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Saturday, 21 December 2024
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Turkish Press Review, 03-10-22Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>22.10.03Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “THE FIRST TRANCHE OF $8.5 BILLION LOAN IS IN THE PIPELINE”Speaking at a press conference before flying to Kyrgyzstan for an official visit yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied rumors that a recent $8.5 billion US loan had been suspended, adding that the conditions of the loan were appropriate. “The first tranche of this loan may come at the end of the month,” said Erdogan. Later, Erdogan met with his Kyrgz counterpart Nokolai Tanayev to discuss a number of issues. Speaking afterwards, Tanayev said that they had discussed enhanced,” he stated. “This military cooperation will aid the cause of world peace.” For his part, Erdogan said that the two countries enjoyed close relations, adding that their ties should be strengthened. He added that trade volume between the two is expected to leap this year from $40 million to $200 million. /Turkiye/[02] GUL BEGINS ATHENS VISITForeign Minister Abdullah Gul accompanied by Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan and a number of businessmen yesterday left for Athens, Greece, to pay a two-day official visit. First Gul met with his Greek counterpart George Papandreou and was then received by President Costis Stefanopoulos. Following their meeting, Gul and Papandreou told a press conference that they were determined to further develop bilateral relations and take necessary steps to peacefully resolve issues dividing their countries. Gul is scheduled to meet with Premier Costas Simitis today and then after completing his contacts in Greece, he will then proceed to Sarajevo to attend the funeral of Bosnia- Herzegovina’s former President Alija Izetbegovic, who passed away on Sunday. /Turkiye/[03] RUMSFELD: “TURKEY WILL SEND TROOPS TO IRAQ IF WE CAN FIND A SOLUTION WHICH SATISFIES ALL SIDES”US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld yesterday cast some doubt on whether Turkish troops would ultimately be deployed in Iraq, adding however that talks would continue to find a formula that would leave no party unsatisfied. Ankara has “said that under certain circumstances they would be willing to offer forces, subject to finding a method, an approach that was satisfactory to them, satisfactory to the Iraqis, and satisfactory to the coalition," Rusfeld told a press conference. "And that process is underway. Whether or not they will ultimately find a method of satisfying everybody, I don't know. I hope so." Expressing thanks to Ankara for agreeing to send soldiers in the first place, Rusmfeld stated, "We certainly appreciate their coming forward as they have ... I suspect there'll be meetings in the weeks ahead [on the issue]." /Aksam/[04] US ADMINISTRATOR BREMER, IRAQI COUNCIL REPORTEDLY TO MAKE DECISION ON TURKISH TROOP DEPLOYMENTIraqi Governing Council Turkmen representative Songul Cabuk told reporters yesterday that nine members of the body would convene next week under the chairmanship of US Iraq administrator Paul Bremer to make a final decision for or against Turkish troop deployment. Stressing that work on a new Iraqi constitution had begun, Cabuk stated that certain members of the council, in particular its Kurds, were arguing for a federal structure for the nation. /Turkiye/[05] MOODY’S RAISES OUTLOOK ON TURKEY DEBT CEILINGMoody’s Investors Services yesterday revised its outlook on Turkey’s debt ratings. Citing recent improved financial and economic conditions, Moody’s raised Turkey’s exchange rate credit rating to stable from negative. It also boosted the outlook on the nation’s foreign currency-denominated bonds. Last week Standard and Poor’s raised Turkey’s credit rating to B+. /All papers/[06] GALATASARAY BESTS OLYMPIAKOS, 1-0; BESIKTAS TO FACE SPARTA PRAGUEIn UEFA Champions League action last night in Istanbul, Galatasaray defeated Greece’s Olympiakos by a score of 1-0. The match’s only goal was made by Galatasaray’s Cihan in the ninth minute. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Greece on Nov. 5. In related news, Besiktas is set to play its third match in the Champions League against Sparta Prague tonight in the Czech capital. /All Papers/[07] FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[08] CYPRUS, THE AEGEAN, IRAQ AND TURKEY’S FUTURE BY TUNCAY OZKAN (AKSAM)Columnist Tuncay Ozkan writes on Turkey’s foreign policy. A summary of his column is as follows:“If our government fails to develop new foreign policy perspectives, serious political problems are in the cards for us, and soon. The first critical issue is Iraq. The international community currently sees Turkey as a country has which failed to set out its own conditions on the Iraq issue despite our Parliament’s authorization for the government to send troops to the region. The US considers our country its second trump card in its relations with Iran and Syria. Heeding the warnings of its two influential allies, Iran yesterday announced that it would voluntarily refrain from uranium enrichment, a process which can produce fuel for nuclear weapons. In other words, Tehran took an important step in its relations with Washington, in an attempt to deprive the superpower of the opportunity to move jointly with Israel against it. In truth, Iran is in a real bind, stuck between the latest developments in its neighbors such as Azerbaijan and Iraq and its own domestic dynamics, namely the ever-growing opposition movement. Under these circumstances, Tehran would like to improve its relations with Ankara. However, our government will never be allowed to move closer to its neighbor. Ankara can’t risk another rift with Washington. The Bush administration sees us as a standby subcontractor, ready to be used as a trump card whenever necessary. Washington will never allow us to take bolder or more effective steps in the region, besides the ones it’s designated. In my opinion, Turkey won’t be supported by the US in the future, not even on the terrorist PKK issue. We’ll see this clearly in the months to come. If we fail to develop better policies, we’ll be forced to swallow every foreign policy proposal thrown our way, without even getting a chance to have our say. We’ll first suffer economically, then politically. Our relations with the EU will suffer. Both the Kurdish issue and the trans- border water disputes will cause new problems with Iraq. Turkey is fated to become a victim of international isolation. Can we head off such negative developments? Of course. The only way to do so is to develop and pursue more consistent and determined foreign policies. Ankara must develop a new Middle East strategy. We must launch new initiatives on the Cyprus and Aegean issues. If we accept submission to and imposition under foreign countries, we’ll lose. Let’s not forsake our own ideals.” [09] TURKEY AND THE TRNC BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on relations between Turkey and the TRNC. A summary of his column is as follows:“Speaking to journalists en route to Kyrgyzstan about Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that those who’ve proven unable for 40 years to resolve the island’s issues shouldn’t then expect an 11-month-old Ankara government to solve this problem. This statement is the latest sign that the government considers Denktas an obstacle to an agreement on United Nations Secretary- General Kofi Annan’s plan for Cyprus. The government wants the plan signed because it thinks that doing so will seal Turkey getting a date for negotiations from the European Union in late 2004. There are no guarantees on this, but the government wants to at least try, that is, it wants to remove the obstacle of the TRNC and so boost its chances to start membership negotiations. Not only Erdogan and his government, but also the EU, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration see Denktas as an obstacle. For this reason, they’re working to make sure the TRNC opposition wins this December’s general elections in Northern Cyprus. The Turkish government also hopes that the opposition party will triumph, thus putting Denktas’ authority to negotiate into the hands of a new negotiator named by the new government who will surely sign onto Annan’s plan. The TRNC’s history isn’t a long one. Nobody has forgotten why the Cyprus Peace Operation was carried out or how the TRNC was established and protected. Ending this issue by putting pen to paper before allaying the security concerns of Turkey and the TRNC is a great responsibility, because the EU might end up giving us more advice rather than the date for talks that we seek. If the EU tells Turkey, ‘Your situation is good but we can consider the issue at a later date,’ neither Turkey’s, nor the TRNC’s problem will be solved.” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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