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Turkish Press Review, 04-05-05Turkish 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 morning05.05.2004ECONOMY SUMMIT TO BEGIN TODAY IN IZMIR ERDOGAN: “THE EU CAN’T KEEP TURKEY WAITING FOREVER” WITH OVERWHELMING SUPPORT, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PACKAGE GOES FORWARD TRNC’S TALAT MEETS WITH POWELL, DISCUSSES EMBARGO ISSUE BUSH THROWS SUPPORT BEHIND TURKEY’S EU BID TALAT MEETS ANNAN, DISCUSSES CYPRUS REFERENDUMS, ECONOMIC EMBARGO ANKARA CONCERNED OVER GEORGIAN-ADZHARIAN DISPUTE SURVEY FINDS OVER TWO-THIRDS OF GERMANS FAVOR TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP EP OFFICIALS: “GREEK CYPRUS HAS NO RIGHT TO OCCUPY THE TRNC’S SEATS” YOK BILL SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... THE GREEK THORN BY ERDAL SAFAK (SABAH) GENDER EQUALITY BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)CONTENTS
[01] ECONOMY SUMMIT TO BEGIN TODAY IN IZMIRThe Fourth Turkish Economy Summit is set to begin in Izmir today. In addition to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, also expected to attend the four-day gathering will be Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as representatives from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Cooperation and Development (OECD). /Star/[02] ERDOGAN: “THE EU CAN’T KEEP TURKEY WAITING FOREVER”Stressing that the Turkish state and people had both proved their determination to attain European Union membership, Prime Minister and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned yesterday that Ankara’s tolerance for being kept waiting is at an end. Addressing his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan pointed out that the end of this year would mark the most important stop so far on Turkey’s road to EU membership. “If the Union doesn’t make a positive decision on Ankara’s membership bid this December, then Turkey will have no problem directing its enormous potential in another direction,” said Erdogan. Yesterday, the premier also met with Belgian Crown Prince Philippe, who is currently paying a visit to Turkey. During their meeting, Turkey’s EU membership bid and international issues were taken up. In the evening, Erdogan hosted a banquet in the honor of the visiting prince and his entourage. /Star/[03] WITH OVERWHELMING SUPPORT, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PACKAGE GOES FORWARDParliament yesterday gave its overwhelming support to move to a vote a 10-article amendment package proposing constitutional changes in line with European Union norms. The package includes a number of new measures, including ones guaranteeing gender equality and others doing away with State Security Courts (DGM) and the death penalty. The move forward for the package, proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), received full support from deputies of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Debate on the package’s individual articles is slated for Friday. Speaking after yesterday’s vote, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that Turkey would benefit from the amendments. “This year’s most important issues are democracy, rights and freedom,” he said, adding that the package would meet the nation’s needs. /All papers/[04] TRNC’S TALAT MEETS WITH POWELL, DISCUSSES EMBARGO ISSUETurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat, who is currently in the US for an official visit, yesterday held a groundbreaking meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell in New York to discuss the issue of lifting the economic embargo from the TRNC. Speaking afterwards, Talat called their meeting positive, adding that Washington was working to end the embargo and that this could encourage other countries to follow suit. “Turkish Cypriots accepted the UN plan in last month’s referendums, and we shouldn’t be punished for the Greek Cypriots’ rejection,” said Talat. “Now the international community should lift the embargo and end the TRNC’s isolation. I believe that the international community has understood that the isolation should be brought to an end.” Talat added that Powell had told him that he understood the TRNC’s problems and that the US was working on the issue. For his part, Powell promised the imminent announcement of an aid package designed to ease the TRNC’s isolation. In related news, Special US Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston praised Talat’s meeting with Powell, adding that Washington would do its best to improve the lot of the Turkish Cypriots. /Hurriyet/[05] BUSH THROWS SUPPORT BEHIND TURKEY’S EU BIDUS President George W. Bush said on Monday that he welcomed last weekend’s historic expansion of the European Union with its 10 new members, adding that he also supported Ankara’s EU membership bid. "This enlargement will bring opportunity and hope to millions of Europeans," said Bush in a written statement. "Along with NATO's expansion, the EU's enlargement further unites the new and the established democracies of Europe, and helps create a Europe whole, free, and at peace. We welcome the prospect of further enlargement of the EU to qualified countries ... and we support Turkey's European Union aspirations." /Milliyet/[06] TALAT MEETS ANNAN, DISCUSSES CYPRUS REFERENDUMS, ECONOMIC EMBARGOTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat, who is currently in the New York, yesterday met with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to discuss last month’s Cyprus referendums and the issue of lifting the embargo from the TRNC. Also present at the meeting was Special UN Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto. Speaking afterwards, Talat said that he had stressed to Annan the importance of lifting the unfair embargo from the TRNC. Talat stated that the Turkish Cypriots had proved that they want a resolution on the island, adding that he believed that the TRNC would get Washington’s support. /Cumhuriyet/[07] ANKARA CONCERNED OVER GEORGIAN-ADZHARIAN DISPUTEForeign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday telephoned Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zvania to discuss recent developments in the region. Concerning rising tensions between Georgia and its autonomous province of Adzharia, Gul called on Tbilisi and Batumi to act calmly, adding that Ankara was ready to meditate to help end the dispute. Meanwhile, Adzharia yesterday closed its Sarp border gate with Turkey, thus effectively cutting off truck trade between Turkey and Azerbaijan. Turkish Foreign Ministry officials stated that Ankara has been following developments in the region with great concern. /Turkiye/[08] SURVEY FINDS OVER TWO-THIRDS OF GERMANS FAVOR TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIPIn an Internet poll conducted by German opposition party the Christian Democratic Union, (CSU) which is opposed to Turkey’s European Union membership, 69% of respondents said they favored Turkey’s joining the EU ranks. A statement made by Rainder Steenblock of the Unity 90_Green Party expressed his satisfaction with the German public’s support for Ankara’s membership. /Turkiye/[09] EP OFFICIALS: “GREEK CYPRUS HAS NO RIGHT TO OCCUPY THE TRNC’S SEATS”Greek Cypriots should not try to occupy European Parliament seats intended for Turkish Cypriots, two prominent EP leaders said yesterday. Underlining that two of the six seats set aside for Cyprus in the EP belonged to Turkish Cypriots, Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of the EP-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, stated that Turkish Cyprus should send members to the EP as observers until a settlement is reached on the island. Furthermore, criticizing Greek Cypriots for their rejection of the UN Cyprus plan in last month’s referendums, EP Turkey Rapporteur Arie Oostlander echoed Lagendijk’s remarks, saying that Greek Cypriots could not occupy the two seats belonging to the Turkish side. /Turkiye/[10] YOK BILL SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENTEducation Minister Huseyin Celik said yesterday that a controversial 11-article bill containing amendments to the Higher Board of Education (YOK) Law to level the university entrance exam field for all high school graduates, including those from religious-oriented imam hatips, would be debated by Parliament’s Education Commission on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference, Celik said that the bill would be discussed by the full Parliament next week. The bill also proposes certain limitations to the YOK members’ terms in office. If enacted, all current members would be replaced. Under the current system, vocational and imam hatip high school graduates have less of a competitive edge if they choose a university branch different from their secondary school curriculum. Celik added that the government wants to implement the new system in university entrance exams this year. /Aksam/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[12] THE GREEK THORN BY ERDAL SAFAK (SABAH)Columnist Erdal Safak comments on the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s EU membership bid. A summary of his column is as follows:“In our relations with the European Union, the ‘Greek Cypriot thorn’ has pricked us sooner then expected. Turkey thought that our first trouble with the Greek Cypriot side, which we don’t recognize, would come during next month’s Customs Union meetings. Instead, more than 1,500 Turkish trucks transporting goods to Europe are now stuck on the road. The reason is that Greece, Hungary and Slovenia don’t accept the insurance policy drawn up in Turkey, citing the fact that it doesn’t accept Southern Cyprus. New insurance policies including the Greek Cypriot part have to be prepared. Moreover, the label ‘Republic of Cyprus’ will be used instead of ‘Greek Cypriot side.’ The International Foundation of Transporters is linking this to ‘Greece’s and the Greek Cypriot side’s efforts to move developments from the economic realm to the political one.’ It’s right. Greek Cypriot administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos started the ball rolling by saying, ‘Turkey won’t be able to establish good relations with the EU unless it improves its relations with Cyprus.’ The Greek Cypriot foreign minister was even more blunt: ‘I believe that Turkey will very soon consider recognizing the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey has signed the Customs Union with the EU. Ankara’s not recognizing the Republic of Cyprus will cause problems, as we’ll see very soon.’ Evaluating the recent situation in Cyprus, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, ‘We’ve moved the game into their end zone. We aren’t the ones who have to protect our goal post. Of course the game should be played on the field and the referee must manage it fairly.’ Erdogan again stressed the principle of fair play, but the other side is reluctant to stop fouling. It’s also evident that the referees aren’t being impartial. I don’t know whether Erdogan’s reproach will influence our neighbor during his visit to Greece starting tomorrow, but in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Premier Mehmet Ali Talat’s words, ‘Turkey will recognize the Greek Cypriot side. It has no other choice…’ The business world has already prepared itself for this, as we see in Mersin’s Chamber of Trade declaring Southern Cyprus a ‘target country’ for exports.” [13] GENDER EQUALITY BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on gender equality in Turkey in light of recent proposed constitutional amendments. A summary of his column is as follows:“Attempts to establish gender equality through amending the Constitution are once again in the spotlight. From the outset, when it was founded, Turkey took the lead in gender equality long before many European countries. For example, women’s suffrage was granted in 1928 in Britain, 1934 in Turkey, 1946 in France and 1972 in Switzerland. But over the last 80 years, Turkish women somehow fell behind. In the 1995 elections, the number of female deputies in our Parliament rose to 18. Today we have 24 female deputies, in other words 4% of the assembly. However, this figure is 40% in Scandinavian countries, including Switzerland. The percentage of women’s representation in local administrations in these countries is 40%, but unfortunately a woeful 1% in Turkey. Constitutional Commission Chairman Burhan Kuzu told Parliament about all this yesterday. This data show that it’s not enough to recognize gender equality only on paper. It must also be ensured in practice, which can be done by establishing protection and encouraging measures favoring women. In addition, arrangements towards this end should be guaranteed constitutionally. Women’s societal status is one of the best gauges of a country’s development. Rights engraved in law books don’t mean that they can actually be used. In a patriarchal society, women’s ability to exercise their rights and get what they deserve requires affirmative action under current conditions. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) is resisting such arrangements and thus raising suspicions that its idea of women’s rights goes only as far as defending the right to wear headscarves. The AKP’s wish to live under European values should be tested. An opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) proposal for affirmative action was rejected by the ruling party. The AKP has not been successful on women’s rights or gender equality. This fact should be recognized firstly by its female members. The AKP’s stance on this issue reflects its consideration for Turkey’s women and its political choice and also conflicts with our hopes for European Union membership.” 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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