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Turkish Press Review, 05-08-17
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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e-mail :
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
17.08.2005
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
CONTENTS
[01] SWEDEN, FINLAND VOICE SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
[02] TALAT REITERATES TURKEY’S SIGNING ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL DOESN’T MEAN RECOGNITION OF GREEK CYPRUS
[03] AUSTRIAN PM: “TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP IN THE LONG-TERM ISN’T IMPOSSIBLE”
[04] TUSIAD SUPPORTS ERDOGAN’S MEETING WITH INTELLECTUALS AND DIYARBAKIR VISIT
[05] FITCH: “IF TURKEY CAN’T BEGIN ITS EU TALKS, THIS COULD HURT ITS ECONOMY”
[06] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[07] DIYARBAKIR IS CONFUSED BY HALUK SAHIN (RADIKAL)
[01] SWEDEN, FINLAND VOICE SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ali Tuygan yesterday paid official visits
to Sweden and Finland to seek support for Turkey’s European Union
membership bid, ahead of accession talks which are scheduled to begin on
Oct. 3. During his visits, both Swedish and Finnish officials expressed
support for Turkey’s EU aspirations. Tuygan and other top officials will
continue such visits in the runup to the talks. /Star/
[02] TALAT REITERATES TURKEY’S SIGNING ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL DOESN’T MEAN
RECOGNITION OF GREEK CYPRUS
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat said
yesterday that Ankara had fulfilled its obligations by signing the
additional Customs Union protocol, but reiterated that this didn’t mean
recognition of Greek Cyprus. Speaking at a ceremony marking the 31st
independence anniversary of Gazimagosa, Talat said that it was impossible
for Ankara to recognize Greek Cyprus, adding that doing so would harm the
Turkish Cypriot cause. /Star/
[03] AUSTRIAN PM: “TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP IN THE LONG-TERM ISN’T
IMPOSSIBLE”
Austrian Prime Minister Wolfgang Schussel said yesterday that he supported
Turkey beginning its accession talks with the European Union, adding that
its EU membership in the long-term was not impossible. He cautioned,
however, that since the EU’s capacity was limited, another alternative
should be found for Turkey besides full membership. “I’m pessimistic about
the EU’s expansion,” he said, adding that the EU was having troubles
integrating its 10 new members. /Turkiye/
[04] TUSIAD SUPPORTS ERDOGAN’S MEETING WITH INTELLECTUALS AND DIYARBAKIR
VISIT
The Turkish Industrialists’ and Businesmen’s Association (TUSIAD) yesterday
announced that it supported Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting
last week with intellectuals and his visit to Diyarbakir. In a written
statement, TUSIAD said that all efforts contributing to the atmosphere of
peace, democratization and economic development of the southeastern region
should be supported. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] FITCH: “IF TURKEY CAN’T BEGIN ITS EU TALKS, THIS COULD HURT ITS
ECONOMY”
International rating agency Fitch yesterday warned that the political
factors concerning Turkey’s European Union membership bid pose a risk for
the country’s rating, adding that this could hurt Turkey’s macroeconomic
outlook. Fitch stressed that Ankara expected to begin its EU accession
talks on Oct. 3, but that there were still uncertainties and difficulties
on the issue. “If Ankara can’t begin its membership talks, this could
adversely affect the financing of its debts, interest rates and exchange
rates,” said Fitch’s Turkey analyst Nick Eisinger. /Sabah/
[06] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[07] DIYARBAKIR IS CONFUSED BY HALUK SAHIN (RADIKAL)
Columnist Haluk Sahin comments on confusion over the Kurdish issue. A
summary of his column is as follows:
“During Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Diyarbakir, I
wondered about the reaction of the people living in the region to the
government’s message favoring more democracy and freedom. There wasn’t
excitement and enthusiasm, but a small and silent crowd. Obviously, there
was another thing in the minds of the people of Diyarbakir. We can say that
they were confused. Former Democracy Party (DEP) Deputy Orhan Dogan, who
doesn’t hide his warm feelings towards the terrorist PKK, told journalist
Nese Duzel, ‘The prime minister spoke to 1,000 people in Diyarbakir. There
was no enthusiasm. When we went there on Aug. 1, there were 400,000 people.
Most of the Kurdish people have good feelings towards PKK leader Abdullah
Ocalan.’ There are 400,000 people on the one hand and 1,000 on the other.
On the one hand, there is a terrorist organization striking at civilians
and tourists and on the other, a government pushing the limits to make a
democratic opening. Isn’t the great difference between them in terms of
democratic possibilities frightful? Could one not be frustrated over the
confusion in Diyarbakir after all the blood and chaos we have gone through?
As we know from the field of medicine, diagnosis is very important.
Accurate diagnoses save lives, and bad diagnoses make things worse, because
it’s the diagnosis which determines what measures should be taken. Erdogan
talked about the ‘Kurdish issue’ during his visit to Diyarbakir, which was
considered a bold step by some people. It was seen as a further diagnosis,
compared to the ‘southeastern issue.’ This is partly true and partly not
because the issue has connections to ethnic Kurdish nationalism. We know
from recent history that one should not be afraid of words. OK, let’s call
it the ‘Kurdish issue.’ However, this diagnosis might have dangerous side
effects. If we call the issue not ‘the southeastern issue,’ but ‘the
Kurdish issue,’ we would be spreading it to the entire country. Kurds don’t
live in the southeast only; most of them even live in western Turkey. If
the issue were called the Kurdish issue with an ethnic emphasis, wouldn’t
it create its own opposite? Then wouldn’t the ranks of those saying, ‘I’m
Turkish and you’re Kurdish’ swell against those saying, ‘I’m Kurdish’?
Avoiding an emphasis on ethnic origin is one of Turkey’s characteristics.
Meanwhile, why are the people of Kurdish origin living in western Turkey
staying silent? Are they confused as well?”
ARCHIVE
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