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Turkish Press Review, 05-07-06Turkish 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 morning06.07.2005SEZER APPROVES THREE BILLS ERDOGAN TRAVELS TO BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN THE US BAYKAL ARGUES AGAINST ANKARA SIGNING ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL DENKTAS TO BE AWARDED TURKISH STATE HONORARY MEDAL REHN: “THE EU NEEDS TURKEY” EURASIAN COUNTRIES SEEK AVENUES TO COOPERATION KRETSCHMER TOUTS DEVELOPMENTS IN TURKISH ECONOMY WB’S VORKINK PRAISES TURKEY’S ECONOMIC REFORMS BELGIAN PRESS PRAISES TURKISH TOURISM SECTOR FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... THE EU TRYING TO MAKE US FOOT THE BILL BY GAZI ERCAL (SABAH)CONTENTS
[01] SEZER APPROVES THREE BILLSPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer signed three bills into law yesterday. The Presidential Press Center announced that a law on the Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and electricity markets, a law on the Higher Board of Education (YOK), and a law on military service had all been sent to the Prime Ministry. /Cumhuriyet/[02] ERDOGAN TRAVELS TO BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN THE USPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday traveled to the United States for a working visit in a bid to promote the Turkish economy and call on US businessmen to improve bilateral cooperation. Erdogan, accompanied by Economy Minister Ali Babacan and Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, was scheduled to deliver an inaugural address at the annual Sun Valley business conference in Idaho. The meeting will bring together the US’ most influential businessmen and media moguls. "We will tell US businessmen about economic developments and opportunities in Turkey," Erdogan told reporters at the airport before leaving. Erdogan also rejected recent criticisms about the alleged politicization of the judiciary, a process which, some circles argue, is manipulated by the government itself, and stressed that his government had no intention of doing harm to democracy. /Star/[03] BAYKAL ARGUES AGAINST ANKARA SIGNING ADDITIONAL PROTOCOLRepublican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that if the Ankara Agreement’s additional protocol is signed, it would be a watershed for the Cyprus issue. Receiving National Unity Party (UBP) leader Dervis Eroglu at CHP headquarters, Baykal said that signing the agreement to expand the Ankara Protocol would entail acceptance of the Greek Cypriot administration as the “Republic of Cyprus” by Turkey. Baykal warned that if the protocol is signed, Turkey’s basic arguments and legal basis over the Cyprus issue would be weakened. /Cumhuriyet/[04] DENKTAS TO BE AWARDED TURKISH STATE HONORARY MEDALThe state’s Honorary Medal will be presented to former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas at the Cankaya Presidential Palace today. TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat and the TRNC Cabinet weren’t invited to the ceremony to be hosted by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Denktas said that inviting Talat wouldn’t be appropriate in terms of protocol. “It was announced that this medal would be given to me on behalf of the Turkish state,” he said. “Of course I’m grateful. So many things both for and against me were said when I was working as a negotiator. I tried to defend the rights of Turkish Cypriots by ignoring these words. This will be the most important memory that I can leave to my family.” /Milliyet/[05] REHN: “THE EU NEEDS TURKEY”European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said yesterday that the EU needed Turkey to improve the bloc’s democracy, stability and prosperity. Speaking on the recent negotiations framework document, Rehn said that the commission wanted to start membership talks with Turkey on Oct. 3 and that Turkey’s membership would be strategically beneficial for the EU. Rehn added that starting membership negotiations was confirmation of the implementation of reforms under the Copenhagen criteria and that no more preconditions should be stipulated for Turkey to start its membership talks. /Turkiye/[06] EURASIAN COUNTRIES SEEK AVENUES TO COOPERATIONThe Eighth Eurasian Economy Summit organized by the Marmara Foundation in Istanbul yesterday discussed the importance of cooperation between Eurasian countries. Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister Pal Csaky, Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Gheorghe Copos and Azerbaijani State Minister Serhat Aliyev were among the participants. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a message to the meeting, underlining that Eurasian countries should boost their cooperation to be able to benefit from the opportunities provided by the globalization process. For his part, State Minister Kursad Tuzmen echoed Sezer’s words, emphasizing the significance of increasing regional cooperation. /Aksam/[07] KRETSCHMER TOUTS DEVELOPMENTS IN TURKISH ECONOMYSpeaking at the opening of the Eight Eurasia Economy Summit, European Union Commission Turkey Delegation head Hansjoerg Kretschmer emphasized that Turkey has made great progress in recent years, adding that giving Ankara a date for EU membership negotiations was a key decision. Kretschmer stated that the nation’s economy is getting better, with 10% growth and unprecedented low inflation. He also stressed that in order to boost domestic and foreign investment, political and macro-economic stability should be maintained. In his speech, Kretschmer also urged an expanded role for women in Turkish politics, as in other European countries. Also, in order to eliminate disparities in education, all girls should be sent to school, added Kretschmer. /Star/[08] WB’S VORKINK PRAISES TURKEY’S ECONOMIC REFORMSWorld Bank Turkey Director Andrew Vorkink yesterday spoke on banking and social security reforms, saying that these measures will strengthen the Turkish banking sector and reduce the risk of a repeat of an economic crisis like the one in 2001. “New banking regulations will bring international banking standards and European Union approaches to the Turkish banking sector,” added Vorkink. “Under these reforms, the Turkish banking sector will grow stronger.” He also addressed social security reform, saying that it would strengthen the retirement system and allow more people to benefit from health insurance. Reforms by Turkey in these two areas are required by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank for future credits and economic cooperation. /Turkiye/[09] BELGIAN PRESS PRAISES TURKISH TOURISM SECTORBelgian daily Le Soir reported yesterday that Turkish tourism had been breaking records, in an article called “Sun Shining on Turkish Beaches.” The daily said that tourism data for the first five months of 2005 had been beyond the expectations of the sector’s players. Le Soir added that 6.1 million tourists had visited Turkey in January to May, and that the nation was on track to break the 20 million visitor mark envisaged by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the year. /Turkiye/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[11] THE EU TRYING TO MAKE US FOOT THE BILL BY GAZI ERCAL (SABAH)Columnist Gazi Ercel writes about Turkish-European Union relations. A summary of his column is as follows:“Following their defeat in the French and Dutch referendums on the EU’s constitutional treaty, the leaders of the bloc have been trying lately to find a scapegoat to foist off their own responsibilities. At length, they decided to make Turkey pay the bill for their defeat. But, what’s the real reason for their failure? Because they made grave mistakes with regard to the enlargement process. Let’s take a look at some of them: They prepared a 350-page constitution and failed to explain the motives and details of the text to their own people. 2. They held referendums although there was no alternative to the constitution. 3. They failed to make structural reforms to their own economies. 4. They failed to address the unemployment problem. 5. They failed to establish a competitive economic structure. They failed to display sound leadership. Consequently, the constitution prepared by these EU decision-makers was tossed onto to the garbage heap. In addition, thorny problems have emerged regarding the political integration process. Now most European leaders seem to prefer giving up their enlargement aspirations over trying to sell their voters on the process. ‘Let’s stop the enlargement, don’t accept new members to the bloc and don’t spend our taxes on them,’ they say. EU leaders are trying to make the candidate countries foot the bill for their own failures. But what will happen now? EU officials might have stumbled badly, but they are no fools. I don’t think that they will change or postpone the starting date of Turkey’s membership negotiations. They can’t risk it because such a decision would damage their credibility in the eyes of the international community. Instead, they will probably increase pressure on Ankara, particularly on sensitive issues such as Cyprus and Armenia. Their ultimate goal will probably be to deter us by trying our patience. Under these circumstances, we must act with common sense so as not to be tricked by their ploy. We should keep patient and improve our political structure without making concessions from our national honor. We should not be incited by their provocations. These are the best things that we can do for now.” 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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