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Turkish Press Review, 02-09-30Turkish 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 morning30.09.2002CONTENTS
[01] NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL TO MEET TODAYThe National Security Council (MGK) chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will meet today at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. During the meeting, domestic and foreign developments will be discussed. /Turkiye/[02] PARLIAMENT TO CONVENE TOMORROWFollowing the end of its summer recess, the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) is scheduled to convene tomorrow. With various efforts to postpone elections continuing, Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi’s stance on this matter carries great importance. If these efforts prove unsuccessful, Parliament will once again go on recess to then reconvene after the Nov. 3 elections. If the recess motion is rejected, it will hold another session beginning this Wednesday, Oct. 2. /Turkiye/[03] JONES, AZIZ TO VISIT ANKARAElizabeth Jones, US assistant secretary of state for Eurasian Affairs, arrived in Ankara yesterday. Jones is set to meet with Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel and Turkish diplomats today. During the meetings, a possible operation in Iraq will reportedly be the main topic of discussion. Meanwhile, Tariq Aziz, Iraqi’s deputy prime minister, will arrive in Ankara this week to pay a four-day official visit. He is expected to convey a message from Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to Turkish officials. /All Papers/[04] ECEVIT: “ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD[05] IN NOVEMBER AS SCHEDULED”Speaking in Adana yesterday, Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit said that the nation’s elections would be held on Nov. 3 as scheduled. Ecevit predicted that those parties now trying to postpone elections would probably be disappointed in November and would seek yet another round of elections. “Turkey has begun its elections process, and there is no turning back,” he added. /Milliyet/[06] BAHCELI: “EFFORTS TO POSTPONE ELECTIONS ARE IN VAIN”Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli held a press conference in Ankara yesterday to promote his party’s election manifesto. Stressing that certain parties which had lost the people’s support were trying to postpone elections, Bahceli said, “Such efforts, however, will not be successful.” When the MHP comes to power alone, Bahceli asserted, after a period of four years the nation’s inflation rate would be stabilized at around 5%. Stating that an Economy Ministry would be established to ensure more effective administration of the economy, Bahceli also vowed to establish a new tax system. He added that the period of mandatory education would be extended to 12 years from the current eight. /Turkiye/[07] CILLER: “THE NATION WANTS ELECTIONS TO BE HELD AS SCHEDULED”Speaking in Istanbul’s Buyukcekmece district yesterday, True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said that the nation wanted general elections to be held on Nov. 3 as scheduled. She stated that when Parliament reconvenes this week, her party would work to act in unison to block efforts aimed at postponing the polls. /Milliyet/[08] KUTAN: “ELECTIONS LAW MUST BE[09] AMENDED TO ENSURE LEGITIMACY”At a press conference in the southeastern Anatolia city of Mardin yesterday, Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan stated that if the Elections law wasn’t amended, there was a possibility that as many as 50% of Turkey’s voters might go unrepresented in Parliament. Commenting on his party’s stance, Kutan said that during this week’s parliamentary session the SP would provide full support to efforts to amend the Elections Law. Asked whether voting by Turkish citizens living abroad, set to begin on Wednesday, would signal a de facto start to elections, Kutan replied that since a possibility of postponement had long existed, the Supreme Election Board (YSK) should be ready to deal with any foreseeable contingency. /Sabah/[10] ERDOGAN: “MY BEING A DEPUTY IS UNIMPORTANT”Speaking in the southeastern Anatolia town of Cizre yesterday, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that whether or not he ran for deputy in the Nov. 3 elections was of little consequence. Erdogan’s candidacy was disqualified earlier this month by the Supreme Election Board (YSK). “The AKP will use its principles to come to power,” said Erdogan. “Whatever obstacles it faces, our party will overcome them to serve the nation.” He added that he hoped that Turkey would soon be a model country which enjoys full democracy. After visiting Cizre, Erdogan then proceeded to Mardin. /Milliyet/[11] STATE MINISTER DOGRU MAKES SWEEP THROUGH BALKANSIn his first-ever official visit to the Balkans region, State Minister Resat Dogru last week stopped off in three countries and held contacts with officials in each. During his first stopover, in Greece, Dogru spoke with Friendship, Equality and Peace Party leader Ahmet Haciosmanoglu as well as Aris Papadopulos, the governer of Greece’s eastern Macedonia and western Thrace region. Dogru also visited the birthplace of Republic of Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Salonika. Arriving next in the capital of Macedonia, Skopje, Dogru met with Kenan Hasip, leader of that country’s Turkish Democratic Party. In his final stop, Bulgaria, Dogru met with the country’s vice president, Kostadin Paskalev. /Turkiye/[12] BAYKAL: “TURKEY NEEDS A POWERFUL SINGLE-PARTY GOVERNMENT”Appearing on television yesterday, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal pledged his party’s opposition to post-election coalition scenarios, saying that the CHP would take no part in such bargaining. “Turkey needs a powerful single-party government to overcome nagging problems such as high inflation and interest rates,” Baykal stated. “Only a strong single-party government taking the reins will enable Turkey to settle its issues with the EU and rearrange its relations with the IMF.” /Aksam/[13] CEM DENIES PARTY RIFTS IN YTPSpeaking at a meeting of his party in Istanbul yesterday, New Turkey Party Chairman Ismail Cem denied the presence of rifts in the YTP, saying that he and his party colleagues were still working together for a better Turkish future. He specifically denied that he had any disputes with Husamettin Ozkan and Istemihan Talay, two prominent YTP members reportedly at odds with Cem over proposals to delay the Nov. 3 elections. /Aksam/[14] TURKISH-US CONSTRUCTION IN AFGHANISTAN[15] SLATED FOR LARGE US EXIMBANK CREDITThe United States Export-Import (Exim) Bank will grant expanded credits to Turkish companies ready to undertake joint projects with US concerns in the rebuilding of Afghanistan, bank officials announced yesterday. Eximbank Vice President Eduardo Aguirre said that Turkey was among the top five countries in line for credit, adding that the bank had set no limit on allocations for joint Turkish-US projects. /Star/[16] BLUE STREAM TO BEGIN TRANSPORTING GAS IN DECEMBERThe Blue Stream natural gas pipeline project, intended to transport Russian natural gas to Turkey via a pipeline beneath the Black Sea, is set to be completed in December, say project officials. The flow of Russian gas is expected to begin the same month. /Sabah/[17] ATO CHAIR ASKS DEPUTIES NOT TO DELAY POLLSAnkara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman Sinan Aygun sent a letter this week to Parliament’s deputies asking them to oppose efforts to delay polls set for Nov. 3, Aygun announced yesterday. In a written statement, Aygun said postponing elections could cause political disarray and end up costing Turkey over $19 billion. Furthermore, he added, postponement would make Turkey’s debt even more burdensome and damage its relations with the European Union. /Cumhuriyet/[18] BELGIAN TRADE MINISTER VISITS TURKEYDidier Gosuin, Belgium’s trade minister, arrived in Istanbul yesterday accompanied by a delegation of businessmen. Speaking to reporters, Gosuin said that a future Europe without Turkey was unthinkable. Our aim is to stand alongside Turkey in the European Union, he added. /Cumhuriyet/[19] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[20] FROM THE COLUMNS[21] AGAIN, THE ESDP...[22] BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli writes on recent developments regarding the European Security and Defense Policy issue. A summary of her column is as follows:“Do the countries of the European Union really apply double standards in its policies on Turkey? The issue of ‘double standards’ has long been one of Turkey’s favorite conspiracy theories regarding its relations with Europe. Whenever something happens to Turkey’s disadvantage, it is because the EU is applying double standards to us; but whenever something good takes place, it occurs due to Turkey’s strength and determination. That’s our politicians’ favorite line in all developments regarding Turkish-EU relations. However, there’s no denying that the Europeans sometimes fail to apply fair, impartial policies to Turkey’s EU membership bid. The European Parliament’s (EP) latest decision on the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) is a good example of such wrongheaded EU stances. The EP recently released a report stating that Turkey should take a more constructive attitude on the ESDP issue. However, as early as last December, Turkey had already displayed its positive stance on the issue by signing the ‘Ankara Document.’ Although EU member Britain also signed the document, another EU country, Greece, vetoed it. Even under such circumstances, the EU hesitates to put pressure on Greece, but instead elects to call on Turkey to take a more positive attitude! After the signing of this tripartite agreement among Turkey, Britain and the US, the Turkish government has consistently stated that the Ankara Document represented Turkey’s official stance on the issue, stressing that not even a single comma of the document could be changed. The Turkish government also underlined that it was the EU’s turn to take more positive steps regarding the ESDP. However, the EU caved in to pressure from Athens, and Turkey immediately found itself in the middle of new negotiations. While discussions on the Ankara Document have been held among Britain, the US and Turkey, Germany and Greece have also joined the new negotiations. Although Ankara prefers calling these meetings ‘unofficial’ or ‘brainstorming’ sessions, they actually amount to negotiations, more or less. All concerned parties are seeking the same formula: one which would satisfy both Turkey and Greece. Diplomacy is truly an art… Let’s wait and see whether a new formula can be found, one which put a stop to the EU’s incessant calls on Turkey.” [23] THE DSP AND POSTPONEMENT[24] BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the Democratic Left Party’s (DSP) stance towards election postponement efforts. A summary of his column is as follows:“The world of politics is now focused on tomorrow, Oct. 1. Will Parliament open and then again go on recess, in line with its decision to hold elections on Nov. 3, or will it stay open through the efforts of disgruntled deputies? And if it remains open, will it decide to delay the elections? It’s commonly believed that the Democratic Left Party (DSP) will play the key role in answering these questions. It’s known that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit was originally against the early elections but now feels that delaying them at this stage would be a mistake. Will Ecevit change his mind? Appearing on CNN Turk, Ecevit said that imposing a group decision for the DSP’s deputies wouldn’t be necessary, which seemed to give hope to the disgruntled deputies seeking postponement. But it would be wrong to interpret Ecevit here as meaning that the DSP deputies might support the disgruntled deputies. Ecevit meant that there’s ‘even’ no need for a group decision to make sure the DSP deputies follow the party line in opposing postponement efforts. Our conversations with DSP deputies show that there’s been no change in the stance of the party or the deputies. True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller thinks that it would be still more convincing if Ecevit enforced a group decision. Speaking with her yesterday, she told me as much, adding, ‘We’re going to make a DYP group decision on Monday, and the DSP would do well to do the same.’ However, the DSP rank-and-file consider this unnecessary. DSP brass emphasize that the party isn’t sitting on the fence on this issue. They point out that the DSP isn’t represented among the disgruntled deputies, excepting only Zonguldak Deputy Omer Ustunkol, who was left off its candidate list. They have no doubt that DSP deputies will vote against any postponement, and stress that the disgruntled deputies shouldn’t pin their hopes on the DSP. For, they say, this would be in vain.” 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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