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Turkish Press Review, 02-03-05
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
05.03.2002
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER TO VISIT SLOVAKIA, CZECH REPUBLIC
[02] CEM CALLS ON COALITION PARTNERS TO ACT WITH COMMON
SENSE
[03] IMF DELEGATION'S VISIT TO BEGIN TODAY
[04] KUWAITI CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF VISITS ANKARA
[05] TALABANI IN ANKARA
[06] WOMEN DEPUTIES POSTPONE TRIP TO ARMENIA
[07] UNIVERSITY RECTORS REPROACH EP'S DECISION
[08] RAMAZAN CALLS ON TURKEY NOT TO SUPPORT POSSIBLE US
ATTACK
[09] TURKISH DEVELOPMENT BANK TO EXTEND INCENTIVE LOANS TO
TRNC
[10] GREEK BUSNESSMEN TO TOUR ANATOLIA
[11] BARTHOLOMEOS LEAVES FOR US VISIT
[12] NAZIM HIKMET HONORED BY AMERICAN POETRY REVIEW
[13] RED CRESCENT SUMMIT LAYS OUT EARTHQUAKE PLANS
[14] FESTIVAL TO PROMOTE ISTANBUL AS SHOPPING DESTINATION
[15] TURKISH DOCUMENTARY AT THESSALONIKA FILM FESTIVAL
[16] LAZIRIS: "GREEK FIRMS' INTEREST IN TURKEY IS ON
THE RISE"
[17] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[18] IGNORANT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS BY OZGEN ACAR
(CUMHURIYET)
[19] DAM IS AN EXCUSE BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[01] SEZER TO VISIT SLOVAKIA, CZECH REPUBLIC
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is to travel to
Slovakia today to pay an official visit, during which he will meet
Slovakian President Rudolf Schuster. Tomorrow, Sezer is scheduled to
travel to the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, a meeting between Turkish and
Slovakian businessmen is also expected to be held during Sezer's
visit. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] CEM CALLS ON COALITION PARTNERS TO ACT WITH COMMON
SENSE
Appearing on CNN Turk yesterday, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem called on his government coalition partners to act
with common sense concerning Turkey's bid for EU membership. Stating
that Turkey would not benefit from recent disputes over Turkish-EU
relations between coalition partners the Nationalist Action Party
(MHP) and the Motherland Party (ANAP), Cem offered his evaluations of
certain sensitive issues such as abolition of the death penalty and
the Cyprus issue. He remarked that it would be untimely for Turkey to
discuss now the death penalty. Stating that there were certain circles
which were doing away with trying to capitalize on recent disputes
over Turkish-EU relations, Cem said that politicians should look at
the issue calmly and dispassionately and should act with common sense
for Turkey's future. He said that the EU would never dare to try to
harm Turkey's territorial integrity, contrary to what certain
politicians constantly argue. Continuing on the issue of Cyprus, Cem
stated that Turkey hoped that a permanent solution for the island
would be found by year's end. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] IMF DELEGATION'S VISIT TO BEGIN TODAY
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation
headed by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen will arrive in Turkey today
for the first review and consultation on the government's economic
program. Odd Per Brekk, the IMF's representative in Turkey, will be
among the group. The IMF delegation will first visit Istanbul and then
Ankara. Brekk yesterday stressed the importance of the financial and
real sectors and stated that that was why they were beginning their
visit in Istanbul. The delegation will stay in Turkey for two weeks.
Brekk said that the Turkish economic program was different from the
program implemented in Argentina. Brekk also said that the Turkish
economic program had a social aspect. /Milliyet/
[04] KUWAITI CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF VISITS ANKARA
When discussions and speculations of a possible
American attack on Iraq make headlines worldwide, the chiefs of
general staff of Kuwait and Turkey, two critical countries in the
region, met yesterday in Ankara. Kuwaiti Chief of General Staff Lt.
Gen. Ali Muhammed El Mumin, on an official visit to Turkey, held talks
with his Turkish counterpart Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu. Defense industry
and military education topics were reportedly taken up during the
meeting. In related news, Gen. Kivrikoglu is due to begin an eight-day
tour of to eight Central Asian countries early next week. /Turkiye/
[05] TALABANI IN ANKARA
Jalal Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union
of Kurdistan (PUK), arrived in Ankara yesterday. Talabani will meet
with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal and officials from the
Office of the Chief of General Staff today. Since Turkish Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit was unable to make an appointment with Talabani
due to a crowded schedule, Talabani is expected to be received by
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. Among the issues to be discussed
during Talabani's meetings are expected developments in the wake of a
possible US intervention in Iraq and security in northern Iraq. Ankara
will also convey its concerns to Talabani about terrorist PKK's new
political activities as well as recent efforts to establish an
independent Kurdish state in the region. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] WOMEN DEPUTIES POSTPONE TRIP TO ARMENIA
A delegation of women Turkish deputies announced
yesterday that they were postponing a trip to Armenia which had been
scheduled for this Friday. They said that the trip, organized by the
Turkish-Armenian Women Communication Group, was being delayed due to
the recent decision of the European Parliament concerning the
so-called Armenian genocide. /Star/
[07] UNIVERSITY RECTORS REPROACH EP'S DECISION
University rectors from the Marmara region
yesterday released a declaration reproaching the European Parliament's
recent decision concerning Armenian genocide allegations. The
declaration from 23 rectors read, "We vigorously reproach the EP
and call upon them to reconsider their decision." Istanbul
University Rector Kemal Alemdaroglu called the EP's decision crediting
the genocide claims a "meaningless and unjustifiable"
imposition and said that none of the universities would allow it. He
added, "Those who are trying to exclude Turkey from the European
Union are capitalizing on this sort of incident." /Aksam/
[08] RAMAZAN CALLS ON TURKEY NOT TO SUPPORT POSSIBLE US
ATTACK
Iraqi deputy head of state Taha Yasin Ramazan said
yesterday that the US would use the UN inspectors' visit to Iraq as an
excuse to attack his country. During a reception of the Turkish trade
delegation in Baghdad, Ramazan called upon the Turkish government not
to support a possible US attack on Iraq. Meanwhile, a delegation of
Turkish businessmen headed by Turkish Foreign Trade Undersecretary
Kursat Tuzmen is holding a series of contacts with Iraqi officials to
help develop bilateral economic relations with this country. /Turkiye/
[09] TURKISH DEVELOPMENT BANK TO EXTEND INCENTIVE LOANS TO
TRNC
State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel said yesterday that
a system of incentives was being developed through the selfless
efforts of experts from Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) to encourage the private sector to encourage to invest
in the TRNC. Speaking at the opening of a meeting on "Principles
and Processes for Encouraging Production Growth in the TRNC Through
Loans," Gurel said that the for the first time the Turkish
Development Bank would extend incentive loans for all the investments
in the TRNC. During the meeting, Turkish-TRNC Joint Commission
Economic Committee Co-Chairman and Prime Ministry Deputy
Undersecretary Selcuk Polat briefed the attenders on the system of
incitement to be applied to the TRNC's economy. Polat said that the
sectors to benefit from the loan would be tourism, agriculture,
manufacturing, healthcare, education and livestock husbandry. /Aksam/
[10] GREEK BUSNESSMEN TO TOUR ANATOLIA
The "Turkish-Greek Businessmen's Anatolia
Tour" organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Council began
yesterday in Izmir. The Greek delegation, led by Panagiotis Koutsikos,
the head of the Greek-Turkish Business Council, took an inspection
tour of the Aegean Free Zone. The delegation is expected to visit
other provinces in Anatolia to evaluate opportunities for jobs and
cooperation with Turkish firms. At the beginning of this summer, a
delegation of Turkish businessmen is expected to pay a similar visit
to Greece to seek ways of developing trade relations. /Turkiye/
[11] BARTHOLOMEOS LEAVES FOR US VISIT
Istanbul Fener Greek Partriarch Bartholomeos left
for the US yesterday at the invitation of President George W. Bush.
Bartholomeos is due to meet with Secretary of State Colin Powell and
other high-level US administration officials. Before his departure,
Bartholomeos said that the basic aim of his visit was to attend
ceremonies to mark the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the
Orthodox Archbishop in the US. /Turkiye/
[12] NAZIM HIKMET HONORED BY AMERICAN POETRY REVIEW
After UNESCO declared this year the "Year of
Nazim Hikmet" on the occasion of what would have been his 100th
birthday, the eminent Turkish poet is enjoying worldwide recognition
and honors. This month, prominent US poetry journal The American
Poetry Review has put Hikmet on its cover. The journal has an
important place in the world of American poetry, and so its spotlight
on Hikmet is especially notable. The current issue also publishes
eleven of Hikmet's poems in translation, courtesy of Randy Blasing and
Professor Mutlu Konuk. /Aksam/
[13] RED CRESCENT SUMMIT LAYS OUT EARTHQUAKE PLANS
Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay) Chairman Ertan Gonen
yesterday hosted Syrian Red Crescent Chairman Abdul Rahman Attar,
Syrian Red Crescent Director General Marwan Abdullah and Dutch Red
Cross representative Willem Smit at Ankara's Disaster Operation
Center. Speaking on the Red Crescent's disaster preparedness plans,
Gonen said that estimates are calling for unpredictable earthquakes in
the Marmara region in the future years. Stating that 10,000 tents for
this contingency had begun to be transported to Istanbul, Gonen said
that 5,000 tents would be stocked in the Red Crescent's depots in
Maltepe and Trakya's region of Buyukkaristiran. /Aksam/
[14] FESTIVAL TO PROMOTE ISTANBUL AS SHOPPING DESTINATION
Preparations for the Istanbul Shopping Fest 2002,
which is due to run March 15-April 15, are nearly completed. The event
is being sponsored by the Istanbul Commerce Chamber (ITO), Turkish
Travel Agencies Union (TURSAB) and Turkish Hotels Union (TUROB).
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mehmet Yildirim said yesterday
that Istanbul Shopping Fest 2002 aim was to make Istanbul a shopping
Mecca like Dubai and to attract 10 million tourists to Istanbul by
2010. /Hurriyet/
[15] TURKISH DOCUMENTARY AT THESSALONIKA FILM FESTIVAL
An international documentary festival entitled
"Visions of the 21st Century: The Fourth Thessalonika Documentary
Festival" began yesterday in Thessalonika. A Turkish documentary
titled "Vanished With Water" will be screened at the
festival. The documentary tells of the story of the ancient city of
Zeugma in the southeastern Anatolia region. /Cumhuriyet/
[16] LAZIRIS: "GREEK FIRMS' INTEREST IN TURKEY IS ON
THE RISE"
Turkish-Greek Business Council held a meeting at
the Izmir Chamber of Commerce yesterday under the auspices of Foreign
Economic Relations Council. Speaking at the meeting Greek Ambassador
of Ankara Christodoulos Laziris said that despite the Turkey's
economic crisis, the interest of Greek firms in Turkey is set to
increase. He mentioned that 40 large Greek firms are currently working
in Turkey. He added that Greece's Novabank had recently bought
Turkey's Sitebank and that another Greek bank was expected to buy
Toprakbank. The ambassador pointed such development as signs of trust
in Turkey. /Hurriyet/
[17] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[18] IGNORANT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS BY OZGEN ACAR
(CUMHURIYET)
Columnist Ozgen Acar writes on the recent EP report
on Caucasian relations. A summary of his column is as follows: "I
believe for certain that the European Parliamentarians who voted in
favor of the decision regarding the so-called Armenian genocide are
either ignorant or acting deliberately. It is obvious that to bring up
the old tragic incidents, which occurred during a war, a century ago
can't possibly do any good for Turkish-Armenian-Azerbaijan relations.
What is the purpose in reiterating this decision once accepted in
1987, and to whom does it serve? Aren't the European parliamentarians
aware of today's facts? The European Parliament didn't take any
decision regarding Armenia's occupation of 20% of Azerbaijan's
territory, forcing tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis off their land.
Instead of digging up old historical wounds, why aren't they concerned
with the present-day drama? They are insensitive to those facts. They
may think that 20% of the land may not be enough for Armenia, so it
should acquire more. In fact we cannot understand why the US imposed
an embargo against Azerbaijan while Armenia in fact was the occupying
power. However, despite the efforts of the Armenian lobby, the US
government is lifting the embargo. Independent republics formed
following the disintegration of the Soviet Union had given each
political note that the former borders were valid for them too. The
border between Turkey and the USSR was drawn up by the Moscow and
Ardahan agreements in 1921. Yerevan did not give such a note to
Turkey, which was one of the first countries to recognize its
independence. Why are the EP members ignoring the facts of the present
day? The US and certain EU countries are launching initiatives in
Ankara for the lifting of the embargo and blockade of Armenia, and for
the opening of the railways and border gates in order that the poor
Armenians should not starve. As if Turkey had implemented an embargo
or a blockade against the 'poor' state which has occupied 20% of one
of its neighbors' territories and covets the lands of the other, as if
Armenian airplanes do not land at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport four
times a week, as if Armenians do not benefit from the same facility
recognized a US citizen by paying for their visas at the border.
Furthermore, they fly through Turkey's airspace in line with the
Chicago Agreement, and 60% of the goods in Yerevan markets are of
Turkish origin."
[19] DAM IS AN EXCUSE BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the construction of
new dams and why international consortiums are not supporting them. A
summary of his column is as follows: "Last week it was reported
that the largest Swiss bank UBS had withdrawn from its financial
consultancy on the Ilisu Dam. The reason the bank gave for its
withdrawal hinged on the allegations of various lobbies which have
launched a campaign in Europe against this important project. The
decision by UBS dealt a harsh blow to the dream of the Ilisu Dam's
construction following the withdrawal of British engineering firm
Balfour Realty and Swedish firm Skanska before that. The Ilisu project
prepared in the 1990s proposed the building of a hydroelectric power
plant and a dam on the Tigris River in the Sirnak province in
southeastern Anatolia. Ilisu, which is one of the key projects of the
Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), will the second- largest dam
after the Ataturk Dam. Turkish officials identified a series of
problems likely to come up during the construction of this dam, worth
some $1.5 billion, and they took appropriate measures to address them.
For example, studies were conducted to rescue the archeological ruins
of Hasankeyf which would have been inundated, and research in
cooperation with foreign academic circles was conducted. However, even
as the British, Swiss, Swedish and Italian firms began working with
Turkish companies, an anti-Ilisu campaign began bubbling all through
Europe. This campaign focused on three points. The first point was
that the dam would damage the environment and historical ruins in the
region and would destroy the ancient cultural legacy. Secondly, it was
claimed that 60-70,000 people living in the region would have to leave
their homes, and their Kurdish identity was underlined. Thirdly it was
stated that the quality of water that both Syria and Iraq get from the
Tigris river would suffer. This campaign waged in various European
countries and most notably in Britain is led by environmentalists,
Kurdish and Arab lobbies and human rights groups. This campaign has
created such pressure that these firms felt forced to withdraw. For
example, UBS said that it withdrew after taking social and
environmental influences into consideration. We can see that the
Turkish response to these allegations do not satisfy these firms.
However, clearly the protests against the Ilisu Dam also have a
political dimension. That is to say, the issue isn't just
environmental or social. From the beginning, it was claimed that
thousands of Kurds would be made homeless. In an article published in
British daily 'The Guardian', the same allegations are repeated for
the Yusufeli Dam to be built on the Coruh River. This time, it is
claimed that the victims of the dam will be Georgians. Those who have
been successful in stopping the Ilisu project in its tracks are
preparing to do the same for the Yusufeli project."
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