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Turkish Press Review, 05-10-05Turkish 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 morning05.10.2005ERDOGAN: “OUR ONLY CAUSE IS FURTHERING TURKEY’S DEVELOPMENT” GUL: “WE’VE TAKEN A HISTORIC STEP FORWARD” ARINC: “THE BEST OUTCOME WAS WON AS A RESULT OF THE GOVT’S HARD WORK” CHP LEADER BAYKAL: “THERE ARE TRAPS IN THE FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT” REHN HAILS “HISTORIC DECISION” TO BEGIN ANKARA’S EU TALKS CHIRAC: “TURKEY NEEDS A CULTURAL REVOLUTION IN ORDER TO FULFILL EU CONDITIONS” TOBB HEAD CONGRATULATES GOVT FOR SUCCESS IN BEGINNING EU TALKS LAGENDIJK: “THE LAST-MINUTE HITCHES SHAMED THE EU” RICE’S INTERVENTION ELIMINATED GREEK-CYPRUS NATO HURDLE OYAK BUYS 46.12% OF ERDEMIR SHARES FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS… THREE BATTLES AHEAD OF US BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “OUR ONLY CAUSE IS FURTHERING TURKEY’S DEVELOPMENT”Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that Turkey has passed through a very important crossroads, adding that European Union membership was not an unreachable target for Turkey, but a tool to join democratic, free and developed countries. Speaking at a Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group meeting, the first such gathering of the new legislative year, Erdogan stated that his party’s sole aim was developing the country, adding that Turkey would overcome hurdles on the road to EU membership with the efforts of the whole nation. In related news, Erdogan yesterday received visiting Austrian Parliament Speaker Andreas Kohl and asked for Vienna’s support during Ankara’s EU negotiations. /Turkiye/[02] GUL: “WE’VE TAKEN A HISTORIC STEP FORWARD”Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday hailed the beginning of Turkey’s accession talks with the European Union as “a historic step for Turkey, the EU, and the region as well as the world.” Speaking at a press conference in Luxembourg, Gul said that after hard work and fierce debates, Turkey had officially begun accession talks with the EU. Stressing that much work lay ahead to realize the country’s four-decade dream of EU membership, the foreign minister stated that hereafter the bulk of Turkish-EU relations would rest on the shoulders of State Economy Minister and chief negotiator Ali Babacan. He added that Turkey would continue working for more democracy, freedom and prosperity not only for EU membership but also for its people, as they deserve highest of standards. /Turkiye/[03] ARINC: “THE BEST OUTCOME WAS WON AS A RESULT OF THE GOVT’S HARD WORK”Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday praised the European Union decision to begin Ankara’s talks, saying that the best outcome had been achieved as a result of the government’s hard work. Speaking after his meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Arinc said that Turkey was at a very important stage of its 40-year EU membership bid. “We’re reaping the fruit of our efforts over the last three years,” he said. Arinc also spoke glowingly of the markets’ recent rise. “The government’s duty is to make sure the nation feels these positive market developments,” added Arinc. /Hurriyet/[04] CHP LEADER BAYKAL: “THERE ARE TRAPS IN THE FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT”Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday warned that the conditions imposed on Turkey in the European Union negotiating framework document included burdensome conditions exceeding last December’s decisions, and added, “It reduces Turkey to privileged partnership.” Evaluating the framework document, in the first CHP group meeting of the new legislative year, Baykal claimed that there are booby traps in the framework. Baykal also criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul for making decisions relating to the EU mostly behind closed doors, adding, “I hope the premier didn’t inform the president the way the foreign minister informed us.” In related news, True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar said that the start of talks was a great success for the republic but added he was concerned that the framework document didn’t confirm this success. Agar claimed that the framework hides a second-class membership between the lines. /Cumhuriyet/[05] REHN HAILS “HISTORIC DECISION” TO BEGIN ANKARA’S EU TALKSSpeaking at a press conference yesterday in Brussels, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn, who is expected to visit Ankara this week, lauded the beginning of Turkey’s EU talks as a “historic decision,” adding that the screening process would begin on Oct. 20 covering science and research and continuing with education and culture. Rehn predicted that the screening process could continue for a year, but this wouldn’t be an obstacle to opening the negotiating chapters. He stated that the goal of Ankara’s EU talks was full membership, but added that the process was open-ended. /Star/[06] CHIRAC: “TURKEY NEEDS A CULTURAL REVOLUTION IN ORDER TO FULFILL EU CONDITIONS”French President Jacques Chirac said yesterday that Turkey needed to undergo a “major cultural revolution” in order to fulfill the EU’s membership conditions. He said that he hoped Ankara would achieve this, warning that if the Union rejects Turkey, saying that it doesn’t belong to Europe, radicalism could become widespread in the country. In related news, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said that closing the EU door to Turkey would be as unforgivable as spurning a lover. He added that beginning Ankara’s EU talks had forged a link between the West and the Muslim world. /Aksam/[07] TOBB HEAD CONGRATULATES GOVT FOR SUCCESS IN BEGINNING EU TALKSTurkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) head Rifat Hisarciklioglu yesterday congratulated the government for its successful efforts to begin Ankara’s European Union accession talks, adding that it should stay this course. In related news, Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM) Chairman Oguz Satici said that during this difficult negotiating process, the nation needed to be calm. He further predicted that international investors would be pleased with the atmosphere of confidence in Turkey. /Aksam/[08] LAGENDIJK: “THE LAST-MINUTE HITCHES SHAMED THE EU”Joost Lagendjk, co-chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission, said yesterday that he was ashamed of Austria’s efforts to derail Turkey’s EU bid. At a joint press conference held with Turkish MEP Cem Ozdemir, Lagendjk said that the way the European Union had started the negotiations was a disgrace. “One sentence was haggled over for 30 hours,” said Lagendijk and added, “Some promises were given at last December’s summit, and then at the very last moment, one of the member countries tried to change the whole process. This is a bad situation for both the EU and the perception of the EU in Turkey. Through its actions, Austria seriously damaged the Union.” Lagendjk also said that the word negotiation should be understood properly, as negotiations with the EU didn’t mean finding a common path but rather Turkey adapting itself to the EU. /Cumhuriyet/[09] RICE’S INTERVENTION ELIMINATED GREEK-CYPRUS NATO HURDLEThe hurdle of Greek Cyprus possibly seeking NATO membership in the final hours before Turkey’s negotiations with the European Union was solved by the US’ coordination with EU Term President Britain and working with Ankara, and putting pressure on the Greek Cypriot administration. According to American diplomatic sources, during the crisis in Luxembourg on Monday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Greek Cypriot administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos and said, “NATO members decide who will join the alliance. You must cease using your wish for NATO membership as leverage in Turkey’s relations with the EU.” /Milliyet/[10] OYAK BUYS 46.12% OF ERDEMIR SHARESAt an auction yesterday, 46.12% of the shares of Turkey’s largest flat-steel producer Erdemir were sold to the Oyak Group. After competing with Russian, Dutch and Belgian firms, Oyak won the tender with an offer of $2.77 million. /Sabah/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[12] THREE BATTLES AHEAD OF US BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on Turkey’s starting European Union membership talks on Monday. A summary of his column is as follows:“We became new citizens of a new Turkey yesterday, which was created by our two-century quest to integrate with modern civilization. Our basic take is as follows: We owe thanks to everybody who has brought us here, particularly the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, don’t think that these thanks are without reservations. We will talk about them in detail later. For now, one can say that Erdogan brought us to the point at which full membership talks with the European Union started, but he also made many, many concessions. For example, we accepted the EU’s discrimination against our country only to reach the current situation. However, we can cope with these concessions in the long term. Therefore, in general we’re glad with the situation. I want to refer to an article I wrote last Dec. 17, when the decision to starting membership talks with the EU was made. In that article, I wrote that the Ottoman Empire had started its adventure of integration with the modern civilization nearly at the same time as Iran and Egypt, that is, two centuries ago, and that Turks were successful in this competition. Today that truth is being hailed by the entire world and we’re glad that this development is in line with Ataturk’s aspirations. We’re happy today but our work is just starting, as Erdogan said. From here, we will have three battles on three fronts. Firstly, we will carry out EU membership talks with EU member countries. Secondly, we will do this inside our country. We will have to live in a new way, that is, in line with the law and its rules, in every area, from state administration to our personal lives. Thirdly and most importantly, we will have our fight outside as well. We will promote Turkey and make the EU member countries’ publics like us towards this end. This will be the hardest fight because we have to destroy old prejudices. Then we will settle a new and beautiful Turkey and modern Turks on those cleansed minds. Our work is difficult, but our aim is so noble that it is worth the struggle.” 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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