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Turkish Press Review, 05-12-28

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> e-mail : newspot@byegm.gov.tr <caption> <_caption> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning

28.12.2005

SEZER, MUBARAK AGREE TO BOLSTER BILATERAL COOPERATION CAPITAL CELEBRATES 86th ANNIVERSARY OF ATATURK’S ARRIVAL IN ANKARA PARLIAMENT PASSES BUDGET CICEK CALLS FOR PATIENCE OVER PAMUK TRIAL JUDICIAL PROBE BEGUN INTO LAGENDIJK EU REPORT CALLS TURKS IN GREECE A “MUSLIM MINORITY” GREEK CYPRIOTS’ IACOVOU: “TURKEY MIGHT COLLIDE WITH THE EU” TALAT MEETS US AMBASSADOR TO GREEK CYPRUS BARZANI TO VISIT ANKARA WB: “THE TURKISH ECONOMY’S PERFORMANCE IS BETTER THAN EXPECTED, BUT STRUCTURAL REFORMS HAVE BEEN DELAYED” FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS… THE TSK AND COMMUNICATIONS BY M. ALI KISLALI (RADIKAL)

CONTENTS

  • [01] SEZER, MUBARAK AGREE TO BOLSTER BILATERAL COOPERATION
  • [02] CAPITAL CELEBRATES 86th ANNIVERSARY OF ATATURK’S ARRIVAL IN ANKARA
  • [03] PARLIAMENT PASSES BUDGET
  • [04] CICEK CALLS FOR PATIENCE OVER PAMUK TRIAL
  • [05] JUDICIAL PROBE BEGUN INTO LAGENDIJK
  • [06] EU REPORT CALLS TURKS IN GREECE A “MUSLIM MINORITY”
  • [07] GREEK CYPRIOTS’ IACOVOU: “TURKEY MIGHT COLLIDE WITH THE EU”
  • [08] TALAT MEETS US AMBASSADOR TO GREEK CYPRUS
  • [09] BARZANI TO VISIT ANKARA
  • [10] WB: “THE TURKISH ECONOMY’S PERFORMANCE IS BETTER THAN EXPECTED, BUT STRUCTURAL REFORMS HAVE BEEN DELAYED”
  • [11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…
  • [12] THE TSK AND COMMUNICATIONS BY M. ALI KISLALI (RADIKAL)

  • [01] SEZER, MUBARAK AGREE TO BOLSTER BILATERAL COOPERATION

    Turkey and Egypt are determined to diversify and enhance cooperation in every field, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer told reporters yesterday after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, on the last day of a two-day visit to Cairo. Concerning the free trade agreement signed by State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and Egyptian Industry Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid in a ceremony witnessed by the two presidents, Sezer said that both nations wanted to boost bilateral trade to levels reflecting the real potential of their rapidly growing economies. The agreement is expected to increase Turkey’s investments in Egypt from $600 million to $2 billion. The top leaders also discussed regional and international issues, including the Middle East and Cyprus. Mubarak said they had agreed to “push the Israeli-Palestinian peace process forward to achieve the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.” After completing his contacts in Egypt, Sezer and his accompanying delegation returned to Turkey. /Turkiye/

    [02] CAPITAL CELEBRATES 86th ANNIVERSARY OF ATATURK’S ARRIVAL IN ANKARA

    Ankara Governor Kemal Onal and a delegation visited Ataturk’s mausoleum, Anitkabir, yesterday to celebrate the 86th anniversary of the Turkish Republic founder’s arrival in Ankara. Greater Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek, Fourth Corps Commander Gen. Saldiray Berk, Cankaya district Mayor Muzaffer Eryilmaz and a delegation of other prominent Ankarans visited the site. Onal laid a wreath at the mausoleum, observed one minute of silence and signed Anitkabir’s commemorative guestbook. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a message yesterday celebrating the occasion. “Ankarans welcomed Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on Dec. 27, 1919 and then managed to turn a small city in Anatolia into Turkey’s political, social and cultural center,” Erdogan said in his message. “Ankara didn’t only remain a center, but became the capital city of the Turkish Republic after the establishment of the Parliament,” he continued. “We commemorate Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his colleagues on the 86th anniversary of their arrival in Ankara.” /The New Anatolian/

    [03] PARLIAMENT PASSES BUDGET

    Parliament’s General Assembly yesterday approved the 2006 budget after contentious debates between the government and the opposition. Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu accused the government of implementing an unjust tax policy, saying that the government was getting away with it by frightening the people with fears of a financial crisis. In his address to the assembly, Mumcu said that a quarter of the educated workforce was unemployed and called on the government to stop delaying the implementation of necessary structural reforms. Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal accused the government of ignoring the problems of the country by deciding to cut state investment. He said all the mistakes the government had committed in its three years in power had begun to catch up with it. Despite the opposition, the majority Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies ensured that the budget passed. In related news, during the budget debates, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements scolding CHP leader Baykal and opposition deputies, and aiming at some deputies by giving their names, caused great friction. While answering criticisms of the opposition, Erdogan addressed only Baykal by name. /Turkish Daily News, Cumhuriyet/

    [04] CICEK CALLS FOR PATIENCE OVER PAMUK TRIAL

    Speaking to reporters at Parliament yesterday, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek called for “democratic patience” for debates over Articles 301 and 305 of the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which has been used as the basis of controversial charges brought against a number of people, including author Orhan Pamuk. “The process of judgement is continuing,” he said. “All we need is democratic patience.” Cicek declined to give details of steps to be taken on the issue. Commenting on a petition campaign started by a group of intellectuals on the issue, Cicek said that he had tried to solve the matter. /Hurriyet/

    [05] JUDICIAL PROBE BEGUN INTO LAGENDIJK

    The Beyoglu Republican Chief Prosecutor’s Office has begun a judicial inquiry into Turkey-European Union Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-Chair Joost Lagendijk under Article 301 for “insulting Turkey, the Republic, its institutions and its bodies,” and Article 288 for “attempting to influence a fair trial” of the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Commenting on the news, Lagendijk said, “This will only benefit forces in European Union countries who oppose Turkey,” adding, “Let them do this. Unfortunately, this puts friends of Turkey on the spot.” /Hurriyet/

    [06] EU REPORT CALLS TURKS IN GREECE A “MUSLIM MINORITY”

    The European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC), affiliated to the European Union, yesterday released its 2005 report. It called Turks living in Greece a “Muslim Minority,” but gave no national identity. The largest numbers of xenophobic incidents were seen in Great Britain and Germany, said the report. /Turkiye/

    [07] GREEK CYPRIOTS’ IACOVOU: “TURKEY MIGHT COLLIDE WITH THE EU”

    Speaking to British news agency Reuters, Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou said yesterday that if Turkey didn’t open its harbors and airports to Greek Cypriots next year, it might end up on a “collision course” with the European Union. Commenting on State Minister Abdullatif Sener’s recent statement that Turkey would not take unilateral steps on the Cyprus issue, Iacovou said that Sener’s statements signaled that Turkey had entered a road towards conflict with the EU. Stressing that a review of Turkey would be done next year, the top diplomat said that they want the process to take place during Austria’s EU term presidency, before July. In addition, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos claimed yesterday that Turkish Cypriots had become members of the EU without any effort or financial contribution on their part. With the efforts and self-sacrifice of Greek Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriots and their children became legal citizens of the EU, said Papadopoulos. /Star/

    [08] TALAT MEETS US AMBASSADOR TO GREEK CYPRUS

    Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat met yesterday with new US Ambassador to Greek Cyprus Ronald L. Schlicher. No statement was made after the meeting. Last week, Schlicher presented his credentials to Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos. During the meeting, Papdopulous indirectly warned the US administration against any attempt to “upgrade” the status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), while Schlicher said one of his top priorities would be to help the two sides in Cyprus reach an agreement. /Turkish Daily News/

    [09] BARZANI TO VISIT ANKARA

    Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani is expected to pay an official visit to Ankara today in the wake of his October meeting in northern Iraq with National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Emer Taner. During his visit, Barzani will be accompanied by a delegation, led by Safeen Dizayee, the foreign relations head for the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP). Barzani and the delegation will meet with officials from the MIT and other public institutions to discuss a number of issues. The visit is important as the first following the Dec. 15 Iraqi elections. Barzani met with Turkish officials in Salaheddin in October. /Aksam/

    [10] WB: “THE TURKISH ECONOMY’S PERFORMANCE IS BETTER THAN EXPECTED, BUT STRUCTURAL REFORMS HAVE BEEN DELAYED”

    In a report released on Monday, the World Bank hailed positive economic developments in Turkey, saying that the performance of the economy was better than expectations. The report, added, however, that the implementation of structural reforms, including privatization of public banks and social security reform, had been delayed. The bank stressed that if problems crop up in Turkey’s accession talks with the European Union and this is misunderstood by investors and the market, this could slow the pace of structural reforms. Emphasizing that the most important point of the negotiating process was to create new jobs and bring down unemployment, the report stated that it was time to take in hand the basic factors of economic growth. The report further stated that high current account deficit still posed a threat to the economy. /Sabah/

    [11] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…

    [12] THE TSK AND COMMUNICATIONS BY M. ALI KISLALI (RADIKAL)

    Columnist M. Ali Kislali comments on the issue of information and communications and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). A summary of his column is as follows: “Years ago when I was about to end my visit to Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu at the General Staff, he told met to sit, showed me some files on his desk and said, ‘You always criticize me about information and public relations. Let me show you how we work.’ He showed the way Department of Communication works with a few files. When he ended this presentation, I thanked him for his kindness. I told him that I could think of the General Staff as a modern one in this respect as with others and that what I have been criticizing is the General Staff’s lack of information for the media. Then he sent three colonels belonging to three forces, including the head of the Communications Department, the next day to discuss things in detail. I told them the needs of the media and what modern ways could be established with the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Then, four or five years passed. I saw that certain steps were taken. However, my view hasn’t changed on this issue. Circles within NATO say that the TSK is ahead on many standards. However, the issue of communications seems to be an area lagging behind. The latest example of the tough stance of the Turkish military emerged during Land Forces Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit’s visit to the US. As this trip coincided with the CIA and FBI directors’ visits to Turkey, people made various interpretations. Gen. Buyukanit replied to these interpretations there. Then he made a speech at an establishment close to the US Republican leadership. A few of my colleagues were there as well. However, the rule was that they would not write down his speech. Concerning this speech, a Turkish colleague only said that everybody can be sure that the Americans didn’t ask what Turkey’s situation would be. Then he said that Buyukanit said that he gave a speech emphasizing the changes the terrorist PKK went through and where it is today. Meanwhile, an American who attende the meeting said that the general said things which could be said anywhere. It seems Gen. Buyukanit didn’t say anything new about the PKK. However, for whatever reason, would lift this veil of secrecy. I asked the General Staff’s spokesman about this and he said that neither they nor the Land Forces has information about it and cited the non-disclosure agreement. Is this possible that neither the Land Forces headquarters nor the General Staff know about the Land Forces commander’s speech in the US? Unfortunately, this is not the only example of how the TSK isn’t modern on the issue of communications.”

    ARCHIVE

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