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Turkish Press Review, 05-01-17Turkish 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 morning17.01.2005FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNSCONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN PRAISES TURKEY’S ECONOMY PERFORMANCEAddressing the prize ceremony held by the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) to mark the 41st anniversary of the organization, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the weekend praised Turkey’s economy performance noting that all economic and financial indicators show that the country is making good progress. “We’re receiving very good news from all over the country,” he said. “As the curtain of mist over Turkey is lifting today, our path is being enlightened. We’re witnessing that Turkey’s industry, commerce and employment are developing faster than ever. I believe that our public servants, industrialists and workers are feeling more hopeful today. Turkey has also become a completely different country in the international platform.” /Sabah/[02] TALAT: “TRNC’S ISOLATION SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO AN END IN ORDER TO BRING PAPADOPOULOS TO THE NEGOTIATION TABLE”Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday that his priority was a solution on the island, adding that TRNC’s isolation should be brought to an end in order to bring Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos to the negotiation table. “Papadopoulos doesn’t have any intention to take any step until Oct.3,” he said. “But he will have to change his mind if TRNC’s isolation is ended.” Asked whether there was a new plan for a solution, Talat said that plans other than the Annan plan were only rumors. /Cumhuriyet/[03] DENKTAS SEES NEW CYPRUS PEACE TALKS AFTER APRILTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas said yesterday that a new round of talks to find a resolution to the Cyprus issue might start after April. Speaking at a press conference in Lefkosha, Denktas said that new process would be the last try. “The process will either lead to a unified Cyprus or to a two- state finale,” said Denktas, who met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week in Istanbul. The TRNC foreign minister stated that if that process fails due to stance of Greek Cypriots, then Turkish Cypriots would shape a strategy to integrate with the world through their own independent state. He added that the TRNC government to end the country’s international isolation would increase diplomatic efforts. /Turkiye/[04] BAYKAL, SARIGUL SEEKS SUPPORT FOR DELEGATES FOR CHP LEADERSHIPIn the runup to a key party congress to be held later this month, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and his main rival Mayor of the Sisli district Mustafa Sarýgul continuing their efforts to seek the delegates’ support for CHP leadership. Speaking to regional delegates from eight provinces in Ankara over the weekend, Baykal said, “We’ll overcome all these problems. There is no need to hustle.” Criticizing Baykal during his rally in southeastern province of Gaziantep, Sarigul stressed that very important changes took place in the whole world, but no change happened at CHP headquarters. He vowed that following his victory in the party congress, he would do his best to make the CHP the most democratic party in the world, adding that a strong CHP would greatly contribute to development of Turkey. Baykal is expected to travel both to Diyarbakir and Adana today to hold meetings. /Turkiye/[05] GREEK DAILY FILELEFTEROS: “ERDOGAN WILL TELL ANNAN THAT TURKEY WILL BE A STEP AHEAD THAN GREECE AND GREEK CYPRUS FOR A RESOLUTION”Greek daily Filelefteros said yesterday that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is due to meet with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Davos on Jan. 25-26, is expected to tell him that Turkey will continue to be a step ahead from Greece and Greek Cyprus for a resolution on the island. Filelefteros further claimed that if Annan launches a new initiative for the Cyprus issue, Erdogan would reportedly accept Greek Cypriots’ security demand. In related news, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos is due to travel to Athens on Jan. 25-26 to discuss recent Cyprus developments with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. /Milliyet/[06] HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORT APPLAUDS TURKEY’S HUMAN RIGHTS REFORMSNew-York based Human Rights Watch, the largest human rights organization based in the United States with its researchers conducting fact-finding investigations into human rights abuses in all regions of the world, has released its annual report entitled “World Report 2005” covering 60-plus countries including Turkey. The report states that Turkey’s human rights record continued to improve during 2004, as the country attempted to recover from the legacy of human rights violations in the early 1990s. “There were fewer cases of torture and ill-treatment in 2004, largely due to safeguards imposed in recent years, and by the government’s frequent assertions of zero-tolerance for such abuses,” the report adds. It also praises recent human rights reforms, including the release of the four Kurdish former deputies Leyla Zana, Orhan Dogan, Hatip Dicle, and Selim Sadak, who were convicted in 1994 under the anti-Terror Law, and also the beginning of broadcasting in minority languages in the state television. /Hurriyet/[07] SERDENGECTI: “WE HAVEN’T OVERCOME OUR INFLATION PROBLEM SINCE PRICE STABILITY ISN’T FULLY ESTABLISHED”Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti yesterday touted Turkey’s low inflation, adding, however that Turkey hasn’t still overcome its inflation problem because price stability wasn’t fully established in the country. “In order to say that we have overcome our inflation problem, price stability should be permanent,” he said. Touching on high current accounts deficit despite tight monetary and fiscal policies, Serdengecti said that this was because of high demand. He predicted, however, that high current accounts deficit would cause no crisis since Turkey was implementing floating exchange rate. /Milliyet/[08] TURKEY TO MEET IRAQ’S FUEL OIL NEEDIraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) signed contracts with Turkish companies to meet Iraq’s fuel oil need. The managers of more than 20 Turkish companies met SOMO Director General Dhiaa Al-Bakkaa in Jordanian capital Amman for the procurement of oil products which is required for 2005 in the country. According to the contracts covering January-June 2005, the Turkish companies will export 600,000 tons of fuel oil per day to Iraq. /Star/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS[10] MENTAL COMA BY MEHMET ALTAN (SABAH)Columnist Mehmet Altan comments on Turkey’s EU membership bid. A summary of his column is as follows:“I wonder how the future situation of the media will be as the EU process gains speed. Will it deal with Turkey’s fundamental problems? Turkey didn’t begin to discuss many of its fundamental problems. There are serious problems in education. If we can’t solve it the society will get into a mental coma. Education Ministry released a report on 60,000 high school students. The report says that the students cannot fully perceive Turkish words. We have students who cannot understand the words of their own native language. This is a serious problem The situation in mathematics is worse. Mathematics is very difficult for those who can’t fully understand Turkish. These are the findings of the Education Ministry. What kind of solutions could we produce? Of course the situation of the teachers, who will produce and practice solutions for the problem, is another problem. They aren’t paid well and can’t follow the recent developments of their profession. Turkey’s education problem will be discussed in its EU membership process. EU member countries estimate their long run employment policies and make arrangements in parallel with this. Employment policy and education are closely related to each other. We have to overcome the indifference towards education. The future of our children depends on our discussions for a better education.” [11] EU SHOULD PROTECT TURKISH CYPRIOTS BY TULIN DALOGLU (STAR)Columnist Tulin Daloglu comments on the Cyprus issue. A summary of her column is as follows:“The EU Commission has already announced its decision including suggestions concerning the financial aid for Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and direct trade. It sounded good, but there’s no performance. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched an initiative so the embargo on Turkish Cypriots can be lifted and Europeans keep their promises. Its reason is clear, that is, there is a timetable and time is running fast. The Cyprus issue is still a huge obstacle before officially starting negotiations with the EU. The EU says we should recognize the Greek Cypriot administration in order to become an EU member. So, the Cyprus issue is still a condition for us. When people criticized Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos for not hindering Turkey during last month’s EU summit, he said, ‘Don’t be afraid. We still have the right of veto for 64 times to block Turkey’s EU membership.’ In addition, a Greek Cypriot diplomat said to me in Washington, ‘Turkey is making the Cyprus issue an obstacle for itself. If it recognizes us when it extends its Customs Union agreement, this problem could be solved.’ It seems easy but actually it isn’t. There’s no problem with extending the Customs Union, but Greek Cypriots’ wishes won’t come true. There will be neither a show, nor de facto. TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said, ‘If the aim is to find a solution to the Cyprus issue, Greek Cypriots should show a performance.’ We should see the end of the economic embargo on Turkish Cypriots. Turkey and Turkish Cypriots proved their good will with last April’s referendum. We should also see Greek Cypriots’ good will but the Greek Cypriot diplomat said, ‘There won’t be direct flights to Ercan Airport.’ It seems Greek Cypriots will insist on this issue because a plane’s landing on Ercan Airport means recognizing the TRNC indirectly. The situation is the same for ports as well. However, Greek Cypriots previously rejected to take one fourth of the TRNC territory. If they didn’t find it sufficient, they would want it all. If we are talking about an EU willing to see an enlarging family, now it’s time for the EU to protect Turkish Cypriots.” 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 |