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Turkish Press Review, 99-09-02Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>02.09.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[02] ECEVIT RECEIVES ITALIAN AMBASSADORPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit received the Italian Ambassador to Ankara Vittorio Surdo yesterday and expressed his thanks for the statements made by Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini towards supporting Turkey's EU membership and for the Italian aid to help the victims of the earthquake.Ambassador Surdo who issued a statement to the Italian Ansa Agency following his meeting with Ecevit said that a visit to be paid by Dini to Turkey on September 16 was also taken up during the meeting. Surdo furthermore stated that a previous credit worth 38 billion Italian Lira extended by the Italian Government to Turkey was still valid and this amount could be useful for the reconstruction of the disaster region in the aftermath of the earthquake. Ambassador Surdo will visit Izmit and a tentcity for 400 people, the third one opened by Italy, today, the Anatolia News Agency reports. [03] AN ADDITIONAL 30 MILLION EURO AIDThe European Commission has proposed an additional 30 million Euro aid to contribute to the reconstruction of the Marmara Region in the aftermath of the earthquake. A spokesman for the EU Commission said that this aid which could be approved by the EU Council of Ministers would be added to the emergency aid worth 4 million Euro extended to Turkey following the earthquake. During a meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers to be held in Finland this weekend, the issue concerning the aid to Turkey is expected to be discussed, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[04] LETTER FROM EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK TO DEMIRELThe Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) based in Luxembourg, Brian Unwin, sent a letter to President Suleyman Demirel yesterday and expressed his condolence to the Turkish nation. Unwin stated that the EIB had extended emergency aid worth 1 miliion Euro to Turkey following the earthquake and said that they were also continuing with their work on more financial assistance together with the EU Commission. A proposal concerning a loan aimed at helping Turkey by the EIB will be discussed during the Council of Economy and Finance Ministers to be held in Finland on September 10. The EIB is currently reviewing information concerning the damage caused by the earthquake and trying to determine the requirements, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[05] GREEN LIGHT FROM THE UNThe UN Sanctions Committee gave a green light to the crude oil worth $10 million to be pumped from Iraq to Turkey to help the victims of the earthquake. A meeting of Committee members was held in New York yesterday. It is reported that no objection has been received from member countries therefore it is expected that the UN Sanctions Committee will declare to the Iraqi Programme Office that it can pump the oil to Turkey. /Aksam/[06] CALL FOR INVESTMENTS IN TURKEYA forum organized by Credit Suisse_First Boston was held in Istanbul yesterday. Noted investors, analysts, representatives from investment banks and rating institutions, administrators of big companies and bureaucrats attended the forum during which business potential in Turkey and in regional countries via Turkey was promoted. Leading Turkish private sector institutions intensified their efforts to increase foreign investments in Turkey. The World Bank Director in Turkey, Ajay Chhibber, participated in a banquet given following the forum. /Aksam/[07] AELSAN TO MEET MARCONI CONCERNING SATELLITEThe Defence Industry Undersecretariat (SSM) will initially meet Matra Marconi concerning the satellite communications to be realized by ASELSAN. If no result is attained, there will be negotiations with Alcatel. Defence Industry Undersecretary Yalcin Burcak said following a meeting of the SSM Executive Committee attended by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Chief of General Staff, Gen.Huseyin Kivrikoglu, National Defence Minister Sebahattin Cakmakoglu and other high-level officials, that the cost of the project was $85-100 million. /Aksam/[08] IMKB INDEX RISESThe Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) National Index increased by 2.38 % yesterday. There was a 119-point increase in the Index. Meanwhile, according to an international advisory institution, Salomon Smith Barney, there is no serious problem with Turkey's privatization programme. Smith Barney analysts said that despite the earthquake disaster in Turkey, they did not think that there would be any deviation in Turkey's privatization programme. They also stated that Turkey could receive loans of $8-10 billion from the IMF and the World Bank. /Aksam/[09] INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN TURKEYA seminar on "Turkish Capital Markets and Investment Opportunities" organized by the Turco-British Business Council in London to promote Turkish capital markets and investment opportunities in Turkey for foreign firms will begin today. State Minister responsible for privatization Yuksel Yalova and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will take part in the seminar. /Aksam/[10] NEW SUPPORT FOR KOBIs IN THE DISASTER REGIONState Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan stated that loan debts borrowed by tradesmen, artisans and Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (KOBIs) from Halk Bank in the disaster region would be postponed for the three years. Ozkan issued a written statement yesterday and said that a series of decisions had been taken in order to heal the wounds in the disaster region. /Aksam/[11] DEMIREL VETOES THE AMNESTY LAWPresident Suleyman Demirel sent the Amnesty Law back to the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) in order for it to be discussed once again. When the TGNA is opened on October 1, Parliament Speaker Yildirim Akbulut will send the Amnesty Law to the Justice Commission. The Law could also be discussed by the Constitutional Commission if required to be in line with the Constitution. /Aksam/[12] COALITION PARTNERS MEETThe Chairmen of the three parties in power gathered yesterday in Ankara. The meeting was attended by Chairman of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Chairman of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli and Chairman of Motherland Party (ANAP) Mesut Yilmaz. Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Husamettin Ozkan was also present at the meeting. /Aksam/[13] GERMANY SUPPORTS TURKEY FOR THE EUGerman Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder stated that EU perspective should be presented to Turkey as soon as possible. Schroeder remarked that Turkey's EU membership would not be immediately realized and this was known by Turkey. He said: "However, Germany determinedly supports Turkey's efforts to be a full EU member. Our support will be in line with diplomatic rules". Schroeder stated that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had sent him a letter of thanks for German aid to help the victims of the earthquake in Turkey.Meanwhile, Gunter Verheugen, a German member of the new EU Commission, pointed out that dialogue with Turkey depended on the results obtained from the Helsinki Summit. He added that Turkey was a part of EU's enlargement process. /Aksam/ [14] DIPLOMATIC TRAFFICForeign Minister Ismail Cem will go to New York to attend 54th General Council of the UN on September 18-26 and then will proceed to Washington. Cem will meet Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreu. The second round of talks between Turkish and Greek officials will be held in Athens on September 9-10 and in Ankara on September 15-16. The Finnish Minister responsible for Foreign Trade and European Affairs, Kimmo Sasi, will come to Turkey on September 20. The Finnish Trade Minister will arrive in Turkey on September 29 while the Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini will visit Turkey on September 16. /Aksam/[15] GREECE NOT TO REMOVE ITS VETOThe Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis Kranidiotis stated that Greece would support EU aid worth 200 million Euro for Turkey however it would reserve its veto right for the Customs Union assistance fund. Kranidiotis made a statement to Reuters yesterday and said: "We want to help Turkey which experienced difficulties following the earthquake. We think that this is our humanitarian duty". /Aksam/[16] CEM IN LONDONForeign Minister Ismail Cem who is currently in London for a three-day official visit will initially meet British Special Envoy to Cyprus Sir David Hannay today. Cem will later come together with British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. Cook will give a luncheon in Cem's honour. /Aksam/[17] HUGE TOURNAMENT IN ANTALYAA huge football tournament will be held in Antalya to help the victims of the earthquake. Football teams B.Dortmund and Schalke 04 from Germany and Fenerbahce and Antalyaspor from Turkey will attend the Tournament. However the issue of whether Galatasaray or Besiktas from Turkey and Feyenoord or Ajax from the Netherlands will participate in the Tournament has not been determined yet. Meanwhile, Galatasary football team which went to Thesalonica yesterday to hold a match with the Greek PAOK football team was welcomed with great interest. The match will be held today. /Aksam/[18] ALATON: "EARTHQUAKE SHOWED THAT OUR NEIGHBOUR IS NOT AN ENEMY"Turkish businessman, Ishak Alaton, issued a statement to 'Newsweek' magazine and said that the earthquake had shown that Turkey's neighbour is not its enemy. /Hurriyet/[19] AYSEV'S CONCERT FOR THE VICTIMSOpera singer Hakan Aysev will give a concert in Germany on September 3 to help the victims of the earthquake in Turkey. Hakan Aysev will go to Germany as the guest of the German Government. German and US artists will also take part in the concert. /Hurriyet/[20] TENTCITY FROM COCA-COLAIn addition to its financial assistance, Coca-Cola has completed a tentcity for 2,000 people for the victims of the earthquake in the Marmara Region. The Company also sent $1 million to the region to support educational activities.Meanwhile, a delegation that arrived in Izmit on behalf of the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) as part of the Japanese Foreign Ministry has promised that 500 prefabricated houses will be initially constructed for the victims. The Head of the JICA, Naoyoshi Sasaki, said: "Our government will construct these houses by October 15 and our efforts will continue". /Star/ [21] CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT FOR THE VICTIMSThe Chinese Government has donated 100 tons of humanitarian aid consisting of blankets, tents and medicine to the victims of the earthquake in Turkey. A statement issued by the Chinese Embassy expressed the condolence of the Chinese people to the Turkish nation and said that aid worth $60,000 was sent from China to the Turkish Red Crescent and aid worth $40,000 from the Chinese Embassy to the disaster region. The statement remarked that Chinese Head of State Jiang Zemin and Prime Minister Zhu Rongji had expressed their condolences to their Turkish counterparts and said that Chinese people would continue with their efforts to reconstruct the disaster region. /Turkiye/[22] ADDITIONAL AID FROM EGYPTThe Egyptian Government has sent new aid on the ship 'Taba' in addition to its previous aid by 11 aircraft. A written statement issued by the Egyptian Embassy in Ankara said that the aid consisted of food, tents and sanitation equipment. /Turkiye/[23] ATATURK BOOKThe 'Ataturk Book' written by the British author Andrew Mango, who is known for his studies concerning Turkey and Turkish history, will be published. The book quotes various documents on the birth of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, and leader during the War of Independence. /Milliyet/[24] TURCO-GREEK DIALOGUE AFTER THE EARTHQUAKEThe Greek Embassy in Ankara published a newspaper announcement in which they thanked the Turkish people who presented their gratitude towards Greece due to the help they sent to Turkey after the earthquake disaster, reported the Anatolian News Agency.In the announcement that was published in some of newspapers, it was said: "It is impossible for us to thank the Turkish people, various institutions and the firms' representatives one by one, who have sent thanks to the Greek Embassy and the diplomatic representatives in Turkey in many ways (flower, telegraph and the sensitive messages) for coming to the Turkish people's help and for their sincerity. The Greek Embassy in Turkey is presenting its thanks and most sincere feelings to everyone for their friendship." [25] A MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATION FROM DEMIREL TO KERIMOVPresident, Suleyman Demirel, sent a message of congratulation to the President, Islam Kerimov for the eight anniversary of the Uzbekistan Republic's independence, reported the Anatolian News Agency.In a statement by the Presidential Press Centre, in his message, Demirel said, "I congratulate the eight anniversary of the Uzbekistan Republic's independence sincerely. I am watching the improvements of the Uzbekistan Republic in every field with gladness. The Turkish Republic is careful in her relations with the Uzbekistan Republic. We are determined to continue our efforts to strengthen the ties with our brotherly public that has been going on in the course of history. I wish you and the brother Uzbek people health and happiness." [26] OPERATIONS IN SOUTHEASTDuring operations that were held in the Southeast by security forces, 13 terrorists have been rendered ineffective, reported the Anatolian News Agency.In a statement by the Governor's Office of the State of Emergency Region, during the operations in the area, two terrorists were killed and one terrorist was captured injured in the Rutik region of the district of Lice, in Diyarbakir. During the operations that were held in Bitlis' district of Mutki, Mardin and its districts of Dargecit and Nusaybin and Van's district of Muradiye, nine terrorists were captured alive. Furthermore, one terrorist, who escaped from the organization, surrendered in Van's district of Catak. It was reported that operations in the region are still underway. [27] UNICEF FIELD OPERATIONS START IN DISASTER AREAFollowing last week's rapid assessment of needs in the affected areas, UNICEF, together with its partners, is launching a vast psycho-social programme for children, youths and their teachers in the affected areas, as a part of its Recovery Plan for Turkey's Children (RPTC). The plan covers all aspects of a child's well-being, physical, mental and emotional, with a series of relief measures aimed at re-establishing a sense of normality in the child's life. Clean water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as health and nutrition needs, are also addressed as a part of the integrated plan. /All papers/[28] CALIFORNIA HELPS THE VICTIMSPeople living in California have rolled up their sleeves to help the victims in Turkey. The Governor of California, Gray Davis, said: "Folowing such a disaster, we cannot ignore our friends on the other side of the world". Davis called upon all people to aid victims of the earthquake in Turkey. A draft accepted by the California Provincial Senate and the Assembly also wanted people to aid Turkey and expressed condolence for the victims. /Milliyet/[29] CEM: "EU IS OBLIGED"Foreign Minister Ismail Cem recalled that the financial assistance being vetoed by Greece within the structure of the EU for many years was actually within the framework of the EU's obligations. Evaluating the statements saying that the Greek veto might be removed, Cem said: "This aid is actually an EU obligation. We would be pleased if this amount is released to Turkey". /Milliyet/[30] OIL PRODUCTION IN ADIYAMANDuring the January-August 1999 period, the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) produced 6,318,000 barrels of oil in Adiyaman where Turkey's largest oil reserves lie. According to information furnished by the TPAO officials, the corporation meets 57% of Turkey's total production from the 168 oil wells in Adiyaman, the Anatolia News Agency reported. TPAO which aims to increase production by methods drilling all of the oil in the wells are doing production tests in Kilis and Sanliurfa and conducting search in Gaziantep and Hatay.[31] MULTILATERAL PEACE FORCE IN SOUTHEAST EUROPEAn inauguration ceremony for the Mulitaleral Peace Force in Southeast Europe will be held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on September 11. The Chief of the General Staff's General Secretariat stated Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, Deputy Chief of the General Staff General Edip Baser will attend the opening ceremony.Turkey will participate in the Peace Force as a brigade with a mechanized infantry unit, a reconnaissance squadron and an artillery battery. The Peace Force will engage in an operation to support peace with the decisions of the UN and OSCE . Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Macedonia and Romania will also participate in the Peace Force and the US and Slovenia will attend as observers, the Anatolia News Agency reported. [32] TURCO-GREEK BUSINESS COUNCIL REACTIVATEDThe Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK) decided to reactivate the Turco-Greek Business Council. The Chairman of DEIK, Fuat Miras in a statement during the meeting of the Executive Board today, said that they had decided to reactivate the Business Council. Recalling that DEIK suspended Turco-Greek Business Council relations on 26 February 1999 and it was stated that the Council would renew its studies following a change in Greek policy, Miras said that following the meetings between Turkish and Greek Foreign Ministers on 30 June 1999 the relations entered into a positive atmosphere.Miras added that constructive, sincere dialogue between the two States was welcomed by the two nations and the business circles took steps to reactivate the Turco-Greek Business Council. He also thanked the Greek nation, businessmen and government who did not spare any effort to help Turkey during the recent earthquake disaster. [33] HAZELNUT EXPORTSTurkey's exports of unshelled hazelnuts to various countries during the 1998-1999 seasonal term reached 173,559 tons. According to a statement issued by the Black Sea Exporters' Union, during this seasonal term which began on September 1, 1998, a foreign exchange input of $718.789 million was obtained, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[34] DRUG RAIDSDuring raids carried out in the Siverek and Akcakale districts of Sanliurfa, 73,660 roots of Indian hemp and 118.3 kilos of hashish were seized. Ten people were detained in connection with the incident and three more are still being sought. Officials said that an investigation into the incident was underway, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[35] THANKS AKUTThe members of the search and rescue organization (AKUT), were received yesterday by the leaders of the State. President Suleyman Demirel, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Yildirim Akbulut and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli received the AKUT volunteers and thanked them for their hard work and for rescuing hundreds of lives in the disaster. /Hurriyet/[36] TWO DHKP-C MILITANTS SEIZEDThe two members of the outlawed DHKP-C organization, Aydin Ertap and Savas Gursoy together with Umit Tiske who helped them, have been seized in Enez. The militants had killed PKK member Erkan Cam, and wounded Abdullah Beyhan and Zekiye Sultan Argun in Istanbul. /Hurriyet/[37] LETTER FROM TIM TO GREECEThe Chairman of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), Okan Oguz, asked Greek businessmen to strive to open the way for EU financial aid for Turkey. In his letter to the Chairman of the Greek Exporters' Assembly, Christina Sakellarides, Oguz thanked them for their help during the quake, and he wanted to see also their friendly efforts for the removal of the Greek veto against the EU's financial aid. According to the Customs Union Agreement with the EU, Turkey deserves financial aid of one million Euro. /Hurriyet/[38] INVITATION FROM EUThe European Union's Foreign Affairs Department of the Economic Social Committee invited Turkey to the 'Sustainable Full Membership Conference' which will be held in Brussels, on September 7-8th. Representatives of the 11 candidate countries which were included in the enlargement process of the EU, will participate in the conference. Turkey will attend the conference as the 12th country although she is not a candidate. The bid has gone to the Chairman of the Turkish-EU Joint Consultation Committee and the Head of the Executive Board of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Husamettin Kavi. Kavi will attend the meeting together with the Permanent Representative to Brussels and the Turkish Traders and Small Businessmen's Confederation's representative of the committee, Ahmet Ecmel Yorganci. /Hurriyet/[39] AID FROM GREEK TRADE-UNIONISTSGreek trade-unionists stated that they are thinking of inviting child victims of the disaster to their country and building a prefabricated village and school in Turkey. The General Director of the Greek Banks' Workers Trade-Union Federation, Dimitris Kouselas, and the General Secretary of International Relations, Dimitris Tsoukalas, who came to Turkey to help victims of the earthquake and to send them their messages of friendship, said that they would do their best to heal the wounds of the Turkish people. Furthermore, they said that they had come to Turkey to cooperate with trade-unionists in the banking sector and that they had launched an appeal for donations in the federation for the earthquake victims. The trade-unionists from Greece came to Turkey as the guest of the Banking and Insuranace Workers Trade-Union in Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/[40] THE BIGGEST NEED IS FOR PEACEPresident Suleyman Demirel published a message on 1st October, World Peace Day, in which he said: "The world is getting ready to the millenium with the hope of a better world. There are so many lessons to be taken from several incidents in the course of history. The most important of them is to recognize that the biggest need is for peace." The Prime Minister, Bulent Ecevit, stated, "Different cultures and faiths have been living in Anatolia for many years in peace and tolerance. The Turkish Republic is a secular and democratic state based on the supremacy of law. The Turkish Republic will go on participations in all activities that bring permanent peace both in Turkey and abroad."World Peace Day, September 1, was celebrated in Istanbul with various events that were organized by several democratic mass organizations./Cumhuriyet/[41] VETO IS OUT-DATEDWhile aid from Greece keeps on arriving in our country, the veto that is being imposed upon Turkey by Greece is being discussed. In a statement by the international surroundings, the veto that has been imposed upon Turkey since 1995, had begun to harm Turkey. According to the same surroundings, Greece found a great opportunity to escape from a strategy that has lost its power. They also state that even if Greece ends the veto during the Helsinki Summit, at the EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs's Summit, there is no money in Greece's funds to give to Turkey.The Greek press is warning Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Simitis, not to act opposite to his beliefs for the sake of political benefits. According to writers in the Greek press, if Simitis does not end the veto, he will give harm his country and negate any meaning to aid that Greece has sent to Turkey. [42] CITRUS FRUITSIt was reported that citrus fruit production has increased particularly in the Mediterranean region and that this area of Turkey is the leader in this field. During the Mediterranean Countries Citrus Fruits Network 's 2nd plenary session (MCCFN), the Deputy President of MCCFN, Prof. Dr. Onder Tuzcu said, "We want to be the world leader in this field."The host of the meeting was Cukurova University, Department of Garden Plants. Morocco, France, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Jordan and Tunis attended the meeting together with Albania and Georgia who attended the meeting for the first time. /Cumhuriyet/ [43] OSMAN OCALAN: PKK WILL NOT USE WEAPON ANY MOREHead of the PKK terrorist organization, Abdullah Ocalan's brother, Osman Ocalan said that the PKK had undertook to disarm and never use the weapons again. A French news agency, AFP, reported that Osman Ocalan said, "We are giving up the armed struggle. Osman Ocalan pointed out that the PKK was withdrawing from Turkey and said that this withdrawal would be completed by the end of this year. Ocalan stated that the process of converting the organization to a peaceful group involved determination and patience. /Cumhuriyet/[44] A TURKISH AND ISLAMIC MUSEUM IN HUNGARYA Turkish and Islamic Museum will be opened in Keszthely, Hungary, the Anatolia News Agency reports. Laszlo Czoma, Director General of Kastell Museum, stressed that there are many historical works of art belonging to the Ottoman Empire in Hungary that had been under Ottoman rule for 150 years.[45] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[46] DETERMINING THE POLICY -BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the Greek stance towards Turkey following the earthquake. A summary of his column is as follows:"The signs show that Greece is preparing to lift its veto against Turkey in the EU. However, we have to know whether this veto is against financial support that the EU had pledged long before, or for the new financial aid planned as a result of the earthquake disaster. Athens prefers a formula which would not put the Simitis Government in a difficult position by lifting the veto but at the same time provide help for the Turkish Government. Some observers close to the Greek Prime Minister believe that lifting the veto is preferred in the Foreign Ministry and Prime Ministry. Thus, we should not be surprised if Greece states that it has lifted the veto at the EU Foreign Ministers meeting at Helsinki. It should not be forgotten that Athens has been known to step back from some of its traditional policies as in its stances towards Macedonia, Albania and Bulgaria. Therefore it is possible that Greece can adjust its stance towards Turkey with the same pragmatic goals. The reasons leading the Simitis Government towards this goal are obvious. First of all there is the sentiment seen in the Greek people which is an increasingly important influence. Secondly there is the pressure coming from the European community and finally the desire of both Simitis and Papandreu to open a new leaf in relations with Turkey instead of quarrelling all the time. Certainly there are those in Greece who oppose such a view and who do not want Greece to budge an inch. The Simitis Government is left with the choice of not drawing up new policies for fear of the opposition or evaluate the new atmosphere created by the help over the earthquake for political rapprochement with Turkey. Certainly, as the Greek Governments makes political gestures towards Turkey it may want to gain advantages for its own interests. In fact, it is stated that Greece is expecting guarantees for the continuation of discussions concerning the membership of the Greek Cypriot Administration to the EU. The atmosphere of friendship seen between Turkey and Greece at the moment should not lead us to a premature idea such as both Athens and Ankara have left their old policies. On basic issues both sides are preserving their old stances. However, we expect both Governments to use this new friendly atmosphere to build up new strategies and in doing so, issues easier to solve can be handled first and then more complex issues could be discussed. When mutual trust is established it will be seen that all problems can be solved." [47] THE SUCCESS OF THE SOCIETY -BY ZEYNEP ATIKKAN (HURRIYET)Columnist Zeynep Atikkan writes on the President's veto of the Amnesty Bill. A summary of her column is as follows:"The veto of the Amnesty Bill will start a new political era. The reaction shown by society has led to the veto of the Bill. This marks a new beginning in viewing politics in Turkey. Turkish society which rushed to watch their televisions from the early hours of the earthquake on is preparing to politically eliminate the mentality which supported the Amnesty Bill. The necessary step of a society abiding by the law will be to eradicate such a mentality. As the corrupt establishment is being shaken all political steps should be taken after long deliberations. Only 227 deputies out of 550 voted for this Amnesty Bill and only 45 deputies opposed the Bill. The real problem lies with those who have neither supported nor opposed the Bill. Cowardice, out moded political thinking and the mentality of not hurting anyone is shown by them. During the hot debate which went on until the morning, 127 coalition deputies and 132 opposition deputes did not enter the sessions because they did not want to take the risk of saying no. Even the True Path Party Leader Ciller who went to ask the President to veto the Bill did not bother to use her own vote. Virtue Party leader Recai Kutan did not participate in the vote even though he was in the Parliament at the time. However, he knows how to criticise the Bill after it has passed. The problem is that there was no great opposition to the Amnesty Bill in Parliament. However, the logic, aim, and method of politics in the post-war world is different. Modern societies do not accept what they do not like. " Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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