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Turkish Press Review, 02-04-12
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Foreign
Press Guide
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
12.04.2002
CONTENTS
[01] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS IN MIDEAST LAY FLOWERS FOR TOYTUNC
[02] US GEN. FRANKS: "WE TRUST TURKEY'S ARMY TO LEAD THE ISAF WELL"
[03] ECEVIT: "THE TARGET IS NOT BOSTANCIOGLU, BUT THE SECULAR REPUBLIC"
[04] ANKARA TO HOST ARMENIAN RESEARCH CONVENTION
[05] US DELEGATION TO VISIT TURKEY
[06] YILMAZ: "THE EU'S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO TURKEY IS INSUFFICIENT"
[07] RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL FOR PEACE IN MIDEAST
[08] NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ANKARA
[09] IRAQ, SYRIA CALL FOR NEW MEETINGS ON TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES
[10] TOURISM MINISTRY EARNS INTERNATIONAL QUALITY CERTIFICATE
[11] CONFERENCE HOPES TO BOOST TURKEY'S SLICE OF TOURISM PIE
[12] RATING AGENCY BOOSTS TURKEY'S OUTLOOK
[13] ISTANBUL, DIYARBAKIR HOST FILM AND THEATER FESTIVALS
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[15] PEACE HOPES IN PALESTINE BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
[16] THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PALESTINE AND CYPRUS
BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[01] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS IN MIDEAST LAY FLOWERS FOR TOYTUNC
A delegation of Turkish parliamentarians is continuing its contacts in the
Middle East in the interests of promoting peace in the region. Yesterday,
they visited the spot where Turkish Maj. Cengiz Toytunc was shot to death
in an attack on the West Bank on March 28 and laid flowers there in his
honor. Maj. Toytunc had been serving in an unarmed Mideast observer mission,
and his assailants have yet to be identified. The parliamentary delegation
is expected to proceed to Tel Aviv today and from there to return Turkey.
/Turkiye/
[02] US GEN. FRANKS: "WE TRUST TURKEY'S ARMY TO LEAD THE ISAF WELL"
The senior military official in charge of United States operations in
Afghanistan expressed full confidence yesterday in Turkey's ability to
command the peacekeeping force there. Gen. Tommy Franks, head of US Central
Command in Afghanistan, made the remarks when asked if he had any doubts
about Turkey's ability to head the International Security and Assistance
Force (ISAF), the Washington Times reported. "We have full confidence in
the Turkish Army Forces [TSK]," he said. "I have been familiar with Turkish
forces for many years. They are both well trained and extremely capable. I
have no doubt whatsoever that they will prove their worth yet again in ably
commanding the ISAF." Pointing out that a Turkish military delegation was
already in the region, Gen. Franks said that discussions on transferring
the command to Turkey were underway. /Aksam/
[03] ECEVIT: "THE TARGET IS NOT BOSTANCIOGLU, BUT THE SECULAR REPUBLIC"
Addressing his party's parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Prime
Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit said that the
main target of an inquiry motion against Education Minister Metin
Bostancioglu was not the minister himself but rather the secular Turkish
Republic. "The education reform program began in the second half of 1997
and has continued under the current government," Ecevit stated. "Certain
circles opposed to the reform policies are now trying to take revenge on
the government and Bostancioglu. But they will not be able to make our
modernized educational system or the secular republic waver from the path
of reform." Last Tuesday deputies from the Justice and Development Party
(AKP) filed a censure motion against Education Minister Bostancioglu on
charges of increasing tension between the public and the state by impeding
children's right to education, and of causing the Turkish educational
system to deviate from EU and international standards. The main impetus for
the censure motion was the ministry's policy of not allowing students to
wear headscarves into Imam-hatip schools. Under the current dress code,
those who wear headscarves are not allowed into state offices or schools.
Meanwhile, AKP Group Deputy Chairman Huseyin Celik yesterday called for
Bostancioglu's resignation, saying, "The Parliament has shown that it has
no faith in the education minister. He cannot continue to serve under such
conditions, and so he should resign." /Turkiye/
[04] ANKARA TO HOST ARMENIAN RESEARCH CONVENTION
The Armenian Research Institute is set to hold its Armenian Research Turkey
Convention at the National Library in Ankara on April 20-21. The institute,
which was established by the Eurasian Research Center, will bring together
at the convention over 100 Turkish scholars and writers who study Armenia.
The convention will feature presentations on Armenia and the Armenians in
their historical, legal, religious, cultural and psychological aspects, as
well as explore the nation's place in the world arena and in international
terrorism. At the end of the two-day gathering, the participants will
release a declaration of consensus. The Armenian Research Institute
publishes a quarterly journal in Turkish and English called Armenian
Studies. /Anatolia News Agency/
[05] US DELEGATION TO VISIT TURKEY
A United States delegation chaired by Marc Grossman, assistant secretary of
state for European affairs and former ambassador in Ankara, is scheduled to
pay an official visit to Turkey on April 16. Among the issues to be
addressed during the delegation's meetings with Turkish officials are
international terrorism, the future of NATO and improving cooperation among
NATO member countries. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] YILMAZ: "THE EU'S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO TURKEY IS INSUFFICIENT"
Turkey's Secretary-General for European Union Affairs Volkan Vural
yesterday briefed journalists on a recent working lunch attended by Deputy
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and the EU countries' ambassadors to Ankara.
Vural said that Yilmaz had told the ambassadors of Turkey's recent efforts
to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria and stressed Turkey's resolve to join
the EU. Vural also stated that Yilmaz had criticized the EU's policy on
Cyprus, reiterating that Greek Cypriots should not be admitted to the Union
without a permanent solution on the island having first been reached.
"Yilmaz conveyed Turkey's dissatisfaction with the insufficiency of EU
financial assistance to Turkey," said Vural. "He also reiterated that the
terrorist groups PKK and DHKP-C must be added to a revised EU list of
terrorist organizations." /Cumhuriyet/
[07] RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL FOR PEACE IN MIDEAST
Leaders from the three monotheistic religions in Turkey met yesterday in
Istanbul in a gathering hosted by Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate
head Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz. The leaders released a joint statement after the
meeting expressing the urgent need for a solution to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict. The leaders also condemned the use of violence both
in the Mideast and worldwide. /Hurriyet/
[08] NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ANKARA
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson traveled to Ankara yesterday and
met with his Turkish colleague Ismail Cem. Speaking to reporters after the
meeting, Peterson said that he and Cem had consulted each other on the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, both in the
expectation that Turkey would soon assume the peacekeeping force's command.
Cem also told reporters that Norway and Turkey enjoyed cooperation as
fellow members of NATO. /Sabah/
[09] IRAQ, SYRIA CALL FOR NEW MEETINGS ON TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES
Syria and Iraq have recently conveyed a call to Turkey to hold new meetings
to discuss common problems regarding the Tigris and Euphrates (Firat and
Dicle) rivers. Iraqi Irrigation Minister Resul Abdul Huseyin Svadi and
Syrian Water Minister Muhammed Radvan Maeteni, who recently signed an
agreement proposing more cooperation between their two countries on issues
concerning irrigation, called on Turkey to resume the trilateral talks
which began in 1992 but were cut off due to failure to make progress on
certain issues. Turkish officials are currently evaluating their neighbor's
proposal. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] TOURISM MINISTRY EARNS INTERNATIONAL QUALITY CERTIFICATE
The Tourism Ministry scored a coup yesterday by becoming Turkey's first
government ministry to qualify for the ISO 9001:2000 international quality
certification. Ramazan Mirzaoglu, the state minister responsible for the
Turkish Standards Institute (TSE), presented the ISO certificate to Tourism
Minister Mustafa Tasar. The proud Tasar pointed out to a recent increase in
the tourists visiting Turkey and predicted that this trend would continue.
"This increase lends our economy a great hope," said Tasar. "Turkey's
economy needs a healthy tourism sector, so these developments are
promising. I'm heartened that our efforts to get Turkish tourism the
attention they deserve have borne fruit." /Aksam/
[11] CONFERENCE HOPES TO BOOST TURKEY'S SLICE OF TOURISM PIE
The second annual Turkish Tourism Conference begins today in Ankara
presided over by Tourism Minister Mustafa Tasar. Speaking in the leadup to
the three-day event, Tasar confidently predicted that the nation was
entering a prosperous new era for domestic tourism. "This year for the
first time the conference is being opened by the president himself," said
Tasar. "We have invited along all the active and knowledgeable players in
the sector. Our aim this time around is to settle on a consistent national
tourism policy that will be free from the whims of political change.
Towards this end, we want to formulate short-, medium- and long-term
operational plans. From now on our tourism policy must stand above petty
politics. The total world tourism trade is worth some $500 billion. Right
now Turkey's take from this is only $8 billion, but with a good strategy we
can boost our share to 10%." Tasar said that he had put together a Tourism
Coordination Committee to put together such a strategy, chiefly by making
sure that the various state organs work together and cooperate. He stated
that another new body, the Tourism Application Committee, had been charged
with making sure that state tourism policy is well implemented. Tasar added
that a modern art center was planned for Istanbul, one that would rival
Paris' Georges Pompidou Centre and Amsterdam's Van Gogh museum. /Hurriyet/
[12] RATING AGENCY BOOSTS TURKEY'S OUTLOOK
Paul Taylor, the head of international rating agency Fitch, said yesterday
that Turkey's outlook had improved with the government's ongoing
implementation of its economic program. /Sabah/
[13] ISTANBUL, DIYARBAKIR HOST FILM AND THEATER FESTIVALS
The International Istanbul Film Festival sponsored by the Istanbul Culture
and Art Foundation begins tomorrow and will run through April 23. The
festival's program includes both long and short films as well as
documentaries. Festival organizers say they hope to present an outstanding
selection of unforgettable films. Next Monday, April 15, will also see the
beginning of the "Orhan Asena Theater and Film Festival" held in the memory
of renowned playwright Asena in Diyarbakir. The festival will spotlight
plays from throughout Turkey as well as a selection of distinguished
domestic films. The Diyarbakir Governor's Office and the State Theater are
co-sponsoring the event, which runs through April 30. /Sabah, Cumhuriyet/
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[15] PEACE HOPES IN PALESTINE BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on the initiatives for Middle East peace. A
summary of his column is as follows:
"I personally was afraid of Turkey's getting involved in the Palestinian
issue, and my fears have proven true. My concern stemmed from the fact that
the Palestinian issue goes back some 50 years, and I believe that it will
go on for at least for another 50. I never believed that this dispute,
which has become an Arab rallyingory, would be solved in the near future.
Such dreams have renewed adherents even today. The last chance for such a
dream to come true was US President Clinton's initiative to pressure
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. It
ended in failure, as Arafat feared organizations such as Hamas, Hizbullah
and Islamic Jihad, groups which believe in expelling the Jews wholesale. In
fact, even if Arafat and the organizations which can survive only with the
continuance of the struggle had accepted the Clinton plan, Israel would
have found an excuse to avoid signing it. Today, the entire world,
including the US as well as Turkey as a Middle Eastern state, have called
for Israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupies. Even if Sharon
balks, there are Israeli politicians who agree with this point of view.
However, the explosion of another bomb by a suicide bomber on a bus
postponed these ceasefire dreams indefinitely. Turkey already has
considerable problems of its own. It can hardly address all of them, and it
certainly doesn't need to import new ones. Ismail Cem can go to the Holy
Lands with his Greek counterpart. I do not believe that either the Jews or
the Arabs will listen to any advice. However, the call to peace is the duty
of every state. Certainly, peace will be achieved one day, but no one can
even guess at when."
[16] THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PALESTINE AND CYPRUS
BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen compares the situation in Palestine with that of
Cyprus. A summary of his column is as follows:
"Is there a similarity between the Palestinian problem and the Cyprus
issue? What lessons can be learned for Cyprus from the clashes between
Israel and Palestine? TRNC President Rauf Denktas' statement on the issue
before beginning face-to-face negotiations with Greek Cypriot
administration leader Glafcos Clerides brought these issues to mind.
Denktas said that Israel and Palestine had concluded 'half an agreement'
under pressure and that now civilians were suffering because of it. The
Turkish Cypriot leader wanted to issue this message to the world, which has
been stepping up its pressure on the issue, 'Don't pressure us, or set a
deadline for us, or try to impose your own solutions formulas on us.' This
was the message Denktas tried to convey to the EU officials who stated that
they expected the negotiations to bear some results by this June. Despite
the parallel Denktas is trying to draw, there are not many similarities
between the Palestinian and Cyprus issues. The most important is that both
issues have resisted solution for many long, busy years at the hands of the
international community. However, there are striking differences between
the two issues. The clashes between Israel and Palestine have continued for
a long time and eventually escalated into a war, whereas there have been no
violent clashes in Cyprus since 1974. There is calm on the island, and
trust and peace in the north. Another aspect distinguishing it from the
Middle East concerns the status of the Palestine. Many countries, including
the Arab world in general as well as Turkey, recognize Palestine as a
state. Various UN resolutions and the Oslo Agreement foresee the
establishment of a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
However, the situation regarding Cyprus is different. The TRNC is not
recognized by any other state besides Turkey, and the official policies of
various countries and the UN resolutions do not envisage the establishment
of Northern Cyprus as an independent state. The Greek Cypriot side is
trying to draw a parallel between the two issues to show the situation on
the island as an example for its own argument. For example, Greek Cypriot
officials are talking of the 'Turkish occupation' and 'Greek Cypriot
refugees' right to return their homes.' In international disputes, even
though there may be similarities, every issue has its own distinctive
characteristics. A formula for a solution and the method pursued in solving
one issue cannot be expected to yield the same results for another."
ARCHIVE
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