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Turkish Press Review, 02-03-12Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: 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 & Information Turkish Press Turkish Press Review >> Foreign Press Guide Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning12.03.2002CONTENTS
[01] ECEVIT TO ATTEND SUMMIT IN SPAIN THIS WEEKENDPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit will travel to Barcelona, Spain late this week to attend a summit which will host discussions of measures for economic reform and increased employment in EU member states and candidate countries. EU member Spain currently holds the rotating EU presidency. In a letter on the summit to the candidate and member countries’ prime ministers, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar wrote that the candidate countries have been very successful in implementing economic reforms. The “Lisbon Strategy,” an EU plan for economic reform, increased employment and social welfare for the entire continent, will be discussed during the March 15-16 summit. Also expected to attend the summit are Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Finance Minister Sumer Oral. Prime Minister Ecevit will also likely give a speech to the summit outlining the steps Turkey has taken for economic reform and touting the nation’s success in overcoming its recent economic crisis. /Cumhuriyet/[02] TURKEY’S ISAF COMMAND IN DOUBT PENDING FULFILLMENT OF CONDITIONSTurkish officials signaled yesterday that in view of the fact that Turkey’s conditions for taking over the command of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan had not yet been fulfilled, the country could withdraw its ISAF leadership bid. A final decision is expected after a third round of meetings with the Turkish, US and British delegations at the end of this week or early next week. Turkey has put forward certain conditions to take over the ISAF command from Great Britain, namely that the operation’s cost be met by international funds, a clear definition of the force’s duties, and full support for Turkey and the force under any contingencies. /Turkiye/[03] BUSH PRAISES TURKEY AT SEPT. 11 COMMEMORATION CEREMONYA commemoration ceremony was held at the White House yesterday to mark the passage of six months since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The ambassadors of 100 coalition countries, including Turkish Ambassador to Washington Faruk Logoglu, were invited to the event. During the emotional ceremony, US President George W. Bush expressed gratitude to a number of countries for supporting the war against terrorism, including Turkey. Bush told how the Turkish Air Force had provided refueling to US jets and thanked Turkey for this service. Speaking at the ceremony just before Mr. Bush, Logoglu pointed out that Turkish soldiers were on duty in Afghanistan. He added that Turkey was the best example of Islam’s compatibility with democracy. /Aksam/[04] BAHCELI TO VISIT KAZAKHSTANNationalist Action Party (MHP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli is scheduled to visit Kazakhstan on March 18-23 as an official guest of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. State Minister Resat Dogru, Industry and Commerce Minister Ahmet Kenan Tanrikulu and Health Minister Osman Durmus are to accompany Bahceli on his visit. /Hurriyet/[05] KIVRIKOGLU MAKES MILITARY CONTACTS IN TURKMENISTANTurkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu yesterday travelled to Turkmenistan for a three-day official visit. Kivrikoglu was received by Turkmenistan Defense Minister Gurbandurdi Begencov in the capital of Ashgabat. /Star/[06] BAYKAL: “TURKEY IS CONCERNED ABOUT A LIKELY US OPERATION IN IRAQ”Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that the increasing likelihood of US intervention in Iraq was worrying Turkey. Iraqi Turkmen Front Director General Sana Ahmet Aga and its representative to Turkey Mustafa Ziya, visited Baykal yesterday. During the meeting, a possible US operation in Iraq and its consequences were discussed. Baykal underlined that a conflict in the region would not serve Turkey’s interests, “However, Turkey should ready itself for such a possibility,” he added. /Turkiye/[07] KAHKONEN: “TURKEY WILL VERY SOON RETURN TO GROWTH”An International Monetary Fund delegation headed by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen yesterday met with Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarcikoglu. After the meeting, Kahkonen said that Turkey’s economy would very soon return to growth. He added that a 35% year-on-year inflation rate for this February was both achievable and favorable. /Milliyet/[08] TUSIAD DELEGATION VISITS BERLINA Turkish Association of Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD) delegation yesterday went to Berlin to meet with leading German business circles and to make official contacts. The delegation, chaired by TUSIAD Executive Board Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan, will meet today with Michael Rogowski, a member of the Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations of Europe (UNICE) and chairman of the German Industrial Federation (BDI) Chairman today. /Cumhuriyet/[09] FORD: “WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TURKEY”Ford Motor Company Board of Directors Chairman Rolf Zimmerman said yesterday that Turkey was achieving recovery from its economic crisis and that the carmaker would continue to support and invest in Turkey. “Whatever Ford produces in Belgium, we will also produce in Turkey, he added” /Hurriyet/[10] CHENEY BEGINS 10-DAY REGIONAL TOURUS Vice President Dick Cheney met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday on the first stop of his 10-day tour of 12 countries, including Turkey. Cheney will seek support for a possible US operation in Iraq and for US anti-terrorism efforts. He is expected to arrive in Ankara on March 19. During his visit, tight security measures will reportedly be taken. /Turkiye/[11] TUBE PASSAGE AWAITS JAPAN BANK’S GO-AHEADTurkey is waiting for the green light from Japanese financing institution Japan Bank for International Cooperation to start engineering and consultancy work on a planned “Marmaray” 1.3 km underwater tube crossing, Transportation Ministry officials said yesterday. A bidding process for the project to unite Istanbul’s Asian and European sides beneath the Bosphorus is expected by year’s end. /Aksam/[12] WORLD YOUTH TO MEET IN ANKARANearly 100,000 young people from countries worldwide will gather together during the “International Youth Platform” to be held in Ankara on April 24- 28. 100,000 young people from over 75 universities from Turkey, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Italy, Austria, Germany, the US, England, France, Holland, Australia, China, Japan and Canada, will discuss the problems of young people during the platform to be held at the capital’s Gazi University. /Cumhuriyet/[13] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…[14] CHENEY ON HIS WAY TO ANKARA BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak comments on US Vice President Dick Cheney’s planned visit to Turkey scheduled for March 19. A summary of his column is as follows:“US Vice President Dick Cheney arrived Sunday in London, the first stop on his 12-nation tour that will focus on the war against terrorism, recent developments in the Middle East and possible US military intervention in Iraq. Cheney is scheduled to visit Turkey on March 19 as a part of his Mideast tour. Cheney’s stated wish to meet with the Turkish chief of General Staff as well as the prime minister and foreign minister has increased suspicions in Ankara that he will bring a ‘military action plan’ against Iraq to the table during his visit. One senior US official’s remarks before Cheney’s departure from Washington signaled the US’s expectations and plans over Iraq: ‘We believe that Iraq poses a major threat to the region and to its neighbors. The US wants the current regime in Iraq to change. Turkey is a close ally to the US. We have strong cooperation with Turkey on intelligence, financial, legal and military matters. If we decide to take military action against Iraq, the only problem between the US and Turkey would be the issue of timing.’ Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit recently reiterated his concern on TRT 1 along these lines: “Regardless of whether or not Turkey actively participates, a possible US intervention in Iraq would adversely affect the Turkish economy. We cannot expect additional foreign investment as long as the problem of Iraq hangs over the region like a cloud.” Ankara’s concerns are understandable, but it is not clear whether the Bush- Cheney administration is taking these concerns seriously. The US administration is now trying to protect newly emerging balances in the wake of the war in Afghanistan, which it also considers a ground for further actions against terrorism. ‘God bless the coalition,’ said US President Bush in a 6-month commemoration ceremony held yesterday for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorism at the White House. Just before Bush’s address at the high-profile ceremony, Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington Faruk Logoglu delivered a speech condemning last year’s terrorist attacks. The question as to which country will take over the command of the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan after the British contingent’s duty ends, and what to do if Iraq doesn’t open its doors to United Nations weapons inspectors, leapt to the top of the agenda at Cheney’s meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday. Both issues closely concern Turkey. The issue of Saddam is knocking on Turkey’s doors again!” [15] HAVE WE BEEN SINGLED OUT? BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on a recent chorus of allegations from certain circles in Turkey that the EU has taken a stance against Turkey and turned a blind eye to its concerns. A summary of his column is as follows:“Following some recent statements by Turkish politicians and officials arguing that the European Union gives short shrift to Turkey’s concerns on certain sensitive issues, there are signs that tensions between a number of Turkish officials and the EU are increasing. The mindset behind these remarks and allegations is that the EU has always been against Turkey and turned a blind eye to its concerns. Is that really the situation? Let’s review the facts: We don’t deny that the EU has little sympathy for Turkey and moreover has a number of prejudices against it. However, when we look more closely at the situation, we see that these prejudices are neither as strong nor as deep as we think. Some circles think that the Turkey is the only country which the EU has imposed demands on. They allege the EU is trying to provoke our citizens of Kurdish origin by insisting on their right to learn and broadcast in their own mother tongue and that it doesn’t care about Turkey’s territorial integrity. In fact, this is not the case at all. Historically speaking, the EU has always insisted on the same standards in its relations with candidate countries. Says one EU document: ‘The judiciary must be independent, freedom of expression must be extended, new reforms must be made to improve central and local administrative systems and minorities must not face any discrimination.’ It has also insistently rebuked those countries which failed to take action on these issues. What happened in similar past situations? For example, in 1999 the EU warned Bulgaria that it found the government’s efforts to socially integrate its minority Roma (Gypsy) population ineffective and inefficient. Since then, it has continued to press Bulgaria on other problems such as corruption and a lack of transparency in public administration. Moreover, Poland and Slovakia had similar experiences with the EU. They have been warned by the EU about widespread corruption, problems in the judiciary, violence against women, the rights of minorities, the independence and freedom of the press...etc. As you see, Turkey has not been singled out…” ARCHIVE Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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