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Turkish Press Review, 05-12-20Turkish 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 morning20.12.2005FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] FRENCH DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH ERDOGAN, OZKOK, AND GONULFrench Defense Minister Michelle Alliot Marie, currently in Ankara for an official visit, yesterday met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul. Speaking after her meeting with Erdogan, Marie stressed that she appreciated Ankara’s hospitality. She said that they had discussed the situations in the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran. Turkey and France are preparing to supervise headquarters to be established next year for the security of the Afghan capital Kabul. /Milliyet/[02] TURKEY PRAISES AUSTRALIAN STEP AGAINST PKKTurkey yesterday praised a recent decision of the Australian government to declare the outlawed PKK a terrorist group. Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that Australian move, as part of its anti-terror law, was a pleasing development. He stated that in Australia, providing funding to the PKK, making supportive statements, having links with the organization or otherwise supporting it are all regarded as crimes and that those found guilty could face jail sentences of up to 25 years. /Turkish Daily News/[03] US’ WILSON PLEDGES UNITY WITH TURKEY IN FIGHT AGAINST PKKNew US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson said yesterday that the PKK in northern Iraq was a threat to both Turkey and the world at large. He stressed that the fight against the terrorist group PKK was an important competent of cooperation between the US and Turkey. Speaking at a gathering in Istanbul organized by the Turkish-US Business Council (TAIK), Wilson remarked that for 50 years Turkey has been a NATO member country contributing to world peace. Concerning Turkey’s European Union membership bid, the ambassador underlined that the nation was in a critical stage on the road to membership and reiterated the US’ backing for Turkey’s joining the Union. /Turkiye/[04] EU’S LAGENDIJK CALLS TURKEY “SPECIAL CASE” FOR THE EU, SAYS ITS MEMBERSHIP WILL CHANGE THE UNIONAddressing a conference yesterday entitled “Turkey Within the European Union Negotiating Process” at Dogus University, Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Co-Chair Joost Lagendijk said that since Turkey’s premier had stated he would solve the Kurdish problem through democratic means, he believes the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) should do the same. Lagendijk said that Turkey was a “special case” for the EU, predicting that its membership would change the Union. “No one cares about the membership of Croatia, but everyone knows where Turkey is,” he said. “Turkey is a big country.” Lagendijk, added, however that Turkey’s progress on minority rights and human rights is as yet insufficient. /Milliyet/[05] CICEK CONDEMNS REMARKS BY EP’S LAGENDIJKThe Cabinet gathered yesterday chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The trial of Orhan Pamuk and the statements of Joost Lagendijk, co- chair of the Turkey-European Union Joint Parliamentary Commission, were discussed during the meeting. Afterwards, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek told a press conference, “We sharply condemn the MEP putting the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the terrorist PKK in the same framework. Turkey is renowned for its hospitality, but we also expect visitors to show respect for Turkey’s values.” Cicek also touched on the Pamuk case, and said that information regarding the case had reached his ministry that morning. “The Justice Ministry is examining the case and if there are errors within the justice system, the system will correct them,” said Cicek, and added, “Democracy requires patience. People who ask the Turkish judiciary to make a decision in one day took over two years to determine whether (terrorist) Fehriye Erdal used an automatic or semiautomatic gun. There are terrorists who haven’t been extradited for four years.” /Star-Aksam/[06] NATO’S DE HOOP SCHEFFER: “THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THE PKK IS A TERRORIST GROUP”North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer yesterday met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Gul told de Hoop Scheffer that NATO’s list of terrorist groups which was issued in 2003 and included the terrorist PKK should be reviewed and reissued. De Hoop Scheffer said that a consensus in the alliance is required to reissue the list. At the meeting, during which cooperation between the NATO and the European Union was discussed, Gul spoke about Turkey’s Cyprus policy and argued that the Greek Cypriots lack a spirit of cooperation. Afterwards, de Hoop Schaffer met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and told a press conference, “There’s no doubt that the PKK is a terrorist organization. All members of NATO support the thesis that the PKK is a terrorist organization. The EU has a list of terrorists, and so does NATO. A list was formed in 2003. We discussed upgrading this list. NATO and its allies have absolutely no doubt that the PKK is a terrorist organization.” De Hoop Scheffer also met with Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul. /Star/[07] TURKEY HAILS OPENING OF AFGHAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLYTurkey yesterday warmly welcomed the opening of the Afghan National Assembly, hailing it as a historic turning point in the political restructuring of Afghanistan. A statement released by the Foreign Ministry added that the assembly would play a key role in strengthening the rule of law and human rights in Afghanistan along with democratization and political stability. /Turkish Daily News/[08] AUSTRIAN FM PLASSNIK: “WE’LL BE SINCERE DURING TURKEY’S EU NEGOTIATIONS”Incoming European Union Term President Austria’s Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said yesterday that her country would be sincere during Ankara’s EU negotiations. “There is no need to doubt this,” she said. Speaking at a press conference to brief reporters on a working plan which Austria and Finland prepared together, Plassnik hailed good relations between Turkey and the EU and added that there was no problem in relations. “There is no need to worry that Austria won’t fulfill its obligations,” she added. Austria assumes the EU presidency on Jan. 1. /Milliyet/[09] CHP LEADER BAYKAL: “WE LACK HEALTHY INFORMATION SHARING WITH THE AKP”President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday received main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. After the meeting, Baykal told a press conference that Turkey is facing important international and domestic developments. Baykal said, “Unfortunately, there’s a lack of healthy information sharing between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the CHP,” and added, “So I expressed my views to the president.” Baykal said, “The independence of the judiciary is our common issue. The public already knows the president’s views on the judiciary’s independence. I conveyed the CHP’s views on judicial independence and on the makeup of the Supreme Court of Judges and Public Prosecutors.” Baykal also touched on the importance of the Cyprus issue and said that he had told the president about recent developments. /Cumhuriyet/[10] AT TUSIAD RECEPTION, BABACAN SAYS TURKEY HAS PLAN TO PAY ITS DEBT TO IMFState Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan yesterday attended a reception given by the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD). Addressing the gathering, Babacan said that Turkey would pay its debt to the International Monetary Fund under a plan prepared by Ankara. “We will implement this plan while paying our debt to the IMF,” said Babacan. Also present at the reception were Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, Energy Minister Hilmi Guler, Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker, Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu and Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu. /Sabah/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[12] LAGENDIJK’S IMBALANCE BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on European Union-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-chairman Joost Lagendijk’s recent remarks. A summary of his column is as follows:“The Turkish public is familiar with European Union-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-chairman Joost Lagendijk. After he observed the trial of Leyla Zana and her colleagues, he made harsh statements. Outside the court, he stepped over the line by comparing the Turkish judiciary and judges to those in Nazi Germany. Lagendijk is known to be at trials in Turkey ‘looking to interfere’ against Turkey. Lagendijk was also in the front row during author Orhan Pamuk’s trial last week. He came to Istanbul to support Pamuk, and while there, he made historic remarks about the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). In sum, Lagendijk said that the Turkish Army loves to fight against the terrorist PKK because this maintains its value. He added that when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan established dialogue with the Kurds, the army started a ‘provocation’ and then the PKK responded to it. This evaluation is an example of huge imbalance, and if the EU- Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commission co-chair is saying such things, it takes on added importance. So Lagendijk considers the terrorism Turkey has faced for 20 years this way and the TSK, which sacrificed thousands of soldiers, this way. According to him, the TSK has been fighting terrorism just ‘for pleasure.’ Lagendijk’s incendiary remarks are also a reflection of being spoiled. This is chutzpah caused by thinking that Turkey is dependent on and bound to the EU. These words aren’t the words of real political character, diplomacy or the responsibility of his post. They remind one of a militant language. We need to ask him, ‘As the commission chairman, are you speaking to the Turkish Republic and its constitutional institutions, or the PKK? Is this how you see the PKK? Do you consider the fight against terrorism as loving and enjoying war? And do you want to continue to be EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commission co-chair with this mentality?’ It’s nothing new that Turkey wants to become an EU member. It has a past of 20 years. In addition, the EU membership that it deserves isn’t a favor. This process gives no country, institution or person the right to insult or denigrate Turkey, its constitutional institutions and values. It would be wrong to interpret the steps taken by Turkey concerning human rights, democratization and the rule of law as if it had accepted the claims on the so-called Armenian genocide or the Greek Cypriot and Kurdish arguments. There’s an atmosphere in which all countries and sectors which have problems with Turkey are considered justified and in which declaring Turkey the culprit is enough to make one an ‘intellectual.’ Being carried away by this is simple and cheap, both in Turkey and abroad.” 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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