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Turkish Press Review, 04-06-17

Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: 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 morning

17.06.2004

PARLIAMENT APPROVES ESTABLISHMENT OF HEAVY SANCTION COURTS ERDOGAN VISITS THE NETHERLANDS GUL: “THE OIC HAS FULFILLED ITS RESPONSIBILITY BY APPROVING THE CYPRUS BILL” OIC RELEASES DECLARATION URGING STRENGTHENED SOLIDARITY WITH TURKISH CYPRIOTS EU SUMMER SUMMIT TO BEGIN IN BRUSSELS TODAY CHP TO HOLD EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS NEXT MONTH PIRISTINA TO BE LAID TO REST TODAY FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... NEW ERA FOR THE OIC BY DAVUT DURSUN (YENÝ ÞAFAK)

CONTENTS

  • [01] PARLIAMENT APPROVES ESTABLISHMENT OF HEAVY SANCTION COURTS
  • [02] ERDOGAN VISITS THE NETHERLANDS
  • [03] GUL: “THE OIC HAS FULFILLED ITS RESPONSIBILITY BY APPROVING THE CYPRUS BILL”
  • [04] OIC RELEASES DECLARATION URGING STRENGTHENED SOLIDARITY WITH TURKISH CYPRIOTS
  • [05] EU SUMMER SUMMIT TO BEGIN IN BRUSSELS TODAY
  • [06] CHP TO HOLD EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS NEXT MONTH
  • [07] PIRISTINA TO BE LAID TO REST TODA
  • [08] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
  • [09] NEW ERA FOR THE OIC BY DAVUT DURSUN (YENÝ ÞAFAK)

  • [01] PARLIAMENT APPROVES ESTABLISHMENT OF HEAVY SANCTION COURTS

    Parliament yesterday approved a bill establishing Heavy Sanction Courts as a replacement for the former State Security Courts (DGMs). Through a recent reform package in line with Turkey’s European Union harmonization, the two-decade old DGMs were abolished. The new courts will take over DGMs’ current caseload, and the Higher Board of Judges and Prosecutors will decide how many new courts to establish and where. /Sabah/

    [02] ERDOGAN VISITS THE NETHERLANDS

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied by a delegation yesterday left for the Netherlands to pay an official visit. Erdogan was first received by Queen Beatrix and then met with his Dutch counterpart Jan Peter Balkenende. At a joint press conference, Erdogan underlined that the Netherlands would be the European Union’s term president for six months starting this July. That period notably includes the December summit where the EU is to decide whether or not to begin Ankara’s accession talks. Stressing that most Turkish citizens wanted their country to join the EU, Erdogan said Ankara had implemented the Copenhagen criteria in order to boost the living conditions of its own people. “We already have some 4 million Turks living in EU member countries,” added Erdogan. “About 350,000 of them in the Netherlands, and they are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their arrival.” Asked about Turkey’s EU bid, Erdogan stated that he was certainly not expecting to face a negative stance at the December summit. For his part, Balkenende praised Turkey’s efforts on its road to EU membership, adding that the implementation of reforms was also key. The Dutch premier pledged that the EU would take a straightforward and fair stance towards Ankara while deciding about its membership. Erdogan later met Dutch Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm and attended a gathering with Turkish and Dutch businessmen in Rotterdam. /Turkiye/

    [03] GUL: “THE OIC HAS FULFILLED ITS RESPONSIBILITY BY APPROVING THE CYPRUS BILL”

    Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) had fulfilled its responsibility at its just-concluded Istanbul meeting by unanimously approving a Cyprus bill characterizing the Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as the “Turkish Cypriot State.” The bill calls on the OIC member states to establish direct communication, trade, tourism, investment, and sports ties with the TRNC. Gul added that the OIC had also issued a general call to end the TRNC’s international isolation. /Cumhuriyet/

    [04] OIC RELEASES DECLARATION URGING STRENGTHENED SOLIDARITY WITH TURKISH CYPRIOTS

    The three-day foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) yesterday released its final declaration stressing that a new situation had emerged on Cyprus after the April referendums on unifying the island. According to the declaration, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which currently attends OIC activities as an observer, would be invited to future gatherings of the organization as the “Turkish Cypriot State,” as set out in UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s recent Cyprus report. The declaration further urges OIC members to strengthen solidarity with the Turkish Cypriots by establishing close partnerships with them and extending cooperation in a number of areas, including trade, communications, culture and sports, in order to bring their international isolation to an end. TRNC Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas hailed the declaration, saying, “This is a very important step for us. We’ll be leaving this meeting as a state.” /All papers/

    [05] EU SUMMER SUMMIT TO BEGIN IN BRUSSELS TODAY

    The European Union’s two-day summer summit attended by the EU heads of state and government is due to begin today in Brussels. During the meeting, the leaders are expected to evaluate last weekend’s European Parliament elections and to stress continued unity among Union members. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, representing Turkey as an EU candidate, is also due to attend the summit. The gathering is important for Ankara’s European Union membership bid, since it will be the last one before the EU releases its fall progress report on Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/

    [06] CHP TO HOLD EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS NEXT MONTH

    The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is due to hold an extraordinary congress on July 3. CHP leader Deniz Baykal said on Tuesday that there would be two main issues to be addressed at the congress, namely “intransigent” dissidents against Baykal’s leadership and a vote of confidence on the same. The congress is expected to be closed to both the public and the press. /Aksam/

    [07] PIRISTINA TO BE LAID TO REST TODA

    Izmir is mourning the death of their beloved Greater Municipality Mayor Ahmet Piristina, who died of a heart attack on Tuesday. Piristina will be buried this afternoon in a state funeral. Deniz Baykal, the leader of Piristina’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), as well as numerous high-ranking government officials are expected to attend the funeral. /Star/

    [08] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...

    [09] NEW ERA FOR THE OIC BY DAVUT DURSUN (YENÝ ÞAFAK)

    Columnist Davut Dursun comments on Turkey’s place in the Organization of the Islamic Conference. A summary of his column is as follows:

    “The just-concluded foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) marked the beginning of a new era. This meeting is important for Turkey not only because it was held in Istanbul, but also because Turkey’s candidate Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu was elected the OIC’s new secretary-general. It’s a promising development, because I don’t remember any Turkish citizen rising to the top of any international organization up to now, at least not such a big one. Another important thing about this election is Turkey’s rising significance and influence. In recent years Ankara’s influence in world politics has been gradually increasing. After the Cold War, it tried to take the steps expected of it in its sphere of influence. However, Turkey’s greatest shortcoming is being unaware of the weight of history, geography and culture which will establish our policies.

    In the late 1980s, people were wondering when and how the international wave of democratization and restructuring would be felt in the Islamic world. Authoritarian administrations in Central and Eastern European countries were overthrown like dominoes, and their countries quickly democratized. They went through great transformations in a short period of time. However, this transformation wasn’t as rapid or sweeping in societies outside the West. The process of this transformation not only influenced the domestic political and social orders, but also altered the structure of international institutions. Neither the Middle Eastern nor most other OIC countries resisted Turkey’s tough demands, and this can’t be considered something independent from developments in the international system.

    What is Turkey’s place in the aims of the OIC? The OIC was first established in order to defend Jerusalem when Israel occupied it and burned the Al-Aqsa Mosque. For this reason, it was impossible for Turkey to be fully involved in the OIC due to its strategic relationship with Israel. Although Turkey was one of its founding members, it was one of the last to sign the accession pact.

    Does Turkey have a special vision for the Islamic world? One cannot consider Turkey’s special relationship with the OIC apart from developments in the international system. New relations with the OIC cannot be evaluated without considering the mission set out for Turkey as part of the US’ Greater Middle Eastern Initiative (GME). Turkey’s mission cannot be ignored apart from its being the only OIC member also a member of NATO, its relations with the US, and its EU candidacy. Those who wanted Turkey to cold shoulder the Islamic World following the Ottoman era now want it to be warm up. The basic question is for whom Turkey will have a role. In sum, Turkey should have a vision tailored to itself for the Islamic world.”

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