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Turkish Press Review, 04-07-22
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
22.07.2004
RESULTS OF ERDOGAN’S VISIT TO FRANCE
BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH FRENCH PARTY LEADERS TO SEEK
[02] SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
[03] THY SIGNS AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE 36 AIRBUS PLANES
[04] GUL, REGIONAL FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET IN BID TO HELP IRAQ
[05] SCHROEDER DENIES “CONDITIONAL YES” REPORTS
[06] TUSIAD CHAIRMAN: “TURKEY AND ALL ITS INSTITUTIONS
[07] SHOULD BE READY TO BEGIN EU ACCESSION TALKS”
[08] TURKEY DISCUSSION STIRS UP EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
[09] EUROPEAN INDUSTRIALISTS TOUT TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP BID
[10] TUZMEN: “A EURO-MEDITERRANEAN FREE TRADE ZONE
[11] WOULD SERVE STABILITY AND SECURITY”
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[13] RESULTS OF ERDOGAN’S VISIT TO FRANCE
[14] BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH FRENCH PARTY LEADERS TO SEEK
[02] SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in France for an official visit,
yesterday met with French Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande to
discuss bilateral relations and Turkey’s European Union membership bid.
Speaking afterwards, Hollande expressed support for Turkey’s EU bid,
adding that Ankara should first fulfill the Union’s economic and political
criteria in order to join it. He added that Turkey’s majority-Muslim
population constituted no problem for its membership. Later, Erdogan met
with Union for French Democracy leader Francois Bayrou. During their
meeting, Bayrou stressed his party’s support for Turkey’s EU bid and touted
friendly bilateral relations. After completing his contacts in France,
Erdogan yesterday returned to Ankara. /Turkiye/
[03] THY SIGNS AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE 36 AIRBUS PLANES
Turkish Airlines (THY) officials yesterday signed an agreement to purchase
36 Airbus passenger planes in a ceremony in Paris
attended by French President Jacques Chirac and visiting Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Also present at the ceremony were Turkish
Communications Minister Binali Yildirim, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan,
and State Minister Mehmet Aydin. The cost of the Airbus planes is
reportedly about $1.5 billion. /Sabah/
[04] GUL, REGIONAL FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET IN BID TO HELP IRAQ
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday attended a meeting of Iraq’s
neighboring countries’ foreign ministers in Cairo, Eygpt. Speaking
afterwards, Gul said that the meeting was aimed at helping the Iraqi
government overcome the serious problems it currently faces. He said that
during the meeting, all the participants had aired their views on the
issues. “The country sees violence and acts of terrorism on an almost daily
basis,” Gul lamented, adding that the Kirkuk issue should be solved as soon
as possible before it spirals out of control. “We must help both Iraq’s
people and its government,” he said. He added that he had underlined
Ankara’s determination to ensure Iraq’s territorial integrity and unity.
/Turkiye/
[05] SCHROEDER DENIES “CONDITIONAL YES” REPORTS
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder yesterday denied recent statements
attributed to him raising the possibility that Turkey could be given a
“conditional yes” to initiate European Union membership talks. Stressing
that Germany supports Turkey's unconditional EU membership, Schroeder said
that reporters had distorted his actual statements. “A conditional yes for
Turkey isn’t even on the EU’s agenda,” added the chancellor. Schroeder
yesterday held a press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter
Balkenende, where the two leaders stated that although a ‘conditional yes’
was out of the question, setting a date in December for Turkey's EU
membership talks would not mean that membership was guaranteed. The
Netherlands holds the EU’s Term Presidency through the end of December.
/All Papers/
[06] TUSIAD CHAIRMAN: “TURKEY AND ALL ITS INSTITUTIONS
[07] SHOULD BE READY TO BEGIN EU ACCESSION TALKS”
Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) Chairman
Omer Sabanci said yesterday that Turkey and all its institutions should
stand ready to begin accession talks with the European Union. Speaking
after his meeting with European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, Sabanci
praised the trade volume between Turkey and the EU, adding that this should
be boosted further. /Turkiye/
[08] TURKEY DISCUSSION STIRS UP EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
In an address to the European Parliament yesterday, Dutch Prime Minister
Jan Balkenende called on fellow member countries not to give in to “fears
of Islam” when they decide on Turkey's membership bid. “Islam is not the
problem,” said Balkenende. “Muslims, Christians and people of other beliefs
can live together perfectly. The problem is not religion but the misuse of
religion to sow hatred and intolerance and to repress women.” Balkenende,
whose country is currently the Union’s president, and will preside over the
key December summit for Turkey’s bid, added that the Union must show “fair
play” towards Ankara. “We have agreed the rules of the game and these have
to be respected,” he said. “We cannot move the goal posts.” Balkenende's
words caused mixed reactions from the various EP groups. For example, the
Christian Democrat faction urged him to consider other alternatives, such
as a “privileged partnership” for Turkey. In addition, Greens Group Co-
chair Monica Frassoni stated that fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria would
be sufficient to start Turkey’s membership talks, calling on the EU to keep
its promises. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] EUROPEAN INDUSTRIALISTS TOUT TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP BID
The European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), a forum of around 45
European industrial leaders aimed at promoting the competitiveness and
growth of Europe's economy, recently issued a report on Turkey to promote
the country’s European Union membership bid. The ERT’s Enlargement Working
Group report entitled “Turkey – A New Business Opportunity for Europe” is
to be sent to the EU member governments and parliaments. Enlargement Group
Chairman Antony Burgmans said that the ERT was calling on the EU to
initiate Turkey’s membership negotiations as soon as the country fulfills
the Copenhagen criteria. If Turkey joins the Union, both sides will reap
benefits in terms of commerce and investment, predicted Burgmans. The ERT
members are expected to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
Nov. 22. /Sabah/
[10] TUZMEN: “A EURO-MEDITERRANEAN FREE TRADE ZONE
[11] WOULD SERVE STABILITY AND SECURITY”
The Fourth Conference of Euro-Mediterranean (EUROMED) Trade Ministers was
held yesterday in Istanbul with the participation of those ministers plus
high-level representatives of 25 EU members and 10
Mediterranean countries. Addressing the conference, Turkish State Minister
Kursad Tuzmen said that a Euro-Mediterranean free trade zone would serve
regional stability and security. Tuzmen added that Turkey was resolved to
establish a free trade zone between the EU and the Mediterranean countries,
which he said would inevitably serve to boost investments in the region as
well as facilitate the sharing of information and experience. /Hurriyet/
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[13] RESULTS OF ERDOGAN’S VISIT TO FRANCE
[14] BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
visit to France this week. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to France this week was
successful, productive and beneficial. Erdogan said that both Turkish
foreign policy and our national tendencies had made a good impression. Our
decision to cooperate with France in buying 36 Airbus planes and building
nuclear power plants is a positive development. France is a leader in
nuclear energy. While still in office, President Suleyman Demirel once
stated that we couldn’t do without a nuclear power plant, but none of our
governments has managed to get one. Now it’s time. Obviously many nuclear
power plants will be built but in a fully environmentally conscious manner
and without cutting trees or hurting the environment.
Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul should target more productive
visits because the EU will prepare Turkey’s progress report very soon and
there are still certain European countries, including Austria, which are
hesitant about us. However, Austria had been expected to understand us. We
should express ourselves and understand their problems about us as well. In
any case, Turkey will be able to get a date from the EU for membership
negotiations in December. We will start to negotiate the EU’s economic and
social criteria at the beginning of next year. European countries will
benefit from these developments as well. Smart Europeans understand this,
and they should try to explain this to those who don’t. Our contacts with
top European statesmen should continue next month. The success of Erdogan’s
visit to France has raised our hopes.”
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