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Turkish Press Review, 02-03-20
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
20.03.2002
CONTENTS
[01] US VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY VISITS TURKEY
[02] PARLIAMENT COMMISSION APPROVES REFORM PACKAGE
[03] SOARES: �TURKEY LIES WITHIN THE EU�S NATURAL BORDERS�
[04] BRITISH AMBASSADOR: �TURKEY WOULD MAKE A GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE EU�
[05] YILMAZ TO ATTEND EU CONVENTION
[06] TURGUT: �EUROPE MUST DO MORE TO FIGHT TERRORISM�
[07] GUREL MEETS WITH KARZAI
[08] TALABANI VISITS ANKARA
[09] DENKTAS AND CLERIDES MEET IN CYPRUS BUFFER ZONE
[10] ISTANBUL HOSTS SEMINAR ON MARITIME ENGLISH
[11] DERVIS: �OUR ACUTE CRISIS IS OVER, WE ARE DOING WELL�
[12] TURKISH SKIER WINS GOLD AT BALKAN GAMES
[13] FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS�
[14] CHENEY IN ANKARA BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
[15] LET�S FOIL THE PLOY BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
[01] US VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY VISITS TURKEY
US Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Ankara yesterday on the last stop
of his 10-day tour of the Middle East region. Cheney was first received by
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and
Robert Pearson, the US ambassador to Turkey, and other Turkish and American
high-level officials were also present at the meeting. Cheney then met with
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit at his residence. Following that meeting,
Ecevit told journalists that their talks had been very fruitful and related
that Cheney told him there was little chance of an operation in Iraq in the
near future. Ecevit also stated, �Mr. Cheney told us that a proposal
regarding $228 million in aid to Turkey would be presented to the US
Congress today. I think this issue will be a contribution to offset our
expenses in Afghanistan.� The two sides continued their discussions during
a working dinner hosted by Ecevit. Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen.
Huseyin Kivrikoglu also attended the dinner and after it, a meeting on
bilateral military topics was held. A press conference by Cheney scheduled
for this morning has reportedly been cancelled. Cheney will leave Turkey
today following his visit to Anitkabir, Ataturk�s mausoleum. /All Papers/
[02] PARLIAMENT COMMISSION APPROVES REFORM PACKAGE
A reform package which includes nine amendments to eight laws and proposes
harmonization with EU norms was accepted yesterday at the Parliament
Constitutional and Interior Affairs Commission. The bill will be debated at
the Justice Commission today, and then it is expected to be taken up by the
Parliament General Assembly. /Turkiye/
[03] SOARES: �TURKEY LIES WITHIN THE EU�S NATURAL BORDERS�
Speaking to French daily Le Figaro yesterday, European Parliament member
and former Portuguese President Mario Soares said that the European Union�s
borders should include both Russia and Turkey. �We don�t want a Christian
Europe, we want a secular Europe open to all religions,� he added.
/Hurriyet/
[04] BRITISH AMBASSADOR: �TURKEY WOULD MAKE A GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE EU�
Speaking to the British-Turkish Council in Konya yesterday, Britain�s
Ambassador to Turkey Peter Wetmacott said that his nation supported
Turkey�s European Union membership bid and that Turkey would make a great
contribution to the Union. �Great Britain places great importance on the
EU�s enlargement, and Turkey�s membership would be beneficial for itself as
well as for the Union,� Wetmacott stated. /Hurriyet/
[05] YILMAZ TO ATTEND EU CONVENTION
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and an accompanying delegation of
parliamentarians will leave for Brussels tomorrow to attend the second
meeting of the Convention on the Future of the EU. Issues facing the EU in
the years ahead, possible responses to these, and reforms to be made will
be discussed during the convention, which will continue all year long.
/Turkiye/
[06] TURGUT: �EUROPE MUST DO MORE TO FIGHT TERRORISM�
The Turkish General Staff�s head of Planning and Principles, Lt. Gen. Resat
Turgut, yesterday called on European nations to cease supporting terrorist
organizations. Speaking at the 21st meeting of the American-Turkish Council
held in Washington, Turgut remarked that Europe was not doing enough to
discourage and expel terrorist organizations such as the PKK, DHKP-C and
Hizbullah. �Unfortunately Turkey has to deal with a double standard,� he
said. �We have repeatedly tried to wake up Europe to the menace of
terrorism, which threatens everybody and against which we have struggled
for years. However, Turkey has been unable to find the support it was
looking for in the international arena and it has even seen some European
countries using Turkey for their own political ends.� /Aksam/
[07] GUREL MEETS WITH KARZAI
Turkish State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, who is currently visiting
Afghanistan, yesterday met with Afghanistan�s Interim government Prime
Minister Hamid Karzai. Speaking to the press after their meeting, Gurel
stated that Karzai had conveyed his satisfaction with bilateral relations
between Turkey and Afghanistan. Gurel added that Karzai was expected to
visit Turkey next week to discuss Turkey�s possible takeover of the
peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. /Star/
[08] TALABANI VISITS ANKARA
The leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Jalal Talabani, arrived in
Ankara yesterday to be briefed on US Vice President Dick Cheney�s current
Mideast tour, which also stopped off in Ankara yesterday. Talabani is to
meet with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal today. Talabani stated
that had not asked for an appointment with Cheney, adding that he was
visiting Ankara to tell about his recent visit to Syria to the Turkish
officials. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] DENKTAS AND CLERIDES MEET IN CYPRUS BUFFER ZONE
As part of the direct talks process which began this January to find a
solution to the Cyprus issue, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
President Rauf Denktas met with Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides for
the 19th time in the island�s buffer zone yesterday. Following their one-
and-a-half-hour meeting, Denktas said that United Nations Special Cyprus
Envoy Alvaro de Soto would go to Athens, Ankara and New York to work on the
issue. Stating that it was too early to speak of a deadlock on Cyprus,
Denktas added that detailed disclosure of the meetings would be given when
the time was right. /Aksam/
[10] ISTANBUL HOSTS SEMINAR ON MARITIME ENGLISH
Today Istanbul Technical University�s Maritime Faculty (ITUMF) and the
Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are opening a seminar
today on the use of � Maritime English� at the university�s campus. This is
the world�s first seminar on Maritime English, a simplified language to
help professional seafarers better communicate and avoid accidents.
Representatives from maritime organization, maritime scholars, and business
representatives will attend the seminar, which is due to run through
Friday. /Milliyet/
[11] DERVIS: �OUR ACUTE CRISIS IS OVER, WE ARE DOING WELL�
Speaking at the American-Turkish Council meeting in Washington yesterday,
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis said that Turkey�s acute
economic crisis was now over and that the government�s economic program was
going well. Dervis added that the focus in Turkey was mainly on growth, but
that reducing inflation was also important. /Hurriyet/
[12] TURKISH SKIER WINS GOLD AT BALKAN GAMES
Turkish skier Kelime Aydin scored a gold medal this week at the Balkan
Winter Games held in Pompora, Bulgaria. Kelime, the first female Turkish
athlete to participate in the games, came first in a field of 22 rivals
from Greece, Bulgaria and Romania in the Young Women�s 30-km. Endurance
Skiing Competition. Saying that she was pleased with her success, Kelime
added, �My goal is to win a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in
Italy.� /Aksam/
[13] FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS� FROM THE COLUMNS�
[14] CHENEY IN ANKARA BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on US Vice President Dick Cheney�s visit to
Ankara. A summary of his column is as follows:
�US Vice President Dick Cheney came to Ankara from Israel yesterday
afternoon and is leaving the country today. This column was written before
his visit. However, the outlines of what the two sides will tell each other
is pretty much certain. Turkey will warn the US of the complicated
consequences of a war against Iraq, which could prove dangerous. Turkey�s
participation in such a war is out of the question. However, it is also
certain that it will support the US. Otherwise, in the post-war atmosphere,
we may not have any say in bringing a new order to Iraq. In any case, a war
in Iraq would cause severe losses for Turkey. Cheney was unable to get the
answers he would have liked from Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Egypt. However,
the aim of the visit may be to ensure the neutrality of the Arab countries.
Washington has the firm belief that Saddam may dare to threaten the US with
the biological, chemical and nuclear weapons which he possesses. If the
Sept. 11 attacks had not occurred, the US claim may not have been believed.
However, it can be said that Saddam and his even more horrendous son Uday
intend to intimidate the US through terrorism and to furthermore carry out
a �pan-Arab� policy. Another point may be that the operation�s main aim may
be to reduce the number of anti-American states in the Gulf region (Iran
and Iraq) from two to one. What is more, after establishing a friendly
state in Iraq, Washington may turn to Iran. The �Pax Americana� is trying
to establish itself on solid foundations. This is the essence of the US
policy for the 21st century. The US is determined not to live through an
experience similar to that of the Sept. 11 attacks.�
[15] LET�S FOIL THE PLOY BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
Columnist Gungor Mengi writes on the stance of the European Committee for
the Prevention of Torture regarding Abdullah Ocalan. A summary of his
column is as follows:
�The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has asked for a television,
shortwave radio and a telephone for Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving out his
stentence in Imrali. The release of the report requesting this coincided
with General Staff Planning and Principles Department head Lt. Gen. Resat
Turgut�s speech to the American-Turkish Council�s meeting in Washington
calling on Europe to stop supporting terrorism. Lt. Gen. Turgut said, �The
West should support Turkey and point to it as a role model for other
Islamic countries.� He added that if Europe really understood the
importance of Turkey�s role, it would not have supported terrorist
organisations indirectly nor would it have blocked Turkey�s road to
entering the EU. In fact, whether the CPT�s suggestions regarding Ocalan
are made deliberately or unknowingly, it is certain that they are provoking
hatred inTurkey against the EU. At a time when we expect the appreciation
and support of the whole world for not executing Ocalan, who caused the
death of 30,000 people and enormous losses in Turkey totalling $100 billion,
they are acting to the contrary by keeping his situation continually in the
news. People asking for justice are being provoked. Although his conditions
in the prison are known to be acceptable and humane, new privileges are
asked for him and there are requests that he be transferred to a prison
where he can have contact with other inmates. Don�t they know that such a
development would endanger Ocalan�s security? Or is this exactly what they
want? If Turkey is a democratic state of law, it has to find a solution to
counter this interference. The Turkish public supports the government�s
patience in pursuing national interests rather than sacrificing its
admittance to the EU, as no one has been executed for 14 years. This cannot
go on indefinitely. It is time to put a stop to this problem, which may
result in an accident led by provocations, and to end the exploitation of
the Ocalan case for political purposes. Parliament has to adopt the
amendment which would commute his death sentence to severe life
imprisonment with no chance of release or amnesty. We must be aware that
this problem not only blocks over the road to the EU but also the future of
social calm and security. Crying out, getting tough and saying �you can do
whatever you want with your organization� is not the way to prove wrong
those opposed to Turkey in the EU. This in fact does not serve us, but
rather our opponents. Reason dictates not stepping on mines but to first
sweep for them calmly. The interests of a political party should not be
taken into account during such an important time.�
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