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Turkish Press Review, 06-05-04
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
04.05.2006
ERDOGAN VISITS SALONIKA TO
ATTEND EUROPEAN LEADERS’ SUMMIT
ERDOGAN ADDRESSES PARTY
CONGRESSES IN ADIYAMAN, SANLIURFA
GUL: “THERE IS NO SLOWDOWN IN
TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP EFFORTS”
SENER: “TURKEY CAN PAY OFF ITS
DEBT TO THE IMF”
BAYKAL ADDRESSES SYMPOSIUM AT
HACETTEPE UNIVERSITY
US STATE DEPT CALLS FOR TURKEY
TO RESPECT IRAQ’S SOVEREIGNTY
LAGENDIJK CRITICIZES HANDLING
OF SEMDINLI INCIDENT
EU COMMISSION URGES MODERATION
ON ANTI-TERROR BILL
FM SPOKESMAN TAN: “OCALAN HAD A
GREEK CYPRIOT PASSPORT WHEN HE WAS CAUGHT”
BAHRAIN COULD OPEN AN OFFICE IN
THE TRNC
TERRORIST ATTACK INJURES 21
PEOPLE
HISARCIKLIOGLU: “THE BUSINESS
WORLD ISN’T EXPECTING EARLY ELECTIONS”
APRIL INFLATION FIGURES
RELEASED
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
BAGHDAD IS CONVINCED
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN VISITS SALONIKA TO ATTEND
EUROPEAN LEADERS’ SUMMIT
[02] ERDOGAN ADDRESSES PARTY CONGRESSES
IN ADIYAMAN, SANLIURFA
[03] GUL: “THERE IS NO SLOWDOWN IN
TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP EFFORTS”
[04] SENER: “TURKEY CAN PAY OFF ITS DEBT
TO THE IMF”
[05] BAYKAL ADDRESSES SYMPOSIUM AT
HACETTEPE UNIVERSITY
[06] US STATE DEPT CALLS FOR TURKEY TO
RESPECT IRAQ’S SOVEREIGNTY
[07] LAGENDIJK CRITICIZES HANDLING OF
SEMDINLI INCIDENT
[08] EU COMMISSION URGES MODERATION ON
ANTI-TERROR BILL
[09] FM SPOKESMAN TAN: “OCALAN HAD A
GREEK CYPRIOT PASSPORT WHEN HE WAS CAUGHT”
[10] BAHRAIN COULD OPEN AN OFFICE IN THE
TRNC
[11] TERRORIST ATTACK INJURES 21 PEOPLE
[12] HISARCIKLIOGLU: “THE BUSINESS
WORLD ISN’T EXPECTING EARLY ELECTIONS”
[13] APRIL INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[15] BAGHDAD IS CONVINCED
BY
FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN VISITS SALONIKA TO ATTEND
EUROPEAN LEADERS’ SUMMIT
Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied by
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim
yesterday arrived in Salonika, Greece to attend
a summit of the Southeastern Europe Cooperation
Process (SECP) Heads of States and Governments.
As part of the gathering, Erdogan is expected to
meet with his Greek and Macedonian counterparts.
Furthermore, Erdogan plans to visit the village
where founder of the Republic of Turkey Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk was born. In related news, Erdogan
selected National Football Team coach Fatih
Terim to accompany him during a football game
next Thursday in Vienna. /Hurriyet/
[02] ERDOGAN ADDRESSES PARTY CONGRESSES
IN ADIYAMAN, SANLIURFA
Speaking at his party’s local
congresses in Adiyaman and Sanliurfa yesterday,
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan touted the
work of his government. Touching on economic
developments, Erdogan stated that the Turkish
economy was the world’s 17th largest economy.
“Our economy will be among 10 largest by 2012,”
he said. Stressing that when his party came to
power Turkey had been saddled with a great debt
burden, Erdogan said that this debt was due to
previous governments. “Now our government is
paying off this debt,” added Erdogan. In related
news, Erdogan is due to visit Diyarbakir this
weekend to attend his party congress there.
/Star/
[03] GUL: “THERE IS NO SLOWDOWN IN
TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP EFFORTS”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
said yesterday that Turkey desired an urgent
settlement to the Cyprus issue. He stressed that
no resolution can be obtained through efforts
made by Turkey alone but the efforts of the
Greek Cypriots are also needed. Speaking at the
Turkey-European Union Joint Parliamentary
Commission’s 56th meeting in Ankara, the foreign
minister stated that the Cyprus issue had harmed
Turkey’s EU membership bid. He added that Turkey
had completed the screening process for 17
chapters, and expected to move on the chapters
on science and research and education and
culture during Austria’s term presidency, which
ends on June 30. Dismissing allegations that
Ankara had slowed down its road to EU
membership, Gul said that intense efforts were
continuing decisively. Exchanging views with
foreign parliamentarians, Gul also said that
Turkey defended Iraq’s territorial integrity,
adding that no concessions would be made in the
fight against terrorism. /Turkiye/
[04] SENER: “TURKEY CAN PAY OFF ITS DEBT
TO THE IMF”
Speaking at a Small- and
Medium-Sized Industry Development Organization
(KOSGEB) meeting yesterday, Deputy Prime
Minister Abdullatif Sener said that though
Turkey needed International Monetary Fund
assistance in the past, it can pay its debt to
the Fund stemming from this aid. “With $60
million in reserves, Turkey can pay off its
debt,” said Sener. He added that after
attracting just $10 billion in foreign direct
investment (FDI) over the last 20 years, last
year alone Turkey brought in $10 billion. “This
is the result of confidence and stability,”
added Sener. /Aksam/
[05] BAYKAL ADDRESSES SYMPOSIUM AT
HACETTEPE UNIVERSITY
Speaking at a symposium
yesterday at Hacettepe University entitled “The
Middle East and Turkey After the March 1, 2003
Resolution,” main opposition Republican People’s
Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that if an
ethnic division arises in the Middle East
besides the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, this
would create serious problems in the region.
Evaluating the recent situation in Iraq, Baykal
said, “Oil from vulnerable regimes is financing
international terrorism.” Baykal stressed that
his party opposed the defeated March 1
resolution – under which US troops could have
used Turkish soil for their imminent Iraq
invasion – so as to prevent Ankara accepting a
demand which wasn’t legal. /Star/
[06] US STATE DEPT CALLS FOR TURKEY TO
RESPECT IRAQ’S SOVEREIGNTY
Commenting Tuesday on recent
military developments along the Turkish-Iraqi
border, US State Department spokesman Sean
McCormack called for Ankara to respect Iraq’s
sovereignty and act in accordance with the Iraqi
government. Speaking to reporters in Washington,
MacCormack stated that the US administration was
in contact with Turkish officials about
following the terrorist PKK members within Iraq.
Stressing that the PKK was a terrorist group
which has taken many innocent lives, McCormack
said that “going after safe havens for the PKK”
was very important for Ankara. "[This] is a
topic that Secretary Rice spoke with the
leadership of the Turkish government about on
her recent trip, and that we are hopeful that in
the wake of the formation of an Iraqi government
that we can reactivate in a trilateral mechanism
that we have with the Turkish government, the
US, and the Iraqi government to work on the
issue of how to go after these terrorist
elements," added McCormack. /Star/
[07] LAGENDIJK CRITICIZES HANDLING OF
SEMDINLI INCIDENT
European Union-Turkey Joint
Parliamentary Commission Co-Chair Joost
Lagendijk yesterday criticized the punishment
given to Van Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya, who
lost his position over his preparation of the
controversial Semdinli indictment, and said,
“The message given through this decision was
that if you touch the issue, you will be
punished.” A group of MEPs led by Lagendijk, in
Ankara yesterday for the commission meeting, met
with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. During the
meeting, southeastern Anatolia was the main
topic. Underlining the importance of the
European Union keeping its promises to Turkish
Cypriots, Lagendijk urged Turkey also to open
its ports and harbors to the Greek Cypriots. He
also warned all concerned sides in the Cyprus
issue to be cautious. “There needs to be
political will. If there isn’t, a new crisis
might emerge on the divided island,” he said.
Lagendijk also met with Parliament Speaker
Bulent Arinc and main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal.
/Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/
[08] EU COMMISSION URGES MODERATION ON
ANTI-TERROR BILL
The European Union Commission
yesterday called on Turkey to be “moderate” with
its new anti-terror bill. European Union
Enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn’s
spokesperson Krisztina Nagy said that the
commission understood Turkey but that it was
necessary to strike a good balance between
security and fundamental rights and freedoms.
Nagy pointed to some articles of the bill which
could damage fundamental rights and freedoms and
said that the bill should be in line with the
spirit of reforms. Nagy said that she believed
that Turkey would take necessary steps to
protect fundamental freedoms while fighting
terrorism. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] FM SPOKESMAN TAN: “OCALAN HAD A
GREEK CYPRIOT PASSPORT WHEN HE WAS CAUGHT”
Turkey reacted strongly
yesterday to Greek Cypriot leader Tassos
Papadopoulos’ remarks claiming, “Recognition of
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
would be an example for the Kurds in Turkey.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan said,
“These statements show Papadopoulos’ disconnect
from reality and the search for a solution.”
During his weekly press conference, Tan said
that it was well known that in the past the
Greek Cypriot administration received terrorist
PKK elements with open arms, adding, “We
shouldn’t forget that Abdullah Ocalan, the
leader of the terrorists, had a Greek Cypriot
passport when he was caught in 1999.”
/Cumhuriyet/
[10] BAHRAIN COULD OPEN AN OFFICE IN THE
TRNC
Bahraini Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin
Isa Al Khalifa will come to Turkey as the
official guest of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
Visiting Ankara this week, Bahraini Foreign
Minister Sheik Khalid bin Ahmad al-Khalifa told
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that they
will open an embassy in the capital. He also
said that they were exploring investment
opportunities in Turkey. Al Khalifa added that
they are interested in the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also from the standpoint
of investments, saying, “If possible, we’re
planning to open an office in the TRNC, we’re
looking at possibilities.” /Hurriyet/
[11] TERRORIST ATTACK INJURES 21 PEOPLE
A terrorist attack in the
southeastern province of Hakkari yesterday
wounded 21 people, including 11 children.
Terrorists exploded a mine as a service bus
carrying students, the children of military
officials, passed by. In related news, President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer issued a message condemning
the attack. Terrorism has shown its ugly face
once more by targeting children, said the
president. /Sabah/
[12] HISARCIKLIOGLU: “THE BUSINESS
WORLD ISN’T EXPECTING EARLY ELECTIONS”
Turkish Union of Chambers and
Commodities Exchange (TOOB) Chairman Rifat
Hisarciklioglu said yesterday that businessmen
weren’t expecting early elections. Speaking at a
gathering in Bursa, Hisarciklioglu called on
officials to avoid making provocative statements
which could weaken the economic equilibrium and
stability of the country. He added that the
Turkish business world wanted the government to
ensure that production costs are in line with
the standards of other Organization for
Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. In
order to compete with certain countries, we
should produce at the same cost, added the
chairman. /Turkiye/
[13] APRIL INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
The Turkish Institute of
Statistics (TUIK) yesterday released inflation
figures for April. Last month’s increase in the
consumer price index (CPI) was 1.34%, while the
producer price index (PPI) rose 1.94%, pushing
the yearly CPI to 8.83% and PPI to 4.96%.
/Milliyet/
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE
COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[15] BAGHDAD IS CONVINCED
BY
FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila comments
on Turkish, US and Iraqi relations. A summary of
his column is as follows:
“The
Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) deployment along the
Iraqi border led to criticism from Iraq’s
Kurdish President Jalal Talabani and Kurdish
leader Massoud Barzani. The two leaders made
harsh statements about the possibility of
Turkish soldiers entering northern Iraq.
Talabani tried to strengthen his remarks by
saying that the US agrees with him and doesn’t
welcome a cross-border operation. The reasons
for Baghdad and northern Iraq being panicked by
the TSK’s measures were the thought of Turkish
soldiers’ conducting cross-border operations and
increasing their military forces in northern
Iraq. Then Ankara told Baghdad and Washington
that it has no hidden agenda. Talabani hasn’t
been using the same rhetoric recently. Ankara
seems to have convinced Talabani and Barzani
that it won’t enter northern Iraq. In addition,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that a
consensus was reached with Iraq and problems
were solved. It was emphasized that measures
taken by the TSK on the border were meant to
counter the terrorist PKK. Political and
military officials said frequently that if the
conditions laid out under international law on
the fight against terrorism are met, Turkey
would exercise its rights. Ankara signalled that
these measures are against the PKK and that
soldiers would be there as long as Iraq can’t
protect its borders.
According to the Foreign Ministry, neither Iraq,
nor the US nor another country can object to the
measures taken by Turkey on its borders. As Iraq
can’t protect its borders, there is a security
vacuum in the region. This vacuum makes it
possible for the PKK to enter Turkey
unobtrusively and prepare to move against
Turkey. Turkey is boosting its military presence
on the border and taking measures against the
security vacuum. Talabani seems to have given up
mentioning ‘suspicions’ against this convincing
stance of Turkey. The same stance was seen in US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s recent
remarks as well. Ankara is very sensitive about
the Kirkuk issue. As it was mentioned during
Rice’s visit to Ankara, Barzani’s efforts to
change the demographical balance of Kirkuk have
caused a disturbance. Ankara warned Rice on the
problems over a fait accompli of putting Kirkuk
under the Barzani administration with a
referendum to be held next year. It also seems
that Ankara is glad that Rice talked about
United Nations supervision in the process of
determining the situation of Kirkuk. When all
these issues are evaluated together, we can see
that Turkey is taking measures against a
terrorist attack or political fait accomplish
caused by the security vacuum. This is its
natural right.”
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