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Turkish Press Review, 05-12-27Turkish 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 morning27.12.2005FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] SEZER VISITS EGYPTPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s two-day official visit to Egypt began yesterday. The president, accompanied by his wife Semra Sezer, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and Presidential Secretary General Kemal Nehrozoglu, visited the ancient Pyramids at Giza in Cairo and then attended a banquet in his honor at the residence of Turkish Ambassador Safak Gokturk. Today, Sezer is expected to meet with his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak and then the two will preside over inter- delegation meetings, which will focus in particular on boosting the current $700 million bilateral trade volume to $2 billion. Within this framework a free trade agreement is planned to be signed following the meetings today. In addition, regional and international issues including Iraq, Syria and Cyprus are expected to dominate the talks. Turkey will seek Egypt’s support to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and for its bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2009-2010. Furthermore, Gul met with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmad Ebul Geyt and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, while Tuzmen held talks with Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid. /Turkiye/[02] SENER: “WE COULD PAY OUR DEBT TO THE IMF, BUT DON’T WANT TO SEVER OUR RELATIONS”Speaking to Reuters yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said yesterday that Turkey could pay its debt to the International Monetary Fund just like Brazil and Argentina, but the government doesn’t want to do this in order not to sever relations with the Fund. “We’re continuing to implement our IMF-supported economic program,” he said. Sener stated that Turkey didn’t need much money according to fiscal balances, adding that the money which the IMF provided Ankara with had short-term maturity. Sener denied the criticisms of certain circles who say that the government is tired of reforms, adding that those who claimed this should advise the government what should be done. He further stated that foreign investors continue to be interested in Turkey’s banking sector and added that their share in the sector was about 13%. Sener further stressed that this year’s growth was projected at 5.2%. /Milliyet/[03] TOP JUDICIAL OFFICIALS MEETThe heads of the Constitutional Court, the High Court of Appeals and the Council of State, Tulay Tugcu, Osman Arslan and Ender Cetinkaya respectively, gathered yesterday in Ankara at a banquet meeting. Chief prosecutors Nuri Ok and Zafer Kantarcioglu were also present at the gathering. Following three hours of talks, Arslan told reporters that they had discussed topics concerning the judiciary and that they would continue to hold similar meetings in the coming days. /Turkiye/[04] FORMER GEN. TOLON: “TURKEY DOESN’T HAVE A KURDISH PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS A KURDISH MOVEMENT”Addressing a conference of the National Security and Strategic Research Association (UGSAD) in Ankara yesterday, former First Army Commander Gen. Hursit Tolon said that Turkey didn’t have a “Kurdish problem,” but that there was a Kurdish movement. Also commenting on the primary and sub- identity arguments, Tolon said that proposing such “artificial concepts” would only serve to help the terrorist PKK. Tolon stated that the relation between the state and the individual was citizenship. /Star/[05] ANKARA CONCERNED ABOUT FRANCE’S “YEAR OF ARMENIA”As France has declared 2006 as the “Year of Armenia,” Turkey is warning that the Armenian diaspora might try to use this as an excuse to make the year into a “genocide display.” France has underlined that it won’t be an “Armenian genocide” year, but a “Year of Armenia,” and stressed that every year a country is chosen during which cultural activities related to that country are held, and so 2006 is Armenia’s turn. But Ankara, worried about what might happen, has conveyed its concerns that the cultural activities to be held throughout the year shouldn’t be made into a “genocide show.” Ankara has underlined that history should be left to politicians and shouldn’t be used for politics. /Aksam/[06] EU HARMONIZATION COMMISSION SEEKS TO EASE CREDIT CARD PAYMENTSParliament’s European Union Harmonization Commission yesterday discussed a bill on the bankcards and credit cards. During the meeting, the commission adopted proposals to ease the payment of credit card debt. Under the commission’s decision, instead of default interest, an interest rate in accordance with inflation would be applied to the debt, which would be divided into installments. The commission further proposed that the total credit limit of all cards of an individual shouldn’t exceed the person’s monthly income. In related news, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener commented on the issue, saying that cancelling the former credit card debt of individuals wouldn’t be possible and added that he hadn’t examined the commission’s proposals in detail yet. /Hurriyet/[07] BAYRAKTAR: “THE MORTGAGE SYSTEM WILL TAKE TIME”Speaking at a seminar in Istanbul yesterday, Erdogan Bayraktar, the head of Turkey’s Public Housing Authority (TOKI), said that the market needed time to adjust itself to the new mortgage financing system. Stressing that poor people would not be able to own houses easily due to higher interest at the beginning of the system, Bayraktar said that a 60-80% drop was expected in construction of illegal houses, so-called “gecekondu.” He added that the authority wasn’t looking to make profits, but rather to pool its resources to benefit all the country’s citizens. /Star/[08] WORLD BANK ISSUES POPULISM WARNINGThe World Bank yesterday issued a “populism warning” to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). A new report prepared by the World Bank said that since unemployment is still a problem, the government might be tempted to take some populist measures in anticipation of elections. The report added that these measures might be meant to create jobs for potential AKP voters. The bank also lamented that the southeastern region has yet to benefit from the nation’s reform process. In the World Bank’s progress report concerning its country support strategy, Turkey is said to be growing faster than expectations, and this growth is spurred by the private sector. The report said that this growth, supported by the productivity of production supply, and low wages compensate for the overvaluation of the Turkish lira. It also criticizes the opposition for not having a serious presence against the ruling party. The recent sales of Turk Telekom, Eregli and Tupras are praised and emphasized by the report as positive signs for privatization. /Aksam/[09] TL RETIRING, YTL TO BE SOLE CURRENCY NEXT YEARThe Central Bank said yesterday that all Turkish lira (TL) banknotes and coins will be withdrawn from circulation at the beginning of the year and that new Turkish lira (YTL) will be the only accepted currency. “With the new year, only the new Turkish lira and new kurus will be used. All payments will be in the new Turkish lira,” said a CB statement. Turkey has suffered from high inflation over the last decade but has improved the economy thanks to policies promoted by the International Monetary Fund, including the removal of six zeros from the currency and circulating a new currency. “Starting on Jan. 1, 2006, old TL banknotes and coins can be converted only at the Central Bank and T.C. Ziraat Bankasi branches for a period of 10 years for banknotes and one year for coins,” noted the bank. The CB said that legal transactions, agreements and all other official documents will be carried out only in YTL. /Turkish Daily News/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[11] COULD TURKEY DO MORE THAN BARZANI? BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the situation in northern Iraq and Turkey’s stance. A summary of his column is as follows:“The northern Iraq and terrorist PKK issue left its mark on 2005, and looks set to do so in 2006 as well. Ankara’s stance was based on the thesis that the PKK issue and the Kurds’ problems should be separated from each other. But Ankara has changed its stance on Iraq and northern Iraq in the midst of changing conditions. This change should be based on a sound plan. It was seen that regular policies couldn’t solve the problems in northern Iraq or the southeastern Anatolian region, because only words can’t solve the issue either. Turkey has to shape the foreign political developments and develop a national strategy to solve the problem domestically. Let’s consider the conditions following the invasion of Iraq. The 1991 Gulf War and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 caused negative results for Turkey as follows: the PKK settled in this region, gained strength and obtained weapons, military equipment and ammunition. Following the invasion, the parameters which changed in the region’s conditions, compared to before 2003, can be summarized as follows: First of all, the stance and support of the countries in the region for the PKK has changed: 1. Greece, which was caught red-handed during the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, had to withdraw. 2. As a result of Turkey’s policy of pressure supported by military force, Syria had to expel Ocalan, faced the US threat, and gave the message of ‘let’s forget the PKK’ to Ankara. 3. Iran drew closer to Turkey under the threat of the US and Israel and developed concrete suggestions of support against the PKK. The region’s support for the PKK seems to have disappeared, compared to the situation in the past. As for foreign support, conditions seem to favor Turkey. The problem is stuck in the northern Iraq-southeastern geography. So, Turkey can develop a strategy to weaken the sources of problems. Considering the northern Iraq-southeastern axis, it’s seen that Massoud Barzani is trying to send young people to the mountains. Turkey should try to remove the instruments used by Barzani and the PKK. Barzani provides scholarships to young people who couldn’t get into university. Obviously, Barzani is doing this as an investment. Meanwhile, the PKK is drawing unemployed young people to its side by providing them with social status under the name of ‘guerilla’ or ‘warrior of freedom.’ Our Kurdish citizens could take concrete and sincere steps to prove that their future isn’t in separation, but in unification, and that their place isn’t in Iraq, but in Turkey. I think Turkey can do more than Barzani.” 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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