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Turkish Press Review, 03-04-09Turkish 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> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning09.04.2003FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN, GUL ATTEND SEECP SUMMIT IN BELGRADEPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and a delegation yesterday traveled to Belgrade, Serbia- Montenegro to attend a heads of state and government summit of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP). Speaking to reporters before his departure, Erdogan said that a meeting scheduled with Greek leaders during the summit would be a positive step for the future. “Our government is sincere in its efforts to find a just solution to the Cyprus issue,” added Erdogan. After arriving in Belgrade, the Turkish premier was first received by Svetozar Marovic and then Zoran Zivkovic, the president and prime minister, respectively, of Serbia-Montenegro, the successor to the former Yugoslavia. During their meetings, the leaders resolved to work to develop bilateral relations and cooperation. Later, Gul met with the foreign ministers of Serbia-Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria and Bosnia- Herzegovina to discuss bilateral relations and the war in Iraq. In addition, the Turkish leaders are expected today to meet with their Greek counterparts, Costas Simitis and George Papandreou, in the gathering Erdogan spoke of earlier. Turkey, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia-Montenegro, and Romania are the permanent members of the SEECP, while Croatia is an observer country. Bosnia-Herzegovina is set to take over the group’s term presidency from Serbia-Montenegro at this summit. The SEECP is the sole Balkan cooperation forum that reflects the common and original voice of the entire region. /All Papers/[02] US CONGRESS CONSIDERING PRECONDITIONS FOR $1 BILLION PACKAGE TO TURKEYA joint US Congress committee currently drafting the final version of President George W. Bush’s supplemental war budget is considering attaching conditions to $1 billion in aid proposed for Turkey, reports said yesterday. The US House and Senate last week passed separate versions of the budget bill, and the joint conference committee’s task is to reconcile the two bills and craft a final version which then can be re-passed and signed into law by Bush. The provision on $1 billion to Turkey overcame some opposition to appear in both versions, but both the Senate and House have reportedly proposed conditions to the aid. The Senate version would cancel the aid if Turkey “deploys its troops in northern Iraq unilaterally, ” and the House would tie the aid to cooperation with the US on delivering humanitarian aid. A final version is expected some time this week. In related news, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told reporters yesterday that any preconditions were out of the question and that Turkey had declared its northern Iraq policy before the US aid was even proposed. /Turkiye/[03] ERDOGAN: “WE WILL DETERMINEDLY IMPLEMENT THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM”Speaking at his party’s group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister and Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged that the AKP government would continue to determinedly implement the nation’s economic program. He added, however, that the AKP held no “magic wand” which could reestablish economic balances. “Our government took into consideration the reality of Turkey’s situation when preparing this year’s budget and signing the new letter of intent [LOI],” stated Erdogan. “I reiterate that the AKP government will determinedly carry out the program and do whatever it requires.” Also touching on the Iraq war, Erdogan said that Turkey was at the center of the storm of war and that the AKP government was doing its utmost to find a way out without the country suffering any harm. /Aksam/[04] PAPANDREOU: “APRIL 16 ISN’T A DEADLINE FOR THE CYPRUS PROBLEM”April 16 is not a deadline to reach a permanent solution to the Cyprus problem, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said yesterday. Speaking after arriving in Belgrade for the South Eastern European Cooperation Process (SEECP) summit, he stated that a meeting between the Turkish and Greek foreign ministers set for today would be a good chance to throw fresh light on the problem. “I don’t believe anybody should expect an immediate solution,” added the Greek official. “However, this doesn’t mean that I’m pessimistic. We’ve been working hard on this issue for the last three years, and I believe that the two sides will finally find a way to reach settlement in line with the UN resolutions.” April 16 is the date Greek Cyprus is set to sign accession papers with the European Union, mistakenly on behalf of the entire island, including the sovereign Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). /Hurriyet/[05] EU REPORT: “TURKEY’S ECONOMY IS ON A COURSE FOR GROWTH”Turkey should keep a close eye on the economic impact of the war in Iraq, but overall its economy is headed in the right direction, said a European Union report released yesterday on the EU candidate countries’ economies. Turkey should continue to grow over the next two years, the report added, but to do so it needs to maintain fiscal discipline and continue to implement needed reforms. Growth this year should be 3.7% and next year 4.5, the report projected. /Milliyet/[06] RED CROSS TO OPEN TEMPORARY OFFICE IN ANKARA TO DELIVER AID TO IRAQA statement issued yesterday by the Foreign Ministry said that the International Red Cross is set to open a temporary office in Ankara to deliver humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people. The statement added that the office would act in accordance with Turkish guidelines while providing the aid. /Cumhuriyet/[07] G-7 LAUDS AKP GOVERNMENT’S ECONOMIC COMMITMENTThe G-7 countries fully support the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s determination to carry out the nation’s economic program, including its signing the new letter of intent (LOI) and its commitment to stability and further reform, Turkey’s Treasury Undersecretariat announced yesterday. “The G-7 countries believe that determined implementation of the program will lead to lowered inflation, reduced public sector debt, and sustainable growth,” the undersecretariat added. /Sabah/[08] TRNC NATIONAL UNION PARTY: “TURKS DO NOT WANT MINORITY STATUS IN CYPRUS”The National Union Party (UBP), the senior coalition partner in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC) government, said yesterday that the Turkish side’s determination to find a just, lasting, and sustainable settlement to the Cyprus issue had been misinterpreted by the Greeks as weakness. A statement released after a UBP party group meeting remarked that the Turkish Cypriots would always stand opposed to resolution proposals which aim to turn the island’s Turks into a minority. /Turkiye/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[10] POSTWAR TURKEY BY CUNEYT ULSEVER (HURRIYET)Columnist Cuneyt Ulsever writes on Turkey’s domestic and foreign policies. A summary of his column is as follows:“I wish nothing but success for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) because: 1) I wish to see political stability established in Turkey. Our country will then be able to stabilize its economy and overcome its financial woes. 2) I believe that in a world horrified by the war, people need to see more than ever that Islam and democracy are not incompatible. Turkey is the only country which can prove that a Muslim country can successfully synthesize democracy and Islam. 3) After last November’s general elections, the AKP was given the opportunity to establish a new and more rational system in this country. It has to use this chance and not disappoint its supporters at the ballot box. However, as far as I can tell, things aren’t going well right now. Here are some evaluations and suggestions: 1) The AKP seems to have lost control over not only the party bureaucracy, but also its own members. Such a spectacle gives people the impression that the government isn’t up to the task of managing political affairs. This situation should be addressed immediately to show the world that everything is under control. 2) Turkey’s foreign policy is in an apparent state of collapse. In order to revive it: a) Turkey should assume a new role in the Middle East. Meanwhile, cooperation with Syria and Iran should not be considered any sort of option. Our country should be an intermediary between the Middle East and the Western World and help Middle Eastern countries establish better relations with the rest of the world. b) Turkey should strive to find a permanent solution to the Cyprus problem in accordance with Annan’s plan. The AKP government should see that Denktas’s policies have failed to help Turkey and even his own Turkish Cypriots. Denktas is now nothing but a roadblock standing in Turkey’s way. c) Let’s admit that a Turkey which fails to resolve its Aegean problems with Greece will never be considered a true member of the Western world. If we can’t do it, the International Court of Justice will be the next in line to solve these problems. 3) Since the IMF recently divided the total loan sum to be delivered to Turkey into smaller installments, the world now knows that there is a crisis of confidence between our government and the Fund. The AKP must take new confidence-building measures to alter this impression. 4) The AKP is pursuing a mistaken policy favoring its cronies in recent appointments at several ministries, in total disregard for the criterion of competence. This is a dangerous development indeed. The AKP should establish a more meritocratic political system, and officials should be selected by taking into consideration not personal connections but rather domestic balance and international standing. 5)Management of the economy should be centralized. Employer and employee organizations should act as consultative bodies. In brief, after the war is ended, Turkey too needs to be reconstructed!” [11] REBUILDING IRAQ BY TAHA AKYOL (MILLIYET)Columnist Taha Akyol comments on the process of reconstructing Iraq’s political and social structures in the postwar period. A summary of his column is as follows:“Ankara is feeling relieved about one issue even as its concern about another issue grows. Its relief is about northern Iraq: The war is winding down, there’s no possibility of a refugees flood to Turkey from northern Iraq and the PKK terrorist organization is withdrawing to the east and the south, that is, to the Iranian border. Ankara’s relief comes from how predictions of mass migrations to Turkey from Iraq turned out to be mistaken. It also believes that the US will send more soldiers to northern Iraq to preclude any PKK activity which might trigger Turkish intervention there. This is one of the issues on which we reached agreement with the US. These are good developments. Let’s talk about the concerns. Both Bush and Blair’s people are confused about the reconstruction of Iraq. Washington is considering three names for the new Iraqi prime minister: Behram Salih, the liberal Sunni Adnan Pacaci and the secular Shiite Ahmet Celebi. Neither the names for the new government nor its structure has been settled on. Although there are ideas floating around such as the system of Ottoman provinces, or federation or a canton system, there are many unclear details which might lead to quarrelling, or even an ethnic civil war. Most importantly, will the Iraqis adopt the US version and its list of names? How will the ‘price’ asked for by the Kurds, who are in a war shoulder to shoulder with the US, and the Arabs’ rejection of this be reconciled? What about Iraq’s Turkmen? What will happen if ethnic and religious groups come to blows? Bush’s envoy to the Iraqi opposition Zalmay Khalilzad will again arrive in Ankara soon. As the threats of immigration and terrorism recede, the issue of the reconstruction of Iraq, mainly northern Iraq, will be the focus. Reports received in Ankara say that the peshmergas advancing towards Kirkuk and Mosul aren’t large enough to tip things politically. Still Ankara has warned the US about this issue, and it will be discussed with Khalilzad as well. As I have been saying, the postwar period in Iraq will be harder than the war itself. Afghanistan was a tribal society. A structure was established there by reconciling with the tribal chiefs. However, the situation in Iraq won’t be quite so easy. There are tribes in Iraq as well, but there is also a large citizenry. The new regime will necessarily depend on the country’s educated class, but they are scattered and disorganized due to Saddam’s repression of any organization besides his ruling Baath Party. If the new regime, which is expected to be unifying, depends on this disorganized group, then disaster could follow. I hope our concerns and fears will ultimately prove unfounded.” 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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