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Turkish Press Review, 02-04-03
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Turkish
Press Review >>
Foreign
Press Guide
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
03.04.2002
CONTENTS
[01] ECEVIT RECEIVES MESSAGE FROM SADDAM
[02] CEM: “THE US SHOULD DO MORE TO END SUICIDE BOMBINGS”
[03] IMF’S KRUEGER: “TURKEY IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK”
[04] DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE ON TANK DEAL WITH ISRAEL
[05] CIVIL GROUPS PROTEST ISRAEL
[06] IRAN: “THE PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION”
[07] ISRAEL PULLS OUT OF JOINT TURKISH-US MANEUVERS
[08] DEMIREL BIDS FAREWELL TO BRITAIN’S QUEEN MOTHER
[09] ALTERNATIFBANK IN TALKS WITH FRENCH CREDIT AGRICOLE
[10] TURKISH WEEK CELEBRATED IN CAIRO
[11] ARTISTS WORK TO RAISE PROFILE OF ANCIENT LYCIANS
[12] INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL IN ISTANBUL
[13] BARANSEL’S PAINTINGS FEATURED IN MICHELANGELO TRIBUTE
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[15] LESSONS FROM PALESTINE BY MUMTAZ SOYSAL (CUMHURIYET)
[16] TERROR IS A DEAD END BY HASAN CEMAL (MILLIYET)
[01] ECEVIT RECEIVES MESSAGE FROM SADDAM
State Minister Tunca Toskay met yesterday with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit,
carrying with him a message from Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from Toskay’s
recent visit to Iraq. Asked by reporters about the letter’s contents,
Toskay said that it concerned Turkey’s outlook on the region and on recent
events. “The message also includes suggestions towards averting problems
which could also affect Turkey’s future in the region,” Toskay added.
/Hurriyet/
[02] CEM: “THE US SHOULD DO MORE TO END SUICIDE BOMBINGS”
Speaking to the Parliament yesterday, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that
the United States should take a more active role in stopping the wave of
suicide bombings in the Middle East. Cem also stated that the US could
contribute to ending the current conflict by assuming an impartial stance
towards the two sides. “We support the resolution passed by the UN Security
Council last week and believe that it should be implemented immediately,”
Cem added. /Hurriyet/
[03] IMF’S KRUEGER: “TURKEY IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK”
Answering questions on Turkey, International Monetary Fund deputy Manager
Director Anne Krueger said yesterday that Turkey was on the right track and
that the government’s economic program was also going well. /Aksam/
[04] DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE ON TANK DEAL WITH ISRAEL
Against a backdrop of the volatile Mideast situation and Israel’s incursion
into the Palestinian West Bank, public debate in Turkey continues to swirl
around whether or not to honor an M-60 tank modernization contract signed
with Israel. Answering reporters’ questions on the topic yesterday, Defense
Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu said that any cancellation of the deal would
have to come through a decision by the Defense Industry Executive Committee
headed by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. He added that modernization of F-14,
F-5 and F-4 fighter jets had also been carried out by Israel during the
tenure of previous Turkish governments. Meanwhile, Felicity Party (SP)
leader Recai Kutan, Bulent Arinc from the Justice and Development Party
(AKP) and Turhan Guven from the True Path Party (DYP) all issued calls to
the government to suspend the tank modernization deal due to Israel’s West
Bank military operation. /Turkiye/
[05] CIVIL GROUPS PROTEST ISRAEL
A host of political parties, trade unions, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) and students joined forces in Istanbul yesterday to protest Israel’s
laying siege to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and moving into the
Palestinian territories. A group calling itself “The Peace Initiators” made
up of scholars, writers, artists and journalists issued a joint statement
to denounce recent Israeli operations against the Palestinians and
stressing the need for the United Nations to take immediate measures
against the escalating violence in the Middle East. The group called for
worldwide cooperation to aid and support the Palestinians. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] IRAN: “THE PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION”
State Minister Mehmet Kececiler yesterday received Iran’s Ambassador to
Turkey Muhammed Huseyin Lavasani. Speaking to reporters prior to their
meeting, Lavasani remarked that Iran had always attached great importance
to Turkey’s concerns about the terrorist organization PKK. Recalling a
meeting between Iranian President Muhammad Khatami and Turkish Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem some two years ago, Lavasani said, “Khatami gave his
assurances to Cem at that time that Turkey’s security was synonymous with
Iran’s security.” He also remarked that Iran always stood ready to take
practical measures against terrorist groups. “Iran and Turkey have both
identified the PKK and the People’s Mujahadeen Organization in Iran as
terrorist organizations,” said Lavasani. “That’s why both countries have to
fight against these groups.” /Cumhuriyet/
[07] ISRAEL PULLS OUT OF JOINT TURKISH-US MANEUVERS
Israel announced yesterday that it was pulling out of planned military
maneuvers with Turkey and the United States scheduled for April 22-May 4
near Konya. In so doing, Israel withdrew from its first-ever joint
maneuvers with the two countries. Israel cited the current unstable
situation in the Middle East as a reason for its withdrawal. The letter
added that Israel still hoped to participate in joint maneuvers scheduled
for June and October. /Sabah/
[08] DEMIREL BIDS FAREWELL TO BRITAIN’S QUEEN MOTHER
Former President Suleyman Demirel yesterday signed the book of condolences
opened at Ankara’s British Embassy for Great Britain’s Queen Mother
Elizabeth, who died late last week. Speaking of the Queen Mother, Demirel
told reporters, “I knew her. We were invited to dinner at the Buckingham
Palace. She was a great lady who served her country well. May God’s mercy
and grace go with her.” Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz also signed the
condolences book. /Sabah/
[09] ALTERNATIFBANK IN TALKS WITH FRENCH CREDIT AGRICOLE
Alternatifbank (Abank), a division of the Anadolu Group, has entered into
negotiations with French Credit Agricole Indosuez to form a possible
partnership, it was announced yesterday. Anadolu head Tuncay Ozilhan, who
is also president of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s
Association, said that the talks were due to last through June 30, by which
time the two banks hope to arrive at a positive result. /Milliyet/
[10] TURKISH WEEK CELEBRATED IN CAIRO
“Turkish Week” is currently being celebrated in Cairo, Egypt, with a wide
variety of activities. Turkish Culture Minister Istemihan Talay helped kick
off the event at the Sheraton Hotel in Cairo on Monday with the attendance
of a number of distinguished Turkish and Egyptian guests. During the
ceremony, a fashion show was presented and authentic Turkish food was
promoted along with Turkish music. Earlier in the week, Talay also attended
the opening ceremony for a Turkish martyrs’ cemetery which was restored by
Turkey’s MNG Holding Company. The Turkish Week activities are set to last
through Friday. /Turkiye/
[11] ARTISTS WORK TO RAISE PROFILE OF ANCIENT LYCIANS
Artists living in the Mediterranean city of Kas have begun a campaign to
raise awareness and the profile of the ancient Lycians, a people who
established an important civilization which thrived in Anatolia for several
hundred years straddling the BC_AD line. The coalition of sculptors and
mosaic artists hopes to educate the public through such projects as new and
restored mosaic installations, classes, and underwater sculpture gardens.
The artists are working in league with the Kamera Media Co. and the Ucgen
Communication Counseling Group, but they are still seeking a sponsor for
the Lycian awareness project. /Sabah/
[12] INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL IN ISTANBUL
The 14th Istanbul International Short Film Festival, an annual event
designed to present a selection of short films from various countries to
Turkish audiences, is set to start tomorrow. Among the participating
countries are Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Britain,
Spain and Hungary. The festival will last through April 10. /Cumhuriyet/
[13] BARANSEL’S PAINTINGS FEATURED IN MICHELANGELO TRIBUTE
Zeynep Baransel, a Turkish painter who is also a student at the famous
Accademia di Belle Arti (Florence, Italy’s State Academy of Fine Arts), is
currently participating in an exhibition being held in honor of
Michelangelo at the Casa Buonarrotti Museum in Florence. The exhibition,
which features 24 of Baransel’s paintings, will be open through May 6.
/Cumhuriyet/
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[15] LESSONS FROM PALESTINE BY MUMTAZ SOYSAL (CUMHURIYET)
Columnist Mumtaz Soysal writes on lessons to be drawn from the Palestinian
problem. A summary of his column is as follows:
“The incidents which occurred in Palestine on the heels of similar events
in Bosnia and Kosovo have pointed out the need to draw lessons for parallel
problems in other places, and particularly for Cyprus. Those offering their
views on the Cyprus issue should learn these lessons. The first one
concerns situations where people of different cultures both historically
and geographically are forced to live on the same piece of land. However
different their cultures may be, they will consider the land they are born
in as their own country. Under these circumstances, it is not easy to share
a common land with the idea of peaceful coexistence. The differences and
the memories of the past sometimes have greater influences. The easiest
formula is to try a separation on the land based on cultural differences in
order to avert possible frictions. Even in Europe, where these frictions
stemming from differences are often overcome after lengthy processes, the
main factor unifying the states is based on the unity of nations. It is
interesting to note that the bloodshed in Cyprus was stopped by just such a
separation. Didn’t the chaos and murders in Palestine began when Britain
opened these lands to the immigration of Jews with the 1917 Balfour
Declaration? The second lesson to be learned is that in such lands only
societies which unite under certain beliefs and cultures can survive and
protect themselves, and those who cannot do so are defeated. Along these
lines, foreign efforts aimed at causing the internal decay and
disintegration in Northern Cyprus can be better understood. The third
lesson is the most important of them all. The oppression of the
Palestinians, notwithstanding their personal sacrifices, stems from the
fact there is no power to protect them. Everyone is a bystander. The real
aim of the efforts to leave Northern Cyprus bereft of the support of
Turkey’s military power can be explained by this lesson drawn from the
Palestinian issue.”
[16] TERROR IS A DEAD END BY HASAN CEMAL (MILLIYET)
Columnist Hasan Cemal writes on the Palestinian issue. A summary of his
column is as follows:
“It must be stressed one more time that the policy Sharon is pursuing is a
dead end. Prime Minister Sharon’s policies based on violence did not open
and are not opening the doors of security for Israel, as violence begets
more violence. Due to these policies radical Islam and religious fanaticism
are growing and support for bin Laden is increasing. It must be pointed out
that a political solution must be found to the problem, not a military one.
Israel has to stop its military offensive, withdraw from Ramallah and the
West Bank at once, and lift the siege of Yasser Arafat. In addition, a
cease-fire must be announced, the two sides must sit at the negotiating
table with no preconditions and Arafat must denounce the suicide bombings
coming from the Palestinian side (which has resulted in the deaths of 111
Israeli citizens) and also avoid encouraging the bombers in one way or
another. However, it is still impossible to enter into any meaningful
negotiations with an olive branch in one hand and a weapon in the other.
Therefore hostilities must cease. The tragedy of the Palestinians should
not be forgotten. It is impossible to understand today’s events while
ignoring the sufferings of refugees who were driven out of their land with
the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948. But one should not be a
captive to the past. The state of Israel is a historical fact. Unless the
Palestinians accept the presence of the Israeli state, no peace can be
achieved. In the same vein, the Israelis have to accept the presence of an
independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Palestinians believe that they have made the utmost concessions by
accepting the presence of Israel as a state on Palestinian lands. Some of
them are not even satisfied with this. Those who would like to eliminate
the Israeli state are mainly seen among the religious fanatics. Suicide
bombing is not conducted only against the occupation of Israel, their
ultimate aim to terminate the Israeli state itself. They have differences
of opinion among themselves. Some believe that this should be done in
stages. They believe that the first stage should be proclamation of an
independent Palestinian state. Those who oppose Israel in this way are not
satisfied with half-solutions. They think that Israel should be attacked
with all kinds of violence and terrorism and that in time the Jews will
lose the desire to live on these lands, and an Islamic order could be
founded on the Israeli territory. Therefore, terrorist organizations such
as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hizbullah, and their actions of terrorism in
Israel must be evaluated properly. A Palestinian-Israeli peace may not suit
the purposes of these organizations. Saddam wouldn’t like it either.
Neither will Tehran. Therefore, all these forces and regimes are in favor
of the spreading fire in the Middle East, as it leads to the strengthening
of radical Islam in Arab and Islamic countries. However, if the Zionist
enemy is eliminated, radical Islamic opposition will turn on the ruling
powers in these countries. Slogans are not enough to bring a lasting and
fair peace to the region. Maybe former US Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger is right in saying that some crises can only be managed, not
solved.”
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