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Turkish Press Review, 05-01-14Turkish 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 morning14.01.2005FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN MEETS WITH SERDAR DENKTAS, DISCUSSES RECENT CYPRUS DEVELOPMENTSPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday received Turkish Repulic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas to discuss recent developments on the Cyprus issue and a possible resolution. In related news, Erdogan is expected to meet with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Davos on Jan. 26 to discuss resume of Cyprus talks for a resolution on the island. /Cumhuriyet/[02] GOVT CALLS ON AID FOR SOUTH ASIA VICTIMSIn addition to ongoing a number of campaigns in Turkey to help south Asia countries, during yesterday’s cabinet meeting, the government decided to launch another raising fund campaign in mosques. Speaking to reporters, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that Turkey had experienced similar grief during earthquake disasters in recent years, and that willing to help victims in south Asia recently hit by an earthquake and tsunami. Stressing that the campaign would begin in mosques next week, Cicek also called on all sectors to make donations. The justice minister added that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also planning to travel to the region end of this month. In related news, two military planes carrying humanitarian aid and a medical team will fly to the region this weekend. /Turkiye/[03] KOC ADDRESSES TUSIAD GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM DEBATESSpeaking to journalists at the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) General Assembly yesterday, Koc Holding CEO Mustafa Koc said that it was debatable how right it would be to introduce a presidential system in Turkey, adding that the current priority should be to correct the deficiencies of the present political system. He said that no one knew how compatible a presidential system would be in Turkey and added, “It’s too early to consider such alternatives anyway.” He stated that only the US had achieved a successful and working presidential system, noting, “There is no other example in the world.” Asked who should be Turkey’s chief negotiator in Ankara’s accession talks with the European Union, Koc declined to give a name, saying that it wouldn’t be appropriate to do so. “It’s up to the government,” Koc added. However, when told that State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan’s name was mentioned for the post, Koc said that Babacan would be a perfect name for the post. Koc stated that the chief negotiator should be a respected person with international experience and good negotiation skills, adding that Babacan was suitable for the post. /Milliyet/[04] TURKISH FIRM ATTACKED IN IRAQA Turkish construction firm yesterday attacked by 10 Iraqi armed insurgents in Baghdad. The insurgents kidnapped businessman Abdulkadir Tanrikulu, and shot down six Iraqis. /Sabah/[05] IMF’S DAWSON: “TURKEY NEEDS TO TAKE STEPS TO MAKE POSSIBLE TO FACILITATE BOARD DISCUSSION OF THE PROGRAM”Asked if he thought the International Monetary Fund Board could handle or discuss or take up Turkey’s new standby agreement before the end of this month, IMF External Relations Director Tom Dawson said, “At this point I don't have such a date. As I think people know, I think just as our last discussion was taking place, a Fund mission in December did finish discussions on the new program with the Government of Turkey. The authorities are requesting a three-year, $10 billion stand-by arrangement, which includes exceptional access to support their economic program, which aims at sustained growth, low inflation, and debt reduction.” He further stated, “The main elements of the program include a 6.5 percent of GNP primary fiscal surplus target, containing and reducing the social security deficit, improved tax administration, bringing banking supervision more closely in lines with EU standards, and encouraging foreign direct investments. The authorities still, though, need to take a number of steps in the above areas to make possible to facilitate Board discussion of the program. So I do not have a date, but we will let you know when we do. /Cumhuriyet/[06] TWO DIE IN ANKARA TRAIN ACCIDENTDuring a train accident near the Ankara train station yesterday morning, two train personnel died and three others were injured. A freight train traveling from Yerkoy to Ankara reported brake failure then derailed 200 meters from the station. It was said that station personnel tried to take necessary precautions before the derailment. An investigation on the incident is underway. /Hurriyet/[07] DEHAP HOLDS CONGRESSDemocratic People’s Party (DEHAP) yesterday held its third party congress in Ankara. Speaking at the gathering, re-elected DEHAP leader Tuncay Bakýrhan said that to promote peace in the Mideast, Turkey, Iran and Syria depended on finding a democratic and original settlement to the Kurdish issue. During the congress, the delegates and supporters of the party chanted slogans in favor of Abdullah Ocalan, the arrested leader of the terrorist group PKK. /Star/[08] FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS[09] TURKEY’S REVOLUTION BY TAHA AKYOL (MILLIYET)Columnist Taha Akyol comments on the Turkish entrepreneur middle class. A summary of his column is as follows:“During his speech at a press conference in Moscow, Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges head Rifat Hisarciklioglu stressed the importance of the ‘entrepreneur middle class’ in improving nations’ economies. ‘The Soviet Republic collapsed because there was no entrepreneur middle class to act as the engine of the economy,’ he said. ‘Since Turkey has reached the capacity to create such a class, its exports, which was two billion dollars in early 1980s, has today reached to 63 billion dollars. He gave the following figures: ‘The number of our industrialists was about a thousand, and nearly all of our exports were agricultural products. Today, 85% of our 65-billion dollars exports is industrial products. We have 25 thousand industrialist companies and 40 thousand exporters.’ Therefore, today Turkey is more developed, free and powerful than the past! Transition to a middle class society is also changing our political culture. ‘Let the state do it,’ we said for ages, but today ‘Don’t let the state intervene,’ we insist. The strengthening of the middle class is also improving its ethics and artistic taste. We know that transparency is the most effective measure against corruption. More developed Turkey means more decent Turkey. Turkey must trade in 8 billion dollars more services and products to the Russian Federation in order to reach a balance of foreign trade. According to State Minister Kursad Tuzmen, our target is 150 billion dollars. Our entrepreneur middle class will grow bigger, and will pave the way for more employment and production, and then sell these products to the world market. ‘We want nothing from the state,’ Hisarciklioglu said. ‘The state should only make the structural reforms. It should take effective measures to crack down on unregistered economy. Briefly speaking, we want the state to establish a political and economic structure similar to that of the developed countries. We will then be able to compete with the giants of the world, and our country then will become one of them!’ Turkey’s future depends on the self-confidence of the middle class. Turkey is on the right track.” [10] WHY NOW? BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on this week’s tripartite security summit between Turkey, the US and Iraq. A summary of her column is as follows:“This week’s tripartite meeting between Turkey, the US and Iraq indicated that the requests, which Turkey has long been uttered for a long time, are taken seriously. A Turkish diplomat describes this development as follows: ‘A solution for all the problems shouldn’t be expected from this meeting. This is impossible. However we shouldn’t forget that the process towards the seizure of Abdullah Ocalan was also a difficult one.’ A committee representing the Iraqi administration attended the meeting for the first time. The decisions taken at this meeting indicates a new period. A promise wasn’t given, but a process has begun against the PKK. Promising that the Iraqi National Security Authority will patrol the northern Iraq and the efforts for extraditing arrested PKK terrorists to Turkey shows that there is a development. It is important that the Iraqi authority, which also represents the Iraqi Kurds, attends the meeting. Turkey is expecting an active attitude from the US and insists on an operation against the PKK. The meeting in Ankara shows that the US is starting to take action against the PKK. Turkey has long complained about PKK activities in northern Iraq, but why is the action taken now? The elections in Iraq are very important for the US presence in Iraq. It is also not certain what these elections would bring. What about the process after the elections? It is full of dangers. These elections will determine the new members of the Iraqi National Council who will prepare the Iraqi Constitution. Would there be a conflict between the Kurds, Arabs and the Turkmen? Would this lead to a civil war? While a new period is approaching, Washington’s relations with Ankara are in such a critical process that they wouldn’t endure a crisis. I think the answer to the question of why now lies in this.” 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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