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Turkish Press Review, 02-06-04
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
04.06.2002
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER IN KAZAKHSTAN FOR CONFERENCE
[02] TURKISH MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS MACEDONIA
[03] KIVRIKOGLU GOES TO RUSSIA
[04] GENERAL STAFF CANCELS MANEUVERS AS PEACE PROCESS ENTERS NEW PHASE
[05] GUREL: “ECEVIT IS CONTINUING HIS MISSION”
[06] US: “ECEVIT’S ILLNESS ISN’T CAUSING INSTABILITY”
[07] COUNCIL OF EUROPE OFFICIAL ADDRESSES OCALAN ISSUE
[08] ANAP GIVES FULL SUPPORT TO ECEVIT
[09] CILLER: “I WON’T ATTEND LEADERS’ SUMMIT IF ECEVIT ISN’T THERE”
[10] ERDOGAN TO ATTEND LEADERS’ SUMMIT
[11] CSIS RELEASES REPORT ON TURKEY
[12] ASAM PREPARES BOOK TO COUNTER “ARARAT”
[13] US AMBASSADOR MANN: “COOPERATION ON BAKU-CEYHAN IS GOING WELL”
[14] PARLIAMENT COMMISSION OKS SPACE RESEARCH COOPERATION WITH UKRAINE
[15] INFLATION FALLS IN MAY
[16] SYMPOSIUM TO ADDRESS PROPERTY LAW AND THE EU
[17] ISTANBUL TO HOST JAYCEES’ EUROPEAN CONFERENCE
[18] TURKEY LOSES 2-1 TO BRAZIL ON PENALTY KICK
[19] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[20] INSURANCE FOR THE COALITION BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
[21] CILLER IS PLAYING THE SPOILSPORT BY ORHAN BIRGIT (CUMHURIYET)
[01] SEZER IN KAZAKHSTAN FOR CONFERENCE
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is continuing his visit to Central Asian
countries. After completing his contacts in Mongolia yesterday, Sezer
proceeded to Almaty, Kazakhstan to attend a conference for Cooperation and
Confidence–Building Measures in Asia. He is expected to have bilateral
meetings as part of the conference. Russian President Vladimir Putin and
Sezer will meet with Pakistani head of state Pervez Musharraf today to find
a settlement to the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan. /All Papers/
[02] TURKISH MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS MACEDONIA
A delegation chaired by Gen. Cihangir Dumanli, head of the Defense,
Planning and Resource Management Department at the Turkish Office of the
Chief of General Staff, traveled to Macedonia yesterday to pay a two-day
official visit. The delegation met with Macedonian Defense Minister Vlado
Popovski and Macedonian Chief of General Staff Gen. Metodi Stamboliski. The
officials of the two countries reportedly discussed ways to improve
bilateral military cooperation. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] KIVRIKOGLU GOES TO RUSSIA
Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu went to Moscow yesterday for
an official four-day visit to negotiate with his Russian counterpart
Anatoli Kvasnin. Kivrikoglu is bringing a number of important issues to
discuss. Turkey’s top military official will also hold talks with Russian
Defense Minister Igor Ivanov, and he is expected to bring up purchasing
from Russia S-300 rockets, weapons which were also sold to Armenia and
Greece in recent years. /Star/
[04] GENERAL STAFF CANCELS MANEUVERS AS PEACE PROCESS ENTERS NEW PHASE
The Office of the Chief of General Staff yesterday announced that it had
cancelled planned “EFES 2002” maneuvers in order to help facilitate the
Turco-Greek peace process. Yesterday’s announcement marked the first such
cancellation in 25 years, and it came just as traditional rivals Turkey and
Greece sit down at the negotiating table for a third round of talks to
resolve their differences. According to a General Staff statement, the
maneuvers were cancelled due to “recent developments on the international
stage.” /Milliyet/
[05] GUREL: “ECEVIT IS CONTINUING HIS MISSION”
Addressing speculations on the state of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s
health and the future of the government yesterday, State Minister Sukru
Sina Gurel said that Ecevit would “continue with his mission.” Gurel made
the comments while visiting the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. Asked by
reporters about Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association
(TUSIAD) leader Tuncay Ozilhan’s recent suggestion that Ecevit’s Democratic
Left Party (DSP) should select a new leader, Gurel said that people should
refrain from speaking of issues outside their area of responsibility.
/Aksam/
[06] US: “ECEVIT’S ILLNESS ISN’T CAUSING INSTABILITY”
US State Department spokesman Phil Reeker told reporters yesterday that the
Bush administration wasn’t concerned that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s
illness might cause instability in Turkey. At a State Department press
briefing, Reeker characterized Ecevit’s health problems as “normal” and
reaffirmed the US’ strong, deep ties with Turkey. /Aksam/
[07] COUNCIL OF EUROPE OFFICIAL ADDRESSES OCALAN ISSUE
Hans-Christian Kruger, deputy secretary-general of the Council of Europe,
yesterday visited Ankara and made a speech at the Foreign Ministry. In his
address, Kruger spoke on the issue of the death penalty and imprisoned
terrorist PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Kruger pointed out that the death
penalty hadn’t been carried out in Turkey for nearly two decades, adding he
expected a decision on Ocalan’s punishment would be made soon. Some current
proposals call for Ocalan’s death sentence to be changed into life in
prison without parole. Kruger stressed in his speech that he didn’t believe
Ocalan should escape punishment. /Aksam/
[08] ANAP GIVES FULL SUPPORT TO ECEVIT
Motherland Party (ANAP) Deputy Chairman Bulent Akarcali said yesterday that
ANAP supported Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s determination to continue his
duty. Following his party’s administrative board meeting, Akarcali said,
“ANAP has no doubt about Ecevit’s determination to continue his duty, and
our party gives its full support to him.” /Turkiye/
[09] CILLER: “I WON’T ATTEND LEADERS’ SUMMIT IF ECEVIT ISN’T THERE”
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said yesterday that she would not
attend the leaders’ summit chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to be
held on June 7 regarding Turkey’s EU membership bid if Prime Minister
Bulent Ecevit does not attend. Answering journalists’ questions in Istanbul,
Ciller stated that Turkey’s main concern was the “absence” of its prime
minister. “Those who are hiding themselves behind an absent premier and
clinging to their positions are accepting the power vacuum in Turkey and
not being sincere,” Ciller said. Pointing to the varying stances of the
coalition partners on Turkey’s EU membership bid, Ciller said that the
partners should quit the coalition. Meanwhile, Ecevit’s spokesman Cem Avcý
said yesterday that the prime minister is expected to attend the summit on
Friday. /Turkiye/
[10] ERDOGAN TO ATTEND LEADERS’ SUMMIT
Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday
visited Ankara Trade Chamber Chairman Sinan Aygun with a group of party
members. During the meeting, Erdogan said that the leaders’ summit on June
7 regarding Turkey’s EU membership bid may be an opportunity to reach a new
understanding on the issue. Stressing that his party would attend the
meeting, Erdogan stated, “The AKP is not overly concerned with whether the
prime minister attends or not, as the meeting will be held upon the
invitation of the president, not the prime minister.” /Turkiye/
[11] CSIS RELEASES REPORT ON TURKEY
The state of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s health has been followed with
concern in the United States as well as Turkey. President George W. Bush’s
administration is having difficulty seeing the future path of Turkish
politics. A report on Turkey issued recently by US think tank the Center
for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) predicts that Husamettin
Ozkan may emerge as a new leader for Ecevit’s Democratic Left Party (DSP),
rather than Kemal Dervis, as the latter has inadequate support. In the
report, experts on Turkey stated that the US didn’t want to see the
nation’s recent stability deteriorate and further hopes to see reformist
ideas prevail. For this reason, it continues, Washington would rather not
see early Turkish elections in the short term. /Turkiye/
[12] ASAM PREPARES BOOK TO COUNTER “ARARAT”
The Eurasian Strategic Research Center (ASAM) has prepared a book to refute
the view of the so-called Armenian genocide depicted in Canadian director
Atom Egoyan’s new film, “Ararat.” ASAM Chairman Omer Engin Lutem held a
press conference yesterday to promote the book entitled, “Ararat: Artistic
Armenian Propaganda.” Remarking that the movie had failed to show the
historical truth, Lutem argued that it was made in order to cover up the
failures of the Armenian lobbies in defending their incorrect arguments on
the international stage. He also stated that there were important
differences between the movie and the book it is based on, “An American
Doctor in Turkey” written by Dr. Clarance D. Ussher. /Cumhuriyet/
[13] US AMBASSADOR MANN: “COOPERATION ON BAKU-CEYHAN IS GOING WELL”
United States Special Representative for the Caspian Basin Steven Mann held
a press conference yesterday at the US Embassy in Ankara. Stating that
Turkey had recently achieved great progress in the field of energy, Mann
expressed his satisfaction with Turkey’s opening its energy markets to the
private sector. “I have seen during my meetings with Turkish officials that
the Turkish-US cooperation on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is also
going well,” said Mann. /Cumhuriyet/
[14] PARLIAMENT COMMISSION OKS SPACE RESEARCH COOPERATION WITH UKRAINE
Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission yesterday approved an agreement on
improving cooperation between the Turkish Defense Ministry and the
Ukrainian National Space Agency concerning space research. The agreement
proposes that the two countries conduct joint projects on space, satellites,
and related matters. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] INFLATION FALLS IN MAY
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) announced yesterday that the
inflation rate had decreased below 1% in May on a monthly basis and below
50% on an annual basis. The DIE further stated that the wholesale price
index (WPI) had increased by 0.4% when compared to the previous month and
the consumer price index (CPI) had increased by 0.6% this year. These
figures marked the lowest CPI increase in nearly in a decade. /Hurriyet/
[16] SYMPOSIUM TO ADDRESS PROPERTY LAW AND THE EU
The second Galip Esmer Ownership Symposium began yesterday. During the two-
day symposium, changes made to the public sector and real property
possession as part of Turkey’s process of EU accession will be discussed.
Title Deed and Cadastre Regional Chairman Nihat Kandal summarized the aims
of the symposium as follows: “evaluating the dimension of the illegal
building problem, ensuring the changes needed in the public sector in
Turkey’s path to the EU, and changing regulations in order to sell much
more real property to foreign buyers.” /Sabah/
[17] ISTANBUL TO HOST JAYCEES’ EUROPEAN CONFERENCE
The Junior Chamber International (JCI), an association of young
entrepreneurs widely known as the Jaycees, will hold its 40th European
Conference at Istanbul’s Lütfi Kirdar Congress and Exhibit Hall on June 12-
15. Istanbul’s hosting the conference is the culmination of more than eight
years of efforts by the Jaycees, an organization which internationally has
nearly half a million members. The conference is expected to be attended by
nearly 3,000 businessmen and administrators from 34 countries and it will
be opened by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. Famous sales guru Dr. Kerry L.
Johnson, Euro Chambers Chairman Dr. Cristoph Leithl, Martin Shervington
from the John Seymour Institute and Kevin Collenan, accounting firm Ernst &
Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year,” will give speeches during the
conference. The conference’s training section will present 54 educational
programs, including ones on entrepreneurship and leadership, marketing and
sale techniques, and strategy and personal development. /Hurriyet/
[18] TURKEY LOSES 2-1 TO BRAZIL ON PENALTY KICK
A penalty kick in the 86th minute of Turkey’s World Cup Group C opener
yesterday resulted in the national team losing 2-1 to Brazil, a country
which has won the World Cup four times. Speaking to reporters after the
match, Turkish National Team Coach Senol Gunes refused to criticize the
referee but described the penalty kick decision as “an injustice.” Turkey
will next face Costa Rica on Sunday’s World Cup play. /All Papers/
[19] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[20] INSURANCE FOR THE COALITION BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
Columnist Gungor Mengi comments on Turkish-EU relations. A summary of his
column is as follows:
“The European Union is where Turkey’s future lies. 80% of our people want
to join the EU. Whoever blocks this road will be condemned by the people.
Exploiting the issue, which in turn is harming our EU bid, is said to be
populist in nature. If those, laying mines on the roads leading to the EU
have populism in mind, knowing that they will draw the reaction of the
people, aren’t they rather clumsy? True Path Party (DYP) leader Ciller
declared that she won’t attend the leaders’ meeting on the EU if Prime
Minister Ecevit cannot make it. The reason may be that this summit aims to
turn the present pro-EU tendency summit in the Parliament into action.
Ecevit and his party have no opposition to the aim of the summit. The
source of the problem trying to be solved by the summit does not stem from
the prime minister. Ciller says that she would prefer the EU over Ocalan,
but her aim is not to open the road for the EU but to create chaos using
the prime minister’s illness as an excuse and to catch an opportunity to
enter the elections as a partner of the coalition. The coalition parties
have paid the price of the economic crisis, now it is the time to reap the
fruits. The inflation rate announced yesterday for the month of May shows
this fact. The pressures from the opposition parties for a general election
will increase. The correct thing is not to create a government power vacuum
over either the EU or the economic crisis. This is not just in the
interests of the country but also in the interests of the coalition
government parties. Mr. Ecevit says he will not hand over his post. No one
can do anything on the issue. However, he can help in reaching agreements
which will ensure the present coalition’s continuing its job until
elections. He can prepare an action plan with his partners when it may be
necessary for him to withdraw and, by announcing this plan, may end the
present uncertainty. Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Bahceli created
the background for such a plan by saying that initiatives through transfer
which affect politics are not ethical. The rest is up to Ecevit.”
[21] CILLER IS PLAYING THE SPOILSPORT BY ORHAN BIRGIT (CUMHURIYET)
Columnist Orhan Birgit writes on main opposition party leader Ciller’s
statement that she will not attend the leaders’ summit if the prime
minister cannot make it. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Main opposition party leader Tansu Ciller issued a statement yesterday
saying that she believed that Prime Minister Ecevit’s presence at the
leaders’ conference called by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was a must for
her to attend the June 7 meeting at the Cankaya Palace. Important issues
such as Turkey’s EU bid, broadcasting in Kurdish, and abolition of the
death penalty will be discussed during this summit. The True Path Party
(DYP) leader said that attending a summit where Ecevit was absent would be
tantamount to accepting a government without a prime minister. She added
that if she had been left in such a situation she would have resigned
immediately and supported a minority government to be established by the
DYP. The main opposition party leader seems to have forgotten that all
those invited to the leaders’ summit are the chairmen of political parties
and Ecevit is not invited there in his capacity as prime minister. In fact,
the president’s aim was to convince the political parties having groups in
Parliament of the recommendations taken by the National Security Council
(MGK) in order to smooth the way to the EU. We hope that the prime minister
will be able to attend the leaders’ summit. However, will his attendance at
this summit draw a veil over all the speculations concerning his health?
Even if he is tired of these speculations and resigns, does Ciller know
what this entails? His resignation will be presented to the president. It
will be published in the Official Gazette. As the 57th government resigns,
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will begin consultations with the leaders of
the political parties in assigning one of them as the prime minister.
Although the old government may still seem in power, all things will come
to a stop until the new government takes office. If a new government is
formed, it will have to prepare its program, read it in the Parliament and
ask for a vote of confidence. While Cankaya is trying to smooth out the
problems on the way to EU by bringing the political parties to an agreement,
Ciller is creating problems.”
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