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Turkish Press Review, 01-10-22
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
22.10.2001
CONTENTS
[01] BUSY SCHEDULE IN THE PARLIAMENT
[02] BAHCELI CALLS ATTENTION TO PRIVATE SECTOR
[03] EU'S PLAN FOR TURKEY
[04] GUREL ON MICHEL'S WISH
[05] CEM STARTS HIS TOUR TO THE CENTRAL ASIA
[06] VERHEUGEN ON TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP
[07] AFGHAN GOVERNMENT TO BE FORMED IN TURKEY
[08] TURKEY FEELING COMMISSION'S SUPPORT IN NEW PHASE
[09] TURKEY-QATAR KEK MEETING IN ANKARA
[10] GEORGIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENSE: TURKISH-GEORGIAN COOPERATION IS NOT AGAINST ANY OTHER COUNTRY
[11] ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN TURKEY
[12] KISLALI COMMEMORATED
[13] TOBB AND DERVIS TO DISCUSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
[14] PROMOTION CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE
[15] THY TO SHRINK BY 20%
[16] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[17] MISSING THE OPPORTUNITY BY SUKRU ELEKDAG (SABAH)
[01] BUSY SCHEDULE IN THE PARLIAMENT
The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) will vote whether or not put on
the agenda a censure motion submitted by the Felicity Party (SP) on the
government's foreign policy tomorrow. Debates on the Civil Code will begin
on Wednesday. The 1030-article Bill will be taken up in 10 sections in the
TGNA Plenary Session. On the other hand, Minister of Finance Sumer Oral
will present the Budget Bill for the 2002 Fiscal Year to the TGNA Plan and
Budget Commission on Thursday, Oct. 25. /Turkiye/
[02] BAHCELI CALLS ATTENTION TO PRIVATE SECTOR
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister
Devlet Bahceli addressed the closing meeting of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference (OIC) Economic and Commercial Cooperation Permanent
Committee (COMCEC) held in Istanbul. Bahceli pointed out that hard work was
needed in the Islamic countries to develop private sector. He said new
regulations should be made which help the development of private sector.
Bahceli also noted that the increase in the Islamic Development Bank's
loan facilities for member countries was welcomed. The Conference which
lasted for days, was ended issuing the final declaration. /Turkiye/
[03] EU'S PLAN FOR TURKEY
The leaders of the European Union (EU) member countries stated that they
did not envisage Turkey's participation into the efforts concerning the
future of Europe, which was interpreted in Ankara that it was a new move
concerning the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The EU leaders
started a new process of pressure to convince Ankara regarding the ESDP
issue. The leaders opened the issue of Turkey's participation in the
efforts on Europe's future to discussion and they stated that the EU would
give the final decision concerning the issue during the Laekan Summit to be
held in December. Laeken Summit is important because during this Summit the
work about the ESDP will be discussed there. The EU leaders would like to
achieve a result about the ESDP issue, which has gained more importance
following the terrorist attack occurring on September 11. Diplomats say
that the decision of the EU leaders to separate Turkey from the other
candidate countries was a warning to Ankara that "If you continue to insist
on the issue of the ESDP, we will reevaluate our view regarding Turkey."
This message of the EU also consists of the warning that Turkey's equal
status with the other candidate countries might change. According to the
information received, a delegation to be chaired by Peter Ricketts from the
British Ministry of Foreign Affairs will come to Turkey this week to reach
a consensus concerning the issue of the ESDP. England, which plays a
significant role on the process of the formation of the ESDP, has sent a
high-ranking delegation to Ankara at the end of last year but a result
could not be reached. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] GUREL ON MICHEL'S WISH
State Minister and the spokesman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly
(TGNA), Sukru Sina Gurel, reacted to the European Union's (EU) wish to
exclude Turkey from the work concerning the future of the European Security
and Defense Policy (ESDP). Gurel criticized the Belgian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Louis Michel's statement concerning the issue and said, "The EU
should give up this kind of narrow minded and shallow evaluations." Gurel
answered the questions about the issues on the agenda on the CNN Turk
channel and evaluated the tendency towards separating Turkey from the other
candidate countries in the future of Europe. Gurel said, "There are various
opinions among the members of the EU about Turkey but generally their
policy towards Turkey is directed by short term interests. For example, the
Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister's statement, they are very shallow
evaluations. The EU should change its narrow minded approach towards
Turkey. If this does not change, we should know so that we can determine
our policy in accordance with it." While evaluating the latest developments
concerning the Cyprus issue, Gurel said the EU was being cornered by wrong
steps on the Cyprus issue. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] CEM STARTS HIS TOUR TO THE CENTRAL ASIA
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem, started his tour of visit to the
Central Asian states including Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to
evaluate the developments after the operation against Afghanistan had
started. Prior to his departure to Baku, Cem spoke with the press members
at Ataturk Airport and stated that during his contacts, he would discuss
the situation in the Southern Caucasus and Afghanistan. Cem said he would
give information on the Eurasia Cooperation Agreement, which was formed
after a long lasting work with the Russian Federation, and added, "One of
the two basic targets of our foreign policy for the last four years is to
enlarge the economic cooperation in order to develop peace and stability in
Eurasia and the Russian Federation, which is a strong country in the center
of Eurasia. We worked seriously for this purpose. A very important
agreement emerged with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs. We will
give information in Baku about this project. In Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan,
mostly the latest situation in Afghanistan will be evaluated." While
answering a question if he has a concrete suggestion concerning the
humanitarian aid to be made to Afghanistan, Cem said, "A meeting will be
held concerning the cooperation between Kizilay (Turkish Red Crescent) and
the Red Cross in Ankara. Kizilay has already been working on this issue and
we support it. I held a meeting with the Ambassadors of the Central Asian
Republics and Azerbaijan and as a project, we decided to send various food
stuff." Cem added that he supported the East-West Institute's plan to open
a research center in Istanbul concerning the Balkans, Caucasus and the
Middle East issues. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] VERHEUGEN ON TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP
European Union (EU) Commissioner responsible for enlargement, Gunter
Verheugen, spoke to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung" newspaper
and said, "If we give the image that we are not serious concerning Turkey's
membership to the EU, we would lose a stable partner for the EU and NATO.
Turkey should meet the hard criteria to be a member of the EU. Otherwise,
the "Whole Europe Integration Project" will lose its credibility. We will
soften the conditions of Turkey's membership. In return, Turkey will give
us the guarantee of strategic aid. We cannot make such a bargain."
Verheugen also claimed that if the United Cypus becomes a member of the EU,
it will be advantageous for the Turks and for the Turkish-Cypriots.
Verheugen added that the membership negotiations made with the Greek-
Cypriot Administration were continuing well and that the meetings would be
completed by the end of the year 2001. /Milliyet/
[07] AFGHAN GOVERNMENT TO BE FORMED IN TURKEY
One of the high-ranking officials from the Afghan opposition, Huseyin
Anvari, said an attack cannot be made on the capital Kabul if the searches
for an alternative government are not completed and that the meetings for
an alternative government might be held in Turkey. Shiite Hareket-i Ýslami
party leader and the leader of the Khazars on the Afghan territory, Anvari,
said, "Even if the Afghan resistance is broken, we will not enter Kabul.
For the security of the people living in this city, we do not want to enter
Kabil before a government is established. 60 names of the opposition are
about to be determined. Most probably a delegation of three will meet the
delegation of the former Afghan King Zahir Sah in Turkey. Anvari added that
both delegations will give the names determined to each other and a meeting
place in Afghanistan will be set for the opposition. /Milliyet/
[08] TURKEY FEELING COMMISSION'S SUPPORT IN NEW PHASE
Despite Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt's remarks, evaluated not to
be constructive by Turkish officials, Turkey is preparing for a "struggling
for EU phase" in the next two months before the gathering of he EU
conference in December in Laeken, a top Turkish official on Turkish-EU
relations said. Speaking to the Turkish Daily New on Sunday in a telephone
interview, Ambassador Nihat Akyol, Turkish representative at the EU, stated
that with the support of the EU Commission behind Ankara, Turkey will
accelerate diplomatic traffic with the member states until the conference
in December. Referring to the words of EU Commissioner responsible for
enlargement Gunter Verheugen, Akyol stated that the EU Commission and
Turkey were of the same opinion; that no discrimination should be made
against Turkey. "Of course, we expect them to persuade the member states,
but we will not stop until the conference in December," Akyol said. Stating
that they were aware of the position of each member state concerning the
short-term agenda of the union, Akyol said that emphasis will be put on the
Turkish-EU affairs. /Turkish Daily News/
[09] TURKEY-QATAR KEK MEETING IN ANKARA
A Turkey-Quatar Joint Economic Commission (KEK) Meeting will take place in
Ankara under the presidency of State Minister Mehmet Kececiler. Subjects of
increasing and diversifying of trade relations between the two countries
will be discussed during the meeting. According to the statement given by
the office of State Minister Kececiler, the Qatar Economy Minister and a
delegation under the presidency of Economy and Trade Minister Yusuf Huseyin
Kemal will meet with Kececiler at the Customs Ministry. /Turkish Daily
News/
[10] GEORGIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENSE: TURKISH-GEORGIAN COOPERATION IS
NOT AGAINST ANY OTHER COUNTRY
Georgian Deputy Minister of Defense Gela Bezhuashvili said that the
military cooperation between Turkey and Georgia is not against any other
country. In his statement he gave to the "Prime News," Bezhuashvili stated
that Georgia can do what it has to do in the establishment of relations
between Turkey and Armenia. It is expected that during the visit of
Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisyan to Tblisi between October 25-27,
the Turkish-Georgian military cooperation issue will be discussed. During
Sarkisyan's Tblisi visit, issues such as the general security of the region
and development of Tblisi-Erivan bilateral relations will be held. /Turkish
Daily News/
[11] ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN TURKEY
Italian Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero is expected to arrive in Ankara on
Tuesday for a few hours after his visit to Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
Ruggiero is to meet Foreign Minister Cem and will return back Rome after
his meetings. /Turkish News/
[12] KISLALI COMMEMORATED
Journalist and author Ahmet Taner Kislali was commemorated in a ceremony on
Sunday, on the second anniversary of his death. Kislali's widow Nilufer
Kislali, his daughter, relatives, friends, former Constitutional Court
President Yekta Gungor Ozden, Yenimahalle Mayor Tuncay Alemdaroglu and
citizens attended the commemoration ceremony at Karsiyaka Cemetery. Prof.
Ahmet Taner Kislali was killed on Oct. 21, 1999 by a bomb placed on the
windshield of his car parked outside his house. /Turkish News/
[13] TOBB AND DERVIS TO DISCUSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
Chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Stock Exchanges (TOBB), Rifat
Hisarciklioglu, said the meetings that have been organized since the end of
August in order to solve the problems of the manufacturing industry, will
come to an end today. Hisarciklioglu said, "If we do not see a constructive
approach for the solution of 15 problems, we will request the view of
Chairmen of 352 Chambers and Stock Exchanges and will determine a new
strategy. /Sabah/
[14] PROMOTION CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE
Following the Istanbul documentary broadcast by televisions, a new film was
prepared in France to promote Turkey's touristic, cultural and historical
values. Turkey's Tourism Counsellor in Paris said in the first nine month
period of the year 2001, the number of French tourists visiting Turkey
increased by 24.90 % when compared to last year and reached to 454,426.
/Turkiye/
[15] THY TO SHRINK BY 20%
Following the terrorist attacks on the US, the THY which is in a bottleneck
due to the cancellation of reservations and decrease in the demand, is
revising its targets. Turkish Airlines (THY) Commercial Affairs Deputy
General Director Gurol Yuksel said flights will be decreased by 15-20
percent and number of workers by 20 %. Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of
the Association of Turkish Private Sector Aviation, Sahabettin Bolukcu
stated that the private airlines companies were also in crisis and
precautions taken by the THY should also be carried out by them. /Turkiye/
[16] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[17] MISSING THE OPPORTUNITY BY SUKRU ELEKDAG (SABAH)
Former Ambassador Sukru Elekdag writes on the aftermath of events
following the September 11 attacks on the US. A summary of his column is
as follows:
"Ankara is seriously concerned that Iraq can be a target for a military
operation during the war against terror which began following the
September 11, 2001 attacks. In an interview with famous commentator on CNN
last week, Prime Minister Ecevit said that if such a possibility were to
come true, Iraq would be divided and that this would create problems for
the independence and territorial integrity of Turkey. Ankara believes that
Iraq can only protect its territorial integrity with an authoritarian
regime, and an operation which would result in overthrowing Saddam will
lead to a division of the counry in three parts and the foundation of a
Kurdish State in the north would be inevitable. During the Ottoman Empire,
Iraq consisted of three provinces: the provinces of Shiite Arabs in Basra,
Sunni Arabs in Bagdad and Kurds and Turkomans in Musul.The ruthless actions
of Saddam against Shiites and Kurds following the Gulf War, increased the
hatred among the peoples. Therefore, if Saddam is toppled, the proclamation
of independence by the Shiites forming the majority, with the support of
Iran is inevitable. In that case, the proclamation of a Kurdish State in
the north cannot be prevented by Bagdad. Ankara who believes that the
establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq is against Turkey's vital
interests, is of the opinion that such a state would cooperate with some of
her neighbours and the PKK terrorist organization and will demand land from
our country, further the greater Kurdistan cause and fan the Kurdish
nationalism in the region. Considering the fact that the US policy
following 1991 adopted the establishment of a Kurdish State, these concerns
are not unfounded. In fact, the parliamentary elections in Northern Iraq in
May 1992 and the foundation of a Kurdish Government were backed by the US.
Today, the US should know that following policies with the aim of
establishing a Kurdish State in northern Iraq is contrary to her interests.
However, if a Kurdish State is founded, dependent upon the US on every way,
with no outlet to sea, surrounded by unfriendly states, Washington's Middle
East policy will be indexed to providing the security of such a state. This
would lead Iran and Syria to solve the existing disputes amongst themselves
and form a block against Israel and the US. It will not be wrong to say
that such a development would lead to results which would harm US interests
in the region. When the US reaches her aims in Afghanistan, it is highly
probable that the hawks within the Government will force the opening of a
second front against Iraq. Turkey has to be prepared for such a possibility
and must not leave the arena to Barzani and Talabani. Otherwise, Turkey
will not have a say in the restucturing period after Saddam in Iraq."
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