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Turkish Press Review, 08-12-05Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning05.12.2008FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS HANDED OUTPresident Abdullah Gul yesterday bestowed the 2008 Presidential Grand Culture and Art Awards on novelist Yasar Kemal, architect Turgut Cansever and classical music composer Alaaddin Yavasca. Due to illness, Cansever's wife and daughter accepted the honor on his behalf. Addressing the awards ceremony held at the Cankaya Presidential Palace, Gul said that the awards express the respect of Turkish society and the state for artists' role and their position in society. "Kemal transformed our traditions into monumental works of art, Yavasca recreated the Anatolian music tradition by forging a new synthesis, and Cansever presented society with a glorious blend of the human-oriented architectural tradition of Anatolia and Islam in modern, creative forms," he added. Also addressing the ceremony, Kemal criticized the world education system, saying, "Globalization harms different cultures and languages. We will realize a multicultural society." /Star-Aksam/[02] BUSH TELEPHONES PRESIDENT GULUS President George W. Bush telephoned President Abdullah Gul yesterday to thank him for his efforts to ease tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan and for his stance on the Iraqi issue. White House spokesperson Gordon Johndroe said that the two leaders also discussed the strong relationship between the US and Turkey. /Star/[03] ERDOGAN DENIES PLANS FOR VAT CUT TO FIGHT ECONOMIC CRISISSpeaking to reporters after a signing ceremony in Ankara yesterday between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Airbus, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a new standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund could be finalized by year's-end. Stating that Turkey agrees with the Fund on some matters, Erdogan said, "Not many sticking points remain, and we're discussing the main principles." The premier said if the talks continue at their current pace, an agreement could be reached within weeks. Asked about the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen Association's (TUSIAD) call for a cut in value-added taxes (VAT) to help fight the economic crisis, Erdogan said that the government was not considering any VAT cut. Criticizing TUSIAD, Erdogan said the same groups pressing for a new standby agreement with the IMF also call for a VAT cut, yet the IMF is calling for the VAT to be raised. The government also opposes any VAT hike, he added. Erdogan also said they will soon announce details of a new package to counter the economic crisis. /Turkiye/[04] AIRBUS, TUSAS TO PRODUCE KEY PART OF A350 AIRCRAFTTurkey's Tusas Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Airbus yesterday signed an agreement to produce ailerons, a key piece of airplane wings, for A350 aircraft. Attending the signing ceremony were Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau and German State Minister Europe Gunter Gloser, along with Airbus President Thomas Enders, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) President Louis Gallois, and TUSAS CEO Atalay Efeer. Speaking at the ceremony, Erdogan said that over the last few years Turkey's aviation industry and civil aviation sector has made remarkable progress. "This $500 million agreement will open new windows of cooperation in the European aviation industry for TAI," he added. "Our aviation technology has made giant strides with projects such as aircraft modernization and unmanned aircraft, done completely by Turkish engineers, to make the Turkish defense and aviation industry into an internationally recognized player." /Star/[05] BABACAN MEETS WITH HIS ARMENIAN, AZERI COUNTERPARTSForeign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday separately met with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian and Azeri counterpart Elmar Memmedyarov in Helsinki during a gathering of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers had earlier met with representatives from Russia, France and the US, from the OSCE's Minsk Group. During Babacan's meeting with the two diplomats, the outcome of that meeting was discussed. /Star/[06] CB HEAD: "THE FIRST PHASE OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS IS ALMOST OVER"Central Bank head Durmus Yilmaz said yesterday that the first phase of the global financial crisis was ending, but that it was uncertain how long its impact on the real sector would continue. Thus, a cautious stance towards the crisis is still needed, he said. Speaking at a meeting in Izmir on monetary policy, Yilmaz said the recovery of world markets would take additional time. Stating that Turkey is in good condition compared to other developing countries, Yilmaz said that eased fiscal policies could be implemented to stimulate demand, adding that the International Monetary Fund had also advocated this. In related news, State Minister for the Economy Mehmet Simsek is set to hold a press conference on recent economic developments and new government measures against the economic crisis. These will include decisive measures to protect jobs, in addition to other steps. Under the new package, the Central Bank will reportedly give banks $3 billion in financial support to ease tight liquidity. /Sabah/[07] YALCINDAG ATTENDS BUSINESS MEETING IN PARISFrench President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday received European private sector representatives, including Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairwomen Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag. During the first day of the meeting in Paris, the top businessmen and Sarkozy, whose nation holds the European Union term presidency through Dec. 31, focused on measures to battle the global economic crisis. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Yalcindag said that they had presented to Sarkozy a report outlining the European business world's priorities and calls for the bloc's enlargement, including Turkey and the Balkans. The meeting will continue today with the attendance of EU Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso. /Hurriyet/[08] POLAND HOSTING EUROPE-TURKEY FORUMTurkey has dispatched a 70-member delegation to represent it at the First Europe-Turkey Forum starting today in Sopot, Poland. During the two-day meeting, politicians, bureaucrats, scholars and journalists are expected to discuss Turkey's prospective European Union membership and a strategic vision for the process. /Turkiye/[09] IRAQ TO BUILD BORDER WATCHTOWERS TO BLOCK PKK INFILTRATIONThe Iraqi government has announced plans to construct watchtowers along its 540-kilometer border with Turkey in order to prevent the infiltration of PKK terrorists. Iraqi Army Commander Gen. Muhsin Abdulhasan said that 28 towers will be built soon, adding that they will be staffed by 1,500 security officers. "When incidents occur, Turkish patrols will be alerted through an emergency signal," he added. /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS [10] HARD DAYS AHEAD AT THE TOPBY NASUHI GUNGOR (STAR)Columnist Nasuhi Gungor comments on the international financial crisis. A summary of his column is as follows: "Markets are always sensitive to government statements, but today especially so. Every statement or projection causes huge ripples. After the crisis began, economic actors started to discuss what the government would do, and some of the stronger voices began to insist on what they wanted. This included calls for an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. The government's relaxed stance on this and its saying the Fund had to agree to Turkey's conditions for a pact angered these actors, because the crisis means something different for them. They realized what a watershed the crisis is, albeit belatedly. Let's take a closer look at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's latest statement on the IMF. He said that most of the sticking points had been overcome and that they had been discussing not money, but basic principles. Now the crisis lobby, which has been pushing for an agreement as soon as possible, is asking what's taking so long. Erdogan is being accused of making the markets wait for nothing and thereby deepening the crisis. The crisis lobby's warnings of bankruptcies and job losses are meant to put more pressure on the government. True, there's stagnation, and unemployment is a serious problem. In addition, exports are falling. But the crisis lobby's calls for certain measures in the guise of solutions are disingenuous. Capital groups which are used to getting public funds and being rescued by the state when they face bankruptcy know that this time things are moving in a different direction. They got what they wanted back during the 2001 crisis. Afterwards, they fell into great debt, because they thought they could get rescued again and that no political party would refuse them. Those who accuse the government of mismanaging the crisis are actually trying to hide their own balance sheets' culpability. The key issue is in Erdogan's statement that they haven't been discussing money (the amount of a loan), but basic principles. Clearly, the government doesn't want the standby to continue Turkey's current economic structure. What's more, the crisis will cause radical changes in Turkey's capital structure. Actors which up to now have been protected by the state and fattened themselves on the public teat will either learn to live within their means, or let the crisis show them their limits. Let me make a guess about the days to come. Those capital forces who have been on top will face hard times. No IMF agreement or government measures can change this. It will be difficult. In this sense, 2009 might be harder than we expect. But barring a large deviation or incident, Turkey will be able to overcome this crisis. The important changes in the structure of capital will also have a big impact on social life and politics. All of us will see this." [11] TO OUR READERSIn observance of the Feast of the Sacrifice Holiday (Kurban Bayrami), the Turkish Press Review will not appear next week. Please rejoin us on Monday, Dec. 15.Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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