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Turkish Press Review, 04-10-20
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
20.10.2004
ERDOGAN: “TURKEY WILL KEEP ITS OWN
IDENTITY”
GUL MEETS WITH GERMAN POLITICIANS
PRO & CON TURKEY’S EU BID
GREENS GROUP HEAD COMES OUT AGAINST
REFERENDUM ON TURKEY’S EU BID
BAYKAL: “ANY RESULT LESS THAN FULL
MEMBERSHIP IS UNACCEPTABLE”
BERLUSCONI PARTY OFFICIAL SAYS
ITALIAN PM OPPOSED TO REFERENDUM ON TURKEY’S EU BID
STATE MINISTER ATALAY REBUKES
VATICAN AMBASSADOR
PRINCE CHARLES TO PAY VISIT TO
ANKARA
NEW AUSTRIAN FM: “TURKEY’S TALKS
SHOULD BEGIN, AS THEY COULD ALWAYS BE SUSPENDED IF
NECESSARY”
MORGAN STANLEY: “TURKEY’S INFLATION
IS MOVING INTO SINGLE-DIGIT TERRITORY”
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE
COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
ARMENIANS
BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)
ALTERNATIVES TO THE AKP BY SAKIR
SUTER (AKSAM)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN TRAVELS TO FRANCE
[02] ERDOGAN: “TURKEY WILL KEEP ITS OWN
IDENTITY”
[03] GUL MEETS WITH GERMAN POLITICIANS PRO &
CON TURKEY’S EU BID
[04] GREENS GROUP HEAD COMES OUT AGAINST
REFERENDUM ON TURKEY’S EU BID
[05] BAYKAL: “ANY RESULT LESS THAN FULL
MEMBERSHIP IS UNACCEPTABLE”
[06] BERLUSCONI PARTY OFFICIAL SAYS ITALIAN
PM OPPOSED TO REFERENDUM ON TURKEY’S EU BID
[07] STATE MINISTER ATALAY REBUKES VATICAN
AMBASSADOR
[08] PRINCE CHARLES TO PAY VISIT TO ANKARA
[09] NEW AUSTRIAN FM: “TURKEY’S TALKS SHOULD
BEGIN, AS THEY COULD ALWAYS BE SUSPENDED IF NECESSARY”
[10] MORGAN STANLEY: “TURKEY’S INFLATION IS
MOVING INTO SINGLE-DIGIT TERRITORY”
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
FROM THE COLUMNS…
[12] ARMENIANS
BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)
[13] ALTERNATIVES TO THE AKP BY SAKIR SUTER
(AKSAM)
[01] ERDOGAN TRAVELS TO FRANCE
Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday traveled to
France to attend 25th anniversary meetings of the
International Relations Institution, a leading
international think-tank. Before his departure, Erdogan
told reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport that he
would meet with French officials to seek support for
Turkey’s EU membership bid. /Turkiye/
[02] ERDOGAN: “TURKEY WILL KEEP ITS OWN
IDENTITY”
Addressing his ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Prime
Minister and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that
Turkey would always maintain its own identity and
values. Stressing that the nation was facing a period
full of opportunities, Erdogan said that his
government’s primary aim was to raise the Turkish
nation’s standard of living. “We’re trying to formulate
effective social policies, combat unemployment and
ensure better working of the state,” added Erdogan.
/Turkiye/
[03] GUL MEETS WITH GERMAN POLITICIANS PRO &
CON TURKEY’S EU BID
Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul, on a visit to Germany, yesterday
met with Christian Democrat Union (CDU) leader Angela
Merkel and Christian Social Union (CSU) Parliament Group
Chairman Michael Glos, both conservative politicians
opposed to Turkey’s European Union membership. Following
the meeting, Merkel and Glos told reporters that they
had reiterated their proposal for a “privileged
partnership” for Turkey rather than full EU membership,
adding that they considered it better solution. Turkey
has consistently rebuffed such proposals. Then Gul met
with Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman
Volker Ruhe and German Free Democratic Party (FDP)
leader Guido Westerwelle, who by contrast expressed
their support for Ankara’s efforts towards EU
membership. Later, speaking at a gathering in Berlin,
Gul said that Turkey’s EU membership would be
advantageous for both sides. After completing his
contacts in Germany, the foreign minister returned to
Turkey yesterday evening. /Turkiye/
[04] GREENS GROUP HEAD COMES OUT AGAINST
REFERENDUM ON TURKEY’S EU BID
Addressing a four-day meeting of
members of the European Parliament’s Greens Group and
Turkish officials yesterday, Parliament Speaker Bulent
Arinc said that since the European Union member states
didn’t know enough yet about Turkey, its membership
process would not be an easy one. “Now there is a new
and different Turkey,” he added. “And it is the new
Turkey which will join the EU.” Also addressing the
gathering, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Greens Group chairman,
said that the meeting would address a number of issues,
including human rights, women’s rights, and political
developments in Turkey. Cohn-Bendit stressed that for
Turkey to join the Union, southeastern Anatolian cities
such as Diyarbakir should be in line with EU standards,
adding that economic and social benefits should be
extended to the whole country. “You must introduce
yourself with your history,” said Cohn-Bendit, praising
Turkey’s modernization over the last decade. He also
stressed his opposition to proposals for a referendum on
Turkey’s EU bid. “A referendum could be held for the EU
constitution, but not on Turkey’s EU bid,” added
Cohn-Bendit. /Aksam/
[05] BAYKAL: “ANY RESULT LESS THAN FULL
MEMBERSHIP IS UNACCEPTABLE”
Addressing
his party’s group meeting yesterday, opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said
that if Turkey’s accession talks with the European Union
don’t end with full membership, this would be
unacceptable, adding that his party’s support was for
full membership. Baykal also criticized some conditions
in the European Union Commission’s recent progress
report such as the talks being open-ended and not giving
a guarantee of full EU membership. “There is a need to
change the understanding of the report,” he said.
“Otherwise making concessions will be disadvantageous.”
/Cumhuriyet/
[06] BERLUSCONI PARTY OFFICIAL SAYS ITALIAN
PM OPPOSED TO REFERENDUM ON TURKEY’S EU BID
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is opposed to
proposals for a referendum on Turkey’s European Union
membership, said Sandro Bondi, a top official at
Berlusconi’s Forza Italy Party, yesterday. “Berlusconi
stresses friendly relations between Turkey and Italy,”
Bondi told Italian daily La Repubblica. /Aksam/
[07] STATE MINISTER ATALAY REBUKES VATICAN
AMBASSADOR
Criticizing
the Vatican ambassador to Ankara’s recent use of the
word “ecumenical” to refer to Fener Greek Patriarch
Bartolomeos, State Minister Besir Atalay yesterday
pointed out that under the provisions on religious
rights and freedoms set out in the Treaty of Lausanne,
the Orthodox patriarch could not hold the said title.
Atalay said that the ambassador had recently been
summoned to the Foreign Ministry and warned about the
issue. “The status of the Fener Greek Patriarchate is
clearly defined under Lausanne,” he added. “There will
be no changes in this status.” /Sabah/
[08] PRINCE CHARLES TO PAY VISIT TO ANKARA
Britain’s Prince Charles is expected pay a “surprise”
visit to Ankara later this month to attend a dance show
performance by the physically handicapped. The Oct. 28
show is sponsored by a number of organizations,
including the British Council. For security reasons, the
British Embassy is not making public the prince’s
schedule. /Sabah/
[09] NEW AUSTRIAN FM: “TURKEY’S TALKS SHOULD
BEGIN, AS THEY COULD ALWAYS BE SUSPENDED IF NECESSARY”
Austria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Ursula
Plassnik yesterday advocated the start of Turkey’s
European Union membership talks, adding that they could
always be suspended if necessary. “I understand why some
people are so concerned about Turkey’s full EU
membership, but I don’t really understand why some don’t
want Ankara’s talks to begin at all,” she said. “First
of all, the pros and cons of Turkey’s membership should
be discussed in detail, and then open-ended negotiations
will begin.” /Star/
[10] MORGAN STANLEY: “TURKEY’S INFLATION IS
MOVING INTO SINGLE-DIGIT TERRITORY”
Turkey’s disinflation is not an idiosyncratic
development, with an expected inflation rate this year
of 8.95%, down slightly from a long-held estimate of
9.40%, and 6.50% expected in 2005, said a new report on
the Turkish economy by international investment bank
Morgan Stanley. “Inflationary inertia in the services
sector will remain a risk for achieving price
stability,” the report warned. “Morgan Stanley’s new
forecasts point to a prolonged period of higher oil
prices. Though Turkey has become more energy efficient
in the past two decades, hydrocarbons still account for
60% of the industrial energy usage, so the persistence
of high crude oil prices may result in economic
imbalances.” Morgan Stanley also added that Turkey’s new
pre-accession strategy for EU membership, along with the
International Monetary Fund’s blessing, will help to
strengthen structural adjustments and keep macroeconomic
convergence on track. “We expect that Turkey’s rate of
real [gross domestic product] GDP growth will decelerate
in the fourth quarter of this year and especially in
2005,” the report stressed. “Turkey will probably remain
in a situation that is the opposite of stagflation,
namely strong growth and declining inflation, thanks to
structural changes in the economy, prudent macro
policies and the stability of the exchange rate.”
/Hurriyet/
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
FROM THE COLUMNS…
[12] ARMENIANS
BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)
Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on Turkish-Armenian
relations. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Our efforts to become a member of the European Union
have caused some confusion. For example, everybody knows
that the concept of ‘minority’ comes from the Treaty of
Lausanne. This is true not only for us, but also for
Greece, which signed the treaty as well. Meanwhile,
those who think it’s time to benefit from Turkey while
hindering our EU bid are hard at work. The most
important such initiative is the push to make Turkey
recognize the so-called Armenian genocide. Former
Foreign Minister Ilter Turkmen wrote yesterday in
Hurriyet, ‘Of course it’s out of the question for Turkey
to accept the claims of Armenian genocide.’ However, he
also suggested that we should normalize our relations
with Armenia so we can solve the problem. Actually
Armenia’s deputy foreign minister said a few days ago
that it was ready to meet unconditionally with Ankara in
order to normalize relations. We’re against neither
Turkmen’s view nor efforts to improve relations with
Armenia. We also support the ruling Justice and
Development Party’s (AKP) push to normalize our
relations with neighboring countries. However, this
can’t happen with the efforts and good will coming from
one side only. For example, Armenia wants to normalize
relations but it also supports cruel and unfair
campaigns by the Armenian diaspora. In addition,
hostility against Turkey is still enshrined in Armenia’s
founding state papers, and Armenian President Robert
Kocaryan doesn’t seem to have given up his promise to US
Armenian lobbying groups that it would work hard for
recognition of the genocide.”
[13] ALTERNATIVES TO THE AKP BY SAKIR SUTER
(AKSAM)
Columnist Sakir Suter comments on possible alternatives
to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). A
summary of his column is as follows: “I previously wrote
about a ‘strong alternative’ to the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP). Let’s look at how the political
movers and shakers see the current political structure.
They see the Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP) as
indispensable, but incapable. A change in defiance of
CHP leader Deniz Baykal is seen as impossible, and there
is no chance for a new, leftist party. People at least
think that it wouldn’t be a strong alternative to the
AKP. Some say the Democratic Left Party (DSP) is asleep
at the wheel, and some call it an inbred family party.
The views of right-wing opinion-makers are as follows:
There is a slight move within the True Path Party (DYP),
but… Now there’s series of additions after ‘but.’ DYP
leader Mehmet Agar isn’t leaning towards opening the
doors of his party. Many DYP members lacking access to
the new head office of the party are simply being
forgotten by Agar. The DYP’s general congress, scheduled
to be held in five or six months, is expected to be key.
The DYP will either remain a party satisfied with its
10% or else an alternative to the AKP. Another
alternative to the AKP is the Nationalist Movement Party
(MHP). Clearly the MHP can’t grow with its current
leader Devlet Bahceli, but it is also controversial
whether leaders other than Bahceli would do any better.
Consequently the moves and shakers will make a choice
between the DYP and the MHP as an alternative to the
AKP. People are also searching for a new party besides
these two and the CHP. Is AKP leader Recep Tayyip
Erdogan aware of this? Oh yes. Erdogan is well aware and
is taking measures against it.”
ARCHIVE
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