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Turkish Press Review, 05-02-22

Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>

22.02.05

Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning


CONTENTS

  • [01] ERDOGAN, GUL TRAVEL TO BRUSSELS TO ATTEND NATO SUMMIT
  • [02] CICEK REAFFIRMS CLOSE TURKISH-US PARTNERSHIP
  • [03] OZKOK MEETS HIS EGYPTIAN COUNTERPART
  • [04] ATILLA KOC NAMED NEW CULTURE MINISTER
  • [05] ANOTHER AKP DEPUTY RESIGNS FROM PARTY
  • [06] ITALIAN SENATE SPEAKER VISITS TURKEY
  • [07] UNAKITAN STRESSES NEED FOR CONTINUED BUDGETARY DISCIPLINE
  • [08] LATVIAN FM TO VISIT ANKARA
  • [09] TALAT: “WE HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO FORM A COALITION WITH THE DP”
  • [10] STUDENT AMNESTY TO BE DEBATED IN PARLIAMENT TOMORROW
  • [11] HEALTH MINISTER URGES PATIENCE OVER HANDOVER HITCHES IN SSK HOSPITALS
  • [12] ITALIAN OFFICIAL SET TO HEAD IMF TURKEY MISSION
  • [13] TURKISH TRADE CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED IN DUBAI
  • [14] NY TIMES CALLS FMR ECONOMY MINISTER DERVIS “GOOD CANDIDATE” FOR WB PRESIDENT
  • [15] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…
  • [16] NEW SUPPORT BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)

  • [01] ERDOGAN, GUL TRAVEL TO BRUSSELS TO ATTEND NATO SUMMIT

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday flew to Brussels, Belgium to attend a NATO summit where leaders from the alliance’s 25 member countries and US President George W. Bush are set to discuss NATO-European Union relations, the Afghan and Iraq issues, conflict in the Mideast, etc. Erdogan will also hold bilateral meetings with his EU counterparts. In addition, he is expected to meet with the US president today and to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as regional issues. /Sabah/

    [02] CICEK REAFFIRMS CLOSE TURKISH-US PARTNERSHIP

    At a press conference following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek said that bilateral relations between Turkey and the United States, who he called two allies and friends, were on the right track. “Ankara attaches the highest importance to its relations with Washington,” Cicek said. “Our government is committed to maintain this satisfactory level of bilateral relations in the future. Although our two countries have had certain problems and crises in the past, Turkey and the US are strategic partners. As Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul briefed the Cabinet on this issue, we believe that Turkey will benefit from its partnership with the US, so relations must be maintained at the present level.” /Turkiye/

    [03] OZKOK MEETS HIS EGYPTIAN COUNTERPART

    Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok yesterday met with his Egyptian counterpart Gen. Hamdi Vehibe in Cairo. “We are willing to continue our structural relations with Egypt based upon previous agreements,” added Ozkok in a statement after his meeting. Ozkok later visited a cemetery for Turkish soldiers and the Cairo Museum. /Star/

    [04] ATILLA KOC NAMED NEW CULTURE MINISTER

    After meeting with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer at the Cankaya Presidential Palace yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy from Aydin, Atilla Koc, has been appointed the new culture and tourism minister. Justice Minister Cemil Cicek had been serving as acting minister after Erkan Mumcu resigned from both the post and the ruling party last week. /Hurriyet/

    [05] ANOTHER AKP DEPUTY RESIGNS FROM PARTY

    In the wake of last week’s resignation of Culture and Tourism Minister Erkan Mumcu, Suleyman Saribas, a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy from Malatya, yesterday resigned from the party. Speaking to reporters, Saribas said that he had been experiencing serious differences of opinion and attitude with the party organization for some time. With Saribas’s resignation, the AKP’s seats in Parliament fell to 365, still a comfortable majority, while those of independents rose to seven. /Turkiye/

    [06] ITALIAN SENATE SPEAKER VISITS TURKEY

    Italian Senate Speaker Marcello Pera yesterday arrived in Ankara upon the invitation of Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. In a joint press conference, Arinc thanked Pera “for the consistent support Italy has shown in Turkey’s European Union membership bid.” Pera for his part lauded Turkey’s upcoming accession talks as historic, adding that they should not be used for political fodder. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also received Pera. Predicting that Turkey would earn full membership at the end of its accession talks, Pera said that Turkey’s membership would enhance the EU’s identity. /Star/

    [07] UNAKITAN STRESSES NEED FOR CONTINUED BUDGETARY DISCIPLINE

    Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan yesterday released last month’s budget figures. Touching on recent discussions concerning a government incentive scheme proposal, Unakitan said that he doesn’t expect disagreements with the International Monetary Fund. “The important thing is that we remain decisive in our fiscal discipline,” added Unakitan. /Hurriyet/

    [08] LATVIAN FM TO VISIT ANKARA

    Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks, accompanied by a delegation, will arrive in Ankara tomorrow to pay an official visit. Pabriks is expected to meet with Turkish officials including President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc as well as his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues. In addition, the delegation is set to attend a business meeting in Istanbul. During the contacts, the itinerary for Latvian President Vike-Vaira Freiberga’s visit scheduled for April will also be prepared. /Turkish Daily News/

    [09] TALAT: “WE HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO FORM A COALITION WITH THE DP”

    Fresh off his victory at the polls, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday that his party had no alternative but to form a coalition with the Democrat Party (DP). On Sunday’s elections in the TRNC, the center-left Republican Turkish party (CTP) of Premier Talat, known for his pro-unification stance, won 25 of the parliament's 50 seats, while the main opposition party took 31%, or 18 seats. The DP came in second with six seats. “A new day will dawn for the TRNC,” Talat said. “We’ll replace separatist, no-compromise political views with a new policy to promote peace and a permanent resolution.” In related news, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul phoned the leaders of the four parties which won seats in the TRNC Parliament, including Talat, to congratulate them and wish them success in their future work. /Aksam / Star_

    [10] STUDENT AMNESTY TO BE DEBATED IN PARLIAMENT TOMORROW

    A controversial general student amnesty bill will be taken up by the full Parliament tomorrow. The bill proposing the pardon of some 700,000 students dismissed from universities since June 29, 2000, regardless of the reason, is expected to be passed after its debate in Parliament. Under the measure, students wanting to benefit from the amnesty could apply to their former universities in two months. /Turkiye/

    [11] HEALTH MINISTER URGES PATIENCE OVER HANDOVER HITCHES IN SSK HOSPITALS

    Turmoil and confusion were seen yesterday at many hospitals in big cities due to the handover of Social Security Authority (SSK) hospitals to state hospitals. Health Minister Recep Akdag pledged to resolve the hospitals’ problems, saying they stemmed from the suddenness of the handover and would not be permanent, and also called on citizens to be patient. He also sent curriculums to hospital administrators nationwide urging them to put on a positive face for the citizenry. /Turkiye/

    [12] ITALIAN OFFICIAL SET TO HEAD IMF TURKEY MISSION

    An Italian official is reportedly set to become the new chief of the International Monetary Fund’s Turkey mission. The official will replace Reza Moghadam, who has served as mission chief since 2003. /Cumhuriyet/

    [13] TURKISH TRADE CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED IN DUBAI

    Abdullah Rashid Lootah, the general coordinator of the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone Authority (JAFZA) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, yesterday stated that Turkish companies could enjoy many commercial advantages by doing business in JAFZA, particularly in the food sector. Lootah said that a Turkish Trade Center would be established in JAFZA over a 9,000-meter- square area. He also called on Turkish companies to do business in Dubai’s free trade zone, arguing that JAFZA can provide them with more advantageous and profitable opportunities than European countries. /Milliyet/

    [14] NY TIMES CALLS FMR ECONOMY MINISTER DERVIS “GOOD CANDIDATE” FOR WB PRESIDENT

    As President James Wolfenshon is set to retire in the middle of this year, the World Bank is currently seeking a new leader. According to the New York Times editorial page yesterday, candidates to succeed him include “the former presidents Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico and Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil, and the former and current finance ministers Gordon Brown of Britain, Trevor Manuel of South Africa, Leszek Balcerowicz of Poland and Kemal Dervis of Turkey.” Dervis worked for the WB for 30 years before serving as economy minister under the Bulent Ecevit administration, and now is a main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy for Istanbul. “Good candidates for the job would know the problems of the third world – particularly Africa – and work to solve them,” the editorial added. “They would probably not be bankers because the World Bank is almost the opposite of a bank. It is a development organization that lends money to cure market failures, financing projects whose returns could not attract other lenders. The bank's president should be able to generate enthusiasm for helping the world's poor. And he or she should have experience running a huge, chaotic bureaucracy.” /Aksam/

    [15] FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…

    [16] NEW SUPPORT BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)

    Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the results of Sunday’s elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). A summary of his column is as follows:

    “In the weekend elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), most Turkish Cypriots reaffirmed their support for the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and its coalition partner the Democrat Party (DP) and the Talat government. The election results showed that the majority still accepts UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan, as they did last April. Now the CTP is stronger than after the elections of 14 months ago, which shows an important shift in the Turkish Cypriots’ stance. A couple of years ago most people were allergic to the CTP and people had doubts about it. The right led by the National Unity Party (UBP) got two-thirds of the votes and the left consisting of the CTP had one-third of the votes back then. Now voters don’t break themselves down along hard ideological lines like the parties do. People who support the status quo represent only one-third of votes, but those who favor a solution represent two-thirds. This socio-political change has several reasons: conditions on the island and in the region have changed. The European Union factor led people, particularly young people, into the direction of change and a solution. Now the CTP has moved to the center and a pragmatic line under Talat’s leadership. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has also started to develop new strategies in Ankara for a resolution. Whatever the reasons, the results of last weekend’s elections showed the wishes of the majority. This situation should cause those who still cling to old feelings and views to see the current atmosphere more realistically.

    Most probably, the election results will cause the formation of a CTP-DP coalition. What will change with this situation? How will it influence efforts for a solution? Let’s imagine that the results had been just the opposite. If certain people opposed to a solution which could bring Turkish Cypriots into the EU had come to power, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos and his supporters would have been quite happy. Then there would have been great pressure on the Turkish Cypriots. Finally, this would have caused huge political complications for Ankara and problems for the Greek Cypriots. Of course the Turkish Cypriots’ desire for a solution and consensus isn’t enough. The Greek Cypriot administration must take the same stance. The entire world, including the US and the UN, hailed the TRNC elections results. This support should have practical efforts. For example, applying various measures to end the isolation of the TRNC and putting pressure on Papadopoulos to change his uncompromising stance. Now the EU, the US and the UN are expected to see the election results as an opportunity for a resolution and so take necessary steps as soon as possible.”


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