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Turkish Press Review, 00-08-17

Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>

17.08.00

Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning


CONTENTS

  • [01] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... IMPACTS OF EARTHQUAKE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BY SAMI KOHEN
  • [02] (MILLIYET)
  • [03] FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUGUST 17 EARTHQUAKE
  • [04] PRESIDENT SEZER VISITS EARTHQUAKE REGION
  • [05] PRESIDENT SEZER: "HACI BEKTAS IS A SYMBOL OF PEACE"
  • [06] KHK TENSION CONTINUES
  • [07] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING ON EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY
  • [08] NEW DISASTER ADMINISTRATION CENTRE IN ISTANBUL
  • [09] GREEK DEFENCE MINISTER SAYS PEACE POSSIBLE
  • [10] TURKS IN EUROPE FACE TERRORIST THREAT
  • [11] EU SUPPORT FOR EASTERN TURKEY
  • [12] TURKISH TRACKERS IN GREECE
  • [13] ASSOCIATION OF ANCIENT CITIES WAS ESTABLISHED
  • [14] BILL GATES PRAISES SOLUTION 2000 PROJECT
  • [15] ISTANBUL: THE CITY OF FUTURE
  • [16] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
  • [17] IMPACTS OF EARTHQUAKE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)

  • [01] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... IMPACTS OF EARTHQUAKE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BY SAMI KOHEN

    [02] (MILLIYET)

    [03] FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUGUST 17 EARTHQUAKE

    Last year today, the Marmara, the wealthiest region of Turkey was shaken with a 7.4-magnitute tremor for 45 seconds, at 3:02 a.m., causing death of thousands and loss of billions of dollars. This tragedy, has saddened not only Turks but also the whole world which mobilized to help them. The victims of the quake are being commemorated at the ceremonies organized in the whole country, while thousands of quake survivors are still waiting for the authorities to solve their major problems, such as lack of permanent accomodation, infrastructural deficiencies and unemployment.

    [04] PRESIDENT SEZER VISITS EARTHQUAKE REGION

    President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will visit the earthquake area today. Mr. Sezer will first go to Sakarya and attend a laying foundation ceremony for a 294-permanent housing project which will be constructed by the Office of Kayseri Governor. He will then visit and see the prefabricated houses in Yalova. President Sezer will also visit Golcuk and Kocaeli and will be briefed by the authorities on how they have trying to heal the wounds of the quake in the region. Finally, the President will participate in the activities that will be held in the Suleyman Demirel Cultural Centre.

    [05] PRESIDENT SEZER: "HACI BEKTAS IS A SYMBOL OF PEACE"

    President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a message to the Mayor of Haci Bektas Mustafa Ozcivan to mark the 37th traditional and 11th International commemoration ceremonies of Haci Bektasii Veli. Stressing that Turkey has a rich cultural structure, he said: "The dynamic nature of Haci Bektas, the envoy of tolerance and peace, has become a symbol of the victory of secularism."

    [06] KHK TENSION CONTINUES

    The tension between President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and the government on the decree with the power of law (KHK) which concerns the dismissal of civil servants who are allegedly involved in reactionary and separatist actions continued yesterday, according to the papers. Mr. Sezer did not sign the KHK during his meeting with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. After the meeting, Mr. Ecevit said, "The President has not examined the letter yet which explains government's reasons for sending the KHK back to him again." Circles close to the government suggested that the President might return the KHK to the government once more.

    [07] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING ON EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY

    The Council of Ministers will hold a meeting for the anniversary of the August 17 Marmara earthquake. In the first part of the meeting which will be open to the press, latest works carried out after the Marmara eartquake to improve the conditions in the regions damaged by the tremor will be explained to the press. After the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will go to earthquake region.

    [08] NEW DISASTER ADMINISTRATION CENTRE IN ISTANBUL

    The Foundation of Disaster Administration Centre has been established in Istanbul. The Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitian Municipality Ali Mufit Gurtuna said, "We have to be ready for new earthquakes. Turkey's most sophisticated seismograph network is in Istanbul. We have established new seismographs at eight different points. This centre is expected to be the best of the disaster adminYstration centres in the world."

    [09] GREEK DEFENCE MINISTER SAYS PEACE POSSIBLE

    Greek Defence Minister Akis Tsohatsopoulos has said that Turkey and Greece have proved they can live together in peace. Citing the mutual assistance they have provided in last year's earthquakes, Mr. Tsohatsopoulos said: "We have succeeded in formulating the conditions to co-exist together in peace and stability."

    [10] TURKS IN EUROPE FACE TERRORIST THREAT

    Tunceli Security Commander General Dursun Bak stating that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) separatist terrorist organization was finished in Turkey, warned that the organization was pinning its hopes on Turkish citizens in Europe, the Anatolia News Agency reported yesterday. Gen. Bak said, " Every day a group of terrorists either flees the organization or severs ties with it. Despite all the intimidation and bullying, the people of Tunceli are not assisting it." Gen. Bak said the lack of logistics supply of the organization in Turkey makes PKK turn its face to get aid from expatriated Turks. Gen. Bak added, "We have not had a single terrorist incident in our province this year and many of our checkpoints have been dismantled. "He said the goal now is to develop the Southeast and to eradicate unemployment.

    [11] EU SUPPORT FOR EASTERN TURKEY

    Van Mayor Sahabettin Ozaslaner has announced that the provinces of Van, Bitlis and Hakkari have been chosen as pilot provinces for projects aimed at utilizing funds provided by the European Union in order to increase the region's infrastructure level to EU standards as part of the EU integration process. The money, amounting 70,000,000 euros, will be used to upgrade sewer and irrigation systems and water purification plants, develop regional tourism and return people to their villages.

    [12] TURKISH TRACKERS IN GREECE

    A group of 50 trackers, who were invited to Greece to strengthen the rapprochement between Turkey and Greece, travelled to Greece. Before leaving Turkey, the trackers said that they would give the message of peace and friendship to Greece. Istanbul's Provincial Director of National Education, Mesut Ozkaya, said: "Such visits will be paid to the other countries soon. In addition, we will invite the other trackers in the world to the International Trackers' Camp next year. Turkish trackers, whose ages are 7 and 18, will stay at Maria Friendship Trackers' Camp and return to Turkey on 21 August."

    [13] ASSOCIATION OF ANCIENT CITIES WAS ESTABLISHED

    Turkey was included in the European Association of Ancient Cities, which was formed during the 25th anniversary of the Common Heritage Campaign and at the same time during the 50th year of the European Council. After Turkey's membership to the Association, a meeting was held in Bursa, which was attended by 70 Mayors. Association of the European Ancient Cities' Regulations was adopted and the Turkish Association of Ancient Cities was established during this meeting.

    [14] BILL GATES PRAISES SOLUTION 2000 PROJECT

    Solution 2000 Project was named as this year's most successful project in the Microsoft's "Global Meeting" in Atlanta. Head of Microsoft Corporation Bill Gates praised the Solution 2000 Project which aimed at helping the small and medium sized enterprises (KOBI) in Turkey to catch up with the latest developments in the information technologies. Gates said, "The Solution 2000 Project which was held with Turkey's leadership must be an example for the other countries."

    [15] ISTANBUL: THE CITY OF FUTURE

    Global Finance Journal made a research to elect the cyber cities of future. The Journal gave broad information about Istanbul as one of the 25 future cyber cities. The criteria includes widespread usage of Internet, cellular phones and software. According to the data given by the Journal, 2.3 percent of Istanbul population are using the net. It says, the availibility of cheap access to the net, young population and new telecommunicative advancements in Turkey make it possible for Turkey to direct the Internet market in southeastern Europe and the Near East.

    [16] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...

    [17] IMPACTS OF EARTHQUAKE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)

    Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the results of the earthquake that jolted western Turkey last year and its influence on Turkey's foreign relations. A summary of his column is as follows:

    "A year after the terrible earthquake that occurred in the Marmara Region in Turkey last year, let us examine the international impacts of this tragedy. When this horrible news began to be heard last year, the world shared the sorrows of the Turkish people and began to work to heal their wounds. Many friendly countries were as if they were in a competition for carrying out search and rescue operations and for sending the necessary medical and technical equipment to Turkey. Thus, this incident caused a magnificent display of love and help for Turkey. The foreign press dealt with the humanitarian dimensions of this disaster for a long period of time. After the disaster, not only the governments, but also the non-governmental organizations worked very hard to heal the wounds of the earthquake victims in Turkey. Of course, the world's support helped these unfortunate people to feel better. Even the shock, lack of coordination and the inability of bureaucracy that Turkey faced during the first days of this disaster did not negatively affect the moral support of the help campaigns carried out by the whole world.

    Meanwhile, foreigners could not help mentioning the shock due to the fact that Turkey, which is located on a dangerous fault line, was not so organized and prepared for such a disaster. Lee Hockstader, a journalist from the Washington Post wrote: "The contradiction in Turkey could be seen after this earthquake. The reaction of the Turkish people was the kind of reaction that could be seen in the Western democracies. However, Turkey's characteristics belonging to the Third World also displayed the fact that Turkey is not a developed, but still a developing country."

    However, the interest and sympathy of the world that resulted from this terrible disaster reflected to Turkey's foreign relations and created some positive results. The most prominent example of it is the change in Turkey's relations with Greece. The earthquake that occurred in 17 August last year affected the relations between the two countries very positively and the winds of sympathy began to blow in the Aegean. As a result, a new rapprochement is seen between them thanks to a new strategy called "earthquake diplomacy." Another example is the earthquake's indirect influence on the relations between Turkey and the EU. Of course, the approval of Turkey's candidacy to the EU is the most important example to this. As a Turkish diplomat said to us at that time, "Maybe the only pleasing side of this disaster is the tolerance and support that was received by Turkey from the whole world."


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