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Turkish Press Review, 03-01-22Turkish 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 morning22.01.2003ISTANBUL TO HOST PEACE SUMMIT ON IRAQ TOMORROW GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER FISCHER TO VISIT TURKEY ERDOGAN: “FOLLOWING TURKEY’S LEAD, THE WORLD SHOULD HEED CALLS FOR PEACE IN IRAQ” CHP LEADER BAYKAL, AT SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING, SPEAKS OUT AGAINST WAR IN IRAQ PEARSON TO BRIEF PARLIAMENTARIANS ON US IRAQ POLICY GREEK CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER KASULIDES: “TURKEY HAS TAKEN A TURN IN ITS CYPRUS POLICY” GOVERNORS DISCUSS MEASURES TO BE TAKEN IN CASE OF IRAQ WAR IRAQI AMBASSADOR AL-DILEYMI: “IRAQ IS PLEASED WITH TURKEY’S PEACE INITIATIVES” BABACAN: “THE GOVERNMENT WILL COMPLETE ITS FOURTH REVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM EARLY NEXT MONTH” CB HEAD SERDENGECTI: “WE’VE TAKEN MEASURES TO SOFTEN THE IMPACT OF A POSSIBLE WAR” FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS… TALKING CYPRUS WITH CLERIDES BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET) A RUSH TO WAR BY ERGIN YILDIZOGLU (CUMHURIYET)CONTENTS
[01] ISTANBUL TO HOST PEACE SUMMIT ON IRAQ TOMORROWPlans are now firm for a summit to be held tomorrow in Istanbul promoting a peaceful resolution to the Iraq issue. The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran are expected to attend the meeting, and Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will serve as host. Following the Istanbul summit, another meeting is planned to be held in Damascus, Syria with the attendance of heads of state and government or foreign ministers of the above countries, possibly joined by Kuwait and Iraq itself in the latter case. The details of the Damascus meeting have yet to be finalized. /All Papers/[02] GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER FISCHER TO VISIT TURKEYGerman Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will arrive in Istanbul tomorrow to hold a series of contacts with Turkish officials. Fischer is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis and Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, among others. /Turkiye/[03] ERDOGAN: “FOLLOWING TURKEY’S LEAD, THE WORLD SHOULD HEED CALLS FOR PEACE IN IRAQ”Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday spoke out forthrightly for peace in Iraq, saying that Turkey was heeding the public’s desire to try to avoid war and that other countries should do the same. Speaking at his party’s group meeting in Parliament, Erdogan praised the government’s initiatives to peacefully resolve the Iraq issue. “Amid preparations for war, demonstrations are being held worldwide to promote peace,” said the AKP leader. “The world’s decision-makers must heed this rising chorus in favor of peace.” Turning to his recent tour of Central Asian countries, Erdogan stated that the focus of his visits had been the energy sector. “We took important steps towards cooperation in energy projects,” said the AKP leader. Stressing that the government was taking an active stance in a host of areas from the economy to international diplomacy, Erdogan said that others would get used to the administration’s rapid pace and fall into line. Meanwhile, Koc Group CEO Rahmi Koc yesterday met with the AKP leader in Ankara in what Koc called “a courtesy visit.” /Turkiye/[04] CHP LEADER BAYKAL, AT SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING, SPEAKS OUT AGAINST WAR IN IRAQAt the conclusion yesterday of the annual Socialist International meeting in Rome, participants passed a resolution calling for a peaceful resolution of the Iraq issue, with Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal among those speaking out against war. “We can’t just sit and watch events unfold in Iraq,” said Baykal in a speech. “If we aren’t able to prevent war, this would be a true failure on our part.” He added that the Socialist International should do its utmost to promote peace and head off war in the region. In the meeting’s final declaration on Iraq, participants stated that efforts at peace needed to be given more time, adding that war should be used only as a last resort. /Aksam/[05] PEARSON TO BRIEF PARLIAMENTARIANS ON US IRAQ POLICYUS Ambassador to Ankara Robert Pearson is scheduled next Monday to brief select Turkish parliamentarians on the Iraq issue. Pearson will lay out the US policy on Iraq to the members of four parliamentary commissions, namely the Human Rights, Foreign Affairs, National Defense and Planning & Budget Commissions. /Star/[06] GREEK CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER KASULIDES: “TURKEY HAS TAKEN A TURN IN ITS CYPRUS POLICY”Yannakis Kasulides, the foreign minister of Greek Cyprus, yesterday stated that the UN’s Cyprus plan might be changed per the separate requests of both sides on the island. Alleging that Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas had no real interest in reaching a settlement, Kasulides remarked that there had recently been a shift in Turkey’s Cyprus policy and that politicians had begun to voice differing views on the issue. /Cumhuriyet/[07] GOVERNORS DISCUSS MEASURES TO BE TAKEN IN CASE OF IRAQ WARThe governors of six eastern and southeastern Anatolia provinces and 19 high-level officials from Ankara yesterday met in Diyarbakir to discuss possible measures to be taken in case of war in Iraq. In particular, the participants exchanged views on preparations for holding back a possible exodus of Iraqi refugees to Anatolia’s eastern and southeastern regions. /Cumhuriyet/[08] IRAQI AMBASSADOR AL-DILEYMI: “IRAQ IS PLEASED WITH TURKEY’S PEACE INITIATIVES”Iraq’s Ambassador to Ankara Talip Abid Salih al-Dileymi yesterday stated that Iraq appreciated Turkey’s efforts to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis in his country. Stating that the Iraqi nation was well aware that the Turkish people are opposed a war in Iraq, al-Dileymi added that Turkey’s Iraq policy was in line with the principle of “Peace at home, peace in the world” as established by modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Al-Dileymi yesterday met with Turkish Foreign Ministry officials to evaluate recent developments in the region. /Cumhuriyet/[09] BABACAN: “THE GOVERNMENT WILL COMPLETE ITS FOURTH REVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM EARLY NEXT MONTH”Appearing on television yesterday, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said that early next month the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government would complete its work on the fourth review of Turkey’s economic program in cooperation with International Monetary Fund officials. Babacan also stated that the government would complete a new Letter of Intent (LOI) within two weeks, adding that after doing so it would invite an IMF delegation to Turkey. Babacan added that he would be a speaker at a seminar on “A World Without the IMF” during the Davos summit in Switzerland which begins tomorrow. IMF’s First Managing Director Anne Krueger will also make a speech at that meeting, said Babacan. /Milliyet/[10] CB HEAD SERDENGECTI: “WE’VE TAKEN MEASURES TO SOFTEN THE IMPACT OF A POSSIBLE WAR”Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti said yesterday that the CB had taken precautionary measures to help protect the nation’s economy from harm in case of a war in Iraq. “We’re ready for any kind of crisis, including a war in Iraq,” he stated. “We have $26 billion in foreign exchange reserves as well as a floating exchange rate to cushion the impact on Turkey of a possible war.” Asked about the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s 6.5% primary surplus target, Serdengecti stated that the CB would do its utmost to reach this goal, but that it needed firm support from the government to do so. He added that the government’s support was also very important for the success of the nation’s economic program. “The government needs to take measures to boost its revenues and reduce public sector expenditures,” he added. /Milliyet/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[12] TALKING CYPRUS WITH CLERIDES BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on his meetings yesterday with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides, focusing today on the latter. A summary of his column is as follows:“Yesterday I met separately with the two main players on the Cyprus issue, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides, at their official residences. Both of them discussed the issue with the firm attitude of long-distance runners, determined not to quit the race without completing their runs. Talking with them led me to think that without changing this approach, they’ll never come to an agreement because they speak about the same subjects but use completely different languages. ‘If Denktas resigns and another person comes in as negotiator, we’ll need to start over from the very beginning,’ Clerides told me, expressing a preference to keep his old interlocutor. When I told Denktas about this, I had the impression that he also preferred to discuss the matter with Clerides, rather than someone else. Today let’s start with Clerides… I thought that only Denktas was saying that an immediate solution couldn’t be reached on the plan proposed by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan last November. However, Clerides also said, ‘There are a great many issues in the plan which we haven’t been able to address yet. Therefore concluding negotiations before Feb. 28 [the UN deadline] isn’t in the cards.’ In addition, Clerides was pleased with the recent demonstrations against Denktas held in the north. ‘We weren’t expecting such a large turnout,’ he told me, adding that the Greek Cypriot administration had played no role in those demonstrations. ‘Justice and Development Party [AKP] leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he found Turkey’s old policies on Cyprus mistaken,’ Clerides announced. ‘However, he didn’t say what new policies he would replace the old with.’ According to Clerides, ‘If a solution can’t be found concerning the Cyprus issue, the difference in the standard of living between the two sides will grow wider, making finding a solution even harder, so time is of the essence.’ Despite this statement, Clerides seemed relatively relaxed. It seems clear that he’s thinking, ‘We’ll be a European Union member sooner or later. We need not worry.’ As a matter of fact, when he met with Denktas a few days ago, certain conditions that had never been discussed before were suddenly put on the table. For example, he requested that six separate cantons be established for Greek Cypriots settling in Northern Cyprus. In addition, he requested that a Turkish force of 2,000-7,000 soldiers mentioned in Annan’s plan be obliged to leave the island after a certain period of time has passed. Although Denktas considers their presence vital, Clerides seems not to agree. Do you think they can come to a meeting of minds on this?” [13] A RUSH TO WAR BY ERGIN YILDIZOGLU (CUMHURIYET)Columnist Ergin Yildizoglu writes about a possible US-led military campaign in Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:“Do you know where the phase ‘axis of evil’ came from? Former journalist and Bush speechwriter David Frum, who got fired when his wife e-mailed all his friends boasting that he had coined the phrase, explains how it all happened in his tell-all of his 13 months in the White House: When Michael Gerson, chief presidential speechwriter, was assigned to write Bush’s 2002 State of the Union address, a speech required annually of all US presidents, he barged into Frum’s office and asked him to come up with the government’s justification for war against Iraq. In his review of Frum’s White House memoir ‘The Right Man’ in Monday’s New York Observer, Ted Widmer writes: ‘This is bizarre no matter what your politics: Either the decision had been made to invade, but no one knew the reason, or -- even worse -- the Bush administration was genuinely interested in Mr. Frum’s opinion about whether or not to go to war. Last I heard, speechwriters are not supposed to determine the policy of the United States.’ Last week we were moved one step closer to a war in Iraq after weapons inspectors announced they had found empty(!) warheads along with plans regarding nuclear bombs. Furthermore, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said, ‘We won’t let the UN veto our decision on waging a war against Saddam,’ and then ordered masses of British troops to the Gulf Region. Some analysts believe that within 30 days, the fate of Iraq will become clear. Frum’s above-quoted anecdote is key in understanding why things in the Iraq crisis came down to the situation we now face. Let’s remember once again why the US is dead set to strike at Iraq. Firstly, as you probably know, Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction. Now don’t ask me, ‘Then why doesn’t the US strike at Korea?’ Be careful, just asking that may be evidence that you’re taking up the side of terrorists and US enemies, and if you share the same sympathies as a quarter-million anti-war ‘traitors’ who took to the streets in Washington over the weekend, you could even be labelled a ‘Muslim fanatic.’ Secondly, the Arab people, who have been suffering under dictators and torturers for many years now, should be liberated and given a democratic regime. Moreover, state enterprises in Iraq, especially those pertaining to oil and gas, must be privatized (Oops! My tongue slipped. Did I just say state enterprises? Please strike that bit). Don’t ask me these questions either: ‘Wasn’t it the US which supported these dictators for so many years, and provided Saddam himself with chemicals which were used in March 1988 to gas and kill thousands of Kurds in Halepce? If the Bush administration is so democratic, how is it that Bush can revoke a US citizen’s civil rights by simply declaring him or her a ‘foreign combatant,’ and also try to establish a surveillance network over all electronic communications in both the US and everywhere else? How is that certain major media outlets in the US can even discuss such inane questions as ‘Under what circumstances can torture be justified’? Don’t worry, be happy. The US has ‘very well-grounded’ reasons for killing tens of thousands of Iraqis. And no doubt Bush will seek neither a UN resolution nor weapons inspectors’ proof of illegal weapons to do so. I hear you asking, ‘Why are we being dragged into a war?’ Well, just take a look at the scribblings of certain columnists of our prestigious media. They will tell you why Turkey shouldn’t stay out of this war, and how the country’s long-term interests necessitate our active involvement. In a speech delivered to Yale University’s graduating class two years ago, Bush said: ‘Life has its own turning points, presents its own demands, writes its own story. And as time goes by we come to realize that we are not the real authors of this story.’ I wonder, who is writing the text of the war this time?” 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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