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Turkish Press Review, 03-10-03Turkish 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 morning03.10.2003FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “A TROOP DEPLOYMENT DECISION WILL COME WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS”Appearing on television yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that a final decision on sending Turkish troops to Iraq would be reached within the next 10-15 days. “After we send Parliament a resolution, I hope they will make a decision on the issue as soon as possible,” said Erdogan. He added that the General Staff was continuing to study where Turkish troops could be deployed should Parliament approve a deployment. /Aksam/[02] ERDOGAN VISITS NAZARBAYEVPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday visited Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is currently in Antalya for a holiday. At the visit, Erdogan was accompanied by Justice Minister Cemil Cicek and State Minister Besir Atalay. /Turkiye/[03] GUL BACK IN ANKARA; DEPLOYMENT ISSUE ON AGENDAForeign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday returned to Turkey after completing a host of contacts at the United Nations in New York as well as Brussels and Rome. Speaking to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport, Gul said that the government had nearly finished its evaluations on the Iraq troop deployment issue and that a final decision was forthcoming. Regarding an $8.5 million US loan deal signed recently, Gul stated that no part of the agreement bound Turkey. “Instead,” he said, “the decision belonged to the US Congress, and it had certain articles binding Washington.” /Turkiye/[04] CZECH PRIME MINISTER VISITS TURKEYCzech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, who is currently paying an official visit to Turkey, yesterday met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During their meetings, agreements were signed for bilateral cooperation in social security, culture, education, science and sports. At a press conference, Erdogan remarked how the Czech Republic was due to join the European Union next May and asked his counterpart to support Turkey’s own EU membership bid. In addition, concerning an $8.5 million US loan, Erdogan stressed that there was no relation between the loan and Turkey’s decision on whether to send troops to Iraq. “How to use this loan is completely up to us,” said the premier. “Turkey is a powerful country which can stand on its own two feet. We’ll decide whether or not to use the loan or not.” After completing its contacts in Ankara, the Checzh premier and his delegation proceeded to Istanbul. /All Papers/[05] POWELL “WE’LL DO ALL WE CAN TO COUNTER THE PKK_KADEK THREAT”The United States “will will do everything [it] can to make sure that [the PKK-KADEK terrorist threat in northern Iraq] is dealt with,” pledged US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday. “We hope that the Turkish government, the Turkish Parliament will find it appropriate to provide forces to the multinational [Iraq] force,” Powell told a press conference for foreign correspondents in Washington. Powell added that the US had advised Ankara where it its troops might best be deployed in the country. “With respect to PKK-KADEK, we consider them to be terrorist organizations, ” said the top US diplomat, “and we have assured the Turkish government that we see them no other way, and we will do everything we can to make sure that that terrorist threat is dealt with and does not continue to harm innocent Turkish citizens. But we're still working on how to go about that in the most effective way.” He added, “I appreciate the forthcoming attitude shown by the Turkish government on this subject.” /Hurriyet/[06] TURKEY, US REACH AGREEMENT ON ACTION PLAN TO ELIMINATE PKK_KADEK FROM NORTHERN IRAQTurkish and US delegations yesterday reached agreement on an action plan to eliminate the terrorist group PKK_KADEK from northern Iraq. The US delegation, headed by J. Cofer Black, the anti-terrorism chief at the US State Department, and the Turkish delegation led by Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Nabi Sensoy agreed that the two countries would act together against PKK/KADEK if the need arises. Speaking after the meeting, Black reiterated that the US considers PKK/KADEK a terrorist organization whose presence in northern Iraq must be eliminated. /All papers/[07] JAPANESE PRINCE VISITS TURKEYJapanese Crown Prince Tomohito Mikasa and his wife yesterday arrived in Turkey to see its historical and tourist attractions. Mikasa and his wife first visited Anitkabir, Ataturk’s mausoleum, in Ankara. The prince will next travel to Kirsehir, where Japanese archeologists are excavating the ancient city of Kalehoyuk. This weekend Mikasa is also scheduled to visit the picturesque central Anatolian region of Capadochia. /Turkiye/[08] GEN. OZKOK MEETS WITH ALGERIAN COUNTERPART, SIGNS MILITARY AGREEMENTChief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok yesterday received his visiting Algerian counterpart Gen. Mohammed Lamari to discuss a number of issues, including bilateral military relations. During their meeting, the two leaders also signed a military agreement. Lamari also invited Ozkok to visit Algeria, saying that he would be pleased to host the general. /Milliyet/[09] TUZMEN, KHATAMI DISCUSS BOOSTING TURKISH-IRANIAN ECONOMIC TIESState Minister Kursat Tuzmen, who is currently visiting Tehran, was received yesterday by Iranian President Mohammed Khatami. During their talks, the two leaders discussed ways to boost economic ties and investments between the two countries. After their meeting, Tuzmen said that they had spoken about a number of issues, including energy, communications, and banking, adding that Khatami was determined to further develop bilateral economic ties. /Aksam/[10] GERMAN AMBASSADOR PRAISES TURKEY’S EU REFORMS, EXPRESSES HOPE FOR CYPRUS RESOLUTION BEFORE MAYWolf Ruthart-Born, Germany’s ambassador to Ankara, yesterday praised Turkey’s recent passage of a number of reforms action as important steps for its European Union membership bid. Touching on the Cyprus issue, he added that there was still a chance for both sides on the island to reach a resolution by next May, when Greek Cyprus is set to join the Union. After that date, the Greek Cypriot administration will have the right to veto Turkey’s beginning accession talks with the Union, a matter due for review in December 2004. /Cumhuriyet/[11] ISTANBUL HOSTS EURASIAN ECONOMY SUMMITThe Sixth Eurasian Economy Summit began in Istanbul yesterday. Speaking at the gathering’s opening, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc called Eurasia a new face for the new century. “With its power, relations and geopolitical position, Turkey is poised to be the most important country in the region,” said Arinc. Also addressing the meeting, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan stressed Eurasia’s vast energy potential, adding that its various nations should work together to ensure that the benefits of this potential are realized. /Turkiye/[12] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[13] RUSSIA’S UMAHANOV: “WE SHOULD COOPERATE ON IRAQ’S RECONSTRUCTION” BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Ferai Tinc writes on Russia’s Iraq policy. A summary of her column is as follows:“ ‘Is Russia changing its Iraq policy?’ I asked Ilyas Umahanov, a young Russian politician very influential in Russian foreign policy, after he arrived in Istanbul yesterday to attend the Sixth Eurasian Economic Summit. ‘Yes, it is,’ he responded. ‘Russia has recently altered its stance on the Iraq issue. Our government believes that international decisions should be made in line with United Nations resolutions. I think discussions on the Iraq issue haven been calmer and more rational recently. Everybody’s trying to understand what’s going on.’ Russia, like Germany and France, believes that the Iraqi government should be run by the Iraqi people themselves and that the transitional administration should be immediately handed over to them. However, after his meeting with US President George Bush last week, Putin underlined that they had determined a ‘realistic’ timetable for this process. Putin’s words indicated a significant change in Russian policy on Iraq, as Moscow doesn’t want to miss out on having an active role in the country’s reconstruction. It’s also clear that Putin doesn’t want to be at odds with Washington. ‘Nobody should expect rapid progress in Iraq,’ added Umahanov. ‘It faces many problems -- political, economic and ethnic. Moreover, the transition to democracy itself will be difficult.’ Clearly, Umahanov doesn’t expect US forces to leave Iraq anytime soon. A new Iraq draft resolution prepared by Washington was presented to the UN yesterday. Discussions on the bill are continuing. Will the US manage to win international legitimacy this time? This is an important question for us. At the opening session of our Parliament this week, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer stated that the issue of possible Turkish troop deployment to Iraq should be debated by the chamber. ‘Negotiations based on mutual understanding are still continuing,’ added Umahanov. ‘Stability in Iraq should be quickly established. Russia wants to contribute to this process in line with the relevant UN resolutions. I believe our two countries must cooperate on this issue. Recent developments in the region are very important to both of us. If Turkey wants to deploy its troops there, it should act in line with the UN resolutions. That’s what Russia believes.’ 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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