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Turkish Press Review, 05-04-21Turkish 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 morning21.04.2005FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…CONTENTS
[01] WORLD CHILDREN VISIT TOP TURKISH OFFICIALSTurkey is preparing itself to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, or Parliament, this Saturday. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc as well as State Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday received a group of children from 48 countries visiting Turkey to mark the 27th International April 23 Children’s Day. During the reception, Sezer proclaimed that bonds of friendship and fellowship between the children would serve the cause of world peace. /Star/[02] ARINC: “TURKEY NEEDS A NEW CONSTITUTION”Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said yesterday that Turkey needed a new, civilian, modern and democrat Constitution, as well as briefer one. Speaking at 16th National Sovereignty Symposium in Parliament, Arinc said that new regulations should be drawn up and the scope of the Constitution should be narrowed. Stressing that Turkey was a unity of people of various origins, Arinc called on citizens not to pay any heed to provocations intended to disturb the national peace. /Turkiye/[03] ERDOGAN VISITS AFGANISTAN, EXPRESSES FULL SUPPORT TO AFGHAN PEOPLEPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday traveled to Afghanistan, where he met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Erdogan stated Turkey would stand by Afghanistan as the war-torn country struggles to rebuild its infrastructure. “I want to tell you that in coming years we will remain by our Afghan brothers' side, in the reconstruction of schools, water systems and road construction, which will come about through investment," Erdogan told a joint press conference with Karzai in Kabul. “We will encourage Turkish investments here.” During his talks with Karzai, Erdogan signed a cooperation agreement for developing Afghanistan's health sector. For his part, Karzai stressed that he believed Turkey would greatly contribute to his country’s reconstruction. “Turkey has already granted $500 billion in medical aid to Afghanistan,” he added. In related news, prior to his departure for Kabul, Erdogan said that he hoped the new pope would soften his opposition, expressed when still a cardinal, to Turkey's EU bid. "He voiced such views against Turkey's EU membership as his personal opinion in the past, but his rhetoric may change from here on out," Erdogan told reporters at the airport. /Aksam/[04] OZKOK: “TURKEY ISN’T A MODERATE ISLAMIC BUT A TRULY SECULAR COUNTRY”Turkey isn’t a moderate Islamic but a truly secular country, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said yesterday in a yearly evaluation speech at the War Academies Command in Istanbul. “Nearly 99% of Turkey’s population is Muslim, but Turkey is a secular, democratic and social state governed by the rule of law,” Ozkok stressed when criticizing the United States’ Greater Middle East Initiative (GME), which he argued tries to hold up Turkey as a model moderate Islamic country for the region. Ozkok also rebuked Washington for failing to crack down on the PKK terrorist group in northern Iraq, warning that Iraqi Kurdish attempts to take control of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk could throw the entire region into turmoil. “The terrorist PKK is gaining influence in northern Iraq and stepping up attacks across the border on Turkey due to the US failure to take effective action on the issue,” he added. “The PKK must have its foreign support cut off and its hopes for success crushed," he said. Ozkok also underlined that Kirkuk should belong to all Iraqis. "We have said several times that Kirkuk is a problem area ready to explode ... and that it would affect the entire region if it does,” he warned. Ozkok also said that Turkey was still awaiting an apology from Greece for a flag vandalism incident in Athens, warning that otherwise Ankara would have to reconsider the confidence- building program between the neighbor’s armies. On the Cyprus issue, Ozkok accused the European Union of failing to keep its promises to ease the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). He also called on Armenia to drop the so-called genocide allegations against Turks and work towards improving bilateral ties. "Turkey wants to normalize its ties with Armenia," he said. "But for this to happen, Armenia must abide by international law and fulfill the obligations of good neighborly relations." /Cumhuriyet/[05] LATVIAN PRESIDENT HOLDS CONTACTS IN ISTANBULAfter completing her contacts in Ankara, Latvian President Vaira Vike- Freiberga, visiting Turkey accompanied by her husband and a delegation, yesterday arrived in Istanbul. As part of her schedule, Vike-Freiberga attended a Turkish-Latvian Business Council meeting and then addressed a gathering at Bogazici University. In her speech, the visiting president reiterated her nation’s support to Turkey on its road to EU membership. /Star/[06] CABINET EXTENDS INCIRLIK DECISION FOR ONE MORE YEARThe government yesterday gave permission for annual extension of the use of Incirlik Airbase by allied forces under a United Nations resolution. Speaking to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport before leaving for a NATO meeting in Lithuania, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that this decision was not a new development, but just “regulating” the matter. He added that the military would work with US officials on technical aspects of the issue. Commenting on a recent crisis with Greece over a flag desecration, Gul said that Greek officials had pledged to find and punish the perpetrators. He added that contrary to some reports, the new pope supported Turkey’s European Union membership. /Hurriyet/[07] GUL TO ATTEND TALAT’S INAUGURATIONDuring a weekly press conference yesterday in Ankara, Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan said that Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is to attend the inauguration in Lefkosa on Sunday of newly elected Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat, who will assume the office following the decades-long administration of senior statesman Rauf Denktas. Talat received 56% of votes in last weekend’s elections to become the second person to serve as president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. (TRNC). /Turkish Daily News/[08] PARLIAMENT COMMISSION REVERSES PRESIDENT’S VETOParliament’s Constitutional Commission yesterday approved without any change a bill amending Treasury aid to political parties, a bill previously vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer for violating the Constitution. The new bill, designed to prevent smaller parties from receiving Treasury aid, proposes that only political parties which receive more than 7% of the vote in general elections will be eligible for the Treasury aid. The president cannot veto the bill twice, but he can appeal to the Constitutional Court. /Turkiye/[09] TURKEY DENOUNCES POLAND’S RECOGNITION OF SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDEThe Polish Parliament yesterday passed a resolution recognizing the so- called Armenian genocide. In an official statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry denounced the development and expressed the Turkish nation’s deep dissatisfaction over Poland’s mistaken attitude, which it warned would incite hatred between the two nations. “The Turkish people are extremely dissatisfied and concerned about the Polish Parliament’s passing a bill to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide, as Poland should have instead encouraged peaceful efforts to discuss the issue on a historical platform,” the statement said. “We denounce and reject this resolution.” The Foreign Ministry also warned Poland that this development might hurt good relations between the two countries. In related news, Armenian President Robert Kocharian accused Turkey of being “aggressive” in its statements and called on the European Union to pressure Ankara for official recognition of the so- called genocide. /Cumhuriyet/[10] ANOTHER TURKISH DRIVER KILLED IN IRAQA Turkish truck driver was reportedly killed near Baghdad yesterday when a roadside bomb exploded. The identity of the victim was not announced by Iraqi officials. With yesterday’s incident, the number of Turkish truck drivers murdered in Iraq rose to 92. /Sabah /[11] EU DOWNPLAYS VATICAN INFLUENCE ON TURKEY’S BIDIn light of Tuesday’s election to the papacy of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a figure who last year discouraged Ankara’s European Union accession, saying that Turkey had always been "in permanent contrast to Europe" and that “linking it to Europe would be wrong,” many observers are wondering about the impact of Pope Benedict XVI on Turkey’s EU candidacy. European Commission spokeswoman Francoise Le Bail yesterday suggested that Turkey’s membership bid and negotiations would not be subject to influence from the Vatican. “There are a number of predefined parameters to evaluate Turkey’s accession bid,” she stressed. “What is important to us is whether the country conforms to our economic and political criteria as well as basic values.” In related news, in an editorial yesterday The New York Times underlined that it would be “extremely disturbing” if the new pope became an “unnecessary wedge” in the process of reconciling the Islamic world with the West. The times also disapprovingly noted Ratzinger’s previous comments on Turkey’s EU bid. /Milliyet/[12] TUZMEN MEETS VISITING RUSSIAN ECONOMY MINISTERThe Russian Federation will share its space technology expertise and experience with Turkey, visiting Russian Economy Minister German Greff yesterday said in Ankara. State Minister Kursad Tuzmen met Greff and discussed bilateral commercial relations with him. The Russian minister underlined that his country is very much interested in Turkey’s large privatization projects. He also called on Turkish businessmen to make more investments in Russia, where, he argued, the Russian government is trying to establish optimal business conditions for foreign investors. /Sabah/[13] DERVIS PROPOSES NEW UNITED NATIONS “ECONOMIC SECURITY COUNCIL”Opposition Republican People’s Party Deputy Kemal Dervis yesterday suggested that an “Economic Security Council” be established within the UN, one which will operate in a way similar to the UN Security Council. Speaking at a conference on “Globalization and Administration” in Paris, Dervis also answered questions about his new book, “A Better Globalization.” /Hurriyet/[14] TURKEY SCORES MULTIPLE MEDALS IN EUROPEAN WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPTurkey has made a good start in the European Weightlifting Championship in Sofia. Olympic bronze medalist Sedat Artuc swept three gold medals with lifts of 125 kg in the snatch, 150 kg in the clean-and-jerk and 275 kg in total. His teammate Erol Bilgin won the silver medal in the clean-and-jerk. Olympic champion Halil Mutlu also won three gold medals in the contest. Mutlu lifted 140 kg in the snatch, 167.5 kg in clean-and-jerk, and 307.5 kg in total. Mutlu received his gold medals from International Weightlifting Federation Deputy Chief Naim Suleymanoglu. /Hurriyet/[15] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…[16] THE EU PERSPECTIVE OF THE ARMY BY MERIC KOYATASI (AKSAM)Columnist Meric Koyatasi coments on Turkish-EU relations and the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) stance towards the European Union. A summary of his column is as follows:“Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok yesterday made a wide-ranging speech at the staff college. Each newspaper will probably focus on a different part of his speech, but I suggest that you download the whole speech from the Internet and read it for yourself. (www.tsk.mil.tr) If you want to know what’s going on in the world, you’d be well advised to read Ozkok’s address line by line, because his speech is a political, economic and defensive analysis which gives a clear outline of the future of both Turkey and its neighbors. Today, I’ll focus on what he said about the EU. We understand from his speech that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) openly supports Turkey’s EU membership. Here’s some of what Ozkok had to say on the subject: ‘The EU will soon be competing with Russia and China as well as countries of southeast Asia in the political and economic arena. In this competition, we will provide the EU with a young population, plenty of land, and great political power. We’ll be their bridge to Middle East and Central Asia. I hope the Europeans come to see how significant this is. The EU is our partner in the economy, politics and defense. Our interests lie within the Union. Our admission to the EU wouldn’t be an act of charity, because both sides will benefit from this. If we aren’t admitted into the Union, it won’t be the end of the world. But what we desire and deserve as a nation is full membership to the EU.’ There’s not much to add to Ozkok’s statement. Turkey has the potential to become a global power. In order to raise our country to the place it deserves to be, we should maintain political stability and boost our economic development.” 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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