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Turkish Press Review, 02-06-24Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr><LINK href="http://www.byegm.gov.tr_yayinlarimiz_chr_pics_css/tpr.css" rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css> <map name="FPMap1"> </map> <map name="FPMap1"></map> Press & Information Turkish Press Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning24.06.2002CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY IN WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALSTurkey reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time in its history. The score of the match between Senegal and Turkey on June 22 was 1-0. This means that Turkey will face Brazil in Saitama on June 26 for a place in the World Cup final. Ilhan Mansýz scored the golden goal that put Turkey into the World Cup semifinals. “Turkey is the greatest” was the triumphant message in Turkish newspapers today, revelling in Turkey’s victory over Senegal. /All papers/[02] SEVILLE SUMMIT ENDS; UNCERTAINTY REMAINS FOR TURKEYThe weekend European Union summit at Seville, Spain failed to provide a timetable for Turkey’s accession talks and thus meant the uncertainty surrounding Ankara’s EU prospects will keep Turkish leaders busy in the months to come. The summit, held in the midst of the excitement of the World Cup and Turkey reaching the semifinals, resulted with just a few lines of encouragement for Turkey to carry on reforms. However, Turkey was not able to secure a date for starting accession talks, in accordance with the delays in Ankara in fulfilling political criteria. In fact, the agenda of the summit was mainly focused on the issues of immigration and asylum. Institutional reforms, the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), enlargement, economic issues, sustainable development and a review of the progress of the Convention on Europe’s Future were other topics on Seviile’s agenda, declared by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in letters sent to the heads of governments of the EU member and candidate states. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said yesterday in an interview on CNN Turk that he had not been surprised with the statements of the summit concerning Turkey. As long as Turkey continues in the direction of reforms, it will be able to get a date, Cem said, drawing attention to the difficulty of the realization of reforms with the existing parliamentary structure. Concerning the Cyprus issue, Cem said that Cyprus was a political factor, but not a precondition. /Turkish Dailly News/[03] GREECE SATISFIED WITH SEVILLE SUMMITGreek Foreign Minister George Papandreou over the weekend offered his evaluation of the results of the European Union’s Seville summit, focusing upon the dispute over the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) and illegal immigration. In an interview with a Greek newspaper, Papandreou remarked that Greece was satisfied with the agreement on the ESDP reached by the EU member countries. “After a series of heated discussions, we at last reached an agreement on the ESDP which is in line with Greece’s national interests,” said Papandreou. “However, Turkey is opposing this policy. The EU will continue its negotiations with Turkey on the issue.” Arguing that the issues of Cyprus and Aegean should be considered parts of the ESDP, Papandreou added, “The parties of the Cyprus issue might reach a settlement which conforms with their interests.” Stating that Greece was ready for any possible contingency that might come up on Cyprus, Papandreou predicted that the Greek Cypriots would be successful in their bid for full EU membership. /Cumhuriyet/[04] BAHCELI: “WE WILL NOT MAKE CONCESSIONS”Speaking at a festival in Antalya yesterday, Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli pledged that the MHP wouldn’t make any concessions on the issues of Cyprus, teaching and broadcasting in mother tongues and the abolition of capital punishment. Bahceli added that the MHP wouldn’t accept the political criteria “forced on Turkey” by the European Union in order to obtain a date for the beginning of its accession negotiations. /Turkiye/[05] CILLER URGES PARLIAMENT TO SKIP SUMMER RECESSTrue Path Party leader Tansu Ciller (DYP) yesterday celebrated the 19th anniversary of the establishment of her party in Istanbul. Ciller said there that Parliament should skip its summer recess this year, scheduled to begin on July 1, and that the government’s primary problem in terms of its European Union membership bid was the Cyprus issue. Ciller also remarked that whoever says that the path to the EU lies in abolishing the death penalty is mistaken, because the main problem in front of the EU is the Cyprus issue. We should discuss these problems in Parliament, she reiterated. “The language of education cannot be other than Turkish, education in mother tongues can only be allowed in private and fee-paying courses,” Ciller added. /Hurriyet/[06] BAYKAL: “THE COUNTRY NEEDS DERVIS”Speaking to Hurriyet newspaper yesterday, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that the country needs Economy Minister Kemal Dervis. Baykal also said that Dervis should also take into consideration that the country needs him in deciding whether to enter politics or not. Baykal also voiced support for Dervis on recent discussions and stated that the economy minister had made sound suggestions for the country to avoid falling into a new economic crisis, but the government hadn’t listened to him. /Hurriyet/[07] TURKISH DELEGATION VISITS BELGIUMA delegation numbering around 200, including members of the Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) along with Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and State Minister Tunca Toscay, arrived in Brussels yesterday. Tomorrow, a conference regarding developments in Turkey’S EU membership bid will be held. Speaking to reporters, TOBB Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said that if the Turkish national football team reaches the finals in the World Cup, a TOBB delegation would travel to Japan to support it. Expressing his pleasure at Turkey’s success in the World Cup, Hisarciklioglu said, “Only inflation and economic growth remain to be defeated.” /Turkiye/[08] NATO, PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE MANEUVERS CONTINUEThe Cooperative Partner-2002 Sea and Amphibian Maneuvers, a scheduled NATO exercise, are currently continuing on the Black Sea. As part of the maneuvers, education about joint action for earthquake preparedness is also being given. The Secretariat General of the Turkish Chief of General Staff yesterday stated that the Cooperative Partner-2002 Sea and Amphibian Maneuvers had started on last Friday. The maneuvers, which are being carried out on the Black Sea and at Romania’s Constanta harbor in with the participation of 40 ships, 20 planes and 5,000 personnel from NATO and Partnership for Peace (PFP) countries, will end on July 6. Eight NATO countries, namely, Turkey, the US, Germany, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Greece, and various forces from five CFP countries -- Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Ukraine -- plus the NATO Mediterranean Permanent Sea Force (Stanav-formed), NATO Southern Region Force Against Mines (Mcmforsouth) and NATO Southern Region Command Headquarters are participating in the maneuvers. During the exercises, joint training will be conducted to increase cooperation and coordination among the multinational forces as part of efforts to provide civilian populations with post-earthquake aid and relief. /Cumhuriyet/[09] CELASIN SPEAKS ON DEATH PENALTYFormer Air Forces Commander Ergin Celasin and former Court of Cassation Chief Justice Sami Selcuk attended the Fifth Akoren Festival in Konya yesterday. Answering a journalist’s question about the death penalty, Celasin said, “Whatever is required by international standards and the world’s level of civilization should be done concerning the death penalty. If Turkey wants to play in the big leagues, it should implement the standards of big league countries.” /Cumhuriyet/[10] KUTAN: ”THERE ARE TWO GOVERNMENTS IN TURKEY”Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan said yesterday at a party luncheon in Eskisehir that there are two governments in Turkey, one headed by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and the other headed State Economy Minister Kemal Dervis. He remarked that Dervis’s mission was carrying out the policies of the monied foreign interests. Kutan added that these interests wanted to harm Turkish agriculture, industry and national banks because they don’t want to see Turkey develop. /Aksam/[11] ERDOGAN: “THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO HOLD A REFERENDUM”Speaking at the Anatolian Young Businessmen’s Association (AGIAD) in Ankara yesterday, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan said, “If a government doesn’t work efficiently and cannot do the things which its mission requires, after three years a referendum should be held since they need to ask people if they are pleased with the government or not.” He added, “If people think that the government isn’t successful, then elections should be held.” Meanwhile AKP Deputy Chairman Abdullatif Sener charged that the current government defines “stability” as whatever allows to stay in power, but that this wasn’t stability at all. /Sabah/[12] ISTANBUL APPROACH OFFICIALLY BEGINNINGThe Framework Agreement for Financial Restructuring, popularly known as the Istanbul Approach, is to begin being implemented today. The agreement will be signed today for the Isiklar Group. A Council of Arbitrators was jointly established by the Turkish Union of Banks and the government’s Banking Supervision and Regulation Agency (BDDK) for implementation of the agreement. /Sabah/[13] TURKEY’S ECONOMIC GROWTH LAGS BEHIND EU NEWCOMERSIn the wake of last weekend’s European Union Summit in Seville, Spain, where Turkey lobbied for its EU membership bid, World Bank data show that Turkey has some catching up to do economically to reach the level of some EU newcomers. Turkey’s per capita income and Gross National Product (GNP) in 2000 lagged behind that of Greece and Spain, who both entered the EU in the ‘80s, as of 1980. Turkey developed more rapidly than these two nations over 1980-2000, but its rapid population growth has held back its economic progress. Over these 20 years, Turkey’s national income grew by 4.55%, but per capita income stalled because the population grew by 20.8 million people. /Sabah/[14] NOAH’S ARK REPLICA TO BE BUILT NEAR MT. ARARATTourism Minister Mustafa Tasar announced yesterday that a replica of the biblical Noah’s ark would be constructed in Agri, near Mt. Ararat where scripture says the ship came to rest and Lake Kup, in Turkey’s east. The ark complex is set to include tourist facilities such as a museum, restaurant, conference hall and library, and will be constructed by the Igdir Governor’s Office. It will also be able to house overnight visitors with 500 beds. “A delegation sent to the Igdir Governor’s Office in January 2001 laid the groundwork for this project,” Tasar added. /Milliyet/[15] WORKS BY TURKISH PAINTERS IN PARIS AUCTIONWorks by two Turkish painters, Fikret Mualla and Tahsin, were up for sale at a recent international art auction in Paris. One of Tahsin’s paintings, “Yeni Cami” (New Mosque), was considered the most expensive item on the auction block. In addition, eight paintings by Mualla were bid on at the art scale. /Cumhuriyet/[16] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS[17] THE EU AND EARLY ELECTIONS BY SUKRU ELEKDAG (SABAH)Retired Ambassador Sukru Elekdag writes on Turkish-EU relations and early elections. A summary of his column is as follows:“The success of the Turkish football team in the World Cup made Turkey rejoice in ecstasy. However, we have been unable to show the same quality and success we enjoy in playing soccer in governing the country. The three-party coalition government is inadequate and incompetent. It cannot focus on the crucial problems of the country and make correct decisions. None of the issues it has taken up has been brought to fruition. Until a short while ago, business circles in particular claimed that early elections would harm the country based on two reasons. One of them was that the bill for early elections would be too heavy for the economy and lead to the collapse of the economic stability program. However, it is evident that this reason is no longer valid. Estimates have shown that the climate of uncertainty seen in the country cost much more than the bill for early elections. In fact, the additional burden brought on by the increasing interest rates and the worsening foreign exchange rates to domestic debt is estimated to be around $ 9 billion. In financial circles this is called ‘risk premium’. As the prime minister’s illness is chronic, there is no hope that he will get better in time. Therefore the atmosphere of uncertainty will get worse every day and the risk premium will grow heavier. If this situation goes on for another five or six months, a new crisis may erupt. We will fall into a worse situation than Argentina, which last year announced that it wouldn’t be able to pay its $146 billion debt. The negative growth which will follow as a result of the crisis may lead to social collapse and eruptions in Turkey. The second reason against the holding of early elections was that such an event would work against Turkey’s obtaining a date for accession negotiations from the EU at the Copenhagen summit at the end of the year. However, notwithstanding the positive and encouraging messages coming from the EU summit in Seville, it is nothing but a dream to expect the postponing of Parliament’s summer recess, and passing the reform bills and displaying a united stand in abolishing the death penalty, and overcoming the obstacles to teaching and broadcasting in mother tongues. There may be some hope left in the Parliament, but it is a distant possibility for it to form a rational majority and defend the nation’s future. When all these mentioned above are taken into consideration, it will be clearly seen that it is the government and the Parliament which are obstructing the solutions to of problems and leaving the country face to face with new crises. Therefore, they should be able to see that the bill footed by their parties would be less if they do not insist on lengthening the life of the present government. Circles claiming that a new election and political parties law is necessary before holding new elections are correct in essence. However, at present there is no will in the Parliament regarding the issue. Early elections would be tantamount to a referendum on the EU and would prepare a background for the renewal of the country and its pursuing a stable path.” [18] IT IS ARMENIA’S TURN BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli writes on the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) summit to be held in Istanbul today. A summary of her column is as follows:“It seems as if both politics and the economy have come to a standstill due to Prime Minister Ecevit’s illness. However, this is no excuse for relations in foreign policy. We may accept the prime minister’s illness and expect him to withdraw, but no foreign country will wait for the prime minister to get well to continue their relations with Turkey. In foreign policy, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is filling the gap due to Prime Minister Ecevit’s illness. Last week he first went to Iran and then attended the EU summit in Seville. Now, there is the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) summit. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who returned from Seville with good news on Turkey’s EU membership, will host the summit to be held in the Ciragan Palace, Istanbul today. The most important issue to be discussed during the summit is how to organize the relations between the BSEC and the EU. As opposed to the EU, the BSEC works as just an economic cooperation organization. It aims to increase cooperation opportunities among its members, instead of forming joint foreign and security policies. However, the organization also has an unofficial political aspect. BSEC Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Tansug Bleda summarizes this unofficial political aspect by saying that an unoffical meeting is held before the beginning of the summit attended by only the ministers and their translators. At this meeting, the ministers have the opportunity to discuss any issue, be it political or economic. Therefore, although it is an economic organization, it giveb the opportunity to discuss political problems unofficially. Turkey, recently giving priority to good-neighbourly relations in its foreign policy, is preparing to take a new step availing itself of this opportunity. Launching a new initiative in Turkish-Armenian relations which are almost at a stop, is in question. This process, which can be defined as a historic step in Turkish-Armenian relations, should be considered as part of the recent developments in the Caucasus. Sept. 11 changed many balances in the Caucasus. This region, which was accepted as Russian’s region of interest, was also entered by the Americans following the Sept. 11 attacks. Washington has comprehended that in order for the campaign against terrorism to be successful, stability in the Caucasus is a must. Priority has been given to enhancing the pro-Western Shevardnadze regime. Then it was time to solve the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute. On this issue, a distance which had proveed impassable over the last 10 years has been taken in just a few months. Both countries agreed to give a piece of land to each other, one that would connect Karabagh to Armenia, and the other connecting Nakhcevan to Azerbaijan. Following the progress seen in solving the Armenian-Azerbaijan dispute, eyes were turned to Turkey and Armenia. The first meeting between Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers was held in Rejkjavik, Iceland in December. The second one will be held in Istanbul as part of the BSEC summit. The symbolic summit organized on the 10th anniversary of the BSEC may see the start of a diplomatic reconciliation process between Turkey and Armenia. If one considers that Turkey is talking about a joint fight against terrorism with Greece and Syria both of whom it was at loggerheads with a few years ago, one cannot help but ask the question, ‘Why not with Armenia?’” [19] FOOTBALL AND THE EUROPEAN UNION BY YILMAZ OZTUNA<span style="font-weight: 400">(TÜRKÝYE)<_span>Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on the success of the Turkish football team in the World Cup and the good news coming from the EU summit in Seville, Spain. A summary of his column is as follows: “We have all rejoiced at the success of our football team in the World Cup. All the foreign press gave the news in headlines. In the semifinals, Europe is being represented by Germany and Turkey. France, Britain, Italy and Spain all were eliminated. In fact we can achieve success in other fields as well. Our poverty prevents us from fulfilling our potential. Therefore, we are against all factors leaving Turkey in difficult circumstances. If we have learned to use our brains, we would not have to wait for the Copenhagen summit. We could have returned from Seville with solid guarantees. However, we frittered away time in meaningless discussions. In this day and age, societies which are not aware of the importance of the concept of time are bound to live in dagner. Infinite time belongs only to God. All nations, and individuals, are limited by time. If you cannot make good use of your time you are bound to lose. The Osaka victory has made us take a forward step towards the EU, in other words on the road to modern civilization, as it is built on success. Human rights and prosperity are two inseparable parts of a whole. These two factors have formed strong nations and sound states. Those who evaded them are today faced with problems. We have entered a hot summer with the joy of success in football. In the fall, we will have to face problems whiich have increased with the years. We are capable of solving most of them. It depends on our will to do so.” ARCHIVE <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js"> </script> Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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