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Turkish Press Review, 05-01-28
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
28.01.2005
ERDOGAN: “US WILL PAY THE PRICE IF
KIRKUK PLUNGES INTO TURMOIL”
GUL REITERATES TURKEY’S CONCERN OVER
KIRKUK
TALAT: “REACHING A CYPRUS RESOLUTION IS
VERY IMPORTANT, BUT OUR ISOLATION SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO AN
END”
ARINC MEETS WITH ITALIAN PM, DISCUSSES
TURKEY’S EU BID, TERRORISM, AND IRAQ
SARIGUL ANNOUNCES HIS CANDIDACY FOR CHP
LEADERSHIP
THE NY TIMES: “TURKEY READY TO
INTERVENE”
EU COMMISSIONER FOR ENLARGEMENT: “I’M
SURE TURKEY’S EU ACCESSION TALKS WILL BEGIN ON OCT. 3”
BABACAN: “I’VE ATTENDED MEETINGS IN
DAVOS WHERE EUROPE’S FUTURE VISION WAS DISCUSSED”
SERDENGECTI: THE CENTRAL BANKER OF THE
YEAR
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
EU, CYPRUS AND ECONOMY
BY MERIC KOYATASI (AKSAM)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “US WILL PAY THE PRICE IF KIRKUK
PLUNGES INTO TURMOIL”
[02] GUL REITERATES TURKEY’S CONCERN OVER KIRKUK
[03] TALAT: “REACHING A CYPRUS RESOLUTION IS
VERY IMPORTANT, BUT OUR ISOLATION SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO AN
END”
[04] ARINC MEETS WITH ITALIAN PM, DISCUSSES
TURKEY’S EU BID, TERRORISM, AND IRAQ
[05] SARIGUL ANNOUNCES HIS CANDIDACY FOR CHP
LEADERSHIP
[06] KORUTURK VISITS LONDON
[07] THE NY TIMES: “TURKEY READY TO INTERVENE”
[09] RICE, FEIGHT TO VISIT TURKEY
[10] BABACAN: “I’VE ATTENDED MEETINGS IN DAVOS
WHERE EUROPE’S FUTURE VISION WAS DISCUSSED”
[11] SERDENGECTI: THE CENTRAL BANKER OF THE
YEAR
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] EU, CYPRUS AND ECONOMY
BY MERIC KOYATASI (AKSAM)
[01] ERDOGAN: “US WILL PAY THE PRICE IF KIRKUK
PLUNGES INTO TURMOIL”
The United States will bear the consequences of ethnic
turmoil in Kirkuk if it fails to prevent the oil-rich city
from falling under Kurdish control, Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned yesterday at the Ataturk Airport
before he flew out to Davos, Switzerland for the World
Economic Forum. “Any wrong move in Kirkuk will have a
negative impact on peace in Iraq in the future," Erdogan
told reporters at the airport. "The United Nations, the US
and the other coalition forces should never allow an
unfavorable structure there," he said. "If they turn a blind
eye to such a mistake, they will pay the bill in the
future." Erdogan then proceeded to Davos to attend World
Economic Forum, where he met with foreign reporters on their
first day of his visit. Erdogan told reporters that Iraq was
becoming an "arena of terrorism" and the violence is
unlikely to abate after elections on January 30. He also
voiced serious concerns about the upcoming elections,
saying, "There will be irregularities in the voting
procedure... not all of the population will be able to
attend the vote." He stressed that he was particularly
concerned by Kirkuk, where the former Kurdish majority is
trying to establish control. He voiced strong opposition to
oil revenues passing into the hands of Kurds. "All the
financial resources of Iraq belong to all the people of
Iraq," he stressed. He also added that Turkey was willing to
act as a mediator between Israel and Syria, and that Syria
had accepted its offer. But he said: "Syria's approval on
its own is not enough." He also met with prominent
businessmen in Davos, including famous speculator George
Soros, and called on them to invest in Turkey. /All Papers/
[02] GUL REITERATES TURKEY’S CONCERN OVER KIRKUK
Spoiling the demographic structure of Kirkuk would be a serious threat
for the future of all of Iraq, said Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul yesterday before his departure for Poland to
attend a ceremony of the 60th anniversary to commemorate the
victims of Auschwitz and its liberation by Russian soldiers
near the end of World War II. Expressing Turkey’s concern
over the status of oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk,
Gul said migration of large number of Kurds to the city
could destabilize Iraq and pose a security problem for
Turkey, adding that Ankara had warned the US and the United
Nations about the matter. /Turkiye/
[03] TALAT: “REACHING A CYPRUS RESOLUTION IS
VERY IMPORTANT, BUT OUR ISOLATION SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO AN
END”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), who is currently in
Brussels for an official visit, said yesterday that the
Turkish Cypriot side could start a new peace process even
before the elections scheduled for Feb. 20. Speaking to
reporters, Talat stated that he had met with representatives
from the European Union and told them the economic isolation
of the TRNC should be brought to an end. “Reaching a
resolution on the island is very important,” said Talat.
“But our isolation should be ended.” Talat added that the
Greek Cypriots should be motivated to engage in a new in a
new UN process. /Turkiye/
[04] ARINC MEETS WITH ITALIAN PM, DISCUSSES
TURKEY’S EU BID, TERRORISM, AND IRAQ
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, who is currently in Italy for an
official visit, yesterday met separately with Italian Deputy
Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini and Speaker of the Senate
Marcello Pera to discuss a number of issues, including
Turkey’s European Union membership bid, terrorism and Iraq.
During their meeting, Fini reiterated Italia’s support for
Turkey’s EU membership bid. “The majority of the Italian
Parliament stands by the Turkish nation,” said Fini. He
further stated that he was pleased with the recent pace of
the progress in relations between the two countries. /Star/
[05] SARIGUL ANNOUNCES HIS CANDIDACY FOR CHP
LEADERSHIP
Just two days before the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
congress, Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarigul yesterday officially
announced his candidacy for the party leadership. At a press
conference at CHP headquarters in Ankara, Sarigul said, “The
loser must leave. I only want to make the CHP the ruling
party.” Previous meetings between possible candidates failed
to reach an agreement on a single candidate to face CHP
leader Deniz Baykal. /Turkiye/
[06] KORUTURK VISITS LONDON
Turkey’s special envoy to Iraq, Ambassador Osman Koruturk yesterday met
with British defense and foreign officials to discuss recent
situation in Iraq just two days before critical elections in
the country. During his talks, Koruturk, reportedly
reiterating Turkey’s view on the Iraqi elections and its
concern over the status of the northern Iraqi city of
Kirkuk. /Turkish Daily News/
[07] THE NY TIMES: “TURKEY READY TO INTERVENE”
The New York Times yesterday reported that Turkey's military
is prepared to intervene if post-election clashes erupt in
northern Iraq or if Iraqi Kurds try to form an independent
state, giving coverage to Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Ilker
Basbug’s recent statement on the latest developments in
Iraq. “The general said the military command was closely
following events in the ethnically divided northern Iraqi
city of Kirkuk, which Iraq's Kurds are eager to control,”
the daily wrote. “Turkey fears that the Kurds would exploit
a political victory in Kirkuk elections to form their own
state, precipitating a breakup of Iraq that could threaten
Turkish security.” In related news, the Financial Times
commented on Basbug’s statement that he did not elaborate,
or suggest that Turkey might intervene in Iraq if Kirkuk
were to become a Kurdish stronghold. “But his comments are
the most forceful from the powerful Turkish armed forces in
some time,” the British daily added. /Hurriyet/[08] EU COMMISSIONER FOR
ENLARGEMENT: “I’M SURE
TURKEY’S EU ACCESSION TALKS WILL BEGIN ON OCT. 3”
European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said yesterday
that he was sure that Turkey would begin its European Union
accession talks with the European Union on Oct. 3, 2005.
“The screening process will be completed before the
accession talks,” he added. “Turkey has already signed
Customs Union with the Union which is an important issue for
the screening process. When Turkey fulfills the legal and
political criteria, there will be no more obstacle to the
negotiation process.” Touching on the Cyprus issue, Rehn
said that the Greek Cypriots also needed to take necessary
steps for a resolution on the island. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] RICE, FEIGHT TO VISIT TURKEY
Condoleezza Rice, who took charge as US Secretary of State this week,
is scheduled to tour eight European countries including
Turkey, and Israel and Palestine next week. State Department
spokesman Richard Boucher said yesterday that she would pay
visits to Britain, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Israel, West
Bank, Italy, France, Belgium and Luxembourg to hold a series
of contacts. In addition, US Deputy Secretary of Defense
Douglas Feight is set to arrive in Ankara on Monday. He is
expected to meet with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and top
military officials to discuss US desire to use the Incirlik
airbase and its concern over Iran’s nuclear power. /Turkiye/
[10] BABACAN: “I’VE ATTENDED MEETINGS IN DAVOS
WHERE EUROPE’S FUTURE VISION WAS DISCUSSED”
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan, who is currently in Davos,
Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum, said
yesterday that he attended meetings in Davos where Europe’s
future vision was discussed. “The European Union
Constitution, which is expected to be approved by October
2006, monetary and budgetary issues were discussed at these
meetings,” Babacan told a press conference. “Europe is
expected to grow 2% within the upcoming years but this won’t
be enough to reduce high unemployment.” He predicted that
Turkey’s budget deficit rate would fall to 3% by next year’s
end and that the debt stock would fall to 60% by 2007.
/Aksam/
[11] SERDENGECTI: THE CENTRAL BANKER OF THE
YEAR
Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti was named as the
“Central Banker of the Year” by the prominent international
finance magazine “The Banker.” “Slowing inflation to single
digits for the first time in a generation has been one of
two key pillars of Turkey’s economic rescue package, the
other being strict fiscal discipline,” wrote The Banker. “In
concluding a draft agreement to provide a new three-year
$10bn loan, the International Monetary Fund described the
taming of inflation as one of the major policy successes of
the past three years, paying tribute to the independence and
effectiveness of the Central Bank of the Republic of
Turkey.” /Sabah/
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] EU, CYPRUS AND ECONOMY
BY MERIC KOYATASI (AKSAM)
Columnist Meric Koyatasi comments on the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s EU
membership bid. A summary of his column is as follows:
“EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said during
last week’s Sacrifice Fest that the screening process would
start in October and that this would last for one year,
which means, EU membership talks will start in October 2006,
that is, one year after the date given to Turkey. Meanwhile,
the EU is putting pressure on Turkey to make a concession
for a solution to the Cyprus issue until October this year.
I believe the EU will corner Turkey’s EU membership, but it
also doesn’t want to exclude Turkey completely. In addition,
the Turkish society is very far away from the EU in terms of
culture and courses of conduct. Now let’s consider the
Turkish-EU relations from a different perspective. Domestic
and foreign business circles are glad that Turkey will start
membership talks with the EU. People think a great many
mergers and direct foreign investment will flow to Turkey.
The Cyprus issue is disturbing Turkey. Although Turkey
showed that it favored a solution to the problem in UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan and the Greek Cypriot
administration obstructed the solution, the General Staff
gave a clear answer to the EU. Both First Army Commander
Gen. Yasar Buyuanit and Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen.
Ilker Basbug stated that not a single Turkish soldier would
be withdrawn from the island without a permanent peace and
solution in Cyprus. Both commanders said the Cyprus issue
shouldn’t be a hindrance before Turkey. Actually this
message was for some politicians and businessmen who want
Turkey’s EU membership at any cost. Firstly, we should
understand that Cyprus is increasing Turkey’s geopolitical
and geographical importance. Although I consider Turkey’s
full EU membership a dream, Turkish-EU relations should
continue for economic interests. On the other hand, the EU
is putting pressure on us concerning our domestic and
foreign security. We can manage these two issues together
and this is called the art of diplomacy. The important thing
is to know what you want and what you present to the other
side. The cooperation and concession are two different
things.”
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