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Turkish Press Review, 04-06-22
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
22.06.2004
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: �TURKEY SHOULD NO LONGER HAVE TO WAIT AT THE EU�S DOOR�
[02] GUL MEETS WITH TURKMEN FRONT HEAD ABDURRAHMAN, DISCUSSES IRAQ
[03] CABINET DISCUSSES NEW REFORM PACKAGES
[04] TALABANI VISITS ANKARA
[05] KOCAOGLU CHOSEN NEW IZMIR MAYOR
[06] WB�S VORKINK PRAISES TURKEY�S GROWTH, URGES CONTINUED REFORMS
[07] IMF�S MOGHADAM MEETS WITH BABACAN, DISCUSSES COMPLETION OF EIGHTH ECONOMIC REVIEW
[08] CAPACITY UTILIZATION SOARS IN MAY
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] WHAT�S CHANGED?
[11] BY SAHIN ALPAY (ZAMAN)
[01] ERDOGAN: �TURKEY SHOULD NO LONGER HAVE TO WAIT AT THE EU�S DOOR�
Addressing a symposium yesterday on Turkey�s harmonization to European
Union norms, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey had been
waiting at the EU door for the past 41 years, adding, �We should not be
made to wait any longer.� He stated that legislating certain reforms wasn�t
enough for Ankara to join the EU and so the government was striving to
actually implement these reforms. The premier said that Ankara would
overcome its deficiencies after beginning its accession talks with the EU.
�If Turkey is made to wait after the December EU summit [for a greenlight
for talks], then we would suspect other reasons behind this,� he said,
adding that the EU must be a place for a meeting of civilizations and not a
Christian club. Erdogan added that 75% of the nation supported Turkey�s EU
membership bid. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] GUL MEETS WITH TURKMEN FRONT HEAD ABDURRAHMAN, DISCUSSES IRAQ
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with visiting Iraqi Turkmen
Front leader Faruk Abdurrahman to discuss a number of issues. Speaking
afterwards, Gul said that Ankara would respect Iraqi decisions that serve
to uphold the country�s territorial integrity. �Iraq will reach peace and
stability through democratic means, and everybody will benefit from
prosperity through preserving Iraq�s political and territorial integrity in
this transition period,� said Gul. Asked about media reports that Israeli
operatives are training Kurdish peshmerga in northern Iraq, Gul said,
�We�ve been closely monitoring all developments in Iraq. We�re always
getting new information, and we issue warnings when necessary. Everybody
knows our sensitivities, especially regarding [the northern Iraqi city of]
Kirkuk.� He added, �Everybody knows very well that we absolutely won't
allow any fait accompli there,� alluding to any forced change in Kirkuk�s
ethnic makeup. /Milliyet/
[03] CABINET DISCUSSES NEW REFORM PACKAGES
Following a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek told
reporters that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul had shared their impressions of the recent European Union
summit in Brussels with their fellow Cabinet ministers. He stated that a
ninth reform package had also been discussed, one proposing amendments to
certain laws including the Board of Higher Education Law, the Supreme Board
of Radio and Television Law as well as the Penal Code. Cicek added that the
package might include some 40 articles. /Turkiye/
[04] TALABANI VISITS ANKARA
Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani arrived
late yesterday in Ankara to hold a series of contacts. Turkish Foreign
Ministry officials are expected to signal to Talabani that Ankara would not
oppose a federal structure in northern Irak, provided that it is within the
framework of the Iraqi Constitution. In addition, officials will express
Turkey�s concern over efforts to alter the demographic makeup of the
northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. A delegation headed by Ambassador Osman
Koruturk recently met also with Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP)
leader Massoud Barzani in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil (Erbil). In
related news, speaking to reporters upon his arrival, Barzani denied media
reports that Israel was training Kurdish peshmerga in northern Iraq. Asked
about the resumption of PKK terrorist attacks against Turkey, Barzani
stated that his party was opposed to all kinds of violence. /Turkiye/
[05] KOCAOGLU CHOSEN NEW IZMIR MAYOR
Izmir�s Greater Municipality Assembly yesterday chose Republican People�s
Party (CHP) candidate Aziz Kocaoglu as the mayoral successor to Ahmet
Piristina, who died of a heart attack last week. Speaking to the assembly,
Kocaoglu said that it would be difficult to fill the beloved mayor�s shoes
but that he would work hard and do his best. /Turkiye/
[06] WB�S VORKINK PRAISES TURKEY�S GROWTH, URGES CONTINUED REFORMS
World Bank Turkey Director Andrew Vorkink yesterday praised Turkey�s growth,
adding that it should continue its structural reforms. He warned that
Turkey�s social security system was �too generous,� adding that the system
could collapse within 15-20 years unless it was reformed immediately. �The
system can be balanced in 15 years if the government takes necessary
measures,� such as making high pensions subject to taxation and raising the
retirement age, he said. Vorkink also stated that the WB was following
developments in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, (TRNC), adding
that the TRNC was determined to implement necessary economic reforms.
Vorkink said that the WB would extend assistance to the TRNC after the
United States and the United Nations clarified their stance on it. /Aksam/
[07] IMF�S MOGHADAM MEETS WITH BABACAN, DISCUSSES COMPLETION OF EIGHTH
ECONOMIC REVIEW
International Monetary Fund Turkey Desk Chief Riza Moghadam yesterday met
with State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan to discuss the completion
of the eighth review of Turkey�s IMF-supported economic program. During
their meeting, the two discussed a number of issues, including tax and
social security reform, reducing public debt, and measures needed to
achieve sustainable growth. Moghadam�s IMF delegation is expected to leave
Ankara tomorrow. /Aksam/
[08] CAPACITY UTILIZATION SOARS IN MAY
A report released yesterday by the State Institute of Statistics (DIE) said
that capacity utilization in the production sector had risen to 84.3% in
May. The figure broke expectations and soared above the rate for the same
period last year, 78.7%. The capacity utilization rate is a key indicator
of industrial production and growth. /Turkiye/
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] WHAT�S CHANGED?
[11] BY SAHIN ALPAY (ZAMAN)
Columnist Sahin Alpay comments on the Greater Middle East Initiative (GME)
and its successor. A summary of his column is as follows:
�I once wrote that if the Greater Middle East Initiative (GME) meant that
Washington would abandon its policy of supporting authoritarian regimes
when doing so serves its interests and instead encourages democratization
in the region in cooperation with its European allies, this would be a
welcome development. As soon as the press got wind of this plan, it was
rejected by Arab countries. Later the GME was withdrawn and a �Cooperation
with the Broader Middle East and North African Region for a Common Future
and Development� was presented at the G-8 summit in its place. In short,
the GME is different from the latter in certain respects. The latter
emphasized that change cannot be imposed from outside and stressed the
importance of solidarity and dialogue, the need for a solution to the
Palestinian issue and the role to be played by the UN in Iraq. The plan
became a traditional development project instead of a project for
encouraging democratization. Certain people called it a historic crossroads
in US foreign policy and thought that circles supporting democracy in the
region would get more understanding from the US and the other G-8
countries.
I wish this were the case. However, the way to encourage countries in the
region to implement the plan is quite a mystery, and doubts have only
deepened about the sincerity of the US administration with these two
initiatives. Countries in the region want it to put pressure on Israel to
withdraw from the territory it occupied in 1967, but US President George W.
Bush instead greenlighted the annexation of some parts of West Bank.
Countries in the region want sovereignty to be transferred to the Iraqi
people, but Bush is trying to convince NATO to send peacekeeping forces to
Iraq. The greatest difference between these two initiatives is obviously
the US� sullied image with the photos showing US soldiers torturing Iraqis,
damage done not only in the eyes of the world, but among the US people as
well. The US commission investigating 9_11 recently concluded that Saddam
Hussein had nothing to do with the attacks, and so shot down one of the
grounds put forth by Bush to justify the war.�
ARCHIVE
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