|
|
Turkish Press Review, 06-02-03
From: 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 morning
03.02.2006
FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS
WITH ERDOGAN
AKP TO PRESENT BILL PROPOSING
CHANGES TO LAW ON DECLARATION OF ASSETS
FOREIGN MINISTRY: “TURKEY
SHARES THE INTL COMMUNITY’S CONCERNS OVER IRAN’S
NUCLEAR PROGRAM”
GEORGIAN PREMIER TO VISIT
ISTANBUL
BAYKAL MEETS WITH US
AMBASSADOR, DISCUSSES ASSETS DISCLOSURE
CONTROVERSY
BABACAN MEETS WITH FRENCH FM,
DISCUSSES ECONOMIC TIES
EU COMMISSIONER REHN: “I’M
EMBARRASSED WE DIDN’T KEEP OUR PROMISES ON
CYPRUS”
YYU RECTOR ASKIN VISITS DYP
LEADER AGAR
COUNCIL OF STATE HALTS TUPRAS
SALE
TOBB: “WE’LL PRESENT A REPORT
TO ERDOGAN ON THE PROBLEMS OF BUSINESSMEN”
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
STRATEGIC MAINTENANCE
BY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)
CONTENTS
[01] FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH
ERDOGAN
[02] AKP TO PRESENT BILL PROPOSING
CHANGES TO LAW ON DECLARATION OF ASSETS
[03] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “TURKEY SHARES
THE INTL COMMUNITY’S CONCERNS OVER IRAN’S
NUCLEAR PROGRAM”
[04] GEORGIAN PREMIER TO VISIT ISTANBUL
[05] BAYKAL MEETS WITH US AMBASSADOR,
DISCUSSES ASSETS DISCLOSURE CONTROVERSY
[06] BABACAN MEETS WITH FRENCH FM,
DISCUSSES ECONOMIC TIES
[07] EU COMMISSIONER REHN: “I’M
EMBARRASSED WE DIDN’T KEEP OUR PROMISES ON
CYPRUS”
[08] YYU RECTOR ASKIN VISITS DYP LEADER
AGAR
[09] COUNCIL OF STATE HALTS TUPRAS SALE
[10] TOBB: “WE’LL PRESENT A REPORT TO
ERDOGAN ON THE PROBLEMS OF BUSINESSMEN”
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[12] STRATEGIC MAINTENANCE
BY
MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)
[01] FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH
ERDOGAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan yesterday met with French Foreign
Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy. During the
meeting, Premier Erdogan decried cartoons
denigrating the Prophet Muhammed which were
published in a Danish newspaper and recently
republished in France. At a press conference
after the meeting, Douste-Blazy stated that they
had also discussed investment opportunities in
Turkey and Turkey’s efforts to fight bird flu.
Asked about the Iran controversy, Douste-Blazy
said, “As a neighboring country, Turkey’s role
in conveying the international community’s
messages to Iran is important.” /Star/
[02] AKP TO PRESENT BILL PROPOSING
CHANGES TO LAW ON DECLARATION OF ASSETS
The Justice and Development
Party (AKP) is expected to present a bill to
Parliament next week to make several changes to
the Law on Declaration of Assets. The changes
would include not only politicians, but also
military officers and judicial officials.
Commenting on the issue, Justice Minister Cemil
Cicek said that this should be a comprehensive
regulation and not only include politicians.
/Sabah/
[03] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “TURKEY SHARES
THE INTL COMMUNITY’S CONCERNS OVER IRAN’S
NUCLEAR PROGRAM”
Foreign Ministry spokesman
Namik Tan said yesterday that Ankara shares the
concerns of the international community over
Iran’s decision to restart its nuclear research
and development program. Tan stated that
regional security and stability was very
important for Turkey, so it was closely watching
developments in Iran. “Ankara believes that the
issue should be solved through diplomatic
means,” he said. “That’s why we support the
efforts of the European Union. We accept Iran’s
right to peacefully utilize nuclear energy, but
believe that Tehran should cooperate with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IACA) and
take measures to prove that its nuclear program
is for peaceful purposes.” /Turkiye/
[04] GEORGIAN PREMIER TO VISIT ISTANBUL
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab
Noghaideli will arrive in Turkey tomorrow to pay
a two-day working visit to Istanbul, the Foreign
Ministry announced in a written statement. The
visit will be the Georgian premier’s second
visit to Turkey in the last four months.
/Turkish Daily News/
[05] BAYKAL MEETS WITH US AMBASSADOR,
DISCUSSES ASSETS DISCLOSURE CONTROVERSY
Main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal
yesterday met with US Ambassador to Ankara Ross
Wilson to discuss the recent controversy over
politicians declaring their assets. Speaking to
reporters afterwards, Wilson said that in the
US, politicians are required to make a financial
disclosure every year. “I’ve disclosed my assets
for the last 15 years,” he said. “These
disclosures are confidential, but US politicians
can share this with the public, and I believe
the president and vice president normally do
so.” Wilson added that he had followed the
controversy through media reports. /Milliyet/
[06] BABACAN MEETS WITH FRENCH FM,
DISCUSSES ECONOMIC TIES
State Minister for the Economy
Ali Babacan yesterday met with visiting French
Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy,
accompanied by a group of French businessmen.
Speaking afterwards, Babacan said that Turkey’s
economic growth was creating opportunities for
European firms, especially French ones. For his
part, Douste-Blazy said that there were about
300 French firms operating in Turkey, adding
that the communications, transportation and
nuclear energy sectors in particular interested
French businesses. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] EU COMMISSIONER REHN: “I’M
EMBARRASSED WE DIDN’T KEEP OUR PROMISES ON
CYPRUS”
European Union Commissioner for
Enlargement Olli Rehn yesterday met in Brussels
with a delegation from the Turkish
Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association
(TUSIAD). During the meeting, Rehn expressed his
embarrassment about the EU’s failure to keep its
promises to the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) to ease its international
isolation. Ankara’s EU membership negotiations
were also discussed at the meeting. The TUSIAD
delegation also met with European Commission
President Jose Manuel Barroso, who said that
Turkey’s contribution to the EU was important
and those who disagree should look at a map.
Barroso also said that reforms in Turkey should
continue and be implemented fully. /Turkiye/
[08] YYU RECTOR ASKIN VISITS DYP LEADER
AGAR
Van Yuzuncu Yil University
(YYU) Rector Yucel Askin yesterday visited
opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet
Agar. Agar touched on Askin’s ongoing corruption
trial and said, “I hope this case doesn’t take
on a political character but stays within legal
bounds.” Agar also said that a DYP commission
was closely following the controversial trial.
/Turkiye/
[09] COUNCIL OF STATE HALTS TUPRAS SALE
The General Council of the
Administrative Lawsuit Departments of the
Council of State yesterday halted a tender for
the block sale of 51 percent of Tupras, the
share transfer of which had already been
completed. The council declared that some
provisions in the tender specifications violated
the Privatization Law. Koc Holding Chairman
Mustafa Koc said after the decision that it
would be premature to comment on it. /The New
Anatolian/
[10] TOBB: “WE’LL PRESENT A REPORT TO
ERDOGAN ON THE PROBLEMS OF BUSINESSMEN”
Turkish Union of Chambers and
Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) Executive Board
member Fethi Coskuntuncel said yesterday that
the group had divided Turkey into 11 regions and
are set to meet businessmen in these regions to
discuss their problems. “Later, we’ll prepare a
report and present it to Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan,” added Coskuntuncel. In related
news, the second Regional and Sectoral Economic
Council meeting is expected to be held on Feb.
14, and businessmen’s problems are to be
discussed. /Sabah/
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[12] STRATEGIC MAINTENANCE
BY
MUHARREM SARIKAYA (SABAH)
Columnist Muharrem Sarikaya
comments on the Mus Airport and its purpose. A
summary of his column is as follows:
“The
Mus Airport in Turkey’s southeast was
constructed after 1986 with US financial support
with an eye toward NATO’s military plans in the
Gulf region. It became the most strategic air
headquarters in the region. The airport recently
opened itself to civilian flights, just like
other military headquarters, and it’s often been
mentioned during the US operations in Iraq. It
ranked among six headquarters that the Pentagon
wants to use for its Iraq operation. After
Turkey rejected a proposal authorizing the
deployment of US troops on Turkish soil for its
operations in Iraq in March 2003, discussions on
it ended. However, the US’ interest in the
airport wasn’t over. It came up with the tension
about Iran’s nuclear program. Reportedly, it
came up for the first time during US National
Security Advisor Stephen Hadley’s visit to
Ankara last year. There were claims that the US
wanted to use this airport in a possible attack
against Iran. While the tension between Iran and
the US and the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) was rising yesterday, an important
decision was signed in Ankara. During the
meeting earlier this week with the Directorate
General of State Airports Authority (DHMI) at
the Air Forces Command, it was decided to close
the Mus Airport temporarily. The reason for this
was to renovate two of the airport’s runways
which are damaged. As part of this, the DHMI
will also expand the runways.
So
far this is all normal. However, the period
envisaged for the construction is interesting. I
spoke with Mus Governor Ibrahim Ozcimen
yesterday, who said that the construction will
be completed in a period of 700 working days.
However, Mus Mayor Necmettin Dede said that
officials told him that it would be only 450
working days. According to Ozcimen’s
calculations, the airport can go back into
service in two or four years. Ozcimen and Dede
have suggested that officials open one of the
runways in order not to hinder transportation,
but this was rejected. There are various views
about Ankara’s decision about the airport. Prime
Minister Abdullah Gul has suggested opening a
door for dialogue, instead of isolating Iran
completely. The decision about the airport shows
Ankara’s intention to continue this role.”
ARCHIVE
The news and articles issued in the Turkish Press Review
may be quoted from provided due acknowledgement is made.
<script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js">
</script>
|