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Turkish Press Review, 02-10-18Turkish 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 morning18.10.2002SEZER: “THE TURKISH NATION EXPECTS A DATE FROM THE EU TO START ITS NEGOTIATIONS” JUSTICE MINISTER: “THE EU GROSSLY OVERSTATED THE NUMBERS INCARCERATED FOR THOUGHT CRIMES” CAKMAKOGLU: “RUMORS OF WAR WILL NOT DETER ELECTIONS” TURKER: “THE IMF WILL RELEASE $1.6 BILLION AT THE END OF THE YEAR” TOSKAY: “NO PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS WILL BE DISMISSED BEFORE THE ELECTIONS” YAHNICI: “TURKEY’S NORTHERN IRAQ POLICY HAS BEEN A FAILURE” CEM: “THE YTP DOESN’T HAVE A THRESHOLD COMPLEX” MORGAN STANLEY: “AN IRAQ OPERATION COULD COST TURKEY SOME $16 BILLION” TURKISH UN REP: “TURKEY IS READY TO PROTECT THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF IRAQ” DE SOTO CYPRUS PLAN FAILS TURKISH TEST STRAW: “TURKEY IS A KEY MEMBER OF NATO AND A VITAL ALLY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM” IRAQI TURKMEN GROUP ASKS TURKEY TO BE GUARANTOR STATE IKDP OFFICIALS TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT WEEK FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... IZGI’S MESSAGE BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET) NORTHERN IRAQ AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS BY MURAT CELIK (STAR)CONTENTS
[01] SEZER: “THE TURKISH NATION EXPECTS A DATE FROM THE EU TO START ITS NEGOTIATIONS”President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday met with visiting Hungarian President Ferenc Madl in Ankara. Speaking at a lunch given in Madl’s honor, Sezer stated that the Turkish nation didn’t want to be faced with disappointments from the European Union as it had in the past. Turkey, as a country which has fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria, expects the EU to give it a date to begin its negotiations, said Sezer. He added that Turkey was determined to integrate with the EU as soon as possible. Hungary was greenlighted by a recent EU Progress Report for membership in 2004, but Turkey was not. /Hurriyet/[02] JUSTICE MINISTER: “THE EU GROSSLY OVERSTATED THE NUMBERS INCARCERATED FOR THOUGHT CRIMES”The European Union’s recent Progress Report on Turkey grossly overstated the number of inmates incarcerated for so-called thought crimes, Justice Minister Aysel Celikel said yesterday. At a press conference, Celikel told how the EU erroneously included inmates convicted for terrorist offenses as “prisoners of thought.” When such terrorist criminals are figured out of the numbers, Turkey’s “thought criminal” population plummets from 9,000 to only 73, a drop of over 99%. Celikel added that sections of the report alleging a “systematic state policy” of torture were wholly without basis. “The EU accusations concerning both criminals of thought and torture in the Turkish nation were unjust and unfair,” concluded Celikel. /Star/[03] CAKMAKOGLU: “RUMORS OF WAR WILL NOT DETER ELECTIONS”Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu said yesterday that despite rumors and speculation concerning a possible conflict in Iraq, a bona fide situation of war which could postpone elections was clearly lacking. Speaking on the campaign trail in the central Anatolian town of Kayseri, where he was stumping for his Nationalist Action Party (MHP), Cakmakoglu was asked in his capacity as defense minister whether rumors of war would affect the upcoming elections. “The Constitution lays out clearly the conditions under which elections can be cancelled or postponed,” he said. “Only a situation of actual war would suffice to do this, but as of now, no such situation exists.” /Turkiye/[04] TURKER: “THE IMF WILL RELEASE $1.6 BILLION AT THE END OF THE YEAR”State Economy Minister Masum Turker said yesterday that an expected $1.6 billion International Monetary Fund loan tranche would be disbursed to Turkey at the end of the year. “With its previous review of our economic program, IMF officials said that Turkey should meet certain commitment before November,” said Turker. “However, studies under the current fourth review are now set to continue through December, and the IMF will release the $1.6 billion tranche at year’s end.” He added that he would soon release the text of latest Letter of Intent (LOI) developed under the current review. /Milliyet/[05] TOSKAY: “NO PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS WILL BE DISMISSED BEFORE THE ELECTIONS”State Minister Tunca Toskay yesterday pledged that no public sector workers would be dismissed before next month’s elections. The government can’t possibly tackle the problem of overstaffing before Nov. 3, said Turker, so action on the issue will have to wait until after the polls. He added that the government’s economic and finance bureaucracies were currently examining documents related to the fourth International Monetary Fund review of Turkey’s economic program. /Milliyet/[06] YAHNICI: “TURKEY’S NORTHERN IRAQ POLICY HAS BEEN A FAILURE”Speaking yesterday on recent developments in northern Iraq, Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Deputy Chairman Sevket Bulent Yahnici harshly criticized Turkey’s policies towards the region, saying, “We have failed utterly in northern Iraq.” I warned of dangerous developments as far back as 1999 and again just this summer, said Yahnici. The MHP administrator added that once Saddam Hussein was out of picture, any future Iraqi government should include all of the country’s ethnic groups. “Naturally, Turkey won’t interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs,” he stated. “But we cannot abandon our responsibilities to Iraq’s Turkmens.” /Turkiye/[07] CEM: “THE YTP DOESN’T HAVE A THRESHOLD COMPLEX”Speaking at a campaign rally in eastern Thrace, New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem stated yesterday that were the YTP to come to power, he would try to serve all sectors of Turkish society without any discrimination. Commenting on public opinion polls indicating that the YTP might not meet the 10% election threshold, Cem stated that unlike some other parties, the YTP did not have a “threshold complex,” adding that certain parties were spending large sums of money to manipulate the polls. Such manipulation is the only reason that some believe the YTP won’t make the cut to be represented in Parliament, said Cem. Turning to the foreign policy arena, Cem stated that the YTP was opposed to a possible US-led war in Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/[08] MORGAN STANLEY: “AN IRAQ OPERATION COULD COST TURKEY SOME $16 BILLION”International investment bank Morgan Stanley yesterday released a report on the financial impact of a possible operation in Iraq. Stating that the cost of a war would depend on its duration and geographical scope, the report predicted that the price tag for Turkey might total some $16 billion. However, the United States government could cancel $5 billion in Turkish debt to help support the country, said the report, adding that the US administration also had plans to include Turkey in Iraq’s postwar reconstruction process. /Turkiye/[09] TURKISH UN REP: “TURKEY IS READY TO PROTECT THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF IRAQ”Umit Pamir, Turkey’s permanent representative to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council Wednesday that Turkey stood ready to protect the territorial integrity of Iraq. Speaking during an open Security Council debate on the UN stance towards Iraq, Pamir stressed that terrorist groups were operating out of northern Iraq, near Turkey’s border, and that Turkey wouldn’t hesitate to take necessary action to safeguard its national security. “The Iraqi people’s destiny is in their own hands,” said Pamir. “This principle also holds true for Iraq’s natural resources, and Turkey is opposed to any design which would threaten this very basic principle.” /Star/[10] DE SOTO CYPRUS PLAN FAILS TURKISH TESTA plan recently proposed by United Nations Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto to resolve the 38-year Cyprus issue reportedly falls short of meeting Turkey’s expectations. Media accounts say the plan is based on the Belgian and Swiss federation systems and envisages the creation of a single Cypriot state to which the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities would transfer sovereignty. De Soto stated yesterday that there was still a chance for a settlement on the island. He added, however, that time was quickly running out. “I don’t want to even consider the possibility that a settlement might not be reached before the European Union’s Copenhagen summit in December,” de Soto said. A recent EU report greenlighted Greek Cyprus’ EU membership bid, a move Turkey condemned, and decisions on both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish EU bids are due at the summit. While the UN envoy voiced his belief that the two Cypriot sides should hasten their efforts to find a solution, Turkish authorities stated yesterday that there was no need for panic and that a solution could be found in good time. /Cumhuriyet/1. [11] STRAW: “TURKEY IS A KEY MEMBER OF NATO AND A VITAL ALLY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM”Speaking at the German-British Forum in London yesterday, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that Turkey’s accession to the European Union would be in the best interests of Britain and indeed Europe in general. Turkey is a key member of NATO and a vital ally in the campaign against terrorism, added Straw. The foreign secretary also said that Turkey had made significant progress in recent months towards fulfilling the Copenhagen political criteria necessary to start its EU membership negotiations. /Aksam/[12] IRAQI TURKMEN GROUP ASKS TURKEY TO BE GUARANTOR STATEIraq’s Turkmen Advisory Assembly yesterday sent the Turkish Prime Ministry and National Security Council (MGK) General Secretariat letters warning them that the Bush administration is firmly determined to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime. The letter also said that the Turkmens, who are Iraqi citizens of Turkish origin, would like the US and Turkey to take up the status of guarantor states to protect Turkmen interests in northern Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/[13] IKDP OFFICIALS TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT WEEKNecirvan Barzani, prime minister of the so-called government of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP)-controlled section of northern Iraq, and Hosyar Zebari, the IKDP’s foreign policy chief, are set to visit Ankara next week to have talks with officials there. During their visit, recent developments in northern Iraq, the regional Kurdish Parliament, fair representation for Iraq’s Turkmen population and a draft northern Iraq constitution drawn up earlier this month are expected to be discussed. /Aksam/[14] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[15] IZGI’S MESSAGE BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on his conversation with Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi. A summary of his column is as follows:“Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi has been issuing important messages concerning northern Iraq. The media haven’t given these messages the attention they deserve, but Izgi says that Turkey can serve as a ‘protector’ for Kirkuk, Mosul and Suleymania, and that such action could not rightly be considered occupation. During my conversation with Izgi yesterday, I asked about the basis for his views and his aims in making them public. ‘Following last year’s Sept. 11 attacks,’ Izgi began, ‘our government held a summit to discus this tragedy and what might come of it. I said then that after it confronted Afghanistan, the US would turn next to Iraq. We discussed what might happen in such a situation along with how best to ensure the security of Iraq’s Turkmen population.’ Voicing his concerns about the chaotic atmosphere a US operation might bring, he added, ‘In an echo of the 1974 Cyprus situation, the Turkmens might get caught between Kurds and Arabs amid this chaos and be led towards disaster. Such a possibility concerns us greatly. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) should serve to safeguard against such a possibility. However, I want to umambiguously emphasize -- especially to the Arab countries -- that this won’t be an occupation.’ When these developments were being discussed, we asked Izgi, did the government summit come to a decision? As parliament speaker, are your views influenced by this information? ‘I’m the chairman of our legislative body,’ he replied. ‘However, I hope the officials from the executive branch, that is, the president, prime minister, government and TSK, discussed all these possibilities and make a decision. After the Sept. 11 attacks, we discussed this issue with the prime minister.’ Izgi emphasized that Turkey couldn’t be expected to simply sit on its hands and watch the fate of the Turkmens unfold following a military operation. Izgi added that Turkey didn’t favor war, and was continuing its diplomatic efforts to head off a conflict, but that it was prepared to meet head-on developments beyond its control. Izgi added that if the US takes action without considering the views of Turkey, which will keenly feel the affects of developments in the region, or without ensuring cooperation, there might be ill-fated results. The answers to many of these questions may emerge during the upcoming visits of US Gulf Commander Gen. Tommy Franks to Ankara and Turkish Gen. Hilmi Ozkok’s visit to Washington.” [16] NORTHERN IRAQ AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS BY MURAT CELIK (STAR)Columnist Murat Celik comments on the views of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) concerning the Iraq issue. A summary of his column is as follows:“ ‘Ahead of early elections on Nov. 3, the political parties have begun to address the Iraq issue in their elections campaigns in order to attract more votes. Although there is no need for undue concern about the current situation, the political parties tend to distort the facts and treat the issue as Turkey’s most important problem. However, Turkey needs to act calmly without making too much of the problem.’ Many commanders within the Turkish military forces share these views. These commanders, who fought against separatist terrorist groups for years, are quite cautious when evaluating the recent developments in northern Iraq, as they have never forgotten their experiences. The views of the Turkish military forces can be summarized as follows: In the heated elections atmosphere, the political parties are trying to use the Iraq issue as a tool to boost their votes. 2. Recent developments in the region should be considered a culmination of a gradual process which has been unfolding for years. In fact, there is nothing new and nothing to be surprised of. 3. The needs of the people residing in northern Iraq shouldn’t be ignored. If we neglect their problems, the tension between Turkey and these groups could well increase. 4. Turkey will never accept the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. There are many measures that can be taken in order to head off such efforts. Both the Bush administration and Iraq’s two opposition leaders, Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Massoud Barzani and Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani, are well aware of this fact. 5. The US has yet to clarify its plans as to what it will do after Saddam Hussein is ousted. However, the Bush administration has so far stressed that the US doesn’t support the idea of an independent Kurdish state. All in all, there is nothing to be overly worried about. There is nothing which poses a threat to Turkey’s territorial integrity. Turkey is closely following the developments and ready to take action if needed. Now is the time to act in a calm and cautious manner. Although these views aren’t the official views of the Turkish armed forces, I’m sure that these remarks will be discussed in detail during the next National Security Council (MGK) meeting.” 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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