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Turkish Press Review, 04-05-20Turkish 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 morning20.05.2004FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] MAY 19 YOUTH AND SPORTS DAY CELEBRATEDThe May 19 Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day was celebrated with enthusiasm yesterday throughout the country, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and in Turkey’s missions abroad. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and other top civilian and military officials attended a morning ceremony at Anitkabir, Ataturk’s mausoleum. In Anitkabir’s commemorative guestbook, Sezer wrote that the nation’s youth would forever guard and treasure the path to modernity pioneered by Ataturk. /All papers/[02] GUL: “OUR PACE OF REFORMS CANNOT BE HALTED”Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul attended the Turkey-European Union Partnership Council meeting in Brussels over the weekend. Addressing the gathering, Gul told those assembled that through its recent reforms, Ankara had all but fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria. Reiterating Ankara’s determination for EU membership, Gul said, “We won’t tolerate those who try to hold back reform.” In related news, Gul also met in Brussels with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. During their meeting, Gul said that Ankara would mediate between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the upper Karabakh issue. He also asked Aliyev to support Turkey’s efforts to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). /Turkiye/[03] GREEK PM MEETS WITH ANNAN, EXPRESSES HOPE FOR UNIFIED CYPRUS, TURKEY’S EU BIDGreek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis yesterday met with UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan in New York. Karamanlis reportedly asked for revisions to the UN Cyprus plan which Greek Cyprus rejected in a historic referendum last month, but was rebuffed. In a press conference afterwards, Karamanlis said that Greece favored the unification of the island and would continue to work on the matter. Stressing that he wanted both sides on the island to reap the benefits of European Union membership, the Greek premier said that Annan’s Cyprus plan had not died, but that the Greek side wanted certain changes made to it. He also pointed to the importance of Turkey’s EU membership for the Union itself, the Middle East and the entire region. Adding that both Ankara and Athens had the political will to improve relations, Karamanlis underlined that the continental shelf issue was the last remaining thorn between the two states. /Cumhuriyet/[04] VERHEUGEN LAUDS TURKEY’S “VERY IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS” IN FULFILLING EU CRITERIAAppearing on television yesterday, European Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen praised Turkey’s steps to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria as representing “very impressive progress.” He stated that Brussels was aware of Turkey’s many improvements for its European Union bid and its move towards greater democracy. “I want to encourage Ankara regarding its EU membership bid,” said Verheugen. “Turkey should not deviate from its EU membership goal, but should continue its way with undimmed determination.” Verheugen stressed that implementation of the EU reforms was also very important. Touching on the isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Verheugen said that the EU would make a decision regarding the issue in a few weeks, one that would include both cross-border Cypriot trade and direct TRNC-EU trade. “The TRNC’s isolation will end,” he pledged. “We will implement programs to support the TRNC and provide the same advantages for both Turkish and Greek Cypriots.” /Milliyet/[05] GEORGIAN LEADER TO VISIT TURKEYGeorgian President Mihail Saakasvili is set to visit Turkey today at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer. During his stay, bilateral relations are to be taken up. Tomorrow, Saakasvili is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and then to proceed to Istanbul. /Turkiye/[06] BABACAN: “WE WON’T BE DISTRACTED FROM STRUCTURAL REFORMS”Speaking at a press conference yesterday, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s focus on structural reforms would not be swayed, adding that next year’s economic program would be free from political concerns. Touching on Turkey’s future with the International Monetary Fund, Babacan said that the government hadn’t yet decided on its economic program with the IMF in the years to come, adding that its relations with the Fund were very important. “We may prepare a program for three years or less,” said Babacan. “We will decide on the method after the completion of the eighth review of the program.” The state minister said that Turkey’s 6.5% primary surplus target was an indispensable condition. “I hope our high debt stock falls and our primary surplus rises,” he added. /Aksam/[07] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[08] SEZER ON SECULARISM BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s message for the May 19 Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day and his definition of secularism. A summary of his column is as follows:“In his message for the May 19 Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer emphasized that the principle of secularism is Turkey’s ‘cornerstone.’ This is quite true. If something took away this cornerstone, the Turkish Republic would be shaken. For this reason, the aim of certain trends against the democratic secular Republic has always been chipping away at this cornerstone. Arguing that Turkey’s problems on this issue come from efforts to interpret secularism differently, Sezer said, ‘Ataturk cited not dogma, but reason and science as beacons so our progress cannot be halted. With the establishment of the Republic, he chose modernity. The adoption of the principle of secularism is the natural result of this choice.’ This choice also determined our Republic’s path. Secularism is the basic requirement of modern democratic countries. Sezer defined the function and implementation of the principle of secularism as follows: ‘Our renowned Ataturk knew the structure of the community in which he lived, and he placed the principle of secularism at the basis of his transformations towards modernization and democratization. The principle of secularism has been implemented in the fields of administration and education, and stage by stage in the social field and legal system, this principle foreseeing that our political, social, legal and economic fields cannot be regulated by religious rules, and it is the cornerstone of the values establishing the Turkish Republic.’ Sezer’s speech highlighted recent areas of contention. We’ve been suffering from conflicts and tension due to efforts to banish secularism from our nation’s administration, education, social life and legal system in favor of domination by religious rules and symbols. This political approach interprets democracy and freedom to mean that education is mostly wearing a headscarf, and it also tries to provide headscarf-wearing personnel with the right to work in government and put private and public institutions on a religious basis. So it’s trying to reach its goal using the opportunities and values of democracy. Some try to defend these initiatives as representing democracy and human rights. However, the conflict between the intention and the thrust of the steps is too clear to be hidden. A Turkey which implements this secularism in every area of life can provide an atmosphere in harmony with the European Union. Those who object to this secular foundation cannot create such a Turkey, and this basic contradiction is insuperable.” [09] BLAIR’S TRIP BY NURAY BASARAN (AKSAM)Columnist Nuray Basaran comments on British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s visit to Turkey on Monday. A summary of her column is as follows:“It’s very difficult to evaluate British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s visit to Ankara considering London’s ambivalent distance from Ankara. On the one hand, there’s the December European Union summit and the Cyprus issue, and on the other, there’s next month’s NATO summit set to deal with Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Greater Middle Eastern Initiative. There are many steps needed to solve problems, ones requiring serious political responsibility. It’s interesting that almost all of these steps have been left to the NATO summit. Discussing Britain’s expectations for Turkey would be the last option, because the US is the country with the greatest expectations for the summit. The meeting is very important for transforming the US’ post- September 11 military activities into NATO’s. Moreover, supposing that Britain came for US requests would be a mistake. Let’s construct a scenario on unknown parameters: The most critical operation for NATO’s success is moving the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan outside Kabul and providing support from some NATO countries, especially Turkey and Spain. Last week’s meetings in Brussels already showed some improvement on the military level, but the most serious issue is Iraq’s future and a new Middle East in light of this. Our scenario is based on the prospect of a collapse in Iraq within two years due to disputes about secularism and authority. At the summit, NATO would have undertaken the Greater Middle East Initiative’s goals as its own. But France, unable to merge the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Partnership for Peace (PfP) into one program, would be disturbed by the Initiative’s influences on the dialogue and thus could start forestalling efforts. Russia could then announce that it regarded the PfP as a military threat due to the Greater Middle East Initiative. The borders of the Palestinian state would disturb not only Israel but also Jordan, Syria and Iraq, and violence could break out. While Iraq starts to split, Syria and Iran could get into disputes with the US. NATO would get caught in the southern provinces of Baghdad. Turkey could face a situation in which it has to decide on measures beyond its frontiers for the security of its borders and the political economy. Countries like Turkey, the US, Germany and Britain, which have to race against time, would begin to make their tour right now. Blair could also have visited Turkey for this reason. This is another aspect…” 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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