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Turkish Press Review, 04-04-06
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
06.04.2004
NSC DISCUSSES CYPRUS PLAN
ERDOGAN: “THE CYPRUS ISSUE
SHOULD BE SETTLED”
RAUF DENKTAS: “THE UN CYPRUS
PLAN SHOULD BE EXPLAINED TO THE PEOPLE”
SERDAR DENKTAS: “TURKISH
CYPRIOTS NEED TO BE TOLD MORE ABOUT THE CYPRUS
PLAN”
BAYKAL DEFENDS ELECTION
PERFORMANCE, VOWS TO STAY AT CHP HELM
AGAR WARNS UN CYPRUS PLAN MAY
“TRIGGER CONFLICTS”
BUSH TO VISIT ANKARA,
ISTANBUL NATO SUMMIT IN JUNE; TIGHT SECURITY
EXPECTED
US AIR FORCE COMMANDER VISITS
TURKEY
PKK’S LATEST GUISES ADDED TO
EU TERRORIST LIST
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
EU CITIZENSHIP
BY GUNERI CIVAOGLU (MILLIYET)
CONTENTS
[01] NSC DISCUSSES CYPRUS PLAN
[02] ERDOGAN: “THE CYPRUS ISSUE SHOULD
BE SETTLED”
[03] RAUF DENKTAS: “THE UN CYPRUS PLAN
SHOULD BE EXPLAINED TO THE PEOPLE”
[04] SERDAR DENKTAS: “TURKISH CYPRIOTS
NEED TO BE TOLD MORE ABOUT THE CYPRUS PLAN”
[05] BAYKAL DEFENDS ELECTION
PERFORMANCE, VOWS TO STAY AT CHP HELM
[06] AGAR WARNS UN CYPRUS PLAN MAY
“TRIGGER CONFLICTS”
[07] BUSH TO VISIT ANKARA, ISTANBUL
NATO SUMMIT IN JUNE; TIGHT SECURITY EXPECTED
[08] US AIR FORCE COMMANDER VISITS
TURKEY
[09] PKK’S LATEST GUISES ADDED TO EU
TERRORIST LIST
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[11] EU CITIZENSHIP
BY GUNERI CIVAOGLU (MILLIYET)
[01] NSC DISCUSSES CYPRUS PLAN
The National Security Council (NSC) chaired by
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday reconvened
to discuss the Cyprus plan in the runup to
referendums on the island set for April 24. After
the four-and-a-half-hour meeting, a statement was
released saying that the United Nations plan
included certain positive articles for Turkey, but
that certain other requests of the Turkish side
had not been met. Pointing to the importance of
the agreement being included in the European
Union’s primary law, the council stated that the
assurances given to the Turkish side should be
followed closely. It added that whether or not the
plan and its provisions would go forward were up
to the government. /Sabah/
[02] ERDOGAN: “THE CYPRUS ISSUE SHOULD
BE SETTLED”
The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan met yesterday. During the meeting,
the United Nations Cyprus plan was discussed
comprehensively. Commenting on the plan, the
premier reportedly stated that although the plan
was not truly optimal, it was acceptable. “Under
this plan, in my opinion, neither the Turkish side
nor the Greek Cypriots are losers,” said Erdogan.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting,
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that Erdogan and
Gul were expected to brief the Justice and
Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group and
Parliament on the Cyprus plan today. Stressing
that the Cyprus issue was a national cause, Cicek
added, “The final decision will be made by the
Cypriots themselves.” /Turkiye/
[03] RAUF DENKTAS: “THE UN CYPRUS PLAN
SHOULD BE EXPLAINED TO THE PEOPLE”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
President Rauf Denktas said yesterday that the
220-page United Nations Cyprus plan, plus 9,000
pages of appendices, could not be properly
explained to the people before referendums
scheduled for April 24, and so called for their
postponement. Speaking in Bursa, Denktas charged
that the plan was in line with Greek Cypriot
demands, adding that under it most Turkish
soldiers would have to gradually to leave the
island. “We can’t give up our rights just to pave
the way for the Greek side’s EU accession,” said
the president. He claimed that the issues of land,
immigration and property would plague the Turkish
side for years to come. Greek Cyprus is set to
join the EU on May 1. /Sabah/
[04] SERDAR DENKTAS: “TURKISH CYPRIOTS
NEED TO BE TOLD MORE ABOUT THE CYPRUS PLAN”
Turkish Cypriots need to be told more about the
Cyprus issue and referendums on the UN Cyprus plan
scheduled for April 24, Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Serdar
Denktas told the TRNC Parliament yesterday. “All
Turkish Cypriots will consider their own interests
while voting in the referendum,” said Denktas.
“All our political parties include some who
support the plan and others who don’t. My own
party [senior coalition partner Democrat Party
(DP)] is evenly split on the issue.” /Sabah/
[05] BAYKAL DEFENDS ELECTION
PERFORMANCE, VOWS TO STAY AT CHP HELM
Speaking at a meeting of the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) to evaluate the
results of last month’s local elections, CHP
leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that criticisms
his party has been unsuccessful in the polls were
unfair. Baykal stated that his only aim was to
protect the CHP and, brushing aside suggestions
that the CHP needs a change of leadership, added
that he would stay at the party helm as there were
still things he wanted to do for the party. In
related news, CHP Izmir Deputy Hakki Akalin
yesterday resigned from his seat, saying that
radical changes were needed in the party’s
administration. /Aksam/
[06] AGAR WARNS UN CYPRUS PLAN MAY
“TRIGGER CONFLICTS”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, True
Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar charged that
the UN Cyprus plan due to be voted on in April 24
referendums was no true compromise, adding that
the plan could trigger conflicts between the two
sides on the island. “Under the plan, nearly
30,000 Greek Cypriots will settle in TRNC
territory, and the number of Turkish soldiers on
the island will fall to 6,000,” said Agar, in
further criticisms of the ruling Justice and
Development Party’s approach (AKP) to the issue. /Turkiye/
[07] BUSH TO VISIT ANKARA, ISTANBUL
NATO SUMMIT IN JUNE; TIGHT SECURITY EXPECTED
US President George W. Bush is scheduled to
visit Turkey in June to attend a NATO summit.
After arriving in Ankara on June 26, he is to
proceed to the NATO summit in Istanbul on June
28-29. The president is expected to be accompanied
by a delegation numbering 1,000, and tight
security measures are expected. In related news,
Bush sent a message to yesterday’s 23rd annual
American-Turkish Council Conference in Washington
saying that the US welcomed Turkey’s friendship
and that the two countries would continue to
cooperate in their fight against terrorism.
/Aksam/
[08] US AIR FORCE COMMANDER VISITS
TURKEY
Air Forces Commander Gen. Halil Ibrahim Firtina
yesterday received visiting US Air Force Chief of
Staff Gen. John Jumper. During their meeting, the
generals discussed a number of issues, including
bilateral relations between their air forces,
modernization work, and NATO’s restructuring in
the wake of seven new members joining this week.
Jumper reportedly stated that the US appreciated
Turkey allowing the rotation of its soldiers from
Iraq through Incirlik Airbase near Adana.
/Cumhuriyet/
[09] PKK’S LATEST GUISES ADDED TO EU
TERRORIST LIST
The European Union has finally recognized KADEK
and KONGRA-GEL, two recent guises of the PKK, as
terrorist groups by adding them to its official
list of such groups. The EU’s Official Gazette
released over the weekend recognized that the two
groups were continuations of the terrorist PKK. In
the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks, the EU decided to draw up a list of
terrorist groups. In 2002, the PKK and DHKP-C
terrorist groups were included on the list, but
the former almost immediately assumed a new name.
Ankara has been lobbying the EU ever since not to
reward the terrorist group’s game of musical names.
/Sabah/
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[11] EU CITIZENSHIP
BY GUNERI CIVAOGLU (MILLIYET)
Columnist Guneri Civaoglu comments on the
Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as
follows:
“The morning after the Cyprus summit ended in
Buergenstock, Switzerland, two British investment
firms made inquiries about the island, said Hasan
Hasturer, one of the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus’ (TRNC) leading journalists. Investment
interest came right after the decision to hold
referendums. Foreign investment is looking for
stability and legal guarantees. The TRNC’s looming
European Union membership could be the signal that
these two conditions will be fulfilled. One of the
important factors that led to a rise in southern
Cyprus is that its EU membership is seen as
certain. Foreign investment feels more secure.
Another factor is that the model for Germany
and Korea is also being applied to Cyprus. After
World War II, the West concentrated on raising
standards of living in West Germany, and the same
in South Korea after the Korean War. The success
of these models depended on a collapse in East
Germany and North Korea, and they were successful.
Without getting involved in an armed conflict with
Turkey, the West boosted the economy of the
southern part of the island in order to cause a
collapse in the TRNC, which was crippled by
embargos. On the one hand there is the TRNC, whose
citizens are stateless under international law,
and whose per capita income is $3,000, and on the
other the hand there is southern Cyprus, which is
about to receive EU citizenship and has about
$20,000 per capita income. Everything was
reflected in last December TRNC elections. If
worries about returning immovable properties had
been eased, now Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat’s
party would have gotten more votes. On the other
hand if the UN plan, which suggests a united
Cyprus, is accepted, then a change in direction is
likely. Even if the Greek partisans try to stop
it, the EU’s principle of balanced development
among regions will help the TRNC.
A third EU country is being formed on Turkey’s
borders. Cyprus will be on our southern frontier,
after Greece and Bulgaria to the west. Council of
Europe (CoE) members Georgia and Russia are no
longer threats. There’s only Iran, Iraq and Syria
which could cause problems. Turkey’s borders are
being surrounded by EU and CoE member countries.”
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