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Turkish Press Review, 04-09-06Turkish 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 morning06.09.2004CONTENTS
[01] NEW JUDICIAL YEAR BEGINSThe new judicial year begins today with a ceremony at the Supreme Court of Appeals. The deputy chief justice of the high court, Mater Kaban, is expected to deliver the traditional opening speech instead of Chief Justice Eraslan Ozkaya. Ozkaya has taken leave due to health reasons. Recently, allegations have surfaced that Ozkaya has connections to gang leader Alaattin Cakici. Meanwhile, judicial circles state that reform in justice system is needed to ensure efficiency in judicial affairs. /Star/[02] VERHEUGEN VISITS TURKEYThe European Union’s top official for enlargement arrived yesterday in Ankara to pay a four-day visit. Guenter Verheugen is scheduled to hold talks in Ankara with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. He is also expected to meet with local officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Diyarbakir, Istanbul and Izmir. Verheugen’s key visit aimed at discovering Turkey’s readiness to begin accession talks ahead of EU Commission’s critical report next month that will recommend whether the long-delayed talks should begin as early as in the first half of 2005. /Milliyet/[03] ERDOGAN ATTENDS OPENING CEREMONIES IN BURSAPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended a number of opening ceremonies in Bursa. Speaking at the joint opening of the State Water Works’ (DSI) irrigation project including 18 facilities, Erdogan pointed to recent improvements in economy and remarked that inflation had been decreased after the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to the power. /Star/[04] TURKEY’S AMBASSADOR TO GREECE: “AN AGREEMENT ON THE AEGEAN[05] DISPUTE CAN BE REACHED NEXT YEAR”Speaking to Greek daily To Vima yesterday, Turkey’s Ambassador to Greece and newly appointed National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Yigit Alpogan said that next year Turkey and Greece could reach an agreement on the long-lasting Aegean dispute, adding that current negotiations should continue since the issue includes sensitive and technical matters. “I believe that negotiations will continue after December,” he said. Touching on Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Alpogan said that the EU should make a decision as soon as possible, adding that Turkey had done its best to join the EU. Commenting on the Cyprus issue, Alpogan added that the main problem on the island was the international embargo on the Turkish Republic of the Northern Cyprus (TRNC). /Milliyet/[06] BAYKAL: “CURRENT ACCOUNTS DEFICIT IS TOO HIGH AND THE ONLY SECTOR[07] TO REDUCE THIS IS TOURISM”Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday visited Marmaris Mayor Ali Acar. Speaking afterwards, Baykal said that Turkey’s current accounts deficit was too high, adding that it posed a threat for the economy. Baykal further stated that the only sector which will help reduce this deficit was the tourism sector. /Cumhuriyet/[08] TUZMEN: “TURKEY’S SHARE IN THE WORLD TRADE IS INCREASING”State Minister Kursat Tuzmen said yesterday that recently Turkey’s share in the world trade was increasing, predicting that the nation’s foreign trade volume will reach $150 billion by this year’s-end. He also stated that the trade volume between Turkey and Germany was expected to reach $20 billion. Tuzmen added that Turkey needed to attract more foreign direct investment. /Aksam/[09] TURKISH, GREEK JOURNALISTS TO MEET IN ATHENSThe Turkish Press Council stated that “the Third Turkish Greek Journalists Conference” is set to take place in Athens in October. Panos Koliapanos, the owner of the Greek magazine Krama, will organize the meeting. Turkish media’s role on Turkey’s European Union membership is among the topics to be discussed. /Hurriyet/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS[11] “CROSS-BORDER”[12] BY ASLI AYDINTASBAS (SABAH)Columnist Asli Aydintasbas comments on the PKK terrorism. A summary of her column is as follows:“Rumors have recently been circulating around diplomatic circles that Turkey is preparing to hold a ‘cross-border operation’ against the terrorist PKK in the months to come in northern Iraq. Last week Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul implied that holding such an operation isn’t merely a rumor but is becoming a serious intention. ‘We know how to deal with it and we do what our security necessitates,’ Gul said. Furthermore, last week Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also made a similar statement stressing that Ankara could not watch people being killed by the PKK and would do whatever is necessary to stop the terrorist organization. As a matter of fact, the motion passed by the Parliament in October to deploy Turkish troops in Iraq grants the government opportunity to hold a cross-border operation in northern Iraq. Besides, armed forces and security units believe that an operation must be launched in the region before the winter comes. Despite all these rumors, statements and motivation, it is very difficult for Turkey to hold an operation in northern Iraq. First of all, Iraq is currently controlled by the United States. Washington opposes Turkey’s operation plans as they are very likely to upset already delicate balances in the war-hit country. Similarly, Brussels has also warned Ankara that such a development would adversely affect Turkey’s EU membership bid. US President George W. Bush’s National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice recently said that Washington was planning to fight the PKK terrorism with non-military methods. Her statement dissatisfied our government as Ankara strongly opposes such options as a politicized PKK. As a matter of fact, many believe that allowing the PKK to integrate itself into legitimate political processes would be more dangerous to Turkey’s territorial integrity than the armed struggle. There has recently been a serious rise in the number of PKK’s terrorist activities throughout Turkey; which is why our premier has wanted to underline that Turkey will make no concessions on its combat with terrorism. Erdogan is currently trying to convey a message to terrorists that his government is resolved to fight them and very serious in its plans.” [13] CYPRUS ISSUE[14] BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli comments on Turkey’s relations with the European Union and the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as follows:“The steps taken by Turkey for the solution of the Cyprus issue, the approval of the referendum by the Turkish side and the atmosphere of sympathy for Turkish Cypriots, etc. were all positive developments. However, they weren’t enough. The EU member Greek Cypriots took their time and the sympathy towards Turkish Cypriots and tendency towards helping them ended. Finally Greek Cypriots started to create problems for Turkey. Turkey will host a new meeting of religions and cultures on October 3-4 with the participation of the foreign ministers of 56 countries from the Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC) and EU member countries. Turkey sent invitation cards to foreign ministers of all countries but Greek Cypriot administration which doesn’t recognize Turkey officially. However, Greek Cypriots turned this incident into a campaign against Ankara and this situation caused a crisis between Turkey and the EU. The Greek Cypriot administration emphasized its official EU membership and wanted EU term president the Netherlands to warn Turkey. The Netherlands warned Ankara that it wasn’t appropriate to exclude one of the member countries and the solution of sending invitation cards as a whole was found. So Turkey prepared a new invitation card instead of the ones it sent to EU member countries and sent this new one to the Netherlands to be delivered to the EU member countries. Then the Netherlands sent this new invitation card to all 25-member countries, including the Greek Cypriot administration. So Turkey invited Greek Cypriots, which it doesn’t recognize, to the meeting in Istanbul, where the Greek Cypriot administration will participate as the ‘Cypriot Republic.’ What’s worse is that then the Greek Cypriot administration tried to cause the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC) exclusion from the same meeting. The TRNC had the status of observer at the OIC. However, its status increased at the OIC foreign ministers meeting which was held in Istanbul in June and the OIC recognized it as the ‘Turkish Cypriot state’ there. Naturally, it was invited with this title to the meeting in Istanbul in June. Now Greek Cypriots don’t want the TRNC to be invited with the title of a state and they’re trying to convince the EU not to invite the TRNC with the title of a state. Shortly, the Cyprus issue is getting more complicated. Greek Cypriots are using their EU membership against Ankara. The diplomatic war with Greek Cypriots has just started and Turkey, which is trying to get a date for membership negotiations in December, might face a surprise.” 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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