HOW TO STAY IMPORTANT? BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Speaking at the Democratic Left Party (DSP) group meeting, Prime
Minister and DSP Chairman, Bulent Ecevit said on the recent
support decision taken by the IMF Executive Directors Board, "Our
duty now is to make use of this support rationally. We must avoid
all kinds of wastefulness." Emphasising the IMF support was not a
donation but a loan, Ecevit said the new economic stability
program should be implemented with a great determination.
/Cumhuriyet/
Speaking at the press conference he held at the OECD Office of
Turkish Permanent Representative, State Minister Kemal Dervis
evaluated the recent developments in Turkish economy and the IMF
decision to support Turkey. Dervis began his speech with a
message of condolences for those who died during the military
plane accident in Malatya. Stating Turkey would receive a great
support from the IMF, Dervis said, "This loan will be the biggest
in the history of the IMF financial assistance. We must use the
loan very carefully and in a very responsible way. This is a
crucial opportunity for us." He added that Turkey could sustain a
7% growth rate since her relations and conditions are very
convenient for such a rate. Recalling that Turkey should fight
against inflation with great determination, Dervis said, "Policy
makers should work without violating the principles of the market
economy and should refrain from intervening in the market all the
time. He pointed out they attached great importance to the
resources to be received from the private sector as well as the
support of the international financial institutions. Emphasising
that another significant aspect of the economic program was the
implementation of monetary and financial policies, Dervis said if
Turkey makes any concessions regarding these policies that would
mean an increase in the inflation rate. /Cumhuriyet/
The Minister of Finance in Sweden, the EU Term President Bosse
Ringhom, said they hoped the economic program declared by the
Turkish government would be successful. Stating they closely
followed the recent economic conditions in Turkey, Ringhom said
they evaluated the economic program as a positive step for
Turkey. He added that they viewed the program as very
comprehensive and assertive. Meanwhile, the Finance Minister in
Belgium who will be the next EU Term President said they also
supported the new economic program in Turkey. Swedish Economy
Minister Pascal Couchepin met with Dervis yesterday. Replying to
the questions by the reporters, Couchepin said he congratulated
Dervis and conveyed the message that they gave their full support
for the economic program. /Cumhuriyet/
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen' Association (TUSIAD)
stated the key element for a radical change in Turkey was not the
IMF loan but the change in the mentality concerning the economic
management in Turkey. TUSIAD members said they wanted an
acceleration in the reforms concerning policy making processes.
/Cumhuriyet/
The Motherland Party's (ANAP) 18th anniversary ceremonies will be
held on May 20 at the Lutfi Kirdar Congress Center in Istanbul.
Within the scope of the commemoration activities, the ANAP
Leader, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz,
and other party dignitaries will visit Ataturk's Mausoleum
(Anitkabir) on Sunday morning. /Turkish News/
During a session of the US House of Representatives Assignment
Committee's foreign operations sub-committee meeting, US
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Turkey is an important ally
of the US. Responding to questions posed by the representatives,
Powell said, "We are helping Turkey to overcome the recent
economic crisis. Additionally, we are working together with
Turkey regarding an agreement on the European Security and
Defense Identity. I am proud of the relations with Turkey."
/Turkiye/
Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister, Devlet Bahceli,
yesterday paid a visit to Kadirli town of Osmaniye and Hatay
province which suffered from the recent flood in the region
accompanied by Minister of Public Works and Housing, Koray Aydin.
After his observations, Bahceli replied to questions posed by
journalists. He said, "We do not believe that for the time being
a cabinet revision is necessary. The 57th government is
continuing on its way." /Turkiye/
International finance representatives who attended the conference
"Turkey After Crisis" met yesterday with Turkish representatives
from various sectors. During the meeting closed to press, about
100 finance directors from Europe and the US were briefed about
the recent economic situation in Turkey and possible investment
opportunities. /Turkiye/
Minister of Finance, Sumer Oral, said at the new economic period
the banks will be followed more closely. Oral said, "The most
important leg of the new program is again the finance sector."
The Minister noted that big steps were taken in tax regulations
which encourage merging of the banks. Oral also promoted Pension
Fund's new card application. /Turkiye/
Following the approval of the loan amounting to 15.7 billion US
dollar by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European
Union (EU) opened a fund amounting to 8.5 billion euros, for the
use of every EU member country. The EU also opened the 'Special
Action Fund' of 450 million euros to Turkey in order to support
the Customs Union. It was revealed that the EU was waiting for
the approval of the IMF aid package to open these funds to
Turkey. The opening of the EU funds to Turkey was stated by the
EU Commissioner responsible for enlargement, Gunther Verheugen,
to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem. If Turkey presents
her projects to Brussels in line with the standards of the EU,
then she will be able to receive the fund amounting to 8.5
billion euros. /Hurriyet/
Chairman of the Executive Board of the State Owned Banks, Vural
Akisik, said there is a more hopeful atmosphere that Turkey will
be able to build the macroeconomic balances following the
economic crisis. Akisik added, "When the macroeconomic imbalance
is not removed, the financial crises occur as a way to remove
these inconsistencies. Our economy will be able to ensure the
stable growth rate of 5% in an atmosphere of no inflation."
Akisik also suggested that the banking sector will grow by 30% in
the following 5-6 years. /Hurriyet/
The IMF will release the first portion of Special Drawing Rights(SDR)
in $3.9 billion for Turkey today. The announcement made by
the Central Bank said, "We will from now on carry out foreign
exchange transactions by way of foreign exchange biddings." The
IMF will extend a total of $19 billion loan in three years. A
portion worth $12.8 billion will be used this year. /Milliyet/
On his last day at work, the IMF Chief of Turkey Desk, Carlo
Cottarelli answered the questions of the press. Cottarelli said
the implementation of the new economic program should be carried
out with due compliance. Cottarelli said transitional
improvements should not lead to any deviance in the economic
program, because the target is to achieve a permanent amelioration
in the economy. Cottarelli said, "The adoption of the law on
privatization of Telekom is a positive sign given to
international financial markets signifying the determination of
the government in privatization." /Milliyet/
State Minister for the Economy, Kemal Dervis, said under the
leadership of the Treasury each month they will gather data
regarding the implementation of the economic program and specify
the hitches parts and take measures accordingly. Dervis said
drawing portfolio investors to Turkey is important, but
speculative money is least needed, rather long-term investments
focusing on production will be welcome. /Milliyet/
Labor and Social Security Minister Yasar Okuyan said on Thursday
that Turkey was determined to translate International Labor
Organization (ILO) standards of working conditions into life.
Speaking at the "ILO Declaration on Basic Working Principles and
Rights Seminar" organized by the ILO Bureau and ILO's Ankara
Representative, Okuyan said that Turkey was an ILO member since
1932. "I believe that this seminar will contribute greatly to the
strengthening of friendly ties between regional countries,"
Okuyan declared. "Turkey attaches great importance to the ILO
Declaration on Basic Working Principles and Rights, which reminds
its members of their responsibilities and obligations as
delineated in the ILO Main Contract. /Turkish News/
The First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Natural Gas Company,
Gazprom, Nuri Komarov, stated that the work to lay the pipeline
of the Blue Stream Project will begin in the Black Sea in July.
Komarov said the Italian vessel, which will lay the pipeline in
the depths of the Black Sea, will come to Turkey on 17 July and
will begin to lay the pipeline on 26 July. He added, "It is
planned that the Saipem-7000 vessel will come to the Black Sea on
3-6 August, will be ready in three weeks and will begin to work
in the first week of September. The main problems were solved and
the necessary agreements and the financial contracts were
completed. Now the problems are not on the technical, but on the
bureaucratical level." /Hurriyet/
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) David Russel-Johnston, who is currently in Turkey
for the PACE meeting, said conditions in the F-type prisons
should be improved as soon as possible. Johnston said PACE was
also interested in the Southeastern Region issue and would
prepare a report on the issue. /Cumhuriyet/
The funerals of the 34 officers and soldiers who died in a
military air accident will be held in 13 provinces and seven
districts across Turkey today, the Anatolia news agency reported.
A service will be held for those to be buried in Ankara at
Kocatepe mosque this afternoon. Those who will be laid to rest
elsewhere have already been sent to their respective towns and
villages. /Turkish Daily News/
State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, who is in the United States to
take part in the annual Turkish parade to be held in New York and
to attend a meeting with US officials in order to explain
Turkey's view on the Cyprus dispute, met with the US officials
and held a press conference on Wednesday. Gurel said he met with
the State Department's special envoy to Cyprus, Tom Weston and US
President George W. Bush's National Security Council's European
Director Dan Freed, former US Ambassadors to Turkey Morton
Abramowitz and Mark Parris in addition to Turkish and Jewish
communities' representatives in Washington. He added that he will
meet with former assistant defense secretary, Richard Perle.
/Turkish Daily News/
State Minister Yuksel Yalova is to go to Moscow on an official
visit over May 21-23. There he will attend a conference on
"General Problems in Turkish and Russian Economic Policies" and
will explain the problems being faced regarding privatization in
Turkey. Yalova will also hold talks with representatives from the
Turkish-Russian Businessmen's Union and the Turkish-Russian
Business Council. /Turkish Daily News/
Environment Minister Fevzi Aytekin is in Paris attending a
meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD). Addressing the conference, Aytekin said the
OECD had chosen an appropriate time for the meeting and that this
demonstrated the attention being given to environmental policies.
He noted that the increase in problems concerning the
preservation of the ecosystem showed that the success in this
area was insufficient. He noted that disruption to the
environment could be prevented when made free of economic growth.
/Turkish Daily News/
The Privatization Administration Board(OIB) announced that the
bidding for the privatization of Turk Telekom was cancelled,
which was suspended on March 20 by the judgment of Ankara Sixth
Administrative Court. OIB said seven entrepreneur groups had asked for
the bidding contract for the block sale of 33.5% of the Turk
Telekom shares. /Milliyet/
Zorlu Holding opened a textile factory in Sanliurfa Organized
Industry Region with an investment worth $1.5 million. 220 persons
will be employed in the factory. /Milliyet/
Koc System has established the first b-learning (electronic
education) system in the educational sector. "Koc Bryce
Technological Education Services" was established with the 50%
partnership of the technological education company of Israeli
origin, John Bryce Training. The company will provide the
individuals and institutions with all their educational needs
on-line. /Hurriyet/
POAS Petroleum Office entered the 'European 500' list made by the
'Times' according to the market values of the companies this
year. In the list, there are seven other Turkish companies.
Chairman of the Privatization Administration Board, Ugur Bayar,
made a speech at the conference, organized by Finansinvest, and
said, POAS, 51% of which was sold, turned out to be a modern
company in the private sector. Bayar added that the remaining
public shares in the Petroleum Office would be sold as well.
/Hurriyet/
Turkish Civil Aviation Director-General Topa Bilgatin Toker said
Turkey took the first step to EU membership with civil aviation.
He said Turkey was accepted as a member to the European Aviation
Authorities Assembly at the meeting held on April 4, 2001 in
Brussels. /Turkiye/
The Turkish Air Force (TUAF) Command's aerial precision flying
team, the Turkish Stars, will hold an air show in Batman on
Saturday. The authorities said that due to the interest the
people of Batman were showing , the Turkish Stars will fly over
Batman on May 19 Youth and Sports Day. /Turkish News/
Work has started for Istanbul, which does not often host international
conventions, to be a center of conventions. The work is being conducted by
the Istanbul Convention and Visitor Office(ICVB) whose aim is to
direct world convention tourism to Istanbul. ICVB held a meeting
yesterday in Swissotel to express the importance of convention tourism
and what should be done for Istanbul to be a convention city. Tourism
Minister Erkan Mumcu, Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor and ICVB Honorary
Chairman Ali Mufit Gurtuna attended the meeting. Mumcu said, "A
process has already started to give Istanbul its rightful place in
world convention tourism. We have to make efforts to accelerate this
process." /Turkish Daily News/
13th European Ophthalmologists Congress will be held on June 3-7
in Istanbul. 4,000 physicians will attend the congress.
/Milliyet/
Young cartography engineers will meet in Istanbul at the "Young
Cartographers' Days" to be held between May 18-20. The
organisation aims at improving occupational and social relations
between the cartographers from all around the world. /Cumhuriyet/
The Third Turkish-Greek Tourism Forum will be held in Marmaris
between May 18 and 20. According to a Tourism Ministry statement,
tourism and maritime cooperation, visa requirements for travel
between Turkey and Greece, sea and air travel, investments and
other subjects will be discussed in the forum. /Turkish News/
Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the credit extended to Turkey and
its reasons. A summary of his column is as follows:
"British newspaper Financial Times at the end of its editorial
published on 16 May, commented on the loan extended to Turkey by
the IMF and said, 'The main reason for supporting Turkey once
again is political rather than economic. A debt default would
destabilise an important US ally in a vital and sensitive region.'
The newspaper thus connects the extension of the loan to Turkey
by the IMF and the Western world to the importance attached to
Turkey's location in the region.
This argument was frequently heard during the recent crisis.
Certainly, the reason why the allies promised to help Turkey and
the rush by the IMF and the World Bank to help is her
geostrategic importance. The reason is apparent: in the present
international situation neither the US nor the West have the
luxury to lose Turkey. In the unstable triangle of the Middle
East-the Caucasus- the Balkans full of conflicts and risks,
Turkey's staying strong and loyal to the West has great
importance with respect to Western strategic interests. The
latest example for it can be seen in the place the Bush
Administration wants to give Turkey in the new missile defense
system.
Certainly we are pleased to receive attention due to Turkey's
geographic location and her role in the international arena and
therefore be supported during these turbulent times. The issue
is for how long this 'importance' will continue and to what
conditions it will be tied. As one of the leading Turkey analysts
in the US, Dr.Ian Lesser has stressed the Bush Administration
attaches great importance to Turkey due to US strategic
interests, as its predecessor. However, this support should not
be interpreted erroneously and it should not be presumed that it
would continue if Turkey does not fulfil what is expected from
her. In other words, we should not regard the helping hand
extended to Turkey as a carte blanche. We received the same
impression during our talks with other Western diplomats. The EU,
the IMF and other friendly countries all expect Turkey to
fulfil these conditions. Foreign analysts all emphasize the
fact that the West does not want to lose Turkey but no one can
lend this support forever only because of her geo-strategic
importance.
Chairman of Turkish Educational and Social Studies Foundation
Can Paker stated that Turkey does not have the luxury not to do
anything other than solely relying on her geo-strategic
advantage. The West can attach great importance to Turkey in
other fields as well. In fact, she can become a role model for
the countries in the region with an improvement in political,
economic and social fields and the democratic standards enjoyed.
Then, Turkey's importance will increase and she will become a
country where her friends cannot ignore her and continue wit
their support."
