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Turkish Press Review, 02-01-30

Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>

<LINK href="http://www.byegm.gov.tr_yayinlarimiz_chr_pics_css/tpr.css" rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css> <map name="FPMap1"> <_map> Press &amp; Information Turkish Press Turkish Press Review &gt;&gt; Foreign Press Guide Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning

30.01.2002


CONTENTS

  • [01] MGK DISCUSSES SECURITY, TURKISH-US RELATIONS, CYPRUS
  • [02] ECEVIT VISITING BULGARIA TODAY
  • [03] CEM TO CONVEY ARAFAT'S MESSAGE TO PERES
  • [04] TELEPHONE DIPLOMACY SPURS DIALOGUE ON AEGEAN
  • [05] NEW AFGHAN ARMY TO BE TRAINED BY THE US, NOT TURKEY
  • [06] SWEDISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WALLEN VISITS TURKEY
  • [07] FOGG: "THE TURKISH PEOPLE SHOULD BE INFORMED ABOUT EU'S TARGETS"
  • [08] GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL
  • [09] MEAT FROM SACRIFICES ABROAD TO BE RETURNED TO TURKEY
  • [10] TURKISH OFFICIALS ON WAY TO WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
  • [11] TAYLOR: "TURKEY IS GOING WELL"
  • [12] S&amp;P UPGRADES TURKEY'S OUTLOOK TO POSITIVE
  • [13] MIGROS SHOPPING CENTER REOPENS IN BAKU
  • [14] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
  • [15] TOO MANY PARTIES? BY TUFAN TURENC (HURRIYET)
  • [16] OLD CHESTNUT, NEW CAUSE ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)
  • [17] DON'T FALL FOR THIS TRAP BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)

  • [01] MGK DISCUSSES SECURITY, TURKISH-US RELATIONS, CYPRUS

    The National Security Council (MGK) chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer met yesterday. Present at the meeting were Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, deputy prime ministers Devlet Bahceli, Mesut Yilmaz and Husamettin Ozkan, council member ministers, military commanders, the gendarmerie chief commander and the MGK secretary-general. An official statement issued following the six-hour meeting said that the main topics discussed included: domestic and foreign threats to Turkey's security, in particular a recent push for Kurdish education backed by the terrorist PKK, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to the US earlier this month and relations with that country; and finally developments on the Cyprus issue and the current political situation on the island. /All Papers/

    [02] ECEVIT VISITING BULGARIA TODAY

    Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit will visit Bulgaria today as a guest of his Bulgarian counterpart Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Reportedly, Ecevit is expected to ask that Bulgaria ease its visa requirements from Turkish citizens. Ecevit said yesterday that he also hoped to improve Turkish-Bulgarian commercial relations. /Hürriyet/

    [03] CEM TO CONVEY ARAFAT'S MESSAGE TO PERES

    In the wake of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's recent messages to Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, the world's eyes are again focused on Turkey's efforts towards urging peace and stability in the Middle East. Turkish diplomatic sources stated yesterday that ongoing violence in the region was the biggest obstacle to peace and stressed that mutual trust must be established for the efforts towards peace to be successful. Israeli commentator Hagit Ben-Yakov argued yesterday that Arafat's messages showed he was aware of the fact that he was no longer trusted. "The international community must persuade Arafat to take measures against terrorism," said Ben-Yakov. "Arafat must end his hostile policies against Israel." In addition, Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is expected to convey Arafat's message and Turkey's views on the issue to Israeli Foreign Minister Simon Peres tomorrow in New York during the World Economic Forum. /Cumhuriyet/

    [04] TELEPHONE DIPLOMACY SPURS DIALOGUE ON AEGEAN

    Turkey and Greece have decided to start a new process of dialogue in order to work out their differences concerning the Aegean. Reportedly, the decision to initiate a dialogue on this subject was taken by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and his counterpart George Papandreou last weekend during a telephone conversation. The two foreign ministers are set to first meet on Feb. 1 in New York and than on Feb. 12-13 to start the dialogue. Papandreou said that the bilateral talks would be within the framework of the principles of international law and the inviolability of borders, adding that that Greece had nothing to fear from such a process. /Hürriyet/

    [05] NEW AFGHAN ARMY TO BE TRAINED BY THE US, NOT TURKEY

    US President George W. Bush stated yesterday that the US would help establish and train a new Afghan army and police force. Turkey had previously announced that it wished to help Afghanistan build a new army. However, the Bush administration has signaled that the US is committed to playing a leading role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Turkey is scheduled to take over command of the peacekeeping force led by Great Britain in April for its final three months of duty. /Cumhuriyet/

    [06] SWEDISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WALLEN VISITS TURKEY

    On an official visit to Turkey yesterday, Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Lena Hjelm-Wallen stated that Sweden supported Turkey's bid for full EU membership. Hjelm-Wallen discussed Turkish-EU relations as well as bilateral relations during a two-hour meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mesut Yilmaz, who hosted the Swedish politician. Wallen remarked that Turkey should meet the political criteria set out by the EU as soon as possible in order to begin its negotiation process. Yilmaz briefed Wallace on Turkey's recent constitutional amendments, the new Civil Code and the National Programme. He also voiced Turkey's dissatisfaction with the EU's recent list of terrorist organizations, which excluded the PKK and DHKP-C. /Cumhuriyet/

    [07] FOGG: "THE TURKISH PEOPLE SHOULD BE INFORMED ABOUT EU'S TARGETS"

    Karen Fogg, the EU Commission's Representative in Turkey, stated yesterday that the nation's government should inform the Turkish people about the "real aims" of the EU and added that its domestic harmonization laws should be enacted as soon as possible. Fogg made the remarks in Istanbul in a speech to a panel on Turkish-EU relations organized by the Economic Development Foundation. Underlining the importance of this year for Turkey, Fogg argued that the EU's main goal was to improve the economies and standards of living of its member states. Meanwhile, Turkish Secretary-General for EU Affairs Volkan Vural stressed that Turkey was determined to meet the EU's criteria for the sake of democracy and human rights. /Cumhuriyet/

    [08] GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL

    Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis Magriotis and his wife Fotini traveled to Istanbul yesterday where they were welcomed by that city's Greek Consul General Panos Kalogrepoulos, whereupon they proceeded to Heybeliada Island to visit the historic Ayatriada Monastery there. The Magriotis couple also visited the private Heybeliada Greek School, an ancient school for clergymen. Magriotis said that they had come to Istanbul three years ago for their honeymoon, adding, "I visited Istanbul and all its islands 30 years ago, but this is my first time seeing the Ayatriada Monastery. My only wish was to pray in this old monastery." The couple was also due to attend a commemorative ceremony with Greek Patriarch Bartelomeos II today. "Saint Basilios, Saint Gregorios and Saint Hrisostomos will be commemorated in all the Orthodox churches today for their contributions to education," Magriotis said. "We will attend the ceremony in Istanbul and pray as well." Magriotis, who became Greece's deputy foreign minister two months ago, said that he was very optimistic about Turkish-Greek relations. /Milliyet/

    [09] MEAT FROM SACRIFICES ABROAD TO BE RETURNED TO TURKEY

    Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate announced yesterday that the meat of 55,000 sacrificed sheep to be killed by Turkish pilgrims would be brought back to the country and given to the poor and people living in the earthquake-hit Marmara region. "Last year, the meat of the sheep sacrificed by Turkish pilgrims was sent to our sister countries such as Azerbaijan and Bosnia through the Islamic Development Bank," Directorate head Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz told the Sabah daily. "This year we signed a protocol with the bank directing that meat from the sacrifices would be brought to Istanbul using the necessary climate and food safety conditions and then distributed to the poor regions of Turkey through the provincial directors of religious affairs." /Sabah/

    [10] TURKISH OFFICIALS ON WAY TO WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

    The World Economic Forum is set to begin tomorrow and is due to last through Feb. 4. Some 3,000 people are expected to attend the meeting in New York city, including 30 head of states, more than 100 government ministers, dozens of heads of international organizations; representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the media as well as scientists, artists and performers. The new world situation in the following the September terrorist attack on the US is expected to dominate the meeting's agenda. Representing Turkey at the gathering will be State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti, Ziraat Bank Board of Directors Chairman of the Executive Board Vural Akisik and Privatization Board Chairman Ugur Bayar. They will attend a number of meetings and panels where Turkey's economic situation will be discussed, and they hope to attract more foreign investors to the country. /Turkiye/

    [11] TAYLOR: "TURKEY IS GOING WELL"

    John Taylor, the US Treasury's undersecretary for foreign affairs, arrived in Turkey yesterday and held meetings with representatives of the banking sector and businessman. Taylor also met with State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis and with academics from Bogazici University. Commenting on the economy, Taylor said "The economic program that the government is implementing is very important, and we are very happy with the improvements in Turkey." Turkey is going well, Taylor added. /Hürriyet/

    [12] S&amp;P UPGRADES TURKEY'S OUTLOOK TO POSITIVE

    International credit rating agency Standard and Poor's announced yesterday that Turkey's outlook had been raised from stable to positive, while its current credit rating of B- was reaffirmed. Economic circles are saying that Turkey's credit rating will likely be raised in the near future. Meanwhile, experts from Schroeder Salomon Smith Barney who have recently been holding meetings with banking sector representatives in Istanbul and Ankara predicted smooth sailing at the Feb. 4 IMF Executive Board meeting where Turkey's Letter of Intent and the release of new loans will be discussed. /Turkiye/

    [13] MIGROS SHOPPING CENTER REOPENS IN BAKU

    The first Migros shopping center outside Turkey reopened yesterday after a $4.5 million reconstruction project in the wake of a fire there last year. Among those who attended the reopening of the Ramstore Hatai Migros in Baku, Azerbaijan were Turkish Ambassador in Baku Unal Cevikoz, Koc Holding Consumer Group Chairman Cengiz Solakoglu, Migros Director General Omer Bozer and Migros Board of Directors head Oktay Irsidar. Migros reported that the fire had broken out due to technical faults but that it had only taken six months to get the store back to working order. /Aksam/

    [14] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...

    [15] TOO MANY PARTIES? BY TUFAN TURENC (HURRIYET)

    Columnist Tufan Turenc wries on a wave of new political parties in Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows: "We welcome Sema Piskinsut as the founder and chairwoman of Turkey's 44th political party and hope that the TDP will bring a breath of fresh air into Turkish politics. There are three more parties waiting in the wings and thus the number of political parties may reach 47 in the coming months. And these are only the parties espousing leftist views. Together with the planned parties avowing rightist, Turkkey may have a full 50 parties within two months. During national elections we may have even more than 50. Forty or more of these may take part in the elections and when such a great number of political parties participate, there is bound to be confusion. What is more, in a political spectrum so fragmented, what kind of a picture may emerge from the elections? I don't believe there is a single political expert who can answer this question. But, if that is the case, why did Mrs. Piskinsut establish this party? Can a party, which has no grassroots, raise support or attract votes? Sema Piskinsut may have founded this party to see whether it would succeed or not. Those who will form others will probably act with the same rationale. However, such a division in Turkish politics is not a way to solve the country's problems. We are moving through a difficult period when what we need most is political stability. As we wait for unification on both the left and the right, more divisions spring up. At present, everything is confused, but we hope that everything will eventually calm down and Turkey can achieve stability at the ballot-box."

    [16] OLD CHESTNUT, NEW CAUSE ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)

    Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli comments on the relations between Turkey, the US and the Arab world. A summary of her column is as follows: "The more tensions rise in the Middle East, the greater the pressure on Turkey. During Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's recent visit to the US, the Middle East peace process was one of the most sensitive issues in behind-the-scenes discussions. Ecevit conveyed the following message during his meetings with US officials: "The tension in the Middle East is also affecting Iraq. If a solution cannot be found for the Middle East, then the problem of Iraq cannot be solved either." Although Turkey considers these two issues as two sides of the same coin, Washington has no inclination to regard them as interrelated problems and is instead trying to find 'separate' solutions for them. While Ankara believes that a permanent solution cannot be reached in the absence of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the Bush administration has already begun to voice its dissatisfaction with Arafat on the international stage. It has asked Arab leaders to suspend bilateral meetings with him and to increase their calls on Arafat to take action. In addition, no matter how greater the divergence of opinion between the US and Turkey on the issue, the Arab world sees Turkey as the 'closest ally to both the US and Israel.' That's why Turkey has chosen to step back and take a look at old agreements on the issue. Regarding Turkey's relations with Iraq, 'The Neighborhood Forum' is leaping to the top spot of issues on Turkey's agenda. The preliminary aim of the 'Forum' was to persuade Iraq to act in compliance with the UN resolutions. However, the behind-the-scenes expectations were different. The Forum was helping Turkey to boost its relations with the Arab world. That's why this old chestnut is being revived. Turkey is trying to revitalize the idea of the 'Forum' to bolster its relations with the Arab world, which has accused it of turning its back on the Muslim world. Turkey is also planning to find new allies such as Syria, Jordan and Iran in its bid against any US intervention in Iraq. That's why the European Union-Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC) joint meeting to be held in Istanbul on Feb. 11-12 carries great importance. In addition, the Turkish Foreign Ministry is currently working on new policies to better deal with the Arab world."

    [17] DON'T FALL FOR THIS TRAP BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)

    Columnist Gungor Mengi writes on the petition drive for education in Kurdish. A summary of his column is as follows: "The National Security Council (MGK) has stated that the petition drive for education in Kurdish was directed by the PKK. The petitions asking for education in Kurdish were aimed at universities at first, but later spread to secondary and primary schools. The reaction of the state was to reject the petitions and to take those participating in the dive into custody. However, it would have been much better to respect the right to circulate but to respond to them with a few sentences saying that what hey were asking for was against the law. The PKK has pushed this cause knowing full well that the state is not ready to grant such a right. In the National Programme presented to the EU, it was stated that Turkish was the official and educational language but also pointed out that there was no obstacle to use a different language in daily life with the condition that it wouldn't be used for secessionist purposes. This is a game of chess. The suspicion that the drive is aimed at dividing Turkey up is a correct one. However, we mustn't lose sight of the drive's real goal is not 'Education in Kurdish' but rather luring Turkey into a trap. The PKK will consider itself successful when students and their parents are arrested. Then it will exploit their situation and try to find supporters abroad to apply foreign pressure on the country. We hope to hear that the MGK has seen through this ploy, and that it has proposed a more moderate, flexible approach to the government. Toughness does not necessarily show determination."

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