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Turkish Press Review, 05-02-18
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
18.02.2005
FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER: “OUR CIVIL CODE WAS A MILESTONE IN TURKEY’S ENLIGHTENMENT”
[02] ERDOGAN: “THE UN FAILED ON BOTH IRAQ AND CYPRUS”
[03] GUL EXTENDS CONDOLENCES FOR HARIRI
[04] US BUSINESSMEN VISIT TRNC
[05] US EMBASSY DENIES THAT MILITARY BUILDUP IN N.IRAQ IS DIRECTED AGAINST TURKEY
[06] FRANCE PAVES WAY FOR REFERENDUM ON TURKEY’S EU ENTRY
[07] TALAT: “PAPADOPOULOS WILL BE OVERTHROWN IF HE DOESN’T CHANGE HIS NO-COMPROMISE STANCE”
[08] TUSIAD DELEGATION VISITS SENER, EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER INCENTIVES SCHEME
[09] OZTURK ESTABLISHES NEW POLITICAL PARTY
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[11] NO LONGER ‘NORTH CYPRUS’ BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)
[01] SEZER: “OUR CIVIL CODE WAS A MILESTONE IN TURKEY’S ENLIGHTENMENT”
The Republic of Turkey’s Civil Code was one of the most important steps in
the nation’s enlightenment, said President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in a message
yesterday marking the 79th anniversary of the code’s passage. “Ataturk’s
reforms are the most important milestones in guaranteeing the secular and
democratic character of the Turkish Republic,” added Sezer. “The Civil Code
is the touchstone document for women’s economic, social and political
rights.” /Milliyet, Cumhuriyet/
[02] ERDOGAN: “THE UN FAILED ON BOTH IRAQ AND CYPRUS”
On the second day of his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with Sarajevo’s rotating three-person
presidential council. Borislav Paravac, Dragan Cavic and Sulejman Tihic,
representing the country’s Serbs, Croats and Bosnians respectively,
attended the meeting. Turkish State Minister Besir Atalay and
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim were also present. During their
talks, Erdogan said that Bosnia and Herzegovina should be a model in the
region for the peaceful co-existence of people from different cultures. In
addition, the three representatives called on Turkish businessmen to invest
in their country. After the meeting, speaking to reporters, Erdogan said
that the United Nations had been unable to resolve disputes both in Iraq
and Cyprus. Referring to Turkish Cypriots’ “yes” vote in last April’s
referendum on the UN Cyprus plan, Erdogan stated that despite this positive
stance, the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriots was still
continuing. “The UN didn’t keep its promises,” charged Erdogan. Then, after
paying a visit to the grave of Bosnian President Alija Izletbegovic, the
Turkish premier proceeded to Mostar where he visited historical sites,
including the Mostar Bridge which was damaged in the Balkan wars before
being rebuilt last year with Turkey’s help. After completing his mini tour
of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Erdogan returned to Ankara last
night. At Esenboga Airport, he told reporters that his trip had been very
fruitful. /Turkiye/
[03] GUL EXTENDS CONDOLENCES FOR HARIRI
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday visited Lebanon’s Embassy in Ankara
and signed the book of condolences for slain former Lebanese Premier Rafik
Hariri. Stressing that the Turkish nation was greatly saddened by the
statesman’s assassination in a car bombing early this week, Gul wrote that
Hariri was a respected leader as well as a friend of Turks. Afterwards, Gul
accompanied by his wife, traveled to the Lebanese capital of Beirut. During
their surprise visit, Mr. and Mrs. Gul met with Hariri’s family to extend
their condolences. The visit came a day after Hariri’s funeral ceremony
with Turkey represented by its ambassador to Beirut, Celalettin Kart. After
the visit, Gul returned to Ankara. /Turkiye/
[04] US BUSINESSMEN VISIT TRNC
Representatives of US companies arrived in the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) yesterday to explore business opportunities in the country, a
move hailed by Turkish Cypriots as a landmark step towards breaking their
international isolation. The visit irked the Greek Cypriot government. The
delegation, accompanied by the US Embassy in Turkey’s trade attaché, was to
meet Turkish Cypriot entrepreneurs before leaving later in the day. The US
has pledged to support Turkish Cypriot businesses as a reward for the “yes”
the Turkish Cypriots gave last April to a UN plan to resolve Cyprus’
division. Washington has allocated $30.5 million to assist the development
of Turkish Cypriot businesses and help narrow the wide gap between the
economies of the North and the south. The head of the Turkish Cypriot
Chamber of Trade, Ali Erel, hailed the visit as “a milestone” with not only
economic, but also political significance. “Cooperation with US companies,
the presence of US brands here will have a great influence on the Greek
Cypriots,” Erel told Turkish news channel NTV. “It is important to motivate
the Greek Cypriots towards a settlement in Cyprus.” The Greek Cypriot
government’s objection to the visit was because the businessmen were
accompanied by a US diplomat who entered Cyprus through an “illegal port”
in the North, spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said in remarks published
yesterday in the Cyprus Mail newspaper. Turkish Cypriots were long seen as
an obstacle to a settlement on Cyprus, but the outcome of last year’s
referendum has shifted some of the international pressure on the Greek
side. /Aksam/
[05] US EMBASSY DENIES THAT MILITARY BUILDUP IN N.IRAQ IS DIRECTED AGAINST
TURKEY
Responding to a recent report in British daily The Guardian about US forces
fortifying positions in northern Iraq in anticipation of ethnic conflict or
possible Turkish intervention, the US Embassy in Ankara said yesterday that
the deployment of American forces in Iraq is determined by the needs of the
mission. “Any suggestion that any US military activity in northern Iraq is
directed against Turkey, a longstanding ally and NATO partner, is false,”
said the statement. “Speculation over Turkish military intervention in
northern Iraq is irresponsible . . . Turkey knows this well, and we have no
reason to think that Turkey would undertake such action.” /Star/
[06] FRANCE PAVES WAY FOR REFERENDUM ON TURKEY’S EU ENTRY
France’s Parliament yesterday approved an amendment to the country's
Constitution greenlighting a referendum later this year on the EU's new
Constitution. The bill passed 263-27, with 30 abstentions. Under the
measure, the EU Constitution is to be put to the French people in a
referendum by the end of June. One of the articles also allows France to
hold a referendum if the EU accepts any new member country after 2007, a
provision which concerns Ankara the most because voter opposition to
Turkey's membership is strong in France, largely due to fears of Muslim
immigration. Turkey is the only EU candidate whose possible membership is
envisaged after 2007. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] TALAT: “PAPADOPOULOS WILL BE OVERTHROWN IF HE DOESN’T CHANGE HIS NO-
COMPROMISE STANCE”
In the runup to Sunday’s elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC), TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday warned Greek
Cypriot leader Tassos Papadapoulos to change his “no-compromise” stance if
he wants to remain in power. “If Papadapoulos doesn’t change his attitude,
our island will face the risk of being permanently divided without any
further prospect of solution,” said Talat. “I believe that he will have to
retreat [from his stance] sooner or later. Otherwise, he will be
marginalized or overthrown by the Greek Cypriots.” Talat also added that
the TRNC would suffer great economic losses if a protocol extending
Ankara’s Custom Union is signed before the TRNC’s economic isolation is
ended. Turkish Cypriots will elect a government on Sunday as the TRNC was
forced to call early elections after the ruling coalition lost its slim
majority last May. Opinion polls predict Sunday's elections will produce as
fragmented a political picture as the last general elections. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] TUSIAD DELEGATION VISITS SENER, EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER INCENTIVES
SCHEME
On the second day of its two-day visit to government officials in Ankara, a
Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’ Association (TUSIAD) delegation
yesterday met with Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener. TUSIAD Chairman
Omer Sabanci told Sener about his group’s concerns over a recent government
proposal to expand its incentives program to enterprises doing business in
underdeveloped regions, an issue which has also recently been a hot potato
between Ankara and the International Monetary Fund. Sabanci said that
incentives must be offered in line with the development levels of the
targeted provinces. For his part, Sener said that the government would take
measures against any additional burden that the scheme would impose on the
budget. He added that there was no delay in Turkey’s timeline either with
the IMF or the European Union. /Hurriyet/
[09] OZTURK ESTABLISHES NEW POLITICAL PARTY
After submitting a petition to the Interior Ministry to found a new
political party, independent Istanbul Deputy Yasar Nuri Ozturk said
yesterday that now was the time to act for the country’s honor and
independence. He stressed that his party, called the People’s Ascent Party
(HYP), would be in the political center and ready to defend social
democracy. With the establishment of the HYP, the number of opposition
parties represented in Parliament rises to three. The HYP’s sole
parliamentary deputy is Ozturk himself. /Star/
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[11] NO LONGER ‘NORTH CYPRUS’ BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)
Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on the Cyprus issue. A summary of her column
is as follows:
“A group of US businessmen went to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) yesterday under the initiative of the US Embassy in Ankara. Of
course this opportunity to work with US businessmen is important for
Turkish Cypriots, but the meaning of the visit is even more important than
that. US diplomacy which until recently avoided even the most innocuous
attempts towards recognition of the TRNC with this visit has taken a very
important step. Diplomats have visited the TRNC before, but landing
directly at Ercan Airport without entering the island from the Greek
Cypriot side is unprecedented. I want to highlight something else as well.
The term ‘northern Cyprus’ has been used in the formal US documents for the
‘northern part of Cyprus,’ but for the first time the term ‘North Cyprus’
was used for the TRNC. Of course the visit couldn’t fulfill the promises
made to Turkey following the TRNC’s acceptance of UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan’s visit. Direct flights from the US to the TRNC, financial aid and
promises of ending its isolation have been repeatedly postponed. Even this
step is enough to set off alarms in the Greek Cypriot administration,
because they are reminded by the visit that their European Union membership
didn’t resolve the Cyprus issue.
However, the message didn’t have just one destination. One is Ankara. This
visit, coinciding with remarks by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
blaming Turkey for the problems in Iraq, is a preparation for the upcoming
period. There will be important developments in the Middle East, and
diplomatic pressure on Iran and Syria will mount. What’s more, this time
the US is looking to build an alliance with Europe. For this reason, next
week’s visit of US President George W. Bush to the EU and NATO is
important. French President Jacques Chirac, who went to Lebanon to offer
his condolences to the family of assassinated former Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri, called for an independent Lebanon and emphasized
that the Syrian occupation should end. Washington and Paris agree that
Syrian soldiers should withdraw from Lebanese soil. The aim of this effort
for cooperation and reviving the transatlantic alliance is to defuse the
anti-reformist sentiments in Iran and Syria through diplomatic pressure. At
this point, Turkey’s importance is clear. For this reason, Ankara is the
second destination of the message of the US businessmen’s visit to the
TRNC. For the moment the PKK issue is on the back burner, but a very
friendly step is being taken on the Cyprus issue.”
ARCHIVE
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