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Turkish Press Review, 02-04-19
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
19.04.2002
CONTENTS
[01] STANDING OVATION FOR SEZER IN LITHUANIA
[02] ECEVIT: “THE ECONOMY IS HEADED UPWARDS”
[03] DERVIS: “TURKEY IS A BRIDGE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST”
[04] PARLIAMENT JUSTICE COMMISSION APPROVES BILL ON DEATH PENALTY
[05] TURKEY SIGNS SECURITY AGREEMENT WITH BULGARIA
[06] UN BEGINS DECOMMISSIONING WEAPONS ON CYPRUS
[07] SOUTH KOREAN CHIEF OF STAFF RECEIVES HONOR FROM KIVRIKOGLU
[08] DEUTCHE BANK ANALYST: “TURKEY’S ECONOMIC PROGRAM IS PERFECT”
[09] US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HEAD PLEDGES TO PROMOTE TURKEY
[10] SLOVENIA TO REPRESENT EU MEMBERSHIP CANDIDATES
[11] TURKEY CELEBRATES CULTURE WITH INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVALS
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[13] TURKEY’S ROAD OF NO RETURN BY HASAN CEMAL (MILLIYET)
[14] THE TURKISH MODEL BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)
[01] STANDING OVATION FOR SEZER IN LITHUANIA
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday delivered a speech to the Parliament
in Lithuania, the second stop on his official Baltic tour, and his remarks
were met with a standing ovation from the national assembly. “The rights
and freedoms of the people are not bestowed upon them by their governments.
On the contrary, such rights are the people’s birthright,” he said.
“Governments in the present age must strive to create the conditions
necessary to guarantee the people’s rights and their free and unhindered
exercise. In Turkey we must raise the level of consciousness of both the
people and the government towards this end, and so we can benefit from our
rights and freedoms in a better atmosphere, one keeping in line with
international standards. The Turkish Parliament’s recent action passing
certain constitutional amendments shows Turkey’s determination and resolve
to make our rights and freedoms into a shining beacon for all the world.”
Addressing the Cyprus situation, Sezer remarked that admitting the Greek
Cypriot administration into the EU before establishing a peaceful
settlement on the island would only exacerbate efforts to reach a solution.
/Milliyet/
[02] ECEVIT: “THE ECONOMY IS HEADED UPWARDS”
Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit said
yesterday that precluding unexpected developments, the Turkish economy
would continue to improve this year. Speaking at his party’s parliamentary
group meeting, Ecevit stated that despite pessimistic views from some
quarters, very positive progress was being made. Stressing that the
government had opened up new horizons in the economic and social realms for
Turkey, the prime minister said, “Our DSP deputies have contributed greatly
to all the legislative work with their diligence and regular attendance at
meetings.” Turning to the situation in the Middle East, Ecevit said that a
“humanitarian tragedy” was taking place there. Criticizing the Israeli
government for its occupation of Palestinian territories and its
“oppressive stance,” Ecevit said, “Turkey has been doing whatever it can to
stop this tragedy, and we will continue to do so.” /Sabah/
[03] DERVIS: “TURKEY IS A BRIDGE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST”
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis, who is currently in Germany
for an official visit, yesterday attended a conference of the Near East and
Middle East Association. Speaking to the gathering, Dervis underlined
Turkey’s importance for the European Union and the imperative for the Union
to admit it. Characterizing Turkey as a bridge between Europe, Asia and the
Middle East. Dervis stated that it was in the interests of both Turkey and
the EU to improve bilateral relations “The Turkish economy had a very
difficult year last year, but now our economic crisis has ended,” Dervis
added. /Hurriyet/
[04] PARLIAMENT JUSTICE COMMISSION APPROVES BILL ON DEATH PENALTY
Parliament’s Justice Commission yesterday approved a bill concerning an
amendment to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) on the death penalty. The bill
proposes abolishing the death penalty, excepting cases of war crimes,
imminent threat of war and terrorist crimes. /Turkiye/
[05] TURKEY SIGNS SECURITY AGREEMENT WITH BULGARIA
Bulgarian Interior Minister Georgi Petkanov arrived in Ankara yesterday to
make contacts with Turkish officials. Turkish Interior Minister Rustu Kazim
Yucelen and Petkanov signed a Coast Guard Agreement and Minutes of Accord
to improve security cooperation between the two countries. Yucelen said
that major issues on the agenda for Petkanov’s meetings would be working to
fight terrorism and drug smuggling as well as improving mutual cooperation
on other security issues. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] UN BEGINS DECOMMISSIONING WEAPONS ON CYPRUS
United Nations officials have started to decommission weapons in the Greek
Cypriot administration as a show of good will to the island’s Turkish
Cypriots. UN peacekeeping force units have destroyed some 4,500 weapons to
date at the UN headquarters on Cyprus. “We have started the process of
weapon decommissioning and we expect to have completed it within two months,
” said a UN spokesman in Lefkosha. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] SOUTH KOREAN CHIEF OF STAFF RECEIVES HONOR FROM KIVRIKOGLU
South Korean Chief of General Staff Gen. Nam-Shin Lee, who is currently on
an official visit to Ankara, was yesterday awarded an Order of Merit from
his Turkish counterpart Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu. Gen. Nam-Shin Lee accepted
the honor with great thanks, calling it a wonderful token of Turkey’s
friendship with South Korea and of both countries’ contributions to peace
throughout the world. /Star/
[08] DEUTCHE BANK ANALYST: “TURKEY’S ECONOMIC PROGRAM IS PERFECT”
An official from Deutsche Bank, one of the world’s premier investment banks,
yesterday gave his enthusiastic seal of approval to Turkey’s economic
program. Deutsche Bank Turkey analyst Marco Anunciata lauded the
government’s implementation of its program as “flawless,” adding, “Never
before have I seen such an excellent standby program.” Recent weeks have
seen a marked increase in interest in investing in Turkey, Annunciata said.
Hopes are high for the short-term, he remarked, tempered only by some
concern about regional political tensions, especially in the Middle East
and Iraq. /Aksam/
[09] US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HEAD PLEDGES TO PROMOTE TURKEY
Thomas Donohoe, the chairman of the US Chamber of Commers, wrapped up a
historic two-day visit to Turkey yesterday with a joint press conference
held in Istanbul with leaders of the Turkish business community. Donohoe
praised the economic opportunities he had seen during his stay and vowed
not to let his country or government pass them by. “When I get back home
I’m going to talk with the government and with business circles in order to
promote Turkey,” he pledged. The business leader also asked Turkey’s
business community to do its part to promote economic cooperation, because,
he said, “Capital flocks to where it feels welcome and safe.” He added that
cutting red tape in Turkey that tends to discourage foreign investment
would be a positive step towards attracting a massive foreign capital
influx. /Akþam/
[10] SLOVENIA TO REPRESENT EU MEMBERSHIP CANDIDATES
Former Slovenian Prime Minister Lojze Peterle was elected as the
representative of 13 European Union membership candidates, including Turkey,
at the recent European Union Association meeting in Brussels. Peterle
stated that Slovenia would support more cooperation between the EU
candidate countries as well as the improvement of bilateral relations.
/Cumhuriyet/
[11] TURKEY CELEBRATES CULTURE WITH INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVALS
International theatre festivals to be held throughout Turkey this year will
contribute a great deal both to strengthening cultural ties between the
countries involved and enlivening Turkey’s cultural atmosphere. The
“Turkish-Greek Theatres’ Assembly” on May 10-17 in Istanbul will host
thespians from both countries switching hats, as Greek actors are set to
perform Turkish plays, and Turkish troupes to stage plays by their Aegean
neighbors. The current “State Theaters Sabanci International Stage
Festival” in Adana, in addition, has attracted groups from as far afield as
France, Bulgaria, Russia and Greece to display their talent through April
27. And the Black Sea city of Trabzon is set to host the third
“International Black Sea Theatre Assembly” on May 15-23. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[13] TURKEY’S ROAD OF NO RETURN BY HASAN CEMAL (MILLIYET)
Columnist Hasan Cemal writes on Turkey’s quest for full EU membership. A
summary of his column is as follows:
“Will Turkey’s road to Europe be one of no return, or will it lose another
opportunity like the one missed in 1970s? From that perspective, the year
2002 is as important as any before. Answering the question as to whether
Turkey will be able to get a date for accession negotiations from the EU by
year’s end is of vital importance. The ball is in our court and time is
pressing, but there is no date. We all know that the Ecevit government has
homework to do before the end of autumn. Deputy Prime Minister Yilmaz and
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem met with EU officials at the beginning of the
week. Yilmaz attended the European Convention meetings, and Cem the EU-
Turkey Association Council meetings in Luxembourg. The first impressions
coming from the negotiations are generally cautious. However there is one
common view and that is, before Ankara takes some steps no goal can be
reached. The view of the EU officials can be summarized as, everything
depends on the performance of the Turkish government. They mention that the
reform process is going well but is not satisfactory. There are complaints
about the implementations. The Copenhagen criteria are pointed out as the
road map. In other words, radio and TV broadcasts in mother tongue and
education in mother tongue and the abolition of capital punishment are
required. Can the Ecevit government accomplish these? Wouldn’t it be the
right policy to abolish capital punishment, which hasn’t even been carried
out in years? Doesn’t reason dictate that Kurdish radio and TV be allowed
in the age of the Internet? Isn’t it correct policy to lift all the
obstacles to teaching Kurdish in a country where selling Kurdish books,
magazines, newspapers and cassettes is already free? There is the fear that
some will abuse these freedoms, which is an understandable concern. However,
as Foreign Minister Cem has said, the correct thing to do is to take
whatever measures are necessary to prevent such abuses. Ankara has to stop
seeing the Copenhagen criteria as an obstacle on its way to Europe. It can
also be said that the climate in the EU is changing. In the past, the mere
mention of accession negotiations for Turkey was a taboo. Following the
Laeken summit last year, this stance began to change. The psychological
barrier was broken. However, we must not forget the Cyprus problem. Even
though it may not be a legal obstacle, it stands as political barrier to be
lifted on our way to Europe. In brief we can say that Turkey’s hand was
strengthened with the Sept. 11 attacks, the situation in Afghanistan and
the recent clashes between the Israelis and Palestinians. However, to be
complacently satisfied with these and to lazily slack off with regards to
the Copenhagen criteria may not bring what we want by the end of this
year.”
[14] THE TURKISH MODEL BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)
Columnist Ferai Tinc writes on the situation in the Middle East and the
Turkish model. A summary of her column is as follows:
“Developments in the world are getting more complicated with every passing
day. Not only in Afghanistan, but also in the Middle East, nothing can be
guessed in advance. US President Bush’s initiative in the Mideast proved
ineffective. No cease-fire agreement was reached. Sharon stated that he
could expand the fight against terrorism towards other Arab countries which
shelter terrorists. The Arab world is restless. Before his departure,
Powell gave the message to Syria that if it supported terrorism, it would
have to bear the consequences. On the other hand, Afghan King Zahir Shah
returned to his country in the hope of promoting stability. Old warlords
who traffic in narcotics had distributed flyers calling on the people to
rebel against the interim government of Hamid Karzai. The Afghan people
have no alternative besides growing poppies. One of the old warlords, Hano
Gul, told Newsweek magazine said that it was the duty of every Afghan
citizen to fight against the US troops and the Karzai government. He added
that they would destabilize the country through the trade in narcotics.
There is also the news that Al-Qaida is resuming its activities with the
advent of spring. As the violence escalates in the Middle East, it is not
possible to ensure stability in Afghanistan. Developments indicate that the
pressures on Turkey will increase in the coming days. As things get more
complicated, the Turkish model’s importance increases. What kind of a model
is required and what role can Turkey play? These questions can be discussed
at length, but US Ambassador to Ankara Robert Pearson, in a recent article
published by the Fletcher School of Law, gave some indications of an
answer. Ambassador Pearson said that a powerful Turkey which had
implemented its economic reforms, enhanced its political system by carrying
out constitutional reforms and was moving with steady steps towards EU full
membership would be important as a role model. Furthermore, Turkey would be
the guarantor of cooperation between NATO and the proposed European army.
If it solved the Cyprus issue within the framework of UN resolutions,
Turkey can be an example for the solution of other regional problems. The
Ambassador expressed the importance of this model by saying that the
increasing influence of Turkey stretching from Central Europe to Central
Asia and to the Middle East will constitute a powerful contribution to the
efforts of the US. The focal point of US foreign policy is the fight
against terrorism and eradicating the terrorist networks. The US successes
in the fight against terrorism and the unknown risks of the century before
us pass through a strategic partnership with Turkey.”
DUE TO NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY DAY AND CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL, THE NEXT ISSUE OF
THE TURKISH PRESS REVIEW WILL APPEAR ON 24 APRIL 2002.
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