Compact version |
|
Sunday, 22 December 2024 | ||
|
Turkish Press Review, 04-04-09Turkish 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 morning09.04.2004ERDOGAN VISITS BUSINESS MOGUL SABANCI GUL: “ANNAN’S PLAN SHOULD BE EXAMINED CAREFULLY” ARINC MEETS SYRIAN PRESIDENT AL-ASSAD GUL, CICEK CRITICIZE FRENCH FM’S REMARKS ON TURKEY’S EU BID CITING “ADMINISTRATIVE DEFICIENCIES,” CHP DEPUTIES CALL FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY DENKTAS: “SINCE BOTH PAPADOPOULOS AND I OPPOSE THE PLAN, THE UN SHOULD POSTPONE REFERENDUMS” ANNAN “DISAPPOINTED” WITH PAPADOPOULOS’ OPPOSITION TO UN CYPRUS PLAN TALAT: “IF TURKISH CYPRIOTS REJECT THE UN CYPRUS PLAN, IT COULD HURT ANKARA’S EU BID” FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS BRZEZINSKI, THE EU, AND TURKEY BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN VISITS BUSINESS MOGUL SABANCIPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday visited Sabanci Company CEO Sakip Sabanci, who since last week has been undergoing treatment at an Istanbul hospital for the flu. After his visit, Erdogan told reporters that Sabanci was in good condition. “We also discussed recent developments on the Cyprus issue and the economy,” said the premier. Tomorrow, Erdogan is set to travel to Japan to pay a four-day official visit. /Sabah/[02] GUL: “ANNAN’S PLAN SHOULD BE EXAMINED CAREFULLY”Speaking to reporters yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul called on everybody to carefully examine UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Cyprus plan, free from domestic political concerns, before reaching any decision. Commenting on recent public charges that Annan’s plan was worse than the 1920 Treaty of Sevres, which proposed Turkey’s breakup, Gul said that those making such claims had read carefully neither the treaty nor the plan. Gul said that the plan should be examined by qualified experts, then a decision should be made. “If they think that in the future we could get a better deal, then they can reject the plan, but if they think that in future we won’t get another such opportunity, then they should accept it,” added the foreign minister. /Turkiye/[03] ARINC MEETS SYRIAN PRESIDENT AL-ASSADParliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, who is currently paying an official visit to Syria, yesterday met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. After their meeting, Arinc said that the two had exchanged views on bilateral and regional issues. He added that Assad’s recent visit to Turkey was a milestone between the two countries, and that bilateral relations were going very well. /Turkiye/[04] GUL, CICEK CRITICIZE FRENCH FM’S REMARKS ON TURKEY’S EU BIDJustice Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday criticized French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, who said on Wednesday that his government was opposed to Turkey’s European Union membership “under current circumstances,” charging that Barnier had said this due to domestic political concerns. Cicek added that he hoped Barnier’s views on Turkey’s EU bid would change after this June’s European Parliament elections. Also commenting on Barnier’s remarks, which said Ankara had not met the membership criteria, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that there were still things Turkey would do to gain EU membership. “People should speak up after we fulfill our commitments and the EU publishes its [fall] progress report,” added Gul, implying that Barnier’s statements had been premature. In related news, Former German Defense Minister Volker Ruhe said yesterday that any country trying to block Turkey’s EU membership was making a strategic mistake. /Aksam/[05] CITING “ADMINISTRATIVE DEFICIENCIES,” CHP DEPUTIES CALL FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLYNine deputies from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) yesterday issued a declaration urging the chairman or Party Assembly to call an extraordinary assembly meeting. The declaration stated that the party faithful and members of the public who look to the CHP for hope had been greatly disappointed by the recent local election results, which exposed “structural and administrational deficiencies” in the party. “We call for an extraordinary assembly meeting to address these shortcomings,” said the deputies in their declaration. In related news, junior opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar is also evaluating the election results through meetings with provincial party chairmen and members of the General Administrative Board. /Hurriyet/[06] DENKTAS: “SINCE BOTH PAPADOPOULOS AND I OPPOSE THE PLAN, THE UN SHOULD POSTPONE REFERENDUMS”Speaking to reporters yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that since both he and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos are opposed to the United Nations Cyprus plan, the UN should re-evaluate the issue and postpone referendums scheduled for April 24. “I think this is the end of the process,” said Denktas. “Why are they holding referendums? Both Papadopoulos and I have decided not to sign the plan.” Asked whether the referendums could be postponed, Denktas said, “If the UN acts reasonably, it will postpone the referendums and continue the negotiating process.” /Aksam/[07] ANNAN “DISAPPOINTED” WITH PAPADOPOULOS’ OPPOSITION TO UN CYPRUS PLANUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan released a statement yesterday expressing his “disappointment” with Greek Cypriot Tassos Papadopoulos’ stand against the UN Cyprus plan. "The secretary-general has welcomed the fact that a number of political leaders on both sides in Cyprus, as well as in Greece and Turkey, appear to be moving in the direction of encouraging the people to vote to build a common future in Cyprus on the basis of the plan that he finalized on 31 March 2004 at the invitation of the parties," read the statement. "In this regard, he has received from the guarantors the assurances that were asked of them regarding the holding of the referenda and the ratification of the treaty prior to signature and to entry into force of the settlement ... The secretary-general is disappointed to learn that Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos has now called for rejection of the plan. The secretary-general fully respects the wishes of the people and will not interfere in their decision. However, he reiterates that Cypriots have a unique opportunity to reunite their country, and he hopes that they will seize it while it is before them." /Aksam/[08] TALAT: “IF TURKISH CYPRIOTS REJECT THE UN CYPRUS PLAN, IT COULD HURT ANKARA’S EU BID”Speaking at an Istanbul Chamber of Trade (ISO) meeting yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat warned that if Turkish Cypriots reject the UN Cyprus plan at a referendum scheduled for April 24, then this could also damage Ankara’s European Union membership bid by derailing the possible beginning of its accession talks next year. Asked about TRNC President Rauf Denktas’s stance on the referendum, Talat said that he had difficulty understanding the president. Later, appearing on television, Talat stated that Denktas could resign if the Turkish Cypriots accept the UN plan in the referendum. /Cumhuriyet/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS[10] BRZEZINSKI, THE EU, AND TURKEY BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak comments on Turkey’s EU membership bid. A summary of his column is as follows:“The United States is starting the day with its ‘Vietnam Nightmare.’ It’s not only recent developments that are overshadowing President Bush’s re-election hopes; the Congress’ investigation of pre-September 11 intelligence failures is also putting pressure on the government. Renowned strategist and former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski brings an intellectual viewpoint to the US’ global role. In his new book ‘The Choice: Global Domination or Global Leadership,’ Brzezinski examines the effects of the chaos caused by US regional allies’ inability to control their areas of the world due to internal problems. His book also contains important views on Turkey’s role. Brzezinski is seeking answers to the following question: ‘Would the chances of Turkey becoming an Islamic state rise if the EU shuts its doors to Turkey?’ After stressing the rise in the strategic role of Turkey, a close US close ally for half a century, after it became a model for the modernization of ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, Brzezinski discusses Turkey’s European Union membership process: ‘But Turkey’s regional role is limited by two internal problems: one, the future of Ataturk’s legacy and two, the Kurdish problem. Will Turkey, whose population is overwhelmingly Muslim, succeed in becoming a secular European state?’ Brzezinski says that Turkey has made important strides on its path to modernization and warns that if European leaders embrace Turkey’s membership even reluctantly, the prospect of Turkey becoming a theocratic Islamic state would rise, jeopardizing the EU’s own security in the process. According to Brzezinski, Europe will probably delay its word on opening its doors to Turkeys, which will in turn exacerbate the possibility of Turkey becoming an Islamic state and thus pose potential problems in southern Europe. The EU’s choice on Turkey at the end of this year will also have an effect on global balances.” 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 |