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Turkish Press Review, 05-04-25Turkish 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 morning25.04.2005FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF BATTLE OF GALLIPOLI OBSERVEDHundreds of Australian, New Zealand and Turkish citizens yesterday gathered in Canakkale to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli and their forebears who lost their lives in World War I. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark and representatives from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, South Africa and Britain attended the ceremony. Addressing the gathering, Clark said that the Battle of Gallipoli had played an important role in shaping the future of New Zealand, adding that she had come to the hallowed battlefield to pay her respects to martyrs who fought bravely during the war. Clark further stressed the importance of peace and that she was pleased to be in Turkey. “All nations need to cooperate to maintain peace in the world,” added Clark. Also speaking at the ceremony, Erdogan also called for international peace, saying that all states needed to cooperate to do their utmost to oppose elements which threaten peace. In related news, Erdogan later proceeded to nearby Gokceada and Bozcaada. Touching on the recent Kardak crisis between Ankara and Athens, Erdogan warned that there were some circles who were not pleased with positive developments between the two countries. /Aksam/[02] TALAT BEGINS TERM AS TRNC PRESIDENTNewly elected Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday took over the post from senior national statesman Rauf Denktas. After taking his oath of office at a ceremony in Lefkosa, Talat vowed to serve all Turkish Cypriots, adding that his call to Greek Cypriots for a settlement would continue. /Hurriyet/[03] GUL: “NOW IT’S THE GREEK CYPRIOTS’ TURN”Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday traveled to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to attend the swearing-in ceremony of new President Mehmet Ali Talat in Lefkosa. Speaking to reporters after arriving on the island at Ercan Airport, Gul said that in the past many circles had blamed Turkish Cypriots for the failure to reach a resolution on the island. “However, the Turkish Cypriots have proven that in fact they are the side in favor of a just settlement,” stated Gul. “Now the ball is not in the court of the Turkish Cypriots, but in the Greek Cypriots’.” The foreign minister reiterated Ankara’s call to the world to end the TRNC’s international isolation. Gul then held talks both with Talat and veteran statesman and former President Rauf Denktas. After completing his contacts, Gul and his accompanying delegation returned to Ankara late in the afternoon. /Turkiye/[04] GEN. OZKOK: “DENKTAS DEVOTED A LIFETIME TO THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS”Stressing that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC) Rauf Denktas was a great leader who had devoted his eight-plus decades to the Turkish Cypriots’ just cause, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said yesterday, “Denktas is a historic person and a statesman.” Sending a message to Denktas on the day he passed the reins of the presidency to Mehmet Ali Talat, Ozkok reiterated Turkey’s determination to support Turkish Cypriots’ rights and freedom forever. /Turkiye/[05] FORMER GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER CLERIDES: “WE NEVER FAVORED A SETTLEMENT”Speaking to Greek daily To Vima yesterday, former Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides said that he had been wrong not to announce that they were close to a settlement with Turkish Cypriots in 1973. He further stressed that if he had not hesitated to make it public, Turkey’s 1974 operation might not have occurred and much pain might have been avoided. He added that Greek Cypriots had always shied away from talks to solve the island’s issues and that he regretted that. /Hurriyet//[06] KARAMANLIS: “WE WANT TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY”In an article published in Greek Kathimerini daily yesterday, Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was quoted as saying that Athens wants to normalize bilateral relations with Turkey. After one year at the Greek helm, speaking about Turkey, the premier reiterated Athens’ support for Ankara’s European Union membership bid, adding however that harmonizing with the Union across the board might take a long time. Stressing that an open communications channel should be established between the two countries’ premiers, Karamanlis said bilateral relations should be honest and pragmatic. /Star/[07] SHP LEADER: “TURKISH POLITICS NEEDS TO BE RESTRUCTURED”Social Democrat People’s Party (SHP) leader Murat Karayalcin said yesterday that politics in Turkey needed to be restructured, adding that the 10% election threshold needed to be lowered since it was too high. “This was also mentioned in the last fall’s European Union progress report,” he said, adding, “The political parties should become more democratic.” /Cumhuriyet/[08] TURKEY-EU ASSOCIATION COUNCIL TO MEET IN LUXEMBOURG TOMORROWThe Turkey-European Union Association Council is due tomorrow to hold a meeting in Luxembourg. During its meeting, the council is expected to criticize Ankara on both political issues and the Copenhagen economic criteria. The council is also expected to praise Turkey’s economic growth rate, but also to warn of certain threats. The council will also urge Ankara to reduce legal hurdles to foreign direct investment (FDI) and to raise the standards of the banking sector to the international level. /Cumhuriyet/[09] NOT SAYING “GENOCIDE,” BUSH PRAISES PROPOSAL FOR JOINT PROBE INTO ARMENIAN “CALAMITY”In his annual April 24 speech on the Armenian issue, US President George W. Bush followed tradition and again did not use the word “genocide” to describe what happened in 1915, but he did praise Turkey’s call for a joint probe into the events. “We remember the forced exile and mass killings of as many as 1.5 million Armenians during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, ” said Bush yesterday. “This terrible event is what many Armenian people have come to call the ‘Great Calamity.’ I join my fellow Americans and Armenian people around the world in expressing my deepest condolences for this horrible loss of life. Today, as we commemorate the 90th anniversary of this human tragedy and reflect on the suffering of the Armenian people, we also look toward a promising future for an independent Armenian state. ... We call on the government of Armenia to advance democratic freedoms that will further advance the aspirations of the Armenian people. We remain committed to a lasting and peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.” Bush further stated, “We also seek a deeper partnership with Armenia that includes security cooperation and is rooted in the shared values of democratic and market economic freedoms. I applaud individuals in Armenia and Turkey who have sought to examine the historical events of the early 20th century with honesty and sensitivity. We look to a future of freedom, peace, and prosperity in Armenia and Turkey and hope that [Turkish] Prime Minister Erdogan's recent proposal for a joint Turkish- Armenian commission can help advance these processes. ... On this solemn day of remembrance, I send my best wishes and expressions of solidarity to Armenian people around the world.” In related news, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared April 24 as a day of remembrance for the so- called genocide. /Milliyet/[10] TURKISH WEIGHTLIFTING TEAM BECOMES EUROPEAN CHAMPDuring the European Weightlifting Championship held in Sofia, Bulgaria over the weekend, the Turkish team came in first with 11 gold, seven silver and three bronze medals. /All Papers/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[12] THE ACCEPTED WAY OF NEGOTIATIONS BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on Turkey’s prospective European Union negotiations. A summary of her column is as follows:“‘I’ll be the chief negotiator,’ Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the April 23 National Sovereignty Day reception. ‘I’ll have an assistant. This is the accepted way of conducting the EU negotiations.’ The style of European Union negotiations, the way a government manages them, is important. New EU members attached the highest importance to the style of their negotiations. We discussed this issue with new EU member countries’ chief negotiators two days ago. ‘As soon as the Helsinki summit greenlighted our negotiations, we immediately established our team,’ said Slovakian Ambassador Juraj Migash. ‘This was a symbolic move for us to show Brussels that we were ready and resolved to start our membership talks.’ The structure of the negotiations team is also very important. According to Migash, the first step to take is to establish EU Integration divisions within the bodies of the ministries. These divisions will then form the team which will lead the negotiations technically. ‘These departments must involve well-educated young people with a good command of foreign languages, who are capable of establishing good relations with Europeans, and who can speak the language of Brussels,’ said Helen Campbell, a British member of the delegation conducting negotiations with Bulgaria. ‘Those who will work in these departments must enjoy full freedom of expression because sometimes Brussels’ messages might not be welcomed by high-level politicians. No matter what these young people say or argue, they mustn’t be relieved of their duties. The negotiations team must also be capable of understanding what we want and convey it to Ankara correctly. Mutual trust is a must. We’ve established very good and effective relations with the Bulgarian team, and this has been very much helpful to the country.’ She also added that on May 9 they would go to an Irish pub in Brussels with the Bulgarian team for a night out of fun. ‘We’ll look forward to it,’ she added. Isn’t this natural? The EU is a platform made up of people and their agreements. With each new step and each new person, new stones are added to the foundation of their common home. We must form our negotiations team as soon as possible. We must organize training programs to introduce the relevant people to each other immediately. This is what the new EU members’ negotiators recommended to us.” [13] IRTEMCELIK: “ARMENIANS KNOW THAT THERE WAS NO GENOCIDE” BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on Turkish-Armenian relations and the Armenian “genocide” claims. A summary of his column is as follows:“A bill on the Armenian ‘genocide’ issue will be voted on Germany’s Parliament after Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder’s visit to Ankara next week. German parties have already agreed to replace the word ‘genocide’ mentioned in the bill with ‘emigration and mass murder.’ The bill is expected to pass after these changes have been made. Turkish Ambassador to Germany Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik has long been working to inform the German Parliament and the public on what really happened. ‘The Armenians know there was no genocide,’ said Irtemcelik. ‘But they have ruined our ability to make our voice heard in the international arena. Since their claims are untrue, they reject our offer to assemble a group of historians from both sides to investigate the issue. Their first aim is to make Turkey apologize for the ‘genocide,’ and next they will demand money and land from us. The Ottoman archives are open to everyone, whereas the Armenians keep theirs closed. That’s part of their strategy. Before Turkish- Armenian relations can be normalized, the Armenians must recognize Turkey’s territorial unity.’ Irtemcelik noted that the Armenian ‘genocide’ bill is full of intentional mistakes, and added, ‘It’d be sad to see that this bill passed by such a serious institution as the Bundestag.’ Irtemcelik stressed that Turkey isn’t trying to escape the truths of the past, because there’s nothing in its past Turkey is afraid to face. ‘But no one should think that we will recognize the Armenian ‘genocide’ claims just because some people want us to,’ he added. ‘The Armenians must come to see that their designs on Turkey are both illegitimate and utterly futile’.” 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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