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Turkish Press Review, 04-08-26
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
26.08.2004
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
CONTENTS
[01] NSC DISCUSSES CYPRUS, RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ
[02] TWO TURKS CAPTURED BY IRAQI MILITANTS
[03] INTERIOR MINISTER AKSU: “ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM MUST IMPROVE FURTHER”
[04] DUTCH ADVISORY COUNCIL: “THE EU SHOULD BEGIN ACCESSION TALKS WITH ANKARA WITHIN TWO YEARS”
[05] BABACAN TO WOO FOREIGN INVESTORS ON EUROPEAN TOUR
[06] FIRST ARMY COMMANDER GEN. TOLON VISITS ISTANBUL GOVERNOR
[07] EDELMAN: “THE US WILL NOT LAUNCH ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST THE PKK IN THE NEAR FUTURE”
[08] RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR: “OUR NATURAL GAS PROBLEMS WILL SOON BE RESOLVED”
[09] CITING IMPROVED MACROECONOMIC SITUATION, FITCH RAISES OUTLOOK ON TURKEY’S LONG-TERM DEBT
[10] EROGLU WINS OLYMPIC SILVER MEDAL IN WRESTLING
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[12] TURKEY’S EU BID BY HURSIT GUNES (MILLIYET)
[01] NSC DISCUSSES CYPRUS, RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ
The National Security Council (NSC) yesterday discussed a number of issues
under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. The council
evaluated recent developments in Iraq and the next steps to be taken on the
Cyprus issue. Also present at the meeting was National Intelligence
Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Senkal Atasagun. /Turkiye/
[02] TWO TURKS CAPTURED BY IRAQI MILITANTS
Iraqi militants yesterday threatened to kill two Turkish hostages if their
companies did not withdraw from the country within 72 hours. Turkish
television stations aired a videotape showing Abdullah Ozdemir and Ali
Daskin, who were reportedly kidnapped from a construction site in Iraq,
squatting in front of two armed insurgents and holding up their Turkish
passports. A voice speaking in Arabic demanded that the captives’ companies
withdraw from Iraq within three days, warning that otherwise they would be
beheaded. Hours later, two Turkish companies, Usluel and SA-RA, announced
that they had begun pulling their staff out of Iraq. Last week a similar
video was broadcast with images of another Turkish hostage, Aytullah
Gezmen. Although Gezmen's company, Bilintur, also announced its withdrawal
from Iraq, so far no further information has been received on Gezmen. /All
Papers/
[03] INTERIOR MINISTER AKSU: “ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM MUST IMPROVE
FURTHER”
Ankara and Hanoi yesterday signed a protocol concluding the second term
meeting of the Turkish-Vietnamese Joint Economic Commission (KEK). Interior
Minister Abdulkadir Aksu and Vietnamese Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen
signed the protocol, which is designed to improve bilateral economic
relations. Stating that Ankara was satisfied with the trend of developing
economic ties between the two countries, Aksu added, “However, we believe
that our economic relations must improve further, since Turkey and Vietnam
both have great economic potentials. I believe that Vietnam will be one of
Turkey’s key economic partners in the years to come.” /Star/
[04] DUTCH ADVISORY COUNCIL: “THE EU SHOULD BEGIN ACCESSION TALKS WITH
ANKARA WITHIN TWO YEARS”
In a written statement, a leading Dutch advisory body yesterday recommended
that the European Union begin accession talks with Ankara within two years,
adding that Turkey’s different cultural history and Muslim population were
not reasons to block its EU membership bid. The Advisory Council on
International Affairs to the Dutch government, which currently holds the
rotating EU presidency, further stressed that about 20 million Muslims were
already living in EU member states. The council, however, added that the
Union shouldn’t set a date for Turkey’s actual membership warning that this
could lead to inflated expectations. The EU, under the Netherlands’ helm,
is due at its December summit to decide on setting a date for Turkey.
/Aksam/
[05] BABACAN TO WOO FOREIGN INVESTORS ON EUROPEAN TOUR
State Minister Ali Babacan is set to tour European political and economic
capitals such as The Hague and London next week in order to tout recent
Turkish economic developments to foreign investors. Babacan is to meet with
the representatives of the finance and banking sectors in these cities and
also hold gatherings with top economy bureaucrats. Babacan’s five-day tour
is intended to promote recent positive developments in the Turkish economy
to investors. /Milliyet/
[06] FIRST ARMY COMMANDER GEN. TOLON VISITS ISTANBUL GOVERNOR
Newly appointed First Army Commander Gen. Hursit Tolon yesterday visited
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler. Speaking afterwards, Tolon said that he
and Guler would work hard to serve the citizens of the province. For his
part, Guler said that he had cooperated with former first Army Commander
Gen. Yasar Buyukanit and that he would do the same with Tolon. /Aksam/
[07] EDELMAN: “THE US WILL NOT LAUNCH ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST THE
PKK IN THE NEAR FUTURE”
US Ambassador to Ankara Eric Edelman yesterday stated that in the near
future, US forces in Iraq were not expected to stage any military
operations against the terrorist PKK in Iraq. Washington is very sensitive
about the activities of terrorists in northern Iraq, Edelman said during a
visit to the Black Sea province of Samsun. He added that Washington and
Ankara were cooperating to combat terrorism in the region, underlining that
there would be various activities in cooperation with Turkey to block the
terrorist group’s activities in the region. /Star/
[08] RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR: “OUR NATURAL GAS PROBLEMS WILL SOON BE RESOLVED”
Russia’s Ambassador to Ankara Peter Stegny yesterday briefed Turkish
reporters on recent developments regarding natural gas disputes between the
two countries. Speaking in the leadup to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
historic visit to Ankara next week, Stegny stressed that the Turkish and
Russian state natural gas companies, BOTAS and Gazprom, were ready to sign
a memorandum to govern the natural gas trade between the two countries.
Stating that Ankara and Moscow enjoyed common interests in the field of
energy, the Russian ambassador added that his country attached the highest
importance to economic relations with Turkey in line with its national
interests. In related news, Putin is scheduled to pay a two-day official
visit to Ankara starting next Thursday. Turkish security forces are
readying tight security measures in the capital to protect Putin and his
delegation. The Russian leader is then expected to proceed to the Aegean
province of Izmir where he will board a warship on his way back to Russia.
/Hurriyet – Sabah/
[09] CITING IMPROVED MACROECONOMIC SITUATION, FITCH RAISES OUTLOOK ON
TURKEY’S LONG-TERM DEBT
International rating agency Fitch yesterday raised the outlook for its
rating on Turkey’s long-term debt denominated in both foreign currencies
and the lira, citing the country’s improving macroeconomic situation. Fitch
yesterday said in a statement that its B+ rating on Turkey’s long-term debt
had a positive outlook compared with a previously stable outlook. The
upgrade reflects a combination of improving economic and financial
fundamentals, together with clearer prospects over the future of the
country's relationship with the International Monetary Fund, said the
agency. Fitch further stated that while Turkey would see major challenges
on the fiscal financing front in 2005, the likelihood of securing a new IMF
program was high, something which should support market confidence, provide
some insulation from rising global interest rates, and offer some valuable
sources of fiscal funding. /Turkiye/
[10] EROGLU WINS OLYMPIC SILVER MEDAL IN WRESTLING
Turkish wrestler Seref Eroglu yesterday won the silver medal in Greco-Roman
wrestling at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games. Eroglu, world champion
in the 66-kg category, was bested by Azerbaijan’s Ferid Mansurov, who took
the gold. /All papers/
[11] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
[12] TURKEY’S EU BID BY HURSIT GUNES (MILLIYET)
Columnist Hursit Gunes comments on Turkey’s European Union membership bid.
A summary of his column is as follows:
“This December the European Council will decide on giving Turkey a date for
accession talks. A number of questions present themselves: Will the result
really be positive? Is it possible to know this now? The European
Commission’s progress report will soon be published. As a matter of fact,
some parts of the report are already being leaked to the press. There are
some warnings. The commission, a bureaucratic body, is in favor of Turkey’s
membership, whereas the council, made up of European leaders, is cooler. In
other words, some countries favor Turkey’s membership, while others do not.
Which are in the later camp? The list varies depending on when you ask, but
we can’t say that Luxembourg, Denmark or Austria have a positive stance,
even if they don’t state this openly. Germany’s take is different. It wants
to gloss over the issue with a “special membership status.” Whatever that
means… Therefore all reports before December will be positive. Will the
economic balances right themselves if Turkey gets a date for talks? No, but
many hope so. The main risk lies in not getting a date. A development
contrary to expectations would be very powerful, and the balances would be
shaken. And some believe that foreign investment would rise if Turkey gets
date for accession talks. I think that none of this will happen. The
expectations are exaggerated.
What can Turkey do to promote a positive council decision? The main
opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has a large duty.
Socialists in Europe tend to favor Turkey’s membership more. Therefore, the
CHP could motivate them to be more active. The government has to explain
the political and social benefits to Europe from Turkey’s membership.
Efforts to sway public opinion would be especially effective, but this is a
difficult task with an Islamic government in power.
Some claim that EU’s requests could cause a split in Turkey. It’s true that
it’s not easy to carry through EU requests in Turkey, because our nation
has unique problems and troubles. These requests, however, weren’t made for
Turkey alone. All of them are common rules. Therefore, implementing them
despite all difficulties is inevitable, because this will be work to our
favor. Turkey’s political and social direction lies in the West, and
Europe.”
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