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Turkish Press Review, 01-10-05
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Foreign
Press in Turkey
Turkish
Press Review >>
Press
Guide
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
05.10.2001
CONTENTS
[01] CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS BEFORE THE PRESIDENT
[02] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING
[03] RUMSFELD TO VISIT ANKARA
[04] YILMAZ: "ADJUSTMENT LAWS SHOULD BE ENACTED AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE"
[05] DERVIS HOLDS MEETINGS IN THE US
[06] TUSIAD: "CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS ARE IMPORTANT
STEPS"
[07] THE US PRAISES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
[08] WORLD IMPRESSED BY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
[09] FOGG: "TURKEY SURPRISES THE EU"
[10] VURAL: "WE HAVE MADE MAJOR PROGRESS ON HUMAN
RIGHTS"
[11] TURK CRITICIZES EUROPEAN ATTITUDE TO TERRORISM
[12] KAZAKHSTAN SHARES THE SAME STANCE WITH TURKEY
[13] IRTEMCELIK RESIGNS FROM ANAP
[14] VARYAG PASSES THROUGH THE STRAITS IN OCTOBER
[15] TURKISH BUSINESS DELEGATION IN BEIRUT
[16] FISCHER GIVES GUARANTEE TO CEM ON "BLACK
VOICE"
[17] ARMENIAN LITERATURE ANTHOLOGY IS PUBLISHED
[18] AWARD TO THE TURKISH SURGEON
[19] FAZIL SAY CHARMED WITH 'NAZIM'
[20] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[21] ATHENS AND COMBATTING TERRORISM BY FERAI TINC
(HURRIYET)
[01] CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS BEFORE THE PRESIDENT
The bill regarding the amendments to some articles
of the constitution, is presented to the president for approval. The
period given to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to examine the amendments
began today. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will examine the amendments
in 15 days at the most. The bill in question will have to be approved
by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and published in the Official Gazette
in order to go into force. /Turkiye/
[02] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING
The Council of Ministers convened yesterday under
the chairmanship of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. The main issue
discussed in the meeting was the national and international strategies
which Turkey will pursue in combating terrorism after the emergence of
new conditions in the aftermath of the September 11th incident.
Pointing out that NATO became more important in international politics
recently, the Council emphasized that this fact strengthened Turkey's
arguments on combating terrorism. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit stated
that Turkey would develop strategies within the framework of her
national interests. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Minister of
National Defense Sabahattin Cakmakoglu briefed the Council about their
contacts abroad. Stating he conveyed the message that Turkey would
lend her full support to the US in line with her own conditions and
interests during his visit to Washington, Foreign Minister Cem said
that he presented detailed intelligence on Afghanistan to the US. Cem
said the US was content with Turkey's attitude. He also added that he
had the impression in Germany that there might be positive
developments regarding a possible cooperation against terrorism
between Turkey and Germany. Briefing on NATO Ministers Council
meeting, Cakmakoglu said more positive ideas developed within the
European countries towards Turkey's attitude to the European Defense
and Security Identity (ESDI). /All Papers/
[03] RUMSFELD TO VISIT ANKARA
US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will pay a
suprise visit to Ankara today. Reportedly, he will inform Turkish
authorities about his recent tour including Saudia Arabia, Umman,
Eygpt and Uzbekistan to convince those countries that a war against
terrorism did not target Arabs and Islamic world. Rumsfeld is expected
to arrive in Ankara at night, after completing his contacts at the
last stop of the visits, Uzbekistan. /Turkiye/
[04] YILMAZ: "ADJUSTMENT LAWS SHOULD BE ENACTED AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE"
Stating that Parliament responded the criticisms by
approving the constitutional amendment package in a very short period,
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said, "The next duty of the
Parliament is to enact the adjustment laws necessary for the
implementation of the amendments immediately." Yilmaz said that
recent amendments are significant for the future of Turkey. Reminding
that prepatory work had already been initiated for the enactment of
adjustment laws in the Parliament even before the approval of the
reform package, Yilmaz said, "In order to accelerate this period,
we need to clarify certain definitions in the law to prevent extreme
differences of interpretation. It will be appropriate for us to accept
European Court of Human Rights decisions as criteria for our future
steps." /Cumhuriyet/
[05] DERVIS HOLDS MEETINGS IN THE US
Minister of State for Economy, Kemal Dervis is
continuing his meetings with the IMF and the World Bank authorities in
the US. Dervis finally met with Chairman of the World Bank, James
Wolfensohn. Meanwhile, Turkish delegation, headed by Kemal Dervis, is
holding meetings with the World Bank and US administration.
Reportedly, Turkey's $ 5-million debt to the IMF, foreseen to be paid
next year, is highly expected to be postponed. Additionally, important
steps were taken for the cancellation of Turkey's debts to the US
regarding the military loans. Dervis will hold a press conference
today to inform about the developments. /Turkiye/
[06] TUSIAD: "CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS ARE IMPORTANT
STEPS"
Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association
(TUSIAD) evaluated the constitutional amendments approved by the
Parliament as an important step regarding Turkey's accession period to
the EU. In its written statement TUSIAD said, "Amendments in 34
articles of the Constitution should be considered as important steps
to meet the Copenhagen Political Criteria on the path towards the EU.
We believe that Parliament will enact the regulations necessary for
the implementation of the new articles as soon as possible."
TUSIAD also requested further amendments concerning Political Parties
Law and abolishment of the political immunity for the
parliamentarians. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] THE US PRAISES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
The US expressed her contentment with the
constitutional amendments made in Turkey. US Department of State
Spokesman Richard Boucher stated that they appreciated the reform
package approved in Turkey through which rights and freedoms on
expression, meeting and private lives of citizens were extended.
Boucher said, "The approval of this package in the Turkish
Parliament is an important milestone." Reminding that Turkey was
an ally and friend to the US, Boucher said that the Parliament should
also enact the necessary regulations for the implementation of these
amendments as soon as possible. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] WORLD IMPRESSED BY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
The approval of the reform package including the
constitutional amendments by the Turkish Parliament is receiving
positive reactions from the world. While world press is praising the
amendments, European observers evaluated the amendments as the most
important development in the recent years in Turkey. Prominent
newspapers and news agencies such as Wall Street Journal, Financial
Times, New York Times, Reuters and the Guardian stated that Turkish
parliament took an essential step concerning Turkey's accession period
to the EU. They evaluated the developments as a symbol of Turkey's
resolve to become an EU member. /Sabah/
[09] FOGG: "TURKEY SURPRISES THE EU"
Delivering a speech on the Turco-EU relations at a
conference titled "Turkey's and Poland's Accession Period to the
EU- Two EU candidate countries in a period of change" at the
Middle East Technical University (ODTU), European Union Commission's
Representative to Turkey, Karen Fogg said Turkish Parliament's making
constitutional amendments in such a short time surprised the EU. Fogg
said, "These amendments showed how determined Turkey is to meet
EU's political criteria. EU Commission shall take these attempts into
consideration." Meanwhile, Secretary-General for EU Affairs
Volkan Vural said, "Turkey will be an indispensable actor for the
future of Europe." /Cumhuriyet/
[10] VURAL: "WE HAVE MADE MAJOR PROGRESS ON HUMAN
RIGHTS"
Secretary General for European Union Affairs
Ambassador Volkan Vural said yesterday that Turkey had shown signs of
a big leap towards bettering its human rights record by passing a
comprehensive constitutional amendment package. Vural said,
"Turkey, as a signatory to many international agreements and
conventions in this field, is now at a very important and
comprehensive process of transformation." He added, "This is
a very important step taken by the Parliament, of which we should be
proud as far as Turkish democracy is concerned." /Turkish News/
[11] TURK CRITICIZES EUROPEAN ATTITUDE TO TERRORISM
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk joined other
Turkish officials in criticizing European countries for their
attitudes towards terrorist organizations. At the 24th European
Justice Ministers Conference in Moscow, Turk spoke at "The
measures against international terrorism" session, which was
proposed by Germany, Russia and Slovenia, as well as Turkey. Turk told
that having become the target of terrorist campaigns for years, Turkey
is determined to continue struggling with this problem, and to support
all the relevant international initiatives. /Turkish Daily News/
[12] KAZAKHSTAN SHARES THE SAME STANCE WITH TURKEY
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and his Kazakh
counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev continued their assessments initiated
by the phone call from Sezer, with a meeting in the Presidential
Palace the day before. The Presidency Press Office issued a statement
concerning the meeting of the two presidents. It said, "In
addition to bilateral and regional issues, the Sep. 11 terrorist
attacks in the US have also been discussed during the meeting. Both
presidents share the same opinions on the fight against terrorism,
that international cooperation is essential and they support every
effort in this context. On the other hand they also underlined the
importance of the Joint Statement for Fight Against Terrorism, signed
in Astana last October." /Turkish Daily News/
[13] IRTEMCELIK RESIGNS FROM ANAP
A Motherland Party (ANAP) deputy from Istanbul,
Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik resigned from his party yesterday. After his
resignation, ANAP's number of deputies in Parliament decreased to 83
while the number of independents increased to 20. Criticizing the
government Irtemcelik said Turkey urgently needs a powerful
government. On the other hand, Mesut Yilmaz, the leader of ANAP and
Deputy Prime Minister said that the resignations' of certain deputies
whose political horizons were not wide enough to see anything other
than their own interests would not harm their party. /All Papers/
[14] VARYAG PASSES THROUGH THE STRAITS IN OCTOBER
The Council of Ministers reached a decision
yesterday permitting the passage of Varyag (Chinese aircraft
carrier)through the Straits. Minister of State Sukru Sina Gurel
briefed the Council on the recent developments regarding the passage
of Varyag. Stating that China provided Turkey with the guarantee
against all the risks that might emerge in the Straits due to the
passage of Varyag, Gurel said that meteorological and maritime
conditions would be most appropriate in October. The Council of
Ministers will determine the exact date of the passage. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] TURKISH BUSINESS DELEGATION IN BEIRUT
A trade delegation from Turkey, headed by Foreign
Trade Undersecretary Kursat Tuzmen, arrived in Beirut on Thursday
following a tour in Damascus. The delegation first met Lebanon's
Minister of Housing and Public Works Ajib Miqati. The Minister called
on both countries to determine all possible fields of cooperation
between them. /Turkish News/
[16] FISCHER GIVES GUARANTEE TO CEM ON "BLACK
VOICE"
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem obtained a promise from
his German counterpart Joschka Fischer to eradicate the financial
resources of the terrorist organizations like the "Black
Voice" (Kara Ses), which are active in Germany. Cem briefed the
Council of Ministers on the issue yesterday. /Milliyet/
[17] ARMENIAN LITERATURE ANTHOLOGY IS PUBLISHED
The "Armenian Literature Anthology" book,
which includes samples from Armenian myths, poems, fairy tales,
religious songs, letters and traveling notes, has been published by
the Culture Ministry. Minister Istemihan Talay said that the anthology
had been prepared to introduce world literature to Turkish readers and
that a history of Armenian literature had been included to educate
Turkish readers on the subject. /Turkish News/
[18] AWARD TO THE TURKISH SURGEON
The Union of French Surgeons, awarded a Turkish
surgeon for the first time with honorary membership. Professor Cavit
Avci from Istanbul University Capa Faculty of Medicine General
Surgeory Department, took his award in a ceremony organized in Palais
des Congress, Paris. Besides famous scientists, Turkish Ambassador to
Paris Sönmez Köksal and Consul General Ozer Aydan attended the
ceremony organized by the Union of French Surgeons, which has a
history of 103 years. /Sabah/
[19] FAZIL SAY CHARMED WITH 'NAZIM'
During the opening concert of the season 2001-2002
by the Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO) last night, President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer and his wife Semra Sezer listened to the world
premiere of Fazil Say's work 'Nazim'. The concert was staged in the
Selim Sirri Tarcan Sport Hall within the framework of Culture
Ministry's "Project for Encouraging Works of Turkish
Composers". In the concert Genco Erkal and Sertab Erener also
took the stage. /Cumhuriyet/
[20] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[21] ATHENS AND COMBATTING TERRORISM BY FERAI TINC
(HURRIYET)
Columnist Ferai Tinc writes on the combat against
terrorism and the admittance of the Greek Cypriot Administration into
the EU. A summary of her column is as follows: "German Foreign
Minister who met with both the Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said that they preferred
Cyprus to enter the EU after it has solved its problems. However,
these days the EU officials are all saying the same. The same sentence
can also be found in the report prepared in connection with the
enlargement of EU. This report will be discussed during the leaders
summit to be held in Ghent on October 19. It is stressed that a
solution for the Cyprus problem is preferred before the admittance of
the Greek Cypriot Administration as a full member to the EU. However,
we should not exaggerate the issue. The European Union does not refute
its decision adopted at the Helsinki Summit and say that it would not
admit the Greek Cypriot Administration as a full-member if it does not
solve the question. Not long ago, in August it was giving
carte-blanche to Cyprus. Today there is a certain loosening in this
stance. That is why Athens is nervous. Papandreou's harsh response to
Fischer's words display this uneasiness. He said, 'If you insist on a
solution we will block the enlargement process.' Both Greece and Greek
Cypriot Administration are feeling uneasy over the the mobilization
against terrorism following the attacks on the US. This process has
led to a tension between Turkey and Greece. The tension stems from
certain reasons First of all, Greece did not account for the support
it has lended to the PKK for years and did not indulge in
self-criticism over the scandals taking place before the eyes of the
whole world. The possibility of settling old accounts creates tension.
The attack on the US has created problems for Athens. Many issues it
would prefer to be forgotten has come out into the open. Athens is
being criticised by Washington for not combatting sufficiently against
the 'September 17' organization which has been carrying out actions
against American targets for 25 years. Greece is not opening up
Milosevic's accounts in Greek and Greek Cypriot banks for
international control. The support it has given to PKK is also a hump
on Greek Cypriot Administration's back. Following the rumours
concerning the money flow, Turks entered into close cooperation with
the US. According to information furnished by the officials, the
suspected accounts, people and money flow have been opened to the
control of experts. Greek Cypriot Administation is still on the
defensive. The circumstances of the time provide an opportunity for
Turkey to explain its arguments and be understood."
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