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Turkish Press Review, 05-09-29
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
29.09.2005
FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
CONTENTS
[01] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT VISITS ANKARA
[02] EP POSTPONES VOTE TO RATIFY TURKEY’S ANKARA PROTOCOL
[03] ERDOGAN: “TURKEY IS A COUNTRY OF OPPORTUNITIES”
[04] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “TURKEY WILL NOT MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS”
[05] ERDOGAN: “THE EP DECISION WON’T AFFECT US, WE’LL CONTINUE OUR WAY”
[06] BAYKAL LOBBIES IN LONDON FOR TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP
[07] OZKOK MEETS WITH CONGOLESE DEFENSE MINISTER TO DISCUSS MILITARY TIES
[08] US UNDERSECRETARY HUGHES: “THE PKK AND AL-QAEDA ARE TWO OF A KIND”
[09] STRAW: “CLOSING THE EU DOOR TO TURKEY WOULD BE A HUGE BETRAYAL”
[10] REHN: “THE EP DELAY ON THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL VOTE WON’T HINDER ANKARA’S EU TALKS”
[11] ITALIAN SENATE’S DINI: “TURKEY WILL JOIN THE EU SOONER OR LATER”
[12] CHP DEPUTY GURSOY QUITS PARTY
[13] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[14] EU CONDITIONS BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
[01] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT VISITS ANKARA
Romanian President Traian Basescu yesterday paid a visit to Ankara.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer welcomed his guest with an official ceremony
at the Cankaya Palace. At a joint press conference after the meeting, Sezer
congratulated Romania on signing its accession agreement with the European
Union in April. In return, Basescu thanked Turkey for its support for
Romania joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and said,
“Turkey can count on Romania’s support during its EU process.” /Star/
[02] EP POSTPONES VOTE TO RATIFY TURKEY’S ANKARA PROTOCOL
The European Parliament yesterday postponed a vote to ratify Turkey’s
Ankara Protocol with the European Union. The EP stated that Ankara’s
refusal to recognize both the Greek Cypriot administration and Armenian
genocide allegations justified the delay in the protocol’s ratification.
The ballot’s delay will not affect the start of Turkey’s accession talks,
set for next Monday, Oct. 3, said EU circles. /Turkiye/
[03] ERDOGAN: “TURKEY IS A COUNTRY OF OPPORTUNITIES”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with United Arab Emirates
(UAE) President H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. After the meeting
Erdogan attended the Turkey-UAE Business Forum Meeting and spoke on the
Turkish economy, touting its improvements over the last three years.
Erdogan, citing figures showing growth, said that Turkey was one of the
fastest-growing countries in the world. The premier also said, “Companies
are founded in just one day in Turkey. Turkey is a country of opportunities
now.” /Star/
[04] FOREIGN MINISTRY: “TURKEY WILL NOT MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan said yesterday that Turkey could not
accept any formula other than full European Union membership. Speaking to
reporters, Tan said, “We want to sit at the table on Oct. 3 to begin
accession talks, but certain circles are still trying to put provisions
against Turkey into the Framework Document.” He added that Ankara would
reject any statement such as “privileged partnership” appearing in the
document. /Turkiye/
[05] ERDOGAN: “THE EP DECISION WON’T AFFECT US, WE’LL CONTINUE OUR WAY”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in Abu Dhabi for an
official visit, said yesterday that a European Parliament decision delaying
approval of the additional protocol and pushing recognition of the so-
called Armenian genocide would not affect Ankara, adding that Turkey would
continue its way. Erdogan added that a meeting of EU member states’ foreign
ministers to be held today was important for Ankara. In related news,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that he wanted Turkey’s EU bid to be
evaluated through “objective criteria,” like other candidates’, adding that
if the EU adds new criteria Ankara would reject these. /Hurriyet/
[06] BAYKAL LOBBIES IN LONDON FOR TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP
Opposition People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that
Turkey had fulfilled its obligations on the road to European Union
membership. Speaking to the BBC on his trip to London to hold a series of
contacts to push Turkey’s EU membership bid, Baykal said that Turkey had
seen great changes in recent years. Regarding the Armenian issue, the CHP
leader said that the European Parliament’s demand for recognition of the so-
called Armenian genocide was a trap, adding that that shouldn’t be a
precondition for Ankara’s full membership. /Sabah/
[07] OZKOK MEETS WITH CONGOLESE DEFENSE MINISTER TO DISCUSS MILITARY TIES
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok yesterday met with visiting
Congolese Defense Minister Gen. Yvon Jacques Ndolou to discuss bilateral
military ties and sign a cooperative agreement on military education. Later,
addressing a press conference, Ndolou said that there were many things
which they could learn from Turkey. “Turkey has taken important steps in
the defense industry,” he added. /Milliyet/
[08] US UNDERSECRETARY HUGHES: “THE PKK AND AL-QAEDA ARE TWO OF A KIND”
Visiting US Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes
yesterday met in Ankara with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ali Tuygan and
then Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Stating that there is very effective
cooperation between Turkey and the US on strategic issues, Gul thanked
Hughes for “the US being the first and the only country condemning PKK
terrorism.” Gul also reiterated that Turkey was expecting concrete steps
from the US on the terrorist PKK. At a press conference after their meeting,
Hughes said that the US was determined in the fight against terrorism and
added, “And I want to make it very clear that America absolutely condemns
the PKK, just as we condemn al-Qaeda.” Then Hughes proceeded to Istanbul
where she met with religious leaders at the Topkapi Palace. /Aksam/
[09] STRAW: “CLOSING THE EU DOOR TO TURKEY WOULD BE A HUGE BETRAYAL”
European Union Term President Britain’s Foreign Minister Jack Straw warned
yesterday that closing the EU door to Turkey would be a “huge betrayal.”
Speaking at the Labour Party’s annual conference, Straw said that beginning
Ankara’s accession talks was one of the “highest priorities” of Britain’s
EU presidency. "It would now be a huge betrayal of the hopes and
expectations of the Turkish people and of Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip)
Erdogan's program of reform if, at this crucial time, we turned our back on
Turkey," he added. /Hurriyet/
[10] REHN: “THE EP DELAY ON THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL VOTE WON’T HINDER
ANKARA’S EU TALKS”
Appearing on news channel NTV yesterday, European Union Commissioner for
Enlargement Olli Rehn said that European Parliament decisions postponing
approval of the additional protocol and pushing recognition of the so-
called Armenian genocide for Ankara’s EU membership wouldn’t be obstacles
to the beginning of Turkey’s EU accession talks. Rehn stated that Turkey
should fulfill the additional protocol as soon as possible, adding that not
doing so would adversely affect its talks. He further stated that Ankara
should take into consideration the EU’s counter-declaration. In related
news, Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman Joost Lagendijk
criticized the EP decision postponing approval of the protocol, saying that
it had sent the wrong message to Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] ITALIAN SENATE’S DINI: “TURKEY WILL JOIN THE EU SOONER OR LATER”
Italian Senate Deputy Speaker Lamberto Dini yesterday predicted that Turkey
would join the European Union sooner or later, recommending that it should
be patient. Speaking in Madrid, Dini said that Turkey would begin its talks
on Oct. 3, next Monday, adding that there were no legal grounds for
preventing this. Dini stated that there were still reforms that Ankara
needed to make. In related news, Michel Rocard, former French prime
minister and European Parliament member, said yesterday that the Union
would benefit from Turkey’s membership, adding, “Turkey’s membership will
also contribute to the region’s stability.” /Turkiye/
[12] CHP DEPUTY GURSOY QUITS PARTY
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Adiyaman Deputy Sevket Gursoy
yesterday resigned from the party. Speaking to reporters, Gursoy criticized
his party administration, claiming that the CHP’s policies are far removed
from society’s values and needs. Following his resignation, the main
opposition CHP has 157 seats in Parliament, while the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) has 355. /Sabah/
[13] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
[14] EU CONDITIONS BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the conditions stipulated for Turkey’s
European Union membership. A summary of his column is as follows:
“The policy of creating difficulties for Turkey’s European Union membership
continues. A vote on the Customs Union Additional Protocol was postponed at
the European Parliament yesterday. Christian Democrats want the protocol to
be voted on at our Parliament first. Some EU circles consider the
declaration which Turkey released during its adoption of the Customs Union
to Southern Cyprus to be ‘discrimination.’ EU Commissioner for Enlargement
Olli Rehn said that the course of membership talks with the EU might be
affected if Turkey doesn’t fulfill its obligations concerning
implementation of the additional protocol. It seems that our membership
talks will start on Oct. 3. However, if Turkey doesn’t create an atmosphere
for recognizing Southern Cyprus by opening its harbors for Greek Cypriot
ships and planes by fall 2006, our EU membership talks could be suspended.
A draft decision calling for recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide as
a precondition for Turkey’s full EU membership was signed by French
Socialist parliamentarians yesterday.
Meanwhile, a suggestion for privileged partnership was rejected. Despite
Ankara’s insistence, the framework document, the roadmap for Turkish-EU
relations, doesn’t mention it. However, it states that at the end of ‘open-
ended negotiations’ Turkey can become a member only after the EU
institutions are restructured. Ankara is ready to leave the table if new
conditions block the way to full membership. The dilemma within the EU
before Oct. 3 is growing; some say that the promises given to Turkey must
be kept, but on the other hand there are other circles favoring ending
relations before the membership talks start. The framework article leaked
from Brussels stating that Ankara wouldn’t block Greek Cyprus’
international group membership was a last-minute surprise. In return,
keeping permanent restrictions on free movement even if Turkey becomes an
EU member is another sanction not applied to other EU members. The EU hill
is getting steeper, and conditions for Turkey’s EU membership are being
prepared. During the discussions on last Dec. 17, Oct. 3, etc, a ‘game
over’ trap is being prepared with the Cyprus timetable for 2006. The
government will have difficulties making a decision next Monday.”
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