Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
The Anatolia news agency reported widespread panic and damage
resulting from yesterday morning's earthquake in the Cerkes
district of Cankiri some 100 kilometers north of Ankara. The
quake, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, occurred at 05.41 a.m.
yesterday and was felt in Ankara, Samsun and many other towns and
villages along the Black Sea cost and throughout central
Anatolia. The death toll is three, with dozens of injured and
hospitalized, both as a direct result of the quake, its
aftershocks and associated subsidence, or from indirect effects
such as gas mains and gas bottles exploding. /All papers/
It was learned that Ahmet Necdet Sezer will not be attending the
summit meeting of the Sixth Economic Cooperation Organization to
be held in Tehran on 10 June. Sezer expressed his best wishes to
Iranian Head of Stated Muhammed Hatemi at the ECO Summit. State
Minister Mehmet Kececiler will represent Turkey at the Summit.
The technical meetings at the experts level began in Tehran
yesterday. The tension in Turco-Iranian relations has affected
the ECO meeting adversely. /Cumhuriyet/
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit stated that there was no possibility
of military interventions anymore in Turkey. Ecevit who delivered
a speech at the Nobel Peace Institute in Norway where he is on an
official visit, recalled that Turkey had served as a staunch NATO
member for the security of Europe during the last fifty years.
Ecevit said, "Turkey cannot accept the secondary role EU has seen
fit for it in the ESDI(European Security and Defence and
Identity)." Ecevit who also noted that both Norway and Turkey
were facing similar problems as members of NATO but not that of
the EU. He expressed his belief that the National Security
Council was an important institution and there was no possibility
of new coups taking place in Turkey. /Turkiye/
9th Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, while evaluating the
problem of 'Supreme Court' within the government, said that the
most important element for Turkey was stability at the moment.
Demirel, who attended the Ambassadors of the EU member countries'
'lunch conversations' as the honorary guest, was welcomed by the
Austrian Ambassador, Ralph Schiede in front of the Austrian
Embassy. Demirel delivered a speech during the lunch and
requested the EU to give more support to Turkey. /Hurriyet/
People's Democratic Party (HADEP) Chairman Ahmet Turan Demir
stated that a comprehensive economic development project should
be started to improve the standard of life in Eastern and
Southeastern Anatolia and added that they were ready to support
Prime Minister Ecevit's efforts and the steps the Goverment will
take. Demir also said that there was great interest in
Southeastern and Eastern Anatolia both in Turkey and abroad.
HADEP Chairman, noted that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit would go
to Diyarbakir on 11 June to explain the planned works to the
public. /Milliyet/
The Nationalist Action Party (MHP)Chairman Devlet Bahceli stated
that the stance MHP deputies took at the investigation commission
was not political but rather reflected their own opinions.
Bahceli added that the policy of other deputies in the voting at
the investigation commissions did not concern them. Bahceli also
mentioned that if the investigation commissions did not give a
decision opening the path to the Supreme Court, it did not mean
the exoneration of those concerned just as the proof of the crime
of others who are sent to the Supreme Court. He said,"The final
judiciary authority is the Supreme Court." /Milliyet/
The decision of the investigation commission on 'the announcement
of new tourism centres in Istanbul' about the former Prime
Minister Mesut Yilmaz is expected to be revealed next week. The
decision concerning the roles of the former Prime Minister and
the former Communications Minister Necdet Menzir on the GSM
tenders are expected to be announced on 12 June. /Turkiye/
A conference entitled 'A Safe Eurasia in the 21st Century'
organized by the East-West Institute, the Ari Group and the
German Friedrich Neumann Foundation will be held in Istanbul on
June 8-9. At a press conference to introduce the event, Ari
Movement General Director Kemal Koprulu said the East-West
Institute has a worldwide reputation and is the group that
presented Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Greek Foreign
Minister George Papandreou with the 'Statesman of the Year' award
this year. East-West Institute President John Edwin Mroz,
Friedrich Neumann Foundation President Wilhelm Hummen and Advisor
to the (US) President and Secretary of State for Caspian Basin
Energy Diplomacy John Wolf will be present at the conference.
/Turkish Daily News/
17 people, including two school inspectors, two teachers, and
eight university students, have been detained in anti-Hizbullah
police operations in Malatya. These people had all forwarded
their CVs to Hizbullah members in order to join the 'Knowledge
Wing' of this terrorist organization and had carried out work for
the organization in mosques on the Inonu University campus. /All
papers/
Foundation of Economic Development (IKV) made an inquiry among
the European Union members countries, which showed that the rate
of those who consider Turkey's membership to the EU as positive
was 44.1%. In the inquiry, the Europeans considered the biggest
obstacle in front of Turkey's membership to the EU as the
standards of human rights in Turkey. 29.6% of the Europeans who
answered the questions of this inquiry were against Turkey's
membership whereas 26.2% of them did not reveal their opinion.
/Star/
Ministry of Justice prepared a draft law in order to prevent the
foreign public officials, who have duties in the commercial
operations, from accepting bribes. The reason for the draft law,
was stated as, "The bribe causes mutual distrust and creates
obstacles before the economic improvement and efforts for
development. Developed markets cannot be established due to the
fact that as a result of bribes there will be no competition
left." As part of the draft law, those who are captured while
giving bribes abroad will be tried again in Turkey. /Aksam/
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Altan Oymen will go to the
capital city of China, Beijing, today as the guest of the Chinese
Communist Party. Oymen will meet the Chinese Communist Party's
Central Committee leaders during his visit that will continue
until 16 June. /Cumhuriyet/
Minister of Commerce and Trade, Ahmet Kenan Tanrikulu, stated
that the main and subordinate industrial relations should be
settled on a basis so that main business branches can be
specialized on Turkey's path to become a member of the European
Union. Tanrikulu issued a statement at Istanbul Chamber of
Commerce (ITO) and said that Turkey had to improve its
subordinate industries. Tanrikulu added that they had prepared
the draft law in regard with supporting and improving the
subordinate industries. Tanrikulu further stated that they had
received both negative and positive reactions from various
circles. /Star/
International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Chief of the Turkish Desk,
Carlo Cottarelli, issued a statement concerning the increase in
wholesale prices by 1.7% and the increase in consumer prices by
2.2% and said that there was no need to worry concerning this
issue. Cotarelli said, "The inflation trend should be examined
not monthly, but in terms of seasons. If the economic programme
is continued to be implemented, it will be possible that an
inflation rate, which is very close the target, will be able to
be achieve at the end of this year." /Cumhuriyet/
The European Investment Bank (EIB), which is the European Union's
(EU) credit institution, will increase its credits so that 13 EU
candidate countries, including Turkey, can be brought to the
level of 15 EU member countries. Chairman of the EIB, Philippe
Maystadt, held a press conference after meeting with the EU
member countries' Ministers of Finance, during which he said,
"The EIB will give a loan of 17 billion euros (15.9 billion
dollars) in seven years for the financing of the EU candidate
countries' development projects." Maystadt said that some
Ministers of the EU member countries were calling this the 'Mini
Marshall Plan' for the EU candidate countries. /Cumhuriyet/
France 2000 Technology and Industry Fair was opened by the French
State Minister, responsible for Foreign Trade, Francois Huwart.
170 companies attended this fair, opened at CNR Fair Centre in
Istanbul. France 2000 Technology and Industry Fair, which shows
as the importance given by France to Turkey, will be open until
10 June. France 2000 Fair is organized by the contibution of the
French Ministry of Economy, CFME-ACTIM, which is the Promotion
and Fair Organization Commission and the French commercial
counsellors in Turkey. Huwart, pointed out that Turkey was an
important market for France and said, "Our presence in Turkey
will be stronger. Turkey is an attractive market for our
investors." Huwart added that they would make new investments in
Turkey. /Star, Cumhuriyet/
The increase in the exports in the main sectors except for the
textile sector in the first three months of this year is very
promising. According to the data of the State Institute of
Statistics (DIE), the amount of the iron-steel sector exports
increased by 27.7% and reached 422.9 million US dollars. Export
of electrical equipment and tools increased by 93.5% and reached
429.5 million US dollars and the export of machines and
mechanical tools increased by 3.2% and reached 289 million US
dollars. Meanwhile, the most rapid increase was seen in the
export of land vehicles, which reached 418.1 million US dollars
with an increase by 46.5%. /Cumhuriyet/
Monitoring committees will be established in order to control
inflation. Specialists, people, workers and the employer
institutions and the representatives of all the non-governmental
organizations will participate in the monitoring committees,
which will be established within the framework of the 'Turkey
Defeats Inflation' campaign, led by the Turkish Association of
Chambers and Stock Exchanges and the Assembly of Turkish
Exporters. /Sabah/
Treasury authorized the Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan for the
ten-year term bond export. Treasury's General Director of Foreign
Economic Relations, Aydin Karaoz, stated that the export would be
in terms of US dollars. Turkey, which exported the bond amounting
to 500 million US dollars last week, was targeting at its export
to amount to 1.5 billion US dollars in the second quarter of this
year. /Aksam/
The tourism promotion for Turkey abroad has started to yield good
results. Turkish tourism, which was in a crisis the last two
years, looks likely to enjoy a very productive 2000 season. The
directors of the five-star hotels in Antalya said that the
touristic resorts and hotels had had a 50 to 60 percent
accommodation take-up rate. They also said that there would be no
empty rooms at hotels and pensions in July and August. Meanwhile
some hotel owners are afraid of a situation where more tourists
come than there are reservations for. /Turkish Daily News/
Palestine Airlines started scheduled flights between Gaza and
Istanbul. 150 passengers arrived in Turkey from Gaza yesterday on
a Boeing 727 type plane called 'Jerusalem'. Chairman of the
Executive Board of the Palestine Civil Aviation Organization and
the General Director of Palestine Airlines, Fayezz Zeydan, who
arrived in Turkey on this first flight, was welcomed by the
Deputy Governor of Istanbul, Saim Eskioglu and by the other
officials at the VIP hall of Ataturk Airport. /Hurriyet/
Gul Arik won the first prize of the Italian Porcelain Artists
Foundation's 6th Art of Porcelain Painting Convention, which was
held at Como, Italia. 'Convenzione Azzurra', which is one of the
biggest competition in this field is held between 26 and 29 May
once in two years. Gul Arik's plate won the first prize among
1140 other pieces. In addition, Ilknur Ozeren won the honorary
mansion, Elma Art Workshop, which belongs to Ugur Olgac and Gul
Arik, won the award of the successful team and Ruth Benice, who
participated in this competition from Ankara, won the 'Imponte'
prize. /Cumhuriyet/
'A 20th Century Geniune, Fausto Melotti' exhibition, which came
from Pavia Sartinara Art Foundation, will be displayed at the
Turkish and Islamic Works Museum until 16 July. This exhibition
is organized by the cooperation between the Ministry of Culture's
Directorate General of Monuments, Turkish and Islamic Works
Museum and the Italian Cultural Centre in Istanbul. This
exhibition, at which a total of 58 works of art will be
exhibitied, will be able to be visited between 09:00 and 16:30.
/Cumhuriyet/
Columnist Sami Kohen comments on a survey on the EU membership of
Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:
"A comprehensive survey on Turkey's membership to the EU has
shown that 88% of the Turkish population is in favour of
country's participation in the Union and only 6.8% oppose this
policy. The 80 page-report on the issues was announced at a press
conference also attended by the Economic Development
Foundation(IKV) Chairman Meral Gezgin Eris. As Eris has stated,
politicians have many lessons to learn from this survey.
The efforts Ankara has spent to become a member of the EU is in
fact, in parallel with the common desire of the Turkish society.
The survey confirms this fact. But what do the Europeans think?
According to the survey, 44% of the EU member nations want to see
Turkey in the EU if conditions are improved. A majority of them
believe that this will benefit both Europe and Turkey. This also
is an important statement. However, there is a difference
between wanting and realizing this wish. Only 24.6% of the
Europeans believe that Turkey will be admitted into the EU. The
rate of those who believe that Turkey will not be accepted into
the Union is 34.7%. We should note that this survey was made
before the decision accepting Turkey as a candidate was announced
at the Helsinki Summit.
However, the most significant chapter of the survey concerns the
reasons why Turkey should be admitted into or excluded from the
Union. The arguments in favour of Turkey's acceptance center on
two points. The first one being the geographic location of
Turkey, and its functioning as a bridge between Europe and Asia.
Second factor is economic. They believe that Turkey has a great
economic and commercial potential. The reasons in Turkey are the
same but here economic reasons come before that of the geographic
location.
The reasons why Europeans do not want to admit Turkey into the
Union are the low standards of human rights, and the developing
state of the economy. Turks see economic situation as the main
obstacle before their admittance into the EU. However, in Turkey
the second most important obstacle seen in the path to the EU is
seen as religion. However, this is not considered as important in
Europe. As the Chairman of IKV has stated, there is a
misunderstanding in Turkey.
This report coincides at time when Turco-EU relations are moving
from candidacy to membership. The results of the survey will lead
the way for those preparing this process. One of these results is
that, not only the Europeans but also Turks themselves have to
believe in the necessity to elevate the human rights and
democratic standards. Another result is the common view in
carrying out the reforms required for the improvement in economy.
Certainly, there are misimpressions, and even prejudices in both
sides. Turkey not only has to promote itself to the Europeans
but also correct the images already formed.
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
QUAKE HITS CANKIRI
SEZER WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THE MEETING IN TEHRAN
ECEVIT: NO MORE COUPS
DEMIREL BECOMES THE HONORARY GUEST OF THE EU AMBASSADORS
HADEP CHAIRMAN: WE ARE READY TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT
ONLY SUPREME COURT CAN EXONERATE
MESUT YILMAZ WAITING FOR THE COMMISSIONS
'A SAFE EURASIA IN THE 21ST CENTURY' CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN
ISTANBUL
HIZBULLAH OPERATIONS DETAIN 17 PEOPLE IN MALATYA
INQUIRY OF THE FOUNDATION OF FINANCIAL IMPROVEMENT
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE PREPARES BRIBE DRAFT LAW
OYMEN TO VISIT CHINA
TANRIKULU'S STATEMENT
COTARELLI: "THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY"
'MINI MARSHALL PLAN' TO BE IMPLEMENTED
FRANCE 2000 TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY FAIR OPENED
EXPORT INCREASES IN BASIC SECTORS
TURKISH ASSOCIATION OF CHAMBERS AND STOCK EXCHANGES TO ESTABLISH
MONITORING COMMITTEE
TREASURY'S NEW INITIATIVE
GOOD TREND IN TURKISH TOURISM
PALESTINE AIRLINES STARTS SCHEDULED FLIGHTS BETWEEN GAZA AND
ISTANBUL
TURKISH PORCELAIN ARTISTS RECEIVE AWARD FROM ITALY
FAUSTO MELOTTI EXHIBITION IN TURKEY
FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...
GUIDING EU SURVEY BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)