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Turkish Press Review, 02-06-05
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
05.06.2002
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER URGES PAKISTAN AND INDIA TO ENTER INTO
DIALOGUE
[02] US CALLS ON TURKEY TO HELP DECREASE INDIAN-PAKISTANI
TENSIONS
[03] KIVRIKOGLU HOLDS MEETINGS WITH RUSSIAN
LEADERS
[04] US DIPLOMAT VISITS OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF
GENERAL STAFF
[05] TROOP CONTINGENT ARRIVES FOR ISAF TAKEOVER
[06] CILLER: “TURKEY NEEDS AN ACTIVE PRIME
MINISTER”
[07] RAHSAN ECEVIT RECEIVES DSP DEPUTIES
[08] KUTAN SIGNALS SUPPORT FOR EU BID
[09] KRUGER: “I BELIEVE TURKEY WILL ABOLISH THE
DEATH PENALTY”
[10] BAHCELI CRITICIZES ANAP, TUSIAD AND THE MEDIA
[11] RTUK SELECTS NEW CHAIRMAN
[12] NGOs TO TAKE COMMON STAND ON EU ACCESSION
[13] BOEING OFFICIAL: “OVER THE NEXT DECADE,
TURKEY’S AIR FLEET COULD DOUBLE IN SIZE”
[14] TURKEY SIGNS AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE BOEING
DEFENSE PLANES
[15] TURK TELEKOM AND KOC GROUP TO COOPERATE ON
BULGARIAN TELECOM BID
[16] GOOD NEWS FROM TOURISM AND AUTOMOTIVE
SECTORS
[17] NEW CAMPAIGN FOR TURKISH TOURISM: “NOW IT’S
TIME FOR TURKEY”
[18] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE
COLUMNS…
[19] CATCHING UP WITH THE TIMETABLE BY SAMIM
KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[20] BAHCELI IS FURIOUS BY SEDAT SERTOGLU (SABAH)
[21] FRIGHTENING DISTORTIONS BY OKAY GONENSIN
(SABAH)
[01] SEZER URGES PAKISTAN AND INDIA TO ENTER INTO
DIALOGUE
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday called on Pakistan
and India to find a settlement to the Kashmir issue through
dialogue. In bilateral meetings with both Pakistani head of
state Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee as part of the conference for Cooperation and
Confidence-Building Measures in Asia held in Almaty,
Kazakhstan, Sezer said that he talked with the leaders to
contribute to the international peace efforts rather than as a
mediator. Sezer also addressed the conference, saying that
last September’s terrorist attacks showed that international
cooperation was necessary in order to fight against terrorism
with determination. In addition, Sezer answered journalists’
questions regarding his invitation to all party leaders in
Parliament to discuss on Friday Turkey’s EU membership bid.
The president said that he expected all party leaders to
attend the meeting. If Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is unable
to attend the meeting for health reasons, Sezer stated that
someone authorized by the Democratic Left Party (DSP) would be
invited to represent the party. /All Papers/
[02] US CALLS ON TURKEY TO HELP DECREASE INDIAN-PAKISTANI
TENSIONS
US State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker said
yesterday that the Bush administration expects a message from
Turkey to continue to do what it can to help decrease tensions
between India and Pakistan. Saying that US Secretary of State
Colin Powell made a phone call to his Turkish counterpart
Ismail Cem last Saturday, Reeker, told a press conference,
“Turkey has acted very effectively in the fight against
terrorism up to now. On the Kashmir issue, we expect Turkey to
call on both countries to act with common sense.” /Turkiye/
[03] KIVRIKOGLU HOLDS MEETINGS WITH RUSSIAN
LEADERS
Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, who is
currently paying an official visit to Russia, met yesterday
with his counterpart Gen. Anatoli Kvasnin and Russian Defense
Minister Sergei Ivanov in Moscow. Bilateral military relations
and technical cooperation as well as Russian-NATO relations
were taken up at the meetings. /Turkiye/
[04] US DIPLOMAT VISITS OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF
GENERAL STAFF
United States Representative to the United Nations
Ambassador John Negroponte, who is currently paying a two-day
official visit to Turkey, yesterday met with Turkish military
officials at the Office of the Chief of General Staff. During
his meetings, Negroponte reportedly discussed a number of
sensitive issues with Turkish officials such as recent
developments concerning the international peacekeeping force
in Afghanistan (ISAF) and the threat of weapons of mass
destruction developed by Iran and Iraq. Negroponte is today
scheduled to meet with officials from the Foreign Ministry to
exchange views on the recent situation on Cyprus. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] TROOP CONTINGENT ARRIVES FOR ISAF TAKEOVER
A contingent of 200 Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) troops
arrived at Kabul’s airport yesterday in the leadup to Turkey’s
taking the helm of the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) on June 20. The Turkish troops under the command of
Brigadier Gen. Emin Alpman were welcomed by Col. Tuncer
Erinmezler and British Col. Richard Barrons, the peacekeeping
force’s current commander. Alpman told reporters that they
were glad to be in Afghanistan to take over the ISAF command
at the behest of the United Nations and the international
community in order to ensure the security of the Afghan people.
He also added that Turkish troops would complete the command
transition by the end of this month. /Turkiye/
[06] CILLER: “TURKEY NEEDS AN ACTIVE PRIME
MINISTER”
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller yesterday
attended a panel on “Danger in the Turkish Straits and its
Environmental Effects” organized by her party in Istanbul.
Answering reporters’ questions regarding the president’s
invitation for a summit on Friday, Ciller said that if Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit attends the meeting, she will also be
there. “Our stance is not against Ecevit, we neither want to
upset him, nor force him to stand at the meeting for one or
two hours. However, Turkey needs an active premier, as it has
urgent issues waiting to be solved,” Ciller said. /Turkiye/
[07] RAHSAN ECEVIT RECEIVES DSP DEPUTIES
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s wife and Democratic Left
Party (DSP) Deputy Chairwoman Rahsan Ecevit yesterday received
a group of her party’s deputies at Ecevit’s office in Oran.
While leaving the office, the deputies told reporters that
they had conveyed their best wishes to the premier through his
wife. In a handwritten note, Ecevit said that he was fine and
hoped to attend Friday’s all-party summit on the EU. In
addition, Rahsan Ecevit reportedly will continue to receive
other DSP deputies in groups in the coming days. /Turkiye/
[08] KUTAN SIGNALS SUPPORT FOR EU BID
Speaking at his party’s group meeting yesterday, Felicity
Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan said that despite all of
Turkey’s problems, integration into the European Union was a
great opportunity for the nation. “In the past when we called
the EU a ‘Western club,’ it was accurate, but they have since
changed significantly,” Kutan added. Kutan also said that
today’s EU aims to be a more cosmopolitan, multicultural
political union. Kutan called the current prohibition of
broadcasting and education in mother tongue languages
“meaningless” and suggested that the SP was opposed to the
death penalty. /Star/
[09] KRUGER: “I BELIEVE TURKEY WILL ABOLISH THE
DEATH PENALTY”
Hans-Christian Kruger, deputy secretary-general of the
Council of Europe, yesterday met with Justice Minister Hikmet
Sami Turk and Supreme Court Chief Justice Sami Selcuk.
Answering a question on Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader
Devlet Bahceli’s objectionS to lifting the death penalty,
Kruger said, “I will not talk about Turkey’s internal politics
but I am sure that Turkey will abolish the death penalty.”
/Sabah/
[10] BAHCELI CRITICIZES ANAP, TUSIAD AND THE MEDIA
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP)
leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday spoke at his party’s group
meeting to offer his views on recent developments concerning
Turkish-EU relations and the future of the current coalition
government. Harshly criticizing Motherland Party (ANAP) leader
Mesut Yilmaz, opposition parties and the Turkish
Industrialists’ and Businessmen’ Association (TUSIAD), Bahceli
remarked that everybody should be very careful when deciding
on certain sensitive issues such as abolishing the death
penalty and education in mother tongue languages, which are,
he thinks, of great importance for Turkey’s future. Accusing
ANAP, the opposition parties and the TUSIAD of ignoring
Turkey’s national interests for the sake of EU membership,
Bahceli stated that Turkey should improve its relations with
the EU without turning a blind eye to its own interests or
making any concessions which would make the Turkish nation
totally dependent upon other nations. /All Papers/
[11] RTUK SELECTS NEW CHAIRMAN
The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) gathered
yesterday in order to select the body’s new chairman. Fatih
Karaca, a RTUK member since 1995, was elected to the post.
Karaca has worked for both the TV and movie industries and has
twice served as the RTUK’s vice chairman. /Aksam/
[12] NGOs TO TAKE COMMON STAND ON EU ACCESSION
A large gathering of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
in Istanbul today is set to put together a joint declaration
of their common stance on the pace of Turkey’s EU accession.
Nearly 200 NGOs are expected to call on the EU to set a
timetable by the end of this year to begin negotiations with
Turkey for its membership. /Aksam/
[13] BOEING OFFICIAL: “OVER THE NEXT DECADE,
TURKEY’S AIR FLEET COULD DOUBLE IN SIZE”
Speaking at Ankara’s Air Museum, a representative of US
company Boeing predicted yesterday that Turkey’s civilian air
fleet could double in less than 10 years’ time. Aldo Basile,
Turkish sales manager for Boeing, said that Turkey’s current
fleet of 150 planes could grow to 300 by 2010, depending on
economic growth and development. Basile was optimistic on
Turkey’s economic prospects, saying its EU candidacy and
educated population would be its growth engines. He predicted
tourism sector growth of 10% as well. Basile’s speech
coincided with an announcement that Turkey’s military planned
to buy several AWACS early warning planes from Boeing.
/Milliyet/
[14] TURKEY SIGNS AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE BOEING
DEFENSE PLANES
An agreement finalizing the purchase of early warning
defense planes was signed yesterday in Ankara by authorities
from the Defense Industry Undersecretariat and representatives
of US company Boeing. Turkey is expected to buy at least four
Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes from US
company Boeing. Turkey also has the option to increase the
number of planes to six. Boeing Vice President Patrick Gill
stated that they were now waiting the approval of the US
Congress for the purchase to take place. /Star/
[15] TURK TELEKOM AND KOC GROUP TO COOPERATE ON
BULGARIAN TELECOM BID
A statement issued by Koc Holding yesterday announced that
state landline monopoly Turk Telekom and Koc Group’s
information, communication and technology services division
had decided to jointly participate in a bid for 65% of the
Bulgarian Telecommunications Company. The stake in question
has been offered as part of the Bulgarian company’s
privatization. /Milliyet/
[16] GOOD NEWS FROM TOURISM AND AUTOMOTIVE
SECTORS
The number of tourists visiting Antalya has increased by
10% compared to last year, a tourism sector representative
said yesterday. Stating that Antalya was riding a boom tourism
wave, Professional Hotel Managers Association Chairman Turgen
Sevki Bulut said, “If we can keep up the current pace, we can
overtake last year’s numbers by as much as 15%.” Mediterranean
Tourist Hotels Association (AKTOB) Chairman Ahmet Barut also
said that he expected the number of tourists visiting Antalya
to reach 5 million by the end of the year. Barut stated,
“We’ve boosted the number of tourists visiting Turkey by 10%,
which is a great success.” He added that such countries as
Spain, Greece, Tunisia and Egypt have recently experienced
large losses in the tourism sector but that Turkey was leading
the pack of profitable countries in the sector. In other rosy
economic news, Turkish automotive sector exports increased by
5.1% this January-May to reach $1.77 billion, the State
Institute of Statistics (DIE) announced this week. The
automotive sector exported automotive goods to 153 countries
and autonomous regions, as well as 10 free zones in the
January-May period. /Milliyet/
[17] NEW CAMPAIGN FOR TURKISH TOURISM: “NOW IT’S
TIME FOR TURKEY”
The Tourism Research and Strategy Center has launched a new
campaign in Germany entitled “Now It’s Time for Turkey,” to
help boost Turkish tourism. The campaign, which is also
supported by the Turkish Tourism Ministry, aims to promote
Turkey and its culture to millions of German citizens.
/Cumhuriyet/
[18] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE
COLUMNS…
[19] CATCHING UP WITH THE TIMETABLE BY SAMIM
KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the EU deadline until when
Turkey has to fulfil its commitments. A summary of his column
is as follows:
“The Czech Republic is preparing for elections which will
be held in 10 days. The Czechs have successfully made the
transition to a democratic system and are now holding the
election campaigns in a surprisingly subdued atmosphere. Some
28 parties are competing for the 200 seats in their Parliament,
but no one can speak of a notable excitement in Prague. The
president of the Republic, Vaclav Havel, wants to see his
nation in the EU. The present government and a majority of the
people support this policy. Czechs have already completed the
political criteria required for the EU. Their doubts are
mainly focused on certain economic problems such as
agriculture. However, a great majority would like this issue
to be thoroughly discussed with the EU. As we well know, there
can be no bargaining on the Copenhagen criteria. In Turkey,
these political criteria are still being debated. It is a fact
that Turkey has special problems such as terrorism. The EU may
show understanding towards this problem but still require the
candidate to fulfill its commitments. It has been this way for
the candidates in Eastern and Central Europe. They also had
problems peculiar to themselves. If problems pertaining to the
abolition of the death penalty and broadcasting in Kurdish are
solved, it is widely believed that the EU may give us a date
for the start of accession negotiations before the end of the
year. However, this is not in fact the case. On every occasion,
EU diplomats are saying that setting a date for Turkey does
not depend on just two or three problems but also on other
conditions such as the implementation of laws and lifting of
restrictions concerning freedom of expression. Otherwise, a
great disappointment may lay in store for the people at the
end of the year. Tuesday’s speech delivered by Deputy Prime
Minister Devlet Bahceli has demonstrated how deeply
contrasting views are held in Turkey regarding the policies to
be pursued towards the EU. If this will be repeated at the
summit in Cankaya on Friday, it will be very hard and even
impossible to reach an agreement on two or three questions
discussed for some weeks. Such a result will weaken our
chances of catching up with the calendar regarding the EU.
Certainly this is not the end of the world. However, like the
Czechs, is not our aim to live in a civilized world and attain
better living standards?”
[20] BAHCELI IS FURIOUS BY SEDAT SERTOGLU (SABAH)
Columnist Sedat Sertoglu writes on the speech Deputy Prime
Minister Devlet Bahceli made yesterday. A summary of his
column is as follows:
“Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP)
leader Devlet Bahceli issued messages to the Cankaya summit
which will be held in three days. In brief, he said that the
MHP had not changed its stance regarding capital punishment
and broadcasting in mother tongues and would not do so. The
media and the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s
Association (TUSIAD) were among the institutions he criticized.
However, we believe that anger won’t lead to any solutions to
the issues and in fact will leave them unsolved. In this
climate it would be wrong to expect a promising joint decision
to come out from the Cankaya summit. This in turn may come to
mean that Turkey’s EU membership may be stalled for some years
to come. Following Bahceli’s declaration, the opposition
leaders will begin to toughen on these two issues. Getting to
power is more important for them than the wishes of 80% of the
people. Can President Sezer take this issue to a referendum?
This may the last hope. Then everyone will come out openly and
explain their views to the public. The people will think about
it and vote for it in the end. No one can oppose such a
decision. In fact, I do not believe that people are really
aware of the pluses and minuses of membership in the EU. I
wonder what the opposition party leaders who have defended
Turkey’s EU bid up to now will do in such a situation. Will
they continue to do so or seem to be in support of leaving
everything as it is, taking the votes that could go to Bahceli
into consideration? In fact, Turkey’s not being admitted to
the EU is tantamount to snatching away the future of the
country and its younger generations. For over 30 years we have
been talking about entering the EU. But we have not completed
our homework. Talking about issues is not enough.”
[21] FRIGHTENING DISTORTIONS BY OKAY GONENSIN
(SABAH)
Columnist Okay Gonensin writes on Deputy Prime Minister
Devlet Bahceli’s press conference. A summary of his column is
as follows:
“Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli made
his expected announcement yesterday. In a long speech, Bahceli
criticized everyone who openly supported Turkey’s EU bid and
particularly the press. His statement was filled with blanket
accusations and lacking any specific meaning such as
‘terrifying distortion,’ ‘wrong and dangerous mentality,’
‘dividing Turkey into two as those for and against the EU,’
‘weakening the position of our country,’ and ‘strengthening
the grounds for ethnic discrimination.’ The MHP leader accused
some journalists and writers by name. Bahceli’s speech is the
product of an old policy bereft of any projects for the future
and unaware of the dangers Turkey is facing today and will be
encountered in the future. A mentality which is unaware of the
goings-on in the world and the EU, the social, economic and
legal changes through which the member countries have passed,
and trying to hold society in fear is now saying that it will
continue to hold the country’s future hostage. This is the
quite frightening mentality. The only concrete proposal in
Bahceli’s speech concerns the situation of Ocalan. The Ocalan
case is more important for Bahceli than all the other
questions in Turkey put together. He is right as this is the
mentality which has brought Ocalan to the state he is in and
the MHP has reached this place thanks to Ocalan. It is
unfortunate that those who lack a plan for the future of
millions of people cling to Ocalan and base their policies on
him. Tomorrow 175 institutions representing Turkey will
respond to Bahceli. The representatives of workers, civil
servants, small businessmen and other professions will have
one thing to say to Bahceli. That is that they want to live in
an advanced society, and they do not desire their children to
face the same problems they did, and therefore they favor
Turkey’s admittance to the EU.”
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