|
|
Turkish Press Review, 06-05-17
From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>
<LINK href="http://www.byegm.gov.tr_yayinlarimiz_chr_pics_css/tpr.css"
rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css>
<style type="text_css">
<!--
.baslik {
margin-right:0cm;
margin-left:0cm;
margin-top:1cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
color:#000099;
text-align: justify;
}
-->
<_style>
e-mail :
newspot@byegm.gov.tr
<caption> <_caption>
Summary of the political and economic
news in the Turkish press this morning
17.05.2006
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS..
CONTENTS
[01] PM ERDOGAN: “THEY ARE STEALING OUR TIME”
[02] TURKEY MAKES EFFORTS TO RESOLVE IRANIAN NUCLEAR DISPUTE
[03] CHP LEADER BAYKAL: “PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ARE TURKEY’S BREAKING POINT”
[04] TURKEY WARNS FRANCE NOT TO PASS ARMENIAN BILL
[05] PARLIAMENT REVISES SOCIAL SECURITY BILL
[06] GREEK FM TO VISIT TURKEY
[07] VANHANEN BECOMES FIRST FINNISH PM TO VISIT TURKEY
[08] FORMER TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS BALKS AT TALK OF ANNAN PLAN
[09] BABACAN MEETS WITH BANKING SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS..
[11] WHAT PROCESS ON CYPRUS? BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
[01] PM ERDOGAN: “THEY ARE STEALING OUR TIME”
Speaking at his party group meeting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
yesterday evaluated recent domestic and foreign developments. “We have no
plans for early elections. Those comparing us with previous governments are
making a mistake,” he said. Erdogan accused his political opponents of
lagging behind the times and not adapting themselves to current conditions.
“That’s why they’re in no hurry,” he said. “They have plenty of time to
play in the sand. Didn’t Turkey lose years to this mistaken understanding
of time? Now who could give us back those lost years?” Also rebuffing
speculations on the devaluation of the new Turkish lira, Erdogan said that
such ups and downs are normal in a floating exchange rate model, adding
that such speculations come from ignorance of the economy. Erdogan
yesterday also did the re-dedication of the revamped Ankamall Shopping
Center in Ankara. /Aksam-Star/
[02] TURKEY MAKES EFFORTS TO RESOLVE IRANIAN NUCLEAR DISPUTE
Turkish officials are continuing their efforts for a peaceful solution to
the international dispute over Iran’s nuclear program. Towards that aim,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul held a series of phone conversations last
week. He spoke separately with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and
Russian and German Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Frank Walter
Steinmeier to exchange views on the issue. Gul conveyed to them the outcome
of his recent talks with Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, as
well as Turkey’s views. Ankara is seeking resolution through peaceful means
to prevent any crisis in the region. In addition, Turkish officials are
trying to convince their Iranian counterparts to conduct the nation’s
nuclear program more openly. /Turkiye/
[03] CHP LEADER BAYKAL: “PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ARE TURKEY’S BREAKING
POINT”
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal
yesterday hinted that CHP deputies could resign en masse and “seek the
nation’s verdict” (“sine-i millet”) by forcing early general elections.
Baykal said that presidential elections were the most critical point of the
coming months and that those who don’t believe in the current Constitution
cannot be elected president. “When we reach a critical point, we would do
what’s necessary to prevent this. We are all here for this state, nation,
republic and democracy,” he said. Early general elections would mean a new
Parliament, not the current one, would elect the next president.
/Cumhuriyet/
[04] TURKEY WARNS FRANCE NOT TO PASS ARMENIAN BILL
The French Parliament is set to vote a bill tomorrow which would
criminalizes questioning the so-called Armenian genocide. In the runup to
the vote, Turkey has sent messages to that country saying that if the bill
passes, bilateral relations will be hurt. Ankara underlined that the French
government would be responsible for any crises in the aftermath of the bill
passing, adding that economic relations between the two countries,
including French firms’ vying for defense and nuclear power plant projects,
would be reviewed. In related news, speaking at his parliamentary group
meeting, opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal
sharply criticized the bill, stressing that Turkey would defend its rights
and honor to the end. /Turkiye/
[05] PARLIAMENT REVISES SOCIAL SECURITY BILL
Parliament yesterday re-passed a bill on the Social Security Authority
gathering all social security institutions under one roof, after it was
sent back for re-debate following amendments in line with President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer’s veto rationale. Under the new bill, executive members of the
authority will be appointed through a joint decree -- the president, prime
minister, and related minister -- rather than the Cabinet. On the other
hand, the government is expected to make clear its stance towards Sezer’s
veto to 15 articles of the reforms in the coming days. /Milliyet/
[06] GREEK FM TO VISIT TURKEY
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis is expected to attend the Fourth
Turkish-Greek Media Conference to be held in Istanbul on June 10. Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is also expected to deliver a speech at the
conference. During the opening of the gathering, Turkish State Minister
Besir Atalay and Greek State Minister Theodoros Roussopoulos will deliver
speeches. /Hurriyet/
[07] VANHANEN BECOMES FIRST FINNISH PM TO VISIT TURKEY
Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and Colombian Foreign Minister
Carolina Barco arrived in Turkey late Tuesday, both on official visits. The
Finish premier, whose country takes over the rotating European Union term
presidency in July, will discuss Turkey’s accession process in the 25-
nation bloc. It’s the first official visit by a Finnish premier to Turkey.
Vanhanen will meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan today
in Ankara, and key EU affairs, including Finland’s upcoming EU presidency
and Turkey’s membership negotiations, as well as bilateral, commercial and
economic relations between Finland and Turkey, will dominate the talks.
They are also expected to discuss the Cyprus problem and possible ways to
solve it as well as other key international and regional developments. /The
New Anatolian/
[08] FORMER TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS BALKS AT TALK OF ANNAN PLAN
Former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas
yesterday received a delegation from the Federation of Turkish Journalists,
led by its head Nazmi Bilgin, currently on the island for the 21st
Presidential Council meeting. During the meeting, Denktas grew upset at
mention of the Annan plan and said, “This is an incomprehensible situation.
Has the Turkish government sacrificed us?” Denktas said that if Turkey
didn’t take a determined stance, it would lose the TRNC. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] BABACAN MEETS WITH BANKING SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan yesterday met with
representatives of the Turkish Banks Association (TBB). Concerning recent
developments in the Turkish markets, Babacan said that fluctuations in
foreign exchange were possible but didn’t necessarily indicate any problem.
Dismissing devaluation allegations, Babacan pointed out that Turkey was
pursuing a floating foreign exchange policy which allows rises and falls in
the rate. In addition, TBB head Ersin Ozince told reporters that the
current balance in the economy was one the best ever, adding that Turkey
would be the star of its region. “If an investor leaves Turkey, we can make
up the difference,” said Ozince. /Sabah-Milliyet/
[10] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS..
[11] WHAT PROCESS ON CYPRUS? BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Columnist Sami Kohen comments on Cyprus. A summary of his column is as
follows:
“We know what’s in Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos’ head. His aim
is to establish a ‘unitary state’ led by the Greek majority. Therefore, the
Greek leader rejected various talk about a federation with two regions
based on the equality of the Turks and the Greeks, as well as objected to
the Annan plan and made the people reject it in the 2004 referendum.
Papadopoulos talks clearly now, saying that he won’t accept any solution
other than a unitary state. As a matter of fact, speaking to French news
weekly L’Express, Papadopoulos said that the Turks are a minority on the
island and indicated that a solution should be based on ‘one nation and one
state.’
The new attitude of the Greek leader rejects the basic principles accepted
by the two sides during the talks since the 1970s. The two regional federal
system which was suggested in the agreements in 1977 and 1979 was a model
in the talks for 30 years. Now Papadopoulos’ stance against these
principles and his talk of a unitary state are hindering this process. As a
matter of fact, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet
Ali Talat said in his letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that
Papadopoulos’ statements are contradicting the accepted parameters and
blocking new efforts for a solution. During a recent presentation in
Istanbul, Talat said that the Greek leader aims at uniting the North with
the south under Greek rule. He said that in this case a solution would be
impossible. According to Talat the only hope is the intervention of a more
active international community (especially the UN and European Union) and
forcing Papadopoulos to an agreement. However, the international community
has shown no effort on this issue.
I see that Talat has obviously lost his hopes. He made a great effort for a
solution and didn’t even lose his hopes when the Greek Cypriots rejected
the UN plan. Unfortunately, a hawk like Papadopoulos is in power and the EU
goes along with the maneuvering of the Greek Cypriots after accepting the
membership of the Greek part. Recent polls also show that the great
majority of the people, including young people, support Papadopoulos. Also
the majority says that they would reject the UN plan even today. The
general attitude of the Greeks indicates that a new process for talks is a
dream. For the Turks, a new process will be a search for alternative
solutions. Various models are being considered on this issue (like Slovakia,
Montenegro and Kosovo). In any case, this new process is more likely to
bring a solution with two states rather than Papadopoulos’ dream of a
unitary state.”
ARCHIVE
<script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http:/_www.byegm.gov.tr_statistic/countcode.js">
</script>
|