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Turkish Press Review, 03-04-01Turkish 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> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning01.04.2003FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] SEZER: “THOSE TAKING PART IN IRAQ WAR SHOULD CONSIDER HOW LONG IT COULD LAST”I have always been opposed to the war in Iraq, and countries who choose to participate in it should bear in mind how long the war might last, said President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday. “The US thought that the war would be a short one,” stated Sezer, referring to a widespread perception the US forces’ campaign had been stalled. “We will see how long it will last.” Asked about the northern Iraq issue, Sezer said that he had spoken his mind at last week’s National Security Council (NSC) meeting and so had no more to say for now. Also asked about rumors of additional requests from the US for cooperation with its military, Sezer replied that nothing was on the table now but Turkey would consider such requests if they were made. /Milliyet/[02] ERDOGAN: “MY COUNTRY IS A LOYAL FRIEND AND ALLY TO THE US”Turkey and the United States remain close friends and allies in the midst of difficult times, asserted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an opinion piece published in today’s Wall Street Journal European edition. Addressing the northern Iraq issue, Erdogan said that Turkey would not send troops into the region unilaterally but that it did need to maintain the ability to defend itself against any terrorist infiltration. “Turkey's military presence in northern Iraq is envisaged with full cooperation and coordination with the US, as well as with the Kurdish groups in the region, " he added. He also rejected accusations that Turkey had been “bargaining for dollars” during recent long and ultimately unsuccessful negotiations on deploying US troops in Turkey. Reiterating that Turkey and the US have a close and friendly relationship, Erdogan wrote, “We have maintained the understanding that in bad days the two allies need to act shoulder-to- shoulder.” /Star/[03] GUL: “TURKEY IS NOT PURSUING AN ADVENTUROUS FOREIGN POLICY”In its foreign policy agenda, Turkey is not pursuing an “adventurous” program, said Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday. Turkey’s foreign policy is being carried out determinedly, Gul stated in the remarks delivered to the incoming class at Ankara’s Foreign Ministry Academy, in an apparent further attempt to reassure the world on Turkey’s intentions in northern Iraq. Gul told the aspiring diplomats that individual foreign service officials should be able to think freely about the issues, yet still decisions must be made within a collective framework. Speaking later to reporters, Gul disputed the notion that the Cyprus issue one was holding back Turkey’s European Union membership bid. “EU membership has always been a top foreign policy goal,” said Gul. “We’re focused on getting maximal results from this year’s progress reports so our accession talks can begin ahead of the end-2004 schedule.” The foreign minister is set to pay a visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Thursday. /All Papers/[04] GEN. RECEP WARNS TERRORISM SEMINAR OF CONTINUED PKK_KADEK THREATThe terrorist group PKK_KADEK still has thousands of armed members in northern Iraq and supporters in Europe as well, warned Brigadier Gen. Abdullah Recep yesterday. Speaking at the three-day “Terrorism: A Threat to Regional Stability” seminar in Istanbul, Recep said that the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks had demonstrated the need for international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, adding that terrorism had wounded Turkey grievously and so it hoped to see more joint efforts. “KADEK [the PKK’s new label] has targeted women, children, the elderly and even babies in its terrorist campaign,” he explained. “Yet still it has supporters abroad. It took 30,000 lives and attacked a total of 2,000 facilities, including 250 schools and over 100 mosques and 50 health centers.” Warning that terrorists have weapons of mass destruction as well as psychological weapons and other tools at their disposal, Recep warned, “KADEK still has a force of 5,000-6,000 strong in northern Iraq and nearly 3,000 active members in Europe. Despite their illegal activities in Europe, the host countries have turned a blind eye, in a misguided attempt to preserve the peace.” /Star/[05] US ENVOY KHALILZAD, TURKISH OFFICIALS REACH UNDERSTANDING ON ANKARA’S NORTHERN IRAQ CONCERNSThe United States understands Turkey’s concerns about the northern Iraq situation underlying its possible troop deployment there, said US presidential envoy Zalmay Khalilzad after a meeting with Turkish officials yesterday. Khalilzad held talks with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal and Ali Tuygan, the deputy foreign undersecretary for the Middle East, on such issues as averting a refugee crisis, possible terrorist threats, regional instability and the status of northern Iraq’s oil-rich Kirkuk. “Turkey has legitimate concerns and interests, we recognize that and understand that we will do everything we can with cooperation with Turkey and also the [Kurdish] locals,” said Khalilzad afterwards, adding, “We both agreed that Turkish forces going into northern Iraq is not an end in itself.” Khalilzad also pledged that the Iraqi Kurdish groups “will be controlled and commanded by the US and will not act alone.” /Sabah/[06] POWELL TO VISIT TURKEY TO DISCUSS IRAQUS Secretary of State Colin Powell will pay a visit to Ankara tomorrow to discuss the war in Iraq, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher announced yesterday. Boucher said that during the visit, Powell and Turkish officials would discuss Turkey’s possibly sending troops into northern Iraq, the fight against terrorism, the Cyprus issue and other issues related to Turkish-US relations. After visiting Turkey, Powell is expected to stop in Brussels to discuss recent developments in the Iraq war with NATO officials. In related news, speaking to reporters in the US, Powell yesterday warned Syria and Iran against pursuing weapons of mass destruction, supporting terrorism, and giving aid to Iraq. /Aksam/[07] SWISS PRESIDENT COUCHEPIN: “THE IRAQ WAR IS MAKING TURKEY SUFFER GREATLY”Turkey is suffering greatly due to the fallout from the war in Iraq, said Swiss President Pascal Couchepin yesterday. “Turkey has suffered great political and economic losses, even as the European Union shut its doors to the country, and it lost the support of one of its closes allies, the US,” said Couchepin. “Turkey is going through a difficult period. It would be a mistake to diplomatically isolate such an important country.” /Cumhuriyet/[08] PRESIDENT SEZER VETOES JOB SECURITY POSTPONEMENT BILLPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday vetoed a bill designed to postpone job security measures for three months, on the grounds that the legislation would shake confidence in the state. The vetoed bill would have postponed the measures until June 30, from a previously set effective date of March 15, a proposal that attracted major opposition from labor unions. /All Papers/[09] CABINET DISCUSSES ECONOMIC ISSUESThe Cabinet met yesterday chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss a number of issues, including the economy. Speaking after the meeting, Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek said that Turkey was leading an economic offensive against high inflation. “This war is even harder than the war in Iraq,” Cicek stated. “Our nation understands that Turkey is going through a difficult period.” He added that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government had paid off $20 billion of Turkey’s debt in the first three months of this year. /Aksam/[10] TENDER COMPLETED ON IRAQ-TURKEY OIL PIPELINE MODERNIZATIONA tender for the modernization of the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline was completed last week. Among four international companies bidding, German firm Siemens reportedly made the best offer. The modernization work expected to cost some $1 million will be carried out under the supervision of the Turkish Pipeline Transportation Directorate (BOTAS). Following the signing of contracts, the German firm is set to begin to modernization work on the pipeline, which currently has a 35-million ton transportation capacity. /Turkiye/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…[12] TURKEY AND THE US BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on Turkish-US relations in the midst of the war in Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:“Turkey’s policy on Iraq is predicated on no developments adverse to Ankara taking place in our neighbor -- in other words, Iraq’s continued territorial integrity. However, Turkey can’t single-handedly be the champion of Iraq’s integrity. In other words, if a superpower like the US is determined to take Iraq apart and redraw its borders, neither Turkey nor any other country is capable of stopping this. What I’m saying accords with political realities. Those who like to think idealistically won’t care for this because it would spoil their dream world, but real politics always holds sway while idealism loses out. If the group of anti-Turkish bandits in northern Iraq manages to unite, of course Turkey will take measures against this and prevent oppression of the Iraqi Turkmen. However, carrying out this policy with the US would take some skill. Being against war and hating it are honorable feelings, and also modern ones. However, it would be utterly against our nation’s interests to move against the US by putting forth this feeling as a pretext for our foreign policies. Washington’s policy towards us is also error-ridden, mistaken and deficient. It’s not reasonable to attempt to try to do something in this region without Turkey’s help. However, superpowers can cover their shortcomings. As the abilities of the non-super powers are very limited, we have to be that much more careful. We should mend our relations with the US and urge it to do the same. The European Union wouldn’t support Turkey in a stand against the US. Certain EU members are with the US. Turkey’s isolation would cause exultation among those who hate and fear us. Our foreign policy should be formulated in full awareness of these facts.” [13] AS THE IRAQ WAR WEARS ON SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the possible adverse effects on Turkey of an extended Iraq war. A summary of his column is as follows:“Nothing could be worse: The Iraq war seems set to wear on... Since even US officials recently admitted that the war would last longer than expected, unfortunately that’s not just rumor but bona fide fact. Let’s think about how such a long war would affect Turkey. What kind of problems are we likely to encounter in the future as the war stretches on day after day? The effects of the war on our economy will be felt in the daily lives of ordinary citizens. Since the war will deal a great blow to tourism, Turkey will suffer some $10-12 billion in losses. Exports will suffer, investments will come to a halt and consequently people will lose jobs. It’s very frightening to even think about the possible political and social problems in the wake of such developments. As the war wears on, Turkey will face even bigger political problems. The US might again begin putting pressure on Turkey concerning its northern front. In addition, as US and British losses in Iraq mount, the Bush administration is likely to accuse Turkey of betraying our strategic partnership and hold us responsible for their losses. The US will also begin considering Iraqi Kurdish groups its closest allies, and will accordingly want to reward them with a political prize. The Arab-Islamic world’s opposition to the Iraq war will grow. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government will find itself lumped together with opponents of the US, including Syria and Iran. The political results of such a development will be extremely dangerous. Unfortunately, neither our country nor the rest of the world is able to prevent this war from dragging on, which is why Turkey has to take steps to minimize the harm we could suffer. In fact, it’s no easy task to develop sound strategies under such ever-changing and ambiguous circumstances. The smartest thing for our government to do is to develop a flexible policy.” 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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