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Turkish Press Review, 02-12-09Turkish 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 morning09.12.2002CONTENTS
[01] PRIME MINISTER GUL TO MEET WITH BAYKALPrime Minister Abdullah Gul is set to meet with opposition Republican People’s Party Chairman Deniz Baykal today at the Parliament. The two leaders are expected to confer on issues such as Cyprus, Turkey’s European Union membership bid and Iraq, in the wake of recent visits to Ankara of US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw and Per Stig Moller, the foreign minister of EU Term President Denmark. /Cumhuriyet/[02] GENERAL STAFF TO BRIEF GULThe General Staff is expected today to brief Prime Minister Abdullah Gul on a number of issues vital for Turkey’s future. Ahead of the briefing set to begin at 1:50 p.m., Gul will pay a courtesy visit to Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok. The briefing is expected to address such issues as the fight against reactionary movements, the activities of terrorist organizations the PKK and Hizbullah, and a possible US attack on Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/[03] ERDOGAN IN DENMARK, EN ROUTE TO THE USJustice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday traveled to Denmark accompanied by a full delegation, including Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis. As part of Erdogan’s contacts in European capitals seeking support for Turkey’s EU membership bid before its Copenhagen summit on Thursday and Friday, the ruling party leader is set to meet with European Union Term President Denmark’s Foreign Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen today. Following a press conference, Erdogan will then proceed to Washington, DC. The AKP leader is scheduled to deliver a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US-based think tank. Tomorrow, Erdogan will be received by President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. After meeting at his hotel with representatives of the US Jewish lobby and the Turco-American Council, Erdogan will fly to New York to meet with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The two leaders are expected to discuss the Cyprus issue. Then Erdogan is scheduled to fly back to Copenhagen to follow the EU’s summit there, where he is expected to stay through Dec.15. /Turkiye/[04] PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTParliament’s Constitutional Commission is set to discuss amendments to Articles 67, 76, and 78 of the Constitution today. Should the bills in question be passed by the commission, they will then be debated on Wednesday by the full Parliament. A second round of discussions of the amendments is set to be held on Friday or Saturday. /Milliyet/[05] DENKTAS MEETS WITH DE SOTO, EP CHAIRMAN COXTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday met with European Parliament Chairman Pat Cox in Girne, Northern Cyprus and later received Alvaro de Soto, the United Nations’ special Cyprus envoy. De Soto is expected to undertake a round of last-minute shuttle diplomacy between Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides through tomorrow. On Wednesday, Clerides will travel to Copenhagen to attend the European Union’s summit beginning the next day, where the EU is to decide on whether to greenlight Greek Cyprus’ membership bid. The bid hinges on whether Denktas and Clerides reach common ground, and Turkey’s own EU bid could turn on a Cyprus deal. Before the EU summit, the UN is trying to get both sides to sign a document committing them to reach a solution for the island by Feb. 28. /Hurriyet/[06] BAYKAL: “TURKEY DESERVES AN EARLIER DATE THAN 2003”Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal stated yesterday that though it seemed likely that the European Union would set 2005 as the date to begin Turkey’s membership negotiations, the nation deserved much better. The Union is set to make a decision on Turkey’s membership status during this week’s Copenhagen summit Recent statements by EU officials have not been encouraging, Baykal said. He added that he would be briefed tomorrow on the EU issue by Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. /Milliyet/[07] PAPANDREOU: “THE EU SHOULD GIVE TURKEY A DATE”Speaking to Greek newspaper Elefterotypia yesterday, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said that the European Union should give Turkey a date for the start of its accession talks during its Copenhagen summit which begins Thursday. Papandreou added that should the EU fail to do so, this could have grave consequences for Turkey’s relations with the Union. “Receiving a date is each candidate country’s right, and the EU should treat Turkey accordingly,” stated Papandreou, warning that a decision to the contrary would create great disappointment among the Turkish people. Papandreou added that if the EU cited any religious or cultural concerns in holding back Turkey’s membership, this would damage both the Union’s interests and its standing as an impartial player in the international community. /Sabah/[08] RASMUSSEN: “NO DATE WILL BE GIVEN AT THE COPENHAGEN SUMMIT”Speaking to German newspaper Die Welt yesterday, EU Term President Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen predicted that the EU would not extend a date for Turkey for its accession talks at its Copenhagen summit beginning on Thursday. “The EU has asked for a firm timetable from Turkey for the implementation of further political reforms,” said Rasmussen, who is not the sole arbiter of a decision on a date for Turkey. “This schedule is important for the EU’s decision on Turkey and its proposal for the country’s membership.” He also remarked that the EU had treated Turkey fairly and impartially, just as it had the other candidate countries, but that the nation had to first fully comply with the Union’s political criteria to receive a date for negotiations. /Cumhuriyet/[09] D’ESTAING: “I DIDN’T SAY THAT TURKEY’S FULL MEMBERSHIP WOULD END THE EU”Speaking to French daily Le Figaro yesterday, Giscard d’Estaing, the chairman of the European Union Convention, denied that he had meant to say in a recent widely quoted interview that admitting Turkey to the EU would “bring about the end” of the Union. “What I said was that first we should establish Europe with [other] European countries,” he stated. The former French president added that he believed 10 ex-Eastern bloc EU candidate countries should be granted full membership, with Romania and Bulgaria perhaps following. /Milliyet/[10] DYP CONGRESS TO CHOOSE NEW LEADERThe True Path Party (DYP) is set to hold its congress this weekend to select a new leader after Tansu Ciller’s declaration that she would step down in the wake of the party’s poor showing in November’s elections. The candidates for the DYP leadership are as follows: Ilhan Kesici, Mehmet Agar, Ufuk Soylemez, Aydin Menderes, Hasan Subasi and Takiddin Yarayan. In related news, Menderes yesterday called for his competitors for the DYP helm to abandon their bids and throw their support behind him. Menderes also said as DYP leader, he would do his utmost to serve both the nation and the party. /Milliyet/[11] KESICI: “MY AIM IS TO UNITE THE CENTER RIGHT”Ilhan Kesici, one of the six contenders to become the new leader of the True Path Party (DYP), said yesterday that his aim in standing as a candidate at the party’s congress this coming weekend was to gather Turkey’s center-right parties under the DYP. Kesici stated that his aim wasn’t just to lead the DYP, but also to lead all the nation’s center-right parties. /Milliyet/[12] IMF DELEGATION TO BEGIN MEETINGS ON FOURTH REVIEWAn International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation headed by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen is set to begin meetings with Turkish officials today as part of its fourth review of Turkey’s economic program. A group of IMF experts will meet in Istanbul with representatives of the financial and real sectors, while another group will meet in Ankara with representatives of the Treasury Undersecretariat, Finance Ministry, State Planning Organization (DPT), Central Bank, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) and various state banks as well as the Privatization Board (OIB). The delegation is expected to pay another visit to Turkey early next month to complete its review work, and an additional Letter of Intent (LOI) will be revised to present to the IMF Executive Board in January. If the IMF approves the fourth review, a loan tranche of approximately $1.6 billion will be released. Over the course of the next year, the IMF is expected to extend to Turkey a total of $2.7 billion in loans. /Turkiye/[13] TURKEY’S AZRA AKIN CROWNED MISS WORLD 2002Twenty-one-year-old Turkish model Azra Akin took the “Miss World” crown at the annual beauty pageant held Saturday in London. “I’m so happy and excited,” said Akin after winning the title ahead of first runner-up Natalia Peralta, representing Colombia, and second runner-up Marina Mora Montero, representing Peru. The pageant had to be moved to Britain from Nigeria at the last minute after riots sparked by a newspaper columnists’ comments on the contest killed over 100 people. /All Papers/[14] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS[15] A CRUCIAL WEEK BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on the Cyprus peace process. A summary of her column is as follows:“This week will be one of the most crucial periods in Turkey’s history. The Cyprus issue is probably the most important issue set to be discussed this week. Neither the Turkish nor the Greek side is willing to accept the UN Cyprus plan in its current form as a basis for future negotiations. Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou recently remarked that it would be a grave mistake to make a hasty decision on the issue, and he further criticized the UN for setting an early deadline, thus effectively tying both sides’ hands and leaving a narrow window to discuss UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Cyprus plan. He also added that the EU should invite Cyprus to join the Union at its Copenhagen summit, which begins this Thursday. Both the Turkish and Greek sides are quite satisfied with each other’s attitudes on the issue. When the EU evaluates both sides’ policies to weigh whether or not they adopted positive, constructive policies to promote the peace process, it will have a hard time pointing fingers, as both parties believe that the deadline set by the UN should be put off to a later time. When Cyprus is invited to join the EU at the Copenhagen summit, it will then be more difficult for the Turkish side to reach a settlement with the Greek Cypriot administration. Will a Greek Cypriot administration backed by the EU relent to reaching a settlement with the Turkish side through making certain concessions? The likely answer is ‘no.’ What happens if the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) announces that it has accepted the UN Cyprus plan as a basis for further discussions? In that case, the Greek Cypriots will also have to accept the document and a new period of negotiations will begin on the issue. What if the EU fails to propose a date for Turkey’s accession negotiations? Can Europe solve the Cyprus problem without approving Turkey’s EU membership? These are questions which still await answers.” [16] ERDOGAN’S US-EU STRATEGYBY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak comments on Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Erdogan’s visits this week to Europe and the United States. A summary of his column is as follows: “The visits of Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan are beginning to look like the discovery of America by Columbus, who after all was actually trying to reach India by traveling west. In this case, Erdogan is trying to reach Turkey’s target of European Union membership via the United States. First Copenhagen, then Washington, and then Copenhagen again in a single week… He’s playing all of Turkey’s cards in his bid to get a date for negotiations from the EU. Solving the Cyprus issue will be easy if an exact date can be gotten from the EU. Sooner or later, the US will attack Iraq. If Turkey opens its bases before the US requests it, Bush can convince his fellow Western leaders on the Turkey issue. Although EU Term President Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh has said that a date won’t be given to Turkey at the Copenhagen summit, the Erdogan-Gul administration isn’t giving up the ghost. Mark these words of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul: ‘If Turkey can receive the date that it deserves at Copenhagen, clearly the Cyprus problem will be solved much more easily. The EU’s leaders should consider this issue strategically, forsaking small expectations.’ These words effectively answer the question, ‘Why is the EU avoiding giving Turkey a date for negotiations?’ Though the EU countries, especially France and Germany, are considering the EU’s future strategically just like Gul suggested, they have avoided committing themselves to Turkey’s membership because the first target of the EU’s enlargement strategy is the inclusion of 10 ex-Eastern bloc members. The government in Berlin, which has reeled from the heavy economic burden of uniting East and West Germany, said yes to Poland and also supported the Czech Republic and Hungary. Now Germany wants to call things to a halt. France, too, believes that much EU enlargement would threaten its importance within Europe. The US attacking Iraq and having a say in Middle Eastern petroleum would suit the interests of neither Germany nor France. Europe didn’t welcome Bush’s pressure on the Turkish issue, and military considerations played a large part in this. Europe doesn’t want the EU’s borders to extend to Iran, Iraq and Syria, our eastern neighbors. Thus, even though the Cyprus problem may be solved, Turkey still might not become an EU member. The Copenhagen summit is an important threshold for Turkey. If the EU doesn’t decide on starting negotiations before 2004, then Turkey will never join the club. Erdogan is aware of this situation, so he’s looking to force the White House with his thought in mind: ‘The path to the EU goes through Washington’.” 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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