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Turkish Press Review, 00-11-23
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
23.11.00
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] SUMMIT FOR CYPRUS
[03] ECEVIT: "THE EU DECEIVED TURKEY"
[04] BENDIT: "TURKEY'S REACTION IS JUSTIFIED"
[05] PAPANDREOU CHANGES HIS STANCE
[06] TURKEY CONDITIONALLY PARTICIPATES IN THE EUROPEAN ARMY
[07] ROBERTSON IN TURKEY
[08] DEMIREL-ECEVIT MEETING
[09] WOUNDED PALESTINIANS IN ANKARA
[10] CEM'S VISIT OVERSHADOWED BY DETENTION OF TURKISH JOURNALISTS
[11] UKRAINE SIGNS NINE COOPERATION PROTOKOLS WITH TURKEY
[12] BAYKAL LEAVES FOR GERMANY
[13] EC REPORT ON ECONOMIC ESTIMATES IN TURKEY
[14] STRUCTURAL REFORMS CONFERENCE
[15] 400 TRILLION TL TO BE COLLECTED BY STANDARD OF LIVING TAX
[16] QUALITY AWARDS
[17] SCIENCE CENTER IN ISTANBUL
[18] A TURKISH FILM IN THE NEW YORK FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL
[19] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[20] LET US NOT BE INCITED BY PROVOCATIONS BY SEMIH IDIZ (STAR)
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[02] SUMMIT FOR CYPRUS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will meet with President of the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus(TRNC) Rauf Denktas tomorrow
at the Presidential Palace to comprehensively discuss the Cyprus
issue. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, the Chief of General Staff
Huseyin Kivrikoglu, Minister of National Defense Sabahattin
Cakmakoglu and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will attend the
meeting as well. The developments regarding the inclusion of the
Cyprus issue into the Accession Partnership Document and the
statements of the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which were
rejected by the Turkish-Cypriots, but supported by the
Greek-Cypriots, will be discussed at the meeting. At the summit a
decision will be taken for the conditions under which the
Turkish-Cypriots will attend the next round of the proximity
talks. /Milliyet/
[03] ECEVIT: "THE EU DECEIVED TURKEY"
The leader of the Democratic Leftist Party (DSP) and Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday addressed his party's
parlamentary group meeting. Mr. Ecevit said that if a solution on
the Cyprus and Aegean issues cannot be reached the Turkey's
expectations, Turkey's reaction will not be only verbal.
Emphasizing that the EU did not keep its promise given to Turkey
while accepting Turkey's EU candidacy at the Helsinki Summit on
Dec.10, 1999, Premier Ecevit said, "The EU deceived Turkey.
Turkey cannot give concessions. EU countries are already aware of
Turkey's concern over these two vital issues." Pointing out that
Europe does not consist of only the EU countries', Mr. Ecevit
said, "EU members do not have a monopoly of being European.
Turkey has been European for the last 600 year."/Turkiye/
[04] BENDIT: "TURKEY'S REACTION IS JUSTIFIED"
Delivering a speech at the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary
Commission's 46th meeting, French Co-Chairman Daniel Marc Cohn
Bendit said Turkey is right about its reaction against the
inclusion of the so-called Armenian genocide into the report on
Turkey at the European Parliament. Stressing that the report
offended Turkey, Mr. Bendit said the EU has certain shortcomings
in its understanding of democracy./Turkiye/
[05] PAPANDREOU CHANGES HIS STANCE
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou toughened his stance
yesterday leaving his moderate attitude towards Turkey. Mr.
Papandreou said the approval of the Accession Partnership
Document may be postponed to a date when Sweden takes the EU
term-presidency. He said Greece will approve the Document, if it
includes all the conditions clearly presented in the EU Helsinki
Summit decisions. He said Turkey's reactions against the Document
are extreme. /Milliyet/
[06] TURKEY CONDITIONALLY PARTICIPATES IN THE EUROPEAN ARMY
Turkey announced she will contribute to the "European Army" on
condition that she will also take part in the decision-making
process for the operations. Minister of National Defense
Sabahattin Cakmakoglu said Turkey is ready to contribute to the
Rapid Reaction Force by sending 6,000 soldiers, 36 aircraft, one
submarine and two frigates. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] ROBERTSON IN TURKEY
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson yesterday arrived in
Turkey. Mr. Robertson will be received by Premier Bulent Ecevit
in Ankara today. Tomorrow, he will attend the "European Defence
and Security Identity (ESDI)" conference organized by TESEV in
Istanbul. /Turkiye/
[08] DEMIREL-ECEVIT MEETING
Former President Suleyman Demirel visited Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit yesterday. After the meeting, stressing that he informed
Ecevit before the meeting to be held on Nov.26 in New York to end
the Middle East clashes, Mr. Demirel said, "One of the most
important issues in the region is the Israeli-Palestine conflict.
I am a member of the five in the commission formed to find a
solution to the clashes. I will leave for the US on Saturday. I
briefed the Prime Minister on the developments." /Star/
[09] WOUNDED PALESTINIANS IN ANKARA
47 Palestinians wounded during the clashes with Israelis, were
brought to Ankara yesterday. The wounded Palestinians are
receiving medical treatment in Numune and GATA hospitals. /Star/
[10] CEM'S VISIT OVERSHADOWED BY DETENTION OF TURKISH JOURNALISTS
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's short visit to Israel was
overshadowed when three Turkish journalists were detained by
Israeli police yesterday after a search at the entrance to the
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's office. A major security
alert was declared at Barak's office when an X-ray machine
detected used tear gas grenades and bullets and shell cases in
the journalists' luggage. The journalists were released folowing
an interrogation. Speaking to the Anatolia News Agency, the
Turkish journalists said that they had collected the used
grenades and bullets as a 'souvenir' from the clashes in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip. /Turkish Daily News/
[11] UKRAINE SIGNS NINE COOPERATION PROTOKOLS WITH TURKEY
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma arrived yesterday in Turkey on
the invitation of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Mr. Kuchma will
meet today with Mr. Sezer, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and
Parliamentary Speaker Omer Izgi. Nine cooperation protocols will
be signed with the Ukrainian officials including military and
nuclear issues. President Kuchma attended yesterday a press
conference. Mr. Kuchma said they are concerned about the Blue
Stream project that will go beneath the Black Sea and transport
natural gas from Russia to Turkey. Mr. Kuchma said the project
may negatively affect the ecological balance in the sea. It would
be more rational to add a new pipeline along the existing one.
Mr. Kuchma denied the claims that the shortage of natural gas in
Turkey stems from Ukraine's extensive use of gas from the
pipelines. Mr. Kuchma said Ukraine did not use gas from the
pipeline reaching Turkey. Mr. Kuchma said he hoped Turkish
fishermen would not enter their territorial waters thereby
causing unfortunate incidents.To prevent such events, extensive
cooperation is needed by the parties. He said regarding Turkey's
tank tender, "Our tanks are technologically superior and their
prices are affordable. If we lose the tender it will not be a
great loss for us, but this decision will not be an economic
one." Mr. Kucma further said Ukraine supports Ankara's initiative
to establish the Caucasian Stability Pact. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] BAYKAL LEAVES FOR GERMANY
Leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Deniz Baykal,
yesterday flew to Berlin at the invitation of the Turkish
Research Center and German Foreign Politics Institute. Mr. Baykal
will deliver a speech at the opening of "Turkey's Strategic
Importance as a European Partner" meeting. /Turkiye/
[13] EC REPORT ON ECONOMIC ESTIMATES IN TURKEY
European Commissioner responsible for Economic and Monetary
Affairs, Pedro Solbes, stated the developments in the candidate
countries for full EU membership. Mr.Solbes said the developments
in the Turkish economy positively affect the average development
rate of the candidate countries. According to the document
announced by Mr. Solbes, the Turkish government successfully
implements the economic stabilization program, hence the decrease
in the interest rates caused an increase in domestic demand. The
government's estimates regarding the inflation rate were
convincing. The data put forth by the EC report estimates the
inflation rate at the end of 2000 will be 55 %. The rate will
decline in 2001 to 22 % and finally in 2002 to 15 %. /Milliyet/
[14] STRUCTURAL REFORMS CONFERENCE
A conference titled "Structural Reforms for a Stable Growth" will
be held in Istanbul on November 29. During the conference to be
organized with the cooperation of the World Bank, Treasury
Undersecretariat and the Turkish Banks' Union, an economic report
prepared by the World Bank will be taken up. /Hurriyet/
[15] 400 TRILLION TL TO BE COLLECTED BY STANDARD OF LIVING TAX
The Government has rolled up its sleeves to put a new package of
reforms into implementation. The standard of living tax presented
to the Plenary Session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly
(TGNA) was approved yesterday. Finance Minister Sumer Oral stated
that through this method, they aimed to collect an income of 400
trillion TL. /Hurriyet/
[16] QUALITY AWARDS
"The National Quality Awards 2000" granted to Eczacibasi Artema
Armature Group Joint Company in large- scale category, and Ata
Investment Securities in Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises
(KOBI) category. /Aksam/
[17] SCIENCE CENTER IN ISTANBUL
With the initiative of the Science Center Foundation, a Science
Center will be built within the Yildiz University Campus. The
center will comprise 18,000 square meters of closed area. An
auditorium, an Imax cinema, gardens, archeological exhibitions,
aquapark and a planetarium will be in the Center. /Aksam/
[18] A TURKISH FILM IN THE NEW YORK FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL
A young Turkish film director Gulnihal Antepli is chosen to take
part in the New York International Film and Video Festival. She
will participate in the festival with her documentary "The Colors
of Darkness". The film will be shown between Dec.1-11 on Broadway
in New York. /Cumhuriyet/
[19] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[20] LET US NOT BE INCITED BY PROVOCATIONS BY SEMIH IDIZ (STAR)
Columnist Semih Idiz comments on the recent developments in
Turco-EU relations. A summary of his columns is as follows:
"Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is correct. At present, Turkey is
faced with various provocations coming from Europe. The visit by
Armenian President Robert Kocharian to Athens and the statements
he made with his Greek counterpart Kostas Stephanopoulos reveal
that these provocations will go on for some time to come. In
another development, news appearing in the Russian Press show
that a group of Russian Armenians have plans directed at
Northeast Anatolia. They are after pipe dreams such as forming a
government-in-exile, forcing Turkey for compensation, and
returning to their historical land. They are dreaming, but others
are encouraging them.
On the other hand, Ocalan case has begun to be tried at the
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and Kurdish organizations
settled in Europe and their supporters can be expected to
participate in this current of provocations. Some are trying to
get Turkey into trouble by stirring up Armenians, Greeks and
Kurds. The reason for provocations is to draw harsh reactions
from the opposite side and use it for one's own interests. The
greater the reaction, the greater the success of the provocation.
Therefore, at present Turkey has to stay calm and collected and
not give in to provocations as those working against the country
are turning every single nervous statement to their advantage.
They are saying, 'You intend to take them into the European Union
but they have not changed at all. The old threatening Turk is the
same.'
Recent articles I have read reveal that the Greek-Armenian axis
is pleased with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's latest statement
saying that Turkey would review its relations with the European
Union. They believe that the farthest they can move Turkey away
from the West the more it will be to their advantage. The reason
for this is simple. They would like Turkey to be ousted as the
strategic ally of the West. They know that with its present
strategic location, Turkey cannot be ignored by the West.
The day before yesterday, an editorial in 'Wall Street Journal'
titled 'Stop Thrashing Turkey' appeared. I was surprised when I
read the article. It was in favour of Turkey and I thought,' Now
the Greeks and Armenians will allege that Turkey has bought off
Wall Street Journal'. The editorial strongly supports Turkey's
views on all Turkey's arguments, whether it regards Armenians,
Cyprus or the EU. For example, it gives the number of Armenians
who died in the First World War as 600,000 saying that these were
the losses suffered during the War in armed conflicts, due to
sickness and other causes.
It claims that Greece is the one which has to pay compensation to
Turkey for its invasion of Anatolia in 1919. It goes on to blame
Europe with short-sightedness by turning its back on Turkey which
had served Western security during the Cold War. It seems that
some are disturbed by continual thrashing of Turkey as this
country holds great importance and is indispensable for them. In
short, I would like to say that Turkey is not alone in the world
as some suggest. Therefore we have to be calm as the British,
cautious as the Danish and do not give in to provocations."
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