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Turkish Press Review, 05-09-27
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
27.09.2005
SEZER: “IF TURKISH
DEGENERATES, OUR SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND UNITY WILL
ALSO SUFFER”
ERDOGAN TRAVELS TO OMAN
BUYUKANIT WARNS OF TERROR
AND REACTIONARY ACTIONS
OPENING STATEMENT FOR START
OF EU TALKS UNDER DEBATE
TALAT: “IF THE GREEK
CYPRIOTS CONTINUE LIKE THIS, THE EU COULD
ISOLATE THEM”
COSKUN VISITS EGYPT
BAYKAL TO VISIT LONDON,
ROME
CABINET DISCUSSES MORTGAGE
SYSTEM PROPOSAL
US STATE DEPT’S HUGHES TO
VISIT TURKEY THIS WEEK
FRANCE’S HAENEL VISITS
ANKARA
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM
THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
ARMENIAN TABOO
BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER: “IF TURKISH DEGENERATES,
OUR SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND UNITY WILL ALSO SUFFER”
[02] ERDOGAN TRAVELS TO OMAN
[03] BUYUKANIT WARNS OF TERROR AND
REACTIONARY ACTIONS
[04] OPENING STATEMENT FOR START OF
EU TALKS UNDER DEBATE
[05] TALAT: “IF THE GREEK CYPRIOTS
CONTINUE LIKE THIS, THE EU COULD ISOLATE THEM”
[06] COSKUN VISITS EGYPT
[07] BAYKAL TO VISIT LONDON, ROME
[08] CABINET DISCUSSES MORTGAGE
SYSTEM PROPOSAL
[09] US STATE DEPT’S HUGHES TO VISIT
TURKEY THIS WEEK
[10] FRANCE’S HAENEL VISITS ANKARA
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[12] ARMENIAN TABOO
BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
[01] SEZER: “IF TURKISH DEGENERATES,
OUR SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND UNITY WILL ALSO SUFFER”
Speaking at a ceremony at the Turkish
Language Council marking the 73rd Turkish
Language Festival yesterday, President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer said that the nation shouldn’t
forget that if the Turkish language degenerates,
then its social structure and unity would also
suffer. “Today leaders, actors, and writers
should all strive to use our rich language
Turkish correctly,” he said. “Everyone should
use Turkish correctly and try to improve it.”
Also addressing the gathering, Culture and
Tourism Minister Atilla Koc said that
pessimistic talk of Turkish being “invaded” by
foreign tongues was out of place. “Today Turkish
is spoken over a vast geography, and it is the
second-most spoken first language in Germany,”
he added. “Our language is rich and has deep
roots.” /Sabah/
[02] ERDOGAN TRAVELS TO OMAN
As part of a tour of Gulf Arab countries,
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled
yesterday to Oman. Accompanied by State
Ministers Kursad Tuzmen and Besir Atalay as well
as some 100 businessmen, Erdogan will hold a
series of meetings with Omani officials and
Turkish businessmen in the country to boost
Turkey’s trade relations. Then, on a second
stop, he is expected to proceed to the United
Arab Emirates on Wednesday. /Star/
[03] BUYUKANIT WARNS OF TERROR AND
REACTIONARY ACTIONS
Speaking at the War Academy yesterday to mark
the new education year, Land Forces Commander
Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said that Turkey was faced
with two threats, namely reactionary actions and
terrorism. He added that he condemned those who
called the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) fight
against the terrorist group PKK “aggressive
military operations.” /Sabah/
[04] OPENING STATEMENT FOR START OF
EU TALKS UNDER DEBATE
There are reportedly ongoing disputes between
Turkey and the European Union over the opening
statement to be delivered on next Monday, Oct.
3, when Ankara’s EU talks are to begin. Turkey
took action after learning that European Union
Term President Britain’s Foreign Minister Jack
Straw will refer to components of the recent
counter-declaration which Turkey opposed. Ankara
is trying to prevent Straw’s call for Turkey to
fully implement the harmonization protocol and
to open its harbors and airports to Greek
Cypriots, as well as his voicing the Greek
Cypriots’ recognition expectations. In related
news, disputes over the negotiations framework
are continuing in the countdown to Oct. 3.
Modifications to the latest framework document
issued in June are few, but the modifications
made last week include elements which might
disturb Turkey. The most important objection
against the framework document to be discussed
on Thursday was made by Austria. Although Vienna
isn’t getting support from other countries, it
is insisting on a “privileged partnership”
option being included in the framework document.
/Aksam-Milliyet/
[05] TALAT: “IF THE GREEK CYPRIOTS
CONTINUE LIKE THIS, THE EU COULD ISOLATE THEM”
Speaking on recent developments on the Cyprus
issue, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday
the that the issue was shifting again, adding
that there might be developments towards the
isolation of Greek Cypriots in the European
Union. Talat said that the Greek Cypriots were
wagering that they could pressure Turkey on the
issue during its EU process and drive it into a
corner. But, during the EU process, he added,
when the discomfort created by Greek Cyprus
squeezes the Union, the EU could react against
Greek Cyprus rather than supporting it. In
related news, chief EU talks negotiator Ali
Babacan said that there might be some
modifications to the EU’s negotiations framework
document on Thursday, and that they were
following developments and added, “We were
hoping that there would be modifications as we
expected.” EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn
at a press conference in Brussels yesterday
warned that relations between Turkey and the EU
were worsening and there was a negative
atmosphere between the two sides. Rehn said that
he had the feeling that a vicious circle was
forming in Turkish-EU relations. The bridge
between us is growing larger instead of
shrinking, he said. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] COSKUN VISITS EGYPT
Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun
yesterday arrived in Cairo, Egypt to pay an
official visit at the invitation of his Egyptian
counterpart Rashid Muhammad. Speaking to
reporters, Coskun underlined that Turkey and
Egypt were friendly countries, adding that they
aimed at strengthening bilateral trade
relations. Coskun, accompanied by deputies and
businessmen, held a series of meetings with
Egyptian officials including Premier Ahmed
Nazif. He is also expected to attend a
Turkish-Egyptian Joint Business Council meeting.
/Turkiye/
[07] BAYKAL TO VISIT LONDON, ROME
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
leader Deniz Baykal yesterday flew to London to
address a meeting organized as part of a
conference of Britain’s Workers’ Party and to
hold contacts with British officials. Speaking
before his departure, Baykal said that he would
proceed to Rome after completing his contacts in
London and attend meetings on Turkey’s European
Union membership there. Touching on a recent
wave of terrorist attacks, Baykal said that an
explosive substance planted along the
Erzincan-Erzurum railway over the weekend proved
that terrorism was continuing. “Terror has
reached new heights,” he added. “Putting an
explosive substance on a rail line is immoral
and inhuman.”
[08] CABINET DISCUSSES MORTGAGE
SYSTEM PROPOSAL
The Cabinet ministers chaired by Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met yesterday.
Following their four-and-a-half hour meeting,
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek told reporters that
they had discussed a mortgage system which would
enable low-income citizens to own their own
homes. “We expect the bill on the matter to be
debated and pass Parliament next month,” said
Cicek. Parliament convenes on Saturday.
/Turkiye/
[09] US STATE DEPT’S HUGHES TO VISIT
TURKEY THIS WEEK
US Undersecretary of State for Public
Diplomacy Karen Hughes is due to pay an official
visit to Ankara this week. Speaking before her
visit, Hughes said that Turkey was an important
democratic state and a key ally which served as
a bridge between Europe and Asia. She also
reiterated the US’ support for Turkey’s European
Union membership. /Hurriyet/
[10] FRANCE’S HAENEL VISITS ANKARA
Visiting Turkey yesterday, Hubert Haenel,
head of the French Senate’s European Union
delegation, met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. Turkey’s EU membership bid dominated
their talks, and Erdogan stated that Ankara
expected France’s support to continue in the
days to come. Speaking to reporters, Haenel
argued that Turkey and Europe share a common
future, adding that Ankara would enter an
important period after next Monday, Oct. 3, the
date it is set to begin its EU accession talks.
The French official and his accompanying
delegation were then received by Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul. /Turkiye/
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[12] ARMENIAN TABOO
BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the
Armenian conference which was held last weekend
in Istanbul. A summary of his column is as
follows:
“Another taboo has been broken. The Armenian
conference was held, and the world didn’t come
to an end. These are the headlines of newspapers
published in Turkey. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles
Times characterized the issue as follows: ‘a
groundbreaking event where Turkish academics
could for the first time publicly challenge
their country's official version of the events
leading to the slaughter of Armenians.’ People
immediately paid attention to the fact that the
conference was held, because some tried to block
the meeting at Bogazici University with a court
order. Three rectors, namely Ayse Soysal, Tosun
Terzioglu and Aydin Ugur, resisted the
judiciary’s intervention in academic autonomy
and ensured the meeting was held. However,
demonstrators protested the participants in
front of Bilgi University, which was nothing but
thuggery. Another series of conferences can be
held on Turkey’s Armenian thesis, but demonizing
a conference as ‘biased’ in front of
universities is outmoded behavior. What’s more,
such acts took place even before any speeches
were made.
The thesis of ‘genocide’ didn’t stand out,
but speeches were made stating that as long as
the policy of ‘recognition, then compensation
and land’ isn’t abandoned, the process of
dialogue will be difficult. Professor Baskin
Oran made striking remarks on the issue. ‘The
effect on the Turkish people of the Armenian
Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia’s
(ASALA) killing Turkish diplomats and the
murderers being left unpunished is similar to
the criticisms from Armenians over the massacre
which occurred in 1915, and this situation
strengthened the Armenian taboo,’ he said. ‘Some
of our colleagues say that genocide is a term in
the social sciences. Genocide is a legal term.
When the Convention on the Prevention and
Repression of the Crimes of Genocide was passed
in 1948, Armenians shaped the term so it could
constitute a similarity to the Holocaust. The
Armenian issue isn’t a taboo anymore, and this
conference confirms this.’ As long as democracy
grows stronger in Turkey and hurdles to freedom
of expression are removed, the atmosphere of
discussion will grow more mature. The common
judgment of participants was that a similar
conference couldn’t be organized in Yerevan. The
academics who organized the conference
contributed to the development of Turkey’s
democratic structure, just like the
intellectuals who took the initiative for
disarmament in southeastern Anatolia. We should
congratulate them.”
ARCHIVE
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