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Turkish Press Review, 01-12-07
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
07.12.2001
CONTENTS
[01] CEM: "NOW IT'S EU'S TURN"
[02] POWELL SPEAKS ON HIS VISIT TO TURKEY
[03] DENKTAS: "NEXT YEAR WE COULD SOLVE THE CYPRUS
PROBLEM"
[04] SIMITIS VIEWS CYPRUS LEADERS' MEETING AS A
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT
[05] BRITISH REACT POSITIVELY TO DEVELOPMENTS ON CYPRUS
[06] CAKMAKOGLU: "TSK COMPLIES WITH AUSTERITY
MEASURES"
[07] BLACK SEA COUNTRIES VOW TO FIGHT TERRORISM
[08] DERVIS: "WE MUST BECOME THE LEADING EMERGING
MARKET"
[09] NUMBER OF STATE LAYOFFS UNDER DISCUSSION
[10] DAWSON: "WE ARE INTERESTED IN MACRO ECONOMIC
TARGETS"
[11] ADDITIONAL LOANS COULD BE ON WAY FROM WORLD BANK
[12] STRAITS TUBE PASSAGE AIDED BY JAPANESE LOAN
[13] GOKALP: "6 BILLION EUROS NECESSARY FOR
AGRICULTURAL REFORMS"
[14] FUKUYAMA: "TURKEY CAN PLAY LEADERSHIP ROLE IN
LIBERALIZING ISLAM"
[15] NEW YEAR'S CONCERTS IN ISTANBUL
[16] PUPPET THEATRE AT ATATURK CULTURAL CENTER
[17] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[18] DENKTAS-CLERIDES MEETING AND POSITIVE SCENARIOS BY
EROL MANISALI (CUMHURIYET)
[19] THE POINT REACHED BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[01] CEM: "NOW IT'S EU'S TURN"
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, who is
currently attending NATO meetings in Brussels, stated yesterday that
the European Union and Turkey had agreed on "a very serious
document" concerning the European Security and Defense Policy
(ESDP). Stating recent developments concerning the Cyprus issue and
the ESDP were positive and productive, Cem remarked that timing of the
recent developments was also perfect. "The document eases
Turkey's concerns since it contains a number of guarantees concerning
sensitive and disputed issues," said Cem. "If the document
is accepted by NATO and the EU, then the ESDP problem would be solved,
and the foundations for a sound cooperation between the two
institutions would be laid." Cem added, "We have made
partial progress concerning EU operations in which NATO facilities
will not be employed. I believe that the document we prepared is in
line with Turkey's national interests. Now It's the EU's turn. From
now on I consider the issue the EU's own problem." In addition,
he also remarked that Turkey would take an optimistic but cautious
stance considering the Cyprus issue. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] POWELL SPEAKS ON HIS VISIT TO TURKEY
During his flight to Brussels yesterday, US
Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters about his visit to
Turkey earlier this week. Stressing that Turkey had very close
historic ties with Afghanistan, Powell said that the US would think
about what kind of contributions Turkey could make helping that
country. Regarding the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) and
Monday's meeting of the leaders of Cyprus, Powell said he was pleased
with recent developments. He added that he had held very fruitful
meetings with Turkish authorities and that they had also had the
opportunity to discuss Afghanistan, Iraq, the Caucasus region and the
Middle East . /Turkiye/
[03] DENKTAS: "NEXT YEAR WE COULD SOLVE THE CYPRUS
PROBLEM"
Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktas said
yesterday that the Cyprus problem had a long history and that it would
not be possible to solve such a complex problem in one or two meetings
alone. "Everyone should expect the best solution and wait for it,
but it would be wrong to act as if now everything has been
resolved," Denktas stressed. Denktas added, "We are
concerned about the issues of human rights, sovereign rights and
equality." Denktas stated that he and Greek Cypriot leader
Glafcos Clerides would try their best to solve the Cyprus problem
within the next calendar year. The two leaders are scheduled to
initiate a fresh round of talks on Jan. 16. For his part, United
Nations Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto remarked, "We are very
hopeful that the Cyprus problem could be solved in six months."
/Hürriyet/
[04] SIMITIS VIEWS CYPRUS LEADERS' MEETING AS A
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT
Greek government spokesman Hristo Protopapas said
yesterday that Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis viewed the recent
meeting of the two leaders of Cyrpus as a "significant and
positive development." Protopapas said, "Mr. Simitis
remarked that Athens wants a permanent and just solution for the
island. He believes that Turkey retreated from its traditional stance
on Cyprus because it could no longer resist international pressure. He
also hopes that Turkey will not abandon its positive stance in the
days to come." /Sabah/
[05] BRITISH REACT POSITIVELY TO DEVELOPMENTS ON CYPRUS
Prominent British daily The Financial Times
evaluated recent developments concerning Cyprus as follows: "This
week's talks between the Greek and Turkish leaders on Cyprus amount to
very good news. It was the first sign of movement for many months in
the search for an end to the 27-year-long division of the island, and
the talks went better than anyone expected." Praising Turkey's
contribution to the recent developments, the paper remarked that
although the UN was the right intermediary to help restart
negotiations and despite the US' help in bringing both sides back to
the table, the party which would play a vital role now was the
European Union. "The present member states - including Greece -
must show that they understand the genuine anxieties of the Turkish
Cypriot minority," said the paper. "A deal to protect
Turkish property ownership, at least for a transition period, may be
needed. The EU must advertise the huge potential benefits available
for Northern Cyprus. And Greek Cypriots must understand that their own
EU membership still depends on negotiating in good faith." In
addition, Andrew Duff, a British Liberal Democrat parliamentarian,
remarked that he was satisfied with the face-to-face meetings between
Greek Cypriot leader Clerides and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Denktas. "The European Council, European Commission and European
Parliament must play a more active role on the issue from now
on," said Duff. "Turkish Cypriots should also participate in
the negotiations between the EU and Greek Cypriots." /Sabah/
[06] CAKMAKOGLU: "TSK COMPLIES WITH AUSTERITY
MEASURES"
Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu said
yesterday the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) were very keen on pursuing
austerity measures. He said that they were showing great care to
conserve water, electricity and fuel, as well to save on training and
exercise expenditures. Cakmakoglu added that hiring new personnel was
also being kept to a minumum. /Turkiye/
[07] BLACK SEA COUNTRIES VOW TO FIGHT TERRORISM
The 18th meeting of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSCE) came to an end in Sofia yesterday. The eleven BSEC
members issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the conference
calling on all nations world wide to join the fight against
international terrorism. The statement said that international
terrorism seriously threatened world peace and was also damaging many
countries'. Deputy Mehmet Gul, who headed the nine-member Turkish
delegation at the gathering, said "We discussed globalization and
how the BSEC countries could benefit from this." Delegation
member and Manisa Deputy Necati Cetinkaya added "The Black Sea
region has to be free of all terrorism and those who commit such
despicable acts before we can discuss regional security. That is why
we must fight international terrorism until the end. All BSEC member
countries have to support each other's economic development in order
to reach our full potential." /Turkish News/
[08] DERVIS: "WE MUST BECOME THE LEADING EMERGING
MARKET"
Turkish Economy Minister Kemal Dervis has declared
in a published article that Turkey's future lies in becoming the
world's leading emerging market economy. Writing for the Treasury
Undersecretariat Members Foundation quarterly Ekopanel he says that
Turkey is more than ready for this role due to its regional position,
youthful population, large market and the dyamism of its private
sector. Turkey's next goal is to become a member of the European Union
and the industrialised world, he states. The principle of efficiency
should be adopted in the state and private sectors, and the country
should sharpen its competitiveness and invest in sectors with high
value-added and information technology, Dervis recommends. /Turkish
News/
[09] NUMBER OF STATE LAYOFFS UNDER DISCUSSION
In line with suggestions made by an International
Monetary Fund delegation chaired by Juha Kahkonen, the Turkish
government is busy trying to determine exactly how many state workers
it will lay off. News reports indicating that the IMF wanted 100,000
state workers to be laid off stemmed from some confusion about
numbers. The exact number of those to be retired will be determined by
a committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan.
Kahkonen met with Transportation Minister Oktay Vural yesterday and
during the meeting, Vural said 6,500 state workers had requested
retirement and that they would be given an additional 30% retirement
bonus. Vural added that the state was also trying to lay off some
50,000 State Railways workers. /Milliyet/
[10] DAWSON: "WE ARE INTERESTED IN MACRO ECONOMIC
TARGETS"
Even as everyone in Ankara is focused on layoffs of
state workers, IMF Foreign Relations Director Tom Dawson said
yesterday that the Fund was mainly interested in macro economic
targets. Speaking to a journalist's question during a Washington press
conference concerning Argentina's monetary woes, Dawson said that the
IMF was not interested in the exact number of state workers to be laid
off. Dawson added, "We are interested in the targets within large
frameworks. As part of this, micro management, that is, the measures
needed to reach new targets, is not our business." Saying that
the stand-by meetings in Ankara were going well, Dawson added,
"The IMF delegation is expected to stay in Ankara one more week.
We also expect that IMF Executive Board will discuss Turkey in
January." /Milliyet/
[11] ADDITIONAL LOANS COULD BE ON WAY FROM WORLD BANK
A World Bank delegation arrived in Turkey yesterday
and began its contacts. The World Bank delegation chaired by its
Financial and Private Sector Department director will conduct research
into the Turkish financial sector's need for financing in the years
2002-2004. Reportedly, along just these lines, the World Bank will
extend a minimum of $500 million to Turkey, and this amount might be
increased in accordance with the trend of the meetings. /Milliyet/
[12] STRAITS TUBE PASSAGE AIDED BY JAPANESE LOAN
The Finance Ministry has given the green light for
the Transportation Ministry to receive a Japanese loan to help build
an underwater tube crossing to link the European and Anatolian sides
of Istanbul. Finance Minister Oktay Vural said yesterday that if the
Audit Court approves the arrangement, they might begin to take bids
within eight months. He added, "The tube passage will be
completed thanks to a 40-year loan from Japan, which we will begin to
repay in 16 years." /Milliyet/
[13] GOKALP: "6 BILLION EUROS NECESSARY FOR
AGRICULTURAL REFORMS"
Agriculture and Rural Affair Husnu Yusuf Gokalp
said yesterday that EU support and aid were necessary so that Turkish
agriculture could come into line with EU regulations and policies.
Gokalp added that a sum of at least 6 billion euros was necessary for
the implementation of necessary reforms. /Cumhuriyet/
[14] FUKUYAMA: "TURKEY CAN PLAY LEADERSHIP ROLE IN
LIBERALIZING ISLAM"
Famous economist political theorist Professor
Francis Fukuyama said yesterday that as a Muslim country with a
secular, democratic regime, Turkey was a successful model for the
Muslim world, and that it could play a leadership role in
"liberalizing Islam." Fukuyama, best known for his book
"The End of History and the Last Man," evaluated the
challenge of modernization and Islam in a conference on "The
Effects of Sept. 11 on the World and Turkey." organized by the
Turkish-American Business Forum. He said, "As we look at Iran, we
see the younger generations seeking ways of liberalization. In the
near future, political aspirations in the Muslim world will be either
fight each other or sit down and talk. Probably, this latter dialogue
could eventually result in a more modern form of Islam. Turkey can
play an important role in this process. As a successful model of a
secular and liberal democratic country, Turkey can play a leadership
role." /Turkish Daily News/
[15] NEW YEAR'S CONCERTS IN ISTANBUL
The Istanbul European Chorus will sing holiday
songs from a nearly dozen countries at its New Year's Concerts this
year. The 100-member mixed Turkish_foreign chorus which has been
giving New Year's concerts for more than 11 years, will perform today
and tomorrow at Moda Church, and at St. Esprit Church on Dec. 12.
/Cumhuriyet/
[16] PUPPET THEATRE AT ATATURK CULTURAL CENTER
The Tubingen Puppet Theatre will perform its
"Flamingo Bar" puppet show at 8:00 p.m. today, at 3:00 and
8:00 p.m. tomorrow and at 3:00 on Dec. 9 at the Ataturk Cultural
Center in Istanbul. The performance will be directed by Hendrik Mannes
and presented with the cooperation of the Istanbul German Cultural
Center (Goethe Institute) and Istanbul State Theater. The performance,
which depicts mistakes and disappointements in personal relations,
presents a varied stage experience consisting of dance and theatre.
/Cumhuriyet/
[17] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[18] DENKTAS-CLERIDES MEETING AND POSITIVE SCENARIOS BY
EROL MANISALI (CUMHURIYET)
Columnist Erol Manisali writes on the recent
Denktas-Clerides meeting. A summary of his column is as follows:
"After planning such a meeting for months, Denktas finally
convinced and met Clerides. The Turkish side is searching for a
solution based on 'equal sovereignty and political equality.' When a
Cyprus confederation is admitted into the EU together with Turkey, not
only the Cyprus and Aegean issues but also the ESDP and Turkey's
internal prblems will be solved as well. Certain conditions have to be
met to ensure the smoothworking of such a positive scenario.The
meetings between Denktas and Clerides must be supported by Turkey,
Greece, the UN and the EU in a way which would allow equal sovereignty
and political equality. Turkey has taken certain steps regarding the
European army (ESDP). Ankara will have a say on matters directly or
indirectly concerning itself, and the European army will not be party
in a possible Turkish-Greek conflict. The accession negotiations of
the Cyprus confederation and Turkey should be discussed
simultaneously. If Turkey is admitted a month or a year later all the
progress may be upset. Certain economic and political conditions the
EU is requesting from Turkey may be solved more easily if Turkey is
admitted into the Union. When the Aegean, Cyprus and ESDP issues and
internal problems are solved, Turkey and Greece will not meddle in
each other's affairs. There can be no reasonable grounds for the
failure of such a scenario. The only condition is that Cyprus and
Turkey must be admitted simultaneously."
[19] THE POINT REACHED BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen comments on recent
developments in the region. A summary of his column is as follows:
"In politics, so much has changed in a such a short time,it's as
if someone had waved a magic wand. All these changes can be witnessed
in the Cyprus question, the ESDP dispute and even in economic
affairs...To see changes in all these at the same time cannot be a
coincidence. Certainly all of these issues have influenced one
another. There is a series of reasons which has led Turkey to changes
in policy. On Cyprus, it was underlined for us that we might well face
serious problems if new ideas or a new negotiation system were not
found. For example, Turkey might have entered a period of friction
with the EU and Greece. Undesirable incidents might have happened on
the island and tension might have been heightened. Regarding the ESDP,
Turkey might have found itself in an awkward position not only in the
EU but also in NATO. These possibilities were also felt by Turkey's
counterparts. They easily guessed that the alliance would suffer if
the US and Turkey used their right of veto. Both sides were forced to
adopt a more conciliatory approach. In other words, both foreign
pressures and domestic considerations played an important role for
everyone.Certainly, opting for conciliation instead of continued
conflict is the only reasonable thing to do. A new period of
expectations which will relieve everyone is now beginning".
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