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Turkish Press Review, 01-10-25
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Foreign
Press in Turkey
Turkish
Press Review >>
Press
Guide
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
25.10.2001
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER: "I TOOK THE PUBLIC SENSITIVITY INTO CONSIDERATION"
[02] SEZER TO MEET MUSHERREF
[03] A CALL FOR COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM
[04] YILMAZ: "LET'S TURN TO THE MAIN AGENDA"
[05] CEM TO HAND OVER BSEC TERM PRESIDENCY
[06] DERVIS TO HOLD CONTACTS ABROAD
[07] DERVIS SEES FURTHER FOREIGN LOAN NEWS ARRIVING NEXT WEEK
[08] CAKAN AND DERVIS SIGN PROTOCOL CONCERNING ENERGY
[09] EUROPE ASKS FOR CONCESSIONS
[10] COOPERATION WITH IRAN AGAINST TERRORISM
[11] SECOND TOUR FOR ESDP
[12] ANKARA IN TOUCH WITH UN
[13] PARRIS' COMMENTS ON TURKEY'S ROLE IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM
[14] GEN. BIR: TURKEY SHOULD BE KEPT OUT OF WAR
[15] "TIME" ON TURKEY'S SUPPORT TO THE US
[16] TASAR PRESENTS REPORT TO COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
[17] CILLER ASKS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF MINORITY GOVERNMENT
[18] BILL ON CIVIL CODE DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENTARY PLENARY SESSION
[19] PKK CASHING IN ON KURDISH RED CRESCENT DONATIONS
[20] BEKO ELECTRONIC'S SUCCESSS
[21] TURKISH EDUCATION IN EUROPE GROWING
[22] 100,000 DOLLARS TO NEMRUT
[23] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[24] RATTLE RATTLE BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)
[01] SEZER: "I TOOK THE PUBLIC SENSITIVITY INTO CONSIDERATION"
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday received the Turkish Grand National
Assembly (TGNA) Interparty Advisory Commission members, headed by
Motherland Party Deputy Yuksel Yalova. After the meeting Sezer expressed
his views on referendum discussions. Recalling that he had talked with
Premier Bulent Ecevit and Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi on the subject,
Sezer said, "Legally, to convey my views in a verbal or in a written
statement to the Parliament is not possible. Inclusion of Article 86 in
the package has decreased the value of all the amendments in the public's
eye. I had two options: If I vetoed the whole package, the work of the
Parliament would take a long time. If I submit the whole package to the
referendum, the whole package might be rejected in the wake of Article
86." Stressing that he had taken a risk by deciding a referendum on Article
86, Sezer remarked, "As I have no right to veto partially, I could not sent
only one article back to the Parliament. Indeed, I protected the
reputation of the Parliament, as well as, taking public sensitivity into
consideration. /Turkiye/
[02] SEZER TO MEET MUSHERREF
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is to travel to Pakistan today. Sezer is
expected to meet with Pakistani Head of State Pervez Musherref to display
Turkey's support for one of its allies and friends. Sezer will convey the
message to Musherref that Turkey stood by Pakistan in hard times due to the
US operation against Afghanistan. Sezer will repeat once again that Turkey
is ready to lend her full support to Pakistan. State Minister Sukru Sina
Gurel and Foreign Ministry Middle East Department Chairman Turkekul
Kurtekin will accompany Sezer during his visit. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] A CALL FOR COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister B�lent Ecevit made a call
for cooperation against terrorism on the occasion of the 56th ann�versary
of the establishment of the UN. Prime Minister Ecevit said that the UN's
first goal after the Sept.11 attacks should be to eradicate terr�rism
worldwide./H�rriyet/
[04] YILMAZ: "LET'S TURN TO THE MAIN AGENDA"
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said
that the referendum discussions should end soon and Turkey should return to
the country's main agenda. Speaking at his party's group meeting, Yilmaz
pointed out that an international fight against terrorism was continuing
and important developments have been occurring in the European Union which
might also affect Turkey's future. He added, "Politians, Parliament and the
Turkish public have much more important topics to discuss nowadays."
/Turkiye/
[05] CEM TO HAND OVER BSEC TERM PRESIDENCY
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will hand over the term presidency of the Black
Sea Economic cooperation (BSEC) Organization to Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Anatoly Zlenko during the fifth Foreign Ministerial Council of the BSEC to
be held in Antalya on Oct. 26. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement
that during Turkey's term presidency, the BSEC had managed to establish
itself as an organization and had begun to implement the "BSEC Economic
Agenda 2000." /Turkish Daily News/
[06] DERVIS TO HOLD CONTACTS ABROAD
State Minister Kemal Dervis will hold contacts in Italy and Canada for
foreign support. During the European Investment Bank (EIB) Mediterranean
Region Cooperation Meeting, Dervis will meet the French minister of finance,
Belgian minister of finance and the European Union (EU) commission member
responsible for macroeconomic and financial issues and the Chairman of the
EIB and following the meeting, with the G-7 Term President Italian Treasury
Minister. Dervis will attend the G-20 meeting to be held in Canada on Nov.
16-18. Following the meeting of the Council of Ministers, Dervis answered
journalists' questions and mentioned work concerning the manufacturing
industry. He said, "The legal preparations on this issue will be completed
and will be presented to the Council of Ministers tomorrow (today), and
scenarios on foreign financing will be given the final shape next week."
Meanwhile, the Treasury officials said that experts from the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank were working on the financial
sector. Officials said at the end of this work, the World Bank would
release the public financial sector reform loan amounting to 1.3 billion US
dollars. /Milliyet/
[07] DERVIS SEES FURTHER FOREIGN LOAN NEWS ARRIVING NEXT WEEK
Economy Minister Kemal Dervis said on Wednesday he expects to finalize
further foreign financing for Turkey's crisis-hit economy by next week.
Turkey, he said, needs up to $13 billion in additional lending to plug a
2002 financing gap as �t works to �mplement an International Monetary
Fund-backd rescue pact that emerged after the crisis struck in February. An
IMF team has begun arriving in Turkey, and Turkish officials will meet with
the visiting fund inspectors on Wednesday, he added. The IMF last week
warned that it was too early to discuss new loans for Turkey, but said it
was in broad agreement with Ankara over the country's 2002 budget. Dervis
said parliamentary approval of a law overhauling state tenders would be key
to future progress with the international lender. Dervis said a law
revising state tender methods should have been presented to Parliament on
Oct.15./Turkish News/
[08] CAKAN AND DERVIS SIGN PROTOCOL CONCERNING ENERGY
A disagreement between the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry and the
Treasury Undersecretariat concerning transition to the free market in
energy production has been ended with a protocol which was signed
yesterday. Under the protocol, concession agreements will be changed in
accordance with new conditions of guarantee. The Treaury will provide the
projects, which are scheduled to be implemented through 2002, with a 10-
year guarantee. State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis and Energy and
Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan concluded the protocol, on which
meetings have been held over the last three months. Cakan announced the
protocol which was signed by these two ministers at the Energy Ministry.
/Milliyet/
[09] EUROPE ASKS FOR CONCESSIONS
The European Parliament (EP) Plenary Session stated that Turkey should
assume a more moderate attitude concerning the issues of Cyprus and the
European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). EP's Turkey Report prepared by
French Christian-Democrat Parliamentarian Alain Lamassoure was discussed
during the Plenary Session. Parliamentarians who participated in the
discussions on Turkey said that they were pleased with the recent
constitutional amendment and added that reforms should begin to be
implemented as soon as possible. Criticizing Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas' refusal to attend the proximity talks
initiated by the UN, Lamassoure said while he was presenting his Turkey
report that Turkey should change its policies on the ESDP. The report will
be voted on at the EP today. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] COOPERATION WITH IRAN AGAINST TERRORISM
A statement of accord has been signed between Turkey and Iran to improve
cooperation against terrorism. The 8th Meeting of the Higher Security
Commission between Turkey and Iran ended yesterday. The meeting was a part
of the security cooperation meetings which have been held since 1992
between the two countries. Delivering a speech at the meeting, Interior
Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Muzaffer Ecemis said that there was no
dispute over borders or territories between Turkey and Iran, but that
certain terrorist organizations were causing problems at the borders.
Ecemis said that they were determined to fight together against terrorist
organizations which target Turkey and Iran. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] SECOND TOUR FOR ESDP
Turkey, the US and the UK are to meet in Ankara so as to contribute to the
efforts aimed at improving the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP)
process in favor of NATO, the EU and the non-EU members of NATO. This
meeting is considered as a continuation of efforts to prevent the exclusion
of non-EU members of NATO from the ESDP process. The second tour of the
confidential meetings between Turkey, the US, and the UK are to take place
in Ankara today. Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Ugur Ziyal,
Political Director Peter Ricketts from the UK and Assistant Political
Undersecretary Robert Bradtke from the US will attend the meeting. At a
press conference yesterday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said,
"The meeting aims to improve relations between NATO and the EU in favor of
all the member countries." Diplomatic sources said that the EU desired to
make improvements on the issue during the Laeken Summit and that the US
expected an agreement to be signed between NATO and the EU before the
Prague Summit. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] ANKARA IN TOUCH WITH UN
Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary to Afghanistan Aydemir Erman has
gone to New York to meet with Lathar Brahimi. The reason for his visit is
to discuss a future inclusive government to be established in Afghanistan
and also to place UN peacekeeping forces in Turkey./Milliyet/
[13] PARRIS' COMMENTS ON TURKEY'S ROLE IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM
Former US Ambassador to Turkey Mark Parris has said that while giving
logistic and other support to the operations in Afghanistan, Turkey should
not participate in the air or land military operations to be more
comfortable adding that the US was not asking such a thing from Turkey.
During a speech yesterday at the Middle East Institute, Washington-based
think tank, Parris said, "The terrorist Sept. 11 terrorist attacks showed
the real meaning of the "strategic partnership" between Turkey and the US.
As part of it, the Bush Administration could learn in eight months the
things which the Clinton administration took eight years to learn." Parris
warned the US to concerning Turkey, which supports the fight against
terrorism without precondition. He added, "According to public opinion
surveys, fully half of the Turkish public are against the US operations in
Afghanistan, and this rate increases when it comes to sending Turkish
soldiers. It would be better if the support to be given by Ankara were
limited to the sharing of its experience concerning logistics, intelligence
and operations." Parris further stated that the US would not let Turkey to
collapse economically and that it would bring failure if the US gets Turkey
involved in an operation against Iraq. /Sabah/
[14] GEN. BIR: TURKEY SHOULD BE KEPT OUT OF WAR
Retired Gen. Cevik Bir has called on those ruling the country to take all
measures necessary to keep Turkey as far as from the fighting in
Afghanistan as possible. Bir said that the terrorist attacks on the US had
marked the start of a new war for the new world order and that this war had
no goals and no limits. Drawing attention to Turkey's geopolitical
importance in the Middle East, Central Asia, the Balkans and the Caucasus,
he said that Turkey had become indispensable for any country wishing to see
stability in these regions. He said Turkey should use this status well. He
called for military, political, economic and cultural policies to be
implemented in coordination so as to make Turkey's position both
influential and defining. He remarked that bringing Iraq into the headlines
would result in an upsurge in PKK separatist terrorism and would ultimately
threaten Turkey's unity. /Turkish Daily News/
[15] "TIME" ON TURKEY'S SUPPORT TO THE US
Prominent US newsweekly Time magazine reports in its current issue that in
the international war against terrorism, the US will receive its greatest
help from Turkey. In an article by Andrew Purvis, the magazine remarks that
Turkey gained experience in the fight against terrorism in the 1990s, and
that the Turkish special forces had carried out successful operations
against the terrorist organization PKK, which resembles the Taleban in
Afghanistan. The article, adds: "Turkey is ready to enter the war against
terrorism. Two weeks ago, the coalition parties agreed to send soldiers to
Afghanistan if necessary. Its Incirlik Airbase has already started to help
refuil the ally planes. In addition, Turkey is the potential leader of a
peace force to be deployed in the region, post-Taleban." In addition,
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, released a statement to "Time" saying that
Turkey did not consider this war America's war only and that Turkey also
suffered from terrorism and, thus, the war was Turkey's as well. /Sabah/
[16] TASAR PRESENTS REPORT TO COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
Tourism Minister Mustafa Tasar presented a two-volume report to the Council
of Ministers yesterday. The report remarked that a sum of 250 million US
dollars was needed to meet the demands of the sector. The report listed
the demands of the tourism sector as follows: to provide charter planes
with cheap oil and not to collect air transport cost; to decrease Value
Added Tax on the low level just as in rival countries; to remove
restrictions on tourists for owning real estate in Turkey; to rescind a 50
dollars exit fee; to decrease landing and accomodation fees by 50% between
Nov. 1, 2001 and April 30, 2002; to provide airline companies with 50% fuel
oil subsidies and to decrease the passenger service price to 5 US dollars.
It was decided that a meeting to be chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister
Husamettin Ozkan will be held at the Council of Ministers for the tourism
sector. /Milliyet/
[17] CILLER ASKS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF MINORITY GOVERNMENT
Stresssing that her party aspires to form a minority government, True Path
Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller yesterday asked for Ecevit's support.
Addressing her party group meeting Ciller said, "Let us come into power as
a minority government. We will increase the growth rate to 7-8 % and then,
let's hold an election after a year; we hope to undertake this hard duty.
Mr. Premier, pay your debt to us. We brought you the power to open
Turkey's future and now it's your turn. Turkey has not even a day to lose,
an election is urgently needed." /Turkiye/
[18] BILL ON CIVIL CODE DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENTARY PLENARY SESSION
Debates concerning the Bill on Civil Code have begun in the Parliamentary
Plenary Session. Stating that the Turkish Parliament had experienced a day
which would leave its mark on history, Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk
said that the bill was a further step on path blazed by Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk for the Turkish nation. Prior to the discussions, representatives
from women's associations conveyed their thoughts and demands on the bill
to the members of political parties. /Cumhuriyet/
[19] PKK CASHING IN ON KURDISH RED CRESCENT DONATIONS
It has recently emerged that the terrorist Kurdish Worker's Party (PKK) has
been collecting protection money in various European countries under the
guise of collecting donations for the so called "Kurdish Red Crescent". A
brochure entitled "2001 Donation Campaign" disturbed by an organization
calling �tself the "Kurdish Red Crescent," which is know to be constantly
pumping money to the
PKK, revealed the connections between the "Kurdish Red Crescent" and the
PKK. "The aim of the Kurdish Red Crescent is to provide financial aid to
PKK, which is continuing its fight against the Turkish state," the brochure
stated "The Kurdish Red Crescent has offices in Britain, France, Germany,
the Netherlands, Greece and Norway"./Turkish News/
[20] BEKO ELECTRONIC'S SUCCESSS
Beko Electronics Company, which has been carrying out Total Productivity
Management (TPM) activities for four years, is in finals for the TPM
Perfection Award. The final determination of Beko was made by the Japanese
Institute of Plant Management (JIPM), which was established in order to
make Japanese management methodology and approaches widespread worldwide
and which is supported by the Japanese state institutions, and JIPM
announced that Beko Electronic was in the finals. If Beko Electronics wins
in the finals, it will be the first company funded by Turkish capital
having to garner the TPM Perfection Award. The awards will be given during
a ceremony to be held in Japan on Nov. 6. /Hurriyet/
[21] TURKISH EDUCATION IN EUROPE GROWING
A symposium entitled "Turkish as a Foreign Language in Europe" is to begin
today. The syposium was organised after the European Council declared this
year as "European Languages Year," and will be held by Hacettepe University
on Oct.25-26. In the symposium, issues will include teaching Turkish with
modern methods to the 1 million Turkish children at primary school level
living in European countries, promoting Turkish and Turkish culture in the
Turcology departments of European countries and educating Turkish teachers.
[22] 100,000 DOLLARS TO NEMRUT
Akbank and American Express Bank have decided to give 100,000 dollar to the
"Nemrut Conservation Project" in order to save the historic artifacts on
the Eastern mountain./Cumhuriyet/
[23] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[24] RATTLE RATTLE BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)
Columnist Oktay Eksi commented on the preliminary draft of the EU on Turco-
European relations. A summary of his column is as follows:
"The contents of the preliminary draft prepared by the European Union
bureaucrats regarding the Progress Report which will determine the future
of Turco-European relations was reported yesterday. The issue in question
is the preliminary draft.
This means that it may go through many changes, some parts of the draft may
be erased and new ones may emerge. However, a preliminary draft provides us
the opportunity to understand how the people preparing it are viewing the
issue. It is inevitable that we react to it when viewed from this point.
For example, the report states that Turkey did not specify its economic
priorities in the National Programme presented to Brussels seven months
ago. It adds that Turkey's discrimination against Cyprus (meaning the
Greek Cypriot Administration) was unacceptable. Furthermore, it goes on to
say that the program presented to them was not leading the way for or
facilitating developments. We are not citing other remarks made in the
draft. However, don't the bureaucats in Brussels know that when we
prepared and presented the National Programme to them, towards end of last
March,Turkey was exerting every effort to find additional funds from the
IMF and had to say 'yes' to everything the IMF and the World Bank asked
for? In such a situation what priority should Turkey have put in the report
to satisfy Brussels? At the time, the national priority was to avoid
bankruptcy and it remain so today. The Brussels bureaucrats must be living
in another world.They are talking about discrimination towards the ships of
a country the Republic of Turkey doesn't even recognize. Is Belgium (or
other European countries) permitting planes from theTurkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus airlines to land at its airports? Recently, Turkey has
amended its Constitution. It accepted all their requests, including those
on tobacco, sugar, arbitration and the telecom sector. Turkey has taken
great strides in abolishing the death penalty, and carried out reforms in
the execution system including the prisons. Without taking these into
consideration, who knows what they hope to achieve with these irascible,
negative statements, but it is certain that they have a lot to lose."
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