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Turkish Press Review, 01-02-13Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr><LINK href="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_yayinlarimiz_chr_pics_css_tpr.css" rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="20%"><_td> <td width="60%"><map name="FPMap1"> </map></td> <td width="20%"></td> </tr> <_table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="20%" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="10" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> Press & Information</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080"> Turkish Press</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080"> Foreign Press in Turkey</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080" bgcolor="#F0F0F0"> Turkish Press Review >></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080"> Press Guide</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <_td> <td width="80%" valign="top" style="border: 0 solid #808080" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="10" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="100%" style="border: 1 solid #808080"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="100%"> Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%">13.02.2001</td> </tr> </table> </td> <_tr> <tr> <td width="100%"> CONTENTS
[01] AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO CYPRUS, BANDLER : "SOLUTION IS TWO SEPARATE STATES"[02] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[03] ECEVIT'S MESSAGE TO SHARONPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent a congratulatory message to Ariel Sharon upon winning recent elections in Israel. Wishing Sharon success in establishing a government, Ecevit stated ,"I hope we will work together to improve the Turco-Israeli relations during your term in office." Ecevit added, "I also hope your government will contribute to the Middle East peace process. /Cumhuriyet/[04] MONUMENT OF SHAME'For the Memory of Armenians who died for France during the war' is inscribed on the Mausoleum, constructed for the Armenians, who fought with France against Turkey in World War I. On one side of the Mausoleum, next to the inscription in French and Armenian, the cities where the Armenians fought and died for France are listed. The names of those cities are as follows: Adana, Maras, Antep, Agri, Canakkale, Thessaloniki and Manastir. Umit Sen, who became an Armenian citizen and is a graduate of the Turkish Military College, said while enacting the so-called Armenian genocide bill, France was forgetting its own history. Sen added, "While enacting such laws, France should consider its own history first. France who put the native Armenians on the war field and, thus, carried out the real massacre, does not have the right to give us lessons on human rights. Between 1914 and 1918, more than 120,000 Armenians were forced to wear the French uniform and to fight against the Ottoman Empire, of which they were citizens." /Hurriyet/[05] NO RESPONSE FROM FRENCH PRIME MINISTER JOSPINFrance is still indifferent to Ankara's reaction to the approval of the so-called Armenian genocide. French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin has not replied to the letter sent by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit in the beginning of January. Reportedly the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared a reply letter two weeks ago but Jospin has not signed it. France's Ambassador to Ankara, Bernard Garcia, traveled to Paris for consultations about the latest developments concerning latest Turco-French relations. Turkey is expecting France to show her good will in reestablishing bilateral relations. Meanwhile, Armenian President Robert Kocharian traveled to France for a 5-day official visit. Answering questions from the French daily Le Figaro, Kocharian said Armenia got closer to Russia to maintain an equilibrium in the region as they had a security issue with Turkey. Stating the initiatives on the Armenian genocide were began by the Armenian diaspora, Kocharian said the Armenian government considered the issue to be one of the most important elements of their foreign policy. Stating Armenia would not officially demand land from Turkey, Kocharian said, "However, the victims of the genocide might personally demand indemnity from Turkey." Kocharian met with French President Jacques Chirac yesterday and is expected to meet with Prime Minister Jospin today. /Cumhuriyet/[06] GREEK PRESS CRITISIZE DECREE ON THE SO-CALLED GREEK GENOCIDEIt was reported the decree on the so-called Greek genocide, which damaged the rapprochement period between Turkey and Greece, has been changed. According to the Greek daily Eksusia, there was no statement on "genocide" when the decree was first prepared in 1998. On the first draft form of the decree, approved by the Greek Parliament, it was stated Greece and Turkey were at war and while both sides had made mistakes, the future generations should avoid repeating them. Eksusia columnist, Nikos Giorgiadis noted the changes to the decree and said they should be explained. According to the Greek press, the Greek Administration committed a grave mistake in bringing the decree, which also shocked diplomatic circles in Athens, into the agenda during the rapprochement period. /Cumhuriyet/[07] 'TURKISH CYPRIOT GENOCIDE' IN BRITISH ASSEMBLYA British parliamentarian presented a motion to recognize the "Turkish Cypriot Genocide" perpetrated by the Greek Cypriots in 1964, 1967 and 1974. Northern Ireland Union Party Strangford Deputy John Taylor called on the British government to recognize the Turkish-Cypriot Genocide. Taylor said details of the genocide could be found in Harry-Scott-Gibbons' book entitled "Genocide File". Stating the English archives also proved the genocide, Taylor said British newspapers of that period gave wide coverage to the Greek-Cypriot cruelties with photographs. Taylor demanded those responsibles for this savagery who are still living on the island, be brought before the law. /Cumhuriyet/[08] FRAMEWORK CONVENTION DOCUMENT TO BE VOTED ON FEBRUARY 15The Europan Parliament General Council will vote on the framework convention document concerning financial cooperation with Turkey on February 15. There will be a discussion on the issue February 14. The framework convention document is considered to be the legal base of Turkey's Accession Partnership Document. The report prepared by the Austrian socialist parliamentarian Johannes Swoboda, stated Turkey should be treated equally with other countries, and consequently Turkey should have the right to make use of all EU programs concerning financial matters. /Turkiye/[09] NEW PERIOD WITH IRANThe dialogue process between Iran and Turkey is beginning. While departing for an official visit to Teheran, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem gave a statement on the plane and said, "We are planning to start a new process of dialogue with Iran." Cem also answered a question concerning the claims that Iran wants to export some regimes to Turkey. Answering this question, Cem said, "No one is strong enough to export a regime to Turkey. Cem said, "Turkey is planning to take new steps in the fields of politics, security and economy with Iran, which is working to renew itself in the political arena. While answering a question concerning a file on the Hizbullah terrorist organization, Cem said, "The file was prepared by the Ministry of the Interior and these issues were discussed by the Supreme Security Committee established between the two countries." Cem added that good relations between Turkey and Iran brought an element of confidence in the region. /Aksam/[10] TGNA TO WORK HARDDeputy Chairmen of the coalition parties proposed the opposition parties to discuss 27 draft laws, which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) attached importance to. The discussions will be held everyday between 14 and 24, including the weekends, by the 1st of March. Electricity Market Draft Law, Personnel Retirement Savings and Investment System Draft Law, Sugar Market Draft Law and some draft laws for the clearance of some funds are among the draft laws planned to be enacted in the Plenary Session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. /Aksam/[11] AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO CYPRUS, BANDLER : "SOLUTION IS TWO SEPARATE STATES"The Greek-Cypriot daily Simerini stated the American Ambassador to Greek Cypriot Administration, Donald Bandler proposed a solution based on the establishment of two separate states to the Greek-Cyriot leader Glafkos Clerides. However, Clerides stated his disappointment with those Cypriot circles supporting this idea. /Turkiye/[12] MUTAFIAN TO MEET SEZERTurkish Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafian will visit President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) Omer Izgi, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and the Chief of the General Staff General Huseyin Kivrikoglu. In a statement issued by the Armenian Patriarch, Deputy Patriarch Arcbishop Sahan Sivaciyan and the Chairman of Clerical Council Episkopos Aram Ates will accompany Mutafian during his visits. The actions of the Armenian Diaspora, which brought the so-called Armenian claims to the agendas of various countries will be discussed. /Aksam/[13] ALIYEV POSTPONES HIS VISITIt was learned that Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev has postponed his visit to Turkey. This would have been his first visit since Ahmet Necdet Sezer had been elected President. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated the visit was postponed. So it didn't coincide with the Festival, and to prepare a more comprehensive itinerary. Aliyev's visit, which was planned to last for two days, will be extended. /Aksam/[14] SUSURLUK VERDICT :GUILTYA traffic accident involving a Mercedes Benz and a truck, which occured in the Susurluk district of Balikesir on Nov. 3, 1996, sent Turkey into a long-lasting shock over the shady relations between police officers, politicians and crime bosses which were revealed during the course of the investigation. After the Susurluk incident, in which two deputies of the True Path Party (DYP), one of whom had also served as interior minister, were implicated, the prosecutor filed charges of infiltration state by illegal gangs for 14 people, eight of whom were members of special police forces. The case ended yesterday with sentences that may be considered steep according to the Turkish Penal Code. Ibrahim Sahin, former Chairman of the Special Action Force of the Security Office, and Korkur Erken, former National Intelligence Organization (MIT) member, received six-year prison sentences each. /Turkish Daily News/[15] COOPERATION BETWEEN TURKEY AND RUSSIARussian Minister of Interior Affairs Vladimir Rushaylo arrived in Ankara to hold official contacts. It was stated the joint fight against crime would be the main topic of his meetings. Russia is more in favour of cooperating with Turkey on the fight against terrorism than in recent years. /Cumhuriyet/[16] IRAN WAITS FOR PRESIDENT SEZER'S VISITIranian Press stated Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's visit helped improve bilateral relations between Turkey and Iran. Iran News claimed Teheran was waiting for President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's visit. The daily also stated, "Iran wants to improve her relations with Turkey. We must emphasize our common points and common interests." /Cumhuriyet/[17] BALKAN SUMMIT IN PLOVDIVThe fourth annual tripartite summit between the Presidents of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania is slated to be held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria February 15-16. According to the Foreign Ministry statement, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will travel to Plovdiv February 15 to attend the summit. /Cumhuriyet/[18] TGNA DELEGATION IN GERMANYA Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) delegation chaired by Human Rights Commission Chairman Huseyin Akgul traveled to Berlin, the capitol of Germany. Akgul said the delegation went to Germany after visiting Denmark to continue evaluating the conditions and human rights issues of Turkish people living abroad. /Cumhuriyet/[19] TURCO-ISRAELI SUMMITRepresentatives from Turkish and Israeli firms met in Istanbul to discuss ways to cooperate in the Central Asian Republics. Turkish Eurasia Business Council Chairman Tugrul Erkin said Turkey was one of the first countries to launch initiatives in Central Asia at the beginning of the 1990s. Erkin said, "It is possible to cooperate with Israeli firms in Central Asia in light of the experience Turkish firms have gained." /Turkiye/[20] BEST TOURISM PERIOD THIS YEARChairman of Ogers Tourism's Executive Council Vural Oger said a great number of tourists are expected to visit Turkey this year. Stating it would be the best tourism period Turkey has ever seen, Oger said, "Three million tourists are expected to come from Germany this year. The total number of tourists will be 13 million and the total tourism revenue is expected to be 12 billion dollars." /Turkiye/[21] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO VISIT F-TYPE PRISONS IN TURKEYMinister of Justice, Hikmet Sami Turk, gave a positive answer to a request by the European Parliament to visit the F-type prisons in Turkey. According to the answer delivered to the European Parliament, a delegation of seven persons are expected to come to Turkey during the following weeks. /Milliyet/[22] AMERICAN TYPE HOUSES TO BE BROUGHT TO TURKEYWooden houses produced in the US and resistant to earthquakes, will be brought to Turkey. Minister of Public Works and Housing, Koray Aydin, said the American-type houses would meet Turkey's housing needs. An agreement will be signed between the two countries concerning the issue. /Sabah/[23] RAILWAY BETWEEN ISTANBUL AND TEHRAN TO BE CONSTRUCTEDMinister of Communication, Enis Oksuz, began the initiative for the railway between Istanbul and Teheran. He made an interesting proposal during his visit to Teheran last week. Oksuz suggested that Iran construct and manage the Istanbul-Teheran railway of 220 kilometers. Oksuz also brought a suggestion to the agenda that Trabzon, Erzincan and Teheran should be connected by railway. Oksuz, who made this proposal to his Iranian counterpart during his visit to Iran last week, said Iran has warmly welcomed this idea, which would cost 1 billion US dollars. /Aksam/[24] SPO AND TREASURY BUREAUCRATS' SUGGESTIONBureaucrats from the State Planning Organization (SPO) and the Treasury suggested some solutions to the problems of the real economy found in the reports presented to the Summit. According to information received, a solution envisages 85% of investment payments by the local administrations and municipalities be transferred to the Turkish Eximbank. The proposal argues that if accepted, the economy will be relieved in almost every field. The transfer of a source amounting to 300-500 trillion TL to the Turkish Eximbank with the condition of stopping the local administration investments will ease both the real and financial sectors. /Milliyet/[25] GOVERNMENT VOWS TO STICK TO PROGRAMPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit announced yesterday the government would swiftly enact a series of measures in the upcoming days to boost the real economy, but would damage not or deviate from the ongoing program at the same time. Ecevit said measures would include eliminating the red tape deterring investments and also measures to boost exports. The measures were reaffirmed by Minister of State Rustu Kazim Yucelen after second session of a cabinet meeting yesterday. Yucelen reiterated the common cabinet opinion that the IMF-backed economic program should be continued without compromise. /Turkish Daily News/[26] DEMIRALP: "POLITICAL STABILITY IS A MUST"The process to ease the financial bottleneck in the real sector is expected to cause distress during the meetings to be held with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp said, "During the Summit, the IMF will be assured of Turkey's political stability. Therefore this issue should be given great importance." The IMF delegation, chaired by the IMF's Chief to the Turkish Desk, Carlo Cottarelli, came to Ankara the day before and began by visiting the Treasury, Central Bank and Banking Regulation and Supervision Board. It was stated the banking issue would be discussed mostly and that World Bank Representative to Turkey, Ajay Chibber, would also attend the meetings. /Milliyet/[27] ADVERTISEMENT SECTOR INCREASES BY 14.6%The Advertisement sector increased by 14.6%. According to data received by the Association of Advertisors, the income earned by advertisement amounted to 1.231 million US dollars in 1999. While TV tops the list of advertisement incomes with 284.5 trillion TL, the amount of press advertisements totalled 271.8 trillion TL. Newspapers's share is 229.5 trillion TL and the magazins' share is 42.3 trillion TL in the advertisement incomes. /Sabah/[28] GERMAN BILD DAILY'S ARTICLE CONCERNING THE TOURISM IN TURKEYThe German daily 'Bild' published an article stating, "It is a recognized fact that Turkey is a holiday destination. Apart from having beaches with fine sands, romantic bays, family hotels with moderate prices and many facilities for sports, Turkey is only three hours far away on the plane." The 'Bild' described Fethiye as a 'heaven of sand' and wrote that Oludeniz had 'clear and limpid water'. The newspaper suggested Marmaris particularly for yachters and added that Kas was especially preferred by young people. /Hurriyet/[29] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[30] THERE IS EVEN A LIMIT TO NONSENSE BY SEMIH IDIZ (STAR)Columnist Semih Idiz comments on the draft reactivated by the Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos. A summary of his column is as follows:"What designs does the Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos have in authoring a draft claiming the Greeks of Anatolia were subjected to genocide by Turks? The answer cannot be anything else but bad intentions. Greek officials state Venizelos has activated a natural process. That is, whoever had been in Venizelos' place would have done the same. If this is true, Athens' excuse is worse than its fault as they mean to say that this not only binds Venizelos, but the Government. If so, there is a dangerous situation at hand. Within a 'raison d'etat' such a development could have been ignored because it would reflect adversely on the Turco-Greek raprochement. The person adding fuel to the fire is Venizelos. Therefore, it is inevitable not to conclude bad intentions. These intentions reflect the view that if Armenians are gaining ground by striking at Turks, Greeks should also exploit this opportunity. Moreover, it confirms the views held by some in Turkey that Greeks won't change, and animosity towards Turkey is second nature to them. However, I wonder when Evangelos Venizelos led this draft, did he think he was wiser than his namesake Eleftherios Venizelos? Does he know the facts better than his grandfather who proposed Mustafa Kemal as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize? That his grandfather did so after the bloody wars which resulted from adventurers in Athens and led to tragedy for the Greek nation? Like the Armenians, some Greeks are trying to use their dead for political gains. The idea behind this is clear. 'This is the right time to use every opportunity to defeat the Turks.' They do not show any respect to their own dead let alone the Turkish nation. The have to hit the Turks. In this case, the Greeks are in a sad situation. Contrary to the Armenian issue where the facts and folkloric problems are intertwined, it is well known by all the conditions under which the Greeks tried to occupy Anatolia, and at who's urging, their oppression against the Turks of Anatolia during this occupation, and how they were expelled from Anatolia. I have not read a single book claiming otherwise. Certainly, after burning bridges with these events it was impossible for the Greek minority to live in Anatolia, likewise the Turks in Greece. Therefore, the first official population exchange of the century was agreed upon. Hundreds of thousands of Turks had to leave their land in Greece, and close to one and a half million Greeks in Turkey. Following the losses suffered in the war this incident was indeed a catastrophy for the Greeks. Certainly, we do not forget the catastrophy the Turkish nation was subjected to with their occupation of Anatolia. When all this is clear, and that a few generals and a minister were executed for their part in the affair in Athens, it is shameful to come up with claims of genocide. If there had been no Greek occupation, would there be such incidents? According to some, there would not have been a Turkish Republic if it had not been for the Greek occupation. However, the estimates and the prevailing arrogance in Athens were proven wrong. If there are those who have such plans, it is evident they will be proven wrong in a short while. Even acting without sense has its limits." [31] THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ATHENS BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen comments on Turco-Greek relations. A summary of his column is as follows:"One could not think of a better initiative to destroy the recent rapprochement in Turco-Greek relations. If the action directed at registering the genocide against Anatolian Greeks by two members of the Greek Council of Ministers is not stopped at once, or the voting on such a law is not obstructed, all the recent efforts exerted to establish trust and friendship between the two nations will be in vain. A decree prepared by Culture minister Evangelos Venizelos and deputy Interior Minister Kostas Kaizerlis to declare 14 September as the 'Commemoration day for the Genocide of the Greeks in Asia Minor', and presented to President Kostas Stephanopoulos is like a stick of dynamite set at the roots of Turco-Greek relations. Do the two ministers not know that bringing up such an issue will lead to serious consequences? Is not this an arrogant challenge to Turkey, where sensitivity over claims of genocide is at its peak? If this is only the personal initiative of those two ministers and is contrary to the Greek official policy, it falls on the Simitis Government to obstruct the vote and relieve Turkey. In fact, a similar initiative was launched two years ago and a resolution on the issue was approved by the Greek parliament. However, with the softening up of Turco-Greek relations, this resolution was set aside and the necessary decree was prepared at the time. The reactivation of this decree by these two ministers is as significant as its surprising. Some officials in Athens say this initiative also surprised them. Did Prime Minister Simitis and Foreign Minister Papandreou really know nothing about this? Is this intended only for local politics? It will be more clearly understood in the coming days. However, the preparation of this decree languishing for two years, at a time when the campaign over Armenian genocide has increased and the French National Assembly has approved such a law, gives the impression that the initiators were encouraged by the recent events. Now, Turkey is faced with a campaign of accusation and slandering based on not only Armenian but also Greek genocide claims. A Greek Government spokesman says Turco-Greek relations should not be influenced by this. The Greek press is approaching the issue moderately, or at least is not making much noise as in past years. It seems that sensible Greeks are disturbed by this initiative and are concerned over its possible consequences. The Greek Foreign Ministry said to Ankara that the Simitis Government would seriously take up the issue and do what was necessary. The Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, currently visiting Jordan, is expected to exert efforts to avoid the passage of the law following his return to Athens. Greek diplomacy is aware that the initiative by the two Ministers will seriously damage Turco-Greek relations and lead to unnecessary tension. Therefore Greek diplomats are saying, 'Let's not exaggerate the issue and damage the positive climate.' As long as this issue is immediately and effectively stopped, it is the right thing to do." <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <dl> <dt>FORMER ISSUES</dt> </dl> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <_table> Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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