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Turkish Press Review, 03-08-05
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
05.08.2003
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] ARINC: “THE YAS’ DECISIONS AREN’T OPEN TO QUESTION”
[02] INDIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SINHA MEETS WITH SEZER, ERDOGAN,
GUL
[03] UN SPECIAL ENVOY TO IRAQ MEETS WITH GUL IN ANKARA
[04] FIVE CABINET MINISTERS TO VISIT TRNC
[05] BUSINESSMEN LEND SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT’S EU REFORMS
[06] TURKISH TRUCK CONVOY IN IRAQ ATTACKED, INJURING ONE
[07] TUZMEN: “TURKISH CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ COULD NET $800 MILLION BY YEAR’S END”
[08] ILHAM ALIYEV APPOINTED AZERBAIJAN’S NEW PM, PAVING WAY TO SUCCEED FATHER
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] THE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP BY TAHA AKYOL (MILLIYET)
[01] ARINC: “THE YAS’ DECISIONS AREN’T OPEN TO QUESTION”
The promotion and dismissal decisions reached by the Supreme Military
Council (YAS) aren’t open to question, as they are reached through careful
assessments and evaluations, said Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc
yesterday. “I believe that these [decisions] will further strengthen the
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and lead to a more mature military,” added Arinc,
referring to a host of appointments and dismissals decided at the YAS
weekend meeting. Commenting on the YAS appointment of a military figure as
the National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general, Arinc stated that
seventh EU harmonization package – one which mainly suggests changes to the
structure of the NSC – had been misinterpreted to mean officers could no
longer be appointed to head the NSC. “It’s quite the contrary,” said Arinc.
“The new legal arrangement proposes that a civilian can also be appointed
to this post.” The seventh EU package was passed by Parliament last week,
but has yet to be signed into law by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. /Star/
[02] INDIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SINHA MEETS WITH SEZER, ERDOGAN,
GUL
Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, who is currently paying an official
visit to Ankara, yesterday was received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After a meeting with his counterpart
Abdullah Gul, the two top diplomats told a press conference that they would
strive to further develop bilateral relations. Regarding the Iraq issue,
Sinha and Gul both stressed that Iraq’s territorial integrity should be
preserved and stability in the region should be established as soon as
possible. The Indian official remarked that like Turkey, India might send
troops to Iraq if the United Nations provided a mandate. During Sinha’s
contacts, in addition to bilateral and regional issues, officials discussed
a Turkish-Indian Joint Economic Commission (KEK) meeting to be held in the
fall as well as Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to
Turkey set for next month. /All Papers/
[03] UN SPECIAL ENVOY TO IRAQ MEETS WITH GUL IN ANKARA
Sergio Vieira de Mello, the United Nation’s special envoy for Iraq,
yesterday met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara to discuss
recent developments in the country. Following their meeting, Gul told
reporters that he had conveyed to de Mello the Turkish government’s views
on Iraq, stressing that the nation’s territorial integrity should be
protected and its various ethnic groups dealt with fairly and impartially.
For his part, de Mello said that he shared Gul’s concerns, adding that
Turkey could play an important role in the postwar period. De Mello added
that the UN expected Ankara to participate at a conference this December
dealing with Iraq’s reconstruction, both political and physical.
/Cumhuriyet/
[04] FIVE CABINET MINISTERS TO VISIT TRNC
A delegation of five Cabinet ministers is set to travel to the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday to hold bilateral meetings
with TRNC officials. Making up the delegation will be Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullatif Sener, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, State Ministers for
Economy and Foreign Trade Ali Babacan and Kursad Tuzmen, respectively, and
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. During the meetings, a customs union
agreement is expected to be signed. Meanwhile, TRNC Prime Minister Dervis
Eroglu yesterday opened a new general consulate in Izmir. Speaking at the
facility’s opening ceremony, Dervis called on all the world to recognize
the reality on Cyprus, noting that the TRNC had all the necessary elements
for a nation to be acknowledged as a state. /Turkiye/
[05] BUSINESSMEN LEND SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT’S EU REFORMS
Representatives from 18 groups representing business interests yesterday
issued a statement expressing their support for the government’s efforts to
enact reforms to harmonize Turkey with European Union norms. The
representatives led by the Economic Development Foundation (IKV) stated,
“We continue our ongoing support for the government’s seventh reform
package and all other steps to accelerate Turkey’s path to EU membership.”
Pointing out that joining the Union was one of the nation’s priorities, the
groups stressed in addition to economic and social reforms, changes in
Turkey’s political realm also had to be put fully into practice. /Turkiye/
[06] TURKISH TRUCK CONVOY IN IRAQ ATTACKED, INJURING ONE
A Turkish truck convoy carrying supplies to Turkey’s Embassy in Baghdad was
attacked by armed forces yesterday, leaving one truck driver injured.
Eyewitnesses reported that the convoy was ambushed on the northern
outskirts of the city and that the truck might have been hit by a rocket-
propelled grenade. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] TUZMEN: “TURKISH CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ COULD NET $800 MILLION BY YEAR’S
END”
State Minister Kursat Tuzmen said yesterday that Turkish contractors in
Iraq had netted some $430 million in business since the war’s conclusion,
adding that this figure could climb to as high as $800 million before 2004.
Tuzmen also noted that Turkey’s exports to Iraq had skyrocketed by 187% in
June and 197% in July when compared to the equivalent period last year.
/Sabah/
[08] ILHAM ALIYEV APPOINTED AZERBAIJAN’S NEW PM, PAVING WAY TO SUCCEED
FATHER
Azerbaijan’s Parliament yesterday approved the appointment of ailing Azeri
President Haydar Aliyev’s son, Ilham Aliyev, as prime minister, thus
opening the way for Ilham to stand in the upcoming presidential elections.
The elder Aliyev, who has been under the care of an Ankara military
hospital since early July, is widely expected to withdraw from the
presidential polls in favor of his son. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] THE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP BY TAHA AKYOL (MILLIYET)
Columnist Taha Akyol comments on relations between Turkey’s civilian and
military leadership. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi
Ozkok and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul came to the General Staff yesterday
morning. There were many documents to be signed on account of the weekend
Supreme Military Council (YAS) meeting. As they perused the newspapers,
they stopped short when they saw the headlines: ‘The prime minister was
warned… Reactionary staff...’ They were astonished. ‘I think I must’ve been
dozing off when they wrote this,’ quipped Gonul. Then they all laughed and
started to sign the documents.
When I heard about this, I telephoned Gonul. ‘Certain commanders made
farewell speeches, some of which were emotional,’ he told me. ‘Of course
they emphasized the characteristics of the republic. However, those
speeches weren’t aimed against the government or like a military
memorandum. On the contrary, all the YAS meetings were held in a respectful
atmosphere. There was no incident, speech or stance that would disturb the
government.’
With the just-passed seventh European Union harmonization package, Turkey
has accomplished a radical reform. Now relations between our civil and
military leadership are those of modern, democratic country. The military
took this great step towards modernization together with the government
leaders and the opposition. If the military had created problems by
opposing the civilian leadership, would this reform have gone forward?
Ozkok has an important place in this achievement. However, the army
accepted this change as well because in our age, the power of nations
doesn’t come from money and weapons alone. The existence of the rule of law
and democracy along with the army’s status under civilian command has
become an element of ‘strategic power.’ In such a structure, nations are
growing more stable. I have of late started to respect our army much more.”
ARCHIVE
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