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Turkish Press Review, 02-04-29

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

29.04.2002


CONTENTS

  • [01] SEZER PURSUES TRIPLE COOPERATION IN CAUCASUS
  • [02] TURK: “SEZER ACTED AS IF HE STILL HEADED THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT”
  • [03] SWEDEN: “THE PKK SHOULD BE INCLUDED ON THE EU LIST OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS”
  • [04] CILLER: “AMNESTY BYPASSED THE NATION’S WILL”
  • [05] COMMISSION RATIFIES UN CONVENTION
  • [06] KUTAN: “TURKEY’S CURRENT SYSTEM IS A BUREAUCRATIC OLIGARCHY”
  • [07] TURKEY, ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO FURTHER DIALOGUE AT MAY NATO MEETING
  • [08] ANKARA WATER PROJECT COULD RECEIVE JAPANESE FUNDING
  • [09] MINISTRIES MOVE AGAINST HARMFUL HORMONES
  • [10] ISTANBUL HOSTS CONSTRUCTION FAIR THIS WEEK
  • [11] ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL ENDS
  • [12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
  • [13] AMNESTY CONFUSION BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
  • [14] AN EXPECTANT BAGHDAD CELEBRATES BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)

  • [01] SEZER PURSUES TRIPLE COOPERATION IN CAUCASUS

    President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev and their Georgian counterpart Eduard Shevardnadze are to meet in the Black Sea city of Trabzon today. The summit aims to improve bilateral relations and cooperation between the three countries. Joint projects on energy, economy and transportation will be discussed at the summit. Other major issues to be discussed by the three national leaders are security problems as well as oil and natural gas pipeline projects. /Cumhuriyet/

    [02] TURK: “SEZER ACTED AS IF HE STILL HEADED THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT”

    Speaking on President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s veto this weekend of the government’s controversial amnesty bill, Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said yesterday that President Sezer had acted as if he were still chief justice of the Constitutional Court. Turk said that Sezer should have approved the bill and then applied to the Constitutional Court to have it annulled, adding that his move had opened up a legal vacuum. Criticizing Sezer for what he called “violating the Constitution,” Turk noted that the six-month time period given to Parliament to pass the amnesty law had ended. Meanwhile, Constitutional Court acting Chief Justice Hasim Kilic yesterday agreed that a vacuum had resulted from Sezer’s veto. “After correcting the parts the President pointed out, Parliament should swiftly pass the bill,” said Kilic. /All Papers/

    [03] SWEDEN: “THE PKK SHOULD BE INCLUDED ON THE EU LIST OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS”

    The Swedish government recently came out in favor of including the terrorist group PKK on the EU’s terrorist organizations list to be released on May 2. Swedish Cabinet Undersecretary Hans Dahlgren stated that the Swedish government would demand that Brussels add the PKK to the revised list. Furthermore, Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, who is currently visiting Washington, stated in an interview with the TT News Agency that Sweden supported the idea that the EU list should include all groups which commit acts of terrorism. “Sweden made clear its stance against the PKK a long time ago,” said Lindh. “Since we believe that the PKK is a terrorist organization, any list of such organizations should not fail to include it.” /Cumhuriyet/

    [04] CILLER: “AMNESTY BYPASSED THE NATION’S WILL”

    True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said yesterday that the nation’s will had been bypassed regarding the new amnesty law. After voting at her party’s delegation elections in Sariyer, Istanbul, Ciller told reporters that the DYP had been against the amnesty law from the very beginning. Stressing that in a democratic country no one could defend the release of a man accused of murdering a writer, Ciller remarked that this chaos alone constituted sufficient demonstration of the need for a new government. /Aksam/

    [05] COMMISSION RATIFIES UN CONVENTION

    Under a bill ratified yesterday by Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission, Turkey is to join 136 other countries in ratifying a UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime. The convention in question entails cooperation across borders to combat human trafficking, drug smuggling, and the illegal arms trade. The bill is expected to be discussed by the full Parliament later this week. /Cumhuriyet/

    [06] KUTAN: “TURKEY’S CURRENT SYSTEM IS A BUREAUCRATIC OLIGARCHY”

    Felicity Party leader (SP) Recai Kutan yesterday attended a meeting of the Turkish Volunteers’ Foundation at Istanbul’s Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall. In a speech to the group, he said that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as theirs formed a vital part of Turkey’s democracy. Turkey’s problems concern us all, not just politicians, he remarked. Kutan added that Turkey’s current governmental system was not in fact a democracy, but rather a “bureaucratic oligarchy.” /Turkiye/

    [07] TURKEY, ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO FURTHER DIALOGUE AT MAY NATO MEETING

    The foreign ministers of Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan are scheduled to meet at a NATO meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland on May 14-15. Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will meet his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts Vilayet Guliev and Vartan Oskanyan in order to further dialogue and discuss common problems. Turkey is placing a high premium on this gathering since Ankara considers it a significant opportunity for normalizing bilateral relations with Yerevan. At a conference entitled “Seeking Stability in the Caucasus” held last February, Cem had previously proposed such a meeting between the three countries to discuss the problem the disputed enclave of Karabagh. /Cumhuriyet/

    [08] ANKARA WATER PROJECT COULD RECEIVE JAPANESE FUNDING

    Japanese credit institution JBIC is in final stage negotiations to provide funding for a planned drinking water project for Ankara, reports said yesterday. The State Water Works (DSI) is handling the talks with JBIC, which often gives credits to fund infrastructure projects. If the negotiations are successful, JBIC would provide $300 million to DSI as a first stage. The second installment of credits would be provided according to the progress of the project. /Star/

    [09] MINISTRIES MOVE AGAINST HARMFUL HORMONES

    The Agriculture and Health Ministries have issued joint directives this week in an effort to prevent danger to public health from food laced with hormones. Such artificial hormones are chemicals used widely in animal husbandry to promote growth in animal husbandry to promote growth as well as milk and egg production, but some scientists have sounded warnings about the effect trace amounts might have on human health. Accordingly, the new directives set maximum levels for a number of veterinary hormones, while strictly banning the others as posing too much of a risk. The latter group of chemicals is as follows: Aristolochia spp. Chloramphenicol, Choloform, Chlorpromazin, Colchicin, Dapson, Dimetridazol, Metronidazol, Nitrofurane- Furazolidone, and Ronidazol. /Cumhuriyet/

    [10] ISTANBUL HOSTS CONSTRUCTION FAIR THIS WEEK

    Construction firms will be hawking their wares and showing off the latest technological advances at the 25th annual International Construction Fair in Istanbul starting this Wednesday. The three-day fair, dubbed “Construction 2002-Istanbul Fair,” expects to attract participation from nearly 500 domestic and foreign construction companies./Milliyet/

    [11] ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL ENDS

    The 21st Istanbul Film Festival ended yesterday. The festival honored Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti on Saturday, presenting him with a special award. The festival committee also presented an honorary award to British director Stephen Frears. The Golden Tulip, the festival's top prize for a new film, went to "Magonia" by Dutch director Ineke Smits. /Cumhuriyet/

    [12] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…

    [13] AMNESTY CONFUSION BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)

    Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the just vetoed amnesty law. A summary of his column is as follows:

    “If President Ahmet Necdet Sezer hadn’t vetoed the latest amnesty law, would convicts such as Mehmet Ali Agca and Haluk Kirci have received a ‘get out of jail free’ card? Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk addressed this question when I spoke to him yesterday. ‘The press looked at the early release law and interpreted it to mean that these men would be released,’ he said. ‘However, it was by no means certain that they would benefit from this law and get out. One would hare to check each of their files individually.’ Justice Minister Turk cannot predict for certain the fates of Agca and Kirci, instead saying that their files need to be examined. So what will happen next? Minister Turk points out that a legal vacuum has opened up following President Sezer’s veto, and so he emphasizes that a new law should be enacted as soon as possible. It is no surprise that the subject of amnesty resulted in confusion. Let’s remember, the push for amnesty originally came from Democratic Left Party [DSP] deputy leader Rahsan Ecevit, also the wife of the prime minister. Her aim was to bring back into society’s fold those who ended up in prison due to petty crimes and who are considered ‘victims of fate’ and their social conditions. The aim was to provide people who turned to crime due to economic hardship with jobs. Rahsan Ecevit made an effort to ensure that the ‘victims of fate’ who were released from prison under last year’s amnesty law would be brought back into normal society. She helped them to find jobs. Mrs. Ecevit’s aim was limited to this. However, the result was just the opposite. While this old conditional release law was enacted by commissions one by one, it turned out to be an ‘amnesty of supporters’ from the coalition partners. It was very likely that the Constitutional Court would annul the law, which is just what happened. This new arrangement for conditional release for ‘victims of fate’ turned out almost to be a ‘general amnesty’ covering such convicts as Agca and Kirci. Neither the public nor the Ecevits’ conscience could stomach this. It will be hard for the government to put together a palatable conditional release law after this point.”

    [14] AN EXPECTANT BAGHDAD CELEBRATES BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)

    Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on the latest developments in Iraq. A summary of her column is as follows:

    “This is a geography of symbols and hints, in other words, the geography of feigned ignorance. Saddam Hussein’s 65th birthday celebrations were based on them as well. The parade attended by representatives from all the cities, schools and institutions in Iraq was held on Palestine St. in Baghdad. There were Palestinian flags flying next to Iraqi flags, and banners called on Saddam to lead Palestine. One of the slogans read, ‘Let us save Saddam and Palestine from the US.’ The message given by Iraqi youth to the international press was, ‘Saddam is the only Arabian leader who defends the interests of the Palestinian people and the Arabian nation.’ The biggest of the messages within these symbols was meant for US President Bush. According to some Iraqi observers, these celebrations were an ‘unofficial referendum.’ The fact that the most repeated slogan of the celebrations was ‘Bush, listen to our voice, we love Saddam’ strengthened the hints of referendum. During the sweltering holiday the procession was too crowded and the slogans of love for Saddam were too much. I talked to some of the people. Were they pretending ignorance? Iraqi observers are of the opinion that a US attack is immanent. Iraqi Deputy President Taha Yasin Ramazan told US network NBC over the weekend that the US could attack anytime, which is shown as evidence of this expectation. When I understood the feelings of the people I talked with yesterday on Baghdad’s streets, I thought they were right. They consider the rhetoric out of Washington as a direct insult towards them and their national identity. Thus, they hold tight to Saddam. Could they possibly help him more? While coming to Baghdad through Amman, a Canadian painter with whom I shared the 10-hour bus ride invited me to an exhibit that he will open here to support the Iraqi nation and told me about a civilian network that they had established against a new US attack. One 74-year-old Japanese researcher, who traveled 20 hours from Tokyo to attend the International Solidarity Conference, said, ‘The US dropped an atom bomb on us. The US is the biggest terrorist.’ Yesterday in Iraq was a sort of preparation for the critical meeting to be held by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Iraqi Foreign Minister Naci Sabri later this week.”

    ARCHIVE

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