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Turkish Press Review, 06-05-23
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
23.05.2006
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER MEETS WITH RECTORS
[02] ERDOGAN VISITS ALGERIA
[03] GUL: “PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT REQUIRE WOMEN’S RIGHTS”
[04] EUROPEAN PRESS URGES EU TO HELP TURKEY
[05] BELGIAN CHIEF OF STAFF VISITS ANKARA
[06] ECEVIT BROUGHT OUT OF MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA
[07] MGK SECRETARY-GENERAL VISITS RUSSIA
[08] EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S LEIGH: “TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP WILL BOOST THE ECONOMY”
[09] ELECTIONS DEAL ANOTHER BLOW TO CYPRUS PEACE PLANS
[10] IMF URGES ANKARA TO EXERCISE FISCAL RESTRAINT
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
[12] WHAT TO DO BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
[01] SEZER MEETS WITH RECTORS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday received 53 rectors coming from
state universities across the country. Sezer reportedly praised the
rectors’ justified reaction to the recent attack on Council of State judges,
calling on them to continue to own the republic and secularism. In addition,
financial and staff problems of the universities were taken up during their
meeting. /Sabah/
[02] ERDOGAN VISITS ALGERIA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday began an official visit to
Algeria. On the first day of his stay, Erdogan met with Parliament Speaker
Amar Saydani. During their meeting, inter-parliamentary and economic
relations were taken up. In addition, Erdogan asked Saydani to lend support
to Turkey’s just cause on Cyprus. In related news, Energy and Natural
Resources Minister Hilmi Guler, who accompanied the premier, also held a
series of contacts with Algerian officials to develop energy cooperation
between the countries. Erdogan will sign a “Friendship and Cooperation
Agreement” with his Algerian counterpart, a pact expected to offer new
opportunities to Turkish businessmen in Algeria. /Turkiye/
[03] GUL: “PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT REQUIRE WOMEN’S RIGHTS”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that peace and development in
societies are possible only when women enjoy equal rights. Speaking at the
opening of a two-day intergovernmental conference on empowering women in
society organized as part of the Democracy Assistance Dialogue (DAD), Gul
stated that Islam places importance on women and encourages their strong
role in society. The gathering, opened by Gul and State Minister
Responsible for Women and Family Nimet Cubukcu, hosted representatives from
21 countries and G-8 members, as well as officials from European Union Term
President Austria. /Turkiye/
[04] EUROPEAN PRESS URGES EU TO HELP TURKEY
Two leading British newspapers, The Financial Times and The Guardian,
yesterday cited the attack on Turkish senior judges of the Council of State
last week in urging the European Union to lend a helping hand to Turkey.
Highlighting the growing rift between the government and the secular
establishment of the country, the editorial in the Financial Times stated
that EU‘s distance from Turkey was exacerbating the situation. It added
that the EU should avoid giving the impression it will keep raising
barriers to Turkish entry, saying, “However long it takes, Europe needs to
embrace Turkey.” /Sabah/
[05] BELGIAN CHIEF OF STAFF VISITS ANKARA
Belgian Chief of General Staff Gen. August Van Daele yesterday arrived in
Ankara to pay an official visit to Turkey. As part of his contacts, Daele
met with his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hilmi Ozkok. The top Belgian
commander is expected to leave Turkey on Friday. /Milliyet/
[06] ECEVIT BROUGHT OUT OF MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA
Doctors yesterday began bringing former Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit out of
a medically induced coma and were planning a neurological exam to determine
the extent of damage he suffered from a stroke. Ecevit, 81, was
hospitalized after suffering a stroke on Thursday, and doctors were trying
to prevent swelling in his brain. Meanwhile, his supporters and Democratic
Left Party (DSP) members have surrounded the hospital where he is currently
being treated, awaiting any news. /Turkish Daily News/
[07] MGK SECRETARY-GENERAL VISITS RUSSIA
National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Yigit Alpogan, who is
currently in Moscow, yesterday met with Russian Defense Minister Igor
Ivanov. Alpogan’s closed-door meeting with Ivanov lasted for five-and-a-
half hours. During their talks, relations between the two countries were
discussed as well as regional and international issues concerning both
countries. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S LEIGH: “TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP WILL BOOST THE
ECONOMY”
Michael Leigh, director general in charge of enlargement of the European
Commission, yesterday said that positive developments in the economy were
expected with Turkey’s entering the European Union. Leigh made the remarks
in a speech in Istanbul at a conference entitled “Enlargement and Turkish-
EU Relations in the Context of Cyprus” co-sponsored by the Turkish
Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) and Bogazici
University’s Foreign Policy Forum. Leigh underlined that, compared to three
or four years ago, Turkish-EU relations are much better. “The negotiation
process has begun and the screening process continues,” he said. /Aksam/
[09] ELECTIONS DEAL ANOTHER BLOW TO CYPRUS PEACE PLANS
Greek Cypriot voters threw their weight behind parties in administration
leader Tassos Papadopoulos’ governing coalition in a parliamentary election
on Sunday, a likely endorsement of the leader’s rejection of a United
Nations peace and reunification plan for the island. The ballot also
strengthened the hand of the administration, which has threatened to block
Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union since Ankara refuses to open
its ports and harbors to use by Greek Cypriots unless the isolation of the
Turkish Cypriots is ended. In related news, Papadopoulos’ elections victory
made UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s taking steps on Ankara’s new action
plan difficult. After this process, Ankara is reportedly expected to make a
call on Annan to assume the initiative. At this juncture, Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul reportedly wanted to meet with Annan in the US, but he cannot
make this trip for now due to his ear illness. /The New Anatolian-
Cumhuriyet/
[10] IMF URGES ANKARA TO EXERCISE FISCAL RESTRAINT
The International Monetary Fund has completed its third and fourth reviews
of the Turkish economy in Ankara. In a news conference, IMF Turkey desk
chief Lorenzo Giorgianni urged the Turkish government to be cautious on
monetary policy and said additional government revenues should be saved in
order not to stimulate domestic demand. Also speaking to reporters, State
Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said that Turkey’s current account
deficit would be higher than the official target. He added that the IMF
Executive Board would release nearly a $1.9 billion loan tranche to Turkey
in July. /Milliyet/
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS
[12] WHAT TO DO BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
Columnist Derya Sazak comments on last week’s attack on the Council of
State. A summary of his column is as follows:
“The attacks on the Council of State have demoralized the community. The
question of what to do is on everybody’s mind. In this respect we could
also consider the words of Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok: ‘The
reaction against the attacks and the common sense of the people should be
appreciated… However, this shouldn’t remain a reaction to only this
incident lasting only a day. The reactions should be permanent and be shown
by everybody.’ At the price of attracting much criticism, Ozkok has shown
leadership displaying the devotion of EU candidate Turkey’s military to
democracy. His attitude towards the government has caused many
speculations. It is said that Ozkok is thinking of being the next
president. Gen. Ozkok has explained that he has no expectation after his
post ends this August. Until last November’s incidents in Semdinli, he
steered clear of actions that would have influenced politics. Facing claims
about Land Forces Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, Ozkok tried to ease the
tension by talking to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan.
Ozkok said that the attack was against the secular democratic republic.
Then Erdogan drew links between Ozkok’s words and the demonstrations at
Kocatepe Mosque against Cabinet ministers, criticizing his remarks as not
appropriate. Is it right to get into a controversy with the only chief of
staff who gave the most support to the government? Ozkok is calling on
society to claim the future of the country. He’s trying to wean the people
from an overdependence on the military.
If the attack is the work of groups who want to cause a fight between
secularists and Islamists, then they should be found. The answer to the
question of what to do lies in unifying the left.”
ARCHIVE
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