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Turkish Press Review, 03-12-11
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
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Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
11.12.2003
FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS
CONTENTS
[01] SEZER: “TERRORISM IS A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION”
[02] SEZER SIGNS POLICE CHIEF APPOINTMENTS
[03] ERDOGAN TO ATTEND EU SUMMIT IN BRUSSELS
[04] GUL TO VISIT JAPAN
[05] TURKEY SIGNS LANDMARK UN ANTI-CORRUPTION PACT
[06] OZKOK MEETS WITH ALBANIAN PRESIDENT MOISIU
[07] BAYKAL: “DISTORTED RELATIONS BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS IS OUR MOST DIRE PROBLEM”
[08] SERDAR DENKTAS: “THE EU AND THE US WANT TO CONTROL OIL RESERVES ON CYPRUS”
[09] EDELMAN: “WE WILL STAND BY TURKEY IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST PKK_KADEK”
[10] PARLIAMENT APPROVES PUBLIC FINANCE ADMINISTRATION BILL
[11] GREEK PROSECUTORS SEEK LIFE SENTENCE FOR NOVEMBER 17 TERRORISTS
[12] TURKEY, GREECE SIGN AIR CORRIDOR AGREEMENT
[13] BAHCELI: “CORRUPTION PROBES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED TO THE VERY END”
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS
[15] WHY IS THIS ELECTION SO IMPORTANT? BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[01] SEZER: “TERRORISM IS A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION”
In a statement released yesterday to mark Human Rights Day, President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer argued that terrorism constituted an obstacle to and a
violation of the development of human rights. He reiterated that
international cooperation was needed to fight terrorism. Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan also released a statement marking the occasion, saying
that terrorism posed a grave threat to democracy which violated the right
to life and furthermore urged fellow countries to cooperate against
terrorism. /Aksam/
[02] SEZER SIGNS POLICE CHIEF APPOINTMENTS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday signed an appointment decree for
regional police chiefs. Police commissioners from 28 cities came to Ankara
in order to receive their new appointments, and 45 cities got new chiefs.
While Deputy Security Director General Feyzullah Aslan was appointed chief
for Gaziantep, Mehmet Tokgoz was appointed deputy security director
general. /Star/
[03] ERDOGAN TO ATTEND EU SUMMIT IN BRUSSELS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to travel to Brussels today to
attend a summit of European Union member and candidate countries’ heads of
government and state. The premier, accompanied by Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul, is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his EU member country
counterparts. During the meetings, Erdogan will reiterate Turkey’s
determination for EU membership and express Ankara’s expectation to get a
date to begin negotiations at the end of 2004. In addition, cooperation in
the fight against terrorism will likely be discussed. In related news, next
week, on Dec. 18-20, Erdogan is scheduled to pay an official visit to the
central Asian republic of Uzbekistan at the invitation of its president,
Islam Kerimov. /Turkiye/
[04] GUL TO VISIT JAPAN
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is set to pay a five-day official visit to
Japan beginning next Tuesday. Gul is expected to be received by Prince
Mikasa, the honorary co-chairman of the year of Turkey, and Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi. /Turkiye/
[05] TURKEY SIGNS LANDMARK UN ANTI-CORRUPTION PACT
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Turkey had signed the
United Nations Convention Against Corruption, a groundbreaking
international pact. Speaking to reporters, Gul said that Turkey had been
one of the first countries to sign the accord, which makes misallocating
funds an international crime for the first time. Underlining his
government’s determination to fight corruption, Gul stated that
international cooperation was needed on the matter. Also speaking on recent
reforms in Ankara, the foreign minister said that secrecy in the National
Security Council (NSC) had been ended, and that work on allowing broadcasts
in regional languages had almost been completed. Concerning secrecy in
defense spending, Gul said that through the new Public Finance Bill, all
defense expenditures would be under Parliament’s supervision. Adding that
terrorist activities were the greatest violation of human rights, Gul
stated that Turkey would not violate human rights during its fight against
terrorism, in contrast to some other countries. /Sabah/
[06] OZKOK MEETS WITH ALBANIAN PRESIDENT MOISIU
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, who is currently in Albania for an
official visit, yesterday met with Albanian President Alfred Moisiu. During
their talks, Moisiu thanked Turkey for its support of modernization of the
Albanian Armed Forces. For his part, Ozkok said that longtime NATO member
Turkey would continue to help Albania reach NATO standards. /Milliyet/
[07] BAYKAL: “DISTORTED RELATIONS BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS IS OUR MOST
DIRE PROBLEM”
Speaking at his party’s group meeting yesterday, opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal warned that the distortion of
relations between religion and politics posed an even graver threat to
Turkey than did terrorism. “Western countries have solved this problem,” he
said. “But we haven’t seriously taken up these relations since the
foundation of the Turkish Republic.” /Cumhuriyet/
[08] SERDAR DENKTAS: “THE EU AND THE US WANT TO CONTROL OIL RESERVES ON
CYPRUS”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) Deputy Prime Minister and Democrat Party (DP) leader Serdar
Denktas charged that the European Union and the United States were pushing
for the United Nations’ plan for the island to be signed so they could
control the rich oil and gas reserves on the island. Denktas, the son of
longtime TRNC President Rauf Denktas, spoke just days before weekend
general elections in Northern Cyprus. /Aksam/
[09] EDELMAN: “WE WILL STAND BY TURKEY IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST PKK_KADEK”
US Ambassador to Ankara Eric Edelman said yesterday that Washington would
stand by Turkey in its fight against the PKK_KADEK terrorist group, adding
that the US had been a pioneer in officially recognizing the organization
as terrorist. Edelman stated that KADEK remained a terrorist organization
even if it had changed its name. He further said that while Turkish-US ties
had gone through a difficult period over the last year, recently the
nations had entered a period of stable relations. Economic and trade ties
between the two countries are very important, said the US diplomat. “We’ve
started work in reconstructing Iraq, and Turkey is also a part of this
project,” he added. /Aksam/
[10] PARLIAMENT APPROVES PUBLIC FINANCE ADMINISTRATION BILL
During its session yesterday, Parliament approved a bill making new
arrangements to public finance administration and supervision. Addressing
the assembled deputies, State Minister Ali Babacan said that public finance
would be more transparent beginning in 2005. “Next year, the budget will be
cover the next three years and in the meantime, six zeros will be dropped
from the Turkish lira,” said Babacan. In addition, Parliament yesterday
passed another bill proposing arrangements to the National Security Council
(NSC) Law in line with European Union harmonization laws, thus abolishing
the secrecy rule in NSC regulations. In addition, a once-vetoed bill
concerning appointments to vacant positions on the Turkish Scientific and
Technical Research Council (TUBITAK) Science Board was also re-approved by
the Parliament without any change. /Turkiye/
[11] GREEK PROSECUTORS SEEK LIFE SENTENCE FOR NOVEMBER 17 TERRORISTS
A Greek prosecutor yesterday asked a court to hand down multiple life
sentences against the leader, chief gunman and other members of the
November 17 terrorist group, which has been implicated in nearly two dozen
murders over 27 years. Prosecutors asked for multiple life sentences for 15
members of the group, who are together responsible for 23 assassinations,
assassination attempts and bomb attacks, including ones on Turkish
diplomats. The group is responsible attacks that killed Turkey's Athens
Embassy spokesman Cetin Gorgu in 1991 and Embassy Undersecretary Omer
Sipahioglu in 1994. The group’s leader, Alexandros Giotopoulos, and the
chief gunman Dimitris Koufodinas were given multiple life sentences.
/Sabah/
[12] TURKEY, GREECE SIGN AIR CORRIDOR AGREEMENT
An agreement on international air corridors was signed yesterday between
Turkey and pact is also designed to ease air traffic during next year’s
Olympic Games in Athens and end disagreements between Ankara and Athens
over air corridors. Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis hailed
the agreement as making “flights over the Aegean more secure.” /Sabah/
[13] BAHCELI: “CORRUPTION PROBES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED TO THE VERY END”
Regarding Parliament’s current anti-corruption work, Nationalist Action
Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday called on ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) deputies to carry out their investigations into
alleged corruption to the very end. In a meeting with press representatives
in Ankara on Parliament’s decision to set up probes into former Premier
Mesut Yilmaz and other four former ministers, Bahceli said, “Nothing should
be hidden in Turkey.” Lamenting that of late the MHP had been unable to
either establish strong contacts with the press or express itself properly,
Bahceli said that this had caused trouble for the party, which currently
holds no seats in Parliament. Criticizing the government’s policies, the
MHP leader stated the MHP expected better results in next year’s local
elections. Concerning on the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Bahceli
said, “Terrorism is a crime against humanity … Terrorists can come from any
religion, including Islam. The definition ‘Islamic terrorism’ isn’t
appropriate.” /Turkiye/
[14] FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS … FROM THE COLUMNS
[15] WHY IS THIS ELECTION SO IMPORTANT? BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen comments on this weekend’s general elections in the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). A summary of his column is as
follows:
“No election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has ever
gotten so much attention. This time not only Turkey, but also the entire
world is putting importance on the votes of 140,000 voters, because unlike
previous polls, this is like a referendum which will have international
ripples. Is ‘change’ or ‘continuing the status quo’ wanted to solve the
Cyprus issue? For the first time Turkish Cypriots are divided on this. The
parties and voters have two camps, those favoring Denktas or not and those
seeking a solution or not. Those favoring change hope to reach a quick
solution under UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan and to become a
European Union member with the Greek Cypriot administration. Those who
prefer the ‘status quo’ reject Annan’s plan and want the TRNC to continue
without the EU. The Turkish Cypriots’ choice will constitute a turning
point for the future, including Turkey’s relations with the EU and other
countries. In addition, this decision will influence subsequent policies of
the EU and the UN. That’s why the entire world is so concerned about these
elections.
Actually saying those ‘favoring a solution’ and those ‘opposing a solution’
is misleading because nobody’s openly rejecting efforts for solution. Those
favoring Denktas also want a solution but they’ve put forth certain
requirements. Those opposing Denktas want to sit at the table under Annan’s
plan and continue negotiations on this basis to find a solution before next
May. Otherwise, the Greek Cypriot administration will become an EU member
and then it will be hard for Turkey to get a date for talks from the EU, so
the Turkish side will enter very troubled waters. Those favoring Denktas
want a solution very different from Annan’s plan. However, they also feel
the need for the Turkish side to take the initiative again and bring the
other side to the table.
It seems whoever wins the elections, Turkish diplomacy will be eager for a
solution. Diplomats in Ankara and the Denktas administration in Nicosia are
looking into the situation seriously. Will there be a proposal for changes
to Annan’s plan or else an alternative plan? Ankara prefers the former.
Probably the government will be insistent on this. EU officials say that
Annan’s plan is still valid and that an alternative plan would have no
place. As one observer in Brussels said, if a solution is desired, changes
to Annan’s plan should be proposed. Otherwise the Turkish side’s
suggestions will have no chance. Our officials should take this into
consideration.”
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