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Turkish Press Review, 02-02-18
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Turkish
Press Review >>
Foreign
Press Guide
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
18.02.2002
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER MARKS THE 76TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENACTMENT OF THE TURKISH CIVIL CODE
[02] ECEVIT ON CYPRUS
[03] BUSH CONGRATULATES TURKEY AND GREECE
[04] CILLER: “WOMEN SHOULD LIVE IN BETTER CONDITIONS”
[05] TURK REQUESTS PRESS TO IGNORE PRISONERS ON HUNGER STRIKE
[06] HASAN EKINCI: “WE DON’T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT”
[07] STEARNS IN ANKARA
[08] HOLIDAY VILLAGE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE TO BE BUILT IN ANTALYA
[09] TORCH AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES TO BE KINDLED BY TURKISH GAS
[10] TURKISH CONTRACTORS TRAVEL TO AFGHANISTAN
[11] WORLD BANK VICE PRESIDENT LINN PRAISES TURKEY’S SUCCESS
[12] TREASURY TO SELL TWO-YEAR BILLS
[13] INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL IN ESKISEHIR
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[15] SECULAR DEMOCRACY IN ISLAM BY SUKRU ELEKDAG (SABAH)
[16] WE ARE ON THE THRESHOLD OF EU MEMBERSHIP BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
[01] SEZER MARKS THE 76TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENACTMENT OF THE TURKISH CIVIL
CODE
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer issued a message yesterday on the occasion of
the 76th anniversary of the enactment of the Turkish Civil Code (TMK).
Sezer remarked that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s (the founder of the Republic of
Turkey) revolutions greatly helped Turkish people to establish a secular
and modern state adhering to the supremacy of law. “The Turkish Civil Code
provided Turkish women with the basic rights and freedoms and helped them
actively participate in the social life,” said Sezer. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] ECEVIT ON CYPRUS
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit talked about the Cyprus issue last week and
said, “As long as the European Union (EU) intervenes in the Cyprus issue,
this problem cannot be solved because the Greek-Cypriots leaned on the EU.”
Saying that President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot Administration leader Glafcos Clerides
resuming the direct talks also started the process of dialogue, Ecevit
added, “They will meet in a few days again and they will be able to take a
concrete step soon. However, unless the reality about the Cyprus issue is
accepted, this problem cannot be solved. There are two peoples and two
states on Cyprus. Solutions have to be searched for the issue taking this
fact into consideration.” /Aksam/
[03] BUSH CONGRATULATES TURKEY AND GREECE
US President George W. Bush congratulated Turkey and Greece on the occasion
of the 50th anniversary of their NATO membership and sent messages to
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and his Greek counterpart Constantinos
Stefanopoulos. Bush in his letters praised both countries’ assistance to
NATO. /Hürriyet/
[04] CILLER: “WOMEN SHOULD LIVE IN BETTER CONDITIONS”
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller yesterday issued a message to
mark the 76th anniversary of the approval of the Turkish Civil Code. She
said, “We should ensure better living conditions for our women.” Stressing
that Turkish society had turned its face to modern world with the acception
of the Turkish Civil Code, Ciller pointed to DYP’s support for the new
amendments in Parliament. She added, “In the new code, sex-discriminating
articles were completely removed.” /Turkiye/
[05] TURK REQUESTS PRESS TO IGNORE PRISONERS ON HUNGER STRIKE
In an address to the Turkish Parliament yesterday, Justice Minister Hikmet
Sami Turk evaluated the recent developments considering ongoing hunger
strikes in the prisons. Turk stated that he believed the hunger strike
campaign would end soon if the prisoners lose the media interest. Turk
stated that the number of prisoners on hunger strikes significantly
diminished after certain measures being taken. Turk has repeatedly defended
the prison reform, saying that in the past prisons, which had wards that
could house up to 100 prisoners, were no different from the training and
indoctrination camps of terrorist groups. Turk defended the government’s
efforts to improve conditions in the F-type prisons, saying amendments to
relevant laws allowed the prisoners to take part in communal activities at
intervals to be specified by the prison administration. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] HASAN EKINCI: “WE DON’T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT”
True Path Party (DYP) Deputy Chairman Hasan Ekinci yesterday claimed that
citizens’ confidence in the government was gradually decreasing. He said,
“Early elections are the best way to overcome this erosion of confidence.”
In a press conference at the DYP headquarters, Ekinci criticized the
government saying, “There is no harmony between the coalition partners.”
Stressing that “citizen’s lack of trust in the government” was the major
problem of the country, he said that recent surveys showed 70 % of the
people were in favour of elections. /Turkiye/
[07] STEARNS IN ANKARA
The US House of Representatives member Cliff Stearns said, “All that has
been done in Iraq was carried out in coordination and cooperation with all
our ally countries, including Turkey. From now on consultations will be
held on every issue..” The US-Turkish Interparliamentary Friendship Group’s
five representatives arrived in Ankara yesterday. Stearns, who is in the
delegation that is currently in Ankara, said he would meet with the
business and parliamentary circles in Ankara. /Aksam/
[08] HOLIDAY VILLAGE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE TO BE BUILT IN ANTALYA
The holiday village for the disabled people, the foundation of which was
laid nearly three months ago, will be built in Manavgat, Antalya and serve
all the disabled in the world, nearly 250,000 people. Flamingo Tourism
Executive Board Deputy Chairman Saadettin Ulubay said that the 60% of the
holiday village with a capacity of 960 beds would serve for the disabled
people and 40% for the accompanying ones. Saying that the holiday village
to be established will work like a fully equipped hospital, he added, “For
every ten disabled persons there will be a nurse and for every five a
doctor.” /Milliyet/
[09] TORCH AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES TO BE KINDLED BY TURKISH GAS
Turkey and Greece are preparing to establish a relationship in the field of
energy. Turkish natural gas company BOTAS and Greek natural gas company
DEPA will meet tomorrow in Istanbul to discuss the “South Mediterranean Gas
Ring Project.” BOTAS is proposing to sell natural gas to Greece and to the
islands in the Aegean. If an agreement is reached the Olympiad torch will
be kindled by Turkish gas. /Hürriyet/
[10] TURKISH CONTRACTORS TRAVEL TO AFGHANISTAN
A delegation consisting of the representatives of the Turkish Union of
Contractors and the Turkish Union of Chambers and Stock Exchanges (TOBB) is
to travel to Afghanistan at the beginning of March. The delegation is to be
chaired by State Minister Mehmet Kececiler. Turkish-Afghan Business Council
Chairman Guven Sazak stated that four representatives would participate in
a ten-day meeting to be organized by the Asian Development Bank on March 2
in Islamabad. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] WORLD BANK VICE PRESIDENT LINN PRAISES TURKEY’S SUCCESS
The World Bank Vice President Johannes Linn stated that Turkey was
successful in implementing the “Project for Direct Income Support to the
Farmers”. Linn stated that the World Bank granted $600 million to Turkey
for the implementation of the project. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] TREASURY TO SELL TWO-YEAR BILLS
Tomorrow, the Treasury will hold an auction of bills with a redemption
period of two years. The bills are value dated Wednesday, Feb. 20 and their
redemption is scheduled for January 21, 2004. /Turkiye/
[13] INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL IN ESKISEHIR
The International Chess Festival organized by the International Union of
Chess and Chess Federation began in Eskisehir. Turkey, Greece, Azerbaijan,
Bulgaria and Russia participate in the festival which is to end on Feb. 20.
/Cumhuriyet/
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[15] SECULAR DEMOCRACY IN ISLAM BY SUKRU ELEKDAG (SABAH)
Former Ambassador Sukru Elekdag writes on the conference entitled
‘Civilization and Harmony’ which convened at the initiative of Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem. A summary of his column is as follows:
“The conference entitled ‘Civilization and Harmony’ which convened last
week at the initiative of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, proved to be
productive in starting a European-Islamic dialogue when the relations
between the Islamic world and the West was tense. One important aim of
Foreign Minister Cem in launching this initiative was to etch in the minds
of the attendants that as a member of both the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC) and a candidate member to the EU society, Turkey had an
important function and even a mission to achieve a harmony between the
Islamic World and the West due to its history, location and present
identity. In fact, this aspect was voiced by the leading figures of the
Bush administration and well-known US academics. Famous historian Bernard
Lewis explained this view in a striking manner in his study on the
administrative systems of Moslim societies. Lewis claimed that not one of
the Arab states was able to create a state model, but only Turkey and Iran
had rival models of state in Islam. He added that while the Iranian model
which put religion at the core of the state model was not modern, the
secular, democratic, republican model founded by Ataturk could set an
example to many countries stretching from the Middle East to Central Asia
due to its modern characteristic. However, we must not ignore one point
when discussing Turkey as a role model for Islamic countries: Turkish model
is the consequence of 150 year old synthesis beginning from the days of the
Ottoman Empire. Ataturk has filtered the accumulation of reforms through
his own genius and put forth a secular, democratic and republican model.
These reforms by Ataturk constitute the most comprehensive, ambitious, and
radical metamorphosis seen in the 20th century. That is why Turkish
citizens are able to live in an environment in step with the modern world.
Turkish model is an aim, a road-map and a compass point. That is why
former US President Clinton in his address to the Turksh Grand National
Assembly had said that Turkey was the country to shape the 21st country.
However, in order to turn this possibility into a reality Turkey has to
complete its shortcomings in democracy and human rights, overcome its
economic problems and realize an effective political restructuring. When it
accomplishes that, Turkey will be respected more both in the East and the
West, and attract more interest.”
[16] WE ARE ON THE THRESHOLD OF EU MEMBERSHIP BY YILMAZ OZTUNA
(TURKIYE)
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on Turkey’s EU membership process. A summary
of his column is as follows:
“If nothing goes wrong, the European (EU) might decide to begin to hold
full-membership discussions with Turkey. Thus, Turkey might be a full
member of the EU in March 2007 with Romania and Bulgaria.
If we become a full member in the 2010s, I would consider this the biggest
defeat of my life and believe that whoever does not feel the same way
cannot be regarded as a Turkish nationalist. As a matter of fact, essential
changes are likely to occur in the years 2010 in the balances in the world
and Europe. Then Ataturk’s glorious country would be left as an eastern
country. We would be obliged to lead a poor life.
What do we have to do in a few weeks time? What do they want from us? These
are all written in our National Programme. We have to be faithful to our
word and keep our promise.
We have to solve the Cyprus issue. A solution is possible as long as the
other party does not demand the impossible. The other party also should
understand hat the Cyprus issue cannot continue unsolved for fifty years.
In terms of our legal system, we will accept the European law. We do not
have the luxury to deprive our citizens of modern rights.
As for the local dialect, there is no reason for us to be afraid of the
radio, television broadcasts and language courses in the modern tongue
within the legal framework. However, education in the mother tongue is out
of question.
The only other condition is the abolution of the death sentence. As a
matter of fact, we had not carried out a single death sentence for twenty
years. Insistence on not legalizing this action is nothing but a childish
behavior.”
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