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Turkish Press Review, 05-07-29
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
29.07.2005
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT WE MUST TO PROTECT OURSELVES”
[02] PARLIAMENT TO HOLD EXTRAORDINARY SESSION TO CONSIDER ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL
[03] OZKOK: “A COMMON DEFINITION OF TERRORISM IS NEEDED”
[04] KRETSCHMER: “A STRONG, STABLE AND PEACEFUL TURKEY WILL BENEFIT THE EU”
[05] DENKTAS LAUDS COURAGE OF AZERBAIJANI GROUP VISITING TRNC VIA DIRECT FLIGHT
[06] PAPADOPOULOS: “ANKARA SIGNING THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL WILL HELP NORMALIZE ITS RELATIONS WITH GREEK CYPRUS”
[07] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[08] BITTER, BUT SILENT BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN: “WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT WE MUST TO PROTECT OURSELVES”
Speaking in an interview with the Times of London yesterday, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara could conduct a cross-border
operation against the terrorist group PKK and furthermore urged countries
aiding the PKK to end this support. “If a country, if a people, if a nation
are under threat, that country can do what is necessary under international
law," Erdogan told the Times. "We would exercise that right in the same way
as any other country could, would and did exercise that right.” He added,
"We have had terrorism in Turkey since 1978. Everybody should be in the
joint effort against terrorism; no one should be left outside the
struggle.” Erdogan also insisted the Ankara takes its took his
responsibilities in combating terrorism seriously, saying, “To give you an
example, Turkey has sent troops to Afghanistan to fight against terrorism.
Turkish troops number 1,500 and Turkish forces have twice taken over
command of ISAF, the international security force in Afghanistan ... We are
a country ready to take an active part in the fight against terrorism.”
/Turkiye/
[02] PARLIAMENT TO HOLD EXTRAORDINARY SESSION TO CONSIDER ADDITIONAL
PROTOCOL
The Parliament is soon expected to break its summer recess for an
extraordinary session to vote on the additional Customs Union protocol.
When it convenes, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold a group
meeting with his party’s deputies to brief them on the issue. Parliament
Foreign Affairs Commission head Mehmet Dulger said that the opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) was very sensitive to the matter, adding
that the government wouldn’t forsake Cyprus. Parliament must ratify the
protocol for it to become law in Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] OZKOK: “A COMMON DEFINITION OF TERRORISM IS NEEDED”
Speaking at a reception marking Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) Day yesterday,
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said that a common definition of
terrorism was needed, adding that a scholarly commission could be founded
for this task. “Academics could do this better than politicians,” he said.
Ozkok stated that the whole world was under the threat of terrorist attacks,
noting that all the recent attacks had been bombings. Also present at the
reception were Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug, Land Forces
Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, and Naval Forces Comander Adm. Ozden Ornek.
/Turkiye/
[04] KRETSCHMER: “A STRONG, STABLE AND PEACEFUL TURKEY WILL BENEFIT THE EU”
European Union Commission Turkey Representative Hansjoerg Kretschmer said
yesterday that a strong, stable, and peaceful Turkey will be to the EU’s
benefit, adding that there are several areas in Turkey which need to be
developed. “First a free market economy and a liberal democratic atmosphere
should be fostered,” he said. “Turkey has adopted important social reforms,
but there is still much to do to guarantee human rights and basic rights
and freedoms.” /Turkiye/
[05] DENKTAS LAUDS COURAGE OF AZERBAIJANI GROUP VISITING TRNC VIA DIRECT
FLIGHT
Former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas
yesterday received an Azerbaijani delegation which arrived in the TRNC via
a direct flight from Baku. This direct flight is the first to the TRNC from
another country besides Turkey. During the meeting, Denktas said that he
appreciated the delegation’s action, adding, “I congratulate you for your
bravery and I hope you will set an example for the world.” Denktas also
criticized countries which have threatened to recognize Nagorno-Karabagh if
Azerbaijan recognizes the TRNC, adding that the Karabagh dispute between
Azerbaijan and Armenia had nothing to with the Cyprus issue. /Turkiye/
[06] PAPADOPOULOS: “ANKARA SIGNING THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL WILL HELP
NORMALIZE ITS RELATIONS WITH GREEK CYPRUS”
Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday that Ankara signing
the additional Customs Union protocol wouldn’t amount to recognition of
Greek Cyprus, so there was no need for it to issue a supplementary
declaration. But Papadopoulos also stressed that with Ankara’s signature,
relations between Greek Cyprus, a European Union member state, and Turkey,
an EU candidate state, would move towards normalization. /Turkiye/
[07] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[08] BITTER, BUT SILENT BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)
Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on the consequences of Ankara signing the
additional Customs Union protocol. A summary of her column is as follows:
“The impression I got from my friends living in the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the issue of additional Customs Union protocol to
be signed soon runs like this: ‘We didn’t understood it completely. If we
had, we could have wanted Turkey to sign this in return for the European
Union passing trade regulations for the TRNC, like it promised.’ Of course
it might seem strange that the TRNC didn’t discuss this issue until now.
However, the most important thing is the quest for a solution. Greek
Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos’ stubborn stance and the fact that he’s
ignoring the rights of Turkish Cypriots has started to be discussed much
more. However, now they started to think of what might follow the signing
of the protocol. The protocol won’t change much in practice because the
Customs Union agreement which was signed between Turkey and the European
Union in 1995 started to cover the Greek Cypriot administration, like other
new members. The additional protocol is just the approval of the legal
basis of this. When Greek Cypriots said, ‘If Turkey doesn’t announce that
it recognizes us, we would certainly oppose starting membership
negotiations’ before last December’s summit, this formula of an additional
protocol was put forth by then EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter
Verheugen. Is this situation special to Turkey? No! A similar protocol was
signed between Russia and the EU on April 30, 2004. Russia resisted this
until the eve of May 1, the date the new members joined the EU. However,
finally Russia signed this on April 30.
Britain said that the additional protocol wouldn’t mean Turkey recognizing
the Greek Cypriot administration and that Turkey has the right to mention
this. What is the reason for this insistence if the additional protocol is
nothing but the legal basis of a practice which is already being carried
out? Why does Turkey want to announce that this wouldn’t mean recognition?
Ankara will issue this statement in order to establish a zone of legal
protection against the Greek Cypriots, who like to corner Turks and Turkish
Cypriots. However, this doesn’t mean that the Greek Cypriots’ trump cards
will be taken away from them forever. At every stage of the membership
talks, Greek Cypriots will continue their strategy of threatening to veto
every chapter. Opponents of Turkey’s EU membership will try to build a wall
by hiding behind them, just like before. But there’s more. Greek Cypriots
will never want Turkey to say that it gave up. Then we would give up our EU
bid and be rescued from these pressures. Why not? If we can be rescued from
all these problems, nobody will call us to account for our soldiers on
Cyprus, and the state of Turkish Cypriots would be recognized, and we could
do this right now. However, what if these problems continue and we sit at
the negotiating table with the taint of a country which doesn’t want a
solution? Isn’t it worth it to act wisely and determinedly wherever we
can?”
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