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Turkish Press Review, 04-08-26Turkish 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> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning26.08.2004FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...CONTENTS
[01] NSC DISCUSSES CYPRUS, RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQThe National Security Council (NSC) yesterday discussed a number of issues under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. The council evaluated recent developments in Iraq and the next steps to be taken on the Cyprus issue. Also present at the meeting was National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Senkal Atasagun. /Turkiye/[02] TWO TURKS CAPTURED BY IRAQI MILITANTSIraqi militants yesterday threatened to kill two Turkish hostages if their companies did not withdraw from the country within 72 hours. Turkish television stations aired a videotape showing Abdullah Ozdemir and Ali Daskin, who were reportedly kidnapped from a construction site in Iraq, squatting in front of two armed insurgents and holding up their Turkish passports. A voice speaking in Arabic demanded that the captives’ companies withdraw from Iraq within three days, warning that otherwise they would be beheaded. Hours later, two Turkish companies, Usluel and SA-RA, announced that they had begun pulling their staff out of Iraq. Last week a similar video was broadcast with images of another Turkish hostage, Aytullah Gezmen. Although Gezmen's company, Bilintur, also announced its withdrawal from Iraq, so far no further information has been received on Gezmen. /All Papers/[03] INTERIOR MINISTER AKSU: “ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM MUST IMPROVE FURTHER”Ankara and Hanoi yesterday signed a protocol concluding the second term meeting of the Turkish-Vietnamese Joint Economic Commission (KEK). Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu and Vietnamese Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen signed the protocol, which is designed to improve bilateral economic relations. Stating that Ankara was satisfied with the trend of developing economic ties between the two countries, Aksu added, “However, we believe that our economic relations must improve further, since Turkey and Vietnam both have great economic potentials. I believe that Vietnam will be one of Turkey’s key economic partners in the years to come.” /Star/[04] DUTCH ADVISORY COUNCIL: “THE EU SHOULD BEGIN ACCESSION TALKS WITH ANKARA WITHIN TWO YEARS”In a written statement, a leading Dutch advisory body yesterday recommended that the European Union begin accession talks with Ankara within two years, adding that Turkey’s different cultural history and Muslim population were not reasons to block its EU membership bid. The Advisory Council on International Affairs to the Dutch government, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, further stressed that about 20 million Muslims were already living in EU member states. The council, however, added that the Union shouldn’t set a date for Turkey’s actual membership warning that this could lead to inflated expectations. The EU, under the Netherlands’ helm, is due at its December summit to decide on setting a date for Turkey. /Aksam/[05] BABACAN TO WOO FOREIGN INVESTORS ON EUROPEAN TOURState Minister Ali Babacan is set to tour European political and economic capitals such as The Hague and London next week in order to tout recent Turkish economic developments to foreign investors. Babacan is to meet with the representatives of the finance and banking sectors in these cities and also hold gatherings with top economy bureaucrats. Babacan’s five-day tour is intended to promote recent positive developments in the Turkish economy to investors. /Milliyet/[06] FIRST ARMY COMMANDER GEN. TOLON VISITS ISTANBUL GOVERNORNewly appointed First Army Commander Gen. Hursit Tolon yesterday visited Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler. Speaking afterwards, Tolon said that he and Guler would work hard to serve the citizens of the province. For his part, Guler said that he had cooperated with former first Army Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit and that he would do the same with Tolon. /Aksam/[07] EDELMAN: “THE US WILL NOT LAUNCH ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST THE PKK IN THE NEAR FUTURE”US Ambassador to Ankara Eric Edelman yesterday stated that in the near future, US forces in Iraq were not expected to stage any military operations against the terrorist PKK in Iraq. Washington is very sensitive about the activities of terrorists in northern Iraq, Edelman said during a visit to the Black Sea province of Samsun. He added that Washington and Ankara were cooperating to combat terrorism in the region, underlining that there would be various activities in cooperation with Turkey to block the terrorist group’s activities in the region. /Star/[08] RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR: “OUR NATURAL GAS PROBLEMS WILL SOON BE RESOLVED”Russia’s Ambassador to Ankara Peter Stegny yesterday briefed Turkish reporters on recent developments regarding natural gas disputes between the two countries. Speaking in the leadup to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s historic visit to Ankara next week, Stegny stressed that the Turkish and Russian state natural gas companies, BOTAS and Gazprom, were ready to sign a memorandum to govern the natural gas trade between the two countries. Stating that Ankara and Moscow enjoyed common interests in the field of energy, the Russian ambassador added that his country attached the highest importance to economic relations with Turkey in line with its national interests. In related news, Putin is scheduled to pay a two-day official visit to Ankara starting next Thursday. Turkish security forces are readying tight security measures in the capital to protect Putin and his delegation. The Russian leader is then expected to proceed to the Aegean province of Izmir where he will board a warship on his way back to Russia. /Hurriyet – Sabah/[09] CITING IMPROVED MACROECONOMIC SITUATION, FITCH RAISES OUTLOOK ON TURKEY’S LONG-TERM DEBTInternational rating agency Fitch yesterday raised the outlook for its rating on Turkey’s long-term debt denominated in both foreign currencies and the lira, citing the country’s improving macroeconomic situation. Fitch yesterday said in a statement that its B+ rating on Turkey’s long-term debt had a positive outlook compared with a previously stable outlook. The upgrade reflects a combination of improving economic and financial fundamentals, together with clearer prospects over the future of the country's relationship with the International Monetary Fund, said the agency. Fitch further stated that while Turkey would see major challenges on the fiscal financing front in 2005, the likelihood of securing a new IMF program was high, something which should support market confidence, provide some insulation from rising global interest rates, and offer some valuable sources of fiscal funding. /Turkiye/[10] EROGLU WINS OLYMPIC SILVER MEDAL IN WRESTLINGTurkish wrestler Seref Eroglu yesterday won the silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games. Eroglu, world champion in the 66-kg category, was bested by Azerbaijan’s Ferid Mansurov, who took the gold. /All papers/[11] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[12] TURKEY’S EU BID BY HURSIT GUNES (MILLIYET)Columnist Hursit Gunes comments on Turkey’s European Union membership bid. A summary of his column is as follows:“This December the European Council will decide on giving Turkey a date for accession talks. A number of questions present themselves: Will the result really be positive? Is it possible to know this now? The European Commission’s progress report will soon be published. As a matter of fact, some parts of the report are already being leaked to the press. There are some warnings. The commission, a bureaucratic body, is in favor of Turkey’s membership, whereas the council, made up of European leaders, is cooler. In other words, some countries favor Turkey’s membership, while others do not. Which are in the later camp? The list varies depending on when you ask, but we can’t say that Luxembourg, Denmark or Austria have a positive stance, even if they don’t state this openly. Germany’s take is different. It wants to gloss over the issue with a “special membership status.” Whatever that means… Therefore all reports before December will be positive. Will the economic balances right themselves if Turkey gets a date for talks? No, but many hope so. The main risk lies in not getting a date. A development contrary to expectations would be very powerful, and the balances would be shaken. And some believe that foreign investment would rise if Turkey gets date for accession talks. I think that none of this will happen. The expectations are exaggerated. What can Turkey do to promote a positive council decision? The main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has a large duty. Socialists in Europe tend to favor Turkey’s membership more. Therefore, the CHP could motivate them to be more active. The government has to explain the political and social benefits to Europe from Turkey’s membership. Efforts to sway public opinion would be especially effective, but this is a difficult task with an Islamic government in power. Some claim that EU’s requests could cause a split in Turkey. It’s true that it’s not easy to carry through EU requests in Turkey, because our nation has unique problems and troubles. These requests, however, weren’t made for Turkey alone. All of them are common rules. Therefore, implementing them despite all difficulties is inevitable, because this will be work to our favor. Turkey’s political and social direction lies in the West, and Europe.” 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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