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Turkish Press Review, 04-02-24Turkish 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 morning24.02.2004FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN ADDRESSES TURKISH-GERMAN ECONOMIC FORUMPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended a Turkish-German Economic Forum alongside visiting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Addressing the forum, Erdogan said that Turkey and Germany, two members of the free democratic world, enjoyed a close friendship. “Our two countries put priority on democracy, freedom, and human rights, and these make us closer,” said Erdogan, adding that he was pleased to host Schroeder and accompanying German businessmen. Touching on economic ties between the two countries, Erdogan said that the annual bilateral trade volume currently totalled 14 billion euros, adding that he hoped for more German investment in Turkey. For his part, Schroeder said that he welcomed Turkey’s European Union reform packages, adding that the implementation of these reforms was very important. He said that he had been impressed by Turkey’s dynamism. /Cumhuriyet/[02] SCHROEDER REITERATES BERLIN’S SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BIDSpeaking at a joint press conference yesterday with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visiting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder reiterated Germany’s support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid, adding that the European Commission should greenlight Ankara’s bid if it believes that the Copenhagen criteria have been fulfilled. “The EU should keep its promise,” said the German chancellor. “I believe that after completing the Copenhagen criteria, Turkey should get a date to begin accession talks as soon as possible. I will do my best to see this through.” Schroeder stated that Germany’s stance hadn’t changed since the 1999 Helsinki summit, when Turkey was first accepted as an EU candidate. He further pledged that the Union would not stipulate new conditions at this December’s summit, when it is to decide whether or not to begin accession talks with Turkey. Touching on the Cyprus issue, Schroeder praised Turkey’s efforts to help reach a resolution on the island. Later, Schroeder met with opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. /Milliyet/[03] FORMER GERMAN PRESIDENT: “THE EU SHOULD WORK TO BRIDGE THE WEST AND ISLAM, AND TURKEY IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THIS”One of the most important functions of Europe is to establish a bridge between the countries of the West and those of the Muslim world, said former German President Richard von Weizsecker yesterday. “Towards this end, Turkey is a very important country,” he added, even as German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is in the midst of a visit to Ankara. In related news, speaking at a press conference yesterday, German government spokesman Thomas Steg said that he was sure that Turkey was following the right path for its European Union membership bid, adding that Berlin should deal with the bid determinedly and justly. /Turkiye/[04] CYPRUS TALKS TO CONTINUE TODAYNew Cyprus talks to find a settlement for the island in line with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan by May 1 are set to continue today. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopulos will lead their respective delegations during the meeting to begin at 9:30 a.m in the Lefkosa buffer zone. UN Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto is also to attend the meeting. During today’s third round of talks, central issues are expected to be taken up, with the sides also set to give their proposals on amendments to Annan’s plan. /Turkiye/[05] GUL VISITS MOSCOWForeign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday traveled to Moscow, Russia to pay a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov. Before his departure at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport, Gul told reporters that his visit to this country would be the first one at the foreign ministerial level since 1996. Stressing that Turkish-Russian relations had developed in every realm since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Gul said that during his contacts the sides would try to strengthen bilateral ties. The foreign minister, accompanied by deputies and businessmen, is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Russian Parliament Federation Council Speaker Sergey Mironov and other high-level officials. Gul is also set to sign certain agreements between the two countries. Commenting on the Chechnya issue, Gul reiterated that Turkey was opposed to any terrorist action, especially those targeting innocents. /Turkiye/[06] COSKUN: “TURKEY WILL STRENGTHEN THE EU”Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun said yesterday that Turkey’s membership in the European Union would contribute to the process of strengthening it. On a visit to Turkey to accompany German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Gerd Anders, the German Economy and Labor Ministry’s representative in Parliament, visited Coskun with a delegation of businessmen. Anders reiterated Germany’s full support for Turkey’s EU membership bid. For his part, Coskun stressed that Turkey wanted to ensure an influx of technology and industry from Germany, adding that Turkey’s EU membership would contribute additional power to the Union. /Turkiye/[07] BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS TURKEYBulgarian Parliament Speaker Ognyan Gerdzhikov arrived in Ankara yesterday at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Bulent Arinc. Before receiving Gerdzhikov, Arinc said that Bulgaria is a door for Turkey opening up to Europe. During their meeting, Gerdzhikov also confirmed Sofia’s full support for Ankara’s European Union membership bid. Bulgaria is set to join the EU in 2007. /Milliyet/[08] GERMAN INDUSTRIALISTS’ FEDERATION OFFICIAL: “TURKEY IS GOING THROUGH A GREAT CHANGE”Turkey is now undergoing a great change, said Arend Oetker, deputy chair of the German Industrialists’ Federation, at yesterday’s German-Turkish Economic Forum organized by the German-Turkish Trade and Industrialists’ Association. Stressing that Turkey enjoyed a stable government, Oetker said that he hoped that recently passed reforms can find full reflection in being implemented. “We can make more investments in this country,” he added. /Hurriyet/[09] IMF MISSION DUE THIS WEEK FOR SEVENTH REVIEWAn International Monetary Fund mission is set to arrive in Ankara this Friday to discuss the seventh review under Turkey’s IMF standby agreement. Among some measures for the remainder of the program are enhancing the long- term viability of fiscal accounts, improving budget management and revenue collection, and ensuring the effectiveness and independence of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK). /Milliyet/ [10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[11] “A KURDISH STATE MIGHT BE ESTABLISHED” BY MURAT YETKIN (RADIKAL)Columnist Murat Yetkin writes on former Israeli Foreign Undersecretary Alon Liel’s recent statement on the possibility of the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:“Alon Liel is a foreign policy expert and former Israeli foreign undersecretary who once served in Turkey. Last weekend he addressed a meeting in Antalya entitled ‘Searching for Tomorrow’, after which he spoke to daily Radikal about Iraq’s future. Liel stated that should Iraq break down, the establishment of a Kurdish state would not be incongruous with Israel’s national interests. However, he also added that Israel doesn’t currently support such a prospect precisely because of its close relations with Turkey, since it attaches the greatest importance to Ankara’s opposition to an independent Kurdish state in the region. Yet, Liel further argued that since a Kurdish state would probably be backed by the US and the EU, Turkey must gird itself to greet such a development rather than viewing it as a casus belli. Liel’s words, which are very likely to cause a stir, are as follows: * Israel wants to see a democratic, united Iraq. However, if this proves impossible, then at least a part of the country should be democratic, in all likelihood the northern Kurdish region. A democratic Kurdish administration would be politically closer to Turkey than any other country in the region. * If Iraq is divided, Israel will welcome the establishment of a Kurdish state. However, Turkey firmly opposes such a development. It would be madness for Israel to side with or encourage such a formation unless Ankara changes its mind. Which is why I hope there’s no one in Israel now daring to support the Kurdish efforts, because we don’t want to ruin our relations with Turkey. * If Israel now avoids abetting the Kurdish efforts, it is because Turkey and the US don’t want the Kurdish groups to form an independent state. However, I personally believe that Turkey must be ready for all possible developments, including the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in the region. These words seem to contradict Israel’s official stance, since it has recently displayed a willingness to smooth out its relations with Syria and the Palestinians. Now Ankara has the right to demand an official explanation from Israel about its attitude towards ethnic Kurdish groups in northern Iraq.” [12] ANOTHER DIMENSION OF TURKISH-GERMAN RELATIONS BY NURAY BASARAN (AKSAM)Columnist Nuray Basaran comments on Turkish-German relations. A summary of her column is as follows:“Turkey’s foreign policy contacts are gradually expanding. The government is trying to strengthen relations with neighboring countries and it also has initiatives to put its global relations on a new level. There are also international changes which began with the Iraq invasion. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts to combine these two atmospheres and obtain the maximum benefit are contributing greatly to our marshalling world developments. There’s been a great change of atmosphere which was accelerated with the Middle East project. There is a serious crack in the Paris-Berlin line, which was opposed to the US during the war in Iraq. Berlin recently declared a change of policy through German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Berlin proposed a new transatlantic cooperation with Washington and signalled that it might act independently of Brussels in the Great Middle East project. At the same time Paris took a step by signaling a new military cooperation with Britain, that is, indirectly with the US. Now a new international atmosphere is rising, but it’s too early for it to be definite. Only time can foster this new atmosphere. Now Erdogan hopes to see the conditions of this new world and to be included in it. Another meaningful development is German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s visit to Ankara and its content. Since 1993, when then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl came to Ankara, Schroeder is the first German chancellor to visit Turkey. Schroeder’s visit is about quelling fears about this December’s EU summit and giving a date to Turkey for EU membership negotiations. Many years have gone by since Kohl’s visit, and Turkey is now on Germany’s agenda as someone to help Iraq. Schroeder is making this visit in order to observe Turkey’s possible role as a door opening to the greater Middle East and start a new relationship. Time changes so many things due to changing conditions. Maybe in these changing times we can find a hub formed by the spokes of Ankara, Berlin and Washington.” 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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