ARINC, ERDOGAN RECEIVE
NATO DELEGATION
ERDOGAN MEETS WITH TUSIAD
DELEGATION, DISCUSSES PRIVATIZATION AND STRUCTURAL
REFORMS
ERDOGAN: “OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO
PROTECT THE FAMILY UNIT”
GUL BRIEFS IPUK’S BARZANI ON
ANKARA’S SENSITIVITIES ON KIRKUK, TURKMENS, AND THE
PKK
VERHEUGEN MEETS WITH
REPRESENTATIVES OF NGOs IN DIYARBAKIR
PARLIAMENTARIANS TO VISIT EU
COUNTRIES TO SEEK SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
UNAKITAN DISCUSSES POSSIBLE
PRIVATIZATION OF TURKISH CYPRIOT AIRLINES WITH TRNC
FINANCE MINISTER
TERRORIST ATTACK TAKES LIVES OF
TWO IN DIYARBAKIR
ENVIRONMENT MINISTER SUSPECTS
OF SABOTAGE IN MV ULLA INCIDENT
THE NETHERLANDS AGREES TO
EXTRADITE KURDISH TERRORIST TO TURKEY
FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE
COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the NATO
Parliamentary Delegation headed by Claude Lellouche
yesterday in Ankara. Stating that the PKK was a
racist organization, Erdogan said that there had
never been any racist atmosphere in Anatolia’s
history as Kurds and Turks had historically been
intermingled. He underscored the importance of
international cooperation in fighting against
terrorism. Erdogan also said that NATO`s decisions
on Iraq and Afghanistan were very important to
Turkey, as a country neighboring to Iraq. “Turkey
has decided to take over ISAF`s command in February
2005,” he added. “We believe that our mission will
not only strengthen peace and stability in the
region but also contribute to the creation of a
secure atmosphere.” In related news, Arinc stressed
that since NATO and the European Union aimed to
strengthen the transatlantic alliance, Turkey is
determined to exert efforts to contribute to the
common NATO-EU aspirations. /All Papers/
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met
with Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s
Association (TUSIAD) delegation headed by TUSIAD
Chairman Omer Sabanci to discuss a number of issues,
including privatization, structural reforms on tax
and social security, and Turkey’s European Union
membership bid. During the meeting, Sabanci said
that Ankara should prove to the EU that it was
preparing to begin its accession talks with the
Union. Later, the delegation met with Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul and Finance Minister Kemal
Unakitan to discuss the EU’s progress report on
Turkey which is due to be released next month.
/Cumhuriyet/
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
yesterday that the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AKP) was a conservative party, and aiming at
protecting the family establishment. Speaking to
reporters about recent controversial arrangement on
adultery in the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK),
Erdogan said adultery would be considered a crime
only if a complaint was made. “We are protecting the
rights of the cheated wives,” said Erdogan. “Public
polls showed that 80 percent of the people supported
the government’s initiative on the matter.”
Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday
called on an extra ordinary parliamentary session on
Sept. 14 to debate the new TCK on an application
submitted by the AKP. /Turkiye/
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with
Nechirvan Barzani, a senior official from the Iraqi
Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP). During their
meeting, Gul briefed Barzani on Ankara’s
sensitivities concerning the northern Iraqi city of
Kirkuk, Turkmens, and the terrorist organization
PKK/KADEK. Barzani stressed that Iraqi-Turkish
relations were very important, adding that his
confidence in Ankara continued. “Turkey is a sample
country for us,” he said. Barzani added that the
Iraqi government would never allow PKK’s terrorist
attacks and reiterated that it was an enemy of both
Turkey and Iraq. In related news, Iraqi Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani who
also arrived in Ankara for an official visit
yesterday is expected today to meet with Gul.
/Aksam/
European Union Commissioner for Enlargement
Guenter Verheugen, who is currently paying an
official visit to Turkey, yesterday met with
representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
in Diyarbakir. Speaking afterwards, Verheugen touted
the government’s recent steps for the nation’s EU
membership bid. The EU commissioner returned to
Ankara late yesterday and later proceeded to Izmir
along with Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan. He is
expected today to meet with Izmir Governor Yusuf
Ziya Goksu and Izmir Mayor Aziz Kocaoglu. /Turkiye/
In the runup to the European Union’s Progressive
Report on Turkey, Parliamentarians is launching a
breakthrough to seek support for Turkey’s EU
membership bid. In addition to Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan’s scheduled visits to EU countries
this month, a delegation of deputies is set to
travel to France, Germany, Greece and Latvia in the
beginning of next month. /Turkiye/
Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan yesterday met
with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
Finance Minister Ahmet Uzun to discuss a possible
privatization of the Turkish Cypriot Airlines.
Speaking afterwards, Unakitan said that Turkey owned
50% share of Turkish Cypriot Airlines, adding that
privatization of the company would soon be open to
discussion. “It is out of question to grant this
share to the TRNC,” he said. Unakitan added that the
experts would soon discuss the issue and that a
decision would soon be made on the issue. /Aksam/
During a terrorist attack in Diyarbakir, two
people including one policeman were killed on Sunday
night. After the incident, a crackdown was begun by
security forces in the region to seize the attackers.
The two bodies laid to rest yesterday while European
Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen
was visiting the city. /Turkiye/
A ship filled with toxic power station waste has
sunk off in southeastern Turkey. The Environment
Ministry said that the ship called “the MV Ulla” had
sunk in Iskenderun bay on Monday with 2200 tones of
ash from power stations in Spain. The MV Ulla had
been moored in Iskenderun bay for four years.
Environment Minister Osman Pepe yesterday said that
the ship might have been scuttled to prevent it
returning to Spain. “In my soul and my conscience I
wonder whether this incident could have been the
result of sabotage,” he told the reporters. “Why
should a ship that had been waiting for four years
suddenly sink just at the moment it was about to
depart for Spain?” Pepe said that negotiations
between Turkey and the Spanish government were about
to be concluded when the accident occurred. “A
seizure notice was pending on the ship, which
complicated its departure from the region,” he said.
“The order had just been lifted following an
agreement with the Spanish government.” He also said
that inquiry would be launched into the causes of
the accident and that the Spanish government would
have to assume responsibility for all damage caused
to the environment. It is currently forbidden to
dive, fish or eat dead fish from the area. /Turkiye/
The Dutch Ministry of Justice has agreed to
extradite Nuriye Kesbir, a member of the terrorist
organization PKK, who is wanted for attacks on
military targets in Turkey. “The decision was taken
after obtaining the express guarantee from the
Turkish authorities that Kesbir will get a fair
trial according to the relevant international
treaties,” the ministry said in a written statement.
“She will be allowed to remain in the Netherlands to
await the outcome of an appeal if she decides to
challenge the minister’s decision in court.” In May,
the Hague Supreme Court ruled that Kesbir could be
extradited to Turkey adding that the final decision
rested with the justice minister. Turkey accuses
Kesbir of being behind at least 25 attacks carried
out between 1993 and 1995 on military targets in
eastern Anatolia. /Star/
Columnist Murat Yetkin comments on Turkey’s EU
membership bid. A summary of his column is as
follows:
“A very positive atmosphere has dominated EU
Commissioner for Enlargement Guenther Verheugen’s
recent visit to Turkey. His optimistic statements on
Turkey’s EU membership bid have been shocking to
many since he is well-known for negative statements
on Turkey’s status as a candidate country. While
Verheugen was visiting Diyarbakir where he implied
that the EU is ready to provide the villagers of
southeastern Anatolia with financial assistance if
Ankara manages to make more progress on its path
towards the EU membership, meanwhile the Dutch
Justice Ministry agreed to extradite Nuriye Kesbir
to Turkey, a member of the terrorist organization
PKK, after obtaining the guarantee from the Turkish
authorities that Kesbir will get a fair trial
according to the relevant international treaties.
There are two main motives behind this positive
atmosphere. First, Turkey has really managed to make
significant progress in fulfilling the Copenhagen
criteria. The Justice and Development Party (AKP)
government has particularly taken great steps in
improving minority rights to which the EU attaches
the highest importance.
Second, Europe has also changed its stance on
Turkey. The EU member countries have really been
impressed by Ankara’s successes. The Independent
Commission on Turkey recently issued a report
applauding Ankara’s efforts on democratization and
expressing optimism on Turkey’s possible EU
membership. The report considers Turkey’s young
population, the sensitive geography it is located on
and the strong Turkish army, all of which as a
matter of fact was seen as obstacles in the past,
Turkey’s trump cards on its path toward the full
membership. In addition, the report also praises the
secular Turkish state and Ataturk’s reforms. This is
a pleasing development for our country.”
Columnist Gungor Uras comments on immigration
from eastern cities of Turkey. A summary of his
column is as follows:
“EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter
Verheugen requested that the required measurements
should be taken for the returning of Kurds in
Diyarbakir to their villages. Verheugen’s visit to
Diyarbakir, the people he talked to and his approach
to the Eastern problem as if it was only the problem
of the Turkish citizens with Kurdish origin is an
attitude which is provoking discrimination.
This attitude paves the way for failing
formations. First of all people started to see
Diyarbakir as the “capital” of Turks with Kurdish
origin. Secondly, European Union representatives’
meetings with the representatives of Turks with
Kurdish origin are seen as a routine and visits to
Diyarbakir after Ankara became a requirement of the
program. Thirdly, discrimination is prevailing the
economic and social problems in East Anatolia. Some
are forgetting that there are also other Turks
living in Diyarbakir then the ones with Kurdish
origin. These problems shouldn’t be underestimated.
Some shouldn’t oversee that, while complaining about
discrimination, this approach would encourage it.
Let’s talk about the villages which are left due
to terrorism. First of all, not only Turks with
Kurdish origin, but also Turks without a Kurdish
origin left the villages in East Anatolia. Secondly,
this isn’t a new development. The villages weren’t
evacuated and the immigration goes back to at least
ten years. Thirdly, the villages which remained
empty are almost ruined. Fourthly, after living
outside their village for more then ten years few
would go back. Most of them sold their tractors or
their animals and started a new life outside their
villages.
How many of them would go back if one says ‘Now
go back to your villages’? How will the state
reconstruct the villages? How will the state provide
the equipments of the farmers? How will the state
support them to reconstruct their houses? Saying
that they should go back to their villages without
thinking about all these issues, is a poor policy.
Seeing the economic and social problems in the East
as the problems of Turkish citizens with Kurds
origin only, means neglecting Turkish citizens
without a Kurdish origin. There are serious economic
and social problems in East Anatolia. All our people
in East Anatolia have problems and we have to think
about it as a whole. We should not only think, but
we also have to create solutions. Those who are
talking about sending people back to their villages
have to find a solution to what they should do when
they go back to their villages and have to find out
whether the villagers are willing to go back.”
