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Turkish Press Review, 02-05-30
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
30.05.2002
CONTENTS
[01] MGK TO CONVENE TODAY
[02] TURKISH TROOPS TO TRAVEL TO AFGHANISTAN ON JUNE 2
[03] DERVIS: �EARLY ELECTIONS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A DISASTER�
[04] TURKEY HAILS NATO-RUSSIA PACT WITH CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
[05] CHINESE PM PRESENTS THREE GIFTS TO BAHCELI AND TURKEY
[06] SCHILLY: �GERMANY OWES TURKEY A GREAT DEAL�
[07] TRNC TO INCREASE ITS TERRITORIAL WATERS
[08] TUSIAD: �THE DEATH PENALTY SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH LIFE IMPRISONMENT�
[09] US OFFICIAL: �TURKEY SHOULD COMPLETE ITS EU REFORMS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE�
[10] MRS. SEZER SUPPORTS EDUCATION IN BEYPAZARI
[11] GOMEZ: �THE EU SHOULD GIVE TURKEY A DATE�
[12] SPACE TURK GROUP STARTS SATELLITE PROJECT
[13] THY IMPROVES ITS MENU
[14] TURKISH-GERMAN FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATIONS HAND OUT HONORS
[15] DANISH DIRECTOR�S FILM PAYS TRIBUTE TO TURKISH CULTURE
[16] ISTANBUL TO HOST INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
[17] FROM THE COLUMNS�FROM THE COLUMNS�FROM THE COLUMNS�
[18] THIS MAY BE THE LAST CHANCE BY HURSIT GUNES (MILLIYET)
[19] A NEW PROPOSAL BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
[01] MGK TO CONVENE TODAY
The National Security Board (MGK) chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
will convene today at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. Deputy Prime
Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli will not
be at the meeting since he is currently paying an official visit to China.
However, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit who is in the process of recuperation
after leaving the hospital on Monday, said previously that he would be able
to attend if he feels well. During the meeting, topics to be taken up
include such issues as capital punishment, education and broadcasting in
mother tongues �- both obstacles before Turkey in its EU membership bid --
as well as abolition of Emergency Rule (OHAL) in southeastern Anatolia. The
Cyprus issue is also expected to be taken up at the meeting. /All Papers/
[02] TURKISH TROOPS TO TRAVEL TO AFGHANISTAN ON JUNE 2
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), which sent 269 soldiers this February to
Afghanistan, is getting ready to sent a much larger group which will push
the total Turkish contribution to about 1,400. The first contingent will
travel to the country on June 2. Addressing a sending-off ceremony held in
Mamak, Ankara yesterday, Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu
declared that the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) on
duty in Afghanistan was a part of the international fight against
terrorism. Reiterating Turkey�s pledge to command the ISAF for the next six
months, Gen. Kivrikoglu stated, �Turkey, a country which has suffered
greatly from terrorism and struggled with it for years, will take over the
ISAF command on June 20, 2002 from Britain.� He also made remarks that
Turkish troops numbering some 2,000 had contributed to peacekeeping in
various regions in the world including Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and
Kosovo. /Turkiye/
[03] DERVIS: �EARLY ELECTIONS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A DISASTER�
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis, Treasury Undersecretary Faik
Oztrak and Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti yesterday attended a
meeting in London organized by global financial services firm Morgan
Stanley. During the meeting, the three bureaucrats briefed some 50 foreign
investors on recent economic developments in Turkey. Speaking to
journalists after the meeting, Dervis stated that foreign investors had
full confidence in Turkey�s resolve to continue its economic stabilization
program. Remarking that Turkey had undergone significant changes over the
last 16 months, Dervis said, �Like all other democratic countries, there
might be changes in Turkey�s state structure. What is important is not to
deviate from the economic program. It�s incorrect to consider elections a
disaster and also unfair to assert that early elections would definitely
mess everything up and deal a great blow to the current economic balances.�
/Cumhuriyet/
[04] TURKEY HAILS NATO-RUSSIA PACT WITH CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
Turkey has hailed the recent signing of a partnership deal between NATO and
Russia with a cautious optimism. The Rome Declaration, which was signed two
days ago in Italy, shows NATO entering a new phase during which its
relations with its former foes will be reshaped. Turkey�s evaluation of the
issue can be summarized as follows: 1) Russia�s cooperation with NATO will
greatly contribute to peace and stability in Europe. 2) NATO�s new nemesis
has already been defined as international terrorism. 3) Turkey was the
first country to bring to NATO�s agenda the necessity of forming an
international front against terrorism. However, sometimes NATO itself
applies double standards on this issue. 4) The Russian Federation is well
known for its policy of trying to weaken the structures of certain Western
organizations by participating in their inner structures. This might cause
problems for some countries such as Turkey, which is part of a less stable
region than Europe. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] CHINESE PM PRESENTS THREE GIFTS TO BAHCELI AND TURKEY
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet
Bahceli yesterday was on the receiving end of three warm gestures from
Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji: one, China promised to work to sent more
tourists to Turkey and thanked Bahceli for his consistent policy on the
Xinjiang-Uighur region; two, China pledged to increase its annual 1,000-
vehicle import quota from Turkey to 1,250 vehicles; and three, as Bahceli
had requested, China will name a street in Shanghai �Ataturk Street� in
honor of the founder of the Turkish Republic. Bahceli is in the midst of an
eight-day official visit to China. /Hurriyet/
[06] SCHILLY: �GERMANY OWES TURKEY A GREAT DEAL�
German Interior Minister Otto Schilly yesterday attended an awards ceremony
organized by the Federation of German-Turkish Friendship Associations and
gave important messages about relations between Turkey, Germany and Europe.
Stating that Europe and Turkey were tied to each other with unbreakable
bonds and that they shared the same culture, Schilly said, �Turkey will
serve as a bridge in the dialogue between cultures and religions and form a
basic column in the architecture of the EU. I know I�m speaking a bit
emotionally, but we must open up the EU�s door to Turkey. This will be a
hard path for Turkey, but Europe needs Turkey urgently.� Saying that Turkey
was undergoing a difficult process which Germany too had once experienced,
Schilly added, �In addition, during the dark years of Nazi rule, Turkey
embraced and saved the lives of many German Jews. As a person who knows
this period well, I believe that we owe Turkey a great deal indeed.�
/Milliyet/
[07] TRNC TO INCREASE ITS TERRITORIAL WATERS
The government of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has
decided to increase its territorial waters from three miles to 12. A bill
regarding the topic was approved at the TRNC Cabinet meeting yesterday and
sent to Parliament to be debated with priority. Pointing out that TRNC�s
closest neighbor, the Greek Cypriot administration, had increased its
territorial waters to 12 miles, TRNC Public Works and Housing Minister
Salih Miroglu said that the decision was made within the framework of
�justice and equity.� /Turkiye/
[08] TUSIAD: �THE DEATH PENALTY SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH LIFE IMPRISONMENT�
The Turkish Association of Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD)
yesterday proposed that the death penalty should be replaced with life
prison sentences. The proposal came on the heels of Deputy Prime Minister
and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader�s Devlet Bahceli�s declarations
on the same subjects earlier this week. TUSIAD called for urgent steps to
meet European Union criteria for Turkey�s membership by taking out full-
page ads in Turkish newspapers. TUSIAD presented a 15-article law draft
meant as an alternative to the death penalty clauses in the Turkish Penal
Code (TCK), saying that they should be replaced with life imprisonment with
no possibility of parole. /Hurriyet/
[09] US OFFICIAL: �TURKEY SHOULD COMPLETE ITS EU REFORMS AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE�
A high-level US official reportedly stated yesterday that the US expected
Turkey to fulfill the European Union�s Copenhagen criteria as soon as
possible. Remarking that Turkey should immediately complete its reforms
concerning democratization and human rights, the official said, �Turkey has
a very successful economic program. The Turkish government has to display
great determination to continue this program in order to overcome all the
negative consequences of its recent financial crisis.� /Cumhuriyet/
[10] MRS. SEZER SUPPORTS EDUCATION IN BEYPAZARI
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer�s wife Semra Sezer yesterday lent her name to
the National Education Support Campaign by attending a graduation ceremony
for 128 students who had completed reading and writing courses given by the
Directorate of Public Education Center in the township of Beypazari near
Ankara. Mrs. Sezer told the successful students, �In learning how to read
and write, you have taken an important step in the path towards
enlightenment. Being a literate person will give you new responsibilities.�
Then Mrs. Sezer opened the Public Education Center�s end-of--year exhibit,
toured local historical houses, and gave plaques to the mothers and
families of martyrs in Beypazari. /Aksam/
[11] GOMEZ: �THE EU SHOULD GIVE TURKEY A DATE�
Renault International Operations Director and Oyak Renault Board of
Directors Chairman Manuel Gomez said yesterday that Turkey was �waiting for
a sign� from the European Union, namely a calendar that the EU should give
to Turkey to start its full membership process. �The EU should give Turkey
a date to start its full membership negotiations,� Gomez stated. Gomez
added that Turkey should be given time and opportunity to fulfill the
Copenhagen criteria /Hurriyet/
[12] SPACE TURK GROUP STARTS SATELLITE PROJECT
Space Turk Group, a joint endeavor of space scientists and research group
ATA-1 under the guidance of the Scientific and Technical Research Council
of Turkey (TUBITAK), announced yesterday that it planned to launch a 10-kg
�mini satellite� in five years� time. The launch date for the $10 million
satellite is scheduled for August 30, 2007, and it is planned to orbit the
earth for three years. /Aksam/
[13] THY IMPROVES ITS MENU
Turkish Airlines (THY) yesterday began to publicize its new and improved
menu selections, which it has already been serving on many flights since
the year began. Choices for diet-restricted passengers include choices such
as religious, medical, vegetarian and special meals. With these selections,
THY is now able to serve the needs of its kosher Jewish and Hindu
passengers. /Aksam/
[14] TURKISH-GERMAN FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATIONS HAND OUT HONORS
The Federation of German-Turkish Friendship Associations (DTF) yesterday
handed out a series of awards to individuals and institutions who have
furthered Turco-German ties. At the ceremony in Munich, DTF Chairman gave
German Interior Minister Otto Schilly the Award for Political Achievement
for his crafting of Germany�s immigration law and his efforts against
radical fundamentalism. Turkey�s Dogan Holding Chairman Aydin Dogan
received the press award for his international publications encouraging
bilateral rapprochement. Other award winners were the tourism award to Oger
Tours Chairman Vural Oger, for familiarizing the two cultures through
tourism; the culture award to Erkan Aki, a famous tenor living in
Switzerland; the humanity award to Thomas Neumann, who saved a Turkish
woman from committing suicide; and the sports award to football team
Cottbus Energie, for its efforts in eastern Germany to combat racism.
Finally, the jury�s Special Honor Award was given to Turkish Radio and
Television Corporation (TRT) Germany representative Cagatay Ozkan on behalf
of TRT. /Hurriyet/
[15] DANISH DIRECTOR�S FILM PAYS TRIBUTE TO TURKISH CULTURE
A movie entitled �Omfavn mig Maane� (Gonlumdeki Kosk Olmasa, or the Riches
of My Heart) shot by Danish movie director Elisabeth Rygaard will be
released on June 7 in Denmark and soon thereafter in Turkey. The movie
tells the story of a Turkish family which migrated to Denmark. Expressing
her admiration for Turkish culture, Rygaard said, �When I first visited
Turkey seven years ago, I was fascinated by a multicultural society and a
different understanding of Islam. I wanted to show everybody that Turkey
has a very unique and rich culture, so that�s why my movie focuses on the
enriching aspects of the Turkish culture such as minstrels, traditional
songs and poems.� /Cumhuriyet/
[16] ISTANBUL TO HOST INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
The sixth international environmental film festival organized by the
Turkish Cinema and Audiovisual Culture Foundation (TURSAK) will take place
on June 5-13 in Istanbul. Some 60 features films and documentaries from a
host of countries will be screened during the festival. /Cumhuriyet/
[17] FROM THE COLUMNS�FROM THE COLUMNS�FROM THE COLUMNS�
[18] THIS MAY BE THE LAST CHANCE BY HURSIT GUNES (MILLIYET)
Columnist Hursit Gunes writes on Turkey�s EU membership bid. A summary of
his column is as follows:
�Turkey�s journey on the road to be admitted into the EU makes a long
story. Many changes have occurred since the 1963 Ankara Agreement. The
European Economic Community (EEC), with which we had signed a preliminary
agreement, consisted of a customs union. The aim of the group we wanted to
get in was lifting all customs and allowing free circulation of labor,
capital and goods. In time this aim changed a great deal. Not only the
customs union but a single monetary unit came among the goals reached. The
idea of economic union turned into a political union, and a great distance
has been covered on the issue. During the first period, Turkey could not
benefit from the opportunities as it should have as it did not complete its
homework. It could not lift the barrier before as it did not put its
economic house in order and thereby establish stability. In time, the large
population of Turkey began to frighten the Europeans. This time the party
at the other end of the table began to drag its feet as there was a high
rate of unemployment in Europe. Turkey�s obtaining the right of free
circulation meant a boom in unemployment in Europe. Therefore, the right of
free circulation could be granted if labor was excluded. The Customs Union
we are a member of is not anything different than the EEC drawn up in 1963.
The EU is another issue totally different than the EEC. It is a structure
on the way to become a single state. It is a political union. There are
certain rules of this political union, namely human rights and
democratization. This is the field where Turkey is facing difficulties. In
one of his columns, Mehmet Y. Yilmaz argued that forcing Turkey to a lower
league could not be considered a nationalist move. During the years between
1963-1983, Turkey acted coolly towards the EEC out of the concern that
these states would exploit Turkey. Even today some businessmen are not in
favor of the EEC. Although different in nature, there are still some
objections today. However, at present Turkey�s big bosses are eager to get
in the EU. This is a welcome development. However, some political sectors
are still dragging their feet. This time they are using security as an
excuse. �Democratization� is not wanted for fear that the country may be
divided. Cyprus is another point of sensitivity due to dangers that may
come from abroad. However there are points we have to remember. An unsolved
issue is worse than a bad solution. Turkey may not be admitted to the EU.
However it doesn�t have the luxury of turning elsewhere. This is an
international political and geopolitical position. Another point we must
not forget is that rich countries do not face any threats to their national
union or integrity. We must stop finding excuses and avail ourselves of the
opportunities.�
[19] A NEW PROPOSAL BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
Columnist Gungor Mengi writes on Turkey�s relations with the EU and a new
proposal regarding the issue. A summary of his column is as follows:
�The Turkish Association of Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD) is
right in saying that Turkey�s EU membership should not be used as a tool
for internal politics. In its full-page ads, TUSIAD declares that the time
has come for a decision. �Turkey is at a crossroads. It will be clear what
kind of Turkey we will leave to our youth this year. Do we want to leave
them a Turkey where the standard of living is high and democratic values
are implemented at the highest level, and which has a strong economy
providing its youth with education and employment opportunities? Or do we
want to leave them a Turkey where economic tremors continue and the future
is uncertain due to unstable politics?� This is a choice between heaven and
hell, and no politician can defend hell. However, the provocations and
intrigues of irresponsible politicans may pave the road to hell. The True
Path Party (DYP) and Justice and Development Party (AKP), with an eye on
the votes of the grassroots of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), do not
want to be responsible for Turkey�s missing the chance of being admitted
into the EU. However, they both know that the EU is more important than the
continuation of the government. If the political provocations they have
based on the Ocalan issue trap the MHP, the government will be dissolved
and a new government open to the EU will be looked for. They are playing on
this possibility. We hope MHP leader Bahceli will be wise enough not
sacrifice the values of change he has brought to his party for a
provocation over Ocalan. In fact, the real question is not the execution of
Ocalan, but the fear that his pardon may come up in a few years. A strong
leadership could solve the issue, but at the moment there is no such leader
in Turkey. Today, its expected that the military will present suggestions
on the abolition of the death penalty and on broadcasting and education in
mother tongues at the National Security Council (MGK) meeting. We hope that
politicians can find a way without needing the help of the military for a
choice between heaven and hell.�
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