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Turkish Press Review, 06-06-07Turkish 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> <style type="text_css"> <!-- .baslik { margin-right:0cm; margin-left:0cm; margin-top:1cm; font-size:12.0pt; color:#000099; text-align: justify; } --> <_style> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning07.06.2006FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] SEZER VISITS ISRAEL, PALESTINEPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer, accompanied by his wife, yesterday began a two-day visit to the Mideast. Sezer is scheduled to meet with his Israeli counterpart Moshe Katsav and Premier Ehud Olmert as well as opposition Likud Party leader Binyamin Netanyahu today. The Turkish president is expected to proceed to Ramallah tomorrow to have talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He will also visit the mausoleum of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. /Aksam/[02] ERDOGAN: “OUR EU GOAL IS NO PASSING FANCY”Speaking about recent political developments yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized their determination to reach the European Union. “Nobody should doubt this,” he said, adding, “Our EU goal is no passing fancy. We are advancing step by step to this target.” Speaking at the Justice and Development Party (AKP) group meeting, Erdogan brushed aside criticisms from the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association’s (TUSIAD) that Turkey’s EU reforms had slowed down and the government was reluctant about the EU, saying, “It’s easy to destroy but hard to build up. A building that’s put up in three years with a great deal of effort can be knocked down in three hours. Nobody should be fooled by how easy it is to demolish something and so see those who do this as powerful. That price won’t be paid by the government but by the nation and Turkey. Everybody should watch what they say.” In related news, Erdogan today will meet with Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok. /Star/[03] TWO SOLDIERS KILLED IN HAKKARIFire by PKK terrorists on a military patrol in the Semdinli town in the province of Hakkari yesterday left two soldiers killed and wounded two others. In related news, two soldiers were also heavily injured due to a mine explosion laid by terrorists in the Pulumur town of Tunceli. /Turkiye/[04] CHP LEADER BAYKAL: “SAYING THERE ARE GANGS MEANS THAT THERE’S NO GOVT”Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday proposed to the government a seven-point action plan to overcome the current political crisis. Speaking at a party group meeting, Baykal said that Turkey was passing through a serious period of dissolution and that gangs had become the normal public order in Turkey. “To say that there are gangs means that there’s no government,” said Baykal and added, “The government’s task is to discover these gangs, not to use them.” He said that the politics in Turkey was passing one of its dirtiest periods, adding, “It’s exactly like the Stalin era, there’s an intense disinformation process ongoing.” Baykal also said that the government could overcome these difficulties by taking courageous decisions. /Cumhuriyet/[05] AGAR: “TURKEY NEEDS EARLY ELECTIONS”Opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday addressed a meeting organized by the Turkish Young Businessmen’s Association (TUGIAD) in Ankara. Criticizing the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s policies, Agar claimed that Turkey had made no progress under three-and-a- half years of AKP rule. Stressing that the government had come to power with hopes of resolving issues, the DYP leader stated that if a country isn’t being ruled properly, then the best thing is to hold elections, adding that there were no alternatives in democracies to elections. /Turkiye/[06] TURKEY, EU START EXPLORATORY TALKS ON TAXATIONOfficials from Turkey and the European Commission started exploratory talks yesterday for the screening of Turkish legislation on taxation, one of the 35 chapters on which Turkey and the European Union will hold accession talks. The meeting in Brussels will end today. The EU acquis in the field of taxation covers the area of indirect taxation, namely value-added tax (VAT) and excise duties. The exploratory session on taxation will be followed by a detailed session scheduled for July 11-12. The screening process will continue with an exploratory session on another EU chapter, consumer and health protection, scheduled for tomorrow and Friday. /Turkish Daily News/[07] TURKEY POSTPONES MILITARY MANEUVERS DUE TO GREEK FM’S VISITTurkey has postponed the “White Storm” military maneuvers set to begin on Saturday in order not to risk raising tensions during Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis’ visit to Istanbul the same day, when she will also meet with her Turkish counterpart. The weeklong Izmir-centered maneuvers planned for June 10-16 in the Aegean Sea have been postponed to a later date. /Hurriyet/[08] CB HEAD CALLS MONETARY POLICY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE INTEREST RATE HIKECentral Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz is due today to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Monetary Policy Council to discuss a possible interest rate increase. The council, which is expected to discuss domestic and foreign economic developments, interest rates, and the exchange rate, could decide to raise interest. The markets also expect such a rise. /Milliyet/[09] TOBB: “HIGH EXCHANGE RATE MAY RESULT IN PRICE INCREASES”Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said yesterday that if the exchange rate continues at this high level, price inflation could be seen in Turkey. Speaking to reporters after a meeting, Hisarciklioglu said that the high exchange rate would have an effect on costs. Asked about the possibility of the Central Bank raising interest rates, Hisarciklioglu stated that the CB was an independent institution and the TOBB supported all independent institutions. “I think that there will be a rate increase,” he added. /Milliyet/[10] VORKINK: “NO CRISIS IS EXPECTED OVER FLUCTUATIONS”World Bank Turkey Director Andrew Vorkink yesterday predicted that fluctuations in the markets could last for a few months, adding that no crisis was expected. Saying that there were uncertainties over inflation, interest, and elections in Turkey, Vorkink stated that the markets didn’t like uncertainties, but it wasn’t reacting much to these fluctuations. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Central Bank decides to raise interest rates,” he said. “Turkey’s economy is sounder than it was in the past. This year inflation could exceed the target of 5%, but a few points of deviation isn’t an important problem.” /Milliyet/[11] IMF’S XAFA: “FLUCTUATIONS IN TURKEY’S MARKETS ARE DUE TO POLITICAL CONFLICTS”Miranda Xafa, a director of the International Monetary Fund, said yesterday that the fluctuations in Turkey’s markets were due to political conflicts. Speaking at a conference in Istanbul organized by the American Companies Association, Xafa said that in order to achieve the 5% inflation target, tight monetary policy should be followed. Saying that inflation expectations had risen a few points according to weekly surveys by the Central Bank, Xafa added that an action plan was needed in order to overcome this perception. Asked about the possibility of revisions in the inflation target, Xafa said that this was not expected. She added that with appropriate policies the recent fluctuations could be turned into an opportunity for the economy. /Milliyet/[12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[13] A NEW EXCITEMENT BY ERDAL SAFAK (SABAH)Columnist Erdal Safak comments on remarks made yesterday by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. A summary of his column is as follows:“Efforts made by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday in order to bolster the European Union membership process show that they understood the seriousness of the political, social and economic damage which might come from the belief that Ankara is reluctant about the EU. Erdogan said that our EU membership process was underway with determination undiminished from its very first day and that nobody should be worried about this. Meanwhile, Gul said that the ninth reform package and reforms for the acquis communautaire would be completed rapidly. He added that it was very important for Turkey to accelerate this process. Gul’s remarks mean that Turkey can’t waste a single day in its EU membership process. Well, but didn’t he say something similar back in April when he announced the ninth reform package? That was nearly two months ago. What initiative or move was started for the EU membership process in that critical period of time? We hope that these remarks made by Erdogan and Gul will lower the tone of criticisms in the declaration, prepared by Brussels for the Turkey-EU Membership Council and Intergovernmental Conference to be held on Monday in Luxembourg, because the 19-page draft declaration is distressing. It starts by saying that reforms have slowed down and continues with expectations about military-civilian relations, the justice system, torture, freedom of expression, Kurdish-language broadcasts, religious freedoms, women’s rights, etc. Of course, it also says that if the Customs Union’s additional protocol isn’t applied and our harbors aren’t opened to Greek Cypriot ships, our membership talks will suffer. While we try to digest these criticisms, the second barrage will start with the EU leaders summit’s final declaration to be made next week in Brussels. This declaration continues with such warnings that we should accelerate and deepen the process of membership, and implement the additional protocol by the end of this year. The document adds that if we don’t do this, doubts about the irreversibility of the harmonization with the Copenhagen criteria and the process of reforms will mount. Let’s say that we are saved from this as well. If a comprehensive wave of reform doesn’t start, it will be hard for us to overcome a barrage of criticisms in this fall’s progress report. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn and his aides are trying to add a positive development from the last year to the report. They aren’t wrong. There were 123 shortcomings in the harmonization with political and economic criteria in last year’s report. We need a new excitement to cover the government and civil society. Otherwise, we’re in trouble. We want to see the guarantee given by Erdogan and Gul yesterday as the first spark of this excitement.” [14] BLACK SEA EXPANSION BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the Black Sea Forum for Dialogue and Partnership. A summary of his column is as follows:“We want to show the world that we’re determined to find a solution for the lack of security in this region, said Romanian President Traian Basescu at this week’s Black Sea Forum for Dialogue and Partnership in Bucharest. According to Basescu, there are many problems in the Black Sea region such as terrorism, lack of security in energy transportation, and political uncertainty. The aim of the conference is to find a solution to these problems. Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova and Georgia also joined the forum at the presidential level, and Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey were represented at the ministerial level. Russia was represented by its ambassador to Bucharest. The UN, NATO, EU and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) also sent some delegates as observers. This forum took place after the suggestion of the Romanian government last year, which was also supported in the West. Even if some issues discussed at the forum seem to be regional issues such as the smuggling of drug and armaments, its geostrategic location, energy resources, and economic importance for energy routes make the Black Sea one of the world’s most sensitive areas. The participation of other countries and international organizations in the forum is a sign of a ‘wider Black Sea.’ Countries involved in Black Sea politics are from the Balkans to the Caucasus. The region is a corridor between Europe and the Near East and even Central Asia and has its own problems. Some of these problems are a potential threat to regional stability and even world peace. One can’t expect to find a solution to these problems at the forum, but this new Black Sea expansion paved the way for a dialogue between participating countries. This conference is also beneficial for Turkey. Turkey actually started another initiative about the Black Sea: The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), formed during late President Turgut Ozal’s presidency in 1992. This organization unfortunately hasn’t been effective in recent years. Ankara somehow couldn’t provide fresh blood to this organization, whose center is in Istanbul. Turkey can reinvigorate this organization and contribute more actively to the regional cooperation and the ‘wider Black Sea’.” 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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