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Turkish Press Review, 05-09-09
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
09.09.2005
ERDOGAN: �WE WON�T LET
AGITATION BLOCK OUR EU TALKS�
GUL: �WE�RE INTENSIVELY
PREPARING FOR OUR EU TALKS SET FOR OCT. 3�
ERDOGAN, GUL, AND BABACAN
TO HOST NGO SUMMIT ON ANKARA�S EU TALKS
US GENERALS ARRIVE IN
TURKEY, DISCUSS MEASURES TO FIGHT PKK IN
NORTHERN IRAQ
ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO NEW
YORK FOR UN SUMMIT
BRITAIN�S FM: �TURKEY IN
THE EU WOULD BE A POWERFUL SYMBOL�
UN REPORT: �TURKEY STILL
FACE CHALLENGES IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT�
IMF DELEGATION BEGINS
CONTACTS IN ISTANBUL, TO PROCEED TO ANKARA NEXT
WEEK
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM
THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
GORDIAN KNOT
BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: �WE WON�T LET
AGITATION BLOCK OUR EU TALKS�
[02] GUL: �WE�RE INTENSIVELY
PREPARING FOR OUR EU TALKS SET FOR OCT. 3�
[03] ERDOGAN, GUL, AND BABACAN TO
HOST NGO SUMMIT ON ANKARA�S EU TALKS
[04] US GENERALS ARRIVE IN TURKEY,
DISCUSS MEASURES TO FIGHT PKK IN NORTHERN IRAQ
[05] ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO NEW YORK
FOR UN SUMMIT
[06] BRITAIN�S FM: �TURKEY IN THE EU
WOULD BE A POWERFUL SYMBOL�
[07] UN REPORT: �TURKEY STILL FACE
CHALLENGES IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT�
[08] IMF DELEGATION BEGINS CONTACTS
IN ISTANBUL, TO PROCEED TO ANKARA NEXT WEEK
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] GORDIAN KNOT
BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[01] ERDOGAN: �WE WON�T LET
AGITATION BLOCK OUR EU TALKS�
Turkey will not let agitator-stirred unrest
block its European Union membership talks
starting next month as scheduled, said Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. �We
have enjoyed tranquility for five years,� he
said in a television interview. �Then agitation
began again. And this happened just when our
talks are about to begin. We believe these the
activities are meant to block the Oct. 3
negotiations. I don�t want our Kurdish citizens
to become the focal point of terrorism.
Terrorist groups are damaging our Kurdish
citizens.� He added, �The government and our
security forces will not take these incidents
lying down. The security forces will act when
necessary.� /Milliyet/
[02] GUL: �WE�RE INTENSIVELY
PREPARING FOR OUR EU TALKS SET FOR OCT. 3�
Speaking to reporters, Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Ankara was
intensively preparing for its European Union
accession talks, which are scheduled to begin on
Oct. 3, adding that it was important for Ankara
not to falter in the final stretch to this date.
�Diplomatic work both in Ankara and in the EU is
continuing,� he said. �I hope our EU talks will
begin on Oct, 3 since Ankara has fulfilled all
the required criteria.� /Turkiye/
[03] ERDOGAN, GUL, AND BABACAN TO
HOST NGO SUMMIT ON ANKARA�S EU TALKS
The government is moving aggressively to
ensure that Ankara�s EU accession talks start on
Oct. 3 as scheduled. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, and
State Minister for the Economy and Turkey�s
chief EU negotiator Ali Babacan are expected
today to host a summit of nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) on Turkey�s EU talks.
During the summit, Erdogan, Gul, and Babacan
will listen to the views of NGO representatives
about Turkey�s EU bid. /Turkiye/
[04] US GENERALS ARRIVE IN TURKEY,
DISCUSS MEASURES TO FIGHT PKK IN NORTHERN IRAQ
US Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. James
Jones and US Central Command Deputy Commander
Lt. Gen. Lance Smith yesterday arrived in Turkey
and met with Turkish military officials to
discuss measures to fight the terrorist PKK
presence in northern Iraq. During the meeting,
Turkish officials briefed the US generals about
Turkey�s efforts against the PKK and Ankara�s
sensitivities on the issue. Afterwards, the
generals signed an accession document for the
Center of Excellence Defense Against Terrorism
on behalf of their country. /Turkiye/
[05] ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO NEW YORK
FOR UN SUMMIT
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to
travel next Tuesday to the US to attend the
summit of the United Nations heads of state and
government. During his stay in the US, Erdogan
is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon and Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf. Erdogan will also visit UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Spanish Prime
Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to discuss
a number of issues, including Turkey�s European
Union membership bid. Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul, who will also accompany Erdogan in the US,
is expected to meet with US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice. /Turkiye/
[06] BRITAIN�S FM: �TURKEY IN THE EU
WOULD BE A POWERFUL SYMBOL�
European Union Term President Britain�s
support for Turkey�s full membership was
strongly reiterated yesterday by Jack Straw, the
British foreign minister. In a commentary
published in the International Herald Tribune,
Straw wrote: �There are now two options: a
Europe turned inward on itself or a Europe
looking outward to the rest of the world; one
that expands its boundaries to build a wider
community of stable, prosperous democracies or
one that closes the door to its neighbors.�
Added Straw: �We don�t have the luxury of
choice. We live in a world of global challenges
and global competition. A static Europe will not
face either with confidence. Stopping
enlargement would only weaken Europe�s ability
to compete with emerging Asian economies.� Straw
also stated: �The political case for Turkish
accession is even more powerful. It would show
how diversity of culture and religion is
compatible with a unity of purpose. A stable,
prosperous Turkey, a secular nation with a
majority Muslim population, anchored in the
European Union, would be a powerful symbol.� In
related news, the Greek Cypriot administration
yesterday criticized Britain for being partial
to Turkey. Greek Cypriot government spokesman
Kypros Chrysostomides said: �The EU presidency
needs to show impartiality and bear in mind the
collective interests of the EU and not its own
interests by securing the opening of accession
talks between Turkey and the EU.� /Milliyet/
[07] UN REPORT: �TURKEY STILL FACE
CHALLENGES IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT�
According to the just-released 15th annual Human
Development Index of the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP), Turkey is behind the
new members of the European Union in terms of
human development. Amongst the new members of
the EU, Slovenia has the highest indicators of
human development. And Turkey is ranked in the
index behind Romania and Bulgaria, which are due
to join the EU in 2007. The index reported: �But
additionally, several countries, such as Belize,
China, the Dominican Republic, Grenada and
Ecuador moved upwards in this year�s index due
to significant data changes in one or more
components of the Human Development Index, which
also contributed to the downward move of
Turkey.� /Milliyet/
[08] IMF DELEGATION BEGINS CONTACTS
IN ISTANBUL, TO PROCEED TO ANKARA NEXT WEEK
A delegation from the International Monetary
Fund, currently in Turkey for the second review
of the nation�s economic program, yesterday
began its contacts in Istanbul. The delegation
first met with representatives from the Savings
Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) and Turkish
Exporters� Union (TIM) to discuss recent
economic developments. Later, it visited the
Independent Businessmen�s Association (MUSIAD)
and the Turkish Bankers� Union (TBB). The IMF
delegation is expected next week to continue its
work in Ankara and complete the second review of
the IMF-supported economic program before this
year�s IMF-World Bank annual meetings. /Turkiye/
[09] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE
COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[10] GORDIAN KNOT
BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the Cyprus
issue. A summary of his column is as follows:
�When the European Union signed the Ankara
Protocol, if our government hadn�t issued a
declaration stating that this didn�t mean
recognizing the Greek Cyprus, would the crisis
over starting membership talks have been
prevented? According to a European diplomat who
follows these issues closely, �Yes, it would
have been prevented. The Greek Cypriot
administration couldn�t have ensured a consensus
for a counter-declaration with the support of
France and a few other countries. I wish your
government had voiced its position orally
instead of in a written declaration. Then there
would be no need to issue a counter-declaration
in order to force Turkey.� Certain Turkish
analysts agree. As an EU scholar said, �An oral
declaration of intent by the prime minister or
foreign minister would have been enough. After
overcoming the unforeseen dangers of Oct. 3, it
could have issued a written declaration.� Now
the main issue is that how Turkey can reconcile
the clear stance it put forth in written form
and the position of the EU, which isn�t yet
clear. There are two more critical dates before
us: the EU Permanent Representatives� Committee
(COREPER) meeting on Sept. 14 and the
Extraordinary European Council meeting on Sept.
26. Let�s see if a consensus will be reached or
the issue will be left to Oct. 3.
Now the EU�s problem is how to mention the
issue of recognizing Cyprus in the
counter-declaration. Is this an obligation or
liability? The EU Legal Office�s view is as
follows: �Turkey will de facto recognize Cyprus
with the opening of membership talks. There�s no
legal requirement for de jure recognition in
order to start the negotiations. The issue is
political. In other words, the decision of
whether or not to stipulate the condition of
recognizing it legally belongs to 25 EU member
countries.� In this case, those who stipulate
the condition of recognizing it (Greek Cyprus,
France, Austria, etc.) are trying to include
this in the counter-declaration in an open and
binding way. In return, Turkey�s views are based
on an important truth, that is, the fact that
Cyprus is actually divided, the Greek Cypriot
administration doesn�t represent the entire
island, and Greek Cypriots rejected the Annan
plan for a solution. Ankara�s recognizing the
Greek Cypriot administration isn�t a legal
obligation and this would also cause the denial
of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) and cause Greek Cypriots to put Turkey
under pressure with new demands within the EU.
That�s why Ankara says let�s solve the Cyprus
issue first and then we can recognize you.
However, there is no hope for a solution. Now
the United Nations is out of the game and it�s
unlikely that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
will make a new initiative soon. Thus, it might
take years to start a new process and get
results. So, can the issue of recognition be
suspended for years? Actually, now the issue of
recognition is a Gordian knot. Will British
diplomacy be able to show its skills in using
words cleverly and produce a text which can be
accepted by all the parties? Now not a single
diplomat or official can answer this question.
There are only hopes and wishes hope, that�s
all��
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