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Turkish Press Review, 04-10-28Turkish 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 morning28.10.2004FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN RETURNS FROM BERLINOn his way back to Turkey from meetings with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that their talks had gone well. “We expect European Union members to treat Turkey equally,” added Erdogan, “and to make a decision to give Turkey a date for accession talks.” Erdogan is set to visit Rome tomorrow. /Star/[02] ARINC: “ON DEC. 17, EUROPE WILL FACE A DEMOCRACY TEST”Europe will face a democracy test at the Dec. 17 European Union summit, said Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday after meeting with his Portuguese counterpart Mota Amaral in Ankara. “Turkey is geographically and culturally part of Europe,” Arinc told a joint press conference afterwards. “Those who resist accepting this will be revealed on Dec 17.” Saying that Ankara’s EU bid had been discussed during their meeting, Arinc added, “Portugal has supported Turkey’s membership since the very beginning, and Amaral told me that his nation is in favor of our membership and will continue their support.” Amaral, for his part, said that although Turkey and Portugal are separated geographically, the two countries have been working together nearly for a half century within NATO and the European Council. “We hope to be a partner with Turkey within the EU soon,” added Amaral. /Star/[03] NSC MEETS UNDER CIVILIAN SECRETARY-GENERALThe National Security Council yesterday held its first regular meeting with its new civilian secretary-general, Yigit Alpogan, a former ambassador. The meeting chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer emphasized that measures and methods not requested from other countries in their European Union membership bids should not be requested from Turkey either. Recent developments in Iraq were also discussed. /Hurriyet/[04] GUL SEEKS PORTUGUESE SUPPORT FOR ACCESSION TALKSForeign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday received visiting Portuguese Parliament Speaker Mota Amaral to discuss a number of issues, including Turkey’s European Union accession bid and bilateral relations. Speaking before their meeting, Gul praised French President Jacques Chirac’s recommendation this week that Ankara’s accession talks should begin next year. Asked about Greek claims of Turkish airspace violations, Gul declined to comment on the issue, saying that he had covered the issue in an earlier statement. /Turkiye/[05] CHIRAC: “TURKEY’S EU ENTRY WOULD SERVE EUROPE’S OWN INTERESTS”It could take up to 15 years before Turkey is ready to join the European Union, French President Jacques Chirac predicted yesterday following a Cabinet meeting. Although he maintained his support for Turkey’s EU bid, Chirac said that now it was all up to Ankara to comply with the EU’s accession requirements. “It’s high time for Turkey to do what’s required of it to join the Union, not for the EU to adapt to Turkey,” a spokesman quoted Chirac saying after the meeting. The president also reportedly stated that Ankara’s entry would be in the interests of both France and Europe, provided that it manages to fulfill all the necessary criteria. He also told his Cabinet that Turkey would have to make a considerable effort to join the bloc. /Cumhuriyet/[06] PRODI: “SINCE ANKARA HAS MET THE COPENHAGEN CRITERIA, ITS EU ACCESSION TALKS SHOULD BEGIN”European Union Commission President Romano Prodi said yesterday that since Ankara had fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria, it should begin its accession talks, adding that the EU Commission had done its best towards this end with its recent positive progress report. “There’s nothing more we can do,” said Prodi. “The final decision will be made at the December EU summit by the Union’s leaders.” /Aksam/[07] VERHEUGEN: “THE EP IS ACTING SLOWLY ON FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR TURKISH CYPRUS”European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen yesterday criticized the European Parliament for acting slowly on extending financial support to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Speaking to the EP’s general assembly, Verheugen said that damage wrought in Cyprus after the failure of the UN plan could still be overcome, adding that the EP was dragging its feet on aid to spur the TRNC’s economic development. Criticizing those who had doubts about Ankara’s EU bid, Verheugen said claims that Turkey’s membership would harm Europe’s social welfare were mistaken. “In the future everybody will see that Turkey’s membership will serve the interests of both parties,” added Verheugen. /Turkiye/[08] BABACAN: “WE’LL DO OUR BEST TO KEEP ENERGY PRICES DOWN”Appearing on television yesterday, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said that though Turkish energy costs could rise in line with world markets, the government would do its best to keep these prices down. Touching on the budget, Babacan predicted that the 6.5% primary surplus target for this year would be reached. “Our economy grew 10% [this year], while the world’s grew only 5%,” said Babacan. Also touching on the new lira, Babacan said that he didn’t believe that the new currency would lead to inflation, adding that the floating exchange rate would continue. /Turkiye/[09] FORMER SWEDISH PM: “ANTI-TURKISH IDEAS AND PRIMITIVE POPULISM GO HAND IN HAND”The debate on Turkey sweeping across Europe highlights the urgent need to develop a new overarching strategy for the further enlargement of the European Union, wrote former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt yesterday in British daily The Financial Times. Bildt called on the EU to “think big” if Europe is to keep growing. “If the 100 million people of the Baltic states, central Europe and the eastern Balkans represent the EU's first big enlargement, the 100 million people of Turkey and the Western Balkans should be seen as the second,” he added. “For the time being, we need a comprehensive strategy for the next enlargement, encompassing territory from Drvar in north-west Bosnia to Diyarbakir in south-east Turkey.” He underlined that one possibility could be for the European Parliament to delay final ratification of this next enlargement until after the June 2014 EP elections, thus making that election a de facto referendum on the issue. The former premier also called the main task of the EU “to bring together what had been taken apart and create the conditions for a renaissance of peace and prosperity,” referring to 1914 assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and the outbreak of World War I, which he said he had pushed the old continent into a new Dark Age. “Many doubts have been expressed about the wisdom of this vision [of enlargement] and Union's capacity to achieve it,” he added. “Historical fears of Turks at the gates of Europe go hand in hand with primitive populism of the worst sort. But voices such as those of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Helmut Schmidt or Angela Merkel [three European leaders on record as opposing Turkey’s membership] are in another category. Their concerns require an answer in the form of a coherent grand strategy for the entire region.” /Cumhuriyet/[10] TOBB, WORLD BANK SIGN AGREEMENT FOR INCREASED COOPERATIONThe Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) and the World Bank yesterday signed a minutes of accord concerning recent work to evaluate Turkey’s investment climate. TOBB head Rifat Hisarciklioglu and World Bank Turkey Director Andrew Vorkink signed the pact in an attempt to boost cooperation between the two institutions. Vorkink said that improving the business climate is key for the further development of the Turkish economy. /Cumhuriyet/[11] EU COMMISSION PRAISES TURKEY’S ECONOMIC PERFORMANCEThe EU Commission yesterday praised the recent performance of the Turkish economy, projecting that inflation will continue to fall next year even as growth rises. According to the commission’s estimates, growth this year will reach 10 percent and in 2005 inflation will fall to the single digits. That growth rate exceeds those of Lithuania and Latvia, the two fastest growing countries among new EU members. /Milliyet/[12] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…[13] IS FRANCE CONVINCED? BY CUNEYT ULSEVER (HURRIYET)Columnist Cuneyt Ulsever comments on France’s stance on Turkey’s EU membership. A summary of his column is as follows:"Now it seems certain that French President Jacques Chirac won’t object to Ankara getting a date for European Union membership talks. However, I don’t think that they will outright accept it at the Dec. 17 EU summit. Probably the EU will say, ‘Turkey should be given a date, but…’ So, there will be more bargaining. Some Europeans don’t want Turkey to become an EU member. The reasons for this are cultural differences, Turkey’s population, etc. However, there’s also something else. I think a team which France is the ringleader of wants to use its bargaining power. Europe is disturbed by the US on many issues, but American power is a reality. For example, its defense budget this year is higher than all EU defense expenditures ever. The EU countries can’t swallow the US or spit it out. However, France does the most to hold its head high towards the US. It bargains on almost every issue with Washington. France also considers Turkey’s EU membership as a Trojan horse to be used by Washington. It thinks we’ll always act in line with US dictates when we get a large share in the European Parliament due to our population. ‘Turkey should become an EU member after it fulfills all the membership conditions, ’ said Chirac. ‘This will benefit both Turkey and the EU.’ It’s unthinkable that France will shut Turkey out of the EU and give it to the US in the Middle East. However, it will use the Turkey trump card for many years against both Berlin and Washington. Sentences including the word ‘but’ will confuse Turkey on Dec. 17.” TO OUR READERS The Turkish Press Review will not appear on Friday in honor of Oct. 29 Republic Day, which this year marks the 81st anniversary of the Turkish Republic. Please join us again on Monday. 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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