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Turkish Press Review, 03-08-20
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
20.08.2003
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
WHAT’S CHANGED?
BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN, ISTANBUL GOV. GULER DISCUSS EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS
[02] ERDOGAN TO VISIT GERMANY, ITALY NEXT MONTH
[03] DEPUTIES GATHER IN YALOVA TO MARK 74TH ANNIVERSARY OF ATATURK’S ARRIVAL
[04] GEN. HURSIT TOLON: “ATATURK’S PRINCIPLES ARE THE ANTIDOTE TO REACTIONARYISM”
[05] LETTER FROM US GENERAL ANSWERS TURKEY’S QUESTIONS ON POSSIBLE IRAQ TROOP DEPLOYMENT
[06] PARLIAMENT DEPUTIES TO VISIT TO IRAQ
[07] MILITARY LEADERS TO ATTEND VALEDICTORY NSC MEETING
[08] CONGRESSMAN MEETS WITH DEFENSE MINISTER GONUL; IRAQ DISCUSSED
[09] IRAQI BUSINESSMEN SEEK AVENUES OF COOPERATION WITH TURKEY
[10] ISTANBUL TO HOST TWO ENERGY CONGRESSES
[11] UZAN LICENSE FOR GSM NETWORK COULD BE REVOKED, WARNS MINISTER
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] WHAT’S CHANGED?
[14] BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)
[01] ERDOGAN, ISTANBUL GOV. GULER DISCUSS EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with Muammer Guler,
governor of the province of Istanbul. During their talks, Guler briefed
Erdogan, a former Istanbul mayor, on the challenges facing Turkey’s largest
metropolitan area, including traffic, security and health as well as the
threat of an earthquake likely to occur in the years to come. Also present
at the meeting was Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu. Speaking afterwards,
Erdogan said that they had discussed the earthquake threat in detail and
that certain preparatory measures would be taken by the government,
including the establishment of a Supreme Earthquake Board. In related news,
Istanbul Municipality Mayor Ali Mufit Gurtuna is expected to brief the
Cabinet on measures needed to help protect the city from damage and loss of
life during earthquakes. /Aksam/
[02] ERDOGAN TO VISIT GERMANY, ITALY NEXT MONTH
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to visit both Germany and Italy
next month. In Germany Erdogan is scheduled to meet with Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder as well as Angela Merkel, leader of the opposition Christian
Democratic Union (CDU), and attend the opening ceremony of the Berlin
bureau of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association
(TUSIAD). During his visit to Italy, Erdogan is set to meet with his
Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi, whose country currently holds the
rotating European Union term presidency. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] DEPUTIES GATHER IN YALOVA TO MARK 74TH ANNIVERSARY OF ATATURK’S
ARRIVAL
A group of 30 deputies from both the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) and the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) yesterday gathered
in Yalova to commemorate the 74th anniversary of Turkish Republic founder
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s triumphant arrival into the northwestern city. The
deputies were led by Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. In related news,
Parliament will reportedly convene for an extraordinary session near the
end of next month in order to discuss a number of issues, including certain
constitutional amendments, the Council of Higher Education (YOK) Law and
possible Turkish troop deployment in Iraq. /Turkiye/
[04] GEN. HURSIT TOLON: “ATATURK’S PRINCIPLES ARE THE ANTIDOTE TO
REACTIONARYISM”
The principles of Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk are under
attack from forces both inside Turkey and abroad, warned Aegean Army
Commander Gen. Hursit Tolon yesterday. “Reactionary circles are subjecting
Ataturk and his principles to constant attack,” said Tolon. “The Turkish
Armed Forces [TSK] are determined to protect our country from such attacks.
If these circles think we don’t understand their real goals, then they are
gravely mistaken.” Tolon further added that Ataturk’s principles were the
antidote to such reactionaryism. /Aksam/
[05] LETTER FROM US GENERAL ANSWERS TURKEY’S QUESTIONS ON POSSIBLE IRAQ
TROOP DEPLOYMENT
The United States yesterday replied to Turkey’s questions on possible
Turkish troop deployments in Iraq through a letter sent by Gen. James Jones,
the supreme commander of allied forces in Europe, to Chief of General Staff
Gen. Hilmi Ozkok. The letter reportedly said that Turkish troops could be
deployed to the north and west of Baghdad, and that they would be under
Turkish command, independent from the British and Polish forces there. In
related news, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that the general’s reply
constituted a first step in troop deployment talks with the US and that the
government’s evaluation of the issue would continue. /Sabah/
[06] PARLIAMENT DEPUTIES TO VISIT TO IRAQ
Turhan Comez and Cevdet Erdol, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
deputies from Balikesir and Trabzon respectively, are scheduled to travel
to Iraq tomorrow. During their one-week trip, the deputies accompanied by
engineers, technical personnel and businessmen are set to visit Baghdad and
Kirkuk and hold meetings with the Iraqi people and representatives of non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) and the Iraqi Red Crescent. /Turkiye/
[07] MILITARY LEADERS TO ATTEND VALEDICTORY NSC MEETING
The National Security Council (NSC) chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
is set to convene on Friday at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. During the
meeting, domestic and foreign developments will be discussed. In line with
recent decisions of the High Military Council (YAS), the Turkish Naval and
Air Force commanders Adm. Bulent Alpkaya and Gen. Cumhur Asparuk,
respectively, as well as NSC Secretary-General Gen. Tuncer Kilinc will be
attending the meeting for the last time before stepping down. /All Papers/
[08] CONGRESSMAN MEETS WITH DEFENSE MINISTER GONUL; IRAQ DISCUSSED
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul yesterday received a delegation from the US
House of Representatives led by Congressman John Murtha. During the meeting,
the Iraq issue was taken up. Then the delegation visited Chief of General
Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok. Meanwhile, another US delegation led by Senator
Richard Lugar, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday
arrived in Ankara. That delegation is also expected to meet with Gonul and
Foreign Ministry and officials from the General Staff today. /Turkiye/
[09] IRAQI BUSINESSMEN SEEK AVENUES OF COOPERATION WITH TURKEY
A group of Iraqi businessmen yesterday arrived in Ankara to hold a series
of meetings with state officials to discuss Turkey’s role during Iraq’s
reconstruction process. Meanwhile, Foreign Trade Undersecretary Tuncer
Kayalar said yesterday that in the last three months, Turkey’s exports to
Iraq had increased twofold compared with the same period last year, adding
that by the end of this year, the value of exports is expected to rise to
some 1 billion dollars. /Turkiye/
[10] ISTANBUL TO HOST TWO ENERGY CONGRESSES
Turkey is set to host two international energy congresses next month.
Turkey’s Ninth Energy Congress and the International Energy Fair will be
held in Istanbul on Sept. 23-24 Sept. and Sept. 24-27. Top energy company
representatives and state officials are both expected to attend the
meetings, where Turkey’s recent energy policies will be discussed.
/Turkiye/
[11] UZAN LICENSE FOR GSM NETWORK COULD BE REVOKED, WARNS MINISTER
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim warned yesterday that the license
agreement of Telsim, Turkey’s second-largest cellphone network and a
venture of the controversial Uzan family, could be cancelled if
irregularities emerge. Stating that Turkey’s telecommunication authority
had launched an investigation into a recent transfer of Telsim shares owned
by Cem Uzan and his brother Hakan to another family company, Yildirim said,
“If this latest transaction constitutes a violation, Telsim’s license
agreement could be revoked.” /Radikal/
[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[13] WHAT’S CHANGED?
[14] BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)
Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli comments on the Turkey’s stances now and before
the Iraq war. A summary of her column is as follows:
“What has changed since the end of the war in Iraq? Before the war, the
government was splitting hairs on the issue of our sending soldiers to
Iraq. Why is it so willing to send soldiers now? Foreign policy is
established by taking a great many elements into consideration, and the
decision-makers’ perspective is one of these. Back in March, the proposal
for the deployment of US troops in Turkey might have been passed with the
ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) votes. However, there weren’t
enough AKP votes then because most of the deputies viewed the prospect of
US troop deployment in Turkey as ‘one Muslim country’s facilitating an
attack against another.’
Current Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was prime minister at the time, and
he signed onto the proposal. However, according to circles close to him, he
actually didn’t favor it greatly out of fear it would lead to a state of
war and a declaration of martial law. Another decision-making element,
namely the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), also didn’t welcome this proposal
warmly, due to Turkish soldiers’ past negative experiences with US forces.
Most Turkish diplomats sincerely wanted passage of the proposal because
they thought then Ankara would have a say in the reconstruction of the
region due to its intensive cooperation with the US.
However, a great many things have changed since March. Now Gul is no longer
concerned about martial law. What’s more, as the US has already invaded
Iraq, the AKP’s stance about Muslim countries opposing the invasion of
their peers has become moot. In addition, our military leaders are still
feeling the effects of July’s Sulaimaniyah incident as a demonstration of
the US’ military might. In brief, the decision-makers are warmly welcoming
the idea of sending our soldiers to Iraq. It seems they have made their
decision already and only a bureaucratic procedure remains. I wonder if
Parliament will surprise both Turkey and the world once more. I hope it
will.”
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