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Turkish Press Review, 00-06-13
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
13.06.00
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[02] SEZER'S GESTURE TO DAMASCUS
[03] SEZER'S MESSAGE TO RUSSIA
[04] CEM MEETS NAZARBAYEV AND TOKAYEV
[05] COMMISSION'S VERDICT: SUPREME COURT
[06] TANRIKULU'S STATEMENT
[07] SEAWOLF 2000
[08] SILK ROAD 2000 SEMINAR
[09] SPACE CAMP IN IZMIR
[10] US WANTS TO ESTABLISH LIASION OFFICE IN DIYARBAKIR
[11] TABA DELEGATION IN US
[12] ONAL'S STATEMENT ABOUT TELECOM BIDDING
[13] DIRECT INCOME SUPPORT FOR THE FARMERS
[14] FOUR-YEAR TERM BOND BIDDING BY THE TREASURY
[15] CNBCE TO BEGIN BROADCASTING IN TURKEY
[16] POSSIBLE MERGER IN CEMENT SECTOR
[17] TELSIM'S AGREEMENT
[18] GOLD PERIOD IN AUTO MARKET
[19] KORFEZBANK'S RATING INCREASES
[20] THUBRON'S POSITIVE OPINION ON BOSPHORUS
[21] NUMBER OF TOURISTS INCREASE
[22] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[23] SEZER IN DAMASCUS BY DOGAN HEPER (MILLIYET)
[24] FROM ECEVIT TO HADEP BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[02] SEZER'S GESTURE TO DAMASCUS
Turkey decided to make a gesture to its neighbour, Syria.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will attend Syrian President Hafiz
Esad's funeral which will be held today. President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer, who did not go to Tehran for the meeting of the Economical
Cooperation Organization (ECO), will carry out his first official
visit to a foreign country, Damascus. Culture Minister Istemihan
Talay will accompany Sezer. /Hurriyet/
[03] SEZER'S MESSAGE TO RUSSIA
Prime Minister Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a message to the Russian
Federation's Head of State, Vladimir Putin, and celebrated the
National Day of Russia. In his message, Sezer stated that the
mutual will for the improvement of friendship and cooperation
between the two countries was proportional with the potential of
relations in every field and that it was the guarantee of
improving the relations to a more advanced level of cooperation.
/Cumhuriyet/
[04] CEM MEETS NAZARBAYEV AND TOKAYEV
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem, stated that the
importance of Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project for Turkey derived
from the fact that this project is of strategic importance for
the Caucasus and for the Middle East. Cem was received by
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev and the Prime
Minister Kasimjomart Tokayev as part of his contacts in
Kazakhstan yesterday. Cem also met the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Erlan Idirisov. The main subject of the meetings was
energy. Tokayev issued a statement after his meeting with Cem and
said that their aim was to drill more petroleum as soon as
possible and that they did not have any problems with Turkey
concerning the economic relations. Meanwhile, Cem said, "We
should improve the relations with the Caucasus as much as we
can." /Cumhuriyet/
[05] COMMISSION'S VERDICT: SUPREME COURT
After the SEKA Commission, the commission investigating GSM
tender decided to send the Motherland Party (ANAP)'s Leader Mesut
Yilmaz to "Supreme Court" with seven to six votes. Three members
from the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) acted together with the
opposition parties' members, while one member from MHP voted
against. /Hurriyet/
[06] TANRIKULU'S STATEMENT
Minister of Industry and Trade, Ahmet Kenan Tanrikulu, stated
that the Turkish economy was aiming to be among the best 10
countries in 2003, which is the 100th anniversary of the
declaration of Republic, within the framework of the 8th
Five-Years Development Plan. Tanrikulu added, "We also aim to
save the population who live below the line of poverty from their
present state by the year 2010. Our other plan is to decrease the
inflation rate to single digit figures with the contribution of
the International Monetary Fund (IMF)." Tanrikulu issued a speech
concerning the 8th Five-Year Development Plan at the Plan and
Budget Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA),
in which he said, "A growth rate of 7% will be ensured during the
period between 2001 and 2003 in the long-term development
strategy." /Aksam/
[07] SEAWOLF 2000
One of the Naval Forces Command's planned exercises, "Seawolf
2000"'s second stage is continuing successfully in international
waters in the Aegean and Mediterranean under the command of Fleet
Commander, Admiral Bulent Alpkaya. Today at 17:00, the third
stage of the exercises will begin. /Turkiye/
[08] SILK ROAD 2000 SEMINAR
"Silk Road 2000 General-Admiral Seminar" began at the Partnership
for the Peace Education Center of Turkish Armed Forces (BIOEM).
During the opening of the seminar which will last until June 15,
the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Gen. Edip Baser stated
that Turkey's importance and responsibility had increased after
the end of the Cold War. /Turkiye/
[09] SPACE CAMP IN IZMIR
The seventh Space Camp in the world opened in Izmir in the scope
of the Aegean Free Zone. During the opening ceremony, Foreign
Trade Undersecretary Kursat Tuzmen stated that the Space Camp
would contribute to the education of the Turkish youth. An
American astronaut, Scott Carpanter also attended the openning.
/Turkiye/
[10] US WANTS TO ESTABLISH LIASION OFFICE IN DIYARBAKIR
After the US wanted to open a liasion office in Diyarbakir under
the roof of Southeastern Association of Industrialists and
Businessmen (GUNSIAD), Turkey suggested the US that they open
this bureau within another institution, which is closer to the
government, such as the Turkish Association of Chambers and Stock
Exchanges (TOBB). If this suggestion, which was presented to the
US Ambassador to Turkey by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and which
is still being evaluated, is accepted, the legal problems will be
solved. However, it was stated that it is hard for the office to
be opened by 15 June. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] TABA DELEGATION IN US
The Turco-American Businnesmen Association (TABA) delegation,
chaired by Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, went to the US to attend the
meeting of the European-American Association of Commercial
Chambers (ECACC). In a statement issued by the TABA, it was
stated that the meeting would end on 14 June and that the Turkish
delegation, which will attend this meeting with the most crowded
delegation, will make discussions to improve commercial and
investment relations between the US and Turkey. On the agenda of
the ECACC, there are the protection of government, international
mobilization of the workers, international problems of
legislation, the targets to be reached in the 21st century, the
World Trade Organization and the cultural conflicts between
Europe and America. /Milliyet/
[12] ONAL'S STATEMENT ABOUT TELECOM BIDDING
State Minister Recep Onal, while answering the questions of the
journalists, said that the bidding for the block sale of
Telecom's 20% share will be announced today. Onal did not give a
detailed information on the issue but said that the procedure
concerning the incident started today. According to the
information that was obtained, the consortiums who want to enter
into this bidding will pay 15,000 dollars on 19 June and receive
a detailed information about Telecom. /Aksam/
[13] DIRECT INCOME SUPPORT FOR THE FARMERS
The Direct Income Support (DGD) project, whose pilot practice
will be made within the framework of the agricultural reform, is
being followed by the Agricultural Reform of the World Bank. As
part of the DGD projects, the payments will be paid in cash or in
two instalments and the financing of these payments will be
provided by the Budget of the Treasury Undersecretariat and by
the World Bank. Within the framework of the DGD Project, a total
of 1.6 million dollars will be supplied by the World Bank. The
first payment will be made this month and the second payment in
October. /Aksam/
[14] FOUR-YEAR TERM BOND BIDDING BY THE TREASURY
Treasury Undersecretary, Selcuk Demiralp, went to Japan yesterday
to sign the agreements of the biddings in terms of yens, which
were exported by Turkey to the the Japanese market, and to make
various economic contacts. Treasury exported four-year term bonds
amounting to 50 billion yens to the Japanese Samurai market.
Demiralp is expected to sign the agreement concerning the bond
export on Friday with the Japanese Company, Nomura. Demiralp will
stay in Japan for five days, during which he will hold some
meetings similar to Road-Show and give information to the
Japanese investors on the measures taken in the Turkish economy.
/Aksam/
[15] CNBCE TO BEGIN BROADCASTING IN TURKEY
American television channel, CNBC Europe and Channel E stated
that they would broadcast daily news concerning the economy in
Turkey and in the world under the name of CNBCE. It is expected
that this broadcast, which will be made from the frequency of
Channel E, will be watched by an audience of 21 million in
Turkey. It was stated that the CNBCE will begin its broadcast in
September. /Cumhuriyet/
[16] POSSIBLE MERGER IN CEMENT SECTOR
Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Cimentas, Ilhan Gurel,
stated that there are a lot of merges in the world in the cement
sector and added, "Turkish cement sector will also receive its
share from it. The number of cement companies is very high in
Turkey. The world's cement production and the domination of the
market were in the hands of five European companies. The cement
sector in Turkey will be in the hands of three or five companies
in five or ten years. Therefore, we are likely to be either
included in these groups, or establish a new formation. Salomon
Smith Barney examined the cement sector both in Europe and
Turkey. Then it will draw up a project." /Sabah/
[17] TELSIM'S AGREEMENT
Leader in GSM operating in Turkey, Telsim, signed a giant
agreement with the world's second largest mobile phone company,
Finnish Nokia. Accordingly, Telsim gave an order to Nokia to
develop the GSM network in Turkey in worth of 900 million
dollars. /Star/
[18] GOLD PERIOD IN AUTO MARKET
Turkish automotive sector is living its most brilliant period in
the last seven years. Auto sales have increased 75% according to
the same period of last year. 157,000 autos were sold in five
months. 82,000 of them were cars produced in Turkey. /Star/
[19] KORFEZBANK'S RATING INCREASES
Korfezbank's rating was increased from IC-B to IC A_B by Thomson
Bank Watch. It was stated that the fact that Korfezbank created
capital through the institutional deposit and foreign borrowing
and became a specialist in institutional banking with a few
number of branches was taken into consideration while giving this
rating. In addition, the fact the bank did not have any dead loan
also was one of the important reaasons of this rating. /Sabah/
[20] THUBRON'S POSITIVE OPINION ON BOSPHORUS
English writer Colin Thubron, who writes in 'The Sunday
Telegraph' daily, toured the whole world and finally wrote that
the most beatiful place to have dinner was Istanbul. While on the
Bosphorus, Thubron wrote in his article, "Now I am at one of the
most beautiful restaurants. I am eating fish while watching the
brilliant lights of the city and the cargo boats that travel
between the Black Sea and Marmara Sea. Besides the dishes, there
are different kinds of delicious snacks." Thubron added that he
liked Turkish raki very much and also wrote a lot about Aya Sofia
Museum. /Sabah/
[21] NUMBER OF TOURISTS INCREASE
The revival experienced in tourism in April continued also in
May. The number of tourists visited to Turkey increased more than
40% in May compared to last year. The number of tourists coming
to Turkey in the first five months of this year reached 2,827
million, with an increase of 25.2%. /Hurriyet/
[22] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
[23] SEZER IN DAMASCUS BY DOGAN HEPER (MILLIYET)
Columnist Dogan Heper comments on the death of Syrian leader
Hafez El Esad and its possible reflections in the international
arena. A summary of his column is as follows:
"The death of Hafez Esad caused reactions in the international
arena. In a way, his death concerns Turkey most of all as the
policy he followed during his lifetime. For 30 years, he
succeeded in showing Syria as a powerful State which was not a
strong country. He was able to rule as a Nusayri in a country
where Sunnis were in majority. Adding his own understanding to
Baas principles, he established the Syrian regime. In a
bi-polarized world he stood by Moscow and was the bulwark of the
Eastern camp in the Middle East. In the struggle against Israel
he vied the leadership of the Arab world. Damascus was among the
leaders of the countries supporting terrorism throughout the
world. Syria was Turkey's neighbour but acted with open or covert
animosity at all times. He had his eye on the Hatay province. For
years he showed Hatay within Syria's borders. On the water issue
Esad saw Turkey as an enemy as his mind was on the waters of
Euphrates. His actions which did not conform with
good-neighbourly relations reached their peak when he sheltered
the PKK terrorist organisation and Ocalan.
What Esad has done for his country concerns Syria. His actions
and policies against Turkey were not acceptable. However, it is
also an established fact that there are no continual hostilities
among countries. The important point is to be able to form
friendly ties, as the nature of relations between countries are
determined by common interests. Turkey and Syria have a common
interest in becoming friends. Just as the rapprochement seen
between Ankara and Athens, a softening of relations between
Ankara and Damascus is inevitable. The two neighbours, Turkey and
Syria have to be good friends as they have long-term interests in
such a fraternity.
Therefore, President Sezer's attendance at the funeral is a sound
decision. It has been correct for Ankara not to act shyly on the
matter. Turkey is a great and leader country in the region.
Leadership necessitates getting tough when need arises as well as
making necessary gestures. Especially when such a gesture will
concern the new Administration in Syria and will have a certain
impact on it. Turkey could not be left behind France, Egypt and
Iran. All these States are attending the funeral ceremony at a
Presidential level. This does not concern us. However, we have
to accept that we have a different position than other countries.
"
[24] FROM ECEVIT TO HADEP BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
Columnist Fikret Bila writes on the speech delivered by Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit in Diyarbakir. A summary of his column is
as follows:
"One of Prime Minister Ecevit's messages in the speeches he
delivered in Diyarbakir concerned the drawbacks of establishing
parties based on 'race'. The Prime Minister underlined the fact
that parties based on races would lead to separating the people
and said,'Turk is not the name of a race in Turkey, it is the
name of a people coming from different races, but living together
on these lands. Turks and Kurds are inseparable.'
Even though Ecevit did not openly say so, he implied that HADEP
was a party based on race. This description, when taken together
with the statement that political aspect of separatism has gained
importance showed his views on HADEP more clearly. On questions
that HADEP was strong in the region and did not this show the
political preference of the public in the region, Ecevit answered
that other parties seemed to have left the ground for HADEP but
the Democratic Left Party was going to work to gain the favour of
the people in the region. The Prime Minister also said that there
were many requests from him to include Article 169 of the Turkish
Penal Code concerning aiding and abetting within the framework
of the Amnesty Bill. He said these requests would be taken into
consideration."
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