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Turkish Press Review, 04-06-10
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
09.06.2004
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER: “ATATURK IS A MAN OF TOMORROW”
[02] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH BUSH, WILL ATTEND REAGAN’S FUNERAL
[03] GUL LENDS SUPPORT TO ALBANIA’S NATO BID
[04] AT G-8 MEETING, BUSH, SCHROEDER EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
[05] PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW DRAFT PRESS LAW
[06] US STATE DEPARTMENT: “TURKEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REGIONAL COUNTRIES WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE GME”
[07] TRNC VISAS, TRAVEL EASED BY WASHINGTON
[08] EX-DEP DEPUTIES RELEASED
[09] JUSTICE MINISTER CICEK: “THE EU HAS RUN OUT OF EXCUSES”
[10] EU LEADERS WELCOME RELEASE OF EX-DEP DEPUTIES
[11] EUROPEAN COURT HOLDS HEARING ON OCALAN
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] DEMOCRACY PARTY TRIAL
[14] BY TAHA AKYOL (MILLIYET)
[01] SEZER: “ATATURK IS A MAN OF TOMORROW”
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday hailed Ataturk as the architect of
modern Turkey and one of the key leaders in the shaping of the modern
world. Speaking at the First International Ataturk Symposium sponsored
jointly by Ankara University and the Kemalist Thought Association, Sezer
said that Ataturk’s enduring importance comes not only from his
accomplishments but also from his global thinking. He added that Ataturk,
through leading the War of Independence, founding the republic and
implementing countless reforms, was an historic figure respected worldwide.
/Hurriyet/
[02] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH BUSH, WILL ATTEND REAGAN’S FUNERAL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in Sea Island,
Georgia to attend the G-8 summit there, yesterday met with US President
George W. Bush. In related news, Erdogan is due tomorrow to attend the
state funeral of former US President Ronald Reagan. /Aksam/
[03] GUL LENDS SUPPORT TO ALBANIA’S NATO BID
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with his Albanian counterpart
Kastriot Islami to discuss a number of issues, including bilateral
relations and Albania’s NATO membership bid. Speaking at a joint press
conference, Gul said that he hoped Albania’s bid would receive
encouragement at the June 28-29 NATO summit in Istanbul. “Albania wants to
be a member of NATO,” said Gul, adding that Ankara supported this. Gul
stated that there were no political problems between the two countries and
that commercial ties were developing, adding that a free trade agreement
could soon be signed. He also said that he appreciated Albania’s
contributions to the stability of the Balkans. For his part, Islami
stressed the importance of relations between the two countries and hailed
Turkey as an “honest strategic partner.” He added that he appreciated
Ankara’s support for Albania’s NATO aspirations. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] AT G-8 MEETING, BUSH, SCHROEDER EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, both
currently on Sea Island, Georgia to attend the G-8 summit there, yesterday
met to discuss a number of issues, including Turkey’s European Union
membership bid. During their meeting, both Bush and Schroeder reportedly
praised Ankara’s European Union harmonization reforms and expressed their
support for Turkey’s EU bid. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also
attending the summit as a “friendly ally.” /Aksam/
[05] PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW DRAFT PRESS LAW
Parliament yesterday passed the new draft Press Law, which incorporates
certain changes in accordance with European norms. In related news, State
Minister Besir Atalay said that Parliament would also soon consider both
the law governing state broadcaster TRT and the Supreme Board of Radio and
Television (RTUK) Law. /Sabah/
[06] US STATE DEPARTMENT: “TURKEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REGIONAL COUNTRIES
WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE GME”
Alan Larson, the US State Department’s undersecretary for economic,
business, and agricultural affairs, said yesterday that Turkey could
contribute significantly to regional countries within the scope of the US’
Greater Middle East Initiative (GME). Larson stated that Turkey constituted
a bridge between Europe and the Middle East and that he was very pleased
with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attending the current G-8
summit. He stressed that Ankara had a democratic tradition and respected
religious tolerance. Larson further praised Turkey’s economic successes,
adding that regional countries could benefit from its experience. /Aksam/
[07] TRNC VISAS, TRAVEL EASED BY WASHINGTON
Washington is continuing its initiatives to bring to an end the
international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
After it recently increased the duration of visas issued to Turkish
Cypriots to two years, the US announced yesterday that American citizens,
wherever they live, could go directly go to the TRNC using tourist
passports. In related news, Thomas Weston, the US special coordinator for
Cyprus, yesterday visited TRNC representative in New York Resat Caglar.
/Cumhuriyet/
[08] EX-DEP DEPUTIES RELEASED
The Court of Appeals Ninth Criminal Bureau yesterday ruled to suspend legal
proceedings and ordered the release of former Democracy Party (DEP)
deputies Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Selim Sadak and Orhan Dogan. The court
ruled in favor of a petition submitted by the Supreme Court of Appeals
Chief Prosecutor’s Office to strike down a previous sentence on the former
DEP deputies as well as its call for a retrial, granting a request made by
their lawyer for the defendants’ release on their own recognizance. The
defendants were to complete their 15-year sentences in mid-2005. /All
Papers/
[09] JUSTICE MINISTER CICEK: “THE EU HAS RUN OUT OF EXCUSES”
Commenting on this week’s release of four former Democracy Party (DEP)
deputies, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said yesterday that the court’s
decision would provide relief to Turkey both domestically and
internationally. The European Union will also search in vain for fresh
excuses to frustrate Turkey’s EU bid, added Cicek. “The judiciary has done
what was asked of it,” he said. “Now it’s time for others to do the same.”
/Turkiye/
[10] EU LEADERS WELCOME RELEASE OF EX-DEP DEPUTIES
Commenting on the release of four former Democracy Party (DEP) deputies,
European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen yesterday
hailed the move as “positive development” and a sign that Turkey is
implementing EU reforms. European Council Secretary General Walter
Schwimmer also stated that the decision would bolster Turkey’s image and
squared with the spirit of recently passed reforms in the Turkish
Parliament. In addition, European Parliament President Pat Cox, European
Commission Turkey representative Hansjoerg Kretchmer and German Greens
Party Deputy Claudia Roth also praised the release. /Turkiye/
[11] EUROPEAN COURT HOLDS HEARING ON OCALAN
The European Court of Human Rights yesterday met in Strasbourg to hear an
appeal against the Turkish government made by lawyers for Abdullah Ocalan,
head of the terrorist group PKK. The court will reportedly announce its
decision at a later date. If the court decides that Ocalan received an
unfair trial, then the European Council may ask Turkey to retry him. Ocalan
led the PKK during 15 years of clashes with Turkish security forces which
took the lives of some 30,000 people. Since his capture in 1999, Ocalan has
been jailed on Imrali Island. /Turkiye/
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] DEMOCRACY PARTY TRIAL
[14] BY TAHA AKYOL (MILLIYET)
Columnist Taha Akyol comments on the Democracy Party (DEP) deputies’
release yesterday. A summary of his column is as follows:
“The Democracy Party (DEP) ex-deputies were sentenced not for ideological
offenses, but terrorist ones. The evidence shows that Leyla Zana and her
colleagues were sentenced due to active membership in a terrorist group
seeking division of the Turkish state. The European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR) has not ruled whether or not Zana and her colleagues are criminals,
but instead saw certain shortcomings in their trial proceedings. For
example, the court didn’t hear certain witnesses testify. Actually the
court doesn’t have to listen to all witnesses. However, calling witnesses
and making the court hear them is an important part of defense. Finally
Zana and her colleagues were released yesterday.
The trial will continue without their detention. It is estimated that
proceedings including the testimony of new experts and nearly 30 witnesses
will continue for one and a half years. Zana et al were supposed to be
imprisoned until May 2005. When the Court of Appeals made its decision to
release them, it considered the stage of trial and the duration of
imprisonment. That is, the retrial will last for more than a year and the
remaining duration of imprisonment is 10 months. These legal grounds show
that Zana and her friends haven’t been convicted, although they aren’t
guilty. The arrest, conviction, yesterday’s release and the final ruling
are all legal transactions.
Of course Turkey’s European Union membership process had an impact on the
decision. Now we are changing our laws. ECHR decisions are becoming
precedents in our national law. If Zana et al consider this legal process
as clearing them of the crimes of separatism and terrorism, this is a great
mistake. Now, in our country, which has taken important steps on the way to
becoming a democratic state under the rule of law, Zana et al must clearly
and honestly voice their opposition to terrorism.”
ARCHIVE
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