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Turkish Press Review, 03-09-23
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
23.09.2003
FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS�
CONTENTS
[01] GUL: �MY WARNINGS TO THE US WENT UNHEEDED�
[02] CHIRAC: �TURKEY WILL JOIN THE EU AFTER FULFILLING THE COPENHAGEN CRITERIA�
[03] BRITISH AMBASSADOR WESTMACOTT: �I HOPE TURKEY DECIDES TO SEND TROOPS TO IRAQ�
[04] AMERICAN-TURKISH COUNCIL DELEGATION TO VISIT TURKEY
[05] TURKISH COORDINATION TEAM ARRIVES IN BAGHDAD
[06] IKDP LEADER BARZANI CALLS ON ARABS TO LEAVE NORTHERN IRAQ
[07] TURKEY, US SIGN $8.5 BILLION LOAN AGREEMENT
[08] IMF HEAD KOEHLER PRAISES ANKARA�S ADHERENCE TO ECONOMIC PROGRAM
[09] TURKISH VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS DEFEAT RUSSIAN TEAM
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS�
[11] THE UNITED NATIONS AND LEGITIMACY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[01] GUL: �MY WARNINGS TO THE US WENT UNHEEDED�
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who is currently in New York to attend
meetings of the United Nations General Assembly, said yesterday that he had
warned the US of the inherent dangers of its Iraq occupation, but to no
avail. Speaking to reporters at a reception in his honor at New York�s
Turkish House, Gul said, �I told US officials that we could deal with
taking care of the Iraqis� basic needs while they try to establish security
in the country. However, I received no timely reply and today�s chaos is
what ensued.� Concerning a possible Turkish troop deployment in Iraq, Gul
stated that Turkish officials had made comprehensive observations and
evaluations and had contacts with regional leaders. Regarding the fight
against the terrorist group PKK_KADEK in northern Iraq, Gul said, �As the
US included the PKK on its list of terrorist groups, they are obliged to
fight against it. Otherwise they cast their pledge to fight terrorism into
doubt.� He added that this issue wasn�t related to Turkey�s possibly
sending troops to Iraq, saying, �Whether or not we send troops, I�m sure
the US will deal seriously with this problem.� In an interview with Reuters,
Gul also stated that "so far, [Turkish] public opinion is not satisfied"
with Washington's handling of the PKK presence, adding that it "should be
handled more seriously" by the US. "We expect concrete action from the
Americans," Gul said. /All Papers/
[02] CHIRAC: �TURKEY WILL JOIN THE EU AFTER FULFILLING THE COPENHAGEN
CRITERIA�
French President Jacques Chirac said yesterday that Turkey would join the
ranks of the European Union after fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria.
�These criteria include in particular political conditions concerning human
rights, and also economic conditions,� said Chirac. �Turkey hasn�t yet
completed the criteria, but Turkish officials are determined to. If they
can do so, then Turkey will join the Union.� Chirac added that the pricetag
to the EU of Turkey�s membership would total 14 billion euros. /Aksam/
[03] BRITISH AMBASSADOR WESTMACOTT: �I HOPE TURKEY DECIDES TO SEND TROOPS
TO IRAQ�
Peter Westmacott, Britain�s ambassador to Turkey, said yesterday that he
hoped Turkey would decide to send its soldiers to Iraq. Speaking to
reporters, Westmacott said that it would be appropriate to deploy Turkish
soldiers in the country, except in Kurdish areas, and that it was natural
that talks between Turkey and the US over the deployment issue were
proceeding deliberately, adding that he saw no delay. Westmacott added that
British Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Michael Walker and Armed Forces
Minister Adam Ingram would arrive in Ankara on Sunday to discuss the issue
with Turkish officials. Britain, an original coalition partner in the Iraq
war, still has one of the largest military presences in the country.
/Aksam/
[04] AMERICAN-TURKISH COUNCIL DELEGATION TO VISIT TURKEY
A delegation from the American-Turkish Council (ATC) is set to visit Turkey
for a week beginning this Thursday. As part of its contacts, the delegation
headed by former US National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft will hold a
panel in Istanbul entitled, �Turkey and the US in the New Middle East.� In
addition, another US delegation headed by Cofer Black, the anti-terrorism
chief at the US State Department, is scheduled to arrive in Ankara next
week to take up a second round of discussions with Turkish officials
regarding eliminating the terrorist group PKK/KADEK from northern Iraq.
/Turkiye_
[05] TURKISH COORDINATION TEAM ARRIVES IN BAGHDAD
A statement issued yesterday by the Turkish General Staff said that a
coordination team consisting of two officers and two noncommissioned
officers had arrived in Baghdad to work at the US headquarters there. The
Turkish officials are charged with ensuring coordination when necessary
between Turkish special forces and US officials currently serving in
northern Iraq. /Turkiye/
[06] IKDP LEADER BARZANI CALLS ON ARABS TO LEAVE NORTHERN IRAQ
Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Massoud Barzani said
yesterday that he had begun an initiative in the United Nations and the US
administration to urge Arabs currently living in northern Iraq to leave the
region. He stated that Paul Bremer, the US civilian administrator in Iraq,
had pledged to establish a commission to resolve the issue. Speaking to
German daily Frankfurter Rundschau, Barzani said that the Arabs living in
Kurdish-majority areas in northern Iraq were brought there during Saddam
Hussein�s rule in order to �Arabize� the region, or boost its Arab
population. �These Arabs should leave now,� said Barzani. In addition,
Barzani reiterated his view that he was opposed to any troops being sent to
northern Iraq from other countries in the region, including Turkey.
/Turkiye/
[07] TURKEY, US SIGN $8.5 BILLION LOAN AGREEMENT
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan and US Treasury Secretary John
Snow yesterday signed a long-awaited $8.5 billion US loan agreement.
Speaking afterwards, Snow said that the loan was not related to the
question of Turkey possibly sending troops to Iraq. �This assistance
package and Turkey sending troops to Iraq are two distinct and separate
issues,� said Snow. �The agreement does, however, require Turkey to
cooperate with the US in Iraq.� Snow further stated that Turkey was a
valuable regional ally of the US, a partner in the global war on terrorism
and a �strong and economically stable democracy in the Islamic world.� Snow
said the package would help to mend Turkish-US ties, adding, �It is in the
US� interests that Turkey maintain its economic stability and continue its
ambitious economic and political process.� Babacan called the loan deal a
�concrete symbol of Turkish-American relations.� The loan has a 10-year
maturity period and is to be paid out in four equal disbursements over an
approximately one-year period. /All papers/
[08] IMF HEAD KOEHLER PRAISES ANKARA�S ADHERENCE TO ECONOMIC PROGRAM
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with International
Monetary Fund Head Horst Koehler to discuss recent domestic economic
developments on the sidelines of the current Dubai economic meetings.
During their talks, Koehler praised Ankara�s full implementation of the IMF-
supported economic program, adding that he hoped this would continue.
Speaking afterwards, Erdogan said that the government would continue to
implement the program without any deviation. �There are local elections
ahead of us [next spring],� he said. �But our government will never pursue
populist policies and will instead continue the nation�s program with the
same determination.� Erdogan added that his meetings in Dubai had been very
fruitful. /All papers/
[09] TURKISH VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS DEFEAT RUSSIAN TEAM
During its fourth match last night in Ankara in the European Women�s
Voleyball Championships, the Turkish volleyball team defeated the Russian
team by 3-0. The Russian team had four Olympic wins, five world and 14
European championships under its belt. Turkey�s team, which also won its
three previous matches, is set to face Slovakia tomorrow. /All Papers/
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS�
[11] THE UNITED NATIONS AND LEGITIMACY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the role of the United Nations in
international politics. A summary of his column is as follows:
�The future of the United Nations is currently being discussed by the
international community, as the Iraq war has brought to the fore a host of
questions challenging the organization�s legitimacy through its exclusion
from any substantive role in guiding Iraq to self-governance. Countries
worldwide are now seeking new ways to help the UN quickly restore its
sovereignty and legitimacy.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recently sent a letter to all world leaders
urging them to unite behind a new global agenda and to develop common
strategies to tackle both hard threats like wars and terrorism as well as
soft ones like poverty. Annan also believes the world should take a hard
look at whether the UN needs �radical reform� to cope with new challenges
ranging from weapons proliferation to protecting human rights.
When it was first established after World War II, the UN had 51 members.
There were 15 countries in its initial Security Council, all of which had
the right of veto. Today the organization has 191 members. However, the
Security Council still has 15 members, but with only five of them having
the right of veto. Therefore, Annan suggested that the number of Security
Council members be increased and the veto-holders� ranks expanded as well.
Due to its small numbers, according to Annan, the body �lacks legitimacy in
the eyes of the developing world,� which is why he suggests, �let more veto-
wielding nations onto the Security Council, possibly including one from the
Middle East.�
He�s right. The UN needs drastic reform. Unless it catches up to today�s
conditions, it will lose its legitimacy and effectiveness. The Security
Council needs an expansion to make it more reflective of global realities.
However, let�s not forget that talk of true legitimacy for the UN is
utopian. Under today�s circumstances, it should not be expected to provide
military forces in troubled regions without the backing of sovereign
armies. As the Washington Post recently argued (Sept. 21), �The UN should
remain a forum for debate about international security issues and a source
of peacekeepers in places where there is already a peace to be kept or a
ruined society to help rebuild. It is unfair to expect an organization
composed of many states to function well as a decision-making body.� The UN
is an organization of independent countries, each seeking their own
national interests. As a matter of fact, UN decisions are taken according
to national interests. Sometimes it fails either to make necessary
decisions or to implement already made ones. We can�t even say that every
UN decision is fair. (Let�s recall Turkey�s experience on the Cyprus
issue.) I believe that we need to question whether or not the world should
consider the UN the only source of international legitimacy.�
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