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Turkish Press Review, 05-06-29Turkish 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 morning29.06.2005FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “TURKEY WILL CONTINUE ITS REFORMS”Speaking at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at recent remarks over Turkey made by some European Union member countries. “Our view on the EU is clear and definite. We’ll continue our efforts on the road to democratization,” said the premier. Stressing that Turkey’s EU membership would contribute to the development of democracy and civilization, Erdogan said a powerful Turkey would be a great opportunity for the world. /Turkiye/[02] GUL DELIVERS ADDRESS AT OIC MEETING IN SANAAThe foreign ministers meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) yesterday started in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. On the first day of the conference, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul delivered two speeches as the OIC’s term president. He called on Islamic countries to develop a roadmap for future reforms. Remarking that the OIC should lend more support to economic, social and political reforms in its member countries, Gul laid out several principles which, in his opinion, should be adopted by the Muslim world to catch up with modern standards. Stressing that these reforms deserved state support, Gul urged the OIC members to develop a legal framework for reforms and improve gender equality, the rule of law and transparency in state administration. Gul also underlined that the reform process should be gradual and designed in line with the particular conditions of each country. “Islamic countries should move more actively in the international community to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots,” he added. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) attended the meeting as “Turkish Cyprus” for the first time in the OIC’s history. /Sabah/[03] ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO BAKU TODAYPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to pay his first official visit to Azerbaijan today as the premier of the Republic. Erdogan is expected to be received by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and then will meet with Turkish businessmen in Baku. He will also address the Azerbaijani Parliament. /Cumhuriyet/[04] EU COMMISSION SPOKESMAN: “THE ENLARGEMENT PROCESS WILL CONTINUE”The enlargement process is continuing as planned and it can’t be stopped, a spokesman for the European Commission said yesterday. “The enlargement process is continuing in line with the resolutions which were previously approved by the highest organs of the bloc, so it is impossible to stop this process,” the spokesman added, rebuffing recent calls by some politicians to halt enlargement. In related news, the framework document for Turkey’s membership negotiations will be discussed by the EU Commission today. /Aksam/[05] OZKOK: “TURKEY IS A GUARANTOR FOR PEACE”Turkey is an important country promoting peace both in its region and NATO, said Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok yesterday during the opening of a seminar of the Silk Road-2005 Flag Officers. Stressing that Turkey serves as a bridge between NATO and crisis regions, Ozkok said that it would continue to contribute to efforts for global peace. NATO’s senior civilian representative in Afghanistan Hikmet Cetin and NATO Military Committee Chairman Gen. Ray Henault of Canada also attended the three-day seminar in addition to 85 generals, admirals and civilian leaders from NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries. /Turkiye/[06] BAYKAL: “THE AKP IS CHANGING TURKEY INTO AN ISLAMIC REGIME”Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal charged yesterday that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is trying to insert religion into education, law and politics. “They are trying to change Turkey’s vision to an Islamic way,” added Baykal. He also cited Prime Minister Undersecretary Omer Dincer’s words saying that nationalism, secularism and the republic need to be rearranged along religious lines. Baykal said that people like Dincer are trying to alter the balances in Turkey by, for instance, championing efforts to lower the age of students in Koran courses and by supporting these courses. Also they are trying to change imam hatip schools into university preparation schools and have more imam hatip graduates in universities, he said. By doing such things they are planning to first allow headscarves in universities and then in other public areas, he alleged. /Hurriyet/[07] CHP LOSES ANOTHER DEPUTYOpposition Republican People’s Party CHP Mersin Deputy Huseyin Guler yesterday quit the party. Criticizing the party administration, Guler claimed that it had failed to produce policies to address the nation’s problems. On the other hand, Hatay independent Deputy Zuheyir Amber yesterday joined the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN). The new distribution of seats in Parliament is as follows: Justice and Development Party: 356, Republican People’s Party (CHP): 158, Motherland Party (ANAVATAN): 14, True Path Party (DYP): 4, Social Democrat People’s Party (SHP): 4, People’s Ascent Party (HYP): 1, independent: 10, vacant: 3. /Star/[08] OECD: TURKEY HAS THE FIFTH-HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATEAccording to Employment Outlook 2005 report of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Turkey has the fifth-highest unemployment rate among OECD member states with 10.2%, after the top four, namely Poland, Slovenia, Spain and Greece. The OECD predicts that the Turkish economy will develop at a rate of 6.3% this year and continue developing with a ratio of 6.15% in the coming year but that unemployment will also continue to rise and reach 10.4% this year and 10.5% the next. The report adds that Turkey has the lowest rate of employment compared to its adult population which is able to work. Turkey’s employment rate last year was 45.5%, but it has been falling since 1999, when it was 54.5%. /Cumhuriyet/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[10] WAIT-AND-SEE PERIOD IN IRANColumnist Sami Kohen comments on newly elected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A summary of his column is as follows:“How will the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the new Iranian president influence Turkish-Iranian relations? Ankara officially thinks that this is Iran’s internal affairs and the Iranian people’s choice. However, Turkish officials and analysts don’t help things by saying, ‘If Rafsanjani had won the elections, it would have been better.’ The reason is that Turkey knows Rafsanjani well. He valued relations with Turkey and when necessary, had talked with the radical establishment led by Ayatollah Khamenei. However, how Ahmadinejad will act in domestic and foreign affairs and in relations with Turkey is uncertain. As one official said, ‘Now we’re facing a new situation. We need to follow a wait-and-see policy.’ Official circles in Turkey hope that the recently improved bilateral relations will continue in this direction during the new era. Will the new president be brave enough to make certain openings in foreign relations or will he choose to stand with the radicals? There are two opinions about this. Taking into account his background and character, some people think that he will radicalize Iran both at home and abroad. Others think that he will make certain realistic openings in order to keep the economic promises he made to the Iranian people. Now there are certain arguments for and against these two views. However, we shouldn’t forget that incidents in Iran develop not according to the logic of analyses, but in accordance to the ‘reality of Iran.’ Therefore, the best thing to do now is to wait for him to send his first clear signals. Ahmadinejad’s statements during his first post-election press conference didn’t offer any clues. Actually he doesn’t have much experience or knowledge in foreign policy. His remarks at the press conference reflect Tehran’s usual position. For example, there’s nothing new in Iran’s stance towards the US or its nuclear program. According to certain official circles in Washington, Iran might take a harder line and the US would then take such firm measures as economic sanctions to rein it in. discipline Iran. Meanwhile, some people think that Ahmadinejad might show his revolutionary stance in foreign policy, ushering in a new period of tension in the region. We hope this won’t happen. Such stances don’t solve problems. We hope that Ahmadinejad’s election will open a new page in Iran’s actions and foreign policy. Even if this is unlikely to happen, let’s wait and see.” 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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