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Turkish Press Review, 02-01-17
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Press
& Information
Turkish
Press
Turkish
Press Review >>
Foreign
Press Guide
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
17.01.2002
CONTENTS
[01] BUSH: "THE US STANDS BY TURKEY"
[02] RUMSFELD, BUSH SUPPORT TURKEY LEADING PEACEKEEPING FORCE
[03] FORMER CIA DIRECTOR WOOLSEY: "TURKEY IS THE KEY COUNTRY"
[04] CYPRUS TALKS BEGIN
[05] VERHEUGEN: "TURKEY HAS A DEBT ON CYPRUS"
[06] KDP AND PUK: "WE SUPPORT IRAQ'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY"
[07] TURCO-GREEK COOPERATION IN SCIENCE BEARS FRUIT
[08] ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SPOTLIGHTS RENEWABLE ENERGY
[09] EU COMMISSION TO GRANT TURKEY 167 MILLION EUROS
[10] DERVIS: "POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE"
[11] TOBB AND US BUSINESS GROUP REACH COOPERATION AGREEMENT
[12] CLIMBS PLANNED TO HONOR TURKISH PRESIDENTS
[13] THEATRE AND CINEMA HALL TO BE CONSTRUCTED AT SINOP CASTLE
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[15] FULL SUPPORT FOR ECEVIT BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[16] DIFFICULT SUMMIT BY ALI SIRMEN (CUMHURIYET)
[01] BUSH: "THE US STANDS BY TURKEY"
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit met yesterday with US President George W. Bush
in Washington. Bush emphasized that the US would support Ankara in both the
political and economic spheres under Ecevit's administration. Bush also
thanked Ecevit and Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem for the support they
had shown for the new round of talks on Cyprus between that island's
leaders, Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktas and his Greek Cypriot
counterpart Glafcos Clerides. The question of Iraq was also closely
discussed in detail and Bush pledged that US would consult with Turkey
before making any decision. Ecevit also signaled Turkey's full support for
the US war against terrorism. The subject of the Aegean was also discussed,
Ecevit said, and added that everybody would be pleased if Turkey and
Greece's differences in the region were settled. /Milliyet/
[02] RUMSFELD, BUSH SUPPORT TURKEY LEADING PEACEKEEPING FORCE
Before meeting with US President Bush yesterday, Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit held talks with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in the White
House. Rumsfeld mentioned the support that the US would give to Turkey to
lead the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan following Great Britain, a theme
echoed later by President Bush. Contrary to expectations in Turkey, the
question of Iraq did not come up. Military debts were also discussed and
Rumsfeld said that he would bring Turkey's expectations to the Bush
administration. For his part, Ecevit said that the volume of Turkish-US
bilateral trade should be increased to better reflect the political and
military ties between the two countries. /Milliyet/
[03] FORMER CIA DIRECTOR WOOLSEY: "TURKEY IS THE KEY COUNTRY"
Former CIA Director James Woolsey said yesterday that a US operation in
Iraq would be destined to fail without Turkey's support. Stating that
Turkey's concerns about Iraq's territorial integrity were completely
understandable, Woolsey said, "I believe that if the Turkish and US
governments jointly decide that Saddam's regime must be toppled without
damaging Iraq's territorial integrity, it will be impossible for the
separatist Kurdish groups in northern Iraq to attain their goals."
/Cumhuriyet/
[04] CYPRUS TALKS BEGIN
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek
Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides met yesterday in Lefkosha to inaugurate a
new process of direct talks over the island. Following the one-hour-plus
meeting, the two leaders decided to meet again with accompanying
delegations every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday until a settlement
on the island is reached. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Cyprus Special
Envoy Alvaro de Soto, who attended the meeting as an observer, said that
the meeting had been fruitful. He added that the two leaders had discussed
issues comprehensively and that that was very encouraging. /All Papers/
[05] VERHEUGEN: "TURKEY HAS A DEBT ON CYPRUS"
EU Commissioner Responsible for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen told the
Frankfurter Rundschau daily yesterday in an interview that Turkey had a
"debt" on the Cyprus issue. Answering a question as to whether or not
Turkey's possible EU membership hinged on the Cyprus issue being solved,
Verheugen said, "Turkey has a debt on the Cyprus issue. It is already
obliged to support the UN secretary-general's peace efforts as part of the
Security Council decisions." He added, "Additionally, Turkey has pledged to
help to find a solution to the Cyprus issue in line with its EU membership
bid. Turkey's taking the steps which are needed on the issue would not be
enough to begin its EU membership negotiations." /Turkiye/
[06] KDP AND PUK: "WE SUPPORT IRAQ'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY"
Kurdistan Democrat Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani
and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani announced in a
joint statement yesterday that they were in favor of finding a democratic
and federal solution to the Kurdish problem in Iraq without damaging Iraq's
territorial integrity. The KDP and PUK rejected recent allegations in the
Turkish press that the groups supported the idea of establishing an
independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. "There are allegations in the
international community that we want to establish an independent Kurdish
state in northern Iraq," said the statement. "We vehemently deny these
unfounded and provocative allegations. We advocate the political unity of
Iraq with a democratic solution to the Kurdish problem. Our preliminary
goal is to protect the peace and stability in the region." Furthermore,
Kurdistan National Assembly Speaker Roj Nuri Shaways made a speech on
Tuesday stating that a campaign against northern Iraq had been recently
initiated by Turkish media and a number of Turkish officials. "No Iraqi
Kurdish party or group has advocated breaking away from Iraq, nor have they
asked for the establishment of an independent state," Shaways said. A brief
translation of his speech was sent to the Turkish Parliament, European
Parliament, European Union and United States Congress.
/All Papers/
[07] TURCO-GREEK COOPERATION IN SCIENCE BEARS FRUIT
Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council (TUBITAK) Deputy Chairman
Tugrul Tankut announced yesterday that Turkish and Greek scientists has
submitted 79 joint research proposals to the group under a recent
scientific cooperation protocol signed between their respective countries.
Tankut said that under the accord, entered into by TUBITAK and the Greek
General Secretariat for Research and Technology, scientists from Turkey and
Greece would be able to receive support for joint research and development
studies. Tankut added, "We're supporting the research and development
projects with a new model. The scientific content of the projects should be
sound and their budgets realistic. Committees from both our countries, plus
advisory and project groups will evaluate the 79 projects that were
delivered to TUBITAK. Following this evaluation, we will jointly decide
which projects deserve the support. /Aksam/
[08] ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SPOTLIGHTS RENEWABLE ENERGY
Turkish Foundation of Combat Against Erosion (TEMA) head Umit Y. Gurses
said yesterday that in a world where energy reserves were being rapidly
depleted, support must be given to developing energy technology based on
sun, wind and thermal power. Stressing that Turkey needed to invest $4.5
million dollars in energy every year, Gurses said, "However, this can't be
possible using our country's resources alone. For this reason, we need to
be balance and moderate our energy demands in order to invest in the
future." added, "Naturally, fossil fuels will be continued to be used, but,
we think that investments in renewable energy resources are important, both
to prevent destruction of the environment and to overcome our energy
shortage." /Turkiye/
[09] EU COMMISSION TO GRANT TURKEY 167 MILLION EUROS
The European Union Commission announced yesterday that 167 million euros
would be granted to Turkey this year. The grant will be targeted at
precisely encouraging small and medium-size Turkish enterprises, and new
investments in the southern Anatolian region. EU Commission Turkey
Representative Karen Fogg hailed the decision as "a significant boost to
Turkey's attempts to gain membership." /Cumhuriyet/
[10] DERVIS: "POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE"
At a reception held by three private Turkish economic groups in Washington
yesterday, Economy Minister Kemal Dervis said that a "positive atmosphere"
was reigning over the visit by Turkish government and private sector
leaders to the United States. Speaking to members of the Turkish Union of
Chambers and Commodities Exchanges
(TOBB), Turkish Industrialists and Businessman Association (TUSIAD) and
Foreign Economic Relations Council
(DEIK), Dervis added that Turkey should fulfill the conditions necessary to
receive additional support from the International Monetary Fund.
/H�rriyet/
[11] TOBB AND US BUSINESS GROUP REACH COOPERATION AGREEMENT
Turkish Union of Chambers and Stock Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat
Hisarciklioglu, who is currently visiting the United States, and US
Chambers of Commerce Chairman Thomas Donahue announced yesterday that they
had reached an agreement to further develop economic and commercial
relations between the two countries. Donahue said that he warmly welcomed
Hisarciklioglu's invitation to visit Turkey and that he and a full
delegation would come to the country in April. The agreement, which lays
out a three-year program to develop cooperation with US companies as well
as increase competition, will be signed between the TOBB, Turkey's Foreign
Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and the US Chambers of Commerce during this
visit. Designating "sister companies" in target sectors such as information
technology, agriculture, food and tourism under this agreement is intended
to develop the cooperation. At the end of the three-years program, the
establishment of an electronic community consisting of Turkish and US
companies is planned. Hisarciklioglu said that at the end of the first year,
a minimum of 400 Turkish companies would be able to participate in an
online group in which they can reach US companies and communicate with
them. /Sabah/
[12] CLIMBS PLANNED TO HONOR TURKISH PRESIDENTS
The Turkish Mountaineering Federation announced plans yesterday to climb 10
separate summits in honor of the 10 past and present presidents of the
Turkish Republic. At a press conference, Mountaineering Federation Chairman
Alaattin Karaca said that Mt Ararat had recently been climbed with the
participation of foreign mountaineers to commemorate republic founder
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He added that the other climbs would be done
through this August and that State Minister Fikret Unlu will attend the
climbing to be held in Erzurum. /Aksam/
[13] THEATRE AND CINEMA HALL TO BE CONSTRUCTED AT SINOP CASTLE
Preliminary work has started to construct a theatre and cinema hall with a
capacity of 9,000 at Sinop Castle, whose restoration is underway by the
Culture Ministry. Officials stated yesterday that the hall's plans were
ready and that its construction would begin soon. Sinop Museum head Fuat
Dereli said that the protected historic castle was attracting the attention
of both Turkish and foreign tourists. He added, "A great deal of effort is
made to pass on this important cultural asset to future generations. So
every year we work to restore the castle, and particularly its walls and
interior sides. /Aksam/
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[15] FULL SUPPORT FOR ECEVIT BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila writes on Prime Minister Ecevit's meetings in
Washington. A summary of his column is as follows:
"Prime Minister Ecevit's meeting with the US President George W. Bush
seemed to meet all Ankara's expectations. President Bush's statement to the
prime minister was interpreted as an expression of full support for the
prime minister and the government regarding foreign policy and economic
reforms. When Prime Minister Ecevit answered questions from the press,
after the meeting, he said that he was pleased with the outcome of the
talks and that Turkish-American relations had also been strengthened in the
economic field. Ecevit also said that when the US had any plans over Iraq
or Saddam, it would most certainly consult Turkey and pursue a policy which
wouldn't contradict Turkish interests. The Bush-Ecevit summit is a sign
that nothing is the same after the Sept. 11 attacks. As Turkey expected,
the cooperation between Turkey and the US has taken on a strategic
dimension. During the follow-up process, it seems that this cooperation
will be maintained and enhanced. Bush's message that the US will act
together with Turkey on Iraq has relieved Ankara. The Bush-Ecevit meeting
was a tour on a wide range of issues. In the meeting where Afghanistan,
Iraq, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Israel and Palestine, Cyprus, the Aegean,
the EU and bilateral economic relations were taken up, Ecevit felt a warm
reception in the area of economy and trade. Another point which must be
underlined is that Turkey is seen as role model in the Islamic world
following the events in Afghanistan. The meeting between Bush and Ecevit
both passed in a positive atmosphere and met expectations."
[16] DIFFICULT SUMMIT BY ALI SIRMEN (CUMHURIYET)
Columnist Ali Sirmen writes on the summit on Cyprus between the Greek and
Turkish Cypriot leaders. A summary of his column is as follows:
"Denktas and Clerides are coming together to begin a series of summit
meetings which are expected to go on for six months. The two leaders will
meet three times a week during the next six months. In the course of the
meetings, which will be conducted with no conditions attached, UN Special
Envoy Alvaro de Soto will also be present. Even though Denktas claims that
de Soto will be there only to take notes as an observer, everyone knows
that the UN special envoy has some solution plans in his bag and intends to
put them on the table at the first sign of a block in the meetings. The
method of the meetings is interesting. During the talks 'given and take'
implementation will be valid and if an agreement covering all issues is not
reached, there will be no agreement to speak of. In other words, if there
is no total agreement, the issues agreed upon cannot be presented in any
other negotiation process. The start of negotiations where Denktas will
take up the structure of the Cyprus state and the place of Turks within it
is a positive development. However, it is also certain that it will be a
very difficult summit which doesn't have a great chance of success. In fact
a solution in Cyprus would be much easier than other disputes, such as the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, we cannot ignore the presence of two
important influences, one from within and the other from abroad, which make
an agreement difficult to reach. The declaration of the EU to the effect
that it is ready to admit the Greek Cypriot administration into the Union
as the sole representative of the island even if the question is not solved,
and the recent pronunciation of this view by EU Enlargement Commissioner
Verheugen, can only encourage the Greek Cypriot's insistence on an
intransigent stance. The problem will come an end with the membership of
the Greek Cypriot administration to the EU, whether the issue is solved or
not. The EU's mistaken stance is the biggest foreign obstacle in the way of
a solution. It makes one wonder whether Brussels wanted to close all doors
to Turkey with this move or find a solution to the Cyrus problem. The
obstacle for a solution coming from within comes from opposition in both
sides. Some members of the opposition in Turkish Cyprus are pressuring
Denktas to agree to any solution whatever the cost. The difficult economic
situation of the TRNC and the 'motherland' add to the attraction of EU
membership for the youth in the TRNC youth. EU membership and passports
would mean the opening up of opportunities throughout the world for youths
who have lived in a sense of isolation since their birth. It is impossible
to explain to these young people that the economy in EU countries is not
expanding but contracting. If the opposition party of the other side had
urged their leader to an agreement, the position of the Turkish youth might
have been a factor facilitating a solution. However, this opposition on the
Greek Cypriot side is pressuring Clerides not to make any concessions as
the EU is solving the problem in their favor. In short, as one side is
insisting that the best solution for them is no solution, the other side is
saying that no solution is not a solution. The difference in these
positions shows that this will be a very difficult summit."
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