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Turkish Press Review, 06-01-30Turkish 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 morning30.01.2006ERDOGAN: “I DIDN’T SAY THAT I WOULD DECLARE MY ASSETS” GUL: “TURKEY’S NEW ACTION PLAN ON CYPRUS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REACH A CYPRUS RESOLUTION AND IT SHOULDN’T BE MISSED” BAYKAL TO VISIT ATHENS EU SAYS TESTS REVEAL H5N1 STRAIN OF BIRD FLU FOUND IN NORTHERN CYPRUS EU IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON TURKEY ABOUT IRAN IACOVOU: “WE CAN VETO TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP IF NECESSARY” BILL GATES IN ISTANBUL TERM OF OFFICE OF NATO’S SENIOR CIVILIAN REPRESENTATIVE IN AFGANISTAN IS EXTENDED PARLIAMENT FACING SOME CONTOVERSIAL BILLS THIS WEEK TUZMEN: “THIS YEAR WE HOPE TO INCREASE OUR EXPORTS TO $80 BILLON” FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... ANKARA’S SELF-CRITICISM BY SEMIH IDIZ (MILLIYET)CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: “I DIDN’T SAY THAT I WOULD DECLARE MY ASSETS”Speaking at a meeting of his party at the weekend, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on arguments about his assets, stressing that he didn’t say that he would declare his assets this week. “Although I didn’t say this, the newspapers wrote such news,” he added. Erdogan said that the government was aware of its responsibility in the foreign policy, adding that it also carried the responsibility of the history and the civilization it represented. Erdogan said that some circles criticized the government’s stance on the Cyprus issue, but Ankara, with its positive policy, proved that Turkey wanted a resolution on the island. Erdogan stated that with the new action plan, Ankara would be a step ahead of Greek Cyprus. Touching on Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Erdogan said that he wanted AKP deputies to expand their work throughout the country. In related news, opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar said that Erdogan should declare his assets. /Hurriyet/[02] GUL: “TURKEY’S NEW ACTION PLAN ON CYPRUS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REACH A CYPRUS RESOLUTION AND IT SHOULDN’T BE MISSED”Speaking to Greek daily Elefterotipia yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey’s new Cyprus action plan was an important opportunity to reach a resolution on the island, adding that it shouldn’t be missed. Gul stated that with the new action plan, Ankara aimed to strengthen stability and cooperation in the Mediterranean region. “Just and permanent peace on the island, which is acceptable by both sides, can create new fields of cooperation,” said Gul. “We desire to create an atmosphere of confidence and economic development on the island.” Gul added that the current situation of the eastern Mediterranean required cooperation between Turkey, Greece, and between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The foreign minister stated that Ankara was hopeful for a Cyprus resolution within this year, but added that the Greek Cypriots needed to brief the UN on their views about the Annan plan. Gul added that Ankara was ready to open its ports and airports to Greek Cyprus, but expected at the same time that the isolation of the Greek Cypriots would be brought to an end. In related news, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said that he and European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn welcomed Ankara’s new action plan, but added that the proposals in it weren’t accepted yet. “We’ll carefully examine the proposals in the plan,” said Straw. /Turkiye/[03] BAYKAL TO VISIT ATHENSMain opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal will go to Athens today to participate in the Socialist International (SI) meeting to be held on Jan. 30-31. A statement issued by the CHP Headquarters said that Vice-President of SI, Baykal will hold bilateral meetings with the directors of the SI and the leaders of SI member parties. New president of Socialist International will be elected at the meeting. /Cumhuriyet/[04] EU SAYS TESTS REVEAL H5N1 STRAIN OF BIRD FLU FOUND IN NORTHERN CYPRUSThe European Union yesterday said that the H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu on winged animals, was observed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The European Union said that tests conducted in a British laboratory on samples from birds in Northern Cyprus had revealed they had died of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus and that two EU experts would leave for the area to investigate the situation. /Cumhuriyet/[05] EU IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON TURKEY ABOUT IRANIran is aggravating tension with the European Union and the US by not negotiating about its nuclear activities and in the meantime, the EU is putting pressure on Turkey to be clear on its stance about Iran. The EU sources say, “The crisis with Iran is deepening. But Turkey’s statements are same with its statements, which were made five months ago. Turkey has to raise the tone of its statements so that the pressure put on Iran should be successful.” Ankara, which doesn’t want to run counter neither to international community nor to Iran, is having trouble on its Iran policy. Foreign Ministry sources say that Turkey is in favor of diplomatic solution. /Aksam/[06] IACOVOU: “WE CAN VETO TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP IF NECESSARY”Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou said yesterday that Greek Cypriot administration could veto Turkey’s European Union membership if necessary. Speaking to Greek Cypriot daily Simerini, Iacovou criticized British Foreign Minister Jack Straw’s visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and his positive stance about Turkey’s new Cyprus action plan. Iacovou claimed that Straw’s stance created problems between Britain and Greek Cyprus. /Turkiye/[07] BILL GATES IN ISTANBULMicrosoft Corp. Chairman and the world’s wealthiest man, Bill Gates, yesterday arrived in Istanbul where he met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a group of businessmen at a dinner. Gates will introduce the Turkish edition of Microsoft’s Windows XP Starter, a product for computer users at the beginner stage. He will address some 2,500 Turkish students at a ceremony at Turker Inanoglu Maslak Show Center. /Star/[08] TERM OF OFFICE OF NATO’S SENIOR CIVILIAN REPRESENTATIVE IN AFGANISTAN IS EXTENDEDNATO's Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan Hikmet Cetin’s term in office is extended once again by NATO and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Cetin, former Parliament Speaker, is the highest-level political representative of NATO in Afghanistan where it has held the command of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) since August 2003. /Cumhuriyet/[09] PARLIAMENT FACING SOME CONTOVERSIAL BILLS THIS WEEKParliament will have a busy schedule again this week with debates on a bill regulating social security allowances and another one that would allow former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan to serve his sentence at home. The full parliament will work from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. this week and will debate some bills but will not carry out inspections. /The New Anatolian/[10] TUZMEN: “THIS YEAR WE HOPE TO INCREASE OUR EXPORTS TO $80 BILLON”State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said yesterday that Turkey’s total exports, which were $36 billion in 2002, reached about $73.4 billion in 2005 and predicted that exports would continue to further increase this year. “This year we hope to increase our exports to $80 billion,” he said. Tuzmen added that Turkey’s foreign trade volume increased to $190 billion from $87 billion. /Aksam/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[12] ANKARA’S SELF-CRITICISM BY SEMIH IDIZ (MILLIYET)Columnist Semih Idiz comments on the elections held in Iraq in December 2005. A summary of his column is as follows:“Our survey show that Turkey’s current Iraqi policy consists of determinations, wishes and suggestions. However, before writing on this, let’s announce that as soon as the new government is established in Iraq, Ankara will invite Jalal Talabani who is expected to reelect the president. Ambassador Oguz Celikkol, our new Special Representative to Iraq, is also expected to visit Baghdad and northern Iraq to deliver Turkey’s determinations, wishes and suggestions soon. Ankara admitted that new Iraq will be federative and Kurds will participate in this with an autonomous status. In addition, it seems Ankara admitted that the Turkmen aren’t as strong as they seem and their total population doesn’t surpass 1.5 million, as the election results showed. Officials stated that the Turkmen didn’t constitute a homogenous block and that the Iraqi Turkmen front might have harmed the Turkmen by appearing ‘very close’ to Ankara. Ankara also suggested the Turkmen to follow the path of the Movement of Rights and Freedoms Politics of Bulgaria. Shortly, Ankara thinks that these elections showed the picture of the country. At this point, wishes start to operate. Even if it’s federal, Ankara wants that particularly the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs are attached to Baghdad and Iraq maintains its territorial integrity. Ankara said that a government of consensus between Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds with a broad basis was a must. Meanwhile, electing Jalal Talabani the president again should be considered a blessing, because this situation gives responsibility to Kurds to protect the country’s territorial integrity. As for the suggestions, the most serious suggestion made by Ankara to all the parties is about Kirkuk. As National Security Council Secretary General Yigit Alpogan stated in Washington last week, Ankara thinks that a mistake to be made in Kirkuk could destroy the political structure which is tried to be established in Iraq. For this reason, Kurds’ expectations on the issue should be curbed. Concerning the referendum which is planned to be made in 2007 for Kirkuk’s status, Ankara said that the Constitution’s article concerning the issue should be changed or the referendum should be postponed to next elections. Ankara thinks that if it has to be made necessarily, then it should be made not only in Kirkuk, but also throughout the country. These are Turkey’s stance and expectations. Time will show how much of this will be realized.” ARCHIVE The news and articles issued in the Turkish Press Review may be quoted from provided due acknowledgement is made. <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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