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Turkish Press Review, 03-08-05Turkish 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 morning05.08.2003FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ARINC: “THE YAS’ DECISIONS AREN’T OPEN TO QUESTION”The promotion and dismissal decisions reached by the Supreme Military Council (YAS) aren’t open to question, as they are reached through careful assessments and evaluations, said Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday. “I believe that these [decisions] will further strengthen the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and lead to a more mature military,” added Arinc, referring to a host of appointments and dismissals decided at the YAS weekend meeting. Commenting on the YAS appointment of a military figure as the National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general, Arinc stated that seventh EU harmonization package – one which mainly suggests changes to the structure of the NSC – had been misinterpreted to mean officers could no longer be appointed to head the NSC. “It’s quite the contrary,” said Arinc. “The new legal arrangement proposes that a civilian can also be appointed to this post.” The seventh EU package was passed by Parliament last week, but has yet to be signed into law by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. /Star/[02] INDIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SINHA MEETS WITH SEZER, ERDOGAN, GULIndian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, who is currently paying an official visit to Ankara, yesterday was received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After a meeting with his counterpart Abdullah Gul, the two top diplomats told a press conference that they would strive to further develop bilateral relations. Regarding the Iraq issue, Sinha and Gul both stressed that Iraq’s territorial integrity should be preserved and stability in the region should be established as soon as possible. The Indian official remarked that like Turkey, India might send troops to Iraq if the United Nations provided a mandate. During Sinha’s contacts, in addition to bilateral and regional issues, officials discussed a Turkish-Indian Joint Economic Commission (KEK) meeting to be held in the fall as well as Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to Turkey set for next month. /All Papers/[03] UN SPECIAL ENVOY TO IRAQ MEETS WITH GUL IN ANKARASergio Vieira de Mello, the United Nation’s special envoy for Iraq, yesterday met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara to discuss recent developments in the country. Following their meeting, Gul told reporters that he had conveyed to de Mello the Turkish government’s views on Iraq, stressing that the nation’s territorial integrity should be protected and its various ethnic groups dealt with fairly and impartially. For his part, de Mello said that he shared Gul’s concerns, adding that Turkey could play an important role in the postwar period. De Mello added that the UN expected Ankara to participate at a conference this December dealing with Iraq’s reconstruction, both political and physical. /Cumhuriyet/[04] FIVE CABINET MINISTERS TO VISIT TRNCA delegation of five Cabinet ministers is set to travel to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday to hold bilateral meetings with TRNC officials. Making up the delegation will be Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, State Ministers for Economy and Foreign Trade Ali Babacan and Kursad Tuzmen, respectively, and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. During the meetings, a customs union agreement is expected to be signed. Meanwhile, TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu yesterday opened a new general consulate in Izmir. Speaking at the facility’s opening ceremony, Dervis called on all the world to recognize the reality on Cyprus, noting that the TRNC had all the necessary elements for a nation to be acknowledged as a state. /Turkiye/[05] BUSINESSMEN LEND SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT’S EU REFORMSRepresentatives from 18 groups representing business interests yesterday issued a statement expressing their support for the government’s efforts to enact reforms to harmonize Turkey with European Union norms. The representatives led by the Economic Development Foundation (IKV) stated, “We continue our ongoing support for the government’s seventh reform package and all other steps to accelerate Turkey’s path to EU membership.” Pointing out that joining the Union was one of the nation’s priorities, the groups stressed in addition to economic and social reforms, changes in Turkey’s political realm also had to be put fully into practice. /Turkiye/[06] TURKISH TRUCK CONVOY IN IRAQ ATTACKED, INJURING ONEA Turkish truck convoy carrying supplies to Turkey’s Embassy in Baghdad was attacked by armed forces yesterday, leaving one truck driver injured. Eyewitnesses reported that the convoy was ambushed on the northern outskirts of the city and that the truck might have been hit by a rocket- propelled grenade. /Cumhuriyet/[07] TUZMEN: “TURKISH CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ COULD NET $800 MILLION BY YEAR’S END”State Minister Kursat Tuzmen said yesterday that Turkish contractors in Iraq had netted some $430 million in business since the war’s conclusion, adding that this figure could climb to as high as $800 million before 2004. Tuzmen also noted that Turkey’s exports to Iraq had skyrocketed by 187% in June and 197% in July when compared to the equivalent period last year. /Sabah/[08] ILHAM ALIYEV APPOINTED AZERBAIJAN’S NEW PM, PAVING WAY TO SUCCEED FATHERAzerbaijan’s Parliament yesterday approved the appointment of ailing Azeri President Haydar Aliyev’s son, Ilham Aliyev, as prime minister, thus opening the way for Ilham to stand in the upcoming presidential elections. The elder Aliyev, who has been under the care of an Ankara military hospital since early July, is widely expected to withdraw from the presidential polls in favor of his son. /Cumhuriyet/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[10] THE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP BY TAHA AKYOL (MILLIYET)Columnist Taha Akyol comments on relations between Turkey’s civilian and military leadership. A summary of his column is as follows:“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul came to the General Staff yesterday morning. There were many documents to be signed on account of the weekend Supreme Military Council (YAS) meeting. As they perused the newspapers, they stopped short when they saw the headlines: ‘The prime minister was warned… Reactionary staff...’ They were astonished. ‘I think I must’ve been dozing off when they wrote this,’ quipped Gonul. Then they all laughed and started to sign the documents. When I heard about this, I telephoned Gonul. ‘Certain commanders made farewell speeches, some of which were emotional,’ he told me. ‘Of course they emphasized the characteristics of the republic. However, those speeches weren’t aimed against the government or like a military memorandum. On the contrary, all the YAS meetings were held in a respectful atmosphere. There was no incident, speech or stance that would disturb the government.’ With the just-passed seventh European Union harmonization package, Turkey has accomplished a radical reform. Now relations between our civil and military leadership are those of modern, democratic country. The military took this great step towards modernization together with the government leaders and the opposition. If the military had created problems by opposing the civilian leadership, would this reform have gone forward? Ozkok has an important place in this achievement. However, the army accepted this change as well because in our age, the power of nations doesn’t come from money and weapons alone. The existence of the rule of law and democracy along with the army’s status under civilian command has become an element of ‘strategic power.’ In such a structure, nations are growing more stable. I have of late started to respect our army much more.” 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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