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Turkish Press Review, 99-09-22Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>22.09.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..[02] TURCO-RUSSIAN COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISMIt is reported that Russia sees the visit of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit as being of great significance and believes that this visit will make a great contribution to the development of bilateral relations. Ecevit will engage in an exchange of views on issues such as Caucasia, the Caspian Basin and the Balkans and discuss bilateral projects, particularly those concerning energy.Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem held a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Igor Ivanov, yesterday in New York. They agreed that they should enhance cooperation against terrorism. The issue of Kosovo was also high on the agenda of the Cem-Ivanov meeting. Cem underlined that Turkey upholds the preservation of Yugoslavia's territorial integrity. On the issue of bilateral trade, Ivanov pledged that the Russian Parliament would approve two bilateral agreements pertaining to the promotion of mutual investments and the prevention of double taxation as soon as possible. /Cumhuriyet/ [03] CEM EXPRESSES 'CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM' ON TURCO-EU TIESForeign Minister Ismail Cem has said that he is 'cautiously optimistic' concerning the official declaration of Turkey's EU candidacy at the Helsinki Summit in December. Cem was speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York after a meeting with his Spaniah counterpart, Abel Matutes. The Spanish Minister, for his part, reiterated Madrid's support for Turkey's rapprochement with the EU. The Cem-Matutes talks were one of a series of meetings that Cem is having with nearly all his EU counterparts on the sidelines of the General Assembly's annual session in an effort to generate more support for Turkey's EU candidacy.Later in the day, Cem came together with Foreign Ministers Lydie Polfer of Luxembourg and Louis Michel of Belgium. In Ankara, the Head of the Turco-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission, Kursat Eser, said that the EU should clarify its stance on relations with Turkey at the Helsinki Summit. "The Turkish people are about to lose their enthusiasm for and interest in the EU. We expect the EU to give us a definite title in December", he added. /All papers/ [04] OZKAN-CHHIBBER MEETINGThe World Bank Representative for Turkey, Ajay Chhibber, visited State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan yesterday. Chhibber said in a statement following the meeting that they had discussed the financial assistance to be offered to Turkey by the World Bank following the earthquake disaster. He further stated that the Working Group set up by the World Bank to look into the issue of aid for Turkey would begin to work tomorrow. Chhibber added, "We have taken on board the issue of urgent financial assistance for Turkey as well as related issues. We also discussed the structural reform which wil be placed on the agenda after Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit. Moreover, the potential support of the World Bank for Turkey and the agricultural reform were deliberated", the Anatolia News Agency reports.[05] STATE MINISTER GAYDALI IN FRANCEA cooperation agreement was signed between Turkey and France yesterday concerning the peaceful utilization of nuclear energy. State Minister Edip Safder Gaydali signed the agreement on behalf of Turkey while State Minister for Industry, Christian Pierret, signed it on behalf of France. Gaydali and Pierret both delivered speeches at the signing ceremony and pointed out that they wanted to further develop cooperation between the two countries with reference to the utilization of nuclear energy in the medical, industrial, agricultural and energy sectors. State Minister Gaydali invited his French counterpart to Turkey and thanked him for French sensitivity towards the earthquake disaster in Turkey. Gaydali who will meet the representatives of some industrial institutions will return to Turkey on September 24, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[06] IZZETBEGOVIC DUE TO TURKEYAlija Izzetbegovic, a member of the Tri-Partite Chairmanship Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina, will come to Turkey today. A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry said that Izzetbegovic who will be in Turkey between September 22 and 24, will visit the earthquake disaster region on Thursday and and the Bosnia-Herzegovinan medical team in Cinarcik. Izzetbegovic will also meet President Suleyman Demirel. Bosnia-Herzegovina sent sanitation equipment worth 100,000 DM and 20 tons of emergency relief aid to Turkey in the aftermath of the earthquake disaster, which occurred in the Marmara Region on August 17. Bosnia-Herzegovina which also sent a 26-person search and rescue team to the Marmara Region, has a six-person medical team stationed in a field-hospital in Cirancik. Meanwhile, the total of donations deposited by Bosnia-Herzegovinan officials and citizens in the Ziraat Bank branch in Sarajevo has reached 44,395 DM and $3,300, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[07] THANKS IN 40 LANGUAGESAn exhibition entitled "Thank you, world. Signed, the Turkish nation" designed in order to thank all the countries which helped Turkey in the aftermath of the earthquake disaster in the Marmara Region, was opened by Tourism Minister Erkan Mumcu in Istanbul yesterday. The exhibition has been jointly organized by the Tourism Ministry and the Advertising Agencies' Association. The advertisements will be published in newspapers and magazines in 40 foreign languages in 43 countries. /Cumhuriyet/[08] LOANS FROM SPAINThe Spanish Government will offer loans of $60 million to Turkey following the earthquake disaster. Japan also declared that it will initially send 500 prefabricated houses to Turkey for the victims of the earthquake. /Cumhuriyet/[09] TURKISH AND GREEK ACADEMICS ISSUE A DECLARATIONTurkish and Greek academics have issued a joint declaration for the removal of the borders and barriers to environmental cooperation. The Head of the Ecology Group in Turkey, Prof.Umit Erdem, and the Head of the Greek Ecology Group, Prof.J.D.Pandis, have prepared the declaration which will later be available for scientists to sign during the eighth European Ecology Congress currently underway in Greece. Scientists declared that the Aegean Sea is 'a common sea' and added that the environment has nothing to do with nations whether they are Turks or Greeks.The declaration stated that people from different cultures and religions had managed to live together for many centuries and remarked that agriculture, industrialization, urbanization and tourism, which have recently become intensified, have started to threaten the Aegean Region and have caused rapid changes in the physical and cultural structure of the Region. /Cumhuriyet/ [10] UNLIMITED GUARANTEE DESIRED FOR BAKU-CEYHANThe Representative of the International Consortium which is operating the Azerbaijani Azeri, Cirak and Gunesli oil reserves in the Caspian Sea, Wref Diggings, said that they had requested an unlimited guarantee from Turkey to underwrite the cost of the Baku-Ceyhan project. The Head of the International Consortium, David Woodword, also confirmed the financial guarantee requested from Turkey. Woodword held a press conference yesterday and stated that the issue of the cost of the Baku-Ceyhan project should be clarified. /Cumhuriyet/[11] FOOTBALL AID FOR QUAKE VICTIMSThe European Football Federations' Union and the German Football Federation will launch initiatives to help the victims of the earthquake in Turkey. A statement issued by the Turkish Football Federation said that these two federations had contacted the Turkish Football Federation and said that they wanted to help the victims in Turkey. The statement thanked the two Federations for their support. The European Football Federations' Union said that it would be able to send 600,000 Swiss Francs while the German Football Federation stated that it would be able to send 250,000 DM. /Cumhuriyet/[12] WORLD BANK TO INCREASE LOANSThe Head of the World Bank, James Wolfensohn, held a press conference in Washington yesterday and said that they were in search of $3 million more in financial assistance to contribute to the reconstruction of the disaster region in Turkey. Wolfensohn pointed out that there was no economic crisis in Turkey and added that long-term reconstruction work was very important. /Turkiye/[13] NETAS' SUCCESSNETAS, a leading telecommunications company in Turkey, has managed to have three agreements signed concerning investments totalling $23 million. In order to strengthen the Turkish defence industry, NETAS will install its IFF responsive systems in the 30 Sikorsky "Black Hawk" helicopters envisaged to be purchased from the US Sikorsky firm. NETAS hopes to produce the IFF systems by the end of the year 2000 at the latest. /Turkiye/[14] KLERIDES REJECTS U.S. PROPOSALThe Greek-Cypriot Leader Glafkos Klerides stated that he would not accept the U.S. 'tri-partite sovereignty' proposal. Klerides, who is currently in New York, met the British Representative on Cyprus, Sir David Hanney, yesterday and said that pressure should be put on the Turkish-Cypriots for a solution to the Cyprus problem. /Turkiye/[15] EIGHT PKK TERRORISTS CAPTUREDEight members of the PKK terrorist organization have been captured by security forces in Kars. Officials said that five of them were detained and later arrested. /Turkiye/[16] MODERN TANKS FOR TURKEYThe most modern tanks in the world, produced by five foreign companies which reached the final round of the tender for tanks worth $7 billion put out by Turkey, will be sent to Turkey for a one-year test period as of the beginning of next year. According to the 'Defence News' magazine published in the U.S., the tanks will be tested by Turkish officials. The firm which will win the tender will be determined in 2002 and the production of 1,000 tanks will begin in 2004. It is also reported that the foreign firm which wins the tender will produce the tanks jointly with a Turkish company. /Turkiye/[17] 13TH TURKISH HISTORY CONGRESSThe 13th Turkish History Congress will be held between October 4 and 8 to mark the 700th anniversary of the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. More than 300 Turkish and foreign scientists will attend the Congress organized by the Turkish History Institution under the auspices of President Suleyman Demirel. /Turkiye/[18] $30 MILLLION FROM SOUTH KOREAA statement issued by the Prime Ministry's Treasury Undersecretariat said that loans have been provided by the South Korean Government to contribute to the reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in the disaster region in Turkey. The loans of $30 million will be repayable over a 30-year term. /Turkiye/[19] BRITISH MINISTER MEETS OZKANThe British Housing and Public Works Minister, Nick Raynsford, met Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan yesterday. Raynsford made a statement following the meeting and said that he would undertake a tour of inspection in Adapazari, Izmit and Golcuk and added, "We would like to help Turkey in the construction of earthquake-proof buildings. We will also offer financial assistance". /Turkiye/[20] 'LIVING TOGETHER IS AN ART'The Greek-Orthodox Patriarch, Bartholomeos II, stated that living together was an art and added that, unfortunately politicians, had not been provided with enough training needed for this issue. Bartholomeos delivered a speech at the Symposium on the 'Art of Living Together: Tolerance 700" organized by the Journalists' and Authors' Foundation to mark the 700th anniversary of the establishment of the Ottoman Empire, and said that people should respect all different cultures and be tolerant of each other. The Chairman of the Virtue Party (FP), Recai Kutan, and Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Yasar Okuyan also attended the Congress. /Milliyet/[21] GERMANY LAUNCHES TRIAL AGAINST KAPLANThe German Federal Chief Prosecutor's Office has launched a trial against Metin Kaplan, the head of the so-called 'Caliphate State', and Hasan Basri G. and Harun A., members of this illegal organization. The trial has begun at Dusseldorf's Provincial High Court. /Milliyet/[22] ERALP CRITICIZES EU'S HUMAN RIGTHSAmbassador Yalim Eralp delivered a speech at the 'Conference for a Review of Human Rights' organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria, and said that some EU countries were imposing 'double standards'. Eralp stated that the European Court in Luxembourg had taken some decisions in favour of Turkish workers, however, these had not been implemented by some EU countries. /Milliyet/[23] TURKEY'S NEW AMBASSADOR TO BELGIUMAmbassador Temel Iskit presents his credentials today to Albert II, the King of Belgium, thus officially taking up his post as Turkey's Ambassador to Belgium. Iskit, like his predecessor Guner Oztek, will also be Turkey's permanent representative to the Western European Union (WEU). /All papers/[24] PARTNERSHIP CALL FROM FINLANDThe Finnish Minister of Trade, Kimmo Sasi, pointed out the industrial potential in Finland and said that Finnish companies wished to be more active in Turkey. A banquet was given in Sasi's honour yesterday by leading business circles in Turkey. Sasi remarked that there were many projects which could be undertaken by Finnish firms in the reconstruction of the disaster region in Turkey. /Aksam/[25] U.S. BUSINESSMEN ARE READY TO COOPERATEThe U.S. Undersecretary of Trade, John Bridenstine, called upon Turkish businessmen to invest in the Caspian Region. Bridenstine attended the promotional gathering of the Caspian Financial Centre organized by the Izmir Chamber of Trade yesterday, and said that they would always support Turkey. /Aksam/[26] DRUGS RAIDDuring a raid carried out in Erzurum, 23,567 roots of Indian hemp were seized yesterday. Officials said that 11 people were detained in connection with the incident and added that the Indian hemp roots had been burnt and destroyed, the Anatolia News Agency reports. Meanwhile, during another raid in the Siverek district of Sanliurfa, 3,740,476 roots of Indian hemp and 44 kilos of hashish were seized. Officials said that an investigation was underway.[27] ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAPTUREDOne hundred and sixty-two people who attempted illagally to cross from Turkey to Greece have been captured in Edirne. Officials said that 157 foreign immigrants were sent to the Foreigners' Department of Edirne Security Office in order to be deported while five Turkish citizens were sent to the Republican Prosecutor's Office, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[28] 'LET'S BENEFIT FROM THIS WIND OF FRIENDSHIP ON CYPRUS'The Greek Foreign Minister Yorgo Papandreu, was interviewed by a correspondent from the 'Hurriyet' newspaper. Stressing that Turkish and Greek people wanted to live in peace, Papandreu said that both sides had to work to solve the problems between the two countries. He pointed out, "One of the main obstacles which prevents us from normalizing our diplomatic relations is the Cyprus issue. There are also disputes concerning the Aegean Islands and continental shelves; we can seek solutions to these problems using international laws and the Hague Council. However, Cyprus has divided us, since it is already a divided island. The Turks and the Greeks have exhibited a great solidarity and friendship during the last month. We can redirect this attitude towards the Cyrus issue." /Hurriyet/[29] SO-CALLED KURDISH PARLIAMENT-IN-EXILE TO BE ABOLISHEDIt is stated that the PKK will abolish the so-called 'Kurdish Parliament-in-exile' based in Belgium and join with the 'Kurdistan National Congress' (KNC), established this year. The Congress was established last May under the auspices of the PKK in Amsterdam, the capital of Holland, with the participation of 177 delegates. While a Syrian historian, Prof. Ismet Serif Vanli, was selected as the Head of the Congress, Abdullah Ocalan was selected as the 'Honorary Chairman'. The Congress convened last weekend in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. In a statement issued on the resolutions taken during the Congress, it was said that the so-called 'Kurdish Parliament-in-exile' which has been active since 1995 in various cities in Europe, had served its purpose and it would be absorbed in the KNC. Meanwhile, it was decided that the KNC would open offices in the U.S., England, and some Scandinavian Countries. /Hurriyet/[30] AID FROM ITALYThe Italian government has dispatched humanitarian aid for the earthquake victims; 240 containers of aid supplies were handed over to Turkish authorities at the harbour of Derince. Among the aids are tents, refrigerators, ovens, sleeping bags, blankets, clothes, drinking water, cleaning materials and children's toys. Italian authorities said that they would continue to help the victims. /Hurriyet/[31] YSK EXPECTED TO DECIDE ON KAVAKCI'S STATUSThe Parliament Speaker's Office, which decides on the status of members of Parliament, is expected to ask the Higher Election Council (YSK) to decide on the status of Virtue Party (FP) deputy Merve Kavakci, after the Council of State turned down her appeal to have its earlier decision revoking her Turkish citizenship reversed, the Anatolia News Agency reported.Following the Council of State's refusal to stay the Cabinet order that would strip Kavakci of her Turkish citizenship, the debate over her remaining a member of Parliament is again on the agenda. [32] TURKISH DELEGATION TO ATTEND IMF-WORLD BANK MEETINGA Turkish delegation headed by Recep Onal, the State Minister responsible for the economy, will fly to Washington on September 24. The delegation will include officials from the Treasury Undersecretariat, Ministry of Finance, State Planning Organization (DTP), Central Bank and the Privatization Administration Board (OIB). The delegation will attend the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).State Minister Onal will attend the meetings as the IMF's Turkey Governor and Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp as the World Bank's Turkey Governor. Turkish Central Bank Governor Gazi Ercel will have the title of IMF Turkey Deputy Governor and Deputy Treasury Undersecretary Ferhat Emil will have the title World Bank Turkey Deputy Governor. OIB Chairman Ugur Bayar will also attend the meeting, Anatolia News Agency reported. [33] SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA PROJECT (GAP)The Prime Minister, Bulent Ecevit, is going to the U.S. carrying a file that includes the investments undertaken as part of the GAP. It was reported that the documentation has two aims: to ensure American investors involved in the project area and to provide loans for public investments in the region. The Prime Minister planned the marketing of the Southeastern Anatolia Project to American firms and some firms have begun to be interested in Turkey's biggest venture. The GAP company, which is one of the biggest textile manufacturers in the U.S., reported that it wishes to use the cotton grown in the GAP region so as not to benefit from the marketing advantages of the similarity between the names. The GAP's Director of Buying inspected the region last year and the company is preparing to invest in the GAP region now.During the Prime Minister's visit, it is envisaged that many ventures, including dams, power-stations, irrigation projects and roads, will be speeded up with American investment. The financing of the construction of the part of the motorway which extends from Sanliurfa to the Harput border gate is being looked for; this motorway is located between Gaziantep and Sanliurfa. The GAP Regional Administration's Chairman, Olcay Unver, said, "All sorts of issues concerning agriculture, such as industry and commerce, may come onto the agenda." Before investing, various teams of Americans have been investing the GAP region since 1997. First, members of the American Congress came to the region in 1997; in the same year the U.S. agricultural attache and an official from the Canadian Embassy visited the region. Last year, it was observed that American traffic in the region had increased with a group of 17 people, officials from the White House, followed by Prof. Dr. Peter Frick and Prof. Dr. Halil Guven from San Diego University who toured the region. /Sabah/ [34] RECKLESS FOR THE TEXTILE QUOTAThe strategy that will be followed concerning the "textile quota", one of the most significant reasons for the Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to the U.S., had been determined. Turkey will implement a three-stage plan in order to increase its share of the American market, which purchased textiles worth 60 billion dollars from Turkey. The first stage will request the U.S. to dispose of or enlarge the scope of the textile quotas. The second stage will ask for the West Coast to be opened up. During the third stage, finally, American firms will be encouraged to invest in joint vertures in Turkey. /Sabah/[35] "TURKISH ECONOMY MAY GROW BY 7%"The Chairman of TUSIAD, Erkut Yucaoglu, said, "If the visits to America and Europe result in positive moves, it will not be a dream to think that the Turkish economy will grow by 5% in the year 2000 and 7% in the following years. Turkey is implementing the reforms quickly which were decided on after the elections; we will see the results of these after October. Relief in the economic picture after the earthquake can be seen. If the economy is activated by these reforms, then there is no obstacle to an agreement with the IMF.The most important topic during the meetings with the IMF is the 2000 budget. There has been a clamp-down on spending, the policies and the privatization initiatives that will prevent inflation have speeded up and steps have been taken towards agriculture reform, which will make it easier for Turkey to find cheaper funding. We can consider it to give hope to the economy. The second one is the American issue; the path to political dialogue has been re-opened. Turkey's EU membership status will be accepted in the Helsinki Summit on the same footing as the other candidates. If the policies in place are not a hindrance, then there will be no obstacle to investments from Europe, which will provide an established speed." /Sabah/ [36] 2,500 HOUSES FROM GERMANYAn agreement concerning the construction of 1500 temporary houses, which will be built using the donation of 15 million Deutsche Marks from GTZ, was signed in Ankara yesterday. The Turkish Minister of Public Works and Settlement, Koray Aydin, expressed his pleasure deriving from the fact that the German Technical Cooperation Association (GTZ) had handed over a donation, amounting to 15 million Deutsche Marks, so quickly. Minister Aydin also stated that Israel and Italy too had promised to construct houses. An official said, "In the first stages, we will send 500 prefabricated houses belonging to the National Defence Force. Our government has put out a bid for the transportation of these houses, which will cost 1 million 40 thousand dollars. It was decided to send prefabricated houses and they are expected to be delivered within Turkey on 20th October. We are sending these houses immediately because we have them already; the other 500 houses will be purchased from a manufacturer." /Sabah/[37] GERMANS IN EARTHQUAKE-HIT REGIONThe Deputy German Minister of Labour, Gerd Andres, said that they were looking for ways to help Turkey with the reconstruction. Andres visited the earthquake-hit regions in Adapazari and said, "In Turkey, various precautions have been taken. First of all, it is important to find shelter for those who became homeless after the earthquake. The World Bank, the European Development Bank and the EU are making efforts to provide aid." /Aksam/[38] ROME OBJECTS TO OCALANWhen the head of the terrorist PKK organization, Abdullah Ocalan went to Rome, he applied to Italy for the right to political refuge. However, Italy did not accept his request. In an article published by the Italian press yesterday, it was said that the request was being considered by the Second Civilian Court in Rome and it was stated that the judge would declare his decision in 15 days' time. In the article, it was also reported that Apo's lawyers had repeated their request for political refugee status for their client for the last time. Moreover, the government had repeated that they had not accepted Ocalan's demand. /Aksam/[39] FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..[40] FRIENDSHIP WITH GREECE -BY MIM KEMAL OKE (TURKIYE)Columnist Mim Kemal Oke analyzes the state of relations between Turkey and Greece. A summary of his column is as follows:"We are always in favour of peace and friendship and know that our long-term national interests have to pass through friendship with Athens. Therefore, we support the emotional rapprochement between Turkey and Greece following the earthquake disaster and hope that it will continue. However, we should not ignore certain issues merely for the sake of frinedship; for a friendship to last a long time or be permanent, national interests have to coincide. Therefore, we have to take a look at "synchronization". The friendship emanating from Greece is not only based in humanitarian enthusiasm but also is a serious strategic foreign policy. The situation has reached such a point that Turkey's friendship is in the national interests of Greece. It has ben revealed that, during the PKK affair, Greece has been hitting Turkey below the belt for years. Furthermore, she has been seen as a country supporting terrorism by the international public due to the confessions of Ocalan and as an untrustworthy ally trying to destroy her NATO ally from within. During the trial of Ocalan, there was great anger vented towards Greece; at the time even other Western States could not defend her. The affection she has shown for Turkey in the aftermath of the earthquake is a consequence of her wish to compensate for that behaviour. Europe has always backed the wrong horse. Athens has supported Serbia in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, and the EU has begun to view her as an idle member exploiting the Union. On the issue of the participation of the Greek-Cypriot Administration in the EU, Brussels has told her to reach an agreement with the Turks and then request membership. If the atmosphere of friendship were able to drift to Cyprus from Turkey and the TRNC were able to sit at the conference table with no pre-conditions being imposed, the process of EU membership for the Greek-Cypriot Administration would gain momentum. Despite all the problems within the country, Turkey is on the way to becoming a key country in Eurasia. Turkey as an international power would enjoy a very important position in the Eastern Mediterranean, in addition to its relations with the Balkans. In short, animosity towards Turkey has reached the point where it could damage the strategic and economic interests of Greece. We should not forget that Greece has always sought the friendship of Turkey in her weakest moments, for example when threatened by the Russians, Mussolini, or following the Second World War. We shall have to wait and see the next positive move by Greece." [41] HADEP TURNED DOWN BY VIENNA -BY YALCIN DOGAN (MILLIYET)Columnist Yalcin Dogan writes on the Conference for a Review of Human Rights. A summary of his column is as follows:Close to 130 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all over the world came to Vienna. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is discussing human rights issues with the participation of its members. It is officially called the "Conference for a Review of Human Rights" During this conference, what has been done in the course of one year concerning human rights issues in every country is being discussed and what must still be done is reviewed. Even the most developed Western countries are faced with difficult questions. That is to say, on human rights violations we are not the only ones to give an account of our actions. All countries from Italy to Sweden, Holland and Austria are being questioned. These questionings do not have any authority to impose sanctions. The only sanction lies within the public conscience. The conference is in the nature of the control of human rights issues in various countries. It does not take place behind closed doors as it addresses the communities and, therefore, non-governmental organizations take an active interest in it. Close to 130 NGOs are observing these meetings where they can ask questions, intervene and discuss the issues. It is an international democratic platform. Sharing the same platform with the Ambassadors of 54 European countries is an indication of the importance attached to these groups. The People's Democracy Party (HADEP) also asked to sit on these meetings but it was turned down as it was a political party and not a non-governmental organization. In the following days, HADEP will be tried by the Constitutional Court. It would be more logical to choose a national court in which to defend itself rather than an international arena. It is not clear whether the party administration is aware of such a request, but it was made on behalf of HADEP. On the other hand, the chapter of the report on Turkey presented to the conference repeats the same things all over again. While we are busy with problems created by the earthquake, "others" are occupied with defending the PKK. It is still called an 'armed resistance organization'. That is, there is no mention of its being a terrorist organization. We have to tell them tirelessly, over and over again, that it is a terrorist organization, in the hope that they may understand some day." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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