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Turkish Press Review, 04-05-25Turkish 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 morning25.05.2004THE EU THRESHOLD BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)CONTENTS
[01] CABINET RESOLVES TO ENACT ALL EU REFORM LAWS BY PARLIAMENT’S SUMMER RECESSDuring yesterday’s Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the ministers resolved to enact all remaining needed European Union harmonization laws by July 1, the start of Parliament’s summer recess. After the meeting, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek told reporters that Parliament would work hard before the recess to enact bills on the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and the disabled as well as compensation for damage incurred during the fight against terrorism. He added that today Parliament would debate recent developments in Iraq and the Middle East. Stressing that Ankara was greatly concerned about the situation in the region, Cicek said that Turkey wanted to see stability and peace established. /Turkiye/[02] GUL, BRITAIN’S PRINCE ANDREW DISCUSS WAYS TO BOOST TRADE TIESForeign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday received Britain’s Prince Andrew to discuss ways to boost trade ties between their two countries. Today the visiting prince is expected to be received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and State Minister Kursat Tuzmen. He is also due to hold contacts in Istanbul on Thursday. /Aksam/[03] GUL: “THE TRT WILL BEGIN WORK ON THE MOTHER TONGUE BROADCAST ISSUE”Speaking after a meeting of the European Union Reform Watch Group, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that studies for adaptation to the European Union were continuing at full speed, adding that Ankara would not leave itself vulnerable to “excuses” from the Union. He stated that state broadcaster TRT would soon begin work on the issue of broadcasting in mother tongue languages. “The TRT Board of Directors will convene today to make a decision on the issue,” said Gul. He further stressed that Turkish- EU relations were at a critical juncture and that membership negotiations should begin by the end of this year. Justice Minister Cemil Cicek and Internal Minister Abdulkadir Aksu were also present at the meeting. /Cumhuriyet/[04] EU’S PATTEN: “IF THE UNION FAILS TO GIVE ANKARA A DATE FOR TALKS, THIS WOULD HURT OUR RELATIONS WITH THE ISLAMIC WORLD”Chris Patten, the European Union commissioner for external relations, warned yesterday that if this December the EU fails to give Ankara a date to begin its accession talks, then this would hurt the Union’s relations with the Islamic world. "We cannot help but be conscious of the symbolism, at this time, of reaching out a hand to a country whose population is overwhelmingly Muslim," Patten told a press conference. "I believe we can avoid the clash between the West and Islam which some predict and a few pray and conspire for." He later added that the EU should realize "the beginning of negotiations with Turkey, whatever the uncertainty of the outcome, would lead to a very different Turkey and very different relations between Europe and the Islamic world." /Aksam/[05] UN’S SIMONSEN: “TURKEY WILL ATTRACT MORE FOREIGN CAPITAL AFTER ITS EU ACCESSION TALKS BEGIN”United Nations Turkey Coordinator Jakop Simonsen said yesterday that he believes that this December Ankara will get a date from the European Union to begin its accession talks, adding that foreign capital would flock to Turkey during the negotiation process. “All other countries which began their accession talks attracted more foreign capital,” said Simonsen. He urged Turkey to invest more in education, adding that Ankara had always played a constructive role in the quest for peace in the Middle East. “Turkey plays an active role in the region and will continue to do so,” he said. /Aksam/[06] EU COMMISSION HEAD PRODI: “THE EU’S DOOR IS OPEN TO TURKEY”European Union Commission head Romano Prodi yesterday firmly rejected any proposal for a “special partnership” for Turkey in lieu of full EU membership. Stressing that the EU had previously promised Turkey full membership when it fully implements the Copenhagen criteria, Prodi stated that the Union would halt its expansion after Turkey’s accession. In related news, in a recent statement, newly elected German President Horst Kohler said that he favored Turkey’s membership under special conditions. /Turkiye/[07] GERMANY’S SCHILLY: “TURKEY WILL BE A BOON FOR EUROPE”Speaking at a meeting in Istanbul yesterday, German Interior Minister Otto Schily said that Turkey had long since turned its face towards Europe, and warned that if the European Union rebuffed its accession now, it would be betraying its own future. Stressing that Europe would reap financial and economic rewards from this accession, Schily said Turkey’s membership would have a particularly beneficial effect on Germany. He predicted that Turkey would serve as a bridge between the EU and the Islamic world and would be a boon for Europe. /Turkiye/[08] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[09] NATO SUMMIT IN ISTANBUL[10] BY ILTER TURKMEN (HURRIYET)Columnist Ilter Turkmen comments on next month’s NATO summit in Istanbul. A summary of his column is as follows:“Next month’s NATO summit is important from many angles. First of all it will be the first meeting after the recent accession of seven new members. Thanks to this expansion, Europe has girded its geographic unity and security. No doubt that NATO is appreciated greatly by the former Warsaw Pact members as well as the Baltic states. They will wonder about the protests against NATO in Istanbul. NATO has gone through great changes to harmonize with the post-Cold War era. Even if the alliance’s basic function is to defend its members against a possible attack, its main aim today is to preserve security by contributing to stability outside NATO. Threat perceptions are different now. Terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts and the collapse of state systems are among today’s threats. NATO is trying to structure its forces to counter these threats. The responsibility for the international forces in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kosovo falls to NATO. In Bosnia, the responsibility will be transferred to the European Union. NATO and Russia are establishing broader cooperation. The most important problem on the summit’s agenda will be Afghanistan. The NATO secretary-general wants to increase NATO’s military presence and political role in the region. Some say that if NATO is successful in Afghanistan, then it can play a role in Iraq and can mediate between Israel and Palestine. A NATO role in Iraq would require UN Security Council approval and an invitation by the political authority representing Iraq’s sovereignty. However, it’s impossible to foresee developments in Iraq at this stage. The NATO secretary-general is also very cautious about the Greater Middle East Initiative. He’s aware of the situation in the Middle East, which is not favorable for such initiatives. The summit has a special meaning for Turkey. US President George W. Bush will also visit Ankara for one day. EU leaders, who will decide whether or not to start accession talks with Turkey this December, will also come to the summit. The summit is a unique opportunity to influence both the US and EU. The Eurovision song contest was more effective than expected, and now its NATO’s turn.” [11] THE EU THRESHOLD BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak comments on prospects for Ankara receiving a date for EU membership negotiations. A summary of his column is as follows:“Last week Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul left the most recent meeting of the Turkish-EU Partnership Council in Brussels in an optimistic mood, saying, ‘We’ve crossed the critical threshold with our latest Constitutional amendments. Now we’re knocking on the doors. It’s Turkey’s future. We won’t allow anybody to turn back our EU membership process.’ Feeling the pulse of Brussels, CPS Strategy and Advisory Group Chairman Tulu Gumustekin said that the speed of Turkey’s reforms was surpassing the EU’s calculations. So Turkey is quicker than the EU’s timetable. ‘The level of integration between Turkey and the EU shows that our relations are pushing the limits of the 1964 framework,’ said Gumustekin. ‘Now the harmonization efforts need a more serious platform. If negotiations mean time and conditions for Turkey’s harmonization to the acquis communitaire, this Partnership Council resolution indicates a goal for the entire harmonization to end before the beginning of negotiations.’ Turkey has taken and continues to take such serious steps as abolishing State Security Courts (DGMs) and the modernization of both the Constitution and the role of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Not a single government would accept such comprehensive reforms if it sought to escape their practice. The EU can’t ignore the real dynamism of our steps. The reward for these reforms should not be mere compliments, but accepting that Turkey has fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria. The EU should make a decision towards developing its relations with Turkey, establishing its political will that the EU Commission should sit at the accession negotiating table. Besides the Copenhagen criteria, Ankara has also taken steps on certain issues such as Cyprus and the Aegean. The EU’s hesitation to start membership negotiations with Turkey would mean nothing but the violation of the partnership signed 40 years ago. The historic threshold lies at the end of this year.” 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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