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Turkish Press Review, 03-04-28Turkish 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 morning28.04.2003EUROPE WILL MAKE A DECISION BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET) TURKEY: A COUNTRY OF CRISES BY HASAN BULENT KAHRAMAN (RADIKAL)CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “CONTROVERSIES AND CRITICISMS ASIDE, THE AKP WILL CONTINUE ITS WORK UNABATED”The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will not let rows and criticisms deter it from working for the nation’s good, vowed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. Speaking at an AKP gathering, Erdogan referred specifically to last week’s Parliament speaker reception row, downplaying the controversy while also criticizing opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal’s decision not to attend. The prime minister also criticized what he called “misleading” media reports about last week’s visit to Ankara of Iranian Vice President Mohammed Reza Aref, saying such reports had obscured the meeting’s true focus, namely economic relations and trade. “We will not let such reproaches stand in the way of our party’s mission,” stated Erdogan. “We will continue to focus on the nation’s most important issues, such as the economy, trade and fighting corruption. We will not be sidetracked by trumped-up issues.” /Aksam/[02] GUL: “TURKISH TEAMS ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH US TROOPS IN NORTHERN IRAQ”Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Turkey was closely following developments in northern Iraq. “We have plans and programs for the region. They will be carried out in coordination,” said Gul. Speaking to a meeting of the Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association, Gul denied reports of Turkish Special Forces arming northern Iraq’s Turkmen being sent back by US troops. “There are no problems regarding Turkish teams in the region,” he said. “They are continuing to carry out their duties and conveying reports back to us. Our teams are carrying weapons to protect trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the region through Turkey.” Stressing that Turkey wanted all the peoples of Iraq to be represented in the country’s postwar administration, Gul said that Ankara would contribute to Iraq’s political and economic reconstruction. Regarding Turkey’s European Union membership bid, the foreign minister said that 2004 would be a critical year for Turkey to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria. “The Turkish people already deserve these reforms,” said Gul. The EU is due to evaluate Turkey’s accession progress at its December 2004 summit. Pointing to cross- border visits on Cyprus by thousands of Turkish and Greek Cypriots alike since last Wednesday, when Turkish Cyprus opened its border gates for the first time in 29 years, Gul hailed this development as a step towards forging sustainable trust on the island. /All Papers/[03] BAYKAL: “STAYING AWAY FROM LAST WEEK’S RECEPTION WAS MY WAY OF PROTECTING THE SPIRIT OF PARLIAMENT”The decision last week by several government and military officials not to attend a state reception was an effort to protect the spirit of Parliament, but not an organized action, said opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday. Last Wednesday’s anniversary of Parliament’s founding was no mere formal event but instead the embodiment of a spirit, Baykal told ATV. “I chose not to attend the anniversary reception so as to protect this spirit,” stated Baykal. He added that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and several top military officials had decided individually, not through any group action, to stay away from the gathering. “We will never let anybody exploit religion,” said Baykal, adding that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) should focus on solving the pressing problems facing Turkey. /Milliyet/[04] DEFENSE MINISTER GONUL DENIES US MEDIA REPORTS OF TURKISH FORCES “SMUGGLING” WEAPONS INTO NORTHERN IRAQThe New York Times over the weekend reported yesterday that according to US military officials, men identifying themselves as Turkish Special Forces soldiers last week tried to smuggle grenades, night-vision goggles and dozens of rifles into the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. The officials said that they believe the weapons, which were allegedly hidden in an aid convoy, were bound for ethnic Turkmen living in the oil-rich city, said the Times. However, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul denied these reports, reiterating that Turkish forces were present in the region only to deliver humanitarian aid to refugees. /Cumhuriyet/[05] THE WASHINGTON POST: “POLITICAL EXPERIMENT STUMBLES IN TURKEY”In a news analysis written by Peter P. Pan, the Washington Post reported yesterday that Turkey’s experiment in reconciling Islam and democracy was “struggling” to produce results. “Dogged by internal divisions, inexperience and the lingering suspicions of the political establishment, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has made little progress so far toward its goals of far-reaching reform,” wrote Pan. The US daily stated that although Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc’s reception last week was supposed to be a “festive event,” a chance for Turkey's ruling elite to make a show of political unity on a national holiday, a political crisis erupted when Arinc said he might bring his wife, who wears a headscarf in public because she believes her religion requires it. “Then the main opposition [Republican People’s Party, CHP] declared a boycott,” said Pan. “The president indicated he too would skip the reception. The military's top generals also decided not to go. In Turkey, where the secular state has viewed Islamic headgear as a symbol of extremism for nearly a century, an official function co-hosted by a woman in a headscarf is too much for some to bear.” The party's “inexperience” also was evident when a split in Parliament led to rejection of a US request to deploy troops in Turkey for the war against Iraq, argued the Post. The daily quoted Murat Mercan, AKP deputy chairman, as saying, “Erdogan is still determined to bring ‘radical change’ to Turkey, but has decided to follow a long-term strategy aimed at easing people's fears about the party and gradually winning over opponents. That means putting off the most divisive problems for later. We need at least 10 years. We've been saying that politics in this country is going to change, and the bureaucracy and others must adapt to these changes. But change doesn't come that easy. These problems eventually must be solved in such a way that it doesn't disturb anybody.” /Cumhuriyet/[06] BARZANI: “KURDISH PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION”There is "no justification" for US forces to remain in Iraq once an interim Iraqi government has been established, stated Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Massoud Barzani over the weekend. Barzani added that the “Kurdish nation” had the right to self-determination and to establish its own state. “However, this issue is not on our agenda right now,” said the Kurdish leader. “We are responsible for solving the problems of Iraq’s Kurds. However, the Kurds living in Turkey and Iran should themselves find solutions to their problems.” /Cumhuriyet/[07] US REPRESENTATIVE WEXLER: “I BELIEVE THAT TURKISH FIRMS WILL PARTICIPATE IN IRAQ’S RECONSTRUCTION”Congressman Robert Wexler, a Florida democrat and co-chair of the US Congress’ Causus on US-Turkish Relations and Turkish Americans, over the weekend attended a meeting of the Turkish Exports’ Assembly (TIM) in Istanbul. “I believe [Turkey and the US] have an extraordinary opportunity to work together to rebuild Iraq and bring greater security, prosperity and democracy to the region,” said Wexler before the visit, his second to Turkey in as many months. Speaking at the meeting, Wexler expressed confidence that Turkish firms would play a role in Iraq’s physical reconstruction. “You should get in contact with American construction companies, not our government,” recommended the congressman. “Some recent reports notwithstanding, I don’t see Turkey’s strategic importance diminishing. The US government should not turn a blind eye to the needs and requests of the Turkish business world. I call on Turkish businessmen to take an active role in Iraq’s reconstruction.” /Hurriyet/[08] KONYA TO HOST RUMI CONGRESSThe central Anatolian city of Konya is set next week to host an academic conference on Mevlana, the Sufi mystic and poet better known in the West as Rumi. The Third International Mevlana Congress set for next Monday and Tuesday at Selcuk University will feature papers and presentations by foreign and Turkish experts alike. /Turkiye/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS[10] EUROPE WILL MAKE A DECISION BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on the prospect of Turkey’s full European Union membership. A summary of her column is as follows:“In recent days the European Union seems to have started serious discussions about Turkey. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen brought up the date for Turkey’s full membership during the last EU Partnership Council meeting. It’s no coincidence that during the April 14 session, Verheugen said that if Turkey meets the Copenhagen criteria by the end of next year and make progress concerning the Cyprus issue, our membership negotiations will start in the second half of 2005, putting us a track to possibly become an EU member in 2011 or 2012. We should recognize that Verheugen’s statement was no mere personal opinion; instead, it reflects Brussels’ own view. In other words, Brussels has for the first time ventured a date for Turkey. This isn’t a guarantee but rather a declaration of intent. In order to understand this better, we should remember two speeches made by EU Commission President Romano Prodi over the last month or so. Prodi opened the issue of the EU’s strategy towards its neighbors on March 18, proclaiming that Europe cannot enlarge forever and so it needed a firm policy towards the countries on its borders. Prodi also listed the countries that could follow the 10 new members into the Union’s ranks, adding, ‘These countries will be the western Balkan countries. Of course this process won’t continue forever.’ So Prodi’s speech effectively set Europe’s eastern border at the edge of the western Balkans, and Turkey wasn’t mentioned in this statement. Speaking to Italian daily La Repubblica just a month later, on April 19, Prodi said, ‘Only a large, united Europe can create a balance against the power of the United States.’ In addition, when he was listing the future EU members, he mentioned Turkey’s name. ‘Now Bulgaria and Romania are advancing rapidly in order to become full EU members in 2007,’ he said. ‘The EU might open its doors to Turkey, the former Yugoslavian republics and Albania as well.’ Since the war in Iraq, Europe has started to consider the Turkish issue more seriously. However, no result will be forthcoming unless Turkey takes determined steps. As Verheugen said, a decision on our negotiations should be made next year at the latest so Turkey can become a full member in 2012. However, as of now developments aren’t moving this way. Turkey shouldn’t waste even a minute in making arrangements and carrying out the Copenhagen criteria. Right now, however, we are faced by the incredible prospect of our Secretariat for EU Affairs, the liaison between Turkey and the Union, being closed.” [11] TURKEY: A COUNTRY OF CRISES[12] BY HASAN BULENT KAHRAMAN (RADIKAL)Columnist Hasan Bulent Kahraman writes about Turkey’s apparent state of perennial crisis. A summary of his column is as follows:“Last week Turkey saw a brand new crisis. Have you noticed how for a while now, after the dust settles and smoke clears on these crises, we close our eyes to them and act as if they never happened? It’s like the sides are sizing each other up, the circles involved in crises just make their opponents aware that they are there and then fall back to their own corners. Apparently, both sides are waiting for just the right time and place for a decisive strike. The recent crisis will perhaps be remembered in the future as ‘the April 23 Crisis’ or ‘the Second Headscarf Crisis.’ Yet, it is only the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, Turkey is currently plagued by a more serious and deeper crisis. This can be characterized as the crisis of the state or the statist mentality, and people holding positions and offices in the state all have a share in this odd situation. Let’s first look at the sources of this crisis. The powers responsible for Turkey’s security and defense have proven gravely mistaken in their assumptions and plans about the war in Iraq. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul first declared that Turkey could intervene in northern Iraq, but later announced that in no way was such an intervention possible. Hence, there is a crisis in defining strategies and concepts. Turkey has made clear that it would have the right to intervene into northern Iraq should Ankara’s ‘red lines’ be crossed. Those ‘red lines’ have already been breached, but Turkey failed to take the appropriate initiative. Hence, there is a planning crisis. Ankara stressed that Turkey would react firmly to any Kurdish movement into Mosul. But now we see almost everything that Turkey could find undesirable happening in Mosul. Yet Ankara has confined itself to merely watching developments unfolding there. Hence, there is an assessment and foresight crisis. And the Cyprus issue… Turkey had formerly said that it would annex the Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should the Greek Cypriot administration become an EU member. The island has all but become a part of the Union, and unfortunately ‘enosis’ [union between mainland Greece and Cyprus] was thereby accomplished, but Turkey merely sat and watched. Hence, there is a foreign policy crisis. In short, all of the state’s policies have gone bankrupt, and strategically Turkey is now in a very difficult position. The answer to the question of why Turkey suffers from all of these crises lies in the country’s perception of the ‘world’ and its understanding of (foreign) policy. These crises are likely to get even worse unless the Turkish state abandons its efforts to remain static in the midst of unfolding events.” 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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