be formed in Afghanistan. United Nations forces will be deployed in the country. The US will get bases, but the rest is totally unknown. Ethnic groups will not only fight against each other but keep on waging armed struggles amongst themselves. There were so very many casualties during Afghanistan's civil wars, the number of civilians who died during the US bombardment is nothing compared to them. There are at least 20 organizations armed to the teeth within the country. Almost all of them are fundamentalist, a majority are the defenders of the nationalistic views of some tribes, and some have connections in foreign countries. It shows us that conditions may change drastically through history's turn when we see one of the smightiest countries from the 16th centuries now reduced to a state of a mere confederation of tribes. Turkey will do everything in its power to bring Afghanistan in step with modern times, to help it achieve peace and to better utilize its resources."


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