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Turkish Press Review, 02-07-03
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
03.07.2002
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
CONTENTS
[01] FISCHER: “WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF TURKEY”
[02] DENKTAS, CLERIDES WRAP UP FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS
[03] YILMAZ: “PARLIAMENT CAN BE CALLED FOR A SESSION IN SEPTEMBER”
[04] BAYKAL: “TURKEY’S EU BID IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE COALITION”
[05] KUTAN: “ECEVIT’S HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE CAUSING POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY”
[06] MHP: “FOGG WILL BE TURKEY’S GOODWILL AMBASSADOR”
[07] COLOMBIAN SENATE SPEAKER HONORS IZGI
[08] CILLER: “THE GOVERNMENT ISN’T FULFILLING ITS EU REQUIREMENTS”
[09] GERMAN EMBASSY CONTRIBUTES TO NATIONAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
[10] CAMARA CALLS FOR SPANISH INVESTMENT IN TURKEY
[11] FITCH AFFIRMS TURKEY’S CREDIT RATINGS
[12] KAHKONEN: “PROGRAM IS GOING WELL, DESPITE SOME WEAKNESSES”
[13] TOBB REQUESTS THAT ECEVIT WITHDRAW
[14] “PHILOSOPHY 2002 MEETING” IN ASSOS
[15] YOUNG TURKS HONORED IN HOLLYWOOD
[16] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[17] CYPRUS IS BECOMING A CONDITION BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)
[18] LEAVING THE DOOR OF CIVILIZATION OPEN BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
[01] FISCHER: “WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF TURKEY”
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yesterday met with his German counterpart
Joschka Fischer in Berlin. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Fischer
said that Turkey has an important place in the Middle East, Balkans and
Central Asia. “Turkey also plays an important role for the security in
Europe,” Fisher added. Fischer also said that Germany supported and would
continue to support Turkey’s European Union membership, adding that
obtaining a date to start its full membership negotiations was within
Turkey’s power. For his part, Cem stated that Germany had always supported
Turkey in its EU membership bid. Cem also said that Turkey doesn’t want any
special favors. Everything is mentioned in the Copenhagen criteria, he
added, and Turkey’s aim is to fulfill these criteria and start
negotiations. /Hurriyet/
[02] DENKTAS, CLERIDES WRAP UP FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS
The fourth round of peace talks between the two leaders of Cyprus, Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot
leader Glafcos Clerides, concluded yesterday without reaching any
settlement. United Nations Special Representative to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto
stated that efforts aimed at reaching an agreement on a number of issues
before the end of June had come to naught. De Soto added that the peace
talks would take a break until July 16 due to his visit to UN headquarters
in New York. Denktas told reporters that during the meeting, the Belgium
model had been taken up and that the two sides had discussed the Greeks’
views on the matter. Upon leaving his office for the meeting, Denktas
commented on European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenther
Verheugen’s recent statement that “The EU will admit the Greek Cypriot
administration even if without Turks.” Denktas said, “I thank Verheugen for
beginning to express the realities of the situation. He finally recognized
that we could not be forced to join. The integration of Cyprus as a whole
is only possible when the Turks’ sovereignty, equality and existence of
their state are accepted. Then, a joint administration can be established
to access to the EU together.” Denktas added that if the EU takes in the
Greek Cypriot administration, it would be a kind of confirmation of the
Turkish Cypriots’ existence. /Turkiye, Cumhuriyet/
[03] YILMAZ: “PARLIAMENT CAN BE CALLED FOR A SESSION IN SEPTEMBER”
Before the Motherland Party (ANAP) Chairmanship Board’s yesterday’s meeting,
ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz told reporters that Parliament would be called for
an extraordinary session in late summer for intensive work. Concerning the
Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchange’s (TOBB) declaration on
the future of the government issued yesterday, Yilmaz said, “The government
is already looking for ways to overcome the prevailing uncertainty in
politics. We will continue our consultations over the next two months both
among ourselves as well as other political parties. I expect Parliament to
be called for an extraordinary session in September.” /Turkiye/
[04] BAYKAL: “TURKEY’S EU BID IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE COALITION”
Speaking to news channel NTV yesterday, Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP)
leader Deniz Baykal said that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had spoken too
optimistically after Monday’s leaders’ summit. Baykal criticized the
government’s stance on the European Union membership process and stated,
“The EU issue is much more important than the government for Turkey.” He
added, “The government can’t continue his mission due to Ecevit’s health
problems and its failure to take the required steps for EU membership.”
Baykal also remarked that Turkey was in danger of falling into another
economic crisis, as a number of credit rating institutions had indicated.
He said that early elections were becoming more inevitable with each
passing day, but that the CHP wasn’t insisting on the issue. /Milliyet/
[05] KUTAN: “ECEVIT’S HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE CAUSING POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Felicity Party leader Recai Kutan
said that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s health problems were causing
political uncertainty and that it was time for Ecevit to resign. Kutan
alleged that Ecevit had gotten the post of prime minister with the support
of “other powers” and that he could step down whenever these powers wished
it so. /Sabah/
[06] MHP: “FOGG WILL BE TURKEY’S GOODWILL AMBASSADOR”
Nationalist Action Party (MHP) deputy leader Sevket Bulent Yahnici
predicted yesterday that departing European Commission Representative in
Turkey Karen Fogg would take on a role as Turkey’s goodwill ambassador to
the European countries and European Union administration after leaving
Ankara. Following a visit with Fogg, Yahnici said that his party was in an
intensive dialogue and cooperation with her. Recalling that Fogg’s tenure
in Turkey was nearing an end, Yahnici added, “We believe that she will be
Turkey’s goodwill ambassador to European countries and the EU itself.
Sometimes Fogg cross-examined or judged Turkey, or it seemed that way.
However, as a result of these examinations and judgments, she clearly
became very knowledgeable about Turkey and Turks vis-a-vis the EU
bureaucracy. I believe that this will work to Turkey’s advantage.” /Aksam/
[07] COLOMBIAN SENATE SPEAKER HONORS IZGI
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi yesterday was decorated with an honorary sash
of gratitude by visiting Colombian Senate Speaker Carlos Garcia Orjuela.
The sash was presented, Orjuela said, to recognize the happiness felt by
Colombian citizens living in Turkey. Izgi thanked him for the honor and
pledged to work to further bilateral Turkish-Colombian relations. Orjuela
also remarked that drug smuggling was an international problem and that the
two countries should cooperate to combat it. /Turkiye/
[08] CILLER: “THE GOVERNMENT ISN’T FULFILLING ITS EU REQUIREMENTS”
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller claimed yesterday that the
government was not fulfilling the necessary requirements for Turkey’s
European Union membership bid and that she had no hope of them doing so in
the future. In a written statement, Ciller said that the main obstacle in
front of Turkey for its EU membership was the government itself. “Certain
circles are also not letting the ruling parties cooperate with the
opposition on EU issues,” she stated. “But, in a dilemma of ‘the EU or the
government,’ the coalition parties have chosen the government and their
position without a thought for Turkey’s future.” She added that the
coalition parties should give up blocking Turkey’s EU membership and
reiterated her call on Parliament to work through this summer and to
cooperate regarding EU issues. /Turkiye/
[09] GERMAN EMBASSY CONTRIBUTES TO NATIONAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
The Ankara Provincial Education Directorate announced yesterday that some
10 billion TL raised by a summer fair held by the German Embassy in Ankara
had been donated to the “Support for National Education Campaign.” Dr. Uta
Schmidt Clausen, the wife of Germany’s ambassador, delivered the donation
check to Deputy Provincial Education Director Yuksel Sezgin. /Aksam/
[10] CAMARA CALLS FOR SPANISH INVESTMENT IN TURKEY
Spain’s Ambassador to Turkey Manuel de la Camara yesterday issued a call
for Spanish investors to invest in Turkey, which he characterized as “an
attractive country for investment.” He added that opportunities should be
created for such investors to put money and capital into Turkey. /Star/
[11] FITCH AFFIRMS TURKEY’S CREDIT RATINGS
International rating agency Fitch yesterday affirmed Turkey’s sovereign
credit ratings, saying that the country’s foreign currency and local
currency remain rated B, while its short-term rating was also affirmed at
B. However, the agency also said that continued political uncertainty in
Turkey carried a risk to the country’s long-term financial health.
/Hurriyet/
[12] KAHKONEN: “PROGRAM IS GOING WELL, DESPITE SOME WEAKNESSES”
International Monetary Fund Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen said yesterday that
the economic indicators showed that the government’s program was going well
despite the political instability caused by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s
health problems. “However the latest market indicators such as the decrease
in the value of TL and high interest rates show that some economic
conditions are still very weak,” he added. “The public banks are being
regulated by the banking operations and now is the time for private banks.”
/Sabah/
[13] TOBB REQUESTS THAT ECEVIT WITHDRAW
The Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) yesterday
held an Executive Board meeting to evaluate the current situation of
Turkey’s government and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. TOBB Chairman Rifat
Hisarciklioglu stated after the meeting that the TOBB believed that Ecevit,
who has been serving for Turkey for many years, would not let the country
plunge into chaos and that he would establish a sound administrative
structure to address the country’s political instability. Although the TOBB
made no formal call for Ecevit to step down, Hisarciklioglu’s statement was
widely seen as an indirect request for a change in the prime minister’s
chair. /Cumhuriyet/
[14] “PHILOSOPHY 2002 MEETING” IN ASSOS
Assos, a spot on the Aegean coast where famous Greek philosopher Aristotle
spent several years of his life, will host an international philosophy
meeting starting tomorrow. The aim of "Philosophy in Assos", a nonprofit
organization, is to gather philosophers in Assos in order to create a
casual, informal atmosphere for discussion and dialogue on philosophical
problems. Foreign and Turkish philosophers and students and scholars of
philosophy will have the opportunity during the three-day meeting to
discuss a wide range of philosophical issues. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] YOUNG TURKS HONORED IN HOLLYWOOD
Two young Turks working in graphic design and promotion for movies got top
honors at last week’s Key Arts Awards handed out in Los Angeles. The Key
Arts is the only international competition recognizing outstanding
achievements in film marketing and promotion. At the awards ceremony, Emrah
Yucel won first prize in the Festival Poster category as creative chief for
a “Hollywood Film Festival” poster. In addition, Goktug Sarioz also took
first place as editor for a TV commercial for “Scary Movie 2.” “It’s
amazing that two young Turkish designers came out first in the awards,”
said Yucel. “I was very excited when nearly 1,500 people applauded me.
People have begun to recognize us in the world of film and filmmaking, and
we’re very proud.” /Aksam/
[16] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[17] CYPRUS IS BECOMING A CONDITION BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)
Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli writes on Turkish-EU relations and the Cyprus
issue. A summary of her column is as follows:
“Both the Europeans and some people in Turkey are working hand-in-hand to
block Turkey’s path to the EU. To a great extent they have been successful.
The coalition government leaders met and the only decision they agreed upon
was to continue with the government and to shelve the EU issue. Their aim
was to maintain political stability. The irony is that, political stability
is necessary to overcome the economic crisis and the maintenance of the EU
membership candidacy process. If we are abandoning or at least freezing
this process, and the economy has come to the brink of a new crisis due to
the prime minister’s ill health and slips of the tongue, what will the
continuance of this government provide? These are the contributions made by
those in Turkey who are blocking the path to the EU. There are other
barriers put one after another to block Turkey’s path to the EU by the
Europeans. These are more dangerous than the ones we ourselves have put
before us. Recently the Germans have been very active on the issue. Germany
accepted ‘enlargement towards the East’ as its priority foreign policy aim.
That is why German diplomats and politicians have begun a diplomatic attack
to have Poland accepted as a member before the end of the year. The only
possible barrier before this issue is the ‘Cyprus problem.’ If the Cyprus
problem is not solved before the end of the year, some European countries
may oppose the Greek Cypriot administration’s EU membership. This in turn
brings the possibility of a Greek veto of the EU enlargement process, in
other words Germany’s nightmare coming true. Therefore, Germany is
pressuring Turkey with all its might to hamper such a development. Recently
one German delegation after another has come to Ankara, and the messages
they are issuing are the same. ‘If Turkey wants to have a date set at the
end of the year for accession negotiations, it must fulfill the political
Copenhagen criteria. Furthermore, it must cooperate better in Cyprus for a
solution.’ In short, if not officially, Cyprus is becoming a ‘de facto’
condition in Turkey’s EU membership bid. A great majority of European
politicians and diplomats, mainly Germans, are saying that in order for
Turkey to get a date for accession negotiations at the end of the year it
must improve cooperation on the European Security and Defence Policy
(ESDP). What is more, the deadline for the ESDP is sooner than that given
for Cyprus. The deadline for a solution in Cyprus is set for the end of the
year. For the ESDP timeframe is shorter as the EU wants to take a joint
stand and take responsibility in the field of defense. It plans to deploy
the ‘European force’ in place of the international force in Macedonia whose
term of duty will be completed in autumn. However, due to the aid given to
its members, and the funds allocated for the expected members, the
financial resources of the European Union have been drained. In order to
carry out the Macedonian operation at a minimum cost, they plan to use NATO
facilities. Therefore, they have to convince NATO member Turkey, and NATO-
European Union cooperation rules must be determined. No one is taking heed
of the ‘Ankara Document’ Turkey approved in December after negotiations
with the NATO leader country US along with Britain. It seems the position
of the EU states which considered the opposition of Greece to the Ankara
Document as ‘insolence’ has changed. Even Britain, which has negotiated
with Turkey on the issue, cannot defend it. The pressure on Turkey to
accept the arrangements satisfying Greece is building behind closed doors.
In short, Turkey’s aim in becoming European is being hampered both by
unproductive politics within the country, and by diplomatic games led by
Greece abroad.”
[18] LEAVING THE DOOR OF CIVILIZATION OPEN BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on Turkish-EU relations. A summary of his
column is as follows:
“Certainly, it is correct to say that we have to enter the EU honorably.
Turkey is as honorable as the mighty Germany or the tiny Luxembourg. As it
would be insulting to others, it cannot be said to be more than theirs. It
is also true that conditions which are not required of other members are
being asked of Turkey. However, the conditions for entry have become more
burdensome each year, and the standard has risen, and the bar will go up
even more. Those who have already entered the Union while we were lulled
into sleep have fulfilled lighter conditions than we have to today. Full
membership could have been ours simultaneously with Greece, before Spain,
Portugal and Austria, but we turned it down. When new criteria emerged,
member states approved them. Acting heedlessly and inconsiderately by
saying ‘Let’s meet 10 years later’ would inevitably have negative effects
on the lives of states. The coming generations would pay dearly for such
errors. The argument that the Europeans won’t take countries which have
problems with their neighbors is not altogether wrong, however it has
exceptions. They admitted Greece, which has problems with Turkey, into the
Union. They are ready to admit the Greek Cypriots. Turkish foreign policy
is based on the dictum ‘Peace at home, peace in the world.’ However, this
cannot come true, if the opposite party continues to bear ill-will and
animosity. Therefore, one should not fall into the trap of those fearing a
Turkey membership in the Union. Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli
relieved us by saying that admittance to the EU is a state policy. It will
only please us to see the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) in the capacity of
a centrist party which can come to power. A party which slams the doors to
the civilized world in the faces of our children cannot win any votes. It
would only make us unhappy to see a Turkish nationalist party fall into
such a marginal and sorry situation. Democracy and prosperity is the right
of every Turkish citizen. Democracy is a regime hidden in the Copenhagen
criteria. Prosperity is not possible with only two or five thousand
dollars.”
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