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Turkish Press Review, 05-05-16Turkish 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 morning16.05.2005FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMSCONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN IN POLAND FOR COUNCIL OF EUROPE SUMMITPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday traveled to Warsaw, Poland to represent Turkey at a two-day summit of the Council of Europe starting today. Before his departure at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport, Erdogan told reporters that the third summit of the Council of Europe would offer an exchange of views on the future of the Europe. In addition to Erdogan, 45 other leaders representing member states will take part in the gathering at Warsaw’s Royal Castle. The Turkish premier is expected to hold an informal meeting on the meeting’s sidelines with Armenian President Robert Kocharian. /Turkiye/[02] ERDOGAN: “NO ONE IS MORE NATIONALIST MORE THAN WE ARE”Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met in Ankara with his Justice and Development Party (AKP) provincial heads from 81 provinces nationwide. Erdogan as well as Justice Minister Cemil Cicek briefed the party’s top members about recent developments concerning the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling last week on terrorist group PKK head Abdullah Ocalan. Stressing that the court’s ruling was not related to the AKP, but was a matter of Turkey, Erdogan said Ocalan’s 1999 trial had been carried out during the previous coalition government. Saying that Ocalan had been punished justly, the premier stated that a retrial would in no way change the conscience of the nation. “Some people are trying to weaken the AKP. They didn’t do anything when they were in power,” charged Erdogan. “No one is more nationalist than we are.” Furthermore, Erdogan yesterday also addressed a gathering marking World Farmers’ Day. He said that his government was working hard to advance the country. /Turkiye/[03] ANKARA CALLS ON UZBEK GOVT TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUETurkey yesterday expressed called on the Uzbek government to act with common sense and start a dialogue with protesters. A statement made by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Turkey places great importance on Uzbekistan’s stability and the Uzbek people’s right to continue to live in peace. It emphasized Turkey’s wish for an immediate end to the ongoing tension in the country, adding that Turkey was ready to offer whatever assistance it could towards this end. /Cumhuriyet/[04] AGAR REELECTED TO DYP HELM, FOUR DEPUTIES QUIT PARTYThe True Path Party (DYP) completed its eighth ordinary congress over the weekend in Ankara. After being reelected to the party helm, Mehmet Agar did not include the DYP deputies serving in Parliament on the list of party management staff. Shortly thereafter four of these seven deputies representing the DYP in Parliament – Denizli’s Ummet Kandogan, Afyon’s Reyhan Balindi, Igdir’s Dursun Akdemir and Erzurum’s Ibrahim Ozdogan – resigned from the party. With their action, the new breakdown of Parliament seats is as follows: Justice and Development Party (AKP): 356, Republican People’s Party (CHP): 162, Motherland Party (ANAP): 10, DYP: 3, Social Democrat People’s Party (SHP): 5, People’s Ascent Party (HYP): 1, independents: 11, vacant: 2. /Star/[05] STATE MINISTER AYDIN TO BE APPOINTED CHIEF COORDINATOR FOR EU NEGOTIATIONSPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is reportedly planning to appoint State Minister Mehmet Aydin as the chief coordinator for Turkey’s European Union membership negotiations set to begin on Oct. 3. Erdogan is to give his final decision on the issue after the May 29 French referendum on the EU Constitution. While Erdogan himself will be the chief negotiator, Aydin is expected to act as a coordinator affiliated with the premier. /Cumhuriyet/[06] ARMENIAN FM: “THE TURKISH-ARMENIAN BORDER SHOULD BE OPENED”Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian yesterday stated that his country would be ready to research the so-called Armenian genocide allegations after relations between Turkey and Armenia are normalized. Remarking that he was expecting the Turkish-Armenian border to be opened, he added, “If an inter-governmental commission discusses the issue of normalizing bilateral relations, we can wait for six months. However, the border should be opened sooner or later. A commission under such an inter-governmental board might then be formed to discuss the genocide allegations.” /Milliyet/[07] PAPADOPOULOS: “THE TRNC’S GAZIMAGOSA PORT IS ILLEGAL”The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC) Gazimagosa (Famagusta) port is illegal, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopulos argued over the weekend. “The Gazimagosa port is illegal, so no goods can be imported there, ” he claimed. “If TRNC officials try to do so, they would be violating the European Union’s Green Line regulation.” The TRNC government last week tried to transport cargo to Greek Cyprus, cargo sent to deputy government spokesman Marios Garoyan from Romania via Gazimagosa. However Papadopoulos argued that his government could not accept the cargo since the Turkish Cypriots were violating the Green Line by sending it from an “illegal port.” /Cumhuriyet/[08] VORKINK: “TURKEY SHOULD TAKE STEPS TO PROMOTE JOB CREATION”Turkey should focus on creating more employment opportunities to sustain its rapid growth and safeguard its recent economic reforms, World Bank Turkey Director Andrew Vorkink said over the weekend. “While Turkey needs to remain committed to a broad-based macroeconomic and structural reform program, the need has come now to focus on the challenges ahead, the greatest of which is job creation,” Vorkink said. “Growing population is a positive factor to the country’s labor force, however jobs should be created more quickly to absorb the young population.” He added that Turkey should make employment rules more flexible, including employers’ ability to hire and fire staff. “Other steps might include cutting employment-related taxes, and ensuring wider access to unemployment insurance. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were lagging in productivity and they should be modernized.” /Aksam/[09] TOBB TO HOLD SECOND SME MEETING IN ISTANBULThe Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) is to hold its second small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) meeting today in Istanbul. The first such meeting was held in February in Ankara. The meeting will be organized through the joint efforts of the TOBB, European Union Delegation to Turkey, Eurochambers, and Européenne de L'Artinasat et des Petites et Moyennes Enterprises (UEAPME), an organization representing European SMEs. Businessmen, scholars and NGO representatives are expected to attend the gathering, where the problems of the European and Turkish business worlds will be discussed. /Hurriyet/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMS[11] A NEW APPROACH FOR RUMELI TURKS BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on ethnic nationalism and the situation of Rumeli Turks, meaning ethnic Turks living in former Ottoman territories, and their descendants living in Turkey. A summary of her column is as follows:“During the Rumeli Turks Culture and Solidarity Association’s congress in Istanbul yesterday, I saw that the association’s logo has a horseman bearing a green flag with three crescents. I heard that the three crescents represented the Ottoman victory over Istanbul (then Constantinople). Maybe this is the case. However, recently, the issue of Turks living outside Turkey has been evaluated only as part of nationalism. Don’t you think that it has an effect, because this image has been in the exclusive possession of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and its followers? Turks living in Balkan countries, mostly in Kosovo, have lost their status as a fundamental element. I believe the disorganization of Turks from the Balkans to Iraq has an impact on this situation. Lutfi Turkkan, a former chairmen of the association, said, “Turks are the only ethnic group whose language has been prohibited in Yugoslavia and whose rights aren’t recognized.’ These words prove this fact. There were various important politicians, including those from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Motherland Party (ANAP) at yesterday’s meeting. Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan and his wife came to the platform as Rumelis themselves. His wife promised that she would give out her phone number so people can call her if they have any problems. Such promises generally mean little; let’s see what will happen this time. Kemal Unakitan said, ‘We, the people of Rumeli, have always struggled to continue our unity and live humanely. However, now we should open a new chapter. We should change our point of view concerning the issue of ethnic nationalism. We should be stronger in countries where we live and increase our influence. We also have to think of the economic power of our kin living in other territories.” His approach reminded me of our late President Turgut Ozal’s vision, which was left uncompleted. CHP deputy leader Onur Oymen said, ‘It’s our responsibility to protect Turks’ rights.’ An ethnic nationalist approach has always been dominant concerning Rumeli Turks. Now there are other suggestions. Bulgarian and Macedonian Turks are working to play an effective role in the countries where they are citizens and help these establish a strong cooperation with Turkey. This must be the new vision, one not based on ethnic nationalism, and one which tries to make European values valid in Turkey as well. Former diplomat Mehmet Ali Bayar’s remarks were also important. He said, ‘Our history of being expelled from the Balkans became the reason for such evil actions as genocide which stained Europe’s conscience during the 20th century. We should warn Europe. Every order sought on the basis of provoking ethnic nationalism leads to disaster.’ It’s easy to follow ethnic nationalism but it’s a dead end, full of sorrow.” [12] THE TRNC: FROM ISOLATION TO PRISON BY MUSTAFA BALBAY (CUMHURIYET)Columnist Mustafa Balbay comments on developments in Cyprus, arguing that these developments don’t actually serve Turkey’s interests. A summary of his column is as follows:“Developments in Cyprus may be positive from the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) point of view, but they aren’t from Turkey’s viewpoint. After the Greek side voted no and the Turkish side voted yes in last year’s referendum on the island, Erdogan and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat said that the situation would start developing for the better. However, more than a year has passed and the situation is this: First, the Greek side followed a policy of reducing pressure that could be imposed on them. Then, they turned the pressure onto the Turkish side again! On the other hand, we can summarize the policy followed by the European Union as follows: Turks are being put under pressure to make the Greek side say yes to a new plan. Last week Prime Minister Erdogan spent half of his time abroad. He visited Russia and Hungary. In Russia, Erdogan met with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He explained the development like this: ‘It was a very useful tripartite meeting. A new process is beginning. I got positive signals from the Greeks.’ However, two ‘corrections’ followed these remarks. One was from Papadopoulos, who said ‘There is no new process.’ The second came from our Foreign Ministry: ‘The meeting took place informally, and it was not an official one. Papadopoulos’ proper interlocutor is TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat.’ We also saw last week what positive signals Erdogan received from the Greek: The Greeks started issuing arrest warrants against the Turks on the ground that they owned real estate in the TRNC that belonged to Greeks before 1974. Also, it was said that after the referendum, the TRNC’s international isolation would be lifted. It has really happened. It was lifted, and prisons were erected! It is expected that Erdogan will meet Annan in June, and Britain will become EU term president in July. It’s said that real developments will be seen then. But if these developments are like those from the past year, it would be better not to have any at all!” 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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