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Turkish Press Review, 02-05-02

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 Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning

02.05.2002


CONTENTS

  • [01] CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION DECIDES THAT BILL WAS NOT AMNESTY LAW
  • [02] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “EU TERRORIST LIST IS NOT OFFICIAL YET”
  • [03] DENKTAS: “TURKISH CYPRIOTS ARE NOT A MINORITY”
  • [04] TSK HOLDS MANEUVERS TODAY TO UNDERLINE NORTHERN CYPRUS’ SOVEREIGNTY
  • [05] US DIPLOMATIC REPORTS: “TURKEY IS A TARGET FOR TERRORISTS”
  • [06] MAY DAY CELEBRATED
  • [07] YUCELEN SIGNS SECURITY PROTOCOL WITH AZERBAIJANI COUNTERPART
  • [08] BAHCELI TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN
  • [09] CHIBBER PRAISES VILLAGE-CITY PROJECTS
  • [10] OCAK: “STATE-OWNED BANKS ARE NOW RECOVERING”
  • [11] ANKARA TO HOST MEDITERRANEAN FESTIVAL
  • [12] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
  • [13] KIVRIKOGLU’S PREPARATIONS TO VISIT AFGHANISTAN BY MURAT CELIK (STAR)
  • [14] DEMOCRATIC TERROR TALKS BY MUSTAFA BALBAY (CUMHURIYET)

  • [01] CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION DECIDES THAT BILL WAS NOT AMNESTY LAW

    The bill on conditional release vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer last week was taken up by Parliament’s Constitutional Commission yesterday, with the body deciding that the bill was not an “amnesty regulation.” Sezer vetoed the bill and sent it back to the Parliament to be debated again, citing his judgement that it was a kind of amnesty law and that it therefore requires the votes of 330 parliamentarians, or a three-fifths majority, to pass. The bill is expected to be debated in the full Parliament next week. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said yesterday that since last Saturday a total of 1,070 inmates had been conditionally released. /Turkiye/

    [02] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “EU TERRORIST LIST IS NOT OFFICIAL YET”

    Foreign Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said yesterday that Turkey had made initiatives towards the Belgium government regarding the terrorist group DHKP-C’s activities and its waving its so-called flag in that country. During the ministry’s weekly press conference, Dirioz said that the question of whether or not the PKK and the DHKP-C would be added to the EU list of terrorist groups was not yet clear and that the list had not officially been released yet. “The PKK’s self-proclaimed new label shouldn’t make any difference in declaring it a terrorist organization,” Dirioz added, referring to the terrorist group’s recent effort to re-label itself. /Turkiye/

    [03] DENKTAS: “TURKISH CYPRIOTS ARE NOT A MINORITY”

    Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas arrived in Bursa yesterday to receive an honorable doctorate bestowed upon him by Uludag University. At the doctoral ceremony, Denktas declared, “Greek Cypriots want us to be a minority dependent upon them. We can never accept such a situation.” Denktas reiterated that Turkish Cypriots were asking for equality on the island. /Turkiye/

    [04] TSK HOLDS MANEUVERS TODAY TO UNDERLINE NORTHERN CYPRUS’ SOVEREIGNTY

    Even as the leaders of the two nations on Cyprus are engaged in talks to reach a settlement on the island, today will see the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot administration content for sovereignty in the skies and on the waves. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are due to begin air and sea maneuvers approximately 15 miles off the coastal town of Erenkoy in the TRNC. The maneuvers are designed specifically to counter a fait accompli decision by the Southern Cypriots to take over search and rescue services from British forces stationed in Lefkosha. This decision was in violation of a 1960 accord made with the approval of all parties giving responsibility for search and rescue in Cyprus’ air and sea zones to the British forces. The British took on the duties because the Cyprus Republic, established jointly by Turkish and Greek Cypriots, lacked the technical expertise. But the Greek Cypriot decision announced this Feb. 7 to take over the services as of March 1 attempted to take advantage of their recognition as the “Cyprus Republic” to violate the 1960 agreement. /Hurriyet/

    [05] US DIPLOMATIC REPORTS: “TURKEY IS A TARGET FOR TERRORISTS”

    Prominent US daily the Washington Times yesterday published an article entitled “Turkey Target for Terrorists” based on analyses of recent US diplomatic reports on terrorism. The piece argued that Turkey had been listed as a “high priority target” for terrorist attacks by operatives trained in Iranian camps. “The objective of the reported Iranian plan is to destabilize Turkey,” said the article. “The reports of plans targeting Turkey are largely based on information from Iranians applying for visas for travel to the United States at the US Embassy in [Southern] Cyprus.” According to the Times, activities against Turkey are planned by the "Third Corps" of the "Qods Force," a group which handles "external operations," a code word for efforts to export terrorism to selected countries. “The specific task of the Third Corps is to interfere in Turkish affairs and establish contact with Kurdish groups opposed to the Turkish government,” said the article. /All Papers/

    [06] MAY DAY CELEBRATED

    May Day was celebrated yesterday throughout Turkey with great enthusiasm. Some 5,000 participants in Ankara gathered in Tandogan Square, despite a heavy rain. For the first time, Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan was present during the May Day celebrations. Meanwhile, security forces banned celebrations in certain cities, particularly in southeastern Anatolia in order to prevent illegal disturbances of public order. /All Papers/

    [07] YUCELEN SIGNS SECURITY PROTOCOL WITH AZERBAIJANI COUNTERPART

    Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ramil Usubov yesterday signed a protocol to improve mutual cooperation in the fight against international terrorism, money laundering and human trafficking. Yucelen stated that Turkey and Azerbaijan had reached an agreement to improve their cooperation in combating a wide range of organized crime. /Cumhuriyet/

    [08] BAHCELI TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN

    Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahceli is scheduled to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan on May 6-8 upon the invitation of Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev. Bahceli is expected to meet with Aliyev, National Assembly Chairman Murtuz Aleskerov, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade as well as representatives of domestic political parties. Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu and Health Minister Osman Durmus are also to accompany Bahceli. /Cumhuriyet/

    [09] CHIBBER PRAISES VILLAGE-CITY PROJECTS

    World Bank Turkey representative Ajay Chibber met yesterday with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to be briefed on how Turkey would use a $300 million WB loan and on the government’s village-city projects. During the meeting, which was also attended by State Minister Mustafa Yilmaz, Prime Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Selcuk Polat and relevant bureaucrats, Chibber said that the World Bank viewed the village-city projects with admiration and that it pointed to such projects as a model for other developing countries to aid rural areas. /Hurriyet/

    [10] OCAK: “STATE-OWNED BANKS ARE NOW RECOVERING”

    One of the top officials in Turkey’s state-owned banks yesterday predicted a rosier future in sight for the system. Safa Ocak, head of the State-Owned Banks Joint Executive Board, told reporters in Ankara that Turkey had gone through a “dark period” but that good economic news had begun to arrive due to the burgeoning recovery. Speaking to the Association of Economic Reporters, Ocak said that the state-owned banks had reached a point where problems of the real sector could be dealt with. The first good news in this approach, he continued, is Halkbank’s decision this week to allocate TL 1.5 quadrillion for artisans, craftsmen, and small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs). Ocak added that state-owned banks’ balance sheets were in much healthier shape and that days of profits lay ahead. /Hurriyet/

    [11] ANKARA TO HOST MEDITERRANEAN FESTIVAL

    Ankara is to host a festival to be attended by Mediterranean countries, according to a recent decision made at the Mediterranean Capitals Summit held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Ankara Greater Municipality Mayor Melih Gokcek stated that the festival, which is expected to be held in the last of week of August, would bring together cultural and artistic groups from a host of Mediterranean countries. /Aksam/

    [12] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…

    [13] KIVRIKOGLU’S PREPARATIONS TO VISIT AFGHANISTAN BY MURAT CELIK (STAR)

    Columnist Murat Celik comments on Gen. Kivrikoglu’s preparations for a visit to Afghanistan. A summary of his column is as follows:

    “Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu is expected to visit Afghanistan at the end of July. No official statement was supplied by the General Staff headquarters, but preparations for this visit have already started. Today, Turkey has 267 military personnel in Afghanistan. This number is to more than double to 500-plus after it takes the control of the peacekeeping force (ISAF) in June. Reports conveyed to Ankara from the region shows that the number of military troops should be increased day by day. The needs of the region are more than what was initially expected. The Turkish Armed Force (TSK) update their plans almost every day. Turkish troops will start to inherit the Afghanistan command by the end of this month. Preparations will made, order will be established and Maj. Gen. Akin Zorlu will visit the region on June 20-30. After meeting with his British counterpart, Zorlu will take command of the ISAF. Soon thereafter, the Turkish force is planning to receive an important guest from Ankara. Kivrikoglu should be in Kabul by the end of July. The General Staff chief will visit Afghanistan barring any major security problems. According to preliminary plans, Kivrikoglu is expected to visit the region with commanders-in-chief of the armed forces. This visit is expected to be the most important visit of Kivrikoglu before his mission comes to an end on August 30. Now everybody is waiting for Turkey and Zorlu to take the command of the ISAF and give a fixed date for Kivrikoglu’s visit to the region.”

    [14] DEMOCRATIC TERROR TALKS BY MUSTAFA BALBAY (CUMHURIYET)

    Columnist Mustafa Balbay comments on democratic terror talks. A summary of his column is as follows:

    “The European Union’s blindness and squinting regarding terrorism have led to a case of double vision. An accurate headline for recent events would read: Democratic terror talks! The EU institutions and on the one side Turkey, and on the other terrorist groups, are all trying to protect their own interests. We can expect this scenario to be played out repeatedly over the next eight months through 2003. This January a delegation from the Belgium Parliament visited northern Iraq. At the parliamentarians’ behest, the terrorist PKK agreed to change its name. In February the PKK held its so-called eight congress. The congress’ decisions were announced on April 4 in Brussels. The PKK representatives in Europe announced that they had changed their name to KADEK. Then at the end of April news arrived that the PKK would be added to the terrorist list! Then a statement came from Osman Ocalan in northern Iraq, ‘If the PKK is added to the list we will make you feel sorry, we will be forced to war. The PKK has completed its historic mission and changed its name and became democratized.’ Turkey has to analyze well the current situation. Let’s underline a very important point: Turkey fought terrorism for 15 years, but never permitted terrorism to become an ethnic war. Turkey is the winner. But sometimes the success gained at the battlefront could be lost at the negotiating table. What we have listed above are examples of this. Europe describes terrorism as: ‘Everything which disturbs my public safety is terrorism, whatever happens outside my borders doesn’t interest me.’ But we have seen clearly after last September’s terrorist attacks that terrorism has no geography and religion. A day could come when Europe feels the effects of terrorism, but that day could come very late for it. The statement made by Osman Ocalan shows the blindness and ungratefulness of terrorism. Leaving aside Europe’s history of technological progress, it seems that the continent is not as clever as it once seemed.”

    ARCHIVE

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