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Turkish Press Review, 03-08-29
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
29.08.2003
AUG. 30 VICTORY DAY TO BE CELEBRATED
THROUGHOUT TURKEY AND THE TRNC
ERDOGAN RECEIVES FENER GREEK ORTHODOX
PATRIARCH BARTOLOMEOS
VICE ADM. ALPKAYA HANDS OVER NAVY HELM TO
OZDEN ORNEK
US AMBASSADOR EDELMAN: “LOAN IS UNRELATED
TO TROOP DEPLOYMENT ISSUE”
DENKTAS MEETS WITH ISTANBUL DISTRICT
MAYOR SARIGUL
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING MEETINGS TO
CONTINUE
GOVT REPORTEDLY SEEKING TO CURB
PRESIDENTIAL POWERS IN BID TO BYPASS REFERENDUM ON FORMER
FORESTLAND MEASURE
RTUK SUBMITS THREE CANDIDATES FOR TRT
HELM
TURKEY TO SELL ELECTRICITY TO IRAQ
CELIK: “THE GOVERNMENT WILL RESUBMIT BILL
ON PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION FOR THE POOR”
TURKEY TAKES GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM
THE COLUMNS…
WHY SEND TROOPS TO IRAQ? BY H. BULENT
KAHRAMAN (RADIKAL)
WHAT ISSUES IS TURKEY DEALING WITH? BY
IRFAN SAPMAZ (STAR)
CONTENTS
[01] AUG. 30 VICTORY DAY TO BE CELEBRATED
THROUGHOUT TURKEY AND THE TRNC
[02] ERDOGAN RECEIVES FENER GREEK ORTHODOX
PATRIARCH BARTOLOMEOS
[03] VICE ADM. ALPKAYA HANDS OVER NAVY HELM TO
OZDEN ORNEK
[04] US AMBASSADOR EDELMAN: “LOAN IS UNRELATED TO
TROOP DEPLOYMENT ISSUE”
[05] DENKTAS MEETS WITH ISTANBUL DISTRICT MAYOR
SARIGUL
[06] COLLECTIVE BARGAINING MEETINGS TO CONTINUE
[07] GOVT REPORTEDLY SEEKING TO CURB PRESIDENTIAL
POWERS IN BID TO BYPASS REFERENDUM ON FORMER FORESTLAND
MEASURE
[08] RTUK SUBMITS THREE CANDIDATES FOR TRT HELM
[09] TURKEY TO SELL ELECTRICITY TO IRAQ
[10] CELIK: “THE GOVERNMENT WILL RESUBMIT BILL ON
PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION FOR THE POOR”
[11] TURKEY TAKES GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…
[13] WHY SEND TROOPS TO IRAQ? BY H. BULENT
KAHRAMAN (RADIKAL)
[14] WHAT ISSUES IS TURKEY DEALING WITH? BY IRFAN
SAPMAZ (STAR)
[01] AUG. 30 VICTORY DAY TO BE CELEBRATED
THROUGHOUT TURKEY AND THE TRNC
Aug. 30 Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day is set to be
celebrated tomorrow throughout Turkey and also in the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The day’s first ceremony
will take place at Anitkabir, the Ankara mausoleum of Republic
of Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Chief of General
Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and the commanders of Turkey’s air,
naval and gendarmerie forces will attend the ceremony. Later,
Ozkok along with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament
Speaker Bulent Arinc and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
will witness ceremonies to be held at Ankara's Ataturk Culture
Center. The commemorative events will end with a reception
hosted by Ozkok. /All papers/
[02] ERDOGAN RECEIVES FENER GREEK ORTHODOX
PATRIARCH BARTOLOMEOS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday received
Istanbul Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartolomeos. Speaking
after their meeting, Bartholomeos said that he had the
opportunity to brief Erdogan on problems facing the
patriarchate. “Our problems are both political and legal,” he
said. He stated that Erdogan had told him that their problems
would be considered with good will, adding that he was sure
that Turkey would soon find a solution to their differences. /All
papers/
[03] VICE ADM. ALPKAYA HANDS OVER NAVY HELM TO
OZDEN ORNEK
Vice Adm. Bulent Alpkaya, the retiring Turkish Naval Forces
commander, yesterday handed over the navy’s helm to Adm. Ozden
Ornek in a ceremony attended by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer,
among others. Speaking at the ceremony, Alpkaya said that
Ataturk's principles and reforms and the secular and
democratic framework of the Turkish Republic had been his
guide throughout his assignment, adding that his steadfast aim
has always been protecting the secular, democratic Turkish
Republic. Alpkaya said that over the past two years the
Turkish Naval Forces had participated in 66 military exercises
and has also expanded its assistance to other countries’
navies in addition to activities carried out under the aegis
of NATO and regional alliances. The need for shipments of oil
and natural gas from the Middle East and the Caucasus has
increased the importance of harbors, said the admiral, and
such responsibilities will require an even more skillful navy.
/All papers/
[04] US AMBASSADOR EDELMAN: “LOAN IS UNRELATED TO
TROOP DEPLOYMENT ISSUE”
There is no relation between the extension of an $8.5 billion
US loan to Turkey and Ankara possibly sending troops to Iraq,
US Ambassador to Ankara Eric Edelman said yesterday. At a
reception in honor of a visiting US delegation, Edelman
commented on recent press comments by Treasury Undersecretary
John Taylor interpreted by some to mean Ankara can only
receive the loan if it sends troops to Iraq. “I haven’t seen
the full text of the interview,” said Edelmen. “However, I
don’t think that’s what he meant. The only possible condition
for the loan would be continued cooperation between our
countries. These two matters shouldn’t be linked.” The
ambassador also stated that in his view, Ankara’s sending
troops to Iraq would serve Turkey’s own national interests.
“But of course the final decision rests with you government,”
he added. _Turkiye
[05] DENKTAS MEETS WITH ISTANBUL DISTRICT MAYOR
SARIGUL
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf
Denktas yesterday met Mustafa Sarigul, the mayor of Istanbul’s
Sisli district. During their talks, Sarigul praised Denktas’s
continuing defense of the TRNC and his sacrifices for that
cause. Later, asked his views on possible Turkish troop
deployment to Iraq, Denktas said commenting on the issue would
be inappropriate, as he was not part of Ankara’s decision-making
establishment. “Turkey will make the best decision,” he added
confidently. “I hope the United Nations Security Council also
passes a resolution on the issue.” He said international
legitimacy would smooth the way for deployment. /Anatolia News
Agency/
[06] COLLECTIVE BARGAINING MEETINGS TO CONTINUE
Representatives of the government and civil servants’ unions
are scheduled to gather today for the fourth time under
collective bargaining meetings which began on Aug. 15. During
the meetings headed by State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin, salary
increases for next year will be discussed. If today’s meetings
prove inconclusive, the sides will continue their meetings
tomorrow. If an agreement still remains out of reach, new
meetings will be held under a Reconciliation Council with four
scholars and the head of the Higher Judge’s Council. /Turkiye/
[07] GOVT REPORTEDLY SEEKING TO CURB PRESIDENTIAL
POWERS IN BID TO BYPASS REFERENDUM ON FORMER FORESTLAND
MEASURE
The Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is
reportedly exploring ways to limit presidential powers before
re-passing a constitutional amendment on the sale of former
forestland. The amendment was vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer earlier this month and sent back to Parliament for
reconsideration. The Constitution grants the president the
right to call for a national referendum if Parliament passes
the amendment without making any changes. With this in mind,
the government is reportedly working a formula which would
deny the president the referendum option on a previously
vetoed amendment provided the amendment is reapproved by
Parliament with more than 367 votes, a two-thirds majority
which the AKP holds. /Sabah/
[08] RTUK SUBMITS THREE CANDIDATES FOR TRT HELM
The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) yesterday
nominated three contenders from an initial field of 114 as
final candidates for the directorship of the Turkish Radio and
Television Corporation (TRT). The three figures nominated were
Senol Demiroz, Mustafa Ruhi Sirin and Sacettin Gurbuz. The
Cabinet will choose one of the three candidates, and then
submit that name to the president for his approval. /All
Papers/
[09] TURKEY TO SELL ELECTRICITY TO IRAQ
Turkey will sign an electricity sale deal with Iraq next month,
said a statement issued yesterday by the Energy and Natural
Resources Ministry. The statement added that Turkey’s
electricity sales to Iraq are expected to begin with an
initial 50 megawatts per year and eventually grow to 200
megawatts. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] CELIK: “THE GOVERNMENT WILL RESUBMIT BILL ON
PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION FOR THE POOR”
Education Minister Huseyin Celik said yesterday that the
government would resubmit to Parliament a bill to make private
school education available to poor children. President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer vetoed the bill earlier this month, arguing that
it would pave the way for students to be educated with a
mentality contradicting the basic principles of the secular,
democratic Republic in schools founded by certain circles.
/Cumhuriyet/
[11] TURKEY TAKES GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP
Turkey’s team yesterday took the crown of world champion in
Greco-Roman wrestling at the Junior Wrestling Championship
held in Istanbul. Both Seref Tufenk, competing in the men's 66
kg category, and Yavuz Guvendi, competing in men's 120 kg
category, won gold medals. /Anatolia News Agency/
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…
[13] WHY SEND TROOPS TO IRAQ? BY H. BULENT
KAHRAMAN (RADIKAL)
Columnist H. Bulent Kahraman writes on possible Turkish troop
deployments in Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Today I’d like to tell you what I think about the Turkish
troop deployment issue. Let’s not mince words: Under the
present circumstances, there is no good reason for Turkey to
send its troops to Iraq. Sending our soldiers there would be
sheer insanity. Here are my reasons for thinking so:
There’s only one reason why our government is evidently so
willing to deploy troops in Iraq, but the prime minister is
being coy about it. Whenever Erdogan talks about the issue, he
makes vague and confusing statements. As a matter of fact, he
made promises to Washington even before becoming prime
minister that Turkey would do whatever the Bush administration
wanted if the US gave full support to our European Union
membership bid. However, due to greater-than-expected domestic
opposition, Erdogan failed to keep his promise during the Iraq
war. Now he wants to change all this. In addition, we don’t
know what was discussed and agreed upon between the IMF and
our government during their latest meetings. My point is that
the only reason why Erdogan’s government wants to send troops
to Iraq is to mend strained relations with Washington. But as
the government feels it can’t be straightforward on this issue,
when asked about it AKP officials are often reduced to making
ridiculous statements.
The other significant point is that our country wants to
prevent the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in
northern Iraq. However, Washington has already decided to
handle this problem on its own, cutting Ankara out. We all
know that the Bush administration wants Turkish troops
deployed in Baghdad. Our soldiers’ mission will be exclusively
restricted to the Iraqi capital. (But maybe our government
doesn’t know that!) Under these circumstances, the US will use
our soldiers as a tool for its selfish purposes, in other
words, as collaborators for its dirty and difficult jobs in
Baghdad.
It’s also clear that this time it’s the US alone against the
whole world. However, Washington will sooner or later have to
sit at the table with other countries to fix the mess it made
in the Middle East. When the negotiations begin, no one will
remember Turkey and its national interests. Let’s recall the
US plans for the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern
Iraq, a well-known project which is also supported by France
and Britain. If Turkey gets involved in this war, we’ll have
to content ourselves with minor and secondary benefits. Nobody
should expect more.
The last point is the problems of Iraq’s Turkmen groups and
the issues of Mosul and Kirkuk, two favorite subjects of our
‘old ultra-nationalists.’ It’s true that the Ottoman Empire
once held these territories, and it’s again true that these
lands were taken from us by using unjust methods. These are
both historical facts. However, these facts do not give us the
right to pursue imperialistic policies today. I wonder what
our government will say on this issue?”
[14] WHAT ISSUES IS TURKEY DEALING WITH? BY IRFAN
SAPMAZ (STAR)
Columnist Irfan Sapmaz comments on the issues Turkey is
dealing with and which it should deal with. A summary of his
column is as follows:
“Speaking at the Turkish Air Forces command handover ceremony
yesterday, retiring Gen. Cumhur Asparuk said, ‘While other
nations control the world from outer space, unfortunately
we’re still caught up in a destructive cycle of preoccupation
with the Blue Stream Project, religious schools, women wearing
headscarves, religious sects, and clothes worn in other
cultures. We live in the information age. Those who have
information and can use it wisely will be victorious on the
world stage. In the future, you will witness Turkish
scientists and businessmen’s work on radar, something which
the world has yet to discover. We should support them. We
should deal with these issues. Such discoveries will make us
respectable and help us prevail.’
When a great many third world countries which take Turkey as
their model see us dealing with these issues, they make fun of
us, saying, ‘Look at Great Ataturk’s Turkey!’ However,
unfortunately Turkey really is preoccupied with such issues as
Gen. Asparuk mentioned. Mostly the media is responsible. Our
columnists try and act like intellectuals, but they fail to
see Turkey as it really is. In addition, certain forces
claiming to protect Turkey’s values have harmed the country
greatly as well. However, the blameless Anatolian people have
remained mute through all this.
In other words, only the ‘reasonable majority’ speaks and
makes decisions, with the ‘reasonable minority’ surfacing only
now and again to vote. As Gen. Asparuk said, Turkey should
open doors for our gifted scientists and young people.
Unfortunately our truly valuable people aren’t in the places
they deserve. Ataturk’s Turkey doesn’t deserve this situation.
We lack a government policy, not to mention statesmen who can
look ahead and plan for the decade to come. The only
institution projecting itself into our nation’s future is the
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). However, we must continue to
develop not only our military, but also our civilian assets.”
ARCHIVE
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