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Turkish Press Review, 03-09-02Turkish 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 morning02.09.2003FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “NOW MORE THAN EVER, TURKEY IS DETERMINED TO JOIN THE EU”Turkey is determined to enter the European Union now more than ever, says Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an interview in the current issue of German magazine Focus. Erdogan is currently in the midst of his first visit to Germany as premier. Stating that the nation is ready to join the EU, Erdogan underlines that an overwhelming majority of the Turkish people support Turkey’s prospective membership. “I don’t believe that the EU is a Christian club,” said Erdogan, adding, however, that the ball was now in the Union’s court to prove this. “Turkey is ready to begin accession talks, and so the EU should prepare itself for Turkey’s future membership,” he says. /Sabah/[02] GUL: “ANKARA BACKS THE TRNC, BUT DENKTAS NEEDS TO ENSURE HIS OWN CITIZENS’ SUPPORT”Speaking before leaving for Austria yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul urged Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas to make getting the support of the TRNC’s own citizens his priority. Denktas had said yesterday that if he loses presidential elections set for December, then he would continue his cause through the support of the Anatolian people. “Ankara is backing the TRNC, but Denktas should first ensure that he has his own people’s support,” said Gul. In related news, Denktas yesterday received Vladimir Cizov, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy to Cyprus. /All papers/[03] FOREIGN MINISTER GUL TRAVELS TO AUSTRIAForeign Minister Abdullah Gul traveled yesterday to Vienna for an official visit, where his first slated meeting is with his Austrian counterpart Benita Ferrero-Waldner. After their talks, Gul is set to meet with Austrian Parliament Speaker Andreas Kohl and to attend a luncheon hosted by Ferrero- Waldner in his honor, with Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel also at the table. Gul will then attend a reception at Turkey’s Vienna Embassy where he will meet with Turkish businessmen and representatives of Turkish associations in Austria. /All papers/[04] NATO COMMANDER GEN. JAMES JONES DUE IN ANKARA TODAY TO DISCUSS IRAQ DEPLOYMENT ISSUEGen. James Jones, supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, and a delegation from the United States European Command (EUCOM) are set to arrive in Ankara today. During his one-day visit to the capital, Jones is scheduled to meet with Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and discuss possible Turkish troop deployment in Iraq. Gen. Jones is expected to try to answer Ankara’s questions on certain issues such as the possible location of Turkish forces to be deployed, their number and the scope of their mission. In addition, the issue of a joint Turkish-US action to eradicate the terrorist group PKK/KADEK from northern Iraq is also expected to be taken up during the meetings. /Hurriyet_[05] US AMBASSADOR EDELMAN VISITS DEFENSE MINISTER GONULDefense Minister Vecdi Gonul yesterday received US newly posted Ambassador in Ankara Eric Edelman. Giving the ambassador his best wishes for success, Gonul said that Edelman’s predecessor Robert Pearson had advanced Turkish- US relations and that he expected Edelman would continue this valuable work. /Turkiye/[06] ERDOGAN: “BY YEAR’S-END WE WILL LIFT OBSTACLES TO GERMAN CAPITAL ENTERING TURKEY”By year’s-end Turkey will lift obstacles to German business and other foreign capital entering the country, pledged Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. In Germany for an official visit, Erdogan visited the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin and spoke to Ahmet Zorlu, the chairman of Turkish appliance maker Vestel, telling him that government’s support for Turkish manufacturers would not flag. He also said that he would meet with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to discuss Turkey’s European Union membership bid, adding that Berlin supported this bid and he hoped this support would continue. /Milliyet/[07] TUSIAD TO OPEN BERLIN BUREAU TODAYThe Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) is set today to open its new bureau in Berlin. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, currently in Germany for an official visit, will also attend the ceremony. /Cumhuriyet/[08] TURKISH FIRMS SET TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL BAGHDAD FAIRDespite the political and diplomatic chaos in Iraq since the end of the war, over 200 Turkish companies are planning to attend the International Baghdad Fair set for Dec. 1-7. Officials stated that Turkey will participate in the fair on a 10,000-square-meter area with the aim of getting export connections worth some $1 billion. /Turkiye/[09] CEBIT HIGH TECH FAIR BEGINS IN ISTANBULThe 2003 CebIT Eurasia information and communications technologies fair opened yesterday in Istanbul. During the opening ceremony at Lutfi Kirdar International Congress and Seminar Hall, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the convention via satellite from Germany, where he is currently paying an official visit. Erdogan stated that Turkey will ultimately attain the standards of developed countries and will furthermore prosper as an information-based society. The five-day fair spotlighting information technology advances as well as “e-government” projects is hosting 900 companies from 20 countries as well as some 160,000 visitors from all around the world. /All Papers, http:/_www.cebitbilisim.com_homepage/en /[10] LONDON HOSTS TURKISH FASHION SHOWA Turkish fashion show is set to begin in London tomorrow. Nearly 50 ready- to-wear firms are expected to participate in the two-day event. /Cumhuriyet/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[12] IRAQ, THE UN AND THE US BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on past and present relations among Iraq, the United Nations and the US. A summary of his column is as follows:“The destruction of the United Nations’ headquarters in Baghdad full of people inside was a horrific terrorist action. The scale of last Friday’s tragedy in Najaf is also shocking. In the past, similar disasters occurred, which shows that people lacking any feeling for holy things and humane values are running rampant in this region. The UN has packed up its things and moved from Baghdad to Amman, Jordan. Now how we can trust the Iraqis, who are inviting Turkish soldiers on the condition that a UN resolution is passed? Clearly they are using us in order to put the US and the UN at loggerheads. The UN has failed to take care in protecting the rights of nations. For example, it has always ignored the Turkish Cypriots. I wonder if the US would like the UN butting into its business. No, what it wants are resolutions that fit in with its own policy. It will continue its project of enjoying the 21st century in prosperity with Britain. Moreover, the closer a country moves to Pax Americana, the warmer will the US treat it. Ankara should base its policy not on fantasies, but on this fact, because this policy will determine our 21st century way of life.” [13] THE RIGHT TO KNOW BY TURGUT TARHANLI (RADIKAL)Columnist Turgut Tarhanli writes on a bill proposing greater public access to information held by the state. A summary of his column is as follows:“The current ‘right to know’ bill is one of most important legal arrangements towards our democratization, since it stipulates that any person genuinely needing information from the state will have access to it, which will make democracy both more participatory and meaningful. The bill was first presented to the Parliament at the end of June. The relevant parliamentary commissions have discussed the measure and prepared their reports on it. Therefore, the next step for the bill is debate in the full Parliament. Providing the right to access state information will promote openness and transparency in the state and ensure the effective participation of citizens in the administration. Under the bill, any person wanting access to state information may apply to the competent authority responsible for providing it. However, the bill contains certain exceptions: information the disclosure of which could endanger the security, integrity or sovereignty of the nation or state; confidential communications between state officials; information whose disclosure would harm the ability of the government to manage the economy; information which would reveal personal information concerning another person; information including trade secrets; or information whose disclosure would harm public safety or public order, etc. Transparency cannot be maintained unless public servants at all levels are held accountable for their actions before the law. It is of course not possible for citizens to have access to every kind of information. However, the interpretation and implementation of such an important bill would vary significantly in different countries. For example, the bill states that the right to information won’t apply to information whose disclosure would jeopardize the security of the state, national defense or national security. Let’s consider how a public servant in a truly democratic country would interpret this clause, and contrasts this to the likely approach in countries where anti-democratic practices are common. The same situation applies to other exceptions. Therefore, the bill also should deal with legal criteria differing from one country to another in order to ensure effective implementation of this right. In addition, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) should also feel responsible to monitor parliamentary discussions on this bill and should pursue an effective follow-up policy once it’s approved.” 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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