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Turkish Press Review, 08-12-16Turkish 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 morning16.12.2008CONTENTS
[01] GUL'S IRAQ VISIT POSTPONEDPresident Abdullah Gul has postponed an upcoming visit to Iraq, said the Presidential Press Center yesterday. A statement said that his doctors had advised Gul to stay off airplanes until mid-January due to problems with his inner ear. /Star/[02] JUSTICE MINISTER SAHIN: "WE HAVE NO PLANS FOR AN AMNESTY"Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said yesterday that the government has no plan to issue an amnesty. Commenting on statistics saying that Turkey's prison population is now the highest it has been in 39 years, Sahin said Turkey had seen many amnesties over the years, and that these may have encouraged people to commit crimes. Sahin added that the number of inmates, which has swelled to over 100,000, should be interpreted in light of social and economic problems. /Hurriyet/[03] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT STARTING TWO-DAY VISIT TO TURKEYBulgarian President Georgi Parvanov is scheduled to arrive in Ankara today for a two-day official visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. The two leaders will discuss regional and international affairs in addition to bilateral relations, said the Presidential Press Office. Parvanov will later travel to Kayseri, where he will attend a meeting of the Turkish-Bulgarian Business Council. /Today's Zaman/[04] KAZAKH AMBASSADOR: "WE'LL NEVER FORGET HOW TURKEY HELPED US"Trade between Turkey and Kazakhstan should be improved, as the current volume is low in light of both countries' great economic potential, said Kazakh Ambassador to Ankara Bagdat Amreyev yesterday. "Seventeen years ago, Turkey was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan's independence from the Soviet Union," he told Sabah daily, marking the country's anniversary today. "It was also the first country to send us financial aid. In the early days of our independence, the first foreign firms to invest in Kazakhstan were Turkish. Turkish contractors built our first new buildings." Turkey's contributions to Kazakhstan will never be forgotten, he added. Saying that the two countries enjoy strong political, economic and cultural ties, Amreyev also stressed the importance of common institutions for improved relations among the Turkic republics. Praising a recent agreement between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Azerbaijan to establish an interparliamentary assembly of Turkic republics, he added that work is underway to form a permanent secretariat among Turkic heads of state. Turning to bilateral energy cooperation, he said Kazakh oil companies would invest more in Turkey's energy sector in the years to come. Kazakhstan's oil reserves are among the world's top six. /Sabah/[05] CRISIS GROUP REPORT URGES TURKEY, EU TO REVIVE NEGOTIATION PROCESSThe European Union should frequently and earnestly express that Turkey can gain full membership if it fulfills all the criteria for accession, the International Crisis Group, a top EU think-tank, said in a new report released yesterday. Stating that both sides need to remember how much they have to gain from each other and move quickly, the report said the loss of EU-bound momentum in the negotiation process would mean weak reform performance from Turkey and the potential loss of the principal anchor of this decade's "economic miracle" in the country. For Europe, the cost would be longer term, the report warned: less easy access to one of the biggest and fastest-growing nearby markets, likely new tensions over Cyprus, and loss of leverage that real partnership with Turkey offers in helping to stabilize the Middle East, strengthen EU energy security, and reach out to the Muslim world. The report also urged the Turkish government to pledge to restart EU reforms at the highest level. /Turkiye/[06] WARNING OF FALLOUT FROM GLOBAL CRISIS, OECD'S GURRIA URGES DEAL WITH IMFAngel Gurria, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), yesterday arrived in Ankara at the invitation of Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan. Speaking at a panel on Turkey and the international economy, co-organized by the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), and Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), Gurria urged the government to sign a deal with the International Monetary Fund as soon as possible. "Don't be too optimistic about financial measures under the current conditions. No country is immune to the global crisis," he added. Also addressing the panel, TUSIAD Chairwoman Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag claimed that in the second half of next year growth will halt abruptly, sending Turkey into a recession. Rifat Hisarciklioglu, chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB), said that rating agencies have misled the public, adding, "Control and supervision mechanisms have become ineffectual due to big companies' lust for excessive profit." On the sidelines of the panel, Gurria met with President Abdullah Gul and Unakitan. /Miliyet/[07] TREASURY: "AN IMF DELEGATION WILL VISIT IN JANUARY"The Treasury Undersecretariat yesterday stated that an International Monetary Fund delegation will visit Turkey early in the new year. Great progress has been made on a new economic program between Turkey and the IMF, it said in a statement. "An IMF team has been invited to Turkey to have talks on policies, structural adjustments, and the contents of a program which will form part of a standby deal to be signed with the Fund," it added. /Cumhuriyet/FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… [08] QUOTH THE WISE MENBY ERDAL SAFAK (SABAH)Columnist Erdal Safak comments on a new report on Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows: "The International Crisis Group (ICG), a European Union think-tank whose views are taken very seriously, yesterday released a new report on Turkey. We give more weight to ICG reports than other EU documents, as the group represents the EU's 'wise men.' While other EU reports only offer evaluations, criticisms and suggestions for the country in question, the ICG shows the other side of the coin as well. Its reports are solution- oriented, and its suggestions are neutral and responsible. The new report, 'Turkey and Europe: The Decisive Year Ahead,' falls in line with these principles. Along with its August 2007 report 'Turkey and Europe: The Way Ahead,' these documents show how things have gone awry over the past 16 months. The 2007 report struck a hopeful note, but now the alarm bells are ringing. By 'decisive year,' the ICG means 2009. The reason for alarm is the danger Turkey's EU bid could end. According to the report, 'Turkey is entering a critical year, in which its prospects for European Union membership are at make or break stage.' Of course Turkey is also responsible for the emergence of this danger, through stalled reforms, lack of progress on the Kurdish issue and expanding religious freedoms, suspending work on a new constitution, etc. But as the ICG stresses, the EU is also responsible for this deadlock, through failing to voice the membership goal, blocking many negotiation chapters, not encouraging reforms, lack of cooperation in the fight against the terrorist PKK, etc. 'The dangers to Turkey of this loss of EU-bound momentum are already evident,' stresses the report, and adds: 'For Europe, the cost would be longer term.' The ICG suggested the following to the EU in August 2007, just after Turkey entered a very hopeful period (after general elections in July): 'Europeans who attack the prospect of Turkish membership of the EU underestimate the damage they do to European interests.' The report added, 'On the European side, it is a matter of full, serious and continuing engagement in the accession process and not excluding the possibility of Turkey's ultimate membership if there is full compliance with EU norms.' It recommended the following: ' For leaders of countries and opinion-makers in favour of Turkey's accession, speak up in European forums, doing more to explain the mutual benefits that will flow from the accession process and ultimate membership.' But positions completely contrary to these recommendations have been seen over the last 16 months, when the EU fired on all cylinders so that not only the government, but also the Turkish people got fed up with the EU, showing hindrances, anti-Turkish statements, and jealousy over Ankara's diplomatic dynamism and its role as peacemaker. Since October 2005, when our membership talks began, only eight out of 35 chapters have been opened. France says two more could be opened before its term presidency ends on Jan. 1, which would make 10. On the other hand, eight chapters were frozen due to the Cyprus issue and five due to France's veto. In addition, three can't be opened due to objections from France and the Greek Cypriot administration. So this equals 16. There are only 11 chapters which can be brought to the table. And the EU Commission has kept these back by failing to send the screening reports! Under these conditions, what government could be ambitious about carrying out reforms which carry political risks? I'm not hopeful, but this report should bring EU leaders to their senses and remind them of the heavy price Turkey's loss would bring." [09] FLYING SHOESBY BEKIR COSKUN (HURRIYET)Columnist Bekir Coskun comments on a protest against US President George W. Bush in Iraq this week. A summary of his column is as follows: "First off, the Arab reporter was successful. The two shoes that he threw hit their mark â€" in other words, the place where Bush's head was supposed to be. But his head wasn't there. I could tell that our colleague had practiced tossing shoes at home, or else Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki, standing next to Bush, may have been hit by at least one of them. Secondly, Bush also had gotten practice … Probably he'd been briefed on what to do when people throw eggs, tomatoes, and carrots at him. He ducked in a split-second, keeping one eye on the first shoe projectile. When he saw the second shoe coming, he ducked again … Thirdly, the shoes that were thrown were Iraqi. They were probably old, and half of their weight when they were first bought. If a Turkish villager had thrown his boot, this could have done a lot more damage, even to Maliki … Fourth, we should remember this shoe. After US forces entered Baghdad and helped pull down the statue of Saddam Hussein, people used their shoes to hit its head. Once they were saved from his dictatorship, people who once admired and obeyed Saddam began to hit his head with their shoes. But then Saddam was replaced by the US… The solution of a submissive, foolish, unquestioning mind is again a shoe… Here, you've seen that shoe in the air…" Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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