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Turkish Press Review, 05-01-13Turkish 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 morning13.01.2005FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN OPENS TURKISH TRADE CENTER IN MOSCOWOn the last day of his three-day visit to Russia, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday opened a new Turkish Trade Center in Moscow. “There are many things Turkey and Russia can do jointly for the reconstruction of Iraq,” said Erdogan during the opening ceremony of the 11- story, 9,000-square-meter center that will service some 200 companies and provide 1,000 jobs. Stressing that Turkish and Russian companies both had extensive experience in Iraq, Erdogan said they should work together when conditions were convenient to invest in the country. Erdogan also called on Russian businessmen to build a Russian trade center also in Turkey. The premier then attended a meeting of the Turkish-Russian Business Council. Speaking to the gathering, Erdogan expressed his satisfaction at recent signs of progress in bilateral relations. After completing his contacts in Russia, Erdogan and his accompanying delegation returned to Ankara last night. /Turkiye/[02] ERDOGAN CONGRATULATES PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT ABBASPrime Minisater Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday telephoned Mahmoud Abbas, the winner of this Sunday’s presidential elections in Palestine. Congratulating Abbas and wishing him all success, Erdogan invited the president-elect to visit Ankara in the near future. Underlining the importance of Abbas’ election for promoting peace in the Mideast, Erdogan reiterated Ankara’s willingness to actively contribute to peace efforts in the region, adding that a skilled technical team would soon be sent to Palestine to help construction in the country. /Aksam/[03] ANKARA REVIEWS TRILATERAL MEETING ON IRAQThe details of this week’s trilateral security meeting between Turkey, the US and Iraq were discussed yesterday in separate bilateral meetings between Ankara and US and Iraqi officials. Meanwhile, Ankara submitted a list to the parties who took part in the meeting. This list included Ankara’s demands for ending the presence of the terrorist PKK in the region. The extradition of about 250 wanted PKK members including Osman Ocalan was also on the list. Iraqi officials said that a judicial assistance agreement signed between Ankara and Baghdad in 1989 was still valid. /Sabah/[04] NEW ENERGY VENTURES PLANNED WITH RUSSIADuring Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit this week to Russia, important steps were taken to develop new energy ventures. Under one project, Turkey would buy power from Russia through lines laid under the Black Sea, also enabling it to sell this power to third countries. The possibility of extending the Blue Stream natural gas pipeline to the south of Turkey was also taken up during meetings between Turkish and Russian officials. In addition, Turkish Pipeline Corporation BOTAS and Russia’s Gazprol agreed to work on two other plans, one proposing construction of a compressed natural gas terminal in Ceyhan, Adana, and its sales to third countries through tankers, while the other proposes selling this gas to Israel via undersea pipelines. /Turkiye/[05] BAYKAL: “DEPUTIES’ IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION SHOULD BE ABOLISHED”Deputies’ immunity from prosecution should be abolished, said opposition Republican Peoples’ Party leader Deniz Baykal yesterday. Requesting that his own immunity be lifted, Baykal charged that the government wouldn’t do so because they are trying to hide cases of wrongdoing. “If ordinary citizens don’t have the choice of how they are tried, deputies shouldn’t have this choice either,” said Baykal. /Star/[06] AGAR CALLS RESULT OF ABIZAID’S VISIT TO TURKEY “GRAVE”Speaking at a press conference yesterday, opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar called the result of this week’s visit of Gen. John Abizaid, commander of US troops in Iraq, “grave.” Agar stressed that the US wanted to use Turkey’s Incirlik airbase, but that it hasn’t met Turkey’s needs concerning the fight against terrorism. Press reports said Abizaid had failed to make the commitment that Ankara sought to fight the PKK in northern Iraq. /Star/[07] DENKTAS CRITICIZES PUTIN’S SUPPORT FOR ANNAN PLAN, CHARGES PLAN IS NO LONGER VALIDTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement this week in support of the Annan Cyprus plan. “The plan is no longer valid,” said Denktas. “It has elements which both parties oppose.” He charged further that the plan would be “destructive” for Turkish cypriots. /Aksam/[08] TALAT: “IN THE INTERESTS OF A CYPRUS RESOLUTION, THE TRNC’S ISOLATION SHOULD BE ENDED”Appearing on television yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat denied rumors that the European Union was preparing an alternative to the Annan plan, calling reports to this effect only rumors. “The EU lacks the power to reach a resolution on the island,” he said. Talat further stressed that the TRNC’s isolation should be brought to an end in order to help reach a resolution on the island. “Lifting this isolation is a strategic goal,” said Talat, adding that main objective was a resolution on the island. /Star/[09] CB RELEASES ECONOMIC REPORT ON DECEMBER 2004The Central Bank yesterday released its economic report on last December, stating that falling inflation would also change pricing adjustments in the country. The report further said that in many sectors, price adjustments would be annual or semiannual rather than monthly. /Milliyet/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[11] ABIZAID’S EXPECTATIONS BY TURGUT TARHANLI (RADIKAL)Columnist Turgut Tarhanli writes about the Incirlik military base and Turkish-US relations. A summary of his column is as follows:”During his visit to Turkey earlier this week, Commander of US troops in Iraq Gen. John Abizaid conveyed to Turkish officials Washington’s expectations over the military base in Incirlik, Adana. US military elements are deployed at the base under a 1980 defense and economic cooperation pact between Ankara and Washington. Yesterday this paper used the expression ‘extreme demands’ in writing about Abizaid’s expectations, because they included a number of unconventional requests such as being allowed use of the base without being obliged to obtain parliamentary approval, increasing the number of US planes there, and adopting more flexible rules for the US planes using the base. Although our officials are trying to mend fences with Washington in the wake of the Iraq war, they can’t let Washington act outside the boundaries set by our laws. Under our Constitution, the sole institution empowered to invite foreign armed forces to our country and conclude agreements with them is the Parliament. Article 92 of the Constitution demarcates Parliament’s authority on this issue, stipulating that foreign armed forces can be invited to the country if necessary conditions set out by international law are met. Therefore, we are again facing the question of the legitimacy of the US occupation of Iraq. The scope of the 1980 agreement must be evaluated within the legal boundaries drawn by Article 92. Therefore, not only because international law views the Iraq war as illegitimate, but also because no institution besides Parliament itself can exercise this authority, the US demands for Incirlik Airbase are unacceptable. No institution in Turkey, Parliament included, can exercise a state power in violation of the Constitution. Turkey of course might adopt more flexible rules for the management of the base for humanitarian reasons or due to certain ‘extraordinary developments.’ We can also look at the issue from a quite different angle. The US is seeking Turkey’s approval for its military doctrine and so-called ‘sublime ideal,’ namely establishing democracy in Iraq, which cannot, unfortunately, be brought up without a dose of sarcasm or mockery. If democracy is such an exalted US ideal for which it is ready to pay any price, then what should we think of Abizaid’s said demands forcing Turkey – a model democracy for the Muslim world – to violate its democratic rules and principles?” [12] COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen comments on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit this week to Russia. A summary of his column is as follows:“Leaders’ official visits to other countries rarely yield concrete, immediate results. Taking certain decisions to strengthen economic ties and opening a Turkish Trade Center in the middle of Moscow are among the positive results of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit this week to Russia. The actual successes of the visit are the steps taken towards strategic partnership. During meetings in Moscow, both sides showed a new stance not only over bilateral relations, but also regional issues. Russia’s stance on the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s relations with the EU are concrete examples of this. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements about Cyprus signalled a move away from Russia’s support for the Greek Cypriot administration. Russia has now agreed to support UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan’s plan and will also help lift the blockade on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). This is a truly important shift in Moscow’s Cyprus policy in favor of Turkey. Similarly, Putin stated that he was glad about Turkey’s integration with the EU, which is another important development. During his visit to Ankara last month, Putin warned that such integration posed a serious obstacle to Turkish-Russian relations. Now, instead, he says it will open new horizons. Putin’s statements on Armenia also signal possible strategic cooperation between Ankara and Moscow on regional problems. Concerning the Upper Karabagh issue, Putin said that Russia might serve as a mediator and even a guarantor and that he would help Turkey to forge friendly relations with Armenia. Erdogan doesn’t want strained relations with Turkey’s neighbors and thinks that our policy in the region is geared towards solutions. Of course Yerevan should make positive signals towards this end, then Turkey will be able to normalize relations. During the meetings in Moscow, it’s significant that the Armenian issue was also on the agenda. Ankara has stipulated up to now that firstly Yerevan should withdraw from the Azerbaijani territory it’s occupying and solve its disputes with Baku in order for Turkey to normalize its relations with Armenia. The reasons for this stance can be understood easily. However, Turkey was unable to play a mediator role because of this. Now Russia seems ready to step in. However, if Turkey can establish a good dialogue with Yerevan, it can help create a consensus between the parties and push claims of a so-called Armenian genocide from the agenda. Now the Armenian diaspora is about to try to take the initiative over the 90th anniversary of the ‘genocide.’ It’s time for Ankara to step forward now with a bold stance. This can be done in cooperation with Russia, in light of Putin’s statements.” 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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