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Turkish Press Review, 03-04-04Turkish 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> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning04.04.2003FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] COUNCIL OF EUROPE OKS TURKISH TROOPS ENTERING NORTHERN IRAQ TO DELIVER HUMANITARIAN AID OR FOR SELF-DEFENSE ONLYThe Parliamentarian Assembly of the Council of Europe yesterday weighed in on the northern Iraq issue, saying that Turkey had the right to send forces into the region, but only under certain conditions. Intervention in northern Iraq could be justified on the basis of delivering humanitarian aid or Turkey acting in self-defense against attack, the COE said. Turkish leaders have repeatedly reiterated in recent weeks that the nation would only intervene in the region due to humanitarian concerns or for defense against threats such as resurgent terrorism. /Hurriyet/[02] GUL: “MISLEADING STATEMENTS COULD HURT TURKEY’S ECONOMY”Speaking at a NATO Council meeting in Brussels yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that European Union and NATO member countries should watch their words, since with the war in Iraq still continuing, misleading statements carried the danger of damaging Turkey’s economy. “Our tourism sector could especially be hurt,” he warned, adding that there was a great injustice toward Turkey concerning the northern Iraq issue. “Some EU countries speak as if Turkey is on the verge of entering the region, words which show their prejudice,” he explained. Talking to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport after returning from Brussels, Gul said that Turkey’s relations and cooperation with the US were being carried out under authority granted by Parliament. Vehicles proceeding to Iraq across Turkish soil are non-military in nature and unarmed, he stated, in apparent reference to Ankara’s agreement on Tuesday to let the US resupply its military in northern Iraq with food and fuel via Turkey. Our nation is one which cooperates with its allies, he added, but it is “not at war, because Parliament did not give its authority” for such a position. /Milliyet/[03] FOREIGN PRESS ON POWELL’S RECENT VISIT TO TURKEYIn an unsigned editorial on US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s recent visit to Turkey, the Washington Post stated yesterday that the top US diplomat had failed to resolve the volatile question of whether Turkish troops would enter northern Iraq. “After a day of meetings with senior Turkish leaders, Powell said the two sides agreed to establish a ‘coordination committee’ to monitor northern Iraq to determine if a Turkish deployment is necessary,” added the influential US daily. “But he was unable to break a deadlock in negotiations about who should sit on the committee and how it would operate. He said both sides would try to settle the dispute within a week.” In addition, British daily The Independent stated that it would take more than Powell's visit to mend the “fractured” Turkish-US alliance. The agreements announced by Powell after his “belated” trip to Ankara yesterday were the minimum that Washington needed – but also the maximum that Turkey could give, at least publicly, said the paper. “Washington's final miscalculation was the desperate financial blandishment it offered,” added the Independent, referring to an offer of financial aid in return for US troop deployment which Turkey rejected last month. “Rather than welcoming the money, Turkey saw it as a humiliating bribe, designed to keep the country beholden to the US and to policies that might not reflect its interests. The ‘no’ from Ankara was definitive.” /Hurriyet/[04] GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER REJECTS DENKTAS’S PROPOSALS ON CYPRUSGreek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday rejected Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas’s new proposals for a settlement on the island. In a letter to Denktas, Papadopoulos said that he would negotiate with the Turkish Cypriot leader only within the framework of the United Nations, calling UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan “the best hope for us to proceed toward a comprehensive settlement." He added, moreover, that accepting Denktas’s proposals would amount to an official recognition of the TRNC, something which he opposes. Papadopoulos also accused Denktas of being responsible for the lack of a settlement on the island. /Aksam/[05] PARLIAMENT RE-APPROVES BILL LOWERING CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT AGEParliament yesterday approved for a second time a bill dealing with state worker’s retirement which last month was vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and sent back to the legislature. The bill, which was passed without change, proposes lowering the mandatory retirement age for civil servants from 65 to 61. Under the Constitution, the president has to approve the bill within 15 days, or else apply to the Constitutional Court to have it annulled. /Turkiye/[06] IRANIAN FM KHARRAZI TO VISIT TURKEYIranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi is set to visit Ankara on Sunday. Kharrazi is expected to exchange views with Turkish officials on the Iraq issue. /All Papers/[07] IMF: “WE EXPECT TURKEY’S NEW LETTER OF INTENT WITHIN A WEEK”Tom Dawson, external affairs director for the International Monetary Fund, said yesterday that the IMF expected Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to sign the nation’s new letter of intent (LOI) within a week. “The IMF will make its decision on providing Turkey with $1.6 billion after its meeting later this month,” he said. “However, the meeting’s date has yet to be set.” Asked about the possible effects of a proposed $1 billion US loan on Turkey’s economic program, Dawson said that the AKP government should continue to determinedly implement the program. /Sabah/[08] ENERGY MINISTER GULER: “HYDROELECTRIC DAMS WILL PROVIDE OUR NATION WITH BOTH POWER AND REVENUE”Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler yesterday arrived in Izmir to attend the opening ceremony of the Ninth International Marble Fair 2003. During a visit to the Izmir governorship,, Guler said that Turkey was operating some 30 hydroelectric dams throughout the country. “Through selling their shares to the public, our government aims to create financial resources for the nation,” added the minister. Guler stated that the stock offerings would probably begin with the Karakaya Dam. /Turkiye/[09] MARCH INFLATION FIGURES RELEASEDThe State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released month-on-month inflation figures for March. Inflation last month was 3.2% on the wholesale price index (WPI) and 3.1% on the consumer price index (CPI). The figures pushed year-to-year WPI inflation to 39.4% and CPI inflation to 35.5%. /All Papers/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[11] IS A PROVISIONAL SOLUTION ON CYPRUS POSSIBLE?Columnist Sami Kohen comments on Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas’s latest proposal for the island. A summary of his column is as follows:“This week saw an important development on the Cyprus issue when Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas presented a new six-article proposal for the island. After talks organized by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan ended in failure last month, the negotiations process ground to a halt and Annan’s plan was shelved. Now the Greek Cypriots are eagerly awaiting April 16, when the European Union will open its door to them alone with the signing of their EU accession papers. So at this point, Denktas put forward a new proposal, in effect trying to show that the process of finding a resolution hadn’t ended yet and could in fact continue on a new basis with the other side’s cooperation. The new proposal has two main elements. The first is very important: Turkish Cypriots would give Varosha (Maras) over to Greek Cypriot control to open it to resettlement. With this, Denktas is signaling that he’s ready to give a territorial concession concerning Maras. The second element is about such ‘confidence-building measures’ as providing for free cross- border trade, transportation, circulation, etc. between the sides. In so proposing, the Turkish side is effectively asking the Greek Cypriots to lift their embargos and similar limitations. In sum, 1. Denktas sets aside Annan’s plan completely and instead tries to work out a provisional solution. 2. This provisional solution provides the Greek Cypriots with the chance to return to Varosha, something which they very much want. 3. Besides the prospect of resuscitating the Turkish Cypriot economy, the proposal also aims to win political leverage through a ‘de facto recognition’ of the TRNC. Denktas and official circles in Ankara think that acceptance of the proposal would soften the atmosphere on the island and reopen the road for dialogue towards a solution. However, both the Greek Cypriots and foreign diplomatic circles think this very unlikely. The initial reaction of the Greek Cypriot administration shows that this proposal won’t be accepted. It seems Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos will present a package to Denktas working solely to his advantage. The Papadopoulos administration is acting with the confidence that Greek Cyprus will get what it wants on April 16, so there’s no real reason for them to take Denktas’ proposal seriously. Leaders from Ankara and Athens will meet at the Southeastern European Countries’ Cooperation Process summit in Belgrade next week. This meeting might be a possibility to discuss the Cyprus issue again under a new umbrella. Clearly, however, a provisional solution like the one proposed by Denktas won’t establish a basis for a final resolution. It would be more reasonable and realistic to fold his proposals into the framework of the UN plan, in other words, make them a part of Annan’s proposal.” [12] HAVE TURKEY AND THE US REALLY OVERCOME THEIR CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE? BY CUNEYT ARCAYUREK (CUMHURIYET)Columnist Cuneyt Arcayurek writes on US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s visit to Turkey earlier this week. A summary of his column is as follows:“Our politicians are still busy evaluating US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s recent visit to Turkey in a bid to determine what the US and Turkey both gained and lost during the top diplomat’s meetings in Ankara. What did the US promise Turkey? First of all, a Kurdish state will not be established in northern Iraq. Turkey will assume an active role in postwar Iraq’s reconstruction. The rush of Iraqi refugees towards Turkey’s borders will be stopped at refugee camps set up in northern Iraq. Furthermore, a monitoring committee will be established to follow developments in the region and monitor Kurdish groups there. It also seems that the Bush administration has persuaded Turkey not to enter the region. However, Powell rejected Ankara’s request for a written agreement meant to ease its concerns. Our government is striving to prove to the Bush administration that Turkey is still loyal to the US. Our politicians are trying to restore the good health of bilateral relations -- yes, that’s exactly what they are trying to do! Does the US need a country to provide additional humanitarian aid? Or do US troops need fuel and food? Here is Turkey to provide such supplies at all costs! Our airspace, railways and highways are all at your disposal. Have US warplanes suffered damaged? Send them to Diyarbakir or the Incirlik Airbase, and we’ll fix them right up for you so that you can get back to repeatedly bombing the Iraqi people! We’re your friend, ally and a loyal strategic partner. Please don’t get your feathers ruffled! Please don’t try to settle scores with us! Please don’t be disappointed! The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government didn’t hesitate for even an instant to satisfy your demands, and acted so fast that Turkish trucks carrying US military vehicles and equipment reached northern Iraq even before the newspaper ink on Powell’s visit had time to dry, and even before an agreement was even reached! The Chief of General Staff’s Office has verified that these vehicles went to northern Iraq at the request of the US. How did our opposition and media, who pride themselves on their cleverness, miss this crucial point? According to media reports, Powell’s visit pleased both countries. Our strained bilateral relations were fixed. But why wouldn’t a US government whose demands were all willingly met by our country without even signing a written agreement indeed be satisfied? Under such circumstances, the Bush administration would of course soften its tone. Is this really that difficult to understand? The fact is the Bush administration has finally managed to transform Turkey wholesale into one of its military bases to provide US troops with food and fuel. Some journalists are saying that the crisis of confidence between our two countries has been completely overcome. Are we really that foolish?” 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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