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Turkish Press Review, 02-01-30
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Turkish
Press Review >>
Foreign
Press Guide
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
30.01.2002
CONTENTS
[01] MGK DISCUSSES SECURITY, TURKISH-US RELATIONS, CYPRUS
[02] ECEVIT VISITING BULGARIA TODAY
[03] CEM TO CONVEY ARAFAT'S MESSAGE TO PERES
[04] TELEPHONE DIPLOMACY SPURS DIALOGUE ON AEGEAN
[05] NEW AFGHAN ARMY TO BE TRAINED BY THE US, NOT TURKEY
[06] SWEDISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WALLEN VISITS TURKEY
[07] FOGG: "THE TURKISH PEOPLE SHOULD BE INFORMED
ABOUT EU'S TARGETS"
[08] GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL
[09] MEAT FROM SACRIFICES ABROAD TO BE RETURNED TO TURKEY
[10] TURKISH OFFICIALS ON WAY TO WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
[11] TAYLOR: "TURKEY IS GOING WELL"
[12] S&P UPGRADES TURKEY'S OUTLOOK TO POSITIVE
[13] MIGROS SHOPPING CENTER REOPENS IN BAKU
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[15] TOO MANY PARTIES? BY TUFAN TURENC (HURRIYET)
[16] OLD CHESTNUT, NEW CAUSE ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)
[17] DON'T FALL FOR THIS TRAP BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
[01] MGK DISCUSSES SECURITY, TURKISH-US RELATIONS, CYPRUS
The National Security Council (MGK) chaired by
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer met yesterday. Present at the meeting
were Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Chief of the General Staff Gen.
Huseyin Kivrikoglu, deputy prime ministers Devlet Bahceli, Mesut
Yilmaz and Husamettin Ozkan, council member ministers, military
commanders, the gendarmerie chief commander and the MGK
secretary-general. An official statement issued following the six-hour
meeting said that the main topics discussed included: domestic and
foreign threats to Turkey's security, in particular a recent push for
Kurdish education backed by the terrorist PKK, Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit's visit to the US earlier this month and relations with that
country; and finally developments on the Cyprus issue and the current
political situation on the island. /All Papers/
[02] ECEVIT VISITING BULGARIA TODAY
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit will visit Bulgaria
today as a guest of his Bulgarian counterpart Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
Reportedly, Ecevit is expected to ask that Bulgaria ease its visa
requirements from Turkish citizens. Ecevit said yesterday that he also
hoped to improve Turkish-Bulgarian commercial relations. /Hürriyet/
[03] CEM TO CONVEY ARAFAT'S MESSAGE TO PERES
In the wake of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's
recent messages to Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit, the world's eyes are again focused on Turkey's
efforts towards urging peace and stability in the Middle East. Turkish
diplomatic sources stated yesterday that ongoing violence in the
region was the biggest obstacle to peace and stressed that mutual
trust must be established for the efforts towards peace to be
successful. Israeli commentator Hagit Ben-Yakov argued yesterday that
Arafat's messages showed he was aware of the fact that he was no
longer trusted. "The international community must persuade Arafat
to take measures against terrorism," said Ben-Yakov. "Arafat
must end his hostile policies against Israel." In addition,
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is expected to convey Arafat's
message and Turkey's views on the issue to Israeli Foreign Minister
Simon Peres tomorrow in New York during the World Economic Forum.
/Cumhuriyet/
[04] TELEPHONE DIPLOMACY SPURS DIALOGUE ON AEGEAN
Turkey and Greece have decided to start a new
process of dialogue in order to work out their differences concerning
the Aegean. Reportedly, the decision to initiate a dialogue on this
subject was taken by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and his
counterpart George Papandreou last weekend during a telephone
conversation. The two foreign ministers are set to first meet on Feb.
1 in New York and than on Feb. 12-13 to start the dialogue. Papandreou
said that the bilateral talks would be within the framework of the
principles of international law and the inviolability of borders,
adding that that Greece had nothing to fear from such a process. /Hürriyet/
[05] NEW AFGHAN ARMY TO BE TRAINED BY THE US, NOT TURKEY
US President George W. Bush stated yesterday that
the US would help establish and train a new Afghan army and police
force. Turkey had previously announced that it wished to help
Afghanistan build a new army. However, the Bush administration has
signaled that the US is committed to playing a leading role in the
reconstruction of Afghanistan. Turkey is scheduled to take over
command of the peacekeeping force led by Great Britain in April for
its final three months of duty. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] SWEDISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WALLEN VISITS TURKEY
On an official visit to Turkey yesterday, Swedish
Deputy Prime Minister Lena Hjelm-Wallen stated that Sweden supported
Turkey's bid for full EU membership. Hjelm-Wallen discussed Turkish-EU
relations as well as bilateral relations during a two-hour meeting
with his Turkish counterpart Mesut Yilmaz, who hosted the Swedish
politician. Wallen remarked that Turkey should meet the political
criteria set out by the EU as soon as possible in order to begin its
negotiation process. Yilmaz briefed Wallace on Turkey's recent
constitutional amendments, the new Civil Code and the National
Programme. He also voiced Turkey's dissatisfaction with the EU's
recent list of terrorist organizations, which excluded the PKK and
DHKP-C. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] FOGG: "THE TURKISH PEOPLE SHOULD BE INFORMED
ABOUT EU'S TARGETS"
Karen Fogg, the EU Commission's Representative in
Turkey, stated yesterday that the nation's government should inform
the Turkish people about the "real aims" of the EU and added
that its domestic harmonization laws should be enacted as soon as
possible. Fogg made the remarks in Istanbul in a speech to a panel on
Turkish-EU relations organized by the Economic Development Foundation.
Underlining the importance of this year for Turkey, Fogg argued that
the EU's main goal was to improve the economies and standards of
living of its member states. Meanwhile, Turkish Secretary-General for
EU Affairs Volkan Vural stressed that Turkey was determined to meet
the EU's criteria for the sake of democracy and human rights. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL
Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis Magriotis and
his wife Fotini traveled to Istanbul yesterday where they were
welcomed by that city's Greek Consul General Panos Kalogrepoulos,
whereupon they proceeded to Heybeliada Island to visit the historic
Ayatriada Monastery there. The Magriotis couple also visited the
private Heybeliada Greek School, an ancient school for clergymen.
Magriotis said that they had come to Istanbul three years ago for
their honeymoon, adding, "I visited Istanbul and all its islands
30 years ago, but this is my first time seeing the Ayatriada
Monastery. My only wish was to pray in this old monastery." The
couple was also due to attend a commemorative ceremony with Greek
Patriarch Bartelomeos II today. "Saint Basilios, Saint Gregorios
and Saint Hrisostomos will be commemorated in all the Orthodox
churches today for their contributions to education," Magriotis
said. "We will attend the ceremony in Istanbul and pray as
well." Magriotis, who became Greece's deputy foreign minister two
months ago, said that he was very optimistic about Turkish-Greek
relations. /Milliyet/
[09] MEAT FROM SACRIFICES ABROAD TO BE RETURNED TO TURKEY
Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate announced
yesterday that the meat of 55,000 sacrificed sheep to be killed by
Turkish pilgrims would be brought back to the country and given to the
poor and people living in the earthquake-hit Marmara region.
"Last year, the meat of the sheep sacrificed by Turkish pilgrims
was sent to our sister countries such as Azerbaijan and Bosnia through
the Islamic Development Bank," Directorate head Mehmet Nuri
Yilmaz told the Sabah daily. "This year we signed a protocol with
the bank directing that meat from the sacrifices would be brought to
Istanbul using the necessary climate and food safety conditions and
then distributed to the poor regions of Turkey through the provincial
directors of religious affairs." /Sabah/
[10] TURKISH OFFICIALS ON WAY TO WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
The World Economic Forum is set to begin tomorrow
and is due to last through Feb. 4. Some 3,000 people are expected to
attend the meeting in New York city, including 30 head of states, more
than 100 government ministers, dozens of heads of international
organizations; representatives of non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) and the media as well as scientists, artists and performers.
The new world situation in the following the September terrorist
attack on the US is expected to dominate the meeting's agenda.
Representing Turkey at the gathering will be State Minister for the
Economy Kemal Dervis, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Central Bank
Governor Sureyya Serdengecti, Ziraat Bank Board of Directors Chairman
of the Executive Board Vural Akisik and Privatization Board Chairman
Ugur Bayar. They will attend a number of meetings and panels where
Turkey's economic situation will be discussed, and they hope to
attract more foreign investors to the country. /Turkiye/
[11] TAYLOR: "TURKEY IS GOING WELL"
John Taylor, the US Treasury's undersecretary for
foreign affairs, arrived in Turkey yesterday and held meetings with
representatives of the banking sector and businessman. Taylor also met
with State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis and with academics
from Bogazici University. Commenting on the economy, Taylor said
"The economic program that the government is implementing is very
important, and we are very happy with the improvements in
Turkey." Turkey is going well, Taylor added. /Hürriyet/
[12] S&P UPGRADES TURKEY'S OUTLOOK TO POSITIVE
International credit rating agency Standard and
Poor's announced yesterday that Turkey's outlook had been raised from
stable to positive, while its current credit rating of B- was
reaffirmed. Economic circles are saying that Turkey's credit rating
will likely be raised in the near future. Meanwhile, experts from
Schroeder Salomon Smith Barney who have recently been holding meetings
with banking sector representatives in Istanbul and Ankara predicted
smooth sailing at the Feb. 4 IMF Executive Board meeting where
Turkey's Letter of Intent and the release of new loans will be
discussed. /Turkiye/
[13] MIGROS SHOPPING CENTER REOPENS IN BAKU
The first Migros shopping center outside Turkey
reopened yesterday after a $4.5 million reconstruction project in the
wake of a fire there last year. Among those who attended the reopening
of the Ramstore Hatai Migros in Baku, Azerbaijan were Turkish
Ambassador in Baku Unal Cevikoz, Koc Holding Consumer Group Chairman
Cengiz Solakoglu, Migros Director General Omer Bozer and Migros Board
of Directors head Oktay Irsidar. Migros reported that the fire had
broken out due to technical faults but that it had only taken six
months to get the store back to working order. /Aksam/
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS...
[15] TOO MANY PARTIES? BY TUFAN TURENC (HURRIYET)
Columnist Tufan Turenc wries on a wave of new
political parties in Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:
"We welcome Sema Piskinsut as the founder and chairwoman of
Turkey's 44th political party and hope that the TDP will bring a
breath of fresh air into Turkish politics. There are three more
parties waiting in the wings and thus the number of political parties
may reach 47 in the coming months. And these are only the parties
espousing leftist views. Together with the planned parties avowing
rightist, Turkkey may have a full 50 parties within two months. During
national elections we may have even more than 50. Forty or more of
these may take part in the elections and when such a great number of
political parties participate, there is bound to be confusion. What is
more, in a political spectrum so fragmented, what kind of a picture
may emerge from the elections? I don't believe there is a single
political expert who can answer this question. But, if that is the
case, why did Mrs. Piskinsut establish this party? Can a party, which
has no grassroots, raise support or attract votes? Sema Piskinsut may
have founded this party to see whether it would succeed or not. Those
who will form others will probably act with the same rationale.
However, such a division in Turkish politics is not a way to solve the
country's problems. We are moving through a difficult period when what
we need most is political stability. As we wait for unification on
both the left and the right, more divisions spring up. At present,
everything is confused, but we hope that everything will eventually
calm down and Turkey can achieve stability at the ballot-box."
[16] OLD CHESTNUT, NEW CAUSE ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)
Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli comments on the relations
between Turkey, the US and the Arab world. A summary of her column is
as follows: "The more tensions rise in the Middle East, the
greater the pressure on Turkey. During Turkish Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit's recent visit to the US, the Middle East peace process was one
of the most sensitive issues in behind-the-scenes discussions. Ecevit
conveyed the following message during his meetings with US officials:
"The tension in the Middle East is also affecting Iraq. If a
solution cannot be found for the Middle East, then the problem of Iraq
cannot be solved either." Although Turkey considers these two
issues as two sides of the same coin, Washington has no inclination to
regard them as interrelated problems and is instead trying to find
'separate' solutions for them. While Ankara believes that a permanent
solution cannot be reached in the absence of Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat, the Bush administration has already begun to voice its
dissatisfaction with Arafat on the international stage. It has asked
Arab leaders to suspend bilateral meetings with him and to increase
their calls on Arafat to take action. In addition, no matter how
greater the divergence of opinion between the US and Turkey on the
issue, the Arab world sees Turkey as the 'closest ally to both the US
and Israel.' That's why Turkey has chosen to step back and take a look
at old agreements on the issue. Regarding Turkey's relations with
Iraq, 'The Neighborhood Forum' is leaping to the top spot of issues on
Turkey's agenda. The preliminary aim of the 'Forum' was to persuade
Iraq to act in compliance with the UN resolutions. However, the
behind-the-scenes expectations were different. The Forum was helping
Turkey to boost its relations with the Arab world. That's why this old
chestnut is being revived. Turkey is trying to revitalize the idea of
the 'Forum' to bolster its relations with the Arab world, which has
accused it of turning its back on the Muslim world. Turkey is also
planning to find new allies such as Syria, Jordan and Iran in its bid
against any US intervention in Iraq. That's why the European
Union-Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC) joint meeting to
be held in Istanbul on Feb. 11-12 carries great importance. In
addition, the Turkish Foreign Ministry is currently working on new
policies to better deal with the Arab world."
[17] DON'T FALL FOR THIS TRAP BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
Columnist Gungor Mengi writes on the petition drive
for education in Kurdish. A summary of his column is as follows:
"The National Security Council (MGK) has stated that the petition
drive for education in Kurdish was directed by the PKK. The petitions
asking for education in Kurdish were aimed at universities at first,
but later spread to secondary and primary schools. The reaction of the
state was to reject the petitions and to take those participating in
the dive into custody. However, it would have been much better to
respect the right to circulate but to respond to them with a few
sentences saying that what hey were asking for was against the law.
The PKK has pushed this cause knowing full well that the state is not
ready to grant such a right. In the National Programme presented to
the EU, it was stated that Turkish was the official and educational
language but also pointed out that there was no obstacle to use a
different language in daily life with the condition that it wouldn't
be used for secessionist purposes. This is a game of chess. The
suspicion that the drive is aimed at dividing Turkey up is a correct
one. However, we mustn't lose sight of the drive's real goal is not
'Education in Kurdish' but rather luring Turkey into a trap. The PKK
will consider itself successful when students and their parents are
arrested. Then it will exploit their situation and try to find
supporters abroad to apply foreign pressure on the country. We hope to
hear that the MGK has seen through this ploy, and that it has proposed
a more moderate, flexible approach to the government. Toughness does
not necessarily show determination."
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