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Turkish Press Review, 03-04-08Turkish 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> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning08.04.2003FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “WE HOPE THE US KEEPS ITS PROMISES ON NORTHERN IRAQ”Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with his Polish counterpart Leszek Miller. At a joint press conference, Erdogan told reporters that the United States was well aware of Turkey’s concerns over northern Iraq. “I hope that the US administration keeps its promises and that nothing happens which could trouble Turkey,” said Erdogan. Stressing that Turkey and Poland were of one mind concerning the Iraq war, Erdogan said, “Both countries want the war to end as soon as possible.” Pointing out that Poland was expected to be a European Union member next year, Erdogan stated that he was pleased to hear that Poland would support Turkey’s own EU membership bid. The Turkish premier added that both countries were willing to further develop bilateral relations. For his part, the Polish prime minister said that as part of NATO measures for Turkey’s defense, a team of 50 Poles would soon arrive to help guard the nation against a possible chemical weapons attack. In addition, Miller was received by both President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. After completing his contacts in Ankara, the Polish premier proceeded to Istanbul to visit a number of historical sites. Miller departed to return to Warsaw in the evening. /Turkiye/[02] TURKEY TO DELIVER HUMANITARIAN AID TO IRAQAs part of humanitarian aid to Iraqi civilians injured during the current war, Turkish officials will hold a meeting today with officials from the Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay), the United States and the International Red Cross Committee. Turkey’s aid package includes the transfer of individuals to Turkey for medical treatment, the dispatch of medicine, medical supplies, and health officials, as well as a mobile hospital. In addition, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that eight truckloads of humanitarian aid supplies would be sent to Iraq. /Turkiye/[03] TURKEY, US TO TAKE UP NORTHERN IRAQ ISSUE THIS WEEKTurkish and US officials are due this week to once again take up the northern Iraq issue, including the question of whether Turkish troop will enter the region. In the negotiations, the US side is to be represented by Robert Pearson, the US ambassador to Ankara. /Sabah/[04] IKDP FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF ZEBARI: “KIRKUK IS KURDISH”The blueprint to build democracy in Iraq has many lines running straight from the Kurds' northern region, said the Associated Press in an article carried in yesterday’s New York Times. “But the sketch also passes through some complicated terrain,” it continued, “including questions of what powerful Kurdish rulers will ask for in return for helping the US-led coalition fight Saddam Hussein, and how many concessions they will accept.” The AP article quotes Iraqi Kurdish Democratic Party (IKDP) foreign policy chief Hoshyar Zebari as saying, “We say this plainly: Kirkuk is Kurdish.” The piece stressed that although both Turkey and Iran have deep reservations about Kurdish control of the northern oil cities and are unequivocally opposed to any Kurdish state, the Kurdish leaders have set Kurdish authority over Kirkuk as a “basic requirement” of cooperation with the US towards a postwar Iraq. /Star/[05] DENKTAS: “IF PAPADOPOULOS REJECTS MY PROPOSAL AGAIN, I COULD OPEN MARAS TO SETTLEMENT”Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas vowed yesterday that if Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos again rejects Denktas’s new package of proposals for a resolution on the island, then he would consider opening part of the Maras area for Greek Cypriot settlement anyway. In Denktas’s package, presented last week, he proposed turning over the TRNC’s Maras military zone, formerly Famagusta, to the Greek Cypriots. “What I dream of is an operation to save Maras,” said Denktas. “Turkey has a commitment to the UN Security Council that a part of Maras will be given to its previous owners. Thus, we are making these proposals within our commitments.” /Turkiye/[06] BABACAN HEADED FOR IMF, WORLD BANK MEETINGS IN WASHINGTONState Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan is set to fly to Washington today to participate in the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, both of which begin this Saturday, April 12. During his two-day visit, Babacan is expected to meet with officials from both organizations ahead of the IMF Executive Board’s examination of Turkey’s fourth economic program review scheduled for April 18. /Cumhuriyet/[07] CB HEAD SERDENGECTI: “TURKEY CAN STILL ACHIEVE ITS INFLATION AND INTEREST RATE TARGETS FOR THIS YEAR”Speaking at the Central Bank’s annual shareholder meeting yesterday, CB Governor Sureyya Serdengecti predicted that the economic impact of war notwithstanding, the Turkish government’s economic goals for this year were still attainable. The war in Iraq poses a threat to Turkey’s inflation by putting pressure on the Turkish lira, acknowledged Serdengecti, which in turn increases the cost of imported goods. “However, if the war in Iraq is of short duration, the possibility of it putting lasting pressure on both the floating exchange rate and inflation is low,” he stated. Serdengecti added that Turkey could still achieve its inflation and interest rate targets for this year if the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government fully implements the economic program and puts priority on privatization. /Milliyet/[08] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…[09] WAR AND POSTWAR BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on the war in Iraq and possibilities for the postwar period. A summary of his column is as follows:“The war in Iraq has been going on for three weeks now. I’m trying to imagine how historians of the future will look at such a war. In my view, such conflicts will be called the ‘oil wars’ or ‘energy wars’ and be presented as the second stage following the war in Afghanistan. Historians will look at this war in the context of the Pax Americana. Whatever its name, I think we’re at just the beginning of the war. It will spread, gain intensity and grow following the stage in Iraq. Borders in Asia will certainly be redrawn. The winners of this war are the US and its allies. The US will bind countries in need to itself one way or another and then withdraw. It won’t pursue expanded borders. Therefore it’s a different kind of war, except for its bases. The US will gain strong bases in every region in order to safeguard the two-thirds of world energy resources which it will win at the end of the war. The traditional energy resources will dwindle, lose value, change and run out at the end of this century. The Pax Americana will also end because the energy resources to come will probably be irrespective of geography and will instead be produced in laboratories in developed, rich and wise countries. Those countries which can see the 21st century clearly have their day in the sun coming. But those which cannot will turn into crowded societies, then mindless crowds and finally return to a life of tribes.” [10] THE FUTURE OF THE IRAQI KURDS BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the northern Iraq issue. A summary of his column is as follows:“What sort of a role will Kurdish groups assume in Iraq’s reconstruction? One of my readers recently e-mailed me to express his views on the future of northern Iraq, one of the most heated issues on Turkey’s political agenda. I believe that his note throws fresh light on this subject. Not surprisingly, this reader doesn’t predict any positive developments for Iraqi Kurds in the future, citing the following reasons: 1) Turkey, Syria and Iran are all opposed to the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. 2) Today’s Kurdish leaders (Barzani and Talabani) have failed to truly comprehend what a democratic regime is. Thanks to their anachronistic policies, tribal law still dominates the region. 3) The Kurdish Diaspora criticizes Turkey at every turn without taking into consideration the true interests of Iraqi Kurds and distorts the facts for its anti-Turkish disinformation campaign. 4) The United States first wants to put the region in order in the postwar period so as to be able to control the entire Middle East. If Turkey, Syria and Iran are not satisfied with the results of the Iraq war, the US will never manage to establish a calm atmosphere in the region, which is essential for sustaining stability. The Bush administration wouldn’t take the risk of stirring up these countries. Under such circumstances, the Bush administration will probably turn a blind eye to the wishes of Kurdish groups in the future. I believe that instead a federation will be established in the region, one including the Kurds. How about the revenue from the oil in Kirkuk? 1) Most of the oil revenues will be allocated for Iraq’s reconstruction. 2) Let’s assume that the US allows the Kurds to operate all oil exports activities in Kirkuk, which would mean annual revenues totalling $16-17 billion. This figure is less than one-tenth of Turkey’s gross national product. 3) The region on which Kurdistan would be located is bereft of basic advantages such as access to the sea and rich agricultural soil. The region’s capabilities are very limited. That’s why Kurdistan would never be the center of an Iraqi federation. Finally let’s take a glance at Iraq’s domestic scene: 1) The Kurds bear a grudge against Iraqis for the past painful experiences they endured under Saddam’s oppressive regime. 2) On the other hand, the Iraqi people see the Kurds as Judases who stabbed them in the back with their willful collaboration with the US army. History won’t easily forget such incidents. As a matter of fact, the Kurds have risked their future by trusting a war collaboration with a 7,500-km distant temporary ally. The only solution that would satisfy these people would be the establishment of an independent Kurdistan. I hope Turkey realizes this fact. Moreover, Kurdish groups should immediately declare that they would never demand territories from any other country and will treat every citizen born within the border of ‘Kurdistan’ equally. The views of this reader are of course open to discussion. But, first and foremost, the war should end. Then we’ll see what will take place in an Iraq occupied by the US.” 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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