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Turkish Press Review, 04-05-07
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
07.05.04
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “THE AEGEAN SHOULD BE A SEA OF PEACE”
[02] PARLIAMENT COMMISSION APPROVES YOK BILL
[03] GENERAL STAFF OFFICE ISSUES WARNING ON YOK BILL
[04] WESTON: “WASHINGTON MAY PROVIDE DIRECT ECONOMIC AID TO THE TRNC”
[05] BELGIAN PM: “IF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S REPORT ON TURKEY IS POSITIVE, THEN WE MAY BEGIN ACCESSION TALKS”
[06] ANKARA WELCOMES RESOLUTION OF GEORGIAN-ADZHARIAN DISPUTE
[07] GERMAN BUSINESSWOMEN IN ANKARA LEND SUPPORT TO TURKEY’S EU BID
[08] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[09] THE AZERBAIJANIS AND CYPRUS BY ERDAL GUVEN (RADIKAL)
[10] NOT FOR EUROPE, BUT FOR OURSELVES BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN: “THE AEGEAN SHOULD BE A SEA OF PEACE”
Speaking in Istanbul before leaving for Greece to pay a three-day official
visit, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Aegean should be a
sea of peace. Pointing to recent improvements in Turkish-Greek ties,
Erdogan said, “We’ve signed a natural gas agreement, our trade volume is
rising and we’re taking new steps together on tourism.” Commenting on
Turkey’s European Union bid, the premier reiterated Ankara’s determination
to attain membership. “With its cultural values and large economic
potential, Turkey will be an important part of the EU,” said Erdogan. Later
in the afternoon Erdogan, accompanied by his wife and a delegation, flew to
Athens, where he was welcomed by the Greek foreign minister upon his
arrival. /Turkiye/
[02] PARLIAMENT COMMISSION APPROVES YOK BILL
A government bill proposing structural reforms to the Higher Board of
Education (YOK) as well as a new grading system for university entrance
exams favoring occupational secondary schools, including religion-oriented
imam hatips, was approved yesterday by Parliament’s Education Commission.
Commenting on the bill, Education Minister Huseyin Celik said that the
government was doing what the public wants on the matter. After six hours
of discussion and debate, during which commission members from the
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) left the meetings, the
commission passed the bill. It is expected to be debated by the full
Parliament next week. On the other hand, in a press conference yesterday,
YOK head Professor Erdogan Tezic criticized the proposal. Stressing that
the bill was meant to open the door to university education for
occupational high school and imam hatip graduates, Tezic charged that the
government’s push for the measure was politically motivated. _Turkiye
[03] GENERAL STAFF OFFICE ISSUES WARNING ON YOK BILL
Commenting on the recent controversial push of the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) government to amend the Higher Board of Education
(YOK) Law, the Secretariat General of the Chief of General Staff yesterday
issued a statement pointing out that under current law, imam hatip schools
were intended solely to serve students seeking employment in religious
posts. Warning that the amendments might damage the secular education
system and cause unnecessary public friction even as Turkey is already
dealing with a number of serious issues, the statement said that the
Turkish military had faith the related institutions and organizations would
act prudently and with common sense. It also called on the public to
maintain its sensitivity on the matter. /Sabah/
[04] WESTON: “WASHINGTON MAY PROVIDE DIRECT ECONOMIC AID TO THE TRNC”
Tom Weston, the special US coordinator for Cyprus, yesterday praised the
European Union’s recent steps to end the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus’s (TRNC) isolation, but added that much remained to be done as these
steps alone would not be sufficient. For instance, he stated that
Washington was working to provide direct US flights to the TRNC, adding
that the US government could also provide direct economic aid but that
congressional approval was needed for this. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] BELGIAN PM: “IF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S REPORT ON TURKEY IS POSITIVE,
THEN WE MAY BEGIN ACCESSION TALKS”
Speaking at a press conference after meeting with his Spanish counterpart
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero yesterday, Belgian Prime Minister Guy
Verhofstadt said that the European Commission’s fall report on Turkey
needed to be examined before the European Union decides whether or not to
begin Ankara’s accession talks. “If the commission releases a positive
report, then we may begin the accession talks,” said Verhofstadt. /Aksam/
[06] ANKARA WELCOMES RESOLUTION OF GEORGIAN-ADZHARIAN DISPUTE
The Foreign Ministry released a statement yesterday saying that it welcomed
the recent resolution of tension in neighboring Georgia, praising the
Georgian government for its prudent handling of the standoff with the
leadership of its autonomous province of Adzharia (Adjara). A weeks-long
standoff between Adzharian leader Aslan Abashidze and the Georgian
government ended on Wednesday when Abashidze fled the region, apparently to
exile in Russia after protests against his rule. In related news, Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul, who is currently in Dublin to attend the Euro-Med
Foreign Ministers’ meeting, yesterday expressed satisfaction that the
problem had been resolved peacefully and added that Turkey would continue
to help Georgia in whatever way it could. /Turkiye/
[07] GERMAN BUSINESSWOMEN IN ANKARA LEND SUPPORT TO TURKEY’S EU BID
Members of the Association of German Businesswomen, one of Germany’s
leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs), arrived yesterday in Ankara
upon the invitation of the Businesswomen’s Association (TIKAD.) Speaking
afterwards, TIKAD head Nilufer Bulut said that the German businesswomen had
expressed support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid, adding that
they and their Turkish counterparts would cooperate to make sure Ankara
gets a date for accession talks this December. /Aksam/
[08] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[09] THE AZERBAIJANIS AND CYPRUS BY ERDAL GUVEN (RADIKAL)
Columnist Erdal Guven comments on Turkish-Azerbaijani relations vis-a-vis
the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as follows:
“The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) declared its independence
on November 15, 1983 and was recognized by Turkey the very same day. But
for the next 21 years, no other country extended recognition. How could
this be? After the TRNC was founded, the UN Security Council adopted
Resolution 541 condemning the TRNC’s self-declared founding and calling on
all UN members not to recognize any Cypriot state besides the ‘Republic of
Cyprus’ (that is, Greek Cyprus). Therefore only Ankara recognized the TRNC
and even if Turkey turned its nose up, the whole rest of the world
recognizes the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ as the sole legal representative of the
island.
The issue also carries a geopolitical aspect. The TRNC is a concrete form
of separation in the context of international relations and was formed
unilaterally as a result of military intervention by Turkey. However,
today’s geopolitics frowns on separatism, micro-nationalism and political
formations based on ethnicity excepting where there is mutual consent. On
the contrary, today’s geopolitics favors integration based upon democracy,
political equality and economic sharing. This is another political reason
why the TRNC is not recognized. The interests and policies of countries
faced with splits or threatened by separation are in line with this
geopolitics. One of those countries is Azerbaijan, with its problem of
upper Karabakh. The serious problem faced by Baku is that 20% of its land
is currently occupied by Armenia and the upper Karabakh separatist
movement. Therefore, the Azerbaijani representatives in the European
Council’s Parliament were leaning towards not recognizing the TRNC. ‘The
Parliament vote would mean recognizing the TRNC,’ said one Azerbaijani
official. ‘This would set a risky precedent for the future recognition of
the administration in upper Karabakh.’ This development should remind
Turkey that in international relations there is no friendship or
brotherhood, but only interests.”
[10] NOT FOR EUROPE, BUT FOR OURSELVES BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)
Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on the constitutional reform package facing
Parliament and its article on gender equality. A summary of his column is
as follows:
“Everybody was saying that we should take democratization steps not because
the Europeans want it, but for ourselves, and that if we can’t get European
Union membership, we should call them ‘the Istanbul criteria’ and blaze our
own path. But we can’t take those steps even if the EU wants them, because
our way is littered with hurdles. The amendment on gender equality was
roundly rejected by Parliament in the first round of voting. Saddled by
such a mentality, can we take any step for ourselves? Female deputies of
the opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP) plan to bring to Parliament
a new gender proposal which is also supported by women’s organizations. The
reform package in its current form says that the state is responsible for
implementing gender equality. The women’s organizations and the female CHP
deputies want to add a sentence saying, ‘Temporary measures and
arrangements towards this end cannot be considered discrimination or
privilege.’ According to the Women’s Human Rights Foundation, this sentence
is vital for the following purposes:
* Extending women’s opportunities for representation both in the Parliament
and politics in general.
* Expanding women’s representation in public institutions.
* Ensuring equal opportunities with men in the business world.
* Creating equality of opportunity in education for girls
Changing laws which discriminate against women.
Those resisting such measures know that opposing gender equality is wrong.
Democracy is based on equality, and there is a right to equality.
Sensitivity about rights and equality starts with gender equality. If we
can’t change this mentality, other changes will make no sense.”
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