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Turkish Press Review, 02-10-09Turkish 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> <map name="FPMap1"> </map> <map name="FPMap1"></map> Press & Information Turkish Press Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning09.10.2002ECEVIT: “AFTER THE ELECTIONS, I MAY STEP DOWN FROM THE DSP LEADERSHIP” IMMIGRATION MEETING HELD AT PRIME MINISTRY EU COMMISSION TO RELEASE PROGRESS REPORT TODAY GUREL: “THE EU PROGRESS REPORT IS UNACCEPTABLE” YILMAZ TO CALL FOR ALL-PARTY UNITY ON EU BID FOREIGN MINISTRY GIVES BRIEFING ON CYPRUS IMF DELEGATION MEETS WITH PRIVATIZATION MINISTER KARAKOYUNLU CILLER: “THE DYP IS THE ONLY PARTY READY TO GOVERN TURKEY” IRAQI TURKMEN REPRESENTATIVE ZIYA: “DIVIDING IRAQ WOULD PLUNGE THE REGION INTO CHAOS” UNAL, DIKMEN RESIGN FROM THEIR PARTIES CONSTITUTIONAL COURT REJECTS MHP APPEAL INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION RISES IN AUGUST FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS… BEYOND THE PROGRESS REPORT BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET) THE BRUSSELS REPORT BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)CONTENTS
[01] ECEVIT: “AFTER THE ELECTIONS, I MAY STEP DOWN FROM THE DSP LEADERSHIP”Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit said yesterday that after next month’s elections he might relinquish the DSP’s helm, but not leave politics altogether. “As I said several weeks ago, I may step down from the DSP’s leadership after November’s elections,” stated Ecevit. “I believe that the remaining deputies of the DSP can steer the party successfully after I step down.” Though leaving the helm, Ecevit added, he might continue to serve the DSP in another capacity. Asked about a possible United States operation against Iraq, Ecevit said that there were no new developments regarding such an operation. /Turkiye/[02] IMMIGRATION MEETING HELD AT PRIME MINISTRYA meeting to discuss a possible wave of immigrant refugees from northern Iraq in case of a military operation in that country was held at the Prime Ministry yesterday. Prime Ministry Undersecretary Fusun Koroglu chaired the gathering, and officials from ministries and institutions related to the topic were in attendance. During the meeting, an action plan detailing measures designed to deal with such an immigration wave was discussed. Some 20,000-250,000 immigrants are expected to flee to Turkey following a possible operation in Iraq. /Turkiye/[03] EU COMMISSION TO RELEASE PROGRESS REPORT TODAYThe European Commission is set to issue today its annual Progress Report, a document laying out how the European Union assesses the progress of its candidate countries in meeting the Union’s accession criteria. According to press leaks of the document, the report will imply in its sections on Turkey that reforms passed this summer by Parliament are insufficient to secure a date for the beginning of accession negotiations. Turkey had hoped to get a date at this December’s EU summit in Copenhagen, where the report is expected to be influential. The report apparently says that the August reforms, while constituting a step in the right direction, fall short of fulfilling the EU political criteria and that further reforms need to be both adopted and implemented to achieve “true democracy.” /Cumhuriyet/[04] GUREL: “THE EU PROGRESS REPORT IS UNACCEPTABLE”Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel told reporters yesterday that the European Commission’s Progress Report on Turkey for this year, due to be released today, was unacceptable, adding that were the commission to release the report in its current form, this would cause a great public backlash in Turkey. He based his remarks on preliminary information on the report, which is said to criticize Turkey. Gurel is expected to make a fuller statement today on the issue. In related news, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal invited a group of ambassadors from EU member countries to the ministry yesterday to tell them of Turkey’s concerns regarding some of the points in the commission’s report. At the meeting, Ziyal called “unfair” the report’s criticism of recent Supreme Election Board (YSK) rulings barring a number of politicians from participating in elections, as similar decisions had been taken in EU members Spain and Austria. Ziyal also pointed out that criticisms regarding the State of Emergency (OHAL) in some eastern Anatolian provinces of Turkey failed to take into consideration that this arrangement is currently being phased out. /Cumhuriyet/[05] YILMAZ TO CALL FOR ALL-PARTY UNITY ON EU BIDDeputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz is scheduled to hold a press conference following today’s much-awaited release of the European Union’s Progress Report on Turkey. Yilmaz is expected to call on all political parties to issue a common declaration pledging that whoever comes to power after next month’s elections would continue to fulfill the EU’s economic and political criteria, and that Turkey would not diverge from its path to the EU. /Hurriyet/[06] FOREIGN MINISTRY GIVES BRIEFING ON CYPRUSForeign Ministry Undersecretary Baki Ilkin yesterday briefed a group of ambassadors from non-European Union member countries in Ankara on the Cyprus issue. Ilkin told them about the recent situation, the Turkish sides’ views and all the proposals and reports presented to date during direct talks between the two sides. In related news, in the leadup to a scheduled meeting in New York between United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot Leader Glafcos Clerides, representatives from 88 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) based in the TRNC yesterday held a press conference in Ankara. Ahmet Akcin, chairman of the Cyprus Confederation of Unions, told the gathering, “We support the process of dialogue to find a settlement to the Cyprus issue, as well as European Union membership for a new partnership government to be established following the talks.” Stressing that the unsolved issues on the island were causing problems and spurring emigration among its Turkish Cypriots, Akcin said, “The EU’s Copenhagen summit in December will determine Cyprus’ destiny.” That summit is set to discuss the membership bid of Southern Cyprus, excluding the TRNC though claiming erroneously to represent the entire island. /Turkiye/[07] IMF DELEGATION MEETS WITH PRIVATIZATION MINISTER KARAKOYUNLUAn International Monetary Fund delegation visiting Ankara as part of its fourth review of the economic program yesterday met with Yilmaz Karakoyunlu, the state minister for privatization, to discuss the latest developments concerning Turkey’s privatization efforts. Briefing the IMF delegation led by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen on current privatization law, Karakoyunlu stated that the procedures for privatization of the Turkish Corporation of Oil Refineries (TUPRAS) were expected to be completed by the end of the year. The IMF delegation also met with State Minister Tunca Toskay and discussed the details of Turkey’s budget plans. The delegation is expected to leave the country tomorrow. /Cumhuriyet/[08] CILLER: “THE DYP IS THE ONLY PARTY READY TO GOVERN TURKEY”Appearing on television yesterday, True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller asserted that her party was the only one ready to govern the nation. Ciller said that the DYP was different from other parties and that it was preparing for what it would do if it comes to power in next month’s elections. She added that her party would solve Turkey’s problems in the areas of education, health and other fields. /Milliyet/[09] IRAQI TURKMEN REPRESENTATIVE ZIYA: “DIVIDING IRAQ WOULD PLUNGE THE REGION INTO CHAOS”Speaking to daily Turkiye yesterday, Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) Turkey representative Mustafa Ziya predicted that should Iraq be divided, the entire Middle Eastern region would be plunged into chaos. The specter of division has often been raised as a possible aftermath to a US military operation there. Commenting on the northern Iraqi regional Kurdish Parliament, which reconvened last week after a hiatus of several years, Ziya remarked that decisions taken there could not stand for all of Iraq since it represented just two opposition groups. Ziya criticized the assembly for treating northern Iraq’s 20% Turkmen population as a “minority.” Turkmen groups have already told Washington of their concern over the plans of some Iraqi opposition groups to establish a federation, Ziya added. /Turkiye/[10] ASPARUK VISITS AFGHANISTANAir Force Commander Gen. Cumhur Asparuk, who is currently paying a visit to Afghanistan, yesterday met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. During their meeting, Asparuk said that the Turkish Army was ready to help in establishing an Afghan national army and training Afghan officials. After the meeting, Asparuk attended the re-opening ceremony of a high school which Turkish soldiers renovated. Turkey currently leads the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. /Turkiye/[11] UNAL, DIKMEN RESIGN FROM THEIR PARTIESNationalist Action Party (MHP) Antalya Deputy Nesrin Unal resigned from her party yesterday. With this resignation, the MHP’s seats in Parliament have fallen to 124, and those of independents rose to 23. In addition, New Turkey Party (YTP) Mugla Deputy Tunay Dikmen yesterday also resigned from the party in favor of returning to his previous affiliation, the Democratic Left Party (DSP). In his statement of resignation, Dikmen apologized to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and the Democratic Left Party (DSP) organization. /Hurriyet/[12] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT REJECTS MHP APPEALThe Constitutional Court announced yesterday that it was rejecting an appeal filed by the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) to annul certain of the European Union harmonization laws passed by Parliament this summer. Deputy Chief Justice Hasim Kilic said that members of the court had discussed the issue and unanimously ruled that the articles weren’t contrary to the Constitution. /Milliyet/[13] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION RISES IN AUGUSTYear-to-year industrial production continued to move up in August, posting a rise of 7.2%, according to State Institute of Statistics (DIE) data released this week. Among major industrial sectors, manufacturing recorded the largest increase at 8.7%, with the electricity, gas, and water industry coming in second at 4.8%. /Cumhuriyet/[14] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[15] BEYOND THE PROGRESS REPORT BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the European Commission’s Progress Report on Turkey due to be released today. A summary of his column is as follows:“The European Commission’s Progress Report has already been extensively leaked to the media. The report praises Turkey’s recent passage and implementation of harmonization laws and reforms, but it also lays out what it sees as deficiencies vis-a-vis our carrying out the Copenhagen criteria. The accuracy of certain items in the report’s ‘negative’ column is debatable, but it’s also clear that altogether it’s an objective document. We should discuss the report as a whole, with both its ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ aspect. However, the report didn’t set a date for Turkey’s EU membership negotiations, leaving this decision to December’s Copenhagen summit. Now we should look beyond the Progress Report, that is, think about measures that can and should be taken from this point onward. The Copenhagen summit will be held in two months, and Turkey has to make good use of this time. Actually half of this period falls under our election campaign session. However, Turkish officials and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should take out the time to wage an intensive campaign so that a positive result can be obtained at the Copenhagen summit. As part of this campaign, it would be in Turkey’s favor if the political party leaders -- particularly Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal -- visit Brussels, Copenhagen and other important EU capitals during this time. In addition, if Turkey takes new steps concerning the issues that the Progress Report puts stress on, by, for example, expanding human rights and freedoms, it will be able to create a positive atmosphere leading up to the summit. Finally, it would be very beneficial for Turkey if certain parties declare their political determination to reach our national EU goal, just as hundreds of NGOs did some months ago. The Progress Report didn’t give a date to Turkey for its EU membership negotiations. Can this be considered a sign that no timetable will emerge from the Copenhagen summit, either? Obviously if the report had included a date, it would have been argued that this would surely influence the summit. But frankly, now this possibility seems to be relatively weak. If a date isn’t given, then there are two possibilities. One of them is the setting of a ‘conditional timetable.’ Under this, the EU would closely follow developments in Turkey for a certain period of time (six months or a year) and if it considers the results satisfactory, it would start negotiations at the end of that period. The second possibility is giving Turkey the status of a ‘special membership,’ instead of full membership. Under this, Turkey wouldn’t be included in the certain EU organs but would be able to develop its political, military and economic relations with the EU in a privileged way. Right now brainstorming is being done on these and similar scenarios, but it’s the leaders who will make the final decision at Copenhagen. As this will be a political decision, certain factors other than those appearing in the Progress Report will play a role. The result of Turkey’s elections is one of the determining factors. Another is developments on the Cyprus issue. Finally the third factor is Turkey’s location and its increasing importance in the international context. In sum, the political decision looming from the Copenhagen Summit depends on events which will unfold over the next two months.” [16] THE BRUSSELS REPORT BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on the European Union’s Progress Report on its candidate countries, the EU’s enlargement policy and Turkey’s status in the report. A summary of his column is as follows:“The EU’s Brussels Progress Report on candidate countries and its enlargement policy will be released today. The report includes, a six-page section discussing Turkey’s achievements in meeting the Copenhagen criteria. However, the report also states that Turkey has not yet been able to implement certain policies. This report will be presented to the EU Summit set to be held in December in Copenhagen. The Brussels report doesn’t offer Turkey an exact date for its accession talks to begin. Yet, this doesn’t mean that such an offer won’t be offered at the Copenhagen summit, either. Thus, those people in Turkey who are dead set against the EU and who are unconcerned for Turkey’s future shouldn’t rejoice over what the report says. I don’t want to hear them parroting the old lines: ‘We told you so! They won’t let us in. They will divide our nation.’ The Brussels report is just a technical report, an explanatory document written by EU bureaucrats. However, the EU is a political organization. It is the most comprehensive civilization project that history has ever witnessed. It is contemporary civilization exemplified. It’s not the technocrats who will decide whether the EU should offer a date for accession talks; the decision is going to be made by the presidents or prime ministers of the 15 EU member countries. This decision will not be technical, but political. The EU will try to weigh and assess Turkey’s potential and its geopolitical importance. Let’s put it plainly: The EU will decide which scenario, taking Turkey in as a member or excluding it, would better serve the EU’s interests. Washington’s attitude will also be pivotal. Will the Bush administration encourage the EU to offer Turkey a date to the same degree as Clinton did in the past? What kind of a stance will the US take on the Cyprus issue? Everything’s going to be much clearer after the Copenhagen summit this December.” 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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