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Turkish Press Review, 02-09-19Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr><LINK href="http://www.byegm.gov.tr_yayinlarimiz_chr_pics_css/tpr.css" rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css> <map name="FPMap1"> </map> <map name="FPMap1"></map> Press & Information Turkish Press Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning19.09.2002FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] SEZER ATTENDS BAKU-TBILISI-CEYHAN GROUNDBREAKINGConstruction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Oil Pipeline began yesterday with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Sangacal terminal in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the attendance of Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer along with his Azerbaijani and Georgian counterparts, Haydar Aliyev and Eduard Shevardnadze, respectively. Speaking at the ceremony, Sezer stated that BTC would decrease traffic in the Turkish Straits and so aid efforts to better safeguard the environment. This project will be a modern-day silk road, he remarked, adding that Kazakhstan’s Caspian port city Aktau would eventually be added to the pipeline, transforming the BTC into an ABTC. “Turkey will be a transit country for supplying oil to southern European countries,” concluded Sezer. /All Papers/[02] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “THE EU SHOULD SEE THINGS IN THEIR TRUE LIGHT”Speaking yesterday to reporters on the prospect of Greek Cypriot accession into the EU, Foreign Ministry spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said that the EU should “start seeing things in their true light.” Turkey has increasingly been urging the EU not to accept the Greek Cypriots as sole representatives of the island, while also trying to get the EU to determine a date, at December’s Copenhagen summit, for the start of accession negotiations with Turkey. It was reported yesterday that Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel would travel next week to Britain, France and the current holder of the EU term presidency, Denmark, in order to warn European officials that admitting the Greek Cypriots into the EU could have irrevocable consequences. In addition, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal will be going to Germany today to secure German support for Turkey’s EU membership bid. /Cumhuriyet/[03] YILMAZ: “TURKEY’S CHIEF GOAL IS TO OBTAIN A DATE FROM THE EU”Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said yesterday that Turkey’s chief national goal was to obtain at December’s Copenhagen summit a date for European Union membership negotiations. “Turkey has never before gotten so close to the EU,” added Yilmaz. /Hurriyet/[04] EU PROGRESS REPORT ON CYPRUS READY FOR RELEASEThe European Commission, the European Union’s chief executive body, has completed the preparation of its Progress Report on Cyprus, to be released next month. According to reports, the document praises Greek Cypriot efforts to fulfill the EU accession criteria and states that there are no obstacles to Cypriot membership. Pointing out that the direct talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides to resolve the 38-year dispute on the island have so far been inconclusive, the report states that EU calls for conciliation had been ignored by Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas. The report also criticizes the Turkish government for allegedly frustrating efforts of Turkish Cypriot civil organizations to establish close links with the EU. /Cumhuriyet/[05] LANDABURU: “THE EU MIGHT NOT TO SET A DATE FOR TURKEY”Eneko Landaburu, the European Commission’s director-general for enlargement, said yesterday that the EU would probably not give a date for Turkey to begin membership talks in the near future. Speaking to students at the Saint Louis and Louvain Universities in Brussels, Landaburu stated that he was worried about a crisis between Turkish officials and the EU during this December’s EU summit. “We haven’t yet made a decision on the matter, but it is highly probable that a date to start EU-Turkey membership negotiations won’t be set,” he said. Stressing that the EU wouldn’t start talks with a country without it implementing democratic rules in line with European standards, Landaburu said that for the time being, political life in Turkey still carried many uncertainties. He added that if the Cyprus issue were not resolved by December, this might cause problems for Turkey. Meanwhile, responding to Landaburu’s remarks, Jean-Christophe Filori, spokesman for the European Commission, stated that Landaburu’s statements reflected his own views, not that of EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen or other commission members. /Turkiye/[06] BAYKAL: “GETTING A DATE AT COPENHAGEN SUMMIT SEEMS UNLIKELY”Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that Turkey getting a date for European Union membership talks at December’s Copenhagen summit seemed to him a distant prospect. Speaking on television, Baykal evaluated his meetings with EU officials this week at the European Economic Forum in Austria. “Turkey’s EU membership isn’t in the hand, and isn’t even in the bush,” said Baykal. Stressing that the EU continually used excuses and pretexts to hold off Turkey, Baykal said it was vital that a strong, one-party government take power after November’s elections. “Turkey needs a powerful government not only to overcome its economic difficulties, but also to realize its goal of EU membership,” he added. /Turkiye/[07] IRAQI OPPOSITION GROUPS TO MEET IN TURKEYSeveral Iraqi opposition groups are due to meet next week in Avanos, a town in Turkey’s Cappadocia region. During the four-day meeting, the groups, among them the Iraq National Congress (INC), the Iraqi National Accord (INA) and the Supreme Court of Islamic Revolution (SCIRI), are expected to discuss the future of Iraq and, in particular, the fate of Kirkuk, an oil- rich city in northern Iraq. /Aksam/[08] TURKEY PLEASED WITH US INVITATION OF TURKMEN GROUPS TO IRAQI OPPOSITION MEETINGForeign Ministry spokesman Huseyin Dirioz yesterday told a press conference of Turkey’s satisfaction with the action of US officials inviting Turkmen groups to the next Iraqi opposition meeting in Washington. Stating that Turkey believed that decisions regarding the future of Iraq should be made by all native opposition groups, Dirioz said, “That’s why Turkey places a high premium on the Turkmen groups’ participation in the next Washington meeting.” He also reiterated that Turkey supported Iraq’s territorial integrity. Iraqi Turkmen Front Washington Coordinator Orhan Ketene is to represent the Turkmen opposition at the meeting to be chaired by Marc Grossman, US assistant secretary of state. /Cumhuriyet/[09] CEM: “THE YTP WON’T PARTICIPATE ANYMORE IN ATTEMPTS TO POSTPONE ELECTIONS”New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem said yesterday that his party wouldn’t participate any longer in attempts to postpone elections scheduled for Nov. 3. “We won’t try to postpone elections anymore, because the political parties which had been working to lower the 10% election threshold have now retreated,” said Cem. “YTP deputies wanted to lower the threshold to 5%, but other parties have abandoned the effort.” He charged that the issue had been exploited by certain political parties, but declined to specify which. “The YTP doesn’t need to worry about passing 10% election threshold, and it is continuing to determinedly pursue its course, ” added Cem. /Milliyet/[10] GUREL MEETS WITH US DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARY WOLFOWITZDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel yesterday met with United States Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz in Washington. After an half-hour bilateral meeting between the two ministers, an accompanying Turkish delegation and US officials held another gathering where they discussed recent developments on the Iraq issue as well as Turkish-US relations. US Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith also attended the latter meeting. /Cumhuriyet/[11] BREKK: “ADDITIONAL LOANS DEPEND ON NEW GOVERNMENT’S STANCE”International Monetary Fund Turkey Representative Odd Per Brekk said yesterday that Turkey was continuing its successful implementation of its economic program. He added that the need for additional loan tranches next year would depend on the stance of the new government to be formed after this November’s elections. “The economic program is going well, and this is also positively affecting Turkey’s economic performance,” said Brekk. “We hope the new government will also carry out the economic program with the same degree of responsibility.” Brekk also stated that all of Turkey’s political parties had announced their intention to continue implementing the current program, which he termed a “positive development.” Brekk added that an IMF delegation would soon come to Turkey in order to review the program’s progress. /Milliyet/[12] WORLD BANK DELEGATION MEETS WITH TURKISH BANKING REPRESENTATIVESA World Bank delegation which arrived in Turkey last week held a meeting in Istanbul yesterday with the Turkish Union of Banks (TBB). Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Garanti Bank Vice President Adnan Memis stated that the Turkish banking representatives and World Bank officials had understood each other’s concerns very well. He further stressed that the meeting had been very productive and that both sides had aired their views on possible ways to use the loans extended by the WB. /Cumhuriyet/[13] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…[14] ERDOGAN’S SITUATION BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan’s situation in relation to recent court rulings. A summary of his column is as follows:“The Supreme Election Board will issue its final decision today as to whether Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan will be able to stand as a candidate for deputy. On this issue, wishes and reality are being confused by media and political observers. As part of this confusion, certain politicians (particularly Erdogan himself) and newspaper columnists are criticizing in a misinformed way the decision given by the Eighth Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals. The upshot of this decision is that Erdogan cannot become a deputy. You can criticize the decision politically or call it incompatible with democracy and European Union standards. You can argue that whatever a person’s crime, his right to run for elected office shouldn’t be taken away. However, you can’t justifiably call the decision handed down by the appeals court a political one. You cannot say that this decision violates the Constitution, the relevant election law or the general principles and specifics of the law. The reason is simple: Article 76 of the Constitution and Article 11 of the Deputies Election Law prohibit Erdogan and people in similar situations from becoming deputies. As long as these sections of the Constitution and the law remain in force, the judiciary’s hands are tied. However, if the Article 76 and the Article 11 were amended, the result could be different. When the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), under which Erdogan was sentenced, was changed, the Constitution and the Deputy Election Law were left unchanged. Was this forgetfulness? Of course not. The legislature maintained these judgments on purpose. The legislature’s relevant judgment asserts that those sentenced under Article 312 cannot become deputies. Their civil and other political rights can be given back, but they don’t have permission to become deputies. This is the command of the legislature. When faced with this situation, the judiciary has to make such a decision because it issues rulings according to the current law, not according to someone’s wishes. Therefore it’s wrong to try to tar defenders of the decision against Erdogan as ‘against the EU’ and ‘enemies of democracy.’ Just because Erdogan leads the front-running party in the opinion polls doesn’t put him above the law. The Constitutional Court’s ruling on Erdogan’s founding membership and the appeals court decision concerning his prospective candidacy are binding on every person and every institution. This includes the Supreme Election Board.” [15] THE MIRACLE WORD: UNCERTAINTY BY CUNEYT ARCAYUREK (CUMHURIYET)Columnist Cuneyt Arcayurek comments on discussions about postponing the elections scheduled to be held on Nov. 3. A summary of his column is as follows:“Those who think that November’s elections are going to be postponed are terribly mistaken, because someone has already uttered that miracle word, ‘uncertainty.’ Former Economy Minister Kemal Dervis said that if the elections were not held on their scheduled date, uncertainty would again hang over the economy. Others, for instance business circles, are also singing the same tune. To put it straightforwardly, once the word ‘uncertainty’ left Dervis’s lips it meant that there was no need to be concerned; elections will surely be held on Nov. 3. There is nothing that could be held to contradict such a conclusion. On the contrary, there are several signs supporting our thesis. Just take a look at what Guenter Verheugen said. He listed those people who could help Turkey get a date for accession talks from the EU, and neither the prime minister nor the foreign minister were on his list. Instead, he gave Deniz Baykal, the chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), advice on how to get a date, and said, ‘Take Dervis with you, go and talk with the French president, the German chancellor and the British prime minister.’ This was Verheugen’s suggestion, and it alone is enough to bring an end to the discussions about election postponement. Designs for postponing the elections and forming another government have by now lost much of the wind from their sails. The latest volley is a move to lower the 10% threshold to 5%, one led by Istemihan Talay of the New Turkey Party (YTP). However, Talay’s initiative was not welcomed by the YTP’s leader, Ismail Cem. Moreover, Talay has taken heavy criticism and implicit accusations from Economy Minister Masum Turker over the last three days’ spike in interest rates. It’s very likely that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) will attract most of the dissident votes of those people who suffered much from previous governments under which corruption prevailed in every aspect of life. Thus, those political parties and their leaders who fear that they will fall in the elections ahead should look for no one to blame but themselves.” ARCHIVE <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js"> </script> Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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