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Turkish Press Review, 03-09-29
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
29.09.03
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
CONTENTS
[01] PARLIAMENT TO RESUME LEGISLATIVE YEAR ON WEDNESDAY
[02] ERDOGAN REBUFFS CRITICS, SAYS “BAD DAYS ARE BEHIND US”
[03] GUL TO MEET WITH VERHEUGEN; EU APPROVES AID FOR TRNC
[04] FORMER GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER CLERIDES CLAIMS HAND IN SHAPING ANNAN PLAN
[05] ECONOMY OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS FOREIGN CURRENCY ISSUE
[06] BAYKAL CRITICIZES AKP OVER $8.5 BILLION US LOAN
[07] ANAP LEADER OZDEMIR: “THE AKP SHOULD OPENLY DECLARE TERMS OF $8.5 BILLION US LOAN”
[08] TURKISH WOMEN TAKE SILVER IN EUROPEAN VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
[10] TURKEY’S ISOLATION OVER NORTHERN IRAQ BY SEMIH IDIZ (AKSAM)
[01] PARLIAMENT TO RESUME LEGISLATIVE YEAR ON WEDNESDAY
Following two months of summer recess, Parliament is scheduled this
Wednesday to begin the second half of its 22nd Legislative Year. President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer is expected to deliver an opening speech and later,
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc is to host an evening reception to mark the
occasion. Parliament is set to debate some 300 bills in this period. The
government is also expected to soon present a motion regarding the possible
deployment of Turkish troops in Iraq. /All Papers/
[02] ERDOGAN REBUFFS CRITICS, SAYS “BAD DAYS ARE BEHIND US”
Speaking in the province of Gumushane yesterday, Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said when the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
came to power 10 months ago, it was common knowledge how bad Turkey’s
situation was. “But now we’ve left those bad days behind us,” said Erdogan.
“We will do our best to lift obstacles blocking our investors.” Erdogan
stated that nearly 50 dams would be completed by the end of this year. He
also criticized the opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) stance on
a possible troop deployment to Iraq, saying that being an opposition party
didn’t mean opposing all the government’s policies. “Turkey can’t be a mere
bystander to developments in the Middle East,” said Erdogan. Touching on a
recent $8.5 billion US loan agreement, Erdogan stated that repayment would
begin in four years’ time, adding that the entire sum would be repaid
within a decade. He charged that when the AKP government began its anti-
corruption drive, those involved had started to condemn the government.
Erdogan further stated that natural gas prices would fall by 8% beginning
in October, adding that there has been no natural gas prices hikes for nine
months, which he called a sign of economic stability. /All papers/
[03] GUL TO MEET WITH VERHEUGEN; EU APPROVES AID FOR TRNC
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is scheduled today to meet with European
Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen in Brussels. The main
topic of the meeting will be the EU’s Progress Report on Turkey set to be
released in early November. Meanwhile, the EU yesterday approved an
economic aid package to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The
package proposes financial aid to be used to upgrade the infrastructures of
the TRNC’s three largest cities – Lefkosa (Nicosia), Magosa (Famagusta),
and Girne (Kyrenia) – as well as making reforms in line with EU norms.
/Turkiye/
[04] FORMER GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER CLERIDES CLAIMS HAND IN SHAPING ANNAN PLAN
The Greek side on Cyprus had prior knowledge of UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan’s plan for the island and also a hand in shaping it, said former
Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides over the weekend. “We had forewarning
of what Annan’s plan would say, and we were able to head off the terms we
opposed,” Clerides told Greek Cypriot daily Fileleftheros. “We said, ‘If
the plan isn’t to our liking, we’ll reject it’.” Clerides added that only
parts of the plan ruining the balance between the island’s two nations were
not subject to change. The elder Greek Cypriot leader also claimed that at
one time four Islamic nations had threatened to recognize the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) if the island’s issue were not solved in
six months. Clerides said that he and Annan prevented this action by saying
that negotiations for a settlement were “ongoing” /Hurriyet/
[05] ECONOMY OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS FOREIGN CURRENCY ISSUE
During a meeting today, government officials including State Minister for
the Economy Ali Babacan, State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and Industry Minister
Ali Coskun along with other bureaucrats are set to discuss recent
developments in Turkey’s foreign currency rates and markets.
Representatives of the business world will also attend the meeting.
Exporters’ financial issues and export legislation will also be taken up at
the gathering. /Sabah/
[06] BAYKAL CRITICIZES AKP OVER $8.5 BILLION US LOAN
Speaking at a regional congress of his party yesterday, opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal criticized the government over
the terms it accepted for a recent $8.5 billion US loan, adding that the
government should submit the issue for Parliament’s approval. “The ruling
Justice and Development Party [AKP] has a two-thirds majority in Parliament,
yet it’s hesitating to bring the issue us,” said Baykal. “This is
incomprehensible.” Also touching on a recent dispute between university
rectors and the AKP government, Baykal called Prime Minister and AKP leader
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s stance on the issue unacceptable. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] ANAP LEADER OZDEMIR: “THE AKP SHOULD OPENLY DECLARE TERMS OF $8.5
BILLION US LOAN”
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Ali Talip Ozdemir yesterday criticized the
government over its recent $8.5 billion US loan package, charging that a
public disclosure of the loan’s terms would show a secret “tit-for-tat”
deal over Turkish troop deployment in Iraq. “The AKP government has created
nothing but artificial solutions to the nation’s problems during its 10
months in office,” stated Ozdemir. He further predicted that his party
would be successful in next year’s local elections. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] TURKISH WOMEN TAKE SILVER IN EUROPEAN VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
In yesterday’s close of the European Women’s Volleyball Championships in
Ankara, the Turkish team lost out to Poland 3-0, but still took home the
silver crown. Last week it beat perennial champion Russia. President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer and his wife congratulated the team and coach Resat
Yaziciogullari called the team’s success a turning point for Turkish
volleyball. In overall results, Poland came in first and Germany third.
/All Papers/
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
[10] TURKEY’S ISOLATION OVER NORTHERN IRAQ BY SEMIH IDIZ (AKSAM)
Columnist Semih Idiz writes on Turkey’s northern Iraq policy. A summary of
his column is as follows:
“As a nation, we like to reinvent the wheel. This is one of our oddest
habits. We like ‘rediscovering’ certain already known facts like they were
new. Then we suddenly stir up a wave of indignation, as if we were facing
these previously known facts for the first time.
Such is the case on the northern Iraq issue. We’re currently
‘rediscovering’ the fact that Washington doesn’t want us to unilaterally
deploy our troops to Iraq. According to Ankara’s recent agreement with the
US for $8.5 billion in loans, our government must cooperate with Washington
in Iraq and furthermore musn’t unilaterally deploy troops into northern
Iraq. What our Economy Minister Ali Babacan recently said on this issue was
correct: This conditional loan isn’t a new issue for us. Washington has
been clear on it since the very beginning of negotiations on Turkish troop
deployments.
I’m not trying to say that the US is right in putting forward such
conditions for its financial assistance. As a matter of fact, I believe
that it’s very inconsistent for the US – which intervened unilaterally in
Iraq heedless of worldwide opposition – to lecture Turkey on not making
unilateral moves in the region. However, Washington has finally managed to
cobble together a patchwork, token international coalition. But on the
northern Iraq issue, our country stands completely alone. No other country
believes that we have the right to unilaterally deploy our troops there. In
the past, Washington turned a reluctant blind eye to Ankara’s cross-border
military operations. ‘We understand your reasons, but your forces must
withdraw as soon as possible,’ was what the US always said during such
operations.
In addition, the European Union’s stance is no secret. There are even
certain EU circles which contend Brussels should completely break off
relations with Ankara in case of an intervention by our forces in northern
Iraq. What about the Arab countries? In the past, the Arab League was
always the first to reproach Ankara whenever our military held a cross-
border operation. In brief, we’re all alone on this.
Under such circumstances, instead of getting angry at the world, it would
be better for our government to consider the reasons behind our
international isolation. Otherwise, no matter how great our indignation,
eventually having to abandon our fiercely stated red lines is all but
inevitable.”
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