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Turkish Press Review, 05-12-28
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
28.12.2005
SEZER, MUBARAK AGREE TO BOLSTER
BILATERAL COOPERATION
CAPITAL CELEBRATES 86th
ANNIVERSARY OF ATATURK’S ARRIVAL IN ANKARA
PARLIAMENT PASSES BUDGET
CICEK CALLS FOR PATIENCE OVER
PAMUK TRIAL
JUDICIAL PROBE BEGUN INTO
LAGENDIJK
EU REPORT CALLS TURKS IN GREECE
A “MUSLIM MINORITY”
GREEK CYPRIOTS’ IACOVOU:
“TURKEY MIGHT COLLIDE WITH THE EU”
TALAT MEETS US AMBASSADOR TO
GREEK CYPRUS
BARZANI TO VISIT ANKARA
WB: “THE TURKISH ECONOMY’S
PERFORMANCE IS BETTER THAN EXPECTED, BUT
STRUCTURAL REFORMS HAVE BEEN DELAYED”
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
THE TSK AND COMMUNICATIONS BY
M. ALI KISLALI (RADIKAL)
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER, MUBARAK AGREE TO BOLSTER
BILATERAL COOPERATION
[02] CAPITAL CELEBRATES 86th ANNIVERSARY
OF ATATURK’S ARRIVAL IN ANKARA
[03] PARLIAMENT PASSES BUDGET
[04] CICEK CALLS FOR PATIENCE OVER PAMUK
TRIAL
[05] JUDICIAL PROBE BEGUN INTO LAGENDIJK
[06] EU REPORT CALLS TURKS IN GREECE A
“MUSLIM MINORITY”
[07] GREEK CYPRIOTS’ IACOVOU: “TURKEY
MIGHT COLLIDE WITH THE EU”
[08] TALAT MEETS US AMBASSADOR TO GREEK
CYPRUS
[09] BARZANI TO VISIT ANKARA
[10] WB: “THE TURKISH ECONOMY’S
PERFORMANCE IS BETTER THAN EXPECTED, BUT
STRUCTURAL REFORMS HAVE BEEN DELAYED”
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[12] THE TSK AND
COMMUNICATIONS BY M. ALI KISLALI (RADIKAL)
[01] SEZER, MUBARAK AGREE TO BOLSTER
BILATERAL COOPERATION
Turkey and Egypt are determined
to diversify and enhance cooperation in every
field, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer told
reporters yesterday after meeting with Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak, on the last day of a
two-day visit to Cairo. Concerning the free
trade agreement signed by State Minister Kursad
Tuzmen and Egyptian Industry Minister Rachid
Mohamed Rachid in a ceremony witnessed by the
two presidents, Sezer said that both nations
wanted to boost bilateral trade to levels
reflecting the real potential of their rapidly
growing economies. The agreement is expected to
increase Turkey’s investments in Egypt from $600
million to $2 billion. The top leaders also
discussed regional and international issues,
including the Middle East and Cyprus. Mubarak
said they had agreed to “push the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process forward to
achieve the establishment of an independent
Palestinian state.” After completing his
contacts in Egypt, Sezer and his accompanying
delegation returned to Turkey. /Turkiye/
[02] CAPITAL CELEBRATES 86th ANNIVERSARY
OF ATATURK’S ARRIVAL IN ANKARA
Ankara Governor Kemal Onal and a delegation
visited Ataturk’s mausoleum, Anitkabir,
yesterday to celebrate the 86th anniversary of
the Turkish Republic founder’s arrival in
Ankara. Greater Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek,
Fourth Corps Commander Gen. Saldiray Berk,
Cankaya district Mayor Muzaffer Eryilmaz and a
delegation of other prominent Ankarans visited
the site. Onal laid a wreath at the mausoleum,
observed one minute of silence and signed
Anitkabir’s commemorative guestbook. Meanwhile,
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a
message yesterday celebrating the occasion.
“Ankarans welcomed Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on Dec.
27, 1919 and then managed to turn a small city
in Anatolia into Turkey’s political, social and
cultural center,” Erdogan said in his message.
“Ankara didn’t only remain a center, but became
the capital city of the Turkish Republic after
the establishment of the Parliament,” he
continued. “We commemorate Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
and his colleagues on the 86th anniversary of
their arrival in Ankara.” /The New Anatolian/
[03] PARLIAMENT PASSES BUDGET
Parliament’s General Assembly
yesterday approved the 2006 budget after
contentious debates between the government and
the opposition. Motherland Party (ANAVATAN)
leader Erkan Mumcu accused the government of
implementing an unjust tax policy, saying that
the government was getting away with it by
frightening the people with fears of a financial
crisis. In his address to the assembly, Mumcu
said that a quarter of the educated workforce
was unemployed and called on the government to
stop delaying the implementation of necessary
structural reforms. Republican People’s Party
(CHP) leader Deniz Baykal accused the government
of ignoring the problems of the country by
deciding to cut state investment. He said all
the mistakes the government had committed in its
three years in power had begun to catch up with
it. Despite the opposition, the majority Justice
and Development Party (AKP) deputies
ensured
that the budget passed. In related news, during
the budget debates, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s statements scolding CHP leader Baykal
and opposition deputies, and aiming at some
deputies by giving their names, caused great
friction. While answering criticisms of the
opposition, Erdogan addressed only Baykal by
name. /Turkish Daily News, Cumhuriyet/
[04] CICEK CALLS FOR PATIENCE OVER PAMUK
TRIAL
Speaking to reporters at Parliament yesterday,
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek called for
“democratic patience” for debates over Articles
301 and 305 of the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK),
which has been used as the basis of
controversial charges brought against a number
of people, including author Orhan Pamuk. “The
process of judgement is continuing,” he said.
“All we need is democratic patience.” Cicek
declined to give details of steps to be taken on
the issue. Commenting on a petition campaign
started by a group of intellectuals on the
issue, Cicek said that he had tried to solve the
matter. /Hurriyet/
[05] JUDICIAL PROBE BEGUN INTO LAGENDIJK
The
Beyoglu Republican Chief Prosecutor’s Office has
begun a judicial inquiry into Turkey-European
Union Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-Chair
Joost Lagendijk under Article 301 for “insulting
Turkey, the Republic, its institutions and its
bodies,” and Article 288 for “attempting to
influence a fair trial” of the new Turkish Penal
Code (TCK). Commenting on the news, Lagendijk
said, “This will only benefit forces in European
Union countries who oppose Turkey,” adding, “Let
them do this. Unfortunately, this puts friends
of Turkey on the spot.” /Hurriyet/
[06] EU REPORT CALLS TURKS IN GREECE A
“MUSLIM MINORITY”
The
European Monitoring Center on Racism and
Xenophobia (EUMC), affiliated to the European
Union, yesterday released its 2005 report. It
called Turks living in Greece a “Muslim
Minority,” but gave no national identity. The
largest numbers of xenophobic incidents were
seen in Great Britain and Germany, said the
report. /Turkiye/
[07] GREEK CYPRIOTS’ IACOVOU: “TURKEY
MIGHT COLLIDE WITH THE EU”
Speaking to British news agency
Reuters, Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister George
Iacovou said yesterday that if Turkey didn’t
open its harbors and airports to Greek Cypriots
next year, it might end up on a “collision
course” with the European Union. Commenting on
State Minister Abdullatif Sener’s recent
statement that Turkey would not take unilateral
steps on the Cyprus issue, Iacovou said that
Sener’s statements signaled that Turkey had
entered a road towards conflict with the EU.
Stressing that a review of Turkey would be done
next year, the top diplomat said that they want
the process to take place during Austria’s EU
term presidency, before July. In addition, Greek
Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos claimed
yesterday that Turkish Cypriots had become
members of the EU without any effort or
financial contribution on their part. With the
efforts and self-sacrifice of Greek Cypriots,
the Turkish Cypriots and their children became
legal citizens of the EU, said Papadopoulos.
/Star/
[08] TALAT MEETS US AMBASSADOR TO GREEK
CYPRUS
Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat met
yesterday with new US Ambassador to Greek Cyprus
Ronald L. Schlicher. No statement was made after
the meeting. Last week, Schlicher presented his
credentials to Greek Cypriot leader Tassos
Papadopoulos. During the meeting, Papdopulous
indirectly warned the US administration against
any attempt to “upgrade” the status of the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC),
while Schlicher said one of his top priorities
would be to help the two sides in Cyprus reach
an agreement. /Turkish Daily News/
[09] BARZANI TO VISIT ANKARA
Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud
Barzani is expected to pay an official visit to
Ankara today in the wake of his October meeting
in northern Iraq with National Intelligence
Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Emer Taner.
During his visit, Barzani will be accompanied by
a delegation, led by Safeen Dizayee, the foreign
relations head for the Iraqi Kurdistan
Democratic Party (IKDP). Barzani and the
delegation will meet with officials from the MIT
and other public institutions to discuss a
number of issues. The visit is important as the
first following the Dec. 15 Iraqi elections.
Barzani met with Turkish officials in Salaheddin
in October. /Aksam/
[10] WB: “THE TURKISH ECONOMY’S
PERFORMANCE IS BETTER THAN EXPECTED, BUT
STRUCTURAL REFORMS HAVE BEEN DELAYED”
In a
report released on Monday, the World Bank hailed
positive economic developments in Turkey, saying
that the performance of the economy was better
than expectations. The report, added, however,
that the implementation of structural reforms,
including privatization of public banks and
social security reform, had been delayed. The
bank stressed that if problems crop up in
Turkey’s accession talks with the European Union
and this is misunderstood by investors and the
market, this could slow the pace of structural
reforms. Emphasizing that the most important
point of the negotiating process was to create
new jobs and bring down unemployment, the report
stated that it was time to take in hand the
basic factors of economic growth. The report
further stated that high current account deficit
still posed a threat to the economy. /Sabah/
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[12] THE TSK AND
COMMUNICATIONS BY M. ALI KISLALI (RADIKAL)
Columnist M. Ali Kislali comments on the issue
of information and communications and the
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). A summary of his
column is as follows: “Years ago when I was
about to end my visit to Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu
at the General Staff, he told met to sit, showed
me some files on his desk and said, ‘You always
criticize me about information and public
relations. Let me show you how we work.’ He
showed the way Department of Communication works
with a few files. When he ended this
presentation, I thanked him for his kindness. I
told him that I could think of the General Staff
as a modern one in this respect as with others
and that what I have been criticizing is the
General Staff’s lack of information for the
media. Then he sent three colonels belonging to
three forces, including the head of the
Communications Department, the next day to
discuss things in detail. I told them the needs
of the media and what modern ways could be
established with the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
Then, four or five years passed. I saw that
certain steps were taken. However, my view
hasn’t changed on this issue. Circles within
NATO say that the TSK is ahead on many
standards. However, the issue of communications
seems to be an area lagging behind. The latest
example of the tough stance of the Turkish
military emerged during Land Forces Commander
Gen. Yasar Buyukanit’s visit to the US. As this
trip coincided with the CIA and FBI directors’
visits to Turkey, people made various
interpretations. Gen. Buyukanit replied to these
interpretations there. Then he made a speech at
an establishment close to the US Republican
leadership. A few of my colleagues were there as
well. However, the rule was that they would not
write down his speech. Concerning this speech, a
Turkish colleague only said that everybody can
be sure that the Americans didn’t ask what
Turkey’s situation would be. Then he said that
Buyukanit said that he gave a speech emphasizing
the changes the terrorist PKK went through and
where it is today. Meanwhile, an American who
attende the meeting said that the general said
things which could be said anywhere. It seems
Gen. Buyukanit didn’t say anything new about the
PKK. However, for whatever reason, would lift
this veil of secrecy. I asked the General
Staff’s spokesman about this and he said that
neither they nor the Land Forces has information
about it and cited the non-disclosure agreement.
Is this possible that neither the Land Forces
headquarters nor the General Staff know about
the Land Forces commander’s speech in the US?
Unfortunately, this is not the only example of
how the TSK isn’t modern on the issue of
communications.”
ARCHIVE
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