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Turkish Press Review, 06-02-21
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
21.02.2006
ERDOGAN TO ATTEND INTL CREDIT
CONFERENCE IN MONTE CARLO
AUSTRIAN FM: “TURKEY’S TALKS
COULD BEGIN BEFORE JULY, UNDER OUR EU
PRESIDENCY”
CICEK: “ANKARA WILL CONTINUE TO
PROMOTE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI PEACE”
MUMCU: “THE GOVT’S UNSUCCESSFUL
MEDIATION WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT”
IFC PREDICTS $11 BLN FOREIGN
INVESTMENTS IN TURKEY
CHP DEPUTY LEADER KOC: “THE
HAMAS VISIT HURT TURKEY’S ABILITY TO VOICE ITS
MESSAGE”
ISRAEL TURNS DOWN BRIEFING ON
HAMAS VISIT
QATAR SUMMIT TO ADDRESS CARTOON
CRISIS
LATVIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
VISITS ANKARA
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
ISRAEL CAN’T CUT TIES
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN TO ATTEND INTL CREDIT
CONFERENCE IN MONTE CARLO
[02] AUSTRIAN FM: “TURKEY’S TALKS COULD
BEGIN BEFORE JULY, UNDER OUR EU PRESIDENCY”
[03] CICEK: “ANKARA WILL CONTINUE TO
PROMOTE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI PEACE”
[04] MUMCU: “THE GOVT’S UNSUCCESSFUL
MEDIATION WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT”
[05] IFC PREDICTS $11 BLN FOREIGN
INVESTMENTS IN TURKEY
[06] CHP DEPUTY LEADER KOC: “THE HAMAS
VISIT HURT TURKEY’S ABILITY TO VOICE ITS
MESSAGE”
[07] ISRAEL TURNS DOWN BRIEFING ON HAMAS
VISIT
[08] QATAR SUMMIT TO ADDRESS CARTOON
CRISIS
[09] LATVIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS
ANKARA
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[11] ISRAEL CAN’T CUT TIES
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN TO ATTEND INTL CREDIT
CONFERENCE IN MONTE CARLO
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan is due to travel to Monte Carlo next
Wednesday to attend the International Credit
Conference. Erdogan is expected to address the
gathering to tell the participants about the
strength of the Turkish economy and investment
opportunities, while inviting leading
international investors to invest in Turkey.
/Hurriyet/
[02] AUSTRIAN FM: “TURKEY’S TALKS COULD
BEGIN BEFORE JULY, UNDER OUR EU PRESIDENCY”
Austrian Foreign Minister
Ursula Plassnik yesterday predicted that the
European Union would end the preliminary
screening and begin Ankara’s official accession
talks before July 1, during Austria’s rotating
EU term presidency. Speaking to news channel
Euronews, Plassnik stated that she believed
there was no obstacle to beginning negotiations
with Turkey during Austria’s term presidency.
Stressing that the EU decision to begin Turkey’s
accession talks last November was
“irreversible,” she added however that the
result of the talks was not yet clear. /Turkiye/
[03] CICEK: “ANKARA WILL CONTINUE TO
PROMOTE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI PEACE”
Speaking after yesterday’s
Cabinet meeting, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek
commented on the recent visit of a Hamas
delegation to Turkey, saying that Turkey would
continue to contribute to efforts to resolve the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Cicek said that
reaching a resolution would end the suffering of
both nations, adding that Ankara would do its
best to boost peace efforts in the region. Cicek
stressed that Turkish officials had told the
Hamas delegation about the expectations of the
international community. “We said that Palestine
and Israel should coexist in the region,” he
said. “We also said that peace negotiations
under the determined roadmap should continue.”
Asked about Israel’s negative reaction to the
visit, Cicek said that after next month’s
Israeli general elections its relations with
Turkey would get back on track. /Turkiye/
[04] MUMCU: “THE GOVT’S UNSUCCESSFUL
MEDIATION WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT”
Criticizing the recent visit of
a Hamas delegation to Ankara, opposition
Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu
yesterday said that during the visit the
government had both failed to please the Hamas
delegation and also lost the confidence of
Israel. “Foreign policy is a serious business,”
he said. “The government’s unsuccessful
mediation role has embarrassed Turkey on the
international stage. It had no right to do
this.” /Aksam/
[05] IFC PREDICTS $11 BLN FOREIGN
INVESTMENTS IN TURKEY
The
International Finance Corporation (IFC), the
International Monetary Fund’s private sector
financing arm, yesterday predicted that this
year Turkey would attract at least $11 billion
in foreign capital. According to an IFC report,
foreign capital flow to Turkey will grow faster
than the European Union average. It also stated
that tax cuts, the privatization process, and
beginning accession talks with the EU had all
made Turkey more attractive. The report further
stressed that Romania would be second to Turkey,
predicting that it would attract $7 billion.
/Milliyet/
[06] CHP DEPUTY LEADER KOC: “THE HAMAS
VISIT HURT TURKEY’S ABILITY TO VOICE ITS
MESSAGE”
Speaking about Hamas political leader Khalid
Mashaal’s recent visit to Turkey, main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
deputy leader Haluk Koç said yesterday, “With
this visit Turkey came to a position where it
can’t make its point on similar groups.”
Addressing a press conference, he added, “Hamas
aims to turn Palestine into an Islamic republic
and govern it according to Islamic law. After
this visit, Turkey came to a point where it
can’t say, ‘This is a terrorist group, this
group has certain troubles finding a diplomatic
solution.’” /Aksam/
[07] ISRAEL TURNS DOWN BRIEFING ON HAMAS
VISIT
Israeli Ambassador to Ankara
Pinhas Avivi yesterday refused the Foreign
Ministry’s invitation for a briefing on last
week’s Hamas visit to Ankara, a briefing
intended to mend strained ties. Bozkurt Aran,
the Foreign Ministry’s Middle East Department
head, telephoned Avivi and asked why he hadn’t
come for the briefing. “We were against this
visit, and we still are,” Avivi replied. “Hamas
still doesn’t recognize Israel and isn’t taking
any constructive steps. They said what they had
to say. I don’t see a reason to come to the
ministry for a briefing.” /Aksam/
[08] QATAR SUMMIT TO ADDRESS CARTOON
CRISIS
Reportedly worried by violence over the recent
cartoon crisis, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
is set to take part in an Alliance of
Civilizations meeting to be held in Qatar.
During the meeting, ways to establish a
constructive dialogue on the basis of mutual
understanding and respect for peoples who have
different beliefs and traditions will be sought.
State Minister Mehmet Aydýn will be present at
the meeting as co-chair. Turkey and Spain
spearheaded the initiative. /Turkiye/
[09] LATVIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS
ANKARA
Latvian Parliament Speaker
Ingrida Urde yesterday came to Ankara as the
guest of her Turkish counterpart Bulent Arinc.
After meeting with Arinc, Urde was received by
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Parliament’s
Latvia Friendship Group head Osman Akman also
met with the visiting delegation at a luncheon.
/Sabah/
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[11] ISRAEL CAN’T CUT TIES
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila comments on Hamas’ visit
to Ankara and Ankara’s expectations. A summary
of his column is as follows:
“Israel is voicing criticisms about last week’s
Hamas visit to Ankara. Israeli Ambassador to
Ankara Pinhas Avivi rejected the Foreign
Ministry’s invitation for a briefing. The
Israeli government stated that it wouldn’t meet
with the Palestinian government to be
established by Hamas. It decided to block
Palestine’s share of customs duties to Palestine
and said that it would tighten the West Bank and
Gaza Strip crossing checkpoints. However,
blocking Palestinian people and workers from
making the crossings entirely wasn’t among the
measures taken. Israel is making harsh
criticisms, unlike the US’ careful criticisms.
According to Foreign Ministry sources, Ankara
had guessed this would happen. It seems that
while accepting Hamas’ request for a visit,
Israel’s likely response was taken into
consideration and efforts were made to soften
it. However, Prime Ministry and Foreign Ministry
analysts think that Israel and the US should
review their ‘speculations’ concerning the
Palestinian elections. They reminded them the US
encouraged the elections in Palestine and Israel
gave permission for Hamas’ participation in the
elections. At this point, analysts expect
answers to these questions: Why did you let
Hamas take part in the elections? Did you think
that it wouldn’t win? Did you say that if Hamas
wins you won’t accept the outcome? Did you
calculate that Hamas’ participation would
contribute to its normalization, rather than
radicalization? Ankara expects the US and Israel
to answer these questions. It considers letting
Hamas run and then making these criticisms a
contradiction.
Ankara, which took a risk by accepting the Hamas
leader, emphasizes at every opportunity that its
only aim was to send the messages shared by the
US and Israel and promote peace. Israel and the
US’ policy is to draw Hamas to the normal basis
of politics, strengthen its commitment to
democracy and pave the way to the negotiating
table. According to analysts, if Hamas maintains
its current stance and terrorist attacks after
establishing the government, it can’t get
Ankara’s support. But they also say that if the
opposite happens, an opportunity will emerge for
peace and that Turkey’s efforts and inspiration
are in this direction as well. They emphasize
that Israel’s considering Turkey to be in the
camp with Iran and Hamas due to this visit would
be a huge mistake. Ankara doesn’t expect Israel
to cut loose from Turkey due to this visit. It
believes that when Israel needs to develop and
strengthen its relations with Turkey, it won’t
want to face difficulties reaching Ankara and
therefore it won’t cut loose. Officials from the
Prime Ministry say that Israel’s reaction was
‘emotional’ in the heat of the incident and that
it would be more rational when the dust clears.”
ARCHIVE
The news and articles issued in the Turkish Press Review
may be quoted from provided due acknowledgement is made.
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