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Turkish Press Review, 04-07-29
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
29.07.2004
CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY, IRAN AGREE TO COOPERATE ON FIGHTING
[02] PKK TERRORISM, BOOSTING TRADE
[03] GUL: “WE EXPECT THAT THIS
DECEMBER THE EU WILL MAKE A FAIR DECISION”
[04] ANKARA ASKS WASHINGTON ABOUT REPORTS OF ANTI-PKK OPERATIONS
[05] TRNC TO GO TO EARLY ELECTIONS
[06] IMF SEEKS DETAILS OF TURKEY’S NEW ECONOMIC PLANS
[07] CB GOVERNOR: “TURKEY MUST CONTINUE ITS IMF-BACKED ECONOMIC PROGRAM”
[08] FOREST DIRECTORATE TO HELP PORTUGAL FIGHT FIRES
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[10] THE AKP AND THE EU
[11] BY TOKTAMIS ATES (CUMHURIYET)
[01] TURKEY, IRAN AGREE TO COOPERATE ON FIGHTING
[02] PKK TERRORISM, BOOSTING TRADE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday arrived in Iran for a three-
day official visit, a sign of strengthening bilateral ties between two
neighbors whose relations in past years had been beset by deep-rooted
ideological differences. Erdogan yesterday met with Iranian Vice President
Mohammad Reza Aref on the first day of his visit. Erdogan told a press
conference
at the Turkish Embassy in Tehran that yesterday’s tête-à-tête and inter-
delegation meetings had focused on bilateral relations and covered
political, economic and cultural issues. Erdogan praised the rising
bilateral trade volume, expressing hope that it would more than double to
$5 billion in 2004 from last year’s $2.3 billion. Underlining the two
countries’ historical and cultural commonalities, the premier also called
for further broadening of bilateral cooperation in the fields of gas and
energy, transportation, banking and tourism. Erdogan also added that he
expected Iran to add the PKK to its official list of terrorist
organizations. “Terrorism is considered a serious threat to the region and
the whole world,” he said. “Tomorrow we will sign a memorandum of
understanding on terrorism which will include PKK_Kongra-Gel as a terrorist
organization.” Erdogan underscored the need for cooperation on shared
borders, calling for further expansion of security cooperation between the
two sides. Both countries believe that Iraq's territorial integrity should
be safeguarded, he underlined, urging further cooperation in the
reconstruction of the war-damaged country as well as in Afghanistan. The
premier also met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel,
where both leaders reiterated that Ankara and Tehran were as one in
supporting Iraq’s territorial integrity. /All Papers/
[03] GUL: “WE EXPECT THAT THIS
DECEMBER THE EU WILL MAKE A FAIR DECISION”
We expect that the European Union will make a fair decision on Turkey at
its summit this December, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told the Istanbul
Chamber of Industry (ISO) yesterday. “I believe that the EU wouldn’t treat
Turkey unfairly this December,” added Gul. “Turkey has with great
resoluteness fulfilled its duties to become an EU member.” Gul said that
the Union would take great strides for the meeting of civilizations.
Stressing that the government had an active foreign policy, Gul said that
Turkey’s domestic political stability had paved the way for this. Gul also
stated that he was planning to soon visit China. /Hurriyet/
[04] ANKARA ASKS WASHINGTON ABOUT REPORTS OF ANTI-PKK OPERATIONS
Turkey has requested a response from Washington on recent reports that US
troops are currently fighting with PKK terrorists in northern Iraq. Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Namik Tan yesterday stated that the ministry had yet to
receive any official information confirming these reports. Tan also denied
recent media speculation that Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi did not want
to visit Turkey. “Allawi is expected to pay a visit to our country after
the summer break,” he added. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] TRNC TO GO TO EARLY ELECTIONS
The Cabinet of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) yesterday
decided that the nation will hold early elections on Nov. 6. In its six-
hour meeting, the TRNC Cabinet’s decision was made contingent on the
agreement of non-coalition political parties. /Star/
[06] IMF SEEKS DETAILS OF TURKEY’S NEW ECONOMIC PLANS
On his farewell visit yesterday, outgoing International Monetary Fund
Turkey Representative Odd Per Brekk stated that the IMF lacks sufficient
details about Turkey’s new three-year economic plans. Brekk stated that the
IMF is expecting more information from Ankara. In his meetings with
politicians and businessmen, Brekk said that Turkey needs measures to
prevent its accelerating economy from overheating. Stressing that the
banking sector is going well, but that this years’ revival had been spurred
by consumer credit and credit cards, Brekk said that the question of this
growth’s sustainability was key. /Sabah/
[07] CB GOVERNOR: “TURKEY MUST CONTINUE ITS IMF-BACKED ECONOMIC PROGRAM”
Turkey must continue working in cooperation with the International Monetary
Fund under the current circumstances, said Central Bank Governor Sureyya
Serdengecti yesterday. He stated that Ankara must continue pursuing the IMF-
backed economic program for the sake of the country’s future. “A halted
program would lead to higher inflation and an economic slump, in other
words, a deeper crisis,” warned Serdengecti. The current program is set to
expire at year’s end, but relations between Ankara and the IMF are expected
to continue in some form. /Turkiye/
[08] FOREST DIRECTORATE TO HELP PORTUGAL FIGHT FIRES
As summer forest fires continue to rage across Portugal, the Portuguese
government has appealed for help from its Mediterranean neighbors Spain,
Greece and Turkey. In response, the Directorate General of Forests has
ordered its Forest Fire Fighting, Search and Rescue Team (ORKUT) to prepare
to travel to Portugal. Forest Minister Osman Pepe yesterday said that
Turkey was one of the leading countries in fighting forest fires. /Aksam/
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[10] THE AKP AND THE EU
[11] BY TOKTAMIS ATES (CUMHURIYET)
Columnist Toktamis Ates comments on the ruling Justice and Development
Party’s relations with the EU. A summary of his column is as follows:
“The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been very lucky in its
foreign policy, and both international and regional balances have tilted in
its favor. Actually it hasn’t been terribly smart but outside developments
have made its foreign policy successful. We can list these developments as
follows: The EU was afraid of Greece’s veto over Turkey’s membership bid
and so decided to make southern Cyprus an EU member representing the entire
island. This situation forced UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to do
something to solve this problem by preparing a plan. The outcome of this
April’s referendums on Cyprus put the Greek Cypriot administration and
Athens into a corner and raised the prestige of both the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Ankara. In addition, in spite of all its
claims and efforts, the US was unable to capture Osama bin Laden in
Afghanistan. Then the US experienced a similar failure in Iraq and had to
rethink its plans in the region. When the US understood that trusting the
Kurds in northern Iraq was counterproductive, it saw the ‘Turkish reality’
and started to support Ankara’s EU membership. The US also developed a very
unfair rhetoric about the fight against terrorism when it fingered Syria
and Iran as potential targets in our region, and it understood that the
burgeoning cooperation between Kurds and Israel would neither endure nor
meet its expectations, and thus Turkey came to the forefront again.
Even as Turkey develops its relations with Washington and increases its
influence in the region, its uncertainty at the threshold of the EU is
continuing. Actually the AKP’s weak spot is relations with the EU. When I
was evaluating the exaggerated optimism about the results of the Cyprus
referendums, I underlined the importance of being moderate. Turkey is
experiencing the same thing in terms of its expectations of getting a date
for EU membership negotiations. Actually it won’t be so meaningful if we
get a date for negotiations far in the future. I’m afraid they will follow
such a policy to lead us on. However, they might also put forth new
criteria and say, ‘If you do these things, you’ll be able to get a date.’
When things reach this point, most EU member countries’ leaders will favor
giving us a date, and even making us an EU member, except giving us the
right of free movement. The AKP seems to be focused on the EU and very
hopeful. However, if we can’t get a date, things will get difficult for it.
This problem belongs not only to the AKP, but also to all of Turkey.”
ARCHIVE
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