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Turkish Press Review, 02-07-15Turkish 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 morning15.07.2002WASHINGTON HAS ITS EYES ON ANKARA BY YASEMIN CONGAR (MILLIYET)CONTENTS
[01] GUREL: "THE DSP HAS BEEN SABOTAGED"Recently appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel yesterday attended the first Bor Culture and Arts Festival in Kutahya. Speaking to reporters, Gurel claimed that his Democratic Left Party (DSP) had been sabotaged by certain circles which have been frustrated in their attempts to take direct control of Turkey's politics and government. He predicted that 46 deputies who resigned from the DSP last week would soon return to the fold of the party, as they had no real differences with the party's principles. Regarding criticisms of the DSP by his predecessor Ismail Cem, who left the party last week and announced he was assembling a new political formation, Gurel said that it was not ethical to criticize the party after abandoning it "without any apparent reason." Stating that he had never stood in the way of Turkey's European Union membership, Gurel said that Turkey deserved that membership. "However, " he added, "Turkey should never make concessions from its national interests just to advance along this road." /All Papers/[02] CEM: "OUR FUNCTION IS NOT TO ACCUSE OR OVERTHROW THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT"Appearing on CNN Turk yesterday, Former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that the function of the new political formation that he announced last week was not to accuse or overthrow the current government. Cem also said that he found the rhetoric of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) about State Minister Kemal Dervis very unsuitable, adding that Dervis would meet later this week with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Cem stated that his new formation needed three months to get ready for elections. "November looks to be the date for elections, September seems to be difficult," Cem added. Cem yesterday met with former Culture Minister Istemihan Talay in order to discuss the new formation. /Sabah/[03] ERDOGAN CRITICIZES CEM'S NEW FORMATIONSpeaking at a meeting of his party, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan criticized the new political formation taking shape under former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, calling it is an "imaginary group" lacking any program or politics. Erdogan also said that the current coalition government had come to the end of its life and that recent political developments had become a national problem rather than just the internal problems of a single party. /Aksam/[04] US DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY WOLFOWITZ VISITS TURKEYUS Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said yesterday that neither the United States nor Turkey would welcome the formation of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. Arriving in Istanbul yesterday, accompanied by Gen. Joseph Ralston, commander of the US European Command, and US State Department Undersecretary and former US Ambassador to Turkey Mark Grossman, Wolfowitz was reportedly set to ask for Turkey's views about a possible US military attack on Iraq. In public addresses and speeches, Wolfowitz has frequently singled out Turkey's secular government for praise. An official statement on his visit said that Turkish-US relations, particularly those on defense and security, would be reviewed and regional and international issues would be discussed. In a conference in Istanbul, pointing to Turkey's current political and economic issues, Wolfowitz said that Turkey should continue its modernization process. Emphasizing the US administration's support for Turkey's European Union membership bid, he stated that economic progress would continue if political stability were ensured. Regarding the Iraq issue, Wolfowitz said that the US was looking for a new administration in Iraq. "If ethnic and religious leaders come together, territorial integrity in Iraq would be ensured," he said. "We know that Turkey is not in favor of the establishment a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. The US administration also would not support such a development." Meanwhile, Wolfowitz met with State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis yesterday at a dinner. He is expected to proceed to Afghanistan today and then return to Turkey to continue his meetings with Turkish officials. /Turkiye/[05] IRAQI OPPOSITION LEADERS DISCUSS TURKEY'S ROLE IN OPERATION AGAINST SADDAMA group of Iraqi opposition leaders met in London over the weekend to discuss ways to overthrow Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and how to run the country in the post-Saddam period. Calling on the United States to help them in toppling Saddam without causing harm to the Iraqi civilians, the opposition leaders stressed that Turkey would have to assume an important role in such a military operation aimed at bringing peace and stability to the country. The meeting was endorsed by the Iraqi National Congress, the main opposition umbrella group. Around 90 former Iraqi officers along with representatives from Kurdish, Arabian and Assyrian groups attended the gathering. A military council was elected to work towards overthrowing Saddam and establishing civilian rule. Maj. Gen. Tawfiq al-Yassiri, the group's spokesman, said the council would ensure that a democratic government would take control when the current regime was ousted. Maj. Gen. Najib al-Salhi emphasized that if the US launched a military operation which could destroy the infrastructure of the country or bring harm to the Iraqi civilians, neither the Iraqi people nor the international community would give their support. The Iraqi leaders also underlined that an operation without Turkey's support would be extremely expensive and carry the risk of excessive casualties. Subsequently, the leaders agreed on three main points: an independent Kurdish state could not be established in northern Iraq, the operation could not be launched without Turkey's support, and the operation should be designed so as not to hurt Turkey's economy. /Cumhuriyet/[06] SLOVAKIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KADLECHIVOKA TO VISIT TURKEYMaria Kadlechivoka, Slovakian deputy prime minister for European Union affairs, is to arrive in Turkey to pay an official visit as the official guest of Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. Turkish-EU relations as well as the EU's enlargement process and current situations of the candidate countries are expected to be taken up during the gathering. /Cumhuriyet/[07] CILLER: "PARLIAMENT SHOULD CONVENE ON JULY 22 TO SET A DATE FOR EARLY ELECTIONS"Main opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller yesterday issued a written statement saying that her party had submitted a motion to convene Parliament at the beginning of next week, on July 22, to set a date for early elections before December. "Parliament needs to decide on a date to discuss both the elections law and early elections," she said. Ciller also added, "If the Motherland Party [ANAP] is honest about the European Union issue, they should support our motion, otherwise it will be clear that they are using the EU issue as a political tool." /Milliyet/[08] CAKMAKOGLU: "ONE DOESN'T NEED PERMISSION TO RESIGN"Speaking to reporters in Kayseri yesterday, Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu offered his views of recent developments in Turkish politics. When asked about Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's comment that his coalition partner the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) opposed his stepping down as a prime minister, Cakmakoglu, a member of the MHP, remarked, "One doesn't need permission to step down from the government." Commenting on Ecevit's meeting with former Interior Minister Saadettin Tantan last Friday, Cakmakoglu said that Ecevit might have needed to briefed on certain issues by the former minister. He also suggested that State Economy Minister Kemal Dervis should resign. /Turkiye/[09] TOBB DELEGATION TRAVELS TO SPAINA delegation from the Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) went to Spain yesterday to attend a Spanish-Turkish Business Council meeting. The Turkish delegation, made up of 250 businessmen, will discuss issues such as cooperation with Spain and Spain's support for Turkey's European Union membership bid. Delegation head TOBB Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu will attend the meeting today, and the talks are due to end on Wednesday. /Star/[10] SPAIN TO PROVIDE TURKEY WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCESpain is to provide Turkey with technical assistance in order to help the Turkish government improve its relations with the European Union. A memorandum of accord is to be signed today in Ankara between the two countries, a document which is aimed at improving the countries' bilateral cooperation on EU matters. /Cumhuriyet/[11] TURKISH EXPORTS TO BRITAIN RISEThe Turkish Exporters' Union announced yesterday that in the first six months of this year Turkey's exports to Great Britain had increased by $2.61 million to reach a total of $1.3 billion. In the same period, exports to Russia rose by $97 million to reach $428 million and exports to the United States, Turkey's third-largest trading partner, saw the largest boost, some $85 million. /Star/[12] NUMBER OF TURKISH WORKERS GOING ABROAD RISESThe State's National Employment Organization (Is-Kur) stated yesterday that in January-May of this year, a total of 12,354 Turkish workers were sent to a host of different countries, a rise of some 4,000 compared to last year. Is-Kur added that Turkey had sent the most laborers to Saudi Arabia, Russian Federation and Germany, whereas it sent the least to Austria, Switzerland, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg and Ireland. During that period, 5, 000 workers were sent to Saudi Arabia, 3,000 workers to the Russian Federation, 1,467 to Germany, one apiece to Luxembourg, Ireland and Austria, and two workmen to Denmark. A total of 8,000 workers were sent to various countries last January-May, said Is-Kur. /Milliyet/[13] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS[14] DECISION TIME FOR ECEVIT BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak writes about his interview with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Ecevit's views on the future of the government. A summary of his column is as follows:"The number 13 is going to be very important for Ecevit this week because if there are 13 more resignations from the DSP then Ecevit will have to resign from his post as prime minister. During my interview with the prime minister, he described the situation with Dervis as 'unprecedented.' Dervis is the only minister in the Cabinet who is not a member of Parliament, yet his resignation was still not accepted. The efforts of President Sezer kept him in government. The Nationalist Action Party (MHP) does not want Dervis to remain in government. But what's going to happen if they come right out and ask Ecevit to dismiss Dervis? In response to this question, Ecevit says he could resign. He says that he will try and explain to MHP leader Devlet Bahceli what might happen and how Turkey would be negatively affected if the implementation of the IMF- and World Bank-backed program were halted due to a Dervis crisis. He then adds that if he is not successful in convincing Bahceli, he might resign. If the Dervis crisis is solved, then he believes that the coalition partners can reach an agreement to hold elections next April 2003 instead of this November. That way, it will be possible to work with the opposition parties to pass the necessary EU adaptation laws. Ecevit looks much better now than he did in the last few weeks. As an ex-journalist, it seems that he was hurt by the campaign launched by some of his former colleagues for him to retire. So we ask him why he is so insistent on not stepping down. He tells us that he wants to be the leader to take the DSP to elections and that, that is how he wants to end the Ecevit era." [15] NEVER WITHOUT THE TURKMENS BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Freai Tinc writes on the Iraqi problem and the role of that country's Turkmens. A summary of her column is as follows:"News about Iraq reminds me of my visit three months ago to the cities of Baghdad and Kerkuk,. I remember Iraqis who cannot live any other way but by molding their own ideas into forms Saddam has shaped and keeping their own feelings to themselves. There are those who don't have anything besides the salary the state is giving them. Today decisions are being made regarding their future and plans are being made for a possible occupation. They are cut off from the whole world without any television to watch or radio to listen to. They are waiting the approaching disaster. Religion is the only refuge for them. At the end of the week, the opposition to Saddam has decided on a 'Democratic Iraq.' They would prefer Saddam to be overthrown without resorting to any operation from land or air. Recently, the opposition movements centered around former officers have grown. Can they topple Saddam? It is not possible to incite the Iraqi people to rebel through instructions from abroad. News reaching us says that 33 people were executed by shooting. They were shot while trying to escape a raid on a mosque. When rumors about a coup began to circulate, Saddam's intelligence units and security forces began a 'cleansing' movement in the Gulf area inhabited by Shiite Arabs. Washington Representative of the Iraqi Turkmen Front Orhan Ketene was in Turkey for a brief visit. He says that there has been a rapid growth of opposition movements outside Iraq. But the situation inside Iraq is rather different. It is unnatural to expect an uprising from a people living in a country where five different intelligence agencies affiliated with Saddam and under the supervision of one another operate, and where two different armed forces such as the army and the Revolutionary Guard are present. Ketene is claiming that a revolution within Iraq is very difficult. According to US plans, opposition is necessary for the post- Saddam era. The strongest of these movements is among the Kurds as they are armed. Kurds form the opposition group Washington depends on the most. Regarding Washington's approach towards the Iraqi Turkmens, Ketene said, 'For a very long time they didn't take us into consideration. They were claiming that our number was too few and that we didn't have the necessary weapons. We were not invited to meetings Kurds participated in. However, recently there has been a change as we are making ourselves known and voicing our demands. They have begun to invite us to meetings and began to listen to us.' Taking the Iraqui Turkmens into consideration, first brought forth by the Ankara process and then later forgotten, demonstrates the significance of the role to be given to Turkey. However, it also shows that there won't be a true democracy in Iraq without speaking of the Turkmens." [16] WASHINGTON HAS ITS EYES ON ANKARA BY YASEMIN CONGAR (MILLIYET)Columnist Yasemin Congar writes on the Bush administration's perspective on recent political developments taking place in Turkey. A summary of her column is as follows."Turkey is at a crossroads. The way out of the political confusion and uncertainty hinges on the path it chooses to pursue. This is how Washington views the current situation in Turkey. Accordingly the heart of Turkey's political deadlock is the heated debate turning around the question of integration with the European Union. The conflict between EU supporters and those who oppose it is the reason for the dramatic political crisis in Turkey. In fact the current picture is not terribly promising. US diplomats and political analysts are of the opinion that the existing government cannot last much longer. Early elections are inevitable. The Bush administration is putting the emphasis on the viability of Turkey's EU membership bid. Lynn Cassell, a US State Department spokeswoman, says that Turkey's full membership in the EU is as crucial to the strategic interests of the US as it is to Turkey's. What lies beneath the US's anxiety about the crisis in Turkey is its possible military attack on Iraq to bring Saddam Hussein down. What Washington wants is a stable government in Ankara, because Turkey's active support for such an attack is a must for a military victory against Saddam. Another major point of US concern is Turkey's economic situation. Washington thinks that Turkey should stick with the ongoing economic program and resist deviating from it due to the present political chaos. Lastly, the US administration is sensitive about early elections and the new political formation headed by former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, in which Kemal Dervis will also take part as a leading figure. It is known that Washington gave a positive response to this new party formation. All in all, Washington contends that Turkey will overcome the political turmoil it is now suffering from, but only if it can fulfill the EU's Copenhagen criteria and take a major step forward towards EU membership." 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