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Turkish Press Review, 00-08-17
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
17.08.00
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
IMPACTS OF EARTHQUAKE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BY SAMI KOHEN
[02] (MILLIYET)
[03] FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUGUST 17 EARTHQUAKE
[04] PRESIDENT SEZER VISITS EARTHQUAKE REGION
[05] PRESIDENT SEZER: "HACI BEKTAS IS A SYMBOL OF PEACE"
[06] KHK TENSION CONTINUES
[07] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING ON EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY
[08] NEW DISASTER ADMINISTRATION CENTRE IN ISTANBUL
[09] GREEK DEFENCE MINISTER SAYS PEACE POSSIBLE
[10] TURKS IN EUROPE FACE TERRORIST THREAT
[11] EU SUPPORT FOR EASTERN TURKEY
[12] TURKISH TRACKERS IN GREECE
[13] ASSOCIATION OF ANCIENT CITIES WAS ESTABLISHED
[14] BILL GATES PRAISES SOLUTION 2000 PROJECT
[15] ISTANBUL: THE CITY OF FUTURE
[16] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[17] IMPACTS OF EARTHQUAKE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BY SAMI KOHEN
(MILLIYET)
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
IMPACTS OF EARTHQUAKE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BY SAMI KOHEN
[02] (MILLIYET)
[03] FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUGUST 17 EARTHQUAKE
Last year today, the Marmara, the wealthiest region of Turkey was
shaken with a 7.4-magnitute tremor for 45 seconds, at 3:02 a.m.,
causing death of thousands and loss of billions of dollars. This
tragedy, has saddened not only Turks but also the whole world
which mobilized to help them. The victims of the quake are being
commemorated at the ceremonies organized in the whole country,
while thousands of quake survivors are still waiting for the
authorities to solve their major problems, such as lack of
permanent accomodation, infrastructural deficiencies and
unemployment.
[04] PRESIDENT SEZER VISITS EARTHQUAKE REGION
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will visit the earthquake area
today. Mr. Sezer will first go to Sakarya and attend a laying
foundation ceremony for a 294-permanent housing project which
will be constructed by the Office of Kayseri Governor. He will
then visit and see the prefabricated houses in Yalova. President
Sezer will also visit Golcuk and Kocaeli and will be briefed by
the authorities on how they have trying to heal the wounds of the
quake in the region. Finally, the President will participate in
the activities that will be held in the Suleyman Demirel Cultural
Centre.
[05] PRESIDENT SEZER: "HACI BEKTAS IS A SYMBOL OF PEACE"
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a message to the Mayor of Haci
Bektas Mustafa Ozcivan to mark the 37th traditional and 11th
International commemoration ceremonies of Haci Bektasii Veli.
Stressing that Turkey has a rich cultural structure, he said:
"The dynamic nature of Haci Bektas, the envoy of tolerance and
peace, has become a symbol of the victory of secularism."
[06] KHK TENSION CONTINUES
The tension between President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and the
government on the decree with the power of law (KHK) which
concerns the dismissal of civil servants who are allegedly
involved in reactionary and separatist actions continued
yesterday, according to the papers. Mr. Sezer did not sign the
KHK during his meeting with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. After
the meeting, Mr. Ecevit said, "The President has not examined the
letter yet which explains government's reasons for sending the
KHK back to him again." Circles close to the government suggested
that the President might return the KHK to the government once
more.
[07] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING ON EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY
The Council of Ministers will hold a meeting for the anniversary
of the August 17 Marmara earthquake. In the first part of the
meeting which will be open to the press, latest works carried out
after the Marmara eartquake to improve the conditions in the
regions damaged by the tremor will be explained to the press.
After the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will go to
earthquake region.
[08] NEW DISASTER ADMINISTRATION CENTRE IN ISTANBUL
The Foundation of Disaster Administration Centre has been
established in Istanbul. The Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitian
Municipality Ali Mufit Gurtuna said, "We have to be ready for new
earthquakes. Turkey's most sophisticated seismograph network is
in Istanbul. We have established new seismographs at eight
different points. This centre is expected to be the best of the
disaster adminYstration centres in the world."
[09] GREEK DEFENCE MINISTER SAYS PEACE POSSIBLE
Greek Defence Minister Akis Tsohatsopoulos has said that Turkey
and Greece have proved they can live together in peace. Citing
the mutual assistance they have provided in last year's
earthquakes, Mr. Tsohatsopoulos said: "We have succeeded in
formulating the conditions to co-exist together in peace and
stability."
[10] TURKS IN EUROPE FACE TERRORIST THREAT
Tunceli Security Commander General Dursun Bak stating that the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) separatist terrorist organization
was finished in Turkey, warned that the organization was pinning
its hopes on Turkish citizens in Europe, the Anatolia News Agency
reported yesterday. Gen. Bak said, " Every day a group of
terrorists either flees the organization or severs ties with it.
Despite all the intimidation and bullying, the people of Tunceli
are not assisting it." Gen. Bak said the lack of logistics supply
of the organization in Turkey makes PKK turn its face to get aid
from expatriated Turks. Gen. Bak added, "We have not had a single
terrorist incident in our province this year and many of our
checkpoints have been dismantled. "He said the goal now is to
develop the Southeast and to eradicate unemployment.
[11] EU SUPPORT FOR EASTERN TURKEY
Van Mayor Sahabettin Ozaslaner has announced that the provinces
of Van, Bitlis and Hakkari have been chosen as pilot provinces
for projects aimed at utilizing funds provided by the European
Union in order to increase the region's infrastructure level to
EU standards as part of the EU integration process. The money,
amounting 70,000,000 euros, will be used to upgrade sewer and
irrigation systems and water purification plants, develop
regional tourism and return people to their villages.
[12] TURKISH TRACKERS IN GREECE
A group of 50 trackers, who were invited to Greece to strengthen
the rapprochement between Turkey and Greece, travelled to Greece.
Before leaving Turkey, the trackers said that they would give the
message of peace and friendship to Greece. Istanbul's Provincial
Director of National Education, Mesut Ozkaya, said: "Such visits
will be paid to the other countries soon. In addition, we will
invite the other trackers in the world to the International
Trackers' Camp next year. Turkish trackers, whose ages are 7 and
18, will stay at Maria Friendship Trackers' Camp and return to
Turkey on 21 August."
[13] ASSOCIATION OF ANCIENT CITIES WAS ESTABLISHED
Turkey was included in the European Association of Ancient
Cities, which was formed during the 25th anniversary of the
Common Heritage Campaign and at the same time during the 50th
year of the European Council. After Turkey's membership to the
Association, a meeting was held in Bursa, which was attended by
70 Mayors. Association of the European Ancient Cities'
Regulations was adopted and the Turkish Association of Ancient
Cities was established during this meeting.
[14] BILL GATES PRAISES SOLUTION 2000 PROJECT
Solution 2000 Project was named as this year's most successful
project in the Microsoft's "Global Meeting" in Atlanta. Head of
Microsoft Corporation Bill Gates praised the Solution 2000
Project which aimed at helping the small and medium sized
enterprises (KOBI) in Turkey to catch up with the latest
developments in the information technologies. Gates said, "The
Solution 2000 Project which was held with Turkey's leadership
must be an example for the other countries."
[15] ISTANBUL: THE CITY OF FUTURE
Global Finance Journal made a research to elect the cyber cities
of future. The Journal gave broad information about Istanbul as
one of the 25 future cyber cities. The criteria includes
widespread usage of Internet, cellular phones and software.
According to the data given by the Journal, 2.3 percent of
Istanbul population are using the net. It says, the availibility
of cheap access to the net, young population and new
telecommunicative advancements in Turkey make it possible for
Turkey to direct the Internet market in southeastern Europe and
the Near East.
[16] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[17] IMPACTS OF EARTHQUAKE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BY SAMI KOHEN
(MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the results of the earthquake that
jolted western Turkey last year and its influence on Turkey's
foreign relations. A summary of his column is as follows:
"A year after the terrible earthquake that occurred in the
Marmara Region in Turkey last year, let us examine the
international impacts of this tragedy. When this horrible news
began to be heard last year, the world shared the sorrows of the
Turkish people and began to work to heal their wounds. Many
friendly countries were as if they were in a competition for
carrying out search and rescue operations and for sending the
necessary medical and technical equipment to Turkey. Thus, this
incident caused a magnificent display of love and help for
Turkey. The foreign press dealt with the humanitarian dimensions
of this disaster for a long period of time. After the disaster,
not only the governments, but also the non-governmental
organizations worked very hard to heal the wounds of the
earthquake victims in Turkey. Of course, the world's support
helped these unfortunate people to feel better. Even the shock,
lack of coordination and the inability of bureaucracy that Turkey
faced during the first days of this disaster did not negatively
affect the moral support of the help campaigns carried out by the
whole world.
Meanwhile, foreigners could not help mentioning the shock due to
the fact that Turkey, which is located on a dangerous fault line,
was not so organized and prepared for such a disaster. Lee
Hockstader, a journalist from the Washington Post wrote: "The
contradiction in Turkey could be seen after this earthquake. The
reaction of the Turkish people was the kind of reaction that
could be seen in the Western democracies. However, Turkey's
characteristics belonging to the Third World also displayed the
fact that Turkey is not a developed, but still a developing
country."
However, the interest and sympathy of the world that resulted
from this terrible disaster reflected to Turkey's foreign
relations and created some positive results. The most prominent
example of it is the change in Turkey's relations with Greece.
The earthquake that occurred in 17 August last year affected the
relations between the two countries very positively and the winds
of sympathy began to blow in the Aegean. As a result, a new
rapprochement is seen between them thanks to a new strategy
called "earthquake diplomacy." Another example is the
earthquake's indirect influence on the relations between Turkey
and the EU. Of course, the approval of Turkey's candidacy to the
EU is the most important example to this. As a Turkish diplomat
said to us at that time, "Maybe the only pleasing side of this
disaster is the tolerance and support that was received by Turkey
from the whole world."
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