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Turkish Press Review, 03-12-30Turkish 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 morning30.12.2003FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] DENKTAS GIVES CTP LEADER TALAT MANDATE TO ESTABLISH TRNC GOVERNMENTTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday gave Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat, whose party won 25 seats in the 50-seat Parliament, the mandate to establish a new TRNC government. Speaking after meeting with the president, Talat said that Denktas wanted him to form a broad-based government, adding that he would negotiate with Ankara try to do so as soon as possible. Talat is set to meet with other TRNC party leaders in a few days to discuss the new government’s composition. Touching on the future of the island, Talat stated that his party wanted a resolution to be reached within the framework of the United Nations’ plan. “We won’t wait for 15 days [the duration of the mandate] to establish a government,” he said. “If we can’t reach an agreement with the other party leaders, then I would return the mandate to Denktas, so as not to lose any time.” /Cumhuriyet/[02] ERDOGAN, OZKOK DISCUSS CYPRUS ISSUE, NEW TRNC GOVERNMENTChief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok yesterday met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During their one-and-a-half-hour meeting, recent developments in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) were taken up. Commenting on TRNC Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s being given the mandate to establish a new Turkish Cypriot government, Erdogan said, “There’s no time to lose to form a new government. I wish him all success.” /Turkiye/[03] CABINET DISCUSSES NEW TRNC GOVERNMENT, FOREIGN MINISTRY CYPRUS PLANThe Cabinet yesterday discussed a number of issues, including the formation of a new government in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and a new Cyprus plan prepared by the Foreign Ministry within the framework of the UN plan. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul briefed Cabinet members on the new plan, under which the number of Turkish soldiers on the island would be reduced to 6,000. Speaking after the meeting, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that Ankara hoped a new era would soon begin on the island, as the Cyprus issue was a sensitive national issue. /Cumhuriyet/[04] DENKTAS: “I WANT A BROAD-BASED TRNC GOVERNMENT INCLUDING ALL PARTIES”Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas, who yesterday gave Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat the mandate to form a new TRNC government, said that Talat should accomplish this task within 15 days or return the assignment. Denktas said that he wanted a broad-based government to be formed by all four parties in Parliament, adding that he believed Ankara shared the same goal. /Turkiye/[05] GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SUMMIT ON CYPRUS TO BE HELD THIS WEEKA government-military summit on Cyprus is expected to be held this week. Under the President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s chairmanship, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok are expected to discuss the formation of a new government in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and a new Cyprus plan prepared by the Foreign Ministry. /Turkiye/[06] PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM BILL SENT TO PARLIAMENTThe government yesterday sent a bill to Parliament proposing sweeping reforms to the nation’s public administration. At a press conference, State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that the 51-article bill proposed greater participation and transparency as well as improved focus on human rights and freedom. “Both central and local administrations’ duties and responsibilities have been redefined in order to deliver services more fairly, rapidly, effectively and efficiently, as well as with high quality, ” said Sahin. He added that the number of state ministers would be cut from 20 to eight and that a maximum of three would be made deputy prime ministers. /Turkiye/[07] DIE WELT: “MUSHARRAF TAKES INSPIRATION FROM THE TURKISH MODEL”Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is drawing inspiration for developing his nation from Turkey’s example, wrote German daily Die Welt this week. “Musharraf wants to develop his country by using Turkey as a model,” said a Die Welt editorial. “For this reason, he is investing in education and infrastructure.” Stressing that Musharraf modeled himself after the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the newspaper said that in the aftermath of World War I, the military was an important component of the administration of both Turkey and Pakistan. /Turkiye/[08] NEW NATO EXCELLENCE CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED IN TURKEYNATO yesterday decided that one of its key “Centers of Excellence” designed to play a major role in the alliance’s war on global terrorism is to be established in Turkey. Diplomatic sources evaluated this decision as a historic one, proving the importance of longtime member Turkey as a “frontline country” in the international community. /Hurriyet/[09] REJECTING “FEDERAL” PLAN, ARAB LEAGUE HEAD BACKS IRAQ’S UNITYRecently disclosed Iraqi Kurdish plans to establish a federal-type administration in Iraq have drawn negative reactions in the Arab world as well as Ankara. After meeting yesterday with Iraqi Turkmen Front leader Faruk Abdullah Abdurrahman, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Musa said, “We reject any view that fails to embrace Iraq’s political unity and territorial integrity.” Stressing that all members of Iraqi society should jointly set the course of the nation’s future, Musa pointed to the continuation of Iraq’s Arab League membership. /Turkiye/[10] AKBANK: “WE’LL LINK TURKISH FIRMS TO THE IRAQI MARKET”Akbank will form a bridge between Turkish firms and the Iraqi market, the bank’s Deputy Director General Eyup Engin announced yesterday. Akbank is the only Turkish bank in the international consortium currently operating the Trade Bank of Iraq, which was created in July by the US-led authorities in Baghdad. Engin yesterday told the press about Akbank’s plans for Iraq. “Akbank will inform Turkish firms about bids for Iraq’s reconstruction,” said Engin. “It will also provide these firms with loans and all other necessary banking services.” /Hurriyet/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[12] GOOD RIDDANCE TO 2003 BY ULUC GURKAN (STAR)Columnist Uluc Gurkan comments on developments over the past year affecting Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:“2003 wasn’t a good year for us. Obviously some people disagree, considering the year to have been positive and full of hope. They think Turkey is taking firm steps on its path to European Union membership and that the economy has improved. It’s true that both inflation and interest rates have fallen. However, these improvements haven’t helped most people and probably won’t anytime soon because the International Monetary Fund’s policies ignore the people. For the IMF, firstly macro economic indicators should be righted, and the people come second. Therefore, often it considers rising unemployment and falling wages to be ‘successes.’ At the beginning of the year, Turkey had ‘red lines’ on Cyprus, the Aegean and Iraq. It has since given up its lines for Cyprus and Iraq, and there are also signs that we might relent on the Aegean. We said that the Greek Cypriot administration couldn’t become an EU member as representative of the island. We wanted UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan to provide security for Turkey’s guarantorship and the rights of the Turkish Cypriots. But we gave up on all these. We tried hard to make the TRNC elections boost Annan’s plan and exclude President Rauf Denktas. Now we’re buckling under a solution where we’re reconciled ourselves to the Turkish Cypriots being relegated to minority status. A similar process is coming up for the Aegean as well. As for Iraq, we were against the establishment of a Kurdish state in the north. We used to say we wouldn’t permit it. But now such a state has been virtually established, but we hold our tongues and only sit and watch developments there. Sometimes we ask the US something about the PKK issue, that’s all. In sum, 2003 was a nightmare for us.” [13] WILL ERDOGAN’S WASHINGTON VISIT BOOST THE AKP? GULER KOMURCU (AKSAM)Columnist Guler Komurcu comments on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s upcoming visit to Washington. A summary of her column is as follows:“The most important issue next month will be Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Washington. Besides foreign policy issues, the visit will be gauge for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) for the spring local elections. This isn’t just my idea, but also what two leading AKP members told me. We spoke for a long while. On the one hand, the Bush administration considers 2004 a critical year for the fight against terrorism in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and it also knows that this year will be decisive for Turkey regarding its European Union membership bid and the Cyprus question. If Bush sends Erdogan back with proposals on northern Iraq and Cyprus in Turkey’s favor, and agrees to a joint road map, then the AKP will have score successes in the local elections. But if the opposite happens, and if Erdogan can’t resist Bush’s demands on Cyprus and northern Iraq (in other words a Kurdish federation), then we’ll see the results of this. For this reason the background of the Washington visit is very important. Of course, we all know how powerful the Greek and Armenian lobbies are in the US. Turks, on the other hand, find US support in short supply. A new book called ‘Turkey’s Future’ by Dr. Nazmi Cora says the following: Turkey should immediately reach out to US Hispanics as this population group is booming and soon be a key player in US politics. Along these lines, we should work to cooperate with the Hispanic lobbies. ” 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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