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Turkish Press Review, 04-07-30
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
30.07.2004
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT KHATAMI, FOREIGN MINISTER KHARRAZI
[02] SEZER RECEIVES NEW SWISS AMBASSADOR
[03] PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS TRAIN CRASH IN SPECIAL SESSION
[04] SPECIAL COMMITTEE FORMED TO INVESTIGATE TRAIN DERAILMENT
[05] ISTANBUL’S NEVE SHALOM SYNAGOGUE REOPENS
[06] DEPUTY PM SENER REBUKES CB GOVERNOR: “NO BUREAUCRAT IS AUTHORIZED TO WARN THE GOVERNMENT”
[07] DAWSON: “THE FUTURE OF TURKISH-IMF TIES IS UP TO ANKARA”
[08] ROMANIA TIGHTENS AIRPORT SECURITY MEASURES
[09] NEW IMF REPRESENTATIVE TO TURKEY BREDENKAMP MEETS THE PRESS
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[11] DIPLOMACY IN CYPRUS
[12] BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT KHATAMI, FOREIGN MINISTER
KHARRAZI
On the last day of his two-day visit to Iran, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan yesterday met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and Foreign
Minister Kamal Kharrazi in Tehran to discuss avenues for boosting bilateral
relations and regional cooperation. Erdogan was welcomed by Khatami at the
Sadabad Palace, where they reportedly discussed bilateral relations,
regional issues and terrorism. “We should try to bolster bilateral
cooperation based on respect for mutual and regional interests,” said
Khatami. For his part, Erdogan pointed to the importance of expanding
cooperation between the two countries to fight terrorism. Erdogan then met
with Kharrazi at the Azadi Hotel where they also discussed
bilateral and regional issues. As the premier requested more support from
Iran on the Cyprus issue, Kharazzi said that an Iranian delegation would
soon pay an official visit to the TRNC to show Tehran’s support for the
Turkish Cypriots. “We’ll keep our promises on the Cyprus issue,” he
pledged. Meanwhile, Turkey and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on
security to jointly combat the terrorist PKK_Kongra-Gel and anti-Iranian
groups. “I think the existing security cooperation between our two
countries is bearing fruit,” said Erdogan. Furthermore, Iranian Deputy
Interior Minister Ali Asghar Ahmadi stated that Iran had agreed to put the
PKK_Kongra-Gel on its official list of terrorist groups. Turkey in return
will add the People's Mujahedeen (MKO), Iran’s top terrorist threat, to its
own list. “Both Iran and Turkey have decided to brand the PKK and MKO as
terrorist groups, and what was signed today stated that even if these
groups maintain their operations under different names, we will continue to
deal with them as terrorist groups,” Ahmadi added. Erdogan also reiterated
Ankara’s request for Tehran to lower the price of its natural gas as Turkey
has halted imports, complaining of poor quality. “The matter of natural gas
has been dealt with,” Erdogan said, but added that both countries’ main
natural gas companies still needed further discussions to resolve the
dispute. /All Papers/
[02] SEZER RECEIVES NEW SWISS AMBASSADOR
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday received new Swiss Ambassador to
Ankara Walter Gyger at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. Gyger introduced
his secretariat and presented his letter of credentials to Sezer. The
president conveyed his best wishes for the Swiss ambassador’s tenure in
Ankara. /Aksam/
[03] PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS TRAIN CRASH IN SPECIAL SESSION
At a special session next Wednesday, Parliament will debate last week’s
high-speed train crash in Pamukova which took the lives of 39 people.
Parliament went into summer recess in mid-July, but the government has come
under heavy criticism for its handling of the derailment. The main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) had lobbied hard for a recall of
Parliament and wants to submit a censure motion against Transportation
Minister Binali Yildirim. Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc accepted the
request to reconvene the Parliament, but the debate will only proceed if
184 deputies agree to it. /Milliyet/
[04] SPECIAL COMMITTEE FORMED TO INVESTIGATE TRAIN DERAILMENT
A special committee of scientists has been formed to investigate last
week’s deadly train derailment in Pamukova. Isik University Rector Siddik
Binboga Yarman will head the committee, and its members include engineering
professor Aydin Erel, who warned the rails were unsafe before the accident.
The group’s first meeting is expected to be held today. In related news,
Professor Coenraad Esveld, the head of a Dutch delegation also
investigating the accident, said that the rails were in good condition and
so cannot be blamed for the derailment. /Milliyet/
[05] ISTANBUL’S NEVE SHALOM SYNAGOGUE REOPENS
Istanbul’s Neve Shalom Synagogue, the target of a car bomb attack last
November, was officially reopened yesterday. Renovations on the house of
worship have been completed and the synagogue is expected to return to its
former active community role. A ceremony was held with the attendance of
Chief Rabbi Ishak (Yitzhak) Haleva. Tight security measures were taken
during the rite, which Israeli Ambassador to Ankara Pinhas Avivi and
Israeli Consulate General Amira Arnon also attended. /Star/
[06] DEPUTY PM SENER REBUKES CB GOVERNOR: “NO BUREAUCRAT IS AUTHORIZED TO
WARN THE GOVERNMENT”
No bureaucrat is authorized to warn the government, said the deputy prime
minister in charge of economic coordination to Central Bank Governor
Serdengecti yesterday, in what amounted to a stern rebuke. Serdengecti
earlier this week said that Turkey would suffer deeper crises if it failed
to continue working with the International Monetary Fund. “The government
shapes its economy policy in line with the country’s needs,” said Deputy
Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener. “If a bureaucrat makes such a statement,
he has gone too far in his words, going into territory which is beyond his
domain. The markets are already sure that the government is developing
policies in line with their needs.” /Aksam/
[07] DAWSON: “THE FUTURE OF TURKISH-IMF TIES IS UP TO ANKARA”
It is Ankara that will decide the future course of its relationship with
the International Monetary Fund, said IMF External Relations Director Tom
Dawson yesterday. Asked what will happen when the IMF’s standby program
with Turkey expires next February, Dawson said, “That is fundamentally a
decision the [Turkish] authorities will make in the first instance by
themselves before the Fund would have a response. And it's my understanding
... that the authorities have indicated that they expect to make a decision
in this regard by September.” Dawson added that an IMF Executive Board
meeting on the eighth review of Turkey’s program could be expected to issue
a statement tomorrow. /Hurriyet/
[08] ROMANIA TIGHTENS AIRPORT SECURITY MEASURES
Romania has tightened security measures for flights from Bucharest to
Istanbul, the Romanian Transportation Ministry announced yesterday. The
reason for these new measures is that there was a threat made against
Turkish officials. The ministry stated that tight security measures were
being taken at Bucharest’s Henri Coanda International Airport. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] NEW IMF REPRESENTATIVE TO TURKEY BREDENKAMP MEETS THE PRESS
Hugh Bredenkamp, who will officially start working as the new International
Monetary Fund representative to Turkey on Aug. 18, yesterday held a press
conference alongside the former Turkey desk chief Odd Per Brekk. Bredenkamp,
a 16-year veteran of the IMF, introduced himself to Turkish journalists,
adding that he had visited Turkey twice in the last three months. In
related news, Brekk is set to leave Turkey next week to start his new
mission in Indonesia. /Turkiye/
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
[11] DIPLOMACY IN CYPRUS
[12] BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the latest developments on Cyprus. A
summary of his column is as follows:
“There are certain developments on Cyprus not directly related to the
Cyprus issue, but rather to the situation in the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Diplomacy is almost asleep in terms of the Cyprus
issue. Following the April referendums, efforts for a solution and ending
the embargo on the TRNC seem to have stalled. A vote on the EU Commission’s
proposal to end restrictions on the TRNC has been delayed to September due
to summer vacation. However, the TRNC is very busy now. Its coalition
government has set early elections for Nov. 6. Now this government proposal
must be confirmed by the TRNC Parliament, and it probably won’t be easy
because the opposition National Revival Party (UDP) is insisting on the
government’s resignation. As TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said,
Parliament’s math doesn’t match the political realities, and so early
elections are inevitable. All the political parties in the TRNC should end
this uncertainty.
Now the issue of Turkey’s Board of Higher Education (YOK) has captured the
interest of TRNC politicians, professors and students. Unfortunately, this
issue is seen by the TRNC as ‘Turkey’s embargo.’ Northern Cyprus has five
universities with 30,000 students, 70% of whom are non-Cypriots from Turkey
and other countries. Actually the TRNC is proud of its educational sector
which is a key part of its economy. Universities in the TRNC are attractive
not only for local students, but also for students from Turkey. The number
of students will reach 45,000 – that is, nearly one-fourth of the TRNC’s
population – when certain facilities are completed. However, YOK recently
cancelled the TRNC universities’ right to accept students with preliminary
registration. Turkish Cypriots and thousands of Turkish students who want
to attend these universities have criticized the decision. This YOK issue
has caused disappointment and concern in the TRNC, and I hope Ankara will
solve it as soon as possible.”
ARCHIVE
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