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Turkish Press Review, 04-08-31Turkish 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 morning31.08.2004<blockquote> <_blockquote>CONTENTS
[01] NATION MARKS VICTORY DAYAugust 30 Victory Day was celebrated yesterday with ceremonies throughout the country, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and in Turkey’s missions abroad. In the evening, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok hosted a reception to mark the day. In attendance were President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and other top officials as well as military leaders. /All Papers/[02] GUL: “TURKEY IS RENEWING ITSELF”Turkey is renewing itself, said Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday during his visit to the northwestern town of Gebze to attend ceremonies marking August 30 Victory Day. “Our railways and airways will also be reconsidered during this renewal,” added Gul. Touting the victories of Turkish athletes at the just-concluded Olympic Games in Athens, Gul congratulated them for their success as well as Greece for hosting the games without problems. /Star/[03] PARLIAMENT DELEGATION VISITS ISRAELA delegation of three ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies yesterday traveled to Israel to hold three days of contacts with Israeli officials. Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly sent with them a letter to his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon expressing his views on regional issues. /Turkiye/[04] SEPTEMBER TO SEE FLURRY OF EU BID PROMOTION, TRIPSEuropean Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen, who is soon set to leave his post, is due to arrive in Ankara on Saturday for a two-day visit in the leadup to the October release of the European Commission progress report on Turkey. In addition, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is due to travel to EU Term President the Netherlands on Friday to attend a meeting of EU foreign ministers. He is expected to stress that Ankara should begin its accession talks with the EU as soon as possible. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected to visit a number of EU member states next month to seek their support for Turkey’s EU membership bid. Erdogan will also seek his fellow foreign ministers’ support for Ankara’s EU bid during a joint EU-Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) forum. /Aksam/[05] RULING PARTY, OPPOSITION DISCUSS PROPOSED PENAL CODE CHANGESThe ruling Justice and Development Party yesterday (AKP) continued its efforts to win the support of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for a new Penal Code. Yesterday an AKP delegation paid a visit to CHP leader Deniz Baykal to discuss the proposed changes. The AKP has called for an emergency meeting of the Turkish Parliament on Sept. 14 to vote on the new code. /Sabah/[06] PUTIN TO DISCUSS ENERGY PROJECTS, BILATERAL RELATIONS DURING VISITRussian President Vladimir Putin is due to arrive in Ankara on Thursday to pay a two-day official visit. Putin will be accompanied by Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his short stay, the first by a Russian president in three decades. Putin will discuss energy projects and bilateral relations with Turkish officials. Ivanov is expected to meet with Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and Lavrov with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to discuss bilateral relations. /Cumhuriyet/[07] CHP INVESTIGATES CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONSThe opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP) Central Executive Board yesterday convened to discuss allegations of corruption concerning the mayor of Istanbul’s Sisli Municipality, Mustafa Sarigul. Deputy Chairman Onur Oymen told reporters that a commission would be formed to investigate the allegations, adding that any party members involved in corruption should resign. On the other hand, Sarigul said that he had never been involved in activities that would harm the CHP and pledged to continue to fight for his party’s success. /Turkiye/[08] TURKISH ENGINEERS RELEASEDTwo Turkish engineers who were kidnapped in Iraq last week, Ali Daskin and Abdullah Ozdemir, were released yesterday. Commenting on the incident, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told reporters that the two hostages had been released through the initiatives of the Foreign Ministry. /Turkiye/[09] AUSTRIAN EX-DIPLOMAT SUPPORTS TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIPThe European Union should give Turkey a date for its accession talks, said a former senior Austrian diplomat yesterday. “A silent revolution has taken place in Turkey, completely changing its social, organizational and political systems,” said Albert Rohan, a former Austrian Foreign Ministry secretary-general. “This reform process depends on the EU, and this close relationship could keep this dynamic progress alive.” /Star/[10] BABACAN TO ATTEND ANNUAL IMF, WORLD BANK MEETINGS IN OCTOBERState Minister for the Economy Minister Ali Babacan, accompanied by a delegation, is expected to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington on Oct. 1-3. A host of issues, including financial sector problems in developing nations, recent rises in oil prices, stability and regulations in the financial sector, and the worldwide effect of US interest rates, are expected to be addressed at the meetings. Also to be discussed are the world economy, economic growth projections, and corruption. /Milliyet/[11] CeBIT INFORMATION FAIR BEGINS IN ISTANBULEurasia’s largest information and communications technologies fair, CeBIT Eurasia, opened yesterday in Istanbul. During the fair, which runs through Sunday, some 800 firms will display the latest information and communications technology to over 150,000 visitors from 65 countries. /Hurriyet/[12] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS[13] WHY DID WE SAY ‘YES’ TO THE ANNAN PLAN?[14] BY ZULFIKAR DOGAN (AKSAM)Columnist Zulfikar Dogan comments on the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as follows:“In the wake of the referendums earlier this year, we supposedly cornered the European Union and showed it that for years the Greek Cypriot administration had actually been the uncompromising side on the island. Did we really manage to do that? We believed that the Turkish Cypriots’ future would be bright if we said ‘yes’ to the UN Cyprus plan and also that the Cyprus issue would no longer pose an obstacle to our EU membership bid. Furthermore, we expected that the inhumane embargos on the Turkish Cypriots would be lifted and that the EU would start forging economic ties with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). We also assumed that our friends and allies, the US and Britain, would initiate direct flights to the TRNC. Supposedly the TRNC would be allowed to export its products to world markets. I could easily continue with this list of unfulfilled wishes. List of hopes… Let’s say a list of disappointments… When the Greek Cypriots rejected the Annan plan, all the Turkish side gained was some praise and appreciation, but nothing else. Then EU decision-makers vetoed a package containing such measures as starting free trade with the TRNC and lifting the embargo. In fact, I wouldn’t hold my breath for any positive EU moves towards the Turkish Cypriots. The EU has already decided that the TRNC cannot be granted a third country status since it’s not an internationally recognized country. Therefore, the EU will continue its economic relations with the Greek Cypriots but turn a blind eye to Cyprus’ Turkish citizens. Didn’t Verheugen predict such developments before the referendums? Of course he did. But recall also his near-threatening statements on Turkey, the TRNC and Denktas. We’ve done our best, he would now say to us, but unfortunately the legal experts vetoed our package. Sources state that Greek, Greek Cypriot and Austrian circles launched effective lobbying to make the veto happen. I guess Turkey should also expect influential lobbying activities on its own membership bid. But now here’s my question for you: Why and what exactly did we say ‘yes’ to on Cyprus?” [15] A THORN IN THE EU PROCESS[16] BY SEDAT ERGIN (HURRIYET)Columnist Sedat Ergin comments recent statements by three Turkish military leaders. A summary of his column is as follows:“Recently we heard commanders from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) make statements and give critical messages. Among them were the farewell speech of Gen. Aytac Yalman, who just stepped down from the helm of the Land Forces Command, as well as Gen. Yasar Buyukanit’s speech and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok’s message marking August 30 Victory Day. Gen. Yalman stated that Turkey had made efforts to shape its foreign policy and security policies following the Cold War in line with the wishes of ‘foreign powers.’ Yalman also believes that Ataturk’s principles and revolutions are being discussed under the influence of foreign dynamics. He also cast a very suspicious eye on Turkey’s recent reform process. He called them ‘certain initiatives which are painted as reforms’ and asked whether they could ruin Turkey’s character and national integrity. We can deduce that Yalman means the steps taken in our EU membership bid and public administrative reforms. In this respect, Yalman’s most critical message is this: ‘We should keep our concerns about the regime in the foreground.’ Meanwhile, Buyukanit said that the TSK couldn’t retreat from its mission to protect the regime. These statements indicate that disagreements between Turkey and the EU will gain prominence in the months and years to come. The EU is aiming to limit the army’s role in the regime as much as possible, and the two land forces commanders emphasized their determination to protect the regime. At this point, the TSK has a dilemma. In spite of all its suspicions, the TSK also has its EU aim. For example, Gen. Ozkok displayed its vision for the EU membership goal, saying, ‘Turkey was able to reach its current state thanks to Ataturk’s concrete goals, ones he determined with his unique foresight, and it has taken important steps towards becoming a prosperous EU member country and reaching modern civilization.’ Clearly, there is a dilemma in the TSK’s simultaneous EU membership goal and its worries about possible problems as a result of it.” 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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