Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit attended the reception of the
Turco-Greek Second Media Conference organized by the Foundation
of Media Council Solidarity and Development in Istanbul
yesterday. At the reception, Mr. Ecevit said," The Aegean Sea has
the most complex structure in the world. Time has come to find a
fair solution to the problems regarding the Aegean issue. The
differences and disputes between the two nations are artificial,
and there is a natural friendship between the Turkish and Greek
peoples. To solve our problems through dialogue will now be
easier, since the nations support the efforts of both
governments. Mr. Ecevit said that the problems regarding the
continental shelf with Russia and Bulgaria had been solved
through dialogue and the problem in the Aegean can also be solved
in the same manner. /Milliyet/
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem stated that the allegations of the
so-called Armenian genocide bill had stemmed from Armenia's
identity crisis. Stating that the Armenians based their unity as
a nation on their hostility against Turkey, Mr. Cem said, "The US
Administration is trying to prevent these attempts since it did
not desire to lose one of its closest allies." He added, "Turkey
will react with commonsense." Pointing out that certain circles
could also support the so-called genocide bill allegations in
Europe since the fundamentalists were trying to accelerate such
attempts, Mr. Cem said, "There is a different panorama in the US.
Armenian circles are influential in the US and it is an election
period now. However, the US Administration views its long-term
interests in preventing the bill from being passed in the House
of Representatives." Meanwhile, Mr. Cem also spoke on the EU,
Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia and the Cyprus issues. Stating that Turkey
had two major objectives for the first decade of 21st century,
Mr. Cem said, "One is to enter the EU and the other is to become
the center and powerful country of Eurasia." He added that Turkey
was pleased with the advance of democracy in Yugoslavia. In
addition, Mr. Cem said, "We are further developing our position
concerning the Cyprus issue. The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
supported us by saying that the political equality of both sides
on the Cyprus island was the political end but not the means."
/Cumhuriyet/
US Ambassador to Turkey, Robert Pearson, stated that the US
Administration was strongly against the so-called Armenian
genocide bill and added that the Administration comprehended
Turkey's sensitivity over the issue. Mr. Pearson claimed that all
flights over the Iraqi territory should be first approved by the
United Nations Committee formed to supervise the implementation
of the sanctions imposed on Iraq. "Our partnership with Turkey is
a strategic one and we want to maintain it.", Mr. Pearson added.
/Turkish Daily News/
Turkey actively participates in maintaining peace in the Middle
East. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem met Israeli Acting Foreign
Minister Schlomo Ben Ami yesterday. Later, Mr. Cem met Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit and Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Musa.
The government recommended both parties not to lose calm and
supported the idea of establishing an international commission
which would investigate into the clashes. /Milliyet/
State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel returned from Spain where he
attended the Foro Formentor Round Table Meeting. Mr. Gurel said,
"We hope that there will not be any issues in the Accession
Partnership Document that are not directly related to Turkey's
full EU membership, since the presence of these issues in the
document may be considered as a sign of a negative attitude, and
the negotiations may be interrupted." Mr. Gurel said that Turkey
aims to be a full EU member in order to reach international
standards of development. /Aksam/
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz met Spanish Prime Minister
Jose Maria Aznar in Spain and received full support for Turkey's
full EU membership. Mr. Yilmaz praised Mr. Aznar in his
contribution to the efforts of Turkey for the full EU membership.
Mr. Yilmaz said that they searched for new ways to develop their
relations with Spain. Mr. Yilmaz said that he explained the
developments in privatization process in Turkey to Mr. Aznar who
will invite Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit in February to Spain.
Mr. Yilmaz said that there was at least one country supporting
Turkey within the EU. /Aksam/
Phillipine Deputy Head of State and Minister for Social Welfare
and Development Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and an accompanying
delegation arrived in Ankara for an official visit. They visited
Ataturk's Mausoleum, Anitkabir and the Anatolian Civilizations
Museum. Ms. Arroya will meet Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit today.
/Star/
A press release by the Embassy of the Czech Republic announces
that Czech President Vaclav Havel will be visiting Turkey as the
guest of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Oct. 10-12. He will meet
the President, the Prime Minister and prominent journalists as
well as human rights activists, representatives of
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and intellectuals. The press
release notes that President Havel is a renowned author and human
rights activist who was repeatedly jailed by the former
totalitarian regime. He will also open the Turkish-Swiss Business
Forum at the Swissotel and visit historical sites in Selcuk and
Ephesus. /Turkish Daily News/
National Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu left for Greece
to participate in the Southeastern European Defence Ministers'
Meeting which will be held in Thessaloniki today. Before his
departure, Mr. Cakmakoglu said that after the meeting he would
also attend NATO Defence Ministers' non-official meeting on Oct.
10-11 in Birmingham, Britain, where he would express Turkey's
concern over the Armenian bill. /Turkiye/
The US Secretary of Defence William Cohen, in Greece for an
official visit, held a joint press conference with his Greek
counterpart Akis Cohacopulos. Replying to questions over
Turco-Greek relations, Mr. Cohen said that the rapproachement
between Turkey and Greece would strengthen the NATO and lead to a
more secure region. He also praised Turkish and Greek Foreign
Ministers, Ismail Cem and George Papandreou for their efforts for
rapproachement. /Turkiye/
The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) will hold the first
two rounds of voting on Thursday to elect its new Speaker. The
applications for the Office of Speaker will end tomorrow. The
only application up to now was made by Mail Buyukerman, an
independent deputy from Eskisehir, the others are expected to
announce their candidacy tomorrow. If none of the candidates
obtain the two thirds of the votes, the third and fourth rounds
of voting will be held on Oct. 17 and 18. /Turkiye/
Star Fish 2000 naval exercise will be staged by the Turkish Naval
Forces in the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea on Oct. 9-17. Turkish
frigates, assault boats, submarines, planes affiliated with the
Turkish Air Forces and a sea patrol plane from the Pakistani
Naval Forces will participate in the manoeuvres. Two ships from
the Turkish Naval Forces are expected to visit Georgia as part of
the exercises. /Turkish Daily News/
The Turkish Electiricity Generation and Transmission Corp. (TEAS)
was splitted into three by a Cabinet Resolution. The Resolution,
which foresees the tripartite organization of TEAS as Turkish
Electricity Transmission Corp., the Turkish Electricity
Generation Corp. and the Turkish Electricity Trading and
Contracting Corp, was published in the Official Gazette yesterday
and went into effect. According to the resolution, the transfer
and establishment process will be completed within 60 days.
/Cumhuriyet/
According to data announced by the State Institute of Statistics
yesterday, Turkey's industrial production rate rose by 17.1 % in
August 2000. In August, the manufacturing industry output soared
by 19.8 % versus a 13.4 percent decline in the same month of last
year. In addition, utilities output increased by 10.8 percent
compared to a 0.3 percent fall last year. /Sabah/
After Turkcell and Telsim, the Is-Tim, a consortium of Turkish Is
Bank and Telecom Italia, which acquired the right of operation
for the third GSM mobile phone, will become officially functional
in the near future. The draft contract regarding the
establishment of GSM 1800 mobile phone network and the right of
operation for 25 years by the consortium, has been ratified by
the Council of State and the Competition Board. After signing the
final agreement by Oct. 17, the new GSM network is expected to
begin operating in December. /Turkiye/
Turkish textile firms participated in the Texworld Fair organized
in Paris. Representatives of the Turkish firms have stated that
they secured important contacts at the first day of the fair and
added that the demands for the Turkish textile products came
especially from Germany, France, Britain, Netherlands, the US and
Israel. /Sabah/
The third International GAP (Soultheastern Anatolia Project) Fair
will be held between 13 and 17 October 2000 in Sanlyurfa. More
than 200 firms from inside and outside the country will
participate in the fair. Turkish and foreign investors will come
together and observe the potential in the region. In the GAP Fair
2000 which is the greatest exhibition in Anatolia, the aim is to
channel the 10 billion dollar-investment to the region by 2010.
Scientific, social and artistic activities will take place in the
Fair. /Star/
A Turkish Parade was held in Sydney, Australia within the
framework of the traditional Turkish Day Festival. A military
band took part in the parade which was an important opportunity
to promote Turkey in Sydney where the number of tourists was
relatively high due to the Olympics 2000. After the concert in
which Turkish musicians participated, Turkish handicrafts were
demonstrated. /Sabah/
The New York Times included Turkey and its historical beauties in
a touristic guide supplement. The New York Times gave wide
coverage especially to Istanbul's historical and touristic
beauties. In two separate articles entitled "Two Continents in
Three Days" and "Hidden Empire in Turkey", the Times gave travel
tips to its readers. Among the recommended sites to visit were:
Dolmabahce and Topkapi Palaces, Hagia Sophia Museum, Sultan Ahmet
and Suleymaniye Mosques, Yerebatan Palace, the Covered Bazaar,
Galata Tower and Rustem Pasha Mosque. /Star/
Columnist Ferai Tinc writes on the developments in the Caucasus,
following the revolution in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. A
summary of her column is as follows:
"Retired Ambassador Ozdem Sanberk is now carrying the tradition
of think-tank meetings to TESEV which he chairs. Following the
meeting held on the Caucasus last week an interesting picture has
emerged. In the year 2000 when the crisis in Yugoslavia began to
be solved, the Caucasus has entered an active period.
With the disintegration of Yugoslavia, the US is strengthening
its presence in the Balkans. After Milosevic's withdrawal from
the presidency, Washington in a statement said that the US
military presence in the region would be continued. The US is
becoming dominant as a problem solver in the 21st century. In
order to fulfil this role, it creates a problem if necessary.
During the post-Soviet era the reins of power are controlled by
Washington. While the Middle East is vacillating between fire and
cease-fire, the turn has now come to the Caucasus.
It would not be correct to tie the genocide claims of the
Armenian lobby only to the approaching US elections. There have
been initiatives during former election campaigns but none of
them had been this insistent. The advance of this claim moving
step by step in the US Congress gives the first signals of a
turbulence in the Caucasus. The persistence of the Armenian
lobby, strengthens the 'Greater Armenia' dreams mentioned in the
first declaration of independence prepared after its secession
from the Soviet Union and carries the risks of leading Armenia
into a situation fanning regional conflicts.
Today no one is talking about the fact that 20% of the
Azerbaijani territory is under Armenian occupation. No one is
taking into consideration the social results of the dreams and
hatred of more than a million people waiting to return to their
lands. Lately Yerevan has turned its eyes on Cevahiti region in
Georgia. Tbilisi is restless and Georgians believe that Armenia
is creating problems in the region and that the Caucasus is the
victim of Greater Armenia dreams.
The allegations of genocide led by the Armenian lobby are
fostering another point of conflict, that is the 'Western
Armenia' mentioned in the declaration of independece of the State
and trying to draw Turkey into the turbulence area in the
Caucasus. The Armenian problem is being pumped by the Armenian
lobby under the control of the US.
Does the US want unrest in the Caucasus? Is an atmosphere of
conflict is being created to strengthen the American supervision
in the energy corridor of the 21st century? The reasoning of the
Congress is far from convincing and these questions come to mind
as the closeness of the relations between the US Administration
and lobbies are apparent. It is worth considering that
Washington, which punishes Iraq and Yugoslavia because of their
belligerence, can see the demands of Armenia as mere lobby
activities and does not issue them the necessary signals. The
security in the Caucasus can be achieved not through
interventions based on conflict but relations of friendship,
good-neighbourliness and cooperation. We have to explain this
fact to Washington, Brussels and even Yerevan.
Those living in the Balkans are the living witnesses of the fact
that only the people suffer from fights over lands and hatred
fanned among them. There is no need to repeat the same experience
in the Caucasus."
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
ECEVIT SENDS A MESSAGE OF DIALOGUE TO ATHENS
FM CEM'S STATEMENT ON THE SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL
US AMBASSADOR PEARSON'S STATEMENT ON THE SO-CALLED ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE BILL
TURKEY CONCERNED OVER THE MIDDLE EAST
GUREL'S STATEMENT ON THE ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT
YILMAZ: "SPAIN SUPPORTS TURKEY IN EU"
PHILIPPINE MINISTER VISITS TURKEY
CZECH PRESIDENT HAVEL TO VISIT TURKEY
CAKMAKOGLU IN GREECE
COHEN: "TURCO-GREEK RAPPROCHEMENT STRENGTHENS NATO"
ELECTION OF THE TGNA SPEAKER
STAR FISH 2000 NAVAL EXERCISES BEGIN
CABINET RESOLUTION FOR SPLITTING T.E.A.S. INTO THREE
INDUSTRUAL PRODUCTION RATE INCREASES BY 17.1 %
THIRD GSM TO BECOME FUNCTIONAL
TURKISH TEXTILE IN PARIS
GAP FAIR 2000
TURKISH PARADE IN SYDNEY
NEW YORK TIMES COVERS TURKEY'S HISTORICAL HERITAGE
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
IS IT THE TURN OF THE CAUCASUS? BY FERAI TINC (HURRIYET)