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Turkish Press Review, 02-12-10Turkish 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 morning10.12.2002FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] SEZER CANCELS PLANS TO ATTEND COPENHAGEN SUMMITPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer said yesterday that he had decided not to go to the EU’s Copenhagen summit as previously planned, since he thought it unlikely that a date for Turkey’s European Union membership negotiations would be given during the summit beginning on Thursday. Speaking to reporters before receiving the Belarus and Greek ambassadors to Turkey, Sezer stated that certain EU member countries had given negative signals before the summit. “For this reason, I won’t go to Copenhagen. If they were to give a date to Turkey, I would go,” said Sezer. “Turkey has done its homework by passing the EU harmonization laws, and now it’s the EU’s turn. The summit will be a test for the Union. We will understand whether they are sincere.” /All Papers/[02] ERDOGAN: “TURKEY WILL REVIEW ITS POSITION AFTER COPENHAGEN”Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with European Union Term President Denmark’s Foreign Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Copenhagen. After the one-hour-plus meeting, Erdogan told reporters that the EU was continuing to erect ad hoc barriers against Turkey’s membership bid. “Turkey is the sole candidate country without a date to begin accession talks,” said Erdogan. “This situation is difficult to understand.” Stressing that Turkey’s EU membership would serve both its own interests and those of the Union, Erdogan said, “Extending a date for Turkey’s accession talks and then its EU full membership would constitute proof of a meeting of civilizations.” Charging that the EU was applying double standards against Turkey, Erdogan stressed, “Following the summit, Turkey will review its position with Europe.” For his part, Rasmussen said that Turkey should fully implement all of the EU criteria. Asserting that the EU had the same standards and principles for all membership candidates, Rasmussen added that a date for talks would be given to Turkey only when it implements all the criteria. /Turkiye/[03] ERDOGAN TO MEET BUSH, POWELL, OTHER US OFFICIALS, THEN VISIT ANNANAfter meeting with Denmark’s Foreign Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Copenhagen, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday flew to the United States. As part of his visit, Erdogan delivered a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Today, the AKP leader is scheduled to be received by US President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. After meeting with representatives of the US Jewish lobby and the American-Turkish Council, Erdogan is set to proceed to New York to meet with United Nations Secretary- General Kofi Annan. During his contacts in the US, Erdogan is expected to chiefly discuss the Cyprus and Iraq issues, as well as Turkey’s European Union membership bid, with the US officials. After completing his meetings in the US, Erdogan will return to Copenhagen, Denmark to follow the EU summit beginning there on Thursday. /Turkiye/[04] BABACAN TO VISIT WASHINGTON IN MEETING FOCUSING ON ECONOMYState Minister Responsible for the Treasury Ali Babacan will fly to the United States today to hold a series of contacts with US government and private sector officials. Babacan is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Assembly of Turco-American Associations and deliver a speech there. Then he will meet with US Treasury officials and representatives of a number of rating institutions and investment banks. Babacan is expected to be accompanied by Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti and State Planning Organization (DPT) Deputy Undersecretary Birol Aydemir. /Turkiye/[05] OZILHAN: “I BELIEVE TURKEY WILL GET A DATE FROM THE EU BEFORE 2004”Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan said yesterday that he believed that Turkey would get a date from the European Union before 2004 to start its membership negotiations. Ozilhan stated that Turkey would benefit from being a full member of the EU and that the nation shouldn’t waver from this aim. “Turkey needs time to complete its reforms to be a member of the Union,” he said. “Perhaps Turkey won’t get a good result at Copenhagen, but it will be a full member when it completes its democratic reforms.” Ozilhan added that he hoped Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, and Britain would all support Turkey at the summit. /Hurriyet/[06] GUL GETS BAYKAL’S SUPPORT ON EVE OF COPENHAGENPrime Minister Abdullah Gul met with opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday on the eve of the European Union’s Copenhagen summit to seek his support for Turkey’s efforts for EU membership. During their talks, Baykal urged Gul not to accept the United Nations’ Cyprus plan before Turkey gets a date for membership talks during the summit scheduled to begin on Thursday. Gul said that he would insist on getting a date from the EU to start Turkey’s membership negotiations next year. Baykal stated that his party would support the government at Copenhagen. Gul also briefed Baykal about recent developments on the Cyprus issue and a possible US operation in Iraq. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Gul said that the government and the opposition party CHP were presenting a united front on Turkey’s foreign policy. Baykal stated that the government was going to Copenhagen with the CHP’s full support. /Hurriyet/[07] GUL MEETS WITH US SENATORS BIDEN, HAGEL TO DISCUSS CYPRUS, IRAQPrime Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with two senior United States senators at the Prime Ministry building in Ankara. The visit by the two senators, Democrat Joseph Biden and Republic Chuck Hagel, both top members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, came amidst a key week for Turkey on a number of vital issues. Speaking at a press conference after the hour-long meeting, Biden said that an agreement on the Cyprus issue should be reached as soon as possible in order for Turkey to get US economic aid. Biden added that the US Congress hoped that Turkey would be able to both improve its economy and also solve the Cyprus issue. “The stance of the new ruling Justice and Development Party [AKP] will determine how the US proceeds on economic aid,” he said. Touching on Turkey’s relations with the European Union, Biden said that the US would also benefit from Turkey’s full EU membership. The two senators also reiterated the US’ support for Iraq’s territorial integrity, and its opposition to a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. “Whatever the outcome [after a possible war] in Iraq, it must be a united Iraq, with the borders that exist today,” said Biden. In related news, EU Parliament Chairman Pat Cox called Gul yesterday to say that he was very pleased with the AKP government’s efforts to pass a number of EU harmonization laws on the eve of the Copenhagen summit. Cox and Gul are reportedly set to meet before the summit which begins on Thursday. Gul also met with Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General Abdulvahid Belkaziz. /Milliyet/[08] SOLANA: “TURKEY HAS ALREADY RESERVED ITS PLACE IN EUROPE”Turkey has already made a place for itself in Europe, but only it can decide whether it has both the will and desire to reach its ultimate goal of European Union membership, argued Javier Solana, the EU’s high representative for foreign and security policy, in an opinion piece appearing in yesterday’s New York Times. “Turkey is a subject of intense discussion in Europe today,” wrote Solana. “The reasons are obvious: the change in the political landscape in Ankara and the expectations this has generated; the historic opportunity for a solution to the Cyprus issue offered by Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations; and the decisions to be taken this week by the European Council at Copenhagen on the next steps in the European Union enlargement process.” Remarking that Turkey had “already booked its place in Europe,” Solana commented that if Turkey wished to assume its place in Europe, then, like all the other candidate countries before it, Turkey must chart the course that will get it there. He asserted that there were two crucial questions that can be answered only by the Turkish government: “Can it take the road to Europe? And does it wish to do so? To answer the first question, Turkey must meet the criteria required for the initial stage of accession negotiations. Whether Turkey wishes to take its place in Europe is a question only it can answer. The Cyprus settlement plan proposed by Annan on Nov. 11 offers everybody an opportunity to write a new chapter in the history of an island that has for too long been divided. Both Turkish and Greek Cypriots should embrace the secretary-general's proposal.” /Cumhuriyet/[09] BERLUSCONI TO VISIT TURKEY AFTER COPENHAGENItalian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and an accompanying delegation including Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Defense Minister Antonio Martino are expected to pay an official visit to Turkey following the EU’s two-day Copenhagen summit on this Thursday and Friday. Berlusconi reportedly wants to improve Turkish-Italian relations and encourage Turkey on its EU membership bid. /Sabah/[10] BUSY DIPLOMATIC TRAFFIC ON CYPRUSProminent diplomats recently held meetings with Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides to discuss the latest developments on the Cyprus issue ahead of this Thursday and Friday’s EU Copenhagen summit, an important gathering where Greek Cyprus is likely to be invited to join the Union. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto, US State Department Special Cyprus Coordinator Thomas Weston and European Parliament Chairman Pat Cox recently visited the island and discussed the details of Cyprus’ EU membership bid with Greek Cypriot officials. The diplomats stressed that Annan’s Cyprus plan was a historic opportunity for both sides on the island, its Turkish and Greek Cypriots, which should not be passed up. /Aksam/[11] US STATE DEPT: “KADEK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION”KADEK, the label adopted last year by terrorist group the PKK, has been officially designated a terrorist organization on the US State Department’s latest listing of such groups. In line with this designation, the United States government will work to freeze any financial assets KADEK holds in the US and to stop any US financial transactions involving the group. The “PKK, also known as KADEK” is number 16 on the State Department’s list of 35 terrorist organizations. /Turkiye/[12] GERMAN INDUSTRIALISTS’ GROUP ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BIDSpeaking to the Financial Times yesterday, Michael Rogowski, head of the German Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association, said that it would soon release a statement detailing its support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid. In the leadup to this Thursday and Friday’s EU Copenhagen summit, voices in support of Turkey’s membership are on the rise. The German group had met with a delegation from its Turkish counterpart, the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD), during the latter’s lobbying tour for Turkey’s bid. The group is said to be favor of a fast track for Turkey’s membership, saying that further delays could harm the growing trade relations between Germany and Turkey. /Milliyet/[13] IMF DELEGATION BEGINS FOURTH REVIEWAn International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation chaired by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen yesterday began the fourth review of the nation’s economic program. Kahkonen met in Istanbul with representatives of the private and banking sectors. At the end of the fourth review, the IMF is to decide whether to disburse a $1.7 billion loan tranche to Turkey. In addition, another IMF delegation chaired by Odd Per Brekk, the Fund’s Turkey representative, yesterday held a series of meetings with Turkish economy bureaucrats in Ankara. /Cumhuriyet/[14] WORLD BANK DELEGATION TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS ISTANBUL APPROACHWorld Bank Turkey Director Ajay Chibber yesterday stated that a delegation was to visit Turkey next week to discuss recent developments on the Istanbul Approach, a financial restructuring program. The WB is expected to make a decision to release a loan amounting to $500 million to support Turkey’s efforts towards financial restructuring. /Star/[15] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[16] THE COPENHAGEN SUMMIT BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen writes about the EU’s Copenhagen summit this Thursday and Friday and Turkey’s expectation to receive a date at the gathering. A summary of his column is as follows:“Turkey is holding its breath and waiting for Thursday’s Copenhagen summit, an event which will shape our country’s future. The uncertainty about the decisions forthcoming on Turkey has heightened both the curiosity and excitement of the Turkish people. One of those decisions of course is directly related to the Turkish-EU relations, and centers on the question of whether or not the EU will extend a date for the beginning of Turkey’s accession negotiations. The other has to do with the Cyprus’ EU membership and thus is linked to peace talks on the island. The final word has yet to be made on the start of Turkey’s accession talks. The best scenario, or at least what Ankara is hoping for, is to receive a specific and unconditional date for 2003. And it is quite natural for Turkish diplomacy to work for this until the very last minute. However, no such decision will come. Yet the worst scenario, one proposed by Schroeder and Chirac, envisaging a conditional date for 2005, is not likely to get a general support form the EU ranks. So, a middle way between the two is highly probable: A conditional date for 2003. Should this occur, the final decision would be made at the EU summits in June or December 2003 (and most preferably in June at the Salonica summit), well before the actual beginning of the enlargement process. As to Cyprus’ EU membership, it is much easier to predict the outcome from the Copenhagen summit. The general tendency in the EU is to approve Greek Cyprus’ membership along with that of nine other countries. But there are still vexing questions on the issue. The Greek side is taking a flexible stance before the UN proposal and peace talks in order to ensure its membership. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is trying to convince the two leaders to put their signatures on some sort of a preliminary agreement which would open the doors for a permanent solution on the island. Now the picture is quite clear: The EU will accept the Greek side’s membership for the time being. As soon as a workable solution is reached at the end of the peace talks on the island, the EU will adopt a formula whereby the Turkish side will also join the Union. In this respect, no one should expect the Greek side’s membership to be cancelled or postponed. What kind of a strategy will Ankara pursue after the Copenhagen summit? This is not yet clear. Will the new government be hemmed in by Rauf Denktas’s uncompromising attitude or act more pragmatically? How will Ankara react to the EU if it fails to meet Turkey’s expectations about the accession talks schedule? Will it part ways with Europe? Whatever happens at the Copenhagen summit, Turkey, without resorting to any emotional outbursts, should play its cards wisely and stick to its goal of integration with the EU, and continue to pursue a settlement on the Cyprus issue.” [17] NOBODY CAN HOLD US BACK BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on Turkey’s efforts to become a member of the European Union. A summary of his column is as follows:“There’s no use trying to force a person who doesn’t want to recognize your efforts. However, one still shouldn’t give up. Turkey should do this in the case of certain European Union leaders who insist on refusing to see Turkey’s realities. We should tell them that our realities should be sought in modern Turkey which aims to be united with modern civilization, not in the places where they cast about for defects. Actually if these leaders had wanted to see modern Turkey, it would have been enough for them to merely glance at a number of convincing and concrete proofs. For example, do they consider it as a defect that Turkey is a society which has adopted Islam? There are 1.5 billion Muslim people worldwide, and over 50 countries have a majority Muslim population. Those who are curious can compare Turkey with these 50-odd countries. Do any of them have secularism? Do any of them enjoy democracy? Do any of them discuss the concepts of human rights and the rule of law and produce solutions as much as happens in Turkey? Can any of them hold free and fair elections? How many of them have carried through revolutions in the alphabet or in language, clothes, the law, women and culture? How many of them have been successful? What is the situation in Turkey? Let’s leave aside for now the Muslim-majority countries. Can those who say ‘It’s not yet time for Turkey,’ for example, the French, German and Danish and if any, the others, also say that Turkey is less developed than themselves in terms of women’s active role in their professional and cultural lives? They can’t say this, because the situation of active Turkish women is much better than the situation in their countries. It’s true that our economic numbers are worse than theirs. We have certain lacking aspects in terms of the rule of law, and freedom of expression in Turkey in practice is less developed than Europe’s standards. Our standards of health and education are also low. However, if these were the real reasons, then neither Portugal, nor Ireland and Spain could have become EU members. Let’s speak plainly and emphasize with pride that Turkey, which is waiting for its date to start final negotiations, has been trying hard since the beginning of the 19th century in order to reach this situation. Turkey is the country which managed to carry out the most successful and radical cultural revolution in the history of humanity. Turkey is greatly determined to unite with modern Western civilization. Nobody can hold back such a nation.” 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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