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Turkish Press Review, 02-07-19
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
19.07.2002
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER RECEIVES ECEVIT, KIVRIKOGLU
[02] PARLIAMENT TO CONVENE ON MONDAY
[03] ECEVIT RECEIVES IMF DELEGATION
[04] GUREL: "TURKEY WON'T FORSAKE ITS EU MEMBERSHIP BID"
[05] CEM: "OUR NEW FORMATION WILL UNITE THE TURKISH NATION"
[06] GROSSMAN: "ADDING TURKEY TO THE UNION WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE US AND THE EU"
[07] US DELEGATION ENDS OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEY
[08] TURKEY BEEFS UP BORDER SECURITY WITH IRAQ IN EXPECTATION OF US OPERATION
[09] BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE TO CYPRUS HANNAY MEETS WITH TRNC OPPOSITION LEADER TALAT
[10] SP TO SUBMIT CENSURE MOTION AGAINST GOVERNMENT
[11] BAYKAL: "NEW FORMATION CAN'T CHALLENGE THE CHP"
[12] DAWSON: "DEVELOPMENTS IN TURKEY ARE GOING WELL"
[13] IMF DELEGATION: "CLOSE DOWN MORE BANK BRANCHES"
[14] IRAQI DIPLOMAT THANKS TURKEY
[15] JOURNALIST METIN TOKER DIES
[16] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[17] BARGAINING OVER IRAQ BY SEDAT SERTOGLU (SABAH)
[18] TURKEY DRIVING A HARD BARGAIN BY SEDAT ERGIN (MILLIYET)
[19] WE GAVE NO WORD TO THE US BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[01] SEZER RECEIVES ECEVIT, KIVRIKOGLU
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer met yesterday with Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit for more than an hour as part of the prime minister's regular weekly
visits. Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu also attended the
meeting in which domestic and foreign developments, including a possible
United States military operation in Iraq, were reportedly discussed. /All
Papers/
[02] PARLIAMENT TO CONVENE ON MONDAY
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi yesterday recalled Parliament to convene on
next Monday, July 22, for an extraordinary session. A proposal submitted by
the True Path Party (DYP) and also supported by Justice and Development
Party (AKP) deputies proposed that Parliament convene on that day to debate
early elections to be held on Nov. 3 as well as European Union
harmonization laws and amendments to the Political Parties and Elections
Law. As articles regarding the EU laws were not specified individually,
Izgi made his call by taking into consideration only the topics of an
election date and the Political Parties and Elections Law. However, the
coalition government partners had agreed to reconvene Parliament on Aug. 1.
If a quorum of 184 deputies cannot be reached next Monday, the
extraordinary session will have to be cancelled or rescheduled. /Turkiye/
[03] ECEVIT RECEIVES IMF DELEGATION
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit welcomed International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen and Turkey Representative Odd Per Brekk at
the Prime Ministry's offial residence yesterday. This meeting was also
attended by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sukru Sina Gurel and
State Minister Kemal Dervis. The participants did not speak to the press
after the meeting, but reportedly the IMF delegation used it to present to
Ecevit its views on the Turkish economy. /Aksam/
[04] GUREL: "TURKEY WON'T FORSAKE ITS EU MEMBERSHIP BID"
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel met yesterday
with Ankara ambassadors of European countries at an official dinner. Gurel
said that Turkey would cooperate with current European Union Term President
Denmark to implement the Copenhagen criteria for its EU membership. He also
said that his being the new foreign minister wouldn't cause any changes to
Turkey's foreign policy. "Turkey will not forsake its EU membership bid,"
he added. He also said that Turkey was continuing its efforts to join the
EU, adding that the EU should know that Turkey is determined in its
membership bid. /Milliyet/
[05] CEM: "OUR NEW FORMATION WILL UNITE THE TURKISH NATION"
Former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yesterday visited Kayseri, a central
Anatolian province where his constituency lies, in advance of the
establishment of the new political formation he heads, expected early next
week. Remarking that the aim of the new formation was to alter Turkey's
political and economic fabric hand-in-hand with all classes and sectors of
society, Cem said, "We will refrain from pigeonholing people according to
their political affiliations. Our aim is to bring together all Turkish
citizens irrespective of their political parties. The new formation will
pave the way for a real unification in Turkey." /Cumhuriyet/
[06] GROSSMAN: "ADDING TURKEY TO THE UNION WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE
US AND THE EU"
US Deputy Secretary of State Marc Grossman yesterday met with EU
Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen in Brussels after completing his
official visit to Turkey. During the meeting, Grossman told Verheugen that
Turkey was very important for Washington and that it would be in the best
interests of the European Union to add Turkey to its ranks. "Bringing
Turkey into the Union would be beneficial for both the US and the EU,"
Grossman added. Grossman also said that should Turkey fulfill the
Copenhagen criteria, the EU should respond positively to this. Grossman
also outlined the United States' stance towards Iraq, explaining that the
US administration was determined to end the current regime in Iraq with
Turkey's support. /Hurriyet/
[07] US DELEGATION ENDS OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEY
A visiting US delegation headed by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz
along with Deputy Secretary of State Marc Grossman and Commander in Chief
of US European Forces Gen. Joseph Ralston ended its official visit to
Turkey on Wednesday. During the delegation's three-day stay, interrupted by
a scheduled visit to Afghanistan, Turkish officials told the US contingent
that Iran and Saudi Arabia should also be taken into consideration when
making policy in the region. The Turkish officials briefed the US
delegation on Turkish-Iranian relations and told them of the possible
consequences of a military operation both domestically and in the region I
general. "The territorial integrity of Iraq is very important for Turkey
and the terrorist organization PKK should not have any place in a post-
Saddam Iraq," the officials added. /Hurriyet/
[08] TURKEY BEEFS UP BORDER SECURITY WITH IRAQ IN EXPECTATION OF US
OPERATION
Talk of a future US military operation in Iraq has spurred the Turkish
Armed Forces (TSK) to beef up security along the Turkey-Iraq border. A
buffer zone has been established to guard against retreat or attack into
Turkish territory. Additional troops have been moved over the last three
weeks to bordering provinces and districts, including Mardin, Sirnak and
Hakkari, to ensure security there. Stating that Turkey's strategic
importance and US military facilities within Turkey might make the nation a
target for Iraqi forces, officials say that the security measures at
Incirlik Airbase in Adana and NATO facilities in Izmir have been bolstered
as well. /Sabah/
[09] BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE TO CYPRUS HANNAY MEETS WITH TRNC OPPOSITION
LEADER TALAT
Mehmet Ali Talat, chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), the main
opposition party in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC),
yesterday met with Britain's Special Representative to Cyprus Lord David
Hannay in London. After the meeting, Talat stated that Lord Hannay was
dissatisfied with recent developments in mainland Turkish politics, since
he believes the latest events in the wake of resignations and defections
from Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's party Democratic Left Party (DSP) could
throw the future of Cyprus negotiations into doubt. Talat said that he had
conveyed the message to Lord Hannay that the European Union should
determine a calendar for Turkey's EU bid if it did not want to cause
further uncertainty concerning the Cyprus issue. Meanwhile, a meeting which
was supposed to be held yesterday morning between TRNC President Rauf
Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides was postponed due to
Denktas' health problems. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] SP TO SUBMIT CENSURE MOTION AGAINST GOVERNMENT
Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan declared yesterday that his party
would submit a motion of no confidence to the Bureau of Parliament in order
to bring down the government. Addressing SP deputies in Parliament
yesterday during his party's group meeting, Kutan said that the political
crisis in Turkey could only be overcome by elections. "As the current
government has lost its political and numerical support, it cannot hold
elections," Kutan said. "Tomorrow we will submit a censure motion to bring
down the government, and we expect Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi to call on
Parliament to debate this motion." Meanwhile, yesterday Democratic Left
Party (DSP) Antalya Deputy Ahmet Sancar Sayin added his name to this week's
list of DSP resignations. With his defection, the number of DSP deputies in
Parliament fell to 65, while that of the coalition government decreased to
271. /Turkiye-Star/
[11] BAYKAL: "NEW FORMATION CAN'T CHALLENGE THE CHP"
Speaking to reporters at his party's headquarters yesterday, Republican
People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that his party's policies
were attracting increasing public support. "The CHP is the only party which
has tried to tackle Turkey's economic crises and corruption," said Baykal.
He also predicted that the new political formation led by former Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem wouldn't cut into the CHP's voter base. Commenting that
there were "two Turkeys," one found on the pages of newspapers and TV
screens and the other found in the land of Anatolia, he added, "No one
should ignore the real people of Anatolia." /Milliyet/
[12] DAWSON: "DEVELOPMENTS IN TURKEY ARE GOING WELL"
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Foreign Relations Director Tom Dawson
yesterday declined to comment on recent political developments in Turkey,
including plans for early elections, but did say that its economic program
was overall proceeding soundly. Speaking at a press conference in
Washington, Dawson said that he was following developments in Turkey
closely and added, "An IMF delegation is in Turkey right now, and things
are going well." /Aksam/
[13] IMF DELEGATION: "CLOSE DOWN MORE BANK BRANCHES"
After his recent meetings with executive board members of Turkish state
banks, IMF Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen has expressed his satisfaction
with the government's recent attempts to restructure the banking sector.
However, he also remarked that more bank branches should be closed down and
work to privatize the banking sector should be accelerated. /Star/
[14] IRAQI DIPLOMAT THANKS TURKEY
Iraqi Embassy Charge d'Affaires Tarik Hamaney said yesterday that he was
grateful for the Turkish government's policies. Speaking at the 34th
anniversary of the establishment of the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara, Hamaney
said, "We know that the Turkish public considers Iraq its friend. Our two
countries enjoy good relations. Turkey and the other countries have said
loud and clear that they don't favor any operation by the US against Iraq."
/Sabah/
[15] JOURNALIST METIN TOKER DIES
Journalist-writer Metin Toker, the dean of Turkish journalists, died
yesterday in Ankara after a long illness. Toker was the son-in-law of
former President Ismet Inonu. Toker had served as a columnist for Milliyet
daily for many years. /Hurriyet/
[16] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[17] BARGAINING OVER IRAQ BY SEDAT SERTOGLU (SABAH)
Columnist Sedat Sertoglu writes on the pros and cons of a planned military
operation in Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:
"Let's write about the pros and cons of participating in a military
operation against Iraq, and see what will emerge. Some time ago I mentioned
a possibility of military operation being launched against Iraq and I asked
if we were ready. At the time, officials had said that I was right in my
sensitivity and I could rest assured that plans had been made for all
contingencies in Iraq. I had said that if we were left out of this
operation, we could not sit at the table and would not have a say in the
arrangements to emerge in the region...The argument was that we had to
participate in the operation but bargain skillfully with the US beforehand.
US Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz met with Chief of General Staff Gen.
Kivrikoglu and his friends for over three hours. If Turkey had rejected the
proposal, this meeting would surely not have lasted that long. Turkey's
control in northern Iraq during this military operation will help us to
eradicate both the PKK terrorists and radical elements affiliated with Al
Qaeda trying to get a hold in the region. The financial dimension of the
issue is as important as its military dimension. This should be discussed
with the US at the bargaining table. The situation of Musul and Kerkuk and
that of Turkmens is another issue to discuss. Turkey's membership in the EU
could be another point which can be taken up at the bargaining table. We
believe that standing by a military operation will cost us dearly rather
than providing any gains. Here, the key role will be played by the chief of
General Staff, right now politicians are more concerned with keeping their
seats in Parliament."
[18] TURKEY DRIVING A HARD BARGAIN BY SEDAT ERGIN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sedat Ergin writes about last Tuesday's meeting between the prime
minister and the visiting US defense undersecretary and what Turkey wants
in exchange for support of a likely US intervention in Iraq. A summary of
his column is as follows:
"At his meeting on Tuesday with Prime Minister Ecevit, US Deputy Secretary
of Defense Paul Wolfowitz told the prime minister that President Bush had
decided to move against Saddam Hussein, but that he hadn't yet made his
mind up as to when and how such an operation would take place. He then
asked Ecevit what Turkey's views were. 'Obviously we would prefer a non-
military solution,' replied Ecevit. After pointing out the possible
negative repercussions of such an operation he continued: 'However, if the
US does intervene in Iraq, then we would like to be informed beforehand.
Turkey will consider this issue as being a matter of the Turkish-American
strategic partnership.' One very important result of this meeting was the
agreement of both sides to set up a regular, effective and secret
consultation mechanism. This mechanism's aims would be to enhance
cooperation during the planning stage of the operation in Iraq. One thing
is clear: If the US acts with Turkey on this issue, then the costs of the
operation will be considerably lower than an operation without Turkey's
active support. And it is the attempt to reduce the cost of the operation
that prompted Mr. Wolfowitz to say: 'Tell us exactly what you want.' In
response, the Turkish side presented a firm list of requests. First of all
Turkey would like the US to cancel $4 billion of Turkish debt from arms
purchases. In addition, Turkey asked for help to alleviate the negative
economic effects of a war in the region. To this end, Economy Minister
Kemal Dervis suggested that the US Treasury also be included in the
decision-making process along with the US Defense Department. Turkey also
wants the US to support Turkey's membership in the European Union. However,
the most important and underscored point on Turkey's list of demands was
protection of the territorial integrity of Iraq. Turkey wants to be
reassured that a Kurdish state, or a federal Iraq, will not be established
in the region after the operation. On this issue, Turkey made it clear that
it would in no way allow the Kurds to gain control of the oil-rich area
surrounding Musul and Kerkuk. Mr. Wolfowitz answered 'yes' to the majority
of these demands made by the Turkish officials and said that he knew he had
homework to do when he went back home. We can safely say that in the coming
days we are going to witness the hardest bargaining in the history of
Turkish-US relations. Turkey does not intend to make the mistake it made
before the Gulf War by not getting anything in return for its support."
[19] WE GAVE NO WORD TO THE US BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila writes on a possible military attack on Iraq and
Turkey's position if the attack happens. A summary of his column is as
follows:
"The US is determined to strike on Iraq; this is as clear as the light of
day. What remains uncertain is the scope and method of such an attack. The
US is searching for and in need of the support of Iraq's neighboring
countries. US Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz's main concerns during his
visit to Turkey were along these lines. Following the US delegation's
contacts in Ankara, it was argued that Turkey had assured the US that it
would fully cooperate in a possible attack and that it bargained on this by
putting its debts to the US on the table, demanding that they be cancelled.
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit denied any such quid-pro-quo and told me the
following: 'We gave no word to anyone. On the contrary, we reiterated our
sensitivities. We have not entered into any engagement. We have our eyes on
the region and we are doing what is necessary.' It is remarkable that the
US is strengthening its military reinforcements in the south, namely in
Kuwait, Qatar and in the pro-US United Arab Emirates, thus giving the clear
signs of a land operation to be launched from the south of Iraq. However,
the US does not enjoy the same comfort on Iraq's northern borders, that is,
those next to Turkey. It is obvious that the US may want to resort to its
military bases and airfields in Turkey in an airborne assault, but a land
operation to Iraq from southern Turkey is unacceptable for Ankara. Under
these circumstances, what will Turkey's position be? Ankara is watching the
developments in northern Iraq very closely to safeguard its national
interest and integrity. Turkey is vigilant about a possible wave of
immigration flowing from the region to Turkey and it is also wary of a
political fait accompli there. In order to guard against such developments,
strategists say that Turkey should deploy its military forces in northern
Iraq and be ready to react rapidly so as to defend its national interests
independent of those of the US. Thus, it would be a misinterpretation to
say that Turkey's support to the US in its possible strike on Iraq hangs
merely on bargaining over its financial debts."
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