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Turkish Press Review, 02-07-04
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
04.07.2002
SEZER CONGRATULATES BUSH ON INDEPENDENCE
DAY
HIGH-LEVEL TURKISH POLITICIANS PLEDGE TO
WORK FOR EU MEMBERSHIP IN GERMANY
BAHCELI: “I DO NOT APPROVE OF PRESS AND
POLITICIANS’ APPROACH TO ECEVIT’S HEALTH”
YILMAZ SPEAKS ON FUTURE OF TURKEY’S EU
BID
DERVIS SCHEDULES MEETING WITH BANK
OFFICIALS
TURKEY, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA SIGN FOUR
AGREEMENTS
PEARSON: “TURKEY HAS SET AN EXAMPLE
WORLDWIDE”
RASMUSSEN: “THE OCTOBER REPORT IS VERY
IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY”
BUYUKANIT: “NO CONCESSIONS ON ESDP”
JUSTICE MINISTRY ISSUES REPORT ON DEATH
PENALTY
SOUTH KOREAN COMMERCIAL DELEGATION
VISITS ISTANBUL
CILLER PROPOSES ESTABLISHING THREE
COMMISSIONS
TURKISH TEAM MAKES GIANT LEAP IN WORLD
RANKINGS
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM
THE COLUMNS…
THE HEAVIEST COST: UNCERTAINTY BY HASAN
CEMAL (MILLIYET)
THERE IS HOPE FOR THE EU BY GUNGOR MENGI
(SABAH)
ABOUT THE EU BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER CONGRATULATES BUSH ON INDEPENDENCE DAY
[02] LEADERS TO DISCUSS ECONOMY
[03] HIGH-LEVEL TURKISH POLITICIANS PLEDGE TO WORK
FOR EU MEMBERSHIP IN GERMANY
[04] BAHCELI: “I DO NOT APPROVE OF PRESS AND
POLITICIANS’ APPROACH TO ECEVIT’S HEALTH”
[05] YILMAZ SPEAKS ON FUTURE OF TURKEY’S EU BID
[06] DERVIS SCHEDULES MEETING WITH BANK OFFICIALS
[07] TURKEY, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA SIGN FOUR
AGREEMENTS
[08] PEARSON: “TURKEY HAS SET AN EXAMPLE WORLDWIDE”
[09] RASMUSSEN: “THE OCTOBER REPORT IS VERY
IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY”
[10] BUYUKANIT: “NO CONCESSIONS ON ESDP”
[11] JUSTICE MINISTRY ISSUES REPORT ON DEATH
PENALTY
[12] TOBB CHAIRMAN TO VISIT SEZER
[13] SOUTH KOREAN COMMERCIAL DELEGATION VISITS
ISTANBUL
[14] CILLER PROPOSES ESTABLISHING THREE
COMMISSIONS
[15] JUNE INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
[16] TURKISH TEAM MAKES GIANT LEAP IN WORLD
RANKINGS
[17] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…
[18] THE HEAVIEST COST: UNCERTAINTY BY HASAN
CEMAL (MILLIYET)
[19] THERE IS HOPE FOR THE EU BY GUNGOR MENGI
(SABAH)
[20] ABOUT THE EU BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
[01] SEZER CONGRATULATES BUSH ON INDEPENDENCE DAY
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday sent a message to US
President George W. Bush wishing him a happy July 4th, the US
Independence Day. “I congratulate the entire US nation on the
226th anniversary of its foundation,” wrote Sezer. He added
his hope that Turkey and the United States, which have enjoyed
strategic cooperation for many years, would continue to work
hand-in-hand in all areas, especially in the fight against
terrorism, a threat to both peace and freedom. /Hurriyet/
[02] LEADERS TO DISCUSS ECONOMY
The leaders of the coalition government chaired by Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit will meet this afternoon at the
Residence of the Prime Ministry to discuss Turkey’s current
economic situation. Besides Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet
Bahceli, Mesut Yilmaz and Husamettin Ozkan, State Minister for
the Economy Kemal Dervis, Finance Minister Sumer Oral, State
Planning Organization (DPT) Undersecretary Akin Izmirlioglu,
Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak, Finance Ministry
Undersecretary Ertan Dikmen, Central Bank Governor Sureyya
Serdengecti, and Banking Supervision and Regulation Agency (BDDK)
Chairman Engin Akcakoca will be in attendance. /All Papers/
[03] HIGH-LEVEL TURKISH POLITICIANS PLEDGE TO WORK
FOR EU MEMBERSHIP IN GERMANY
A group of high-level Turkish politicians including Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, True
Path Party leader (DYP) Tansu Ciller, Justice and Development
Party leader (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, State Ministers
Yilmaz Karakoyunlu and Tunca Toskay yesterday attended the
ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new Dogan Media Group facility
near Frankfurt, Germany. Offering their views of Turkey’s EU
membership bid, the officials pledged to work hard for
Turkey’s full EU membership. Remarking that Turkey had no time
to waste, Yilmaz stated that the Turkish government needed
Germany’s support to improve its relations with the European
Union. For his part, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem stated that
no matter what difficult times Turkey was going through,
nobody had the right to cast a pessimistic cloud over the
country’s future. Other officials also stated that they would
strive to improve Turkey’s relations with the EU and to
fulfill the Copenhagen criteria. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] BAHCELI: “I DO NOT APPROVE OF PRESS AND
POLITICIANS’ APPROACH TO ECEVIT’S HEALTH”
Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said
yesterday that he did not approve of the press and politicians’
approach to Prime Minister Ecevit’s health problems “It is not
ethical to criticize the leaders who have worked hard their
entire lives for the sake of their country,” Bahceli stated.
/Sabah/
[05] YILMAZ SPEAKS ON FUTURE OF TURKEY’S EU BID
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz yesterday told
his party’s Chairmanship Board about how Turkey’s European
Union membership bid might proceed in view of the government’s
varying views on the issue. “If our moves towards the EU are
obstructed, a new government will continue the course,” he
predicted. Yilmaz added that Devlet Bahceli, leader of
government coalition member the Nationalist Action Party
(MHP), had told the other coalition partners, ANAP and the
Democratic Left Party (DSP), that they should seek opposition
support to solve the death penalty issue, and he pledged that
ANAP would work to do so. Yilmaz remarked that Parliament
would be called back for an extraordinary session in September
so as to adopt EU accession legislation, which would force
Bahceli to revise his views. “First we will try to solve these
issues under the present structure, but if this proves
unworkable a new government can be formed,” he stated.
/Milliyet/
[06] DERVIS SCHEDULES MEETING WITH BANK OFFICIALS
State Economy Minister Kemal Dervis is scheduled to meet
next Friday, July 12, with officials from Turkey’s six largest
banks. Rahmi Koc, Erol Sabanci, Ferit Sahenk, Ersin Ozince,
Aydin Dogan and Husnu Ozegin will attend the meeting which
will be held at the headquarters of the Turkish Development
Bank in Istanbul. At the meeting, Dervis will brief the bank
officials about the government’s banking operations.
/Milliyet/
[07] TURKEY, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA SIGN FOUR
AGREEMENTS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday met with Beriz
Belkic, the chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and
Herzegovina in Ankara. After meetings between delegations
representing the two countries, Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina
signed four agreements. Under the Free Trade Agreement signed
on Turkey’s behalf by State Minister Faruk Bal, Turkey agreed
to lift customs taxes on industrial and agricultural products,
excepting live animals and meat, in its commercial relations
with Bosnia-Herzegovina. In addition, State Minister for the
Economy Kemal Dervis signed two agreements on donations and
State Minister Mehmet Kececiler signed an agreement for mutual
assistance and cooperation between the countries’ customs
administrations. In a joint press conference with Belkic,
Sezer stated that a positive and productive atmosphere had
dominated the meetings between the two countries. Belkic also
visited the Turkish Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi after the
meetings. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] PEARSON: “TURKEY HAS SET AN EXAMPLE WORLDWIDE”
US Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson yesterday held a
reception to mark his nation’s Independence Day at the US
Embassy in Ankara. Speaking at the occasion, Pearson said that
the state model in Turkey had set an example to many nations
worldwide. Pearson also said that the US was proud to stand by
Turkey’s side. State Minister and government spokesman Sukru
Sina Gürel also attended the reception and gave a speech on
behalf of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. /Hurriyet/
[09] RASMUSSEN: “THE OCTOBER REPORT IS VERY
IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY”
Speaking at the European Parliament yesterday, European
Union Term President Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh
Rasmussen said that if Turkey implemented the Copenhagen
political criteria, a date could be given for its accession
negotiations at the EU’s summit in December. Rasmussen pointed
out that EU Council would evaluate the Commission’s report in
October. EU Commission President Romano Prodi also stressed
that the October report was very important for Turkey’s future.
Following Prodi’s speech at EU general session, Turkey
Rapporteur and Christian Democratic Party (HDP) Deputy Elma
Brok predicted that Turkey would be a part of the EU’s
enlargement, adding that Turkey shouldn’t bargain on Cyprus
and the European Security and Defense Policy (AGSP) issues in
order to get a date for its accession negotiations. /Sabah/
[10] BUYUKANIT: “NO CONCESSIONS ON ESDP”
Deputy Chief of the General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said
yesterday that Turkey wouldn’t make any concessions concerning
the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). Speaking to
journalists at the US Embassy in Ankara’s reception for US
Independence Day, Buyukanit commented on the Ankara Document,
last year’s accord on the ESDP reached by Turkey, the US, and
Britain. “The Ankara Document is the final word on this issue,”
said Buyukanit. “Not a single letter of this document can be
changed from now on.” Concerning the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, he said that it was
out of the question at this time for the ISAF’s area of duty
to be extended outside the capital Kabul. He added, “If the
prime minister cannot participate in the Supreme Military
Council, then the chief of general staff can act as chairman
of the council.” /Aksam/
[11] JUSTICE MINISTRY ISSUES REPORT ON DEATH
PENALTY
The Justice Ministry recently issued a report examining
Turkey’s position on the death penalty as well as discussing
possible alternatives to capital punishment. Pointing out that
the death penalty is no longer a matter of dispute in European
countries, the report stressed that the continued existence of
capital punishment in Turkey constituted an obstacle for the
extradition of criminals to the country. The report included
arguments both pro and con on death penalty abolition and laid
out alternative punishments that might replace capital
punishment. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] TOBB CHAIRMAN TO VISIT SEZER
Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB)
chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu is to visit President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer today. Hisarciklioglu yesterday said that he
would like to convey the results of this week’s TOBB Executive
Board meeting on the current situation of Turkey’s government
and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. Hisarciklioglu also said
that he would express to Sezer the TOBB’s concern over the
current political uncertainty and situation on the markets. /Hurriyet/
[13] SOUTH KOREAN COMMERCIAL DELEGATION VISITS
ISTANBUL
A South Korean delegation led by Korean International
Commercial Institution head Han Young Soo yesterday visited
the headquarters of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) in
Istanbul. There the delegation held talks on commercial
opportunities in such fields as industrial machines, computers
and textiles with representatives from over 100 Turkish
companies. ITO Deputy Chairman Ugur Catbas said that he had
asked the delegation to boost Turkish-South Korean bilateral
trade relations, as Turkey has only a $200 million share of
South Korea’s annual $300 billion in foreign trade. /Star/
[14] CILLER PROPOSES ESTABLISHING THREE
COMMISSIONS
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller, accompanied by
her party’s Deputy Chairmen Ufuk Soylemez and Mehmet Saglam,
met yesterday with representatives from Turkish associations
in Frankfurt, Germany. Speaking to reporters, Ciller said, “We
propose establishment of three commissions on our European
Union membership bid, the Cyprus issue and amendments to the
political parties and elections law. Let these three
commissions work for a specific period, and then try to find a
settlement to those issues as a whole.” Stressing that she had
reiterated for a long time that ailing Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit should resign, Ciller remarked that Turkey’s future had
been stymied due to the current government. /Turkiye/
[15] JUNE INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released
inflation figures for June. Last month the consumer price
index (CPI) increased 0.6%, and the wholesale price index (WPI)
rose 1.2%. Year-on-year inflation was realized as 42.6% for
the CPI, and 46.8% for the WPI. /Turkiye/
[16] TURKISH TEAM MAKES GIANT LEAP IN WORLD
RANKINGS
The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA)
yesterday released its monthly World Ranking of football teams
on a country-by-country basis. The Turkish National Team,
fresh off its historic number three showing at the World Cup
semifinals, leapt ahead 10 spots to claim number 12 among 75
nations, just shy of the top 10. Five-time World Cup winner
Brazil took the top spot. /All Papers/
[17] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…
[18] THE HEAVIEST COST: UNCERTAINTY BY HASAN
CEMAL (MILLIYET)
Columnist Hasan Cemal writes on the recent uncertainty seen
in Turkey’s economy and politics. A summary of his column is
as follows: “Uncertainty is hanging like a cloud over Turkish
politics. Is the economic cost of this political uncertainty
less than that of general elections? In answer to this
question, State Minister Responsible for the Economy Kemal
Dervis carefully avoiding speaking about elections said that
certainly the continuance of such an uncertainty was the
heaviest cost. Observers following Turkey’s internal and
foreign markets could not think otherwise. There are two
important reasons for this uncertainty. The first is the ill
health of Prime Minister Ecevit and the second is the
difference of opinion among the coalition partners regarding
the European Union. Dervis does not want to talk about the
prime minister’s health. However, he is following the
developments regarding the EU with concern. He attaches
special importance to Turkey’s getting a date or a calendar
for the beginning of its accession negotiations. Dervis said,
“The Copenhagen criteria are not being requested only from
Turkey. The correct thing to do for Turkey is to accept these
criteria approved by everyone as soon as possible.’ He added
that obtaining a date from the EU at the end of the year would
affect the Turkish economy positively. I want to underline
Dervis’ words that the continuance of uncertainty is the
heaviest cost. The cost of political uncertainty stemming from
the prime minister’s ill health has been escalating and is
getting heavier day by day. There is no doubt that Prime
Minister Ecevit has good intentions in his views regarding his
own health and state administration. However, are good
intentions enough? Can his good will help to overcome the
increasing problem of confidence in both internal and foreign
markets? In addition, how much can the coordination desired in
the government regarding the economy help matters? It is not
realistic to believe that issues will be solved only through
coordination. In short, with Ecevit the prospect of overcoming
the confidence problem in the markets is indeed distant. If
the clouds of uncertainty hanging over us can be dispersed,
the situation may quickly improve as the necessary
infrastructure is there. The statement issued by the Turkish
Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchange (TOBB) contains
correct evaluations and recommendations. We hope that both the
ruling parties and opposition parties listen to these in
Ankara.”
[19] THERE IS HOPE FOR THE EU BY GUNGOR MENGI
(SABAH)
Columnist Gungor Mengi writes on Deputy Prime Minister
Mesut Yilmaz’ statements made at the Motherland Party (ANAP)
Chairmanship Board. A summary of his column is as follows:
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz’ statements at the ANAP
Chairmanship Board were like a ray of hope, consoling us
somewhat. It is understood that Turkey’s EU membership bid
will be not sacrificed for the three leaders’ obsession with
holding on to their seats. The two deputy prime ministers,
Yilmaz and Ozkan, agreed upon a plan which will abolish the
death penalty in September when the Parliament convenes in an
extraordinary meeting. In the EU October report this step will
be praised, and it will be stated that if the cultural rights
issue is solved before the end of the year a date will be
given to Turkey. It is believed that the Nationalist Action
Party (MHP) will not be able to resist the pressure coming
from the public any more. If this issue is not solved, a new
government will be formed to take the country into elections
in the spring of 2003. This agreement has two possible
consequences: that the MHP may get tougher, and the political
uncertainty may deepen, or that following the abolition of the
death penalty, if the EU makes a promise on a date for
accession negotiations, Bahceli may say that there is no
reason left to resist allowing cultural rights. Either way,
today we are more hopeful than yesterday.”
[20] ABOUT THE EU BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on the formation of the
European Union and its present power. A summary of his column
is as follows:
“At the end of World War II (1939-1945), Germany was
destroyed and France which was among the victorious nations
had lost almost everything. (In my mind the most important
defeat is that while French was the international language up
to the 1940s, after that it was displaced by English.) In the
light of the German-French dispute sparking two world wars in
25 years, following the terrible war of 1870, France began to
think over the matter. The idea to form the nucleus of the
European Union came from the French. To Prime Minister
Schumann’s project, Chancellor Adenauer, who founded modern
Germany, responded positively. They formed the nucleus of the
European Union by taking Italy and the Benelux countries (Belgium,
the Netherlands and Luxembourg) among them. The greatest
concern of de Gaulle was the union of the two Germanies and a
consequent upsetting of the balance in Europe. He was planning
on having a few independent German states. However, eventually
the two Germanies united and became the strongest member of
the European Union. The European states did not adopt the idea
of the Union very easily. In Austria, entrance to the Union
was accepted through a referendum with only 52% of the votes.
In Norway, entrance to the Union was rejected only by 1% of
votes. Great Britain hesitated a great deal, and has not even
accepted the euro as yet. The 70% rate seen in public opinion
polls in Turkey is the highest rate ever seen in the EU states.
However, Turkey is neither Austria nor Norway or Britain.
While we were bickering among ourselves for 210 years, they
took their places under the sun. As the members of a
civilization never satisfied with the rate of prosperity they
had achieved, they discussed the European Union.”
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