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Turkish Press Review, 02-03-04

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> <map name="FPMap1"> <_map> Press &amp; Information Turkish Press Turkish Press Review &gt;&gt; Foreign Press Guide Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning

04.03.2002


CONTENTS

  • [01] PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE ECONOMIC BILLS
  • [02] CAKMAKOGLU GOES TO GERMANY FOR NATO-UKRANIAN MEETING
  • [03] TURK: "PENITENCE LAW DOES NOT INCLUDE ABDULLAH OCALAN"
  • [04] TALABANI TO VISIT ANKARA
  • [05] VURAL: "TURKEY SHOULDN'T BE LATE FOR THE EU"
  • [06] FEBRUARY INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
  • [07] TOBB SUMMIT SLATED TO DISCUSS EAST, SOUTHEAST
  • [08] FARMERS TO RECEIVE 35 TRILLION TL IN AID
  • [09] ORAL: "THE TURKISH ECONOMY IS IMPROVING"
  • [10] GERMAN TOUR OPERATOR TUI HOPEFUL ABOUT TURKISH TOURISM
  • [11] WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT PLATFORM MEETING HELD IN MARMARIS
  • [12] TURKISH JEWELERS SEE POTENTIAL IN HUNGARIAN MARKET
  • [13] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS
  • [14] WHAT WILL BE NEXT? BY COSKUN KIRCA (AKSAM)
  • [15] UNDERSTANDING TURKISH-EUROPEAN RELATIONS BY EROL MANISALI (CUMHURIYET)

  • [01] PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE ECONOMIC BILLS

    This week bills on economic matters will be on Parliament's agenda. Legislation to boost employment as well as bills on the estate tax and consumer and earthquake insurance will be debated. Meanwhile, Parliament's Interparty Reconciliation Commission will meet on Tuesday to complete its work on an amendment to Articles 101 and 104 of the Constitution which propose curbing the powers of the president, limiting presidents to one term, and confining their selection to among sitting members of Parliament. /All Papers/

    [02] CAKMAKOGLU GOES TO GERMANY FOR NATO-UKRANIAN MEETING

    Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu flew to Germany yesterday to attend a meeting concerning NATO-Ukranian relations. Before his departure, Cakmakoglu told reporters that Ukraine had good relations with Turkey and that it was a country which contributed to security, peace and stability in the Balkans and Southeastern Europe. He added that he would meet with his German counterpart and discuss Afghanistan as well as defense cooperation with Germany. /Turkiye/

    [03] TURK: "PENITENCE LAW DOES NOT INCLUDE ABDULLAH OCALAN"

    Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said yesterday that Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the terrorist PKK organization, would not benefit from a proposed new penitence law. The law would cover persons who supply information about terrorist organizations, Turk added. /Hurriyet/

    [04] TALABANI TO VISIT ANKARA

    Jalal Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), is scheduled to pay an official visit to Turkey today. Turkish Foreign Ministry officials will convey Turkey's concerns about peace and security in northern Iraq to Talabani. Turkey is especially concerned with the terrorist PKK's recent efforts to reorganize its political wing in the region. Another sensitive issue to be discussed with the PUK leader is certain Kurdish groups' efforts to establish an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. Talabani will be reminded that Turkey would never allow an independent state to be established in the region, even in the wake of a possible US intervention in Iraq. Meanwhile, Talabani is expected to express his opposition to the formation of such a state. /Cumhuriyet/

    [05] VURAL: "TURKEY SHOULDN'T BE LATE FOR THE EU"

    Appearing on state TV channel TRT 1 yesterday, Turkish Secretary-General for EU Affairs Volkan Vural offered his evaluations of recent developments concerning Turkey's bid for EU membership and its relations with the EU. Denouncing the European Parliament's recent approval of a report recognizing a so-called Armenian genocide, Vural said, "Such allegations can never alter historical facts. I don't believe that Turkey's accession period will be adversely affected by this development." Recalling that the EU is due to set a calendar for candidate countries by the end of 2003, Vural remarked that Turkey must do its utmost not to miss the opportunity to join the Union. "Turkey shouldn't be late for the EU," said Vural. "We've accomplished most of our short-term goals. The faster we fulfill the EU criteria, the sooner we can enter the Union." Vural also added that he did not believe the EU was demanding that Turkey make sacrifices for the sake of EU membership, stressing that the EU's demands such as improving its human rights situation should be considered positive developments for Turkey's future. /Cumhuriyet/

    [06] FEBRUARY INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED

    The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released inflation figures for February. The month-on-month inflation rate was announced as 2.6% for the wholesale price index (WPI) and 1.8 % for the consumer price index (CPI). The year-on-year inflation rate was 72.1% and 60.7% for the WPI and CPI, respectively. State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis said in a written statement that the inflation figures were consistent with the government'simplemented economic program, and that they were encouraging. /All Papers/

    [07] TOBB SUMMIT SLATED TO DISCUSS EAST, SOUTHEAST

    Turkish Union of Chambers and Stock Exchanges (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarciklioglu is slated to hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss the problems of the eastern and southeastern Anatolia region with bureaucrats and ministers responsible for that area. /Star/

    [08] FARMERS TO RECEIVE 35 TRILLION TL IN AID

    State Minister Ramazan Mirzaoglu said yesterday that the Agriculture and Village Affairs Ministry would grant agricultural support aid to Turkish farmers amounting to 35 trillion Turkish lira next week. While traveling on state business in Manisa, Mirzaoglu said, "Initially, direct support aid will be made to the earthquake-stricken and disaster regions. Secondly, it will be given to other provinces such as Manisa." /Aksam/

    [09] ORAL: "THE TURKISH ECONOMY IS IMPROVING"

    Finance Minister Sumer Oral said yesterday that the Turkish economy was improving. "We don't expect to run into any road blocks this year," Oral added. /Star/

    [10] GERMAN TOUR OPERATOR TUI HOPEFUL ABOUT TURKISH TOURISM

    One of the biggest tour operators in Germany, TUI, believes that although the tourism market will shrink this year, Turkey's share will increase. Stating yesterday that the travel market in Germany had recently seen a contraction of 30%, TUI's Contract Director for Turkey Nurhan Erdem Tanir said, "While the number of tourists visiting Spain and Greece is falling by 30% and Tunisia by 50%, Turkey's loss is coming in at just 15-20%. Recently the number of German tourists travelling to Turkey through TUI has started to climb as compared to last year, and this makes us hopeful." /Aksam/

    [11] WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT PLATFORM MEETING HELD IN MARMARIS

    Scientists, scholars, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and environmentalists from Mediterranean countries gathered recently to discuss environmental problems at a meeting of the Western Mediterranean Environment Platform in Marmaris. The attendees stressed that there were certain deficiencies in Turkey's environmental policies and that Turkey had to develop its own environmental philosophy in order to eliminate widespread ignorance of the issues. /Cumhuriyet/

    [12] TURKISH JEWELERS SEE POTENTIAL IN HUNGARIAN MARKET

    At yesterday's wrap-up of Budapest's International Textile and Jewelry Fair, participating jewelers said that they were pleased with the contacts they had made. Stating that Hungary is a very attractive market with its population of 10 million, its central location, and proximity to other countries, Istanbul Chamber of Jewelers Chairman Alaattin Kameroglu said that Turkish jewelers had attracted much attention during the four-day fair. Kameroglu said that his company alone had signed business deals with three Hungarian companies and that he had seen once more that Turkey, in which tons of gold is processed every year, should place more importance on Hungary and its neighboring countries. Saying that the potential of processed gold in Turkey was very high, he added, "The potential for such gold in Hungary and its neighbors is very high as well. This can create ripe opportunities for Turkey. We must capitalize on this." /Aksam/

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

    [14] WHAT WILL BE NEXT? BY COSKUN KIRCA (AKSAM)

    Retired Ambassador Coskun Kirca writes on the recent EP report regarding EU relations with the South Caucasus, under the partnership and cooperation agreements. A summary of his column is as follows: "The European Union Parliament recently adopted two decisions on Turkey. In one of them it calls on us to recognize the Armenian allegations that a genocide took place and to normalize all relations with Armenia. Turkey cannot accept this decision. During World War I, a majority of the Armenians living in eastern Anatolia betrayed the Ottoman Empire and supported the Russian Army; perpetrated massacres in Turkish towns and villages; and received a response in kind from the locals; in other words, mutual massacres took place. To put an end to these clashes, the Ottoman government could find no solution other than relocating the Armenians living in those areas to Syria and Lebanon. It has been proven that a document claiming that the Ottoman government ordered massacres was a complete fraud. However, the parliaments of our friends(!) turn a blind eye to this fact with the hope of getting votes of the Armenian diaspora. The recent decision of the EP goes one step further and not only calls on us to accept that our ancestors commited the crime of genocide, but also forgets that Armenia currently occupies 20% of the Azerbaijan's territory and is the aggressor according to the UN charter, and requests that Turkey normalize its relations with Armenia. There could not be a more aggressive decision ignorant of the facts. The Turkish Grand National Assembly has responded immediately to this careless report. The second EP decision concerns the ongoing trial for the closure of People's Democratic Party (HADEP). This is nothing new. It is a well-known fact that European circles would like Turkey to permit ethnic and religious factionalism. According to these circles, parties which are demanding independence for certain ethnic groups must be allowed. The EP is implementing this stance only for HADEP at the moment. It is clear that Turkey will not accept such a condition under these circumstances. TheTurkish representative at the European Convention, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, stated that as these were only recommendations they did not have any power of sanctions and that these decisions would not hamper Turkey's efforts to become an EU member. However, the fact is that we cannot trust the EU on any of our international problems. We must be aware of the fact that the aim of EU's inconsiderate actions is to divide Turkey in the name of democracy. If we take a glance at the way events are developing, it does not seem a distant prospect that Turkey will clearly state to the EU that the cost of being an EU member cannot be the secular, national and unitary Republic.!"

    [15] UNDERSTANDING TURKISH-EUROPEAN RELATIONS BY EROL MANISALI (CUMHURIYET)

    Columnist Erol Manisali writes on Turkish-European relations. A summary of his column is as follows: "The problem we are experiencing today is not what Turkey should do to be admitted to the Union, but it stems from the fact that the EU won't admit Turkey into the organization and it will do everything in its power to delay the country's becoming an EU member. Some facts must be seen clearly. First, Turkish-EU relations are working against Turkey both economically and politically due to the unilateral Customs Union agreement. The reins are in the hands of the EU. This is a colonial order and cannot be prolonged any more. There is no other country in Turkey's situation. Secondly, the conditions imposed by the EU demonstrate how Turkey could be kept at bay. It should leave the Aegean and Cyprus to the Greeks, open the door for compensations saying that a genocide was perpetrated, grant autonomy to the Kurds, and leave the economy, politics and security to the guidance of the EU. These are the political conditions the EU is bringing to the table at the moment to improve relations. It is against the logic of politics, economy and humanity to expect Turkey to implement these reforms upon imposition."

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