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Turkish Press Review, 02-09-24Turkish 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> <map name="FPMap1"></map> Press & Information Turkish Press Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning24.09.2002CONTENTS
[01] ECEVIT: “TURKEY IS READY TO[02] MEDIATE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE”Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit told reporters yesterday that Turkey was willing to act as mediator to find a peaceful solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, adding that he would write a letter to United States President George W. Bush to tell him of this proposal. Ecevit also commented on a telephone conversation he had with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat earlier this week, saying that under his current besieged circumstances Arafat was unable to bring about an end to terrorism. Ecevit’s mediation proposal notwithstanding, Israeli authorities stated that Arafat had to act to prevent terrorist attacks on the Israeli people before any talks could begin, reports said yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/[03] GUREL TRAVELS TO EU CAPITALS[04] FOR SUPPORT ON MEMBERSHIP BIDFollowing Sunday’s re-election to Germany’s chancellorship of Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Gerhard Schroeder, who is supportive of Turkey’s prospective membership in the European Union, Turkey has stepped up diplomatic efforts to obtain support from EU member countries. Towards this end, Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel yesterday began a round of visits to Britain, France, and Denmark, the current holder of the EU term presidency. During his visit, Gurel is expected to tell his counterparts that Turkey would like accession negotiations to begin in 2003 and that it has no intention of accepting anything short of this. Gurel will also emphasize the important step forward that Turkey took this summer in fulfilling all the political criteria needed for accession and furthermore request that this be recognized in the EU Commission’s Progress Report set to be released on Oct. 9. /Cumhuriyet/[05] YILMAZ: “THE ELECTIONS WILL BE A[06] TURNING POINT FOR BOTH TURKEY AND ANAP”Motherland Party (ANAP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz held a meeting with ANAP-affiliated mayors and provincial assembly members yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Ankara. Speaking to the ANAP faithful, Yilmaz said, “We have two options before us: Will we make Turkey a member of the European Union which can integrate Turkey with the modern world, or will we become a Middle Eastern republic saddled with a worsening economy?” For this reason, the Nov. 3 elections are critical, said Yilmaz, and citizens should guard themselves against various political games and tricks. “A certain party -- one which would lead Turkey into a dark future - - has puffed itself up with so-called public opinion polls, and on the other hand, there is party calling itself leftist which wants citizens to lend their votes to come to power and save Turkey from the other one,” Yilmaz said. /Turkiye/[07] TURKER TO ATTEND IMF, WORLD[08] BANK MEETINGS IN WASHINGTONA delegation of Turkish officials led by Economy Minister Masum Turker is to arrive in Washington tomorrow to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. During the visit, Turker is expected to meet with IMF Managing Director Horst Koehler and WB President James Wolfensohn. The Turkish delegation includes numerous state officials, including Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak, Deputy Treasury Undersecretaries Aydin Karaoz and Hakan Ozyildiz, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti, Central Bank Vice Governor Sukru Binay, Budget and Fiscal Control General Director Durmus Oztek, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) Chairman Engin Akcakoca and BDDK Deputy Chairman Ceyla Pazarbasoglu, as well as high-ranking officials from the Turkish Banks’ Union (TBB). /Hurriyet/[09] BAYKAL: “NO POLITICAL BAN CAN LAST FOREVER”Speaking at a meeting of his party in Istanbul yesterday, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Deniz Baykal said that the Article 76 of the Constitution, which sets out conditions for candidates standing in elections, should be reworked. Addressing the situation of Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose parliamentary candidacy was barred last week by the Supreme Election Board (YSK), Baykal said that no one could be banned from politics forever just because of her or his thoughts and beliefs. Baykal added, though, that the state should definitely have the power to revoke, under specific circumstances, the political rights of certain individuals. “However, such measures should only be applied to people who have committed ordinary crimes or abused public resources.” /Aksam/[10] 124 DEPUTIES SUBMIT MOTION[11] FOR EXTRAORDINARY PARLIAMENTARY SESSIONA total of 124 deputies from the New Turkey Party (YTP), the Felicity Party (SP) and the Motherland Turkey Party (ANAP) yesterday submitted a motion to Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi requesting that he issue a call for Parliament to reconvene for an extraordinary session. The latest day Izgi could issue such a call is next Monday, Sept. 30. The motion says that the session is needed to discuss three issues, namely postponing the scheduled Nov. 3 elections, lowering the 10% election threshold, and amending the Political Parties and Election Laws. /Milliyet/[12] ERBAKAN, ERDOGAN REJECT[13] YSK DECISION, FILE APPEALSJustice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Necmettin Erbakan, former leader of the defunct Welfare Party (RP), yesterday rejected last week’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) decision barring them from running for seats in this fall’s parliamentary elections. Lawyers representing the two politicians have filed appeals of the decision to the YSK, but prospects of the YSK reversing it are reportedly slim. /Milliyet/[14] ECHR REJECTS ERDOGAN’S APPEAL[15] FOR STAY ORDER OF YSK DECISIONThe European Court of Human Rights yesterday rejected Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s appeal for it to issue a stay order of last week’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) decision barring him from running for Parliament in this fall’s elections. The ECHR deliberated on the issue yesterday and decided not to issue an injunction halting implementation of the YSK decision. In related news, Oskar Benedikt, economic counselor of the European Commission Representation to Turkey, said that the relevant bodies of the EU would soon hold an urgent meeting to discuss the YSK ruling. /Milliyet/[16] ERDOGAN REPLACED ON AKP CANDIDATE LISTFollowing last week’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) decision barring Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan from running for Parliament in this fall’s elections, a replacement has been named for his spot on the AKP candidate list. Businessman Kemal Unakitan, former head of the Turkish Pulp and Paper Association (SEKA), will run in Erdogan’s stead in Istanbul’s first district. /Sabah/[17] CYPRUS MEETING HELD IN ISTANBULBefore resumption of direct talks today in Cyprus to seek a settlement to the island’s issues, a meeting was held yesterday in Istanbul to discuss the island with the attendance of various public figures and selected journalists long associated with the topic. Prior to the meeting, Mumtaz Soysal, a Turkish scholar currently serving as law advisor to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas, told reporters that whereas Greek Cypriots wanted to merely amend the island’s Constitution, Turkey wanted to forge a new partnership under a new pact. Stressing that Cyprus was a matter of national policy in Turkey, Soysal said, “If the Greek Cypriots continue to insist on a separate state and more closer to Greece and the European Union, the TRNC will further improve its relations with Turkey.” /Turkiye/[18] CENTRAL BANK HEAD: “WE WON’T MISS[19] OUR ANNUAL INFLATION TARGET”Speaking on television yesterday, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti said that even if this month’s inflation exceeded the government’s economic program expectations, the target for 2002 annual inflation would remain unaffected. But Turkey’s growth will be higher than originally projected, he added. Serdengecti also stated that a possible US attack on Iraq would definitely have an impact on Turkey’s economy. “However, the more we stick to the economic program, the less will be this effect.” /Star/[20] TUSIAD, BOGAZICI UNIVERSITY TO FOUND[21] FOREIGN POLICY FORUMUnder an agreement announced yesterday, a new Foreign Policy Forum will be established to contribute to scholarship and understanding of Turkish foreign policy. The forum, to be established under the auspices of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) and Bogazici University, will be made official tomorrow with a signing ceremony between TUSIAD President Tuncay Ozilhan and Sabih Tansal, rector of Bogazici University. /Hurriyet/[22] ART ISTANBUL 2002 TO BEGIN TODAYThe massive “Art Istanbul 2002” exhibit will begin today in a 7,000-square- meter area of the Lutfi Kirdar Congress and Exhibition Hall. Some 75 art galleries, nine of them from outside Turkey, are set to show the works of 1, 500 artists. As part of the event, conferences and competitions will also be held. The five-day exhibit will run through Saturday. /Turkiye/[23] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[24] FROM THE COLUMNS...[25] THE GERMAN ELECTIONS[26] BY HADI ULUENGIN (HURRIYET)Columnist Hadi Uluengin writes on German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s victory in Sunday’s elections. A summary of his column is as follows:“German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Red-Green coalition managed to hold onto power with a razor-thin majority in Sunday’s elections. Schroeder secured a second four-year term for his coalition with the small Greens party. In fact, I’m very pleased with his victory. Why? Because a Schroeder government will be much better for Turkish-German relations. If Schroeder’s right-wing election challenger, Barvaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Edmund Stoiber, had come to power, the results would have been very different for Turkish-EU relations. After all, we all know that Stoiber is a conservative politician opposing Turkey’s EU membership bid, since he advocates a ‘Christian Europe.’ That would have been a tremendous disappointment for Turkey. However, we would greatly mistaken to think that Schroeder’s victory means that the EU will definitely set a date at December’s Copenhagen summit for the beginning of Turkey’s membership negotiations. Apart from the EU Commission’s study of the implementation of reforms in our country, the Red-Green coalition will also have to act very cautiously on this issue since German political circles still considers it a sensitive matter domestically. Anyway, since we all know that Schroeder largely lacks Stoiber’s prejudicial bent, Turkey should be happy that he’s been re-elected. An extremely populist strategy lay behind Schroeder’s victory. For instance, he was very successful in taking advantage of certain events such as Germany’s recent flood disaster and the Iraq issue. Let’s not forget his poise and generosity during the flood or his stance on Iraq, which drew the wrath of the Bush administration. Throughout the elections campaign, Schroeder voiced emphatic opposition to any war with Iraq. He is also thought to have gained the edge over his rival Stoiber in a live television debate, where the two leaders clashed on a number of issues, including unemployment and the question of a military strike against Iraq. Though the chancellor will face even tougher opposition as he tries to revive Germany’s economy, which suffered greatly during his term due to chronic unemployment and stifled economic growth, he managed to keep a majority of nine seats in Parliament (from a previous 21), which I believe should be considered a personal success for him. In addition, we shouldn’t forget that Greens leader Joschka Fischer played a significant role in this victory through his wise decisions as German foreign minister as well as his non-populist elections campaign.” [27] SCHROEDER’S COATTAILS[28] BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the recent elections in Germany and their affect on Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:“The success of the Social Democratic-Greens coalition in Germany’s elections, even if only by a nose, inspired optimism in terms of the effects of ‘Schroeder’s coattails’ on Turkey. It’s important for Turkey, which is trying to get a timetable for negotiations from the EU at the Copenhagen summit, that the power in Germany didn’t change hands. A victory by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Edmund Stoiber, might have raised difficulties for Ankara in the process of its EU membership. Obviously Schroder’s ‘second term’ prime ministry cannot be considered a guarantee before the EU, but the German Social Democrats’ keeping the reins of power is in Turkey’s favor in terms of maintaining the balances in Europe. Half a million Turkish people living in Germany cast votes, and three of the 21 candidates of Turkish origin there won their seats. Since the moment the German ballot boxes were opened, we started to get excited about the surprises waiting for us after our own elections in November. Two alliances clashed in Germany -- Prime Minister Gerard Schroder’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens, on one side, and the union between the Christian Democrat Union (CDU) and Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU), led by Stoiber, on the other. The opposition parties tried to win the elections by emphasizing the problem of unemployment. Although at first it seemed that Stoiber was set to win the elections, the victory eventually went to the partnership of Schroder and Foreign Minister Joschke Fisher, leader of the Greens. The parties in power won the majority with nine seats ahead. The votes expected from rural areas didn’t rescue Stoiber, either. Thus, with the events in Germany, just over a month before our Nov. 3 elections, we now turn to the question, ‘What will happen to Turkey?’ We scarcely dare to consider the prospects. The elections campaigns are too calm and the Turkish nation too weary. Rather than elections, people talk about the prohibitions. It’s not known what deputies excluded from their parties’ candidate lists will do. It’s known that the election postponement lobby has submitted a proposal with over 100 signatures to hold an extraordinary parliamentary session. In this session, the 10% threshold might be lowered. Yesterday an initiative was begun on behalf of the Motherland Party (ANAP) group to lift various political prohibitions. It was requested that Article 76 of the Constitution and Article 11 of the Election Law be changed. However, it will be difficult to get any result from these efforts. Actually, the ANAP administration confessed that this initiative was aimed at blunting the negative signals which the prohibitions might send to the EU. Efforts for democratization will fall to the future Parliament. We will see the effects of Schroeder’s coattails at the Copenhagen summit in December. Can Turkey’s pro-EU lobby be helped by the elections in Germany? It’s possible. I’m almost hearing our own social democrats, mostly the Republican People’s Party (CHP), saying ‘May our turn for good luck come next!’” ARCHIVE <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js"> </script> Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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