Browse through our Interesting Nodes of Greek Associations & Organizations Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Thursday, 28 March 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Turkish Press Review, 04-06-29

Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: 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> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning

29.06.2004

FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...

CONTENTS

  • [01] NATO PLEDGES TO SUPPORT NEW IRAQI GOVERNMENT
  • [02] SCHEFFER: “OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, NATO HAS GROWN MORE DECISIVE”
  • [03] NATO SEEKS DIALOGUE WITH GULF AND MIDEAST COUNTRIES
  • [04] SEZER MEETS WITH CHIRAC, DISCUSSES TURKEY’S EU BID
  • [05] GUL HOLDS BILATERAL MEETINGS WITH WORLD LEADERS
  • [06] NATO LEADERS LEND SUPPORT TO TURKEY’S EU BID
  • [07] BUSH: “TURKEY IS A SOLID DEMOCRACY AND A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR THE BROADER MIDEAST REGION”
  • [08] SPANISH, ITALIAN PREMIERS EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
  • [09] ERDOGAN: “IT’S A GREAT HONOR FOR TURKEY TO HOST THE NATO SUMMIT”
  • [10] SEMRA SEZER HOSTS LEADERS’ WIVES
  • [11] ISTANBUL WEATHERS ANTI-NATO PROTESTS
  • [12] NEW IRAQI PM ALLAWI: “THE PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION”
  • [13] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
  • [14] NATO’S COURSE IN IRAQ BY NURAY BASARAN (AKSAM)

  • [01] NATO PLEDGES TO SUPPORT NEW IRAQI GOVERNMENT

    During the first day of Istanbul’s historic NATO summit, the leaders of 26 NATO member states issued a declaration pledging to fully support the new Iraqi government, which assumed sovereignty yesterday two days early. The declaration said that the alliance offers cooperation to the Iraqi government to establish peace, stability and democracy in the country. Condemning the terrorist attacks in Iraq, the declaration warned that such actions also threaten the security of the entire region. The leaders also offered to train Iraqi security forces. In addition, the alliance decided to increase NATO’s role in Afghanistan, boosting its troops there from 6, 500 to 10,000, and to withdraw its forces from Bosnia, handing over its command of that mission to the European Union. The declaration also welcomed the seven new NATO members who joined the alliance earlier this year. /Turkiye/

    [02] SCHEFFER: “OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, NATO HAS GROWN MORE DECISIVE”

    NATO Secretary-General Jaap da Hoop Scheffer said yesterday that NATO had changed and become more decisive over the last 18 months. In his opening address to the two-day NATO summit in Istanbul, Scheffer pointed out that the summit was the first since NATO’s recent enlargement with seven new members. "The logo of our Istanbul summit depicts a bridge, and this is no coincidence," added the alliance leader. "Through the centuries, Istanbul has been a real bridge – not just between continents, but also between cultures, religions and civilizations." /Hurriyet/

    [03] NATO SEEKS DIALOGUE WITH GULF AND MIDEAST COUNTRIES

    At Istanbul’s NATO summit yesterday, leaders of the member states decided to expand the alliance’s reach beyond Europe by giving a green light to the Greater Middle East Initiative. NATO began its dialogue with Mediterranean states in 1994, and now is offering cooperation to Persian Gulf and Middle Eastern countries through the “Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.” The project will be formulated in line with feedback from the countries in question. The alliance proposes cooperation with these countries in the areas of defense, anti-terrorist efforts and the military. In addition, another decision was made for NATO to establish permanent representative offices in Asia, the Middle East and the Caucasus. /Turkiye/

    [04] SEZER MEETS WITH CHIRAC, DISCUSSES TURKEY’S EU BID

    President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday discussed Turkey’s European Union membership bid with French President Jacques Chirac, who is currently in Istanbul to attend the current NATO summit. During their meeting, Sezer reportedly said that he expected France, one of the EU’s leading states, to support Turkey’s EU membership bid. Sezer reportedly stressed that Turkey had fulfilled the Union’s Copenhagen criteria and should be given the same treatment as other candidates who did so in the past. He also stated that he hoped the European Commission’s fall report on Turkey would be positive, adding that the Union should give a date to Turkey at the December EU summit to begin its accession talks. For his part, Chirac expressed his country’s support for Turkey’s EU bid, and called Ankara’s membership bid an “irreversible process.” “The Union has a 40-year commitment, and this commitment concerns a vision related with the future of Europe,” he said, adding that Ankara had a “historic European vocation.” Chirac said that Turkey beginning its accession talks with the Union depended on the European Commission report. During their meeting, Sezer also sought French support to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Touching on Iraq, Chirac said that he welcomed the US-led coalition’s handing over power to the new government yesterday in Baghdad. /Aksam/

    [05] GUL HOLDS BILATERAL MEETINGS WITH WORLD LEADERS

    Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday held bilateral meetings with several leaders attending the current NATO summit in Istanbul. In talks with his British counterpart, Gul urged Jack Straw to lend support to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Gul also called on Britain to begin direct flight to the TRNC soon. For his part, Straw said that both the European Union and Britain had been working seriously on the matter. Furthermore, the Turkish foreign minister also met with his Macedonian, Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts. /Cumhuriyet/

    [06] NATO LEADERS LEND SUPPORT TO TURKEY’S EU BID

    The leaders of countries belonging to both NATO and the European Union yesterday signaled their support for Turkey’s EU membership bid. Speaking at a “Youth Summit” in Istanbul held before the NATO gathering there, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said that Ankara had been implementing the EU criteria as preconditions to begin its membership negotiations, adding that the Union should keep its word. Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis asserted that Ankara’s rapprochement with Europe would serve to benefit the EU and Turkey as well as its neighbors. In addition, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi reiterated his support for Turkey’s membership, saying, “I think there's a good possibility that Turkey's entry negotiations with the Union will start in the first few months of 2005.'' Furthermore, addressing the same gathering, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointed to the key role of youth and their importance in bridging different cultures. /Turkiye/

    [07] BUSH: “TURKEY IS A SOLID DEMOCRACY AND A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR THE BROADER MIDEAST REGION”

    Speaking at a joint conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday, US President George W. Bush yesterday said he welcomed the US- led coalition’s surprise power handover to the new government in Baghdad two days earlier than planned. He further hailed the “amazing progress” the world had seen in the nearly three years since the September 11 terrorist attacks and said of Turkey, "You know, Turkey is solid. There's a solid democracy here in the broader Middle East, which is a great example." For his part, Blair said that fighting for Iraq meant fighting against terrorism, adding that NATO’s support towards this goal was important. /Hurriyet/

    [08] SPANISH, ITALIAN PREMIERS EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with his Spanish counterpart Jose Luis Rodrigues Zapatero to discuss Turkey’s European Union membership bid. During their meeting, Zapatero expressed support for Turkey to begin its accession talks with the EU. “You can be sure that we’ll support your beginning your accession talks,” he said, adding that he believed the European Commission’s fall report on Turkey would be positive. “All of us can see Turkey’s progress.” Zapatero further stressed that Turkey was an important country for Spain and especially praised cooperation between the two countries in the field of aviation, adding that this should be built on. Later, Erdogan met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. During their meeting, Berlusconi reiterated Italy’s support for Ankara’s membership bid, adding that he too expected the EC report on Turkey to be positive. The two leaders also discussed Iraq, Afghanistan, and the fight against terrorism. /Milliyet/

    [09] ERDOGAN: “IT’S A GREAT HONOR FOR TURKEY TO HOST THE NATO SUMMIT”

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday hosted a banquet at historic Topkapi Palace for the leaders of NATO member states in Istanbul to attend the two-day NATO summit. Addressing the gathering, Erdogan said that it was a great honor for Turkey to host the historic summit. Erdogan stressed that the summit was very important for him since it was his first at Turkey’s helm. The premier further praised NATO’s recent enlargement with seven new members. Also addressing the gathering, NATO Secretary-General Jaap da Hoop Scheffer said that Istanbul was the most fitting revue for the summit and added that he appreciated Turkey’s hospitality. /Aksam/

    [10] SEMRA SEZER HOSTS LEADERS’ WIVES

    Semra Sezer, the wife of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, yesterday hosted the wives of leaders attending the NATO summit in Istanbul, including Laura Bush and Cherie Blair, the wives of the US president and British premier, respectively. Following a tea party at Ciragan Palace, Mrs. Sezer treated her guests to a tour of Istanbul’s historical and picturesque sites. Then they attended a fashion show spotlighting the work of designer Cemil Ipekci. /Sabah/

    [11] ISTANBUL WEATHERS ANTI-NATO PROTESTS

    While the two-day NATO summit continues, yesterday anti-NATO demonstrations were held outside the summit venue in Istanbul. During clashes with security forces, a number of policemen and demonstrators were injured. In addition, a group of Greenpeace activists unfurled a banner from a bridge over the Bosphorus strait. /Cumhuriyet/

    [12] NEW IRAQI PM ALLAWI: “THE PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION”

    Paul Bremer, the top US civilian administrator in Iraq, yesterday relinquished his post and handed over all documents concerning sovereignty and authority to new Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. The handover was previously set for this Wednesday, June 30, but due to security concerns it was moved up two days. Addressing the handover ceremony, Bremer called it an historic day and that in the name of the coalition forces, he was happy to turn the sovereignty of the state to Iraq’s own people. In addition, after assuming the government’s reins, Allawi stated that he had included the illegal terrorist group PKK_Kongra-Gel on the country’s official terrorist list. Commenting on the news, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul hailed the development and expressed his pleasure at the Iraqi people taking their future into their own hands. /Star/

    [13] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...

    [14] NATO’S COURSE IN IRAQ BY NURAY BASARAN (AKSAM)

    Columnist Nuray Basaran comments on the current NATO summit in Istanbul and the Iraq issue. A summary of her column is as follows:

    “The interim government set to take over Iraq on June 30 came early; it took power yesterday unexpectedly for security reasons. I hope this decision will benefit Iraq. Yesterday the NATO summit also started in Istanbul. So there is both the power handover in Iraq and a change of opinion in NATO concerning Iraq. This way a new process has started for NATO and the US, which are both looking for concrete steps concerning the Iraq issue. With the invitation and request of new Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, NATO’s course in Iraq and the office’s new mission were determined on the first day of the summit. Of course the ground covered by the Iraqi people on their government and the coalition transferring administration to Iraqis are both very important. However, there’s also the difficult side of the story, that is, solving the thousands of problems facing Iraq, including ensuring stability and security.

    The transfer of sovereignty ceremony was carried out yesterday with the presentation of official documents by Paul Bremer, now the ex-US civilian administrator in Iraq, to Allawi. ‘Today is a historic and joyous day long awaited by the Iraqi people,’ said Allawi. ‘We think we can handle security.’ Even if the Iraqi government has full sovereignty now, there are still certain restrictions. It won’t be able to make long-term political decisions and will have no control of foreign military forces in the country. Important diplomatic messages were given when word of the transfer reached the NATO summit. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari stated that the Iraqi government considered the PKK a terrorist organization, something both intriguing and important. There are so many things to do to make Iraq stable again. Neither the Iraqi administration, nor the US nor NATO can do this alone. Everybody will have to cooperate, and countries in the region should help out. I wish there were more countries within the alliance.”

    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
    Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    trkpr2html v1.02a run on Tuesday, 29 June 2004 - 9:51:07 UTC