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Turkish Press Review, 04-08-04
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
04.08.2004
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “TERROR HAS NO RELIGION, CULTURE OR NATION”
[02] PARLIAMENT TO HOLD AN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION TO DEBATE ON CENSURE MOTION ON TRAIN DERAILMENT IN SAKARYA
[03] YAS MEETING CONTINUES
[04] TRT DIRECTOR GENERAL TO BRIEF ERDOGAN ON THE TRT’S GENERAL BROADCAST POLICIES AND ON REDUCING THE NUMBER OF STAFF
[05] GUL: “WE’RE DOING OUR UTMOST TO SAVE THE REMAINING TURKISH HOSTAGES IN IRAQ”
[06] FOREIGN MINISTRY HOLDS AN URGENT MEETING WITH FIRMS DOING BUSINESS IN IRAQ
[07] TURKISH FIRMS QUIT IRAQ
[08] TURKISH TRUCKERS COMPLAIN ABOUT LACK OF SECURITY IN IRAQ
[09] BABACAN MEETS WITH IMF DELEGATION, DISCUSSES THE NEW ECONOMIC PROGRAM
[10] THREE MODERATE QUAKES SHAKE AEGEAN COST
[11] JULY INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] EU AND TURKEYBY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
[01] ERDOGAN: “TERROR HAS NO RELIGION, CULTURE OR NATION”
Speaking to a daily German Bild yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said that terrorism was a trouble of the world, not only Turkey,
adding that it had no religion, culture or nation. “International
cooperation is needed in order to fight terrorism,” he said, adding that
Ankara was ready to contribute to this fight. Touching on the Iraq issue,
the premier said that the war in a neighboring country Iraq also affected
Turkey negatively, adding however that Ankara welcomed disarmament of the
country. /Aksam/
[02] PARLIAMENT TO HOLD AN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION TO DEBATE ON CENSURE
MOTION ON TRAIN DERAILMENT IN SAKARYA
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim is set to defend himself today at a
parliamentary extraordinary session on the recent train accident where some
30 people died after a packed new express train heading to Ankara from
Istanbul derailed. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
presented a censure motion proposal to the parliament about Yildirim who is
expected to defend himself with the help of the expert reports from
four different countries. According to the reports, the cause of the
derailment was the speed of the train which was higher than the legal
limit. In related news, the council which was established by the
Transportation Ministry to investigate the derailment announced yesterday
that the fast train would not be on service for the next three months until
the investigation ends. /Sabah/
[03] YAS MEETING CONTINUES
The Supreme Military Council (YAS) meeting yesterday continued under the
chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The three-day meeting
which discusses promotions and retirements in the military as well as other
important issues on the country’s agenda is expected to end today. /Star/
[04] TRT DIRECTOR GENERAL TO BRIEF ERDOGAN ON THE TRT’S GENERAL BROADCAST
POLICIES AND ON REDUCING THE NUMBER OF STAFF
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to meet tomorrow with state
broadcaster TRT Director General Senol Demiroz. During their meeting,
Demiroz is expected to brief Erdogan on a number of issues, including TRT’s
general broadcast policies and reducing the number of staff. /Turkiye/
[05] GUL: “WE’RE DOING OUR UTMOST TO SAVE THE REMAINING TURKISH HOSTAGES IN
IRAQ”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Ankara was doing its
utmost to save the remaining Turkish hostages in Iraq, adding that the
developments were being followed closely. “Our priority is to save our
hostages,” he said. Gul added that Iraq was the greatest threat for the
region. In related news, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin yesterday
harshly criticized videotaped killing of a Turkish hostage, adding that
there was a power vacuum in Iraq. /Turkiye/
[06] FOREIGN MINISTRY HOLDS AN URGENT MEETING WITH FIRMS DOING BUSINESS IN
IRAQ
In the wake of the videotaped killing of a Turkish hostage, Murat Yuce, who
was working for a laundry firm in Iraq, the Foreign Ministry yesterday held
an urgent meeting with the International Transporters' Association (UND)
and a number of the representatives of the Turkish firms doing business in
Iraq. It was stated that the UND’s recent announcement that it halted
bringing supplies to the US forces in Iraq was sent to two important TV
stations in the region, Qatar-based Al Jazeera and Dubai-based Al Arabia.
In the meeting, the foreign ministry officials stressed that the US forces
failed to protect the Turkish convoys despite Ankara’s regular warnings
about the lack of security in the region. /Hurriyet/
[07] TURKISH FIRMS QUIT IRAQ
After the Ankara-based Bilintur firm, which was providing laundry services
to a Jordanian company in Iraq, and for which Murat Yuce, who was recently
killed by Iraqi gunmen was working, said it was ordering all personnel to
leave Iraq, the Tepe group to which Billur is affiliated has also announced
that it would stop doing business in Iraq in hopes of saving the life of
other possible captives. In addition, Dorce Prefab Company which is one of
the Turkish firms warned by the Iraqi gunmen who killed Yuce decided to
leave Iraq. Turkey hopes such decisions to stop services to US forces will
save other Turks currently being held captive by in Iraq. /Hurriyet/
[08] TURKISH TRUCKERS COMPLAIN ABOUT LACK OF SECURITY IN IRAQ
In the wake of the videotaped killing of a Turkish worker, Murat Yuce, by
masked gunmen in Iraq, the complaints of the Turkish truckers doing
business there have jumped to the top of Ankara’s agenda. The Turkish
truckers stated that although they traveled through the Kurdish regions
safely, the Arabian regions are more dangerous as the US forces fail to
take effective security measures there. They also added that the American
soldiers usually escape instead of protecting the supply convoys when an
attack is launched on the trucks. “After the supplies are unloaded, the US
forces leave us all alone,” said a Turkish trucker. Most Turkish truckers
have recently decided not to travel to Iraq after Yuce’s killing. /Sabah/
[09] BABACAN MEETS WITH IMF DELEGATION, DISCUSSES THE NEW ECONOMIC PROGRAM
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan yesterday met with visiting
International Monetary Fund delegation headed by IMF Turkey Desk Chief Riza
Moghadam to discuss how the IMF’s role would be in a new economic program.
Also present at the meeting was Treasury Undersecretary Ibrahim Canakci.
The delegation is expected to leave Ankara on Friday. /Aksam/
[10] THREE MODERATE QUAKES SHAKE AEGEAN COST
Three moderate earthquakes, the strongest with a preliminary magnitude of
5.0, shook Turkey's Aegean coast yesterday, with no injuries or dead.
Quakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North
Anatolian fault. /All Papers/
[11] JULY INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released month-on-month
inflation figures for July. Inflation last month was 0.22% on the consumer
price index (CPI) and -1.52% on the on the wholesale price index (WPI),
pushing year-to-year WPI to 9.44% and CPI to 9.57%. /All papers/
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] EU AND TURKEYBY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on our relations with the EU member
countries. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Brussels is preparing the Progress Report on Turkey. Of course certain
countries are favored in the EU. For example, a country which is supported
by Germany and Austria just like Croatia and Slovenia, things would be easy
for it. We couldn’t have used our chance. However, we’re still sleeping
now. We still have a tendency towards making the military intervene. We
also might have other deficiencies which will please those who don’t want
us in Europe.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing for a complete European
tour without ignoring any of 25 EU members. In addition, the opposing
Republican People’s Party (CHP) members will accompany him. This is a good
development because the EU membership is the mission of all parties. Each
institution and person contributing to this aim will take its share from
this honor and dignity. The people are tired of non-complete democratic
applications. The more the people increase their knowledge on the EU, the
more they become conscious. There is not a single country which started
membership negotiations but was unable to become an EU member then. In
addition, there isn’t any country which became an EU member but was unable
to enjoy prosperity. Turkey will shine like star in a few years. A Turkey
which lives in modern democracy and economy, has a potential to make real
contributions to our world which longs for peace and tranquality.”
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