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Turkish Press Review, 00-11-09
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
09.11.00
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
THE MEANINIG OF THE ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT
[02] BY EROL MANISALI (CUMHURIYET)
[03] ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT DECLARED
[04] FRENCH SENATE PASSES THE ARMENIAN BILL
[05] ANNAN MEETS WITH DENKTAS AND KLERIDES
[06] YILMAZ VISITS SOUTH EAST ANATOLIA
[07] KIVRIKOGLU MEETS GREEK COMMANDER
[08] UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY
[09] IRAQ HALTS PUMPING OF OIL THROUGH KIRKUK-YUMURTALIK PIPELINE
[10] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN IN EUROPE INVEST IN SOUTH EAST ANATOLIA
[11] PRODUCTION INCREASE IS 6.3 PERCENT
[12] DEMIRBANK UNDERWRITES ROMANIAN STATE BONDS
[13] AKBANK GIVES $200 MILLION CREDIT TO TURKCELL
[14] EXHIBITION "THE GREAT PALACE OF BYZANTINE EMPERORS" BEGINS
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[16] THE MEANINIG OF THE ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT
BY EROL MANISALI (CUMHURIYET)
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
THE MEANINIG OF THE ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT
[02] BY EROL MANISALI (CUMHURIYET)
[03] ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT DECLARED
Yesterday, the EU Commission announced the Accession Partnership
Document (APD) outlining Turkey's strategy for full EU
membership. Diplomatic circles said Greece made last minute
revision to the Document, and statements on the Cyprus issue were
removed from "the introduction section" and put into "the short
term precautions section" of the Document. In the introduction
section, Turkey's efforts to comply with the Copenhagen Criteria
were praised. The principles section of the APD stated that
border disputes between countries (implicating the Aegean issues
between Turkey and Greece) should be solved with bilateral
meetings. If no solution was found by the end of 2004, the
parties should go to the International Court of Justice at the
Hague, complying with the UN resolution. The Commission expects
Turkey to announce the "National Harmonization Programme" by the
end of this year and to take into consideration the priorities
stated in the APD. The APD will be valid after ratification by
the Council of the EU meeting on Nov. 20 or Dec. 5. Meanwhile, in
a statement the Turkish Foreign Ministry reiterated Turkey's view
that the Cyprus issue was a issue between the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek-Cypriot Administration. It
said Turkey's effort to solve the issue could not be related to
its EU membership. The statement also noted that Turkey has
passed a milestone in the full EU membership process and it would
continue its efforts to start to full membership negotiations.
/Turkiye/
[04] FRENCH SENATE PASSES THE ARMENIAN BILL
Yesterday, the Bill on the so-called Armenian genocide passed in
the French Senate by 164 votes to, 40 votes against with four
senators abstaining. According to the French Constitution, the
bill will be sent to the French Assembly. Bulent Akarcali, a
member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) delegation
who met with French senators before the voting, said neither
President Jacques Chirac, nor Premier Lionel Jospin attempted to
prevent the bill's passing. Stressing that enacting the bill
would damage Turco-French economic, cultural and social
relations, Mr. Akarcali said, "The French government
underestimated and deceived the Republic of Turkey." Meanwhile,
the Turkish Foreign Ministry reacted to bill's passage.
Yesterday, French Ambassador to Turkey, Bernard Garcia was
summoned to the Foreign Ministry and had Turkey's concern and
views over the case quoted to him. Additionally, party
representatives in the TGNA condemned France in their statements
saying no one would benefit from those kind of efforts. /All
Papers/
[05] ANNAN MEETS WITH DENKTAS AND KLERIDES
Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of UN, met with Rauf Denktas,
the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
and Glafkos Klerides, the leader of the Greek-Cypriot
Administration in Geneva during the fifth round of the proximity
talks. Annan proposed that both leaders come together again in
January. Annan said he asked Alvaro De Soto, the Special
Representative for Cyprus, to visit Ankara, Athens and Cyprus at
the end of this month. Evaluating the APD, President Rauf Denktas
said putting the Cyprus issue into the short term criteria, is a
big play by the EU against Turkey. /Turkiye/
[06] YILMAZ VISITS SOUTH EAST ANATOLIA
Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Motherland Party, Mesut
Yilmaz will visit South East Anatolia Nov.18-21. This is his
first visit as a part of the coalition government. Mr. Yilmaz
will put out information regarding the government's regional
policy and democratization which the EU put as a precondition for
Turkey's full EU membership. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] KIVRIKOGLU MEETS GREEK COMMANDER
The Chief of the General Staff Huseyin Kivrikoglu met with his
Greek counterpart, Manausos Paragioudakis yesterday in Brussels,
to attend the NATO Military Committee meeting. The two commanders
talked about confidence-building measures in the Aegean and
military cooperation. The Military Committee, NATO's highest
military decision-making body began its 140th regular convention
yesterday in Brussels. Mr. Kivrikoglu represents Turkey in the
meeting. Topics regarding the status quo in the Balkans and
European Security and Defense Identity(ESDI) will be on the
meeting's agenda. The Chiefs of the General Staff will meet with
military representatives of those states cooperating with the
NATO during the European-Atlantic Partnership Committee meeting
today. /Aksam/
[08] UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma will pay an official visit to
Turkey Nov.22-24. The president will attend a function to be held
in his honor in Istanbul Nov.24. A Joint Economic Commission
meeting between the two countries is due to be held in Ukraine
Dec.13-16. A Turkish delegation, under the direction of State
Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen, will attend the meeting which
places great emphasis on economic relations. /Turkish Daily News/
[09] IRAQ HALTS PUMPING OF OIL THROUGH KIRKUK-YUMURTALIK PIPELINE
Iraq has temporarily suspended operation of the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik
oil pipeline because of a payment problem, UN spokesman Stephane
Dujarric said yesterday. The problem will be resolved soon and
Iraq will probably resume operation of the pipeline shortly,
Dujarric said. He added the problem concerned the payments made
to Iraq for the oil it sells as a part of the UN's oil-for-food
program. According to Dujarric, the problem arose after Iraq
refused to be paid in US dollars and instead asked for payment in
euros. The Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline, a major oil pipeline
transferring Iraqi oil to western markets through Turkey, was
closed in the aftermath of the Gulf War of 1990. The pipeline
resumed operation in 1995 with the launch of the oil-for-food
program, allowing Iraq to sell oil in order to purchase basic
food and medical supplies. /Turkish Daily News/
[10] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN IN EUROPE INVEST IN SOUTH EAST ANATOLIA
Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen in Europe will invest in
the South East Project (GAP) region.President of the Association
of European Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (ATIAD), Esref
Unsal, said they will try to contribute to the economic
development by inviting European investors to the region, by
investing in the region, and by improving commercial relations.
/Cumhuriyet/
[11] PRODUCTION INCREASE IS 6.3 PERCENT
Increase in industrial output is 6.3 % compared with last year's
figures. Industrial production increased 4.8 % in the first nine
months of this year. Production in the manufacturing industry
increased 7 % and 8.4 % in the electric, water and natural gas
industries. /Sabah/
[12] DEMIRBANK UNDERWRITES ROMANIAN STATE BONDS
Demirbank entered the consortium of banks underwriting the
issuing of the second eurobonds by the Romanian government.
Demirbank is the first Turkish Bank to take part in such a
consortium to provide foreign funds to another country.
Representatives of Demirbank said the leader of the consortium is
ING Barings and Schroder Salomon Smith Barney. /Sabah/
[13] AKBANK GIVES $200 MILLION CREDIT TO TURKCELL
Akbank provided Turkcell with $200 million credit, until now the
largest amount a Turkish bank ever provided to a Turkish company.
The general director of Turkcell, Cuneyt Turktan, said they will
use the money to speed up infrastructural investments.
Previously, Mr. Turktan said, they received credit from
international financing institutions, but now, Akbank provided
similar conditions. Mr. Turktan said two new GSM operators will
be active in the market. To ready themselves for competition,
they will attach special importance to investments regarding the
mobile internet. /Milliyet/
[14] EXHIBITION "THE GREAT PALACE OF BYZANTINE EMPERORS" BEGINS
The painting exhibition titled, "The Great Palace of Byzantine
Emperors" opens today in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Works
in Sultanahmet, Istanbul. The exhibition runs until Nov.17. The
exhibition was organized by the Culture Ministry, the Italian
Embassy to Turkey, the Turkish Embassy to Italy, the Italian
Foreign Ministry, the Italian Culture Institute in Istanbul and
Yildiz Technical University. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[16] THE MEANINIG OF THE ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT
BY EROL MANISALI (CUMHURIYET)
Columnist Erol Manisali comments on EU's Accession Partnership
Document (APD) for Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:
The EU's Accession Partnership Document for Turkey was announced
yesterday. It states these evaluations will be
repeated in 2004, particularly on economic matters. Furthermore,
the EU expects improvement concerning democratization in
accordance with the Copenhagen criteria. Even though it is not
mentioned by name, the Kurdish problem is the focal point of the
EU approach, followed by the position of the National Security
Council. To top it all off, the it has placed the Greek demand on
Cyprus among the short-term problems to be solved in the APD.
This means that Cyprus is a pre-condition for the Turkish side to
enter the EU. In other words, the EU recognizes the present
Greek-Cypriot Administration as the only valid government on the
island and does not give an equal status to the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus. It is understood that the Aegean issue will
be taken to the Court of Justice at The Hague in 2004 as Greece
does not want to enter a dialogue with Turkey ove this issue. The
APD says the continental shelf is the issue left and it would be
best solved at the Hague.
The EU is telling Turkey what it has to do one by one, but is not
giving a time-table or even any financial aid for that matter.
The APD is a unilateral document and creates an imposition on
Turkey. Europe takes no responsibility, and ignores Turkey's
wishes altogether. The APD shows that if Turkey does not enter
the EU, it will also not be governed or controlled by the EU
administration. There is no difference between those wanting a
mandate in 1919 and those wanting to enter the EU today. What is
more, the APD does not give any guarantees for Turkey's future
admittance to the EU. Both in Helsinki and the APD issued
yesterday, the conditions Turkey has to comply with are being
pointed out. The surveys conducted uptil now show that 80% of the
Europeans are against Turkey's admittance into the Union.
Can the EU, which has admitted Turkey, leave out Belarus, the
Ukraine or even the Russian Federation? Such an integration would
mean upsetting the level of prosperity and domestic balances in
Europe. The APD is one of the milestones in the process of taking
Turkey under EU'rule and control. The EU will neither take Turkey
in nor will exclude it altogether. The greatest guarantee for the
EU is the 'EU lobby' created by a narrow circle and the media.
Concepts like 'homework' and 'road map', are more for societies
under the rule of colonial regimes.
The reason Ataturk's Turkey is being forced into such
unacceptable concepts can be explained by the dominance of a
narrow but influential circle in the media. It is a grave
mistake to believe that the APD is a step on the road to full EU
membership."
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