ALARM BELLS IN CYPRUS BY ALI SIRMEN (CUMHURIYET)
The opening ceremony of the 2001-2002 Judicial Year
was held at the Middle East Technical University (METU) Culture and
Congress Center yesterday. The Chief Justice of the Court of
Cassation, Sami Selcuk delivered the inauguration speech. Wishing the
new judicial year to bring justice , peace and happiness to the
country and humanity, Selcuk pointed to the importance of the
juridical independence. Addressing the corruption incidents in Turkey,
Selcuk said, "Our people can not finance corruption any more. We
can not carry this burden." The members of the jurisdiction also
paid a visit to the Ataturk' s Mausolem in the afternoon. /Turkiye/
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a message to Sami
Selcuk, the Chief Justice of the Court of Cassation to mark the
beginning of the 2001-2002 Judicial Year. Stressing that any
interference and pressure on the judiciary harm the principle of rule
of law, Sezer said,"People or institutions who believe themselves
above the law are a great danger for democracy." Sezer also
pointed to the importance of the constitutional amendments, and added,
"It is time for the amendments in the Constitution to meet the
requirements of the nation. These will also coincide with the
requirements of the EU membership process." Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit and the True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller also issued
messages for the opening of the new judicial year. /Turkiye/
The Constitutional reform package which foresees
amendments to the 37 articles of the Constitution was presented to the
Bureau of the Parliament. The proposal was signed by 298
parliamentarians from both ruling and opposition parties. The Speaker
of the Parliament, Omer Izgi is expected to convene the Turkish Grand
National Assembly (TGNA) for an extraordinary session on Sep. 17 to
debate the proposal. /Turkiye/
The European Parliament's ratification of the
report that defines Turkey as an occupying force in Cyprus and that
the annexation of the northern part of the island may be the end of
Turkey's dream for full membership led to intense activity in Ankara.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassodor
Faruk Logoglu, stated that Turkey will take counter measures in
accordance with the steps EU will take for the EU membership of
Southern Cyprus. Logoglu said "We are ready to work with the
UN". After this statement Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit, Minister
of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem, Undersecretary Faruk Logoglu and Deputy
Underesecretary Ugur Ziyal evaluated the recent events regarding
Cyprus. /Hürriyet/
On the day the Cyprus report was accepted by the
European Parliament, the United Nations' (UN) Special Representative
on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto also has invited the parties to New York on
September 12th in spite of all Turkey's warnings and created
displeasure in Turkey. The Turkish side, who has rejected the UN's
invitation, expects the UN to carry out initiatives within the
framework of "good will mission" to solve the latest
problems in finding a common ground. /Cumhuriyet/
North Korean Republic Land Forces Commander Gen.
Kil Hyoung Bo paid a visit to his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hilmi Ozkok
yesterday. After a meeting, Gen. Kil was decorated with a Medal of
Honor by Gen. Ozkok. Gen. Kil is expected to proceed to Istanbul today
to visit the First Army Commander Gen. Cetin Dogan. /Turkiye/
Turkish, Azeri and Armenian journalists will meet
this weekend in the Armenian capital Yerevan to discuss the media's
role in the solution of regional problems and enhancement of relations
with the people. Sponsored by the Turkish Democracy Foundation (TDV)
and Soros Foundation, the workshop will start on Friday and last for
three days. The journalists have already met twice, once in Baku and
then in Ankara. The main topic will be the role of the press in the
solution of the problems in Caucasia, and prejudices among people.
/Turkish Daily News/
A team of World Bank experts embarked on a mission
in Turkey on Sep. 4 to assess the impact of the economic crisis on the
corporate sector, World Bank sources said yesterday. The Corporate
Sector Impact Assessment Mission headed by Paul Siegelbaum plans to
stay in Ankara until Sep. 8, during which time the experts will have
consulted with officials from the government and vocational
organizations over possible ways to assist Turkey's ailing sector.
Upon its return to Washington, the Corporate Sector Impact Assessment
Mission will prepare a report on its observations in Turkey.
Discussions will continue during the World Bank-IMF annual meetings
scheduled to start at the end of September. /Turkish Daily News/
The Treasury will go on a promotion tour that will
consist of the American and the European finance centers on September
10th-20th. During the meetings to be attended by the foreign portfolio
investors, the latest developments in the Turkish economy and foreign
financing strategies will be explained. High-ranking officials from
the Treasury Undersecretariat, Central Bank and the Banking Regulation
and Supervision Board will attend the tour, in which State Minister
Kemal Dervis will deliver a speech during the "Investor
Meeting" on September 17th in London. Dervis will also attend the
international meeting about the "Capital Markets and Investment
in Turkey" to be organized by the Foreign Economic Relations and
the Turco-English Committee in London on September 18th and will hold
official meetings with the English economy officials. The Turkish
delegation chaired by Dervis will also attend the "IMF and the
World Bank's Annual Meetings" to be held in Washington on
September 29th-30th. In addition, the delegation will make
presentations and promotions for the international financial circles
and the investors in the US until October 3rd. /Sabah/
Chairman of the Executive Board of the Union of
Turkish Banks, Akin Akbaygil, said first the Turkish economy, and then
the credibility of Turkish banks should be improved on the
international arena so the problems of the manufacturing industry can
be solved. During the meeting in which the problems of the Union of
Turkish Banks and the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) were
discussed, Akbaygil said they will work with the manufacturing
industry so the exports can be supported and the production can be
increased. During the meeting, it was decided to establish a committee
in order to create much more resources for exports, to increase the
international competition and to decrease the cost of resources.
/Cumhuriyet/
The famous Turkish architect Ahmet Vefik Alp
attended the celebrations organized on the 10th anniversary of
Kazakhstan's Independence Day. Alp, who was received by Kazakhstan's
President Nazarbayev in the capital city Astana, mentioned his
projects about Astana and gave a conference titled "Architecture
and City Planning." In addition, Alp was among the jury members
who evaluated the projects prepared by the domestic and foreign city
planners for Astana. Nazarbayev has received Alp at the Presidential
Palace and took his opinion about the new capital's city planning and
the projects. Meanwhile, Alp presented the "Eco-skyscraper"
project that he has prepared for Astana. /Sabah/
The "Anti-Corruption Council",
established by the Treasury Undersecretariat, the Prime Ministry's
Inspection Council, together with the World Bank will organize a panel
on the fight against corruption on September 21st. During the panel,
officials from the World Bank will inform the Turkish officials the
stage reached concerning struggle against the corruption in Hong Kong
and Singapore. During the first day of the panel, which will be
attended mostly by the non-governmental organizations, Deputy Chairman
of the World Bank, Johannes Linn, State Minister Faruk Bal, Minister
of Justice, Hikmet Sami Turk, and the Minister of the Interior, Rustu
Kazim Yucelen, will deliver opening speeches. /Milliyet/
Deputy Chairman of Fiat Auto responsible for Sale
and Marketing, Juan Jose Diaz Ruiz, said the economic crisis in Turkey
has not changed anything about their strategies concerning Turkey.
Diaz Ruiz said, "The Doblo brand automobiles, which are produced
in Turkey and exported abroad, have been very successful. We believe
in the Turkish economy's strength and capacity and that it will
overcome the crisis." /Milliyet/
After the compromise for permission to the ship
"Varyag" to pass through the Straits for a long journey to
China to be used as an entertainment ship, China keeps her promise and
includes Turkey on the list of top priority countries for tourism. The
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Faruk Logoglu,
informed the press that a delegation from the Chinese Ministry of
Tourism plans to visit Turkey in the forthcoming days. In the press
statement, it is said that China already informed Turkey on her
decision to include them on the list of top priority countries in
tourism. The statement reads: "The Turkish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs will provide the necessary coordination with the Chinese
tourism institutions and companies. A Chinese delegation is to visit
Turkey to activate the decision." /Turkish Daily News/
The Ministries of the involved banks of the US and
Germany have been sponsors to make Turkey the "informatics
bridge." One of the most interesting aspects of the Informatics
Fair, which has been open for a few days, is the increasing number of
visitors. The demands of the companies, which consider Turkey as a
growing market, and the involved Ministries, which were effective in
bringing these companies to Turkey, play an important role in this
increase. For example, the official sponsor of the German companies
are the Federal Economy and Technology Ministry and the German
Commercial Fair and the Industry Union. Meanwhile, the Information
Technologies called "BITKOM" and "Telecommunication and
New Media Federal Union" are also sponsors. Meanwhile, the
foreign partner of the Informatics Fair, organized in Turkey, stated
that this fair is organized in our region only in Turkey and that it
cannot be taken to another near country. During the meetings, which
were also attended by foreign press members, the officials praised the
informatics world in Turkey and gave promising signals for the coming
years. /Cumhuriyet/
The foreign companies, which think that the Turkish
market is advantageous following the economic crisis, take a great
attention in the Informatics Fair. This year 100 companies from 15
countries have attended the fair. The commercial attachés of the US
within the Eurasia region also attended the fair with a delegation of
70 people to evaluate the commercial potential in the region. In
addition, Britain and Israel consider Turkey as a very important link
in the region. 11 British companies, which attended the fair with the
support of their government, stated that the Turkish market has become
advantageous for investment following the crisis. Meanwhile, Chairman
of the Israeli Software Companies Union, Amiram Shore, said,
"Israel is very interested in cooperating with Turkey. Turkey has
a very young population. It is very rich in terms of man power. In
addition, we are neighbors."/ Cumhuriyet/
Germany, playing a leading role in the world's
automotive market, became the top buyer of Turkish automotive products
in the first eight months of this year, far ahead of other buyers.
Germany purchased automotive products worth $663.49 million from
Turkey in the first eight months of this year, followed by France and
Italy. Iran's purchases made an extraordinary rise in the same period
of 441 percent. /Turkish News/
Turkey is on the cover of the German worldwide
known travel and geography magazine "GEO Saison" in its
September issue. The periodical reserved 30 pages about Turkey. It
also issued a very informative "Turkey" guide. According to
GEO, the ideal months to visit Turkey are April, May, June, September
and October. /Hürriyet/
Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on the decision of
Denktas not to attend the talks on Cyprus until a common discussion
background is ready. A summary of her column is as follows: "As a
reporter following the events in Cyprus for more than 20 years I know
this for certain that what is important for the sides is not solving
the issue but not appearing to be the inransigent party. The same goes
for both the Turkish and Greek Cypriots. As this was the case why did
Denktas reject the invitation of UN Secretary General's Special Envoy
Alvaro De Soto for resuming negotiations on September 12 when both
Turkey and the Greek Cypriot Administration are approaching crossroads
during the EU process? First of all we have to clarify one point and
that is, Denktas did not reject the call for negotiations. He was
against the date of the talks. He believed it would be better if the
talks were not rushed. Indicating that he could resume talks when the
hitches on the way were overcome, Denktas is at a different point
today than his previous approach of not attending the talks. I have
criticised negative stances adopted by Denktas all along. However,
this time we are faced with a different situation. First, Alvaro De
Soto was far from creating a climate of trust in the Turkish side
during his shuttle diplomacy. When the UN representative declared that
there was a common ground between the sides, Denktas was stating that
such a background had not been established as yet. The UN
Representative let alone giving guarantees on accepting both sides as
equal parties , but also left Denktas's initiative without a reply.
TRNC President expressed his wish to talk with Greek Cypriot
Administation Leader Klerides tete-a-tete in secret to Alvaro De Soto.
Denktas's request is left hanging in the air. Either De Soto did not
convey Denktas's request to Klerides or as the Greek Cypriot Leader
did not favour such a meeting he did not see it fit to record it. The
UN Special Representative is calling Denktas to proximity talks on the
day when the EU Parliament announced that it would admit the Greek
Cypriot Administration as a full member even if the Cyprus problem is
not solved. They are telling the Greek Cypriots that they do not have
to work for a solution, they will be admitted to the EU anyhow and the
Turks would enter as a minority. Then turning around to the other side
they are calling upon the Turkish Cypriots to come to the table. The
mistrust created by the EU report on the Turkish side should be
compensated by the UN. We are in favour of a solution in Cyprus but
not to one which would reduce Turks to a minority status."
Columnist Ali Sirmen comments on the Cyprus report
prepared by Luxembourg socialist representative Jacques Poos has
prepared. A summary of his column is as follows: "Those
describing the Cyprus report penned by EU socialist deputy from
Luxembourg Jacques Poos and accepted by a great majority as
'scandalous' are correct. The report is so biased that it ignored the
amendment draft which has foreseen to refer to the pressures on the
Turkish side leading to the 1974 intervention. It is apparent that
such a report 'full of hate will' not contribute to the the solution
of the Cyprus problem, but will hamper a solution to be reached
between the parties. In fact, both Athens and Nicosia have decided to
delay reaching a settlement before the Greek Cypriot Administration
enters the EU. Even though Alvaro de Soto has made an announcement
giving the impression that TRNC President Denktas has rejected his
call for negotiations in April , the fact is Greek Cypriot
Administration Leader Klerides has not agreed negotiating any of the
main issues and did not accept the 'principle of equality' which is of
vital importance to Denktas. The talks cannot take place due to
Klerides' approach. No one should expect meaningful negotiations
between the sides from now on. The Greek Cypriot side will seem to
favour attending the talks but will not discuss any of the issues
which are essential to reach a solution. If the Greek or Greek-Cypriot
side attend serious talks following the recent report adopted by the
EU they must be out of their minds. Why should they come to the table
after EU promised them that all their requests will be secured
following their admittance to the EU? It should come as no surprise to
anyone that the report prepared by Jacques Poos is accepted by an
overwhelming majority. Turkey's negative image, the successful
propaganda of 'Turkey's unacceptable invasion' slogan, finally, the
misconception that Europeans are the superior people who can bring
solutions to the problems of other countries rather than acting with
modesty and commonsense are a few of the factors which lead to the
acceptance of this report by such a crushing majority. If we ask what
may happen next, the answer is that European Parliament decisions are
not binding but consultative. Technically there is not much to do.
However, it would be wrong to do nothing depending on this
characteristic of the decision. Threatening Turkey to forget her dream
of entering the EU if she does not do what is imposed on the issue
does not hold much ground. We should know that even if we accept their
requests on the issue, it is still very hard for Turkey to enter the
EU. However we have to realize one point clearly. We have to present
new views on the issue, and correct the wrong impression left on
everyone no matter how right are. Otherwise the alarm bells will toll
for Cyprus in the coming days and lead Turkey into new impasses.
"
