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Turkish Press Review, 04-04-16
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
16.04.2004
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] DENKTAS ADDRESSES PARLIAMENT
[02] GUL: “IF THE GREEK SIDE REJECTS THE UN PLAN, TURKEY WILL CAMPAIGN FOR TRNC RECOGNITION”
[03] GREEK PM KARAMANLIS: “WE WILL SUPPORT THE GREEK CYPRIOTS’ DECISION, WHATEVER IT IS”
[04] US, UN SIGNAL TURKISH CYPRIOT BENEFITS FOR “YES” VOTE
[05] SWEDISH PM: “REJECTING TURKEY WOULD LEAD TO AN EU POLITICAL CRISIS”
[06] VERHEUGEN: “NEITHER TURKISH NOR GREEK CYPRIOTS WOULD BENEFIT FROM A REJECTION OF THE UN CYPRUS PLAN”
[07] WESTON: “IF THE GREEK CYPRIOTS REJECT THE UN CYPRUS PLAN, WE’LL DO ALL WE CAN TO CUSHION THE BLOW ON TURKISH CYPRIOTS”
[08] US PLEDGES $400 MLN AID FOR UNIFIED CYPRUS
[09] ERDOGAN TOUTS “CONSTRUCTIVE” VISIT TO JAPAN
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[11] MILITARY AND CIVILIAN BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
[01] DENKTAS ADDRESSES PARLIAMENT
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday
addressed the Turkish Parliament. Explaining his views on the United
Nations Cyprus plan, Denktas warned that if the plan were implemented, the
Greek Cypriot side would achieve its target of political union with Greece
(enosis), while within two decades all the plan's benefits for Turkish
Cypriots would vanish into thin air, making the island a territory under
complete Greek hegemony. He charged that rather than a negotiated
compromise, the plan was an imposition by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Criticizing the Cyprus policy of Ankara’s ruling Justice and Development
Party (AKP), Denktas said he expected the Turkish Parliament to live up to
its past decisions on the Cyprus issue, the most recent of which was passed
in March 2003. Prime Minister and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was not
present to hear Denktas’s speech, though Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and
seven other Cabinet ministers were, along with nearly all parliamentarians.
In addition, stressing that he would vote against the plan, the TRNC
president stated that it was a mistake to support it on the assumption that
if a Cyprus deal is reached, Turkey would make headway in its EU membership
or would get a date to start accession talks. He also accused Europe of
duplicity in its approach to Turkey. /All Papers/
[02] GUL: “IF THE GREEK SIDE REJECTS THE UN PLAN, TURKEY WILL CAMPAIGN FOR
TRNC RECOGNITION”
Turkey will launch a worldwide campaign for diplomatic recognition of the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) if the Greek Cypriots reject a
UN plan proposing a united Cyprus in April 24 referendums, pledged Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday. “We’ll travel the whole world and do
everything for the recognition of the TRNC,” said Gul. “It isn’t fair to
punish Turkish Cypriots if the Greek side rejects the plan.” Meanwhile, the
Turkish campaign immediately received backing from its longtime ally
Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev, who is currently paying an official
visit to Turkey, said yesterday that if the Turkish Cypriots approve the
plan, while the Greek Cypriots reject it, a positive climate for
recognition of the TRNC would result. “We’ll support efforts for the
recognition of the TRNC and strengthen our ties with the Turkish Cypriots,”
pledged Aliyev. /Turkiye/
[03] GREEK PM KARAMANLIS: “WE WILL SUPPORT THE GREEK CYPRIOTS’ DECISION,
WHATEVER IT IS”
Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis yesterday announced Athens’ stance
on upcoming Cyprus referendums, saying that it would support whatever
decision the Greek Cypriots make on the plan at referendums set for April
24. He added, however, that the plan’s “positive points outweigh the
negatives,” indicating Athens favored accepting it. “The Greek Cypriots
will make a decision on the plan and we will support them,” said Karamanlis,
stating that if both Turkish and Greek Cypriots accept the UN plan, then
Greece would recognize the reunified island. /Aksam/
[04] US, UN SIGNAL TURKISH CYPRIOT BENEFITS FOR “YES” VOTE
We don’t want to see Turkish Cypriots penalized if they vote in support of
the UN plan for the island while the Greeks reject it, US State Department
spokesmen Richard Boucher told reporters yesterday. Asked whether
Washington would recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
under such a scenario, Boucher declined to answer directly but said that
the US wouldn’t leave Turkish Cypriots “out in the cold.” A high-level US
official in Brussels also reportedly said that it would be difficult to
continue to deny the TRNC diplomatic recognition if the Greek side rejects
the plan and the Turkish side accepts it. Meanwhile, Special UN Cyprus
Envoy Alvaro de Soto also said that the TRNC wouldn’t be “left alone” if it
votes for the plan. /Hurriyet/
[05] SWEDISH PM: “REJECTING TURKEY WOULD LEAD TO AN EU POLITICAL CRISIS”
The betrayal of Turkey would also cause a crisis within the European Union,
warned Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson yesterday. “Getting a no from
the EU after meeting all the criteria required for a full membership would
cause tension to rise in Turkey,” Persson added. Calling Turkey a bridge
between European countries and the Middle East, Persson criticized the
German opposition Christian Democrats’ suggestion of a “special
partnership” for Turkey in lieu of membership, branding it an
“irresponsible” proposal. “Turkey expects to be treated like any other
candidate country,” said Persson. “The EU shouldn’t betray it.” /Star/
[06] VERHEUGEN: “NEITHER TURKISH NOR GREEK CYPRIOTS WOULD BENEFIT FROM A
REJECTION OF THE UN CYPRUS PLAN”
Speaking at a European Union’s donors meeting in Brussels, EU Commissioner
for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen warned yesterday that neither Cyprus’
Turks nor its Greeks would see any benefit from rejecting the UN Cyprus
plan in referendums set for April 24. “If the Turkish Cypriots accept the
plan but the Greek Cypriots reject it, then we should take necessary steps
to guarantee Turkish Cypriots that they won’t be punished,” said Verheugen.
“And in such a case there will be attempts to provide the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus [TRNC] with economic support, as we don’t want to treat
it unfairly.” He added that Greek Cypriots would join the EU on May 1
whatever the referendums’ outcome. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] WESTON: “IF THE GREEK CYPRIOTS REJECT THE UN CYPRUS PLAN, WE’LL DO ALL
WE CAN TO CUSHION THE BLOW ON TURKISH CYPRIOTS”
Special US Cyprus Coordinator Thomas Weston, who is currently in Brussels
to attend a European Union’s donors meeting a unified island, yesterday met
with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali
Talat. Speaking afterwards, Weston said that if the Greek Cypriots reject
the UN Cyprus plan at referendums set for April 24, then the US would
revise its Cyprus policy. "We will do everything to ameliorate the fallout
[of the plan’s rejection] on the Turkish Cypriots," added Weston.
/Cumhuriyet/
[08] US PLEDGES $400 MLN AID FOR UNIFIED CYPRUS
At the opening of a preparatory donors meeting in Brussels with
representatives from 34 countries, Andrew Natsios, head of the US Agency
for International Development (USAID), pledged to submit $400 million to a
united Cyprus toward relocation and compensation costs expected to total
more than $2 billion over five years. The aid is conditional on the
approval of the United Nations’ Cyprus plan. The EU has already budgeted
300 million euros in aid over three years, while Britain, one of the
island’s four guarantor countries, has also pledged 31 million euros and
offered to cede half of its Cypriot military territory. /Turkiye/
[09] ERDOGAN TOUTS “CONSTRUCTIVE” VISIT TO JAPAN
Speaking at an Ankara press briefing on his recent trip to Japan, Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that he hoped his visit would
enhance bilateral relations and boost Turkey’s tourism revenues. “I held
very wide-ranging and constructive meetings with Premier Junichiro Koizumi,
and we discussed economic, political, and commercial issues,” he said.
“This year nearly 600,000 Japanese visited exhibits in Year of Turkey
activities.” He added that he had also met with both the Japanese emperor
and prince. /Milliyet/
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[11] MILITARY AND CIVILIAN BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the Turkish military and civilian
leaderships’ views of the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as
follows:
“Concerning the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) views on Cyprus, Chief of
General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok recently said, ‘On no other issue have our
reason and our feelings been at such odds. We should follow our reason.’ So
his statements that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the
Parliament would have the final say were applauded as a democratic stance.
Ozkok’s words can be summarized as follows: ‘If there is a reasonable
solution, why would the army oppose it?’ The General Staff’s process of
choosing between its feelings and reason came together with Ozkok’s
impartial stance. However, it was expected the military would favor TRNC
President Rauf Denktas and oppose United Nations Secretary-General Kofi
Annan’s plan. But Ozkok didn’t do this, instead leaving the political
responsibility to the government. This stance was similar to our policy
this March on the deployment of Turkish soldiers to Iraq. Back then the
decision was shaped not in the National Security Council (NSC), but in the
Parliament. In democracies, politicians have the final word. Of course
Cyprus is a sensitive issue for the army and we can’t let it become a
possible Bosnia or Kosovo. Similarly, Ozkok mentioned important risks that
could spoil peace on the island and stressed that with the New York process
Turkey had gone outside the framework drawn at a NSC meeting late last
year.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer stated that the decisions of the December 23,
2003 NSC meeting had been bypassed in Davos with the promises made to UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan about ‘filling in the blanks.’ Obviously the
NSC meeting making reference to a solution using Annan’s plan as a basis
was sufficient support for the government. Consequently, it’s natural that
our political leadership took the initiative for a solution on Cyprus. In
fact, since the beginning of this year Turkey has become a side favoring a
solution in Cyprus. After May 1, the green line will be the European
Union’s border. If we had been losing Cyprus, of course the General Staff
would react against this. In spite of this, Denktas argued in Parliament
yesterday that the plan meant Cyprus’ suicide. Gen. Ozkok showed that the
military was as sensitive as the civilian leadership to democracy with his
cool stance not only on Cyprus, but also on secularism. I wish the
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leadership had as progressive a line as
Ozkok.”
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