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Turkish Press Review, 05-08-04
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
04.08.2005
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “WE’LL URGE THE US TO CLOSE THE PKK BUREAU IN KIRKUK”
[02] TSK TO HAND OVER ISAF COMMAND TO ITALY IN AFGHANISTAN
[03] CHIRAC SECONDS VILLEPIN, SAYS TURKEY CAN’T BEGIN EU ACCESSION TALKS WITHOUT RECOGNIZING GREEK CYPRUS
[04] US STATE DEPT: “WE CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH IRAQ AND TURKEY TO DENY THE PKK A SAFE HAVEN”
[05] TALAT LEAVES ANKARA, SAYS TURKISH-TRNC COOPERATION WILL CONTINUE
[06] FOREIGN MINISTRY URGES EU LEADERS TO KEEP THEIR PROMISES
[07] GERMANY AWAITS BRITISH EVALUATION OF GREEK CYPRUS RECOGNITION ISSUE
[08] INFLATION FALLS IN JULY
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] THE PKK AND THE US BY NURAY MERT (RADIKAL)
[01] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “WE’LL URGE THE US TO CLOSE THE PKK BUREAU IN
KIRKUK”
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Namik Tan said yesterday that during the current
tripartite meeting between Turkey, the US and Iraq, Ankara would urge the
US administration to close the terrorist group PKK’s bureau in the northern
Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Speaking at a press conference, Tan stressed that the
issue would be handled at the meeting, which started in Washington
yesterday. “We will show documents to US officials which will prove the
relationship between the bureau and the PKK,” said Tan, adding that needed
steps should be taken immediately to close the bureau. /Turkiye/
[02] TSK TO HAND OVER ISAF COMMAND TO ITALY IN AFGHANISTAN
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is set today to hand over the command of the
International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan to Italy.
Turkey took ISAF’s helm for a second term in February. /Aksam/
[03] CHIRAC SECONDS VILLEPIN, SAYS TURKEY CAN’T BEGIN EU ACCESSION TALKS
WITHOUT RECOGNIZING GREEK CYPRUS
French President Jacques Chirac yesterday voiced his support for French
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who said on Monday that Turkey
couldn’t begin its accession talks with the European Union before
recognizing Greek Cyprus. Addressing a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Chirac
said, “As de Villepin said, it is inconceivable to begin accession talks
with a candidate country which doesn’t recognize an EU member state.”
/Cumhuriyet/
[04] US STATE DEPT: “WE CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH IRAQ AND TURKEY TO
DENY THE PKK A SAFE HAVEN”
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Tom
Casey said, “Our position on the PKK is well known. They are a terrorist
organization. We continue to cooperate closely both with our friends in
Iraq, as well as our friends in Turkey, to ensure that the PKK does not
have a safe haven or an ability to operate out of northern Iraq.” Casey
further stressed, “The United States and Turkey have a long history of
friendship. We have worked together cooperatively. As NATO allies, we have
worked together at the UN. We've worked together on a wide range of issues.
We certainly have a broad and deep relationship that covers politics,
economics, as well as security matters and we certainly look forward for
that to continue. ... I think there's a good deal of friendship between the
American and Turkish people and we certainly look forward for that to
continue.” Asked about reports of a terrorist PKK bureau in Kirkuk in
northern Iraq, Casey said he had not heard those reports. /Turkiye/
[05] TALAT LEAVES ANKARA, SAYS TURKISH-TRNC COOPERATION WILL CONTINUE
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat left
Ankara yesterday after completing his official contacts. Asked at Esenboga
Airport about French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin’s recent
declaration that Turkey cannot begin its European Union accession talks
without first recognizing Greek Cyprus, Talat said that EU officials had
already answered the question. Talat also said that Turkey had done what
was expected and needed, adding, “Turkey didn’t frustrate the EU. We
believe that the accession talks will begin on Oct. 3 and Turkey’s EU
process will continue. Talat also said that the Cyprus issue has not been
solved yet, and the TRNC will continue working with Turkey for a solution.
Talat said that the effects of Ankara issuing a supplementary declaration
on the status of Greek Cyprus will be seen in the coming days but that he
didn’t think that it would affect the process. /Star/
[06] FOREIGN MINISTRY URGES EU LEADERS TO KEEP THEIR PROMISES
The UN is the forum where the Cyprus issue is being discussed, and
according to the promises given by the European Union, Turkey’s accession
talks will start on Oct. 3, said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Namik Tan
yesterday. Speaking of decisions made at last December’s EU summit where a
date for Turkey’s EU talks was set, Tan added, “There are signatures of the
highest-ranking officials of EU states on these decisions”
[07] GERMANY AWAITS BRITISH EVALUATION OF GREEK CYPRUS RECOGNITION ISSUE
The German government said yesterday that it is awaiting the legal opinion
of European Union Term President Britain on whether Turkey has to recognize
Greek Cyprus before starting its EU accession talks. The German Foreign
Ministry said that on the basis of Britain’s opinion, a decision would be
made on the matter on Sept. 1. Germany also has early elections set for
next month. /Star/
[08] INFLATION FALLS IN JULY
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released inflation
figures for July. The consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.57% and the
wholesale price index (WPI) fell 0.74% last month, putting year-to-year CPI
at 7.82% and WPI at 4.26%. /All papers/
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] THE PKK AND THE US BY NURAY MERT (RADIKAL)
Columnist Nuray Mert comments on Turkey’s foreign policy vis-à-vis the US
and northern Iraq. A summary of her column is as follows:
“Before yesterday’s Turkey-US-Iraq tripartite security meeting, I spoke
with former President Suleyman Demirel about our rejecting a motion on
deploying US soldiers back in March 2003 before the war in Iraq. He said if
the Parliament had passed the motion, today we wouldn’t be suffering from
the problem of the terrorist PKK. According to some, if Turkey were to
support unconditionally the US’ policy in Iraq, we would be strong. This
way of thinking is the result of what has happened to us. Creating domestic
enemies and getting rid of them through the support from outside is a
desperate policy. The PKK isn’t separate from the Kurdish issue, which has
been continuing for more than 80 years. In addition, we should never have
reached the point where we were seeking a joint operation with the US.
Every country has security problems and it’s the right of each to take
measures. However, there are other deep problems underlying every security
problem and without analyzing them, they won’t be solved. Secondly,
countries can cooperate with each other on security, but the cost of trying
to solve Turkey’s problem of the PKK with US cooperation should be
considered carefully.
Currently, the cost of Turkey’s trust in the US will be our entrance into
the US’ foreign policy in Iraq and the Middle East. In addition, the PKK’s
policy of violence serves to ensure this. Those who speak on behalf of
Kurds should hinder this way. In an atmosphere of violence nothing can be
discussed. Rejecting the motion should have encouraged us as an important
point of resistance so we could stay outside the maelstrom in the Middle
East which some people are trying to push us into. Don’t be afraid of those
who are strong enough to act maliciously, but be afraid of cooperating with
them. Cooperation wouldn’t prevent them from acting maliciously, but will
make you malicious too. This situation is valid for Turks, Kurds, Arabs,
etc. Let’s try to find a way out, otherwise somebody will start a
slaughter. They have done it before and will do it again, unless we
cooperate with each other.”
ARCHIVE
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