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Turkish Press Review, 02-04-18
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
18.04.2002
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER: �ISRAEL SHOULD WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY FROM PALESTINIAN CITIES�
[02] DERVIS: �TURKEY SHOULD GROW THIS YEAR�
[03] TURKEY RATIFIES UN CONVENTION ON TERRORIST BOMBINGS
[04] DENMARK�S PRIME MINISTER: �NAME CHANGE WON�T ALTER PKK�S STATUS�
[05] NEWSWEEK CRITICIZES EU�S TREATMENT OF TURKEY
[06] CHINESE PRIME MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL
[07] KOEHLER: �HANDS-OFF APPROACH WILL HELP TURKEY�S ECONOMY�
[08] OECD PREPARES TURKEY REPORT
[09] LATE PRESIDENT OZAL COMMEMORATED
[10] NEW PARTY TO BE UP AND RUNNING BY MONTH�S END
[11] SEPT. 11 �GROUND ZERO� PHOTO EXHIBIT TO TOUR TURKEY
[12] INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT INCREASES
[13] MOODY�S BOOSTS RATINGS FOR YAPI KREDI, AKBANK
[14] RAHMI KOC DECORATED WITH KAZAKH STATE MEDAL
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS�
[16] WHY? BY ALI SIRMEN (CUMHURIYET)
[17] THE RESULT OF A LACK OF INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
BY SAYGI OZTURK (STAR)
[01] SEZER: �ISRAEL SHOULD WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY FROM PALESTINIAN CITIES�
Speaking to reporters after meeting with his Latvian counterpart Vaira Vike
Freibega in Latvia�s capital Riga as part of an official visit, President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that Israel should withdraw immediately from
Palestinian cities in compliance with United Nations Security Council
Resolutions 1397, 1402 and 1403. Sezer also said that the US should put
pressure on both sides in the region to work for peace and that a positive
atmosphere should be created in order to restart the negotiations process.
/Hurriyet/
[02] DERVIS: �TURKEY SHOULD GROW THIS YEAR�
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis, who is in Germany for an
official visit, met yesterday with German Finance Minister Hans Eichel and
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Speaking to reporters after
meeting Eichel, Dervis said, �We discussed the improvements in the Turkish
economy as well as the Middle East situation and Turkish-EU relations.�
Dervis then met with Foreign Minister Fischer. Dervis told reporters
afterwards that the year 2001 had been a very challenging year for Turkey,
but that with economic reforms and better budget policies the Turkish
economy was improving. Dervis also said that Turkey had received support
from the IMF and from friendly nations such as Germany. �We are expecting
economic growth this year,� Dervis added. /Hurriyet/
[03] TURKEY RATIFIES UN CONVENTION ON TERRORIST BOMBINGS
Turkey yesterday ratified the United Nations Convention for the Suppression
of Terrorist Bombings, while placing reservations on Articles 9, 12 and 19
as well as the first paragraph of Article 20. The convention applies to the
offence of the delivery or placement of an explosive in a public area with
the intent of causing death, injury, or destruction resulting in major
economic loss. Under the convention, parties are required to make such
offences punishable under their domestic laws. The convention stresses that
acts of terrorism are under no circumstances justifiable by consideration
of political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic or religious
reasons and that perpetrators of such acts must receive heavy punishment.
While ratifying the convention, Turkey has stated that it will not be bound
by the first paragraph of Article 20, which states that any dispute between
two or more states concerning the interpretation or application of the
convention which cannot be settled through negotiations within a reasonable
period of time shall be submitted to arbitration. The same paragraph also
says that in the case of a failure to reach agreement on the organization
of arbitration within six months, any one of those parties may refer the
dispute to the International Court of Justice. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] DENMARK�S PRIME MINISTER: �NAME CHANGE WON�T ALTER PKK�S STATUS�
Danish Prime Minister Anders Rasmussen said yesterday that the recently
announced name change of the PKK terrorist organization would not alter its
status. Denmark is due to assume the European Union rotating term
presidency in July and hold it through year�s end. /Sabah/
[05] NEWSWEEK CRITICIZES EU�S TREATMENT OF TURKEY
The current issue of Newsweek International features an article on Turkish-
EU relations entitled �Europe�s Orphan� written jointly by magazine staffer
Owen Matthews and Turkish journalist Sami Kohen. In the piece, the writers
criticize the European Union for its tendency to take the Turkish-EU
friendship for granted, saying, �Turkey is heading for a major crisis in
its relations with the European Union, and that could in turn trigger a
major rethink of just who its real friends are � and where its best
strategic interests lie.� Reproving the EU for �dealing with Turkey as if
it were an impoverished Eastern European nation with no option but to go
along with Brussels�s every whim,��the article remarks that Europe�s
assumption that Turkey will wait patiently to join its Union, making
whatever social and political changes that Brussels deems appropriate, is
today less likely to be true than it once was. In addition, Matthews and
Kohen note, �As it stands now, Turkey may officially be a candidate for
European membership � but it receives no structural funds to help undertake
reforms.� The magazine also stresses that since Turkey has other
alternatives to the EU, unlike other membership candidates, the Union
should �reward Turkey for how far it has come rather than constantly
reminding it of how far it has to go.� /Cumhuriyet/
[06] CHINESE PRIME MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL
Chinese Prime Minister Rongji Zhu proceeded to Istanbul yesterday after
completing his official contacts in Ankara. State Minister Tunca Toskay
hosted a dinner in the visiting premier�s honor last night. Rongji is the
first Chinese prime minister to visit Turkey in over 15 years. /Star/
[07] KOEHLER: �HANDS-OFF APPROACH WILL HELP TURKEY�S ECONOMY�
Following the International Monetary Fund�s (IMF) approval of a $1.1
billion loan tranche to Turkey earlier this week IMF Managing Director
Horst Koehler spoke on the Turkish economy yesterday in Washington. �If
politicians do more to keep their hands off, the Turkish economy will
improve,� the IMF director remarked. Pointing to the importance of the
restoring trust in the markets, Koehler stated, �Turkey should carry out
only the program which we agreed on.� Commenting that the crisis in the
Middle East and related increases in oil prices represented new risks for
Turkey�s economy, Kohler said, �This situation may cause difficulties in
putting the Turkish economy back on track.� He added, however, �I have no
doubts that Turkey will overcome its difficulties.� He also characterized
the government�s targeted 3% growth rate for this year as �within reach.�
/Star/
[08] OECD PREPARES TURKEY REPORT
State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel held a press conference yesterday
concerning a report on Turkey to be prepared by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Gurel stated that the report
was being prepared at Turkey�s own behest and with financial contributions
from the government. He added that he was representing Turkey�s interests
in the report�s preparation and that a final draft was already in the
works. /Aksam/
[09] LATE PRESIDENT OZAL COMMEMORATED
Ceremonies were held yesterday to honor late President Turgut Ozal on the
ninth anniversary of his passing away. At a ceremony held in Istanbul by
his grave, relatives of Ozal and other citizens, as well as members and
current leader Mesut Yilmaz of the Motherland Party (ANAP), the party Ozal
founded, gathered together to honor his memory. Additionally, other
meetings and panels throughout Turkey discussed the statesman�s vision and
his contributions to the nation. /All Papers/
[10] NEW PARTY TO BE UP AND RUNNING BY MONTH�S END
Members of the nascent Social Democratic People�s Party (SDHP), led by
former parliamentarian Murat Karayalcin, are expected to submit an official
petition for the party�s establishment to the Interior Ministry on April
26. Thereafter, the party�s administrative posts will be filled. The new
party�s emblem is a human figure carrying an olive branch. /Star/
[11] SEPT. 11 �GROUND ZERO� PHOTO EXHIBIT TO TOUR TURKEY
A display of photographs of the former World Trade Center site, known
widely in the United States as �Ground Zero�, is currently being exhibited
at the Turkish-American Association Gallery in New York City and is set to
come to Turkey this summer. The 27-photo exhibit of the work of famed
photographer Joel Meyerowitz, entitled �After September 11: Images from
Ground Zero,� will be in New York through April 30 and is to proceed
thereafter to Ankara, Izmir, and Bursa. The show is sponsored by the US
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT INCREASES
Capacity usage ratio in Turkey�s manufacturing sector rose to the 75.2%
last month, the State Institute Of Statistics (DIE) reported yesterday. The
ratio was the highest recorded since November 2000 before the onset of the
most recent domestic economic crisis. According to the DIE, a decreased
shortfall in consumer demand helped boost the figure. While the shortfall
in March 2001 was 57.2%, it was only 54.9% this March. Capacity usage ratio
for last March stood at 70.7%. The same ratio was %72.1 this February. /
Hurriyet/
[13] MOODY�S BOOSTS RATINGS FOR YAPI KREDI, AKBANK
International rating company Moody�s yesterday announced improved ratings
for Yapi Kredi Bank and Akbank. In the foreign exchange deposit category,
it gave a �B3� rating to Yapi Kredi in the long term, a �prime� rating in
the short term and a �D� for financial strength. In addition, Moody�s gave
a �Baa2� to Yapi Kredi in terms of the Turkish lira for long- and short-
term deposits. It also increased its ratings for Akbank, whose financial
strength rating is �D+,� from �stable� to �positive.� /Aksam/
[14] RAHMI KOC DECORATED WITH KAZAKH STATE MEDAL
Koc Holding Board of Directors Chairman Rahmi Koc was decorated yesterday
with the State Medal of Kazakhstan in recognition of his company�s
successful investments in that country. The medal was bestowed on Koc by
Kazakh Ambassador to Turkey Kayrat Saribay on behalf of Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbayev. /Turkiye/
[15] FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS�
[16] WHY? BY ALI SIRMEN (CUMHURIYET)
Columnist Ali Sirmen comments on the name change of the terrorist PKK
organisation and the EU�s requests from Turkey. A summary of his column is
as follows:
�This week, when Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz was meeting with EU
officials in Brussels, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem was in Luxembourg at the
Turkey-EU Association Council. At the end of the meetings, an optimistic
mood was observed on the Turkish side. Deputy Prime Minister Yilmaz
predicted that the PKK and DHKP-C would be added to the EU�s terrorist
organizations list. However, the PKK had already announced that it would no
longer engage in terrorist activities and had entered a new stage as the
�democratic party� of the Kurds. The election of Abdullah Ocalan as the
group�s chairman didn�t attract anyone�s interest. It was rather
interesting to see these two developments happen simultaneously. Some PKK
officials asked about the odd synchronicity tried to brush the issue off by
saying that it was merely a coincidence and that nobody had planned it that
way. However they added that this question should be posed to EU officials.
Those who knew how to read the developments didn�t share the optimism
prevailing after Yilmaz�s announcement. We shall see whether the
organization which reportedly will be included on the list will be
restricted only to the PKK, which is said to be left in the past, or
notwithstanding the name change, will the new organization be added to the
list? Foreign Minister Cem repeated his request for definite a date for
accession negotiations during his meetings in Luxembourg. EU officials
turned him down. However, while not forgetting to praise recent progress in
Turkey, his counterparts pointed out their inadequacy but added that if all
went well and Turkey fulfilled its obligations, they could set a date in
December. This created some optimism, although nothing had changed in the
requests from Turkey. Although the possibility has been mentioned, it
doesn�t necessarily follow that a date will actually be set in December.
Therefore, there is no need to be angry with the EU officials. If no solid
steps are taken for harmonization with the EU, why are we requesting to
become a member?�
[17] THE RESULT OF A LACK OF INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
BY SAYGI OZTURK (STAR)
Columnist Saygi Ozturk points to the importance dialogue between religions.
A summary of his column is as follows:
�President Makarios in Cyprus was a man of religion. However, he was also a
man who exploited religion for political ends, armed his community to
eradicate Islam on the island and provoked the people to attack Turks. The
intrigues of Archbishop Makarios led to the Turkish Peace Operation in
1974. This in turn resulted in bloodshed, and the third-largest island in
the Mediterranean was divided into two. It is clearly seen in the villages
of Sandallar and Murataga how the exploitation of religion for political
purposes can lead to great massacres. You can listen to the stories of
massacres committed without even sparing women or children and see that
peace is still far from Cyprus, even though it should be an island of
peace. Yesterday interfaith dialogue and tolerance were the topics
discussed at the Fifth Eurasian Islamic Council meeting. Scholars and men
of faith expressed their views on the issues and stressed the significance
of such issues. For example, Seljuk University Theology Department Dean
Mehmet Aydin stated that the era of the Prophet Mohammed was full of
examples of tolerance between religions. He added that they believed all of
mankind should heed the calls for dialogue between religions and
civilizations. Aydin said that terrorist activities based on oppression and
tears had no place in any religion, and that all religious leaders and
communities should extend a hand of friendship to each other. �Under no
circumstances should �Islam� and �terrorism� be pronounced in the same
breath� he asserted. �Those who link Islam or any other religion together
with terrorism are either ignorant fanatics or selfish people hardened by
political ambitions, unaware of the teachings of other religions. World
peace will be established not by them but by those who are compassionate.�
During the meeting it was also stated that the historical record of wars
waged in the name of religion represented nothing but the exploitation of
faiths for political purposes, ignorant of their true teachings. The
participants also stated that there was only one way to end violence on
earth and that was through meeting the priest with the rabbi, the rabbi
with the hodja, and the hodja with the priest. �Interreligious dialogue
will bring love and peace to all religions.� The gathering of various
countries� representatives in Cyprus was an important development for this
country. TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu said that the presence of so
many countries� representatives at the meeting should send an important
message to those countries which choose not to recognize the TRNC�s
existence. He added that they expected these representatives to voice the
real facts in their own countries and to stand by Cyprus in its just
struggle.�
ARCHIVE
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