SELECTED NEWS ON TURKEY

MAY 13-19, 2003

Compiled by the Washington Office of

Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD-US)

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this electronic publication, please send e-mail to communications@tusiad.us

These materials may be reproduced and/or distributed in whole or in part, provided that its source is properly indicated as "TUSIAD-US Website: www.tusiad.us" 

CONTENTS

Ø       GOVERNMENT TO SPEED UP CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM EFFORTS

Ø       TURKEY TO END BAN ON GREEK CYPRIOT TOURISTS

Ø       ERDOGAN CALLS BUSH TO EXPRESS CONDOLENCES OVER TERRORIST ATTACK IN SAUDI ARABIA

Ø       VERHEUGEN: “TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP IN 2007 NOT REALISTIC”

Ø       FOREIGN MINISTRY DELEGATION MEETS WITH U.S. AND KURDISH. OFFICIALS IN NORTHERN IRAQ; ANKARA SENDS MONITORING DELEGATION TO IRAQ

Ø       EP COMMISSION APPROVES REVISED REPORT ON TURKEY

Ø       PLANNING AND BUDGET COMMISSION PASSES BILL ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

Ø       US TO TALK AID DETAILS WITH TURKEY AFTER IMF REVIEW

GOVERNMENT TO SPEED UP CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM EFFORTS

The government on Thursday discussed a new Emergency Action Plan and announced that it would speed up efforts to fulfill the EU Copenhagen criteria and start accession negotiation with the EU by the end of 2004. Briefing the press on Thursday’s meeting, Justice Minister and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said the Emergency Action Plan had 205 articles, 45 dealing with state reforms, 91 with economic restructuring, 24 with democratization and legal reforms, and 45 with social reforms. The Government’s reform package will also include measures expanding freedom to use Kurdish in broadcasting and political party propaganda in elections, further easing restrictions on the ownership rights of minority foundations and lifting the much-debated Article 8 of the Anti-Terrorism Law. On terrorism measures, government is currently working on a draft law, which would encourage PKK/KADEK militants to give up their arms in exchange for amnesty. The new bill came in the wake of recent U.S. announcement that it would disarm PKK/KADEK militants in northern Iraq. In an effort to counter recent speculations, Cicek said the government had no intention to abolish or alter the structure of the National Security Council (MGK). Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said he was hopeful that the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) would also support the package in Parliament. Turkey will also submit, for the first time, a National Development Plan to the EU in December 2003.  /Turkiye-NTVMSNBC-Turkish Daily News-Cumhuriyet-Zaman/

TURKEY TO END BAN ON GREEK CYPRIOT TOURISTS

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday Turkey would open its doors to Greek Cypriot tourists. "Starting May 22, Greek Cypriot citizens can enter Turkey without visas," Erdogan said in a speech in the southern Mediterranean city of Antalya. "Turkey's doors are open to Greek Cypriots ... for the first time in 40 years." Erdogan said. Greek Cypriots could get an entry stamp in their passport when they arrive in Turkey and they are permitted to stay for one month. The announcement was the latest goodwill gesture by Turkey toward Greek Cypriots. Erdogan also called for Greece to ease travel restrictions that make it difficult for Turkish Cypriots to travel abroad.

Last month, the Turkish Cypriot leadership lifted a travel ban between the two Cypriot sides and hundreds of thousands of Turkish and Greek Cypriots have crossed the U.N.-patrolled "Green Line" diving the island. Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas welcomed Erdogan's announcement Saturday, calling it a "proper and timely decision.” 

EU Spokesman Jean-Christophe Filori said the EU Commission would introduce proposals on July 4, calling for easing of restrictions on exports from the Turkish part of Cyprus to EU member countries. Filori's announcement came hours after Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul came up Friday with an offer to lift the embargo against Greek part of the island, and in return, urged the European Union to lift the embargo on goods from the Turkish-Cypriot side. Filori said the restrictions were caused a refusal of the International Court of Justice to issue "certificates of origin" to goods exported from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).

Guenter Verheugen, the European Union’s Commissioner for Enlargement, is expected to visit the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) next month. /Aksam-Hurriyet-AP news-NTVMSNBC-Turkish Daily News/

ERDOGAN CALLS BUSH TO EXPRESS CONDOLENCES OVER TERRORIST ATTACK IN SAUDI ARABIA

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday called US President George W. Bush to express his condolences for US citizens who lost their lives in Tuesday’s terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia. During their conversation, Erdogan condemned the attack and remarked that for many years Turkey had suffered grievously from terrorism. The attack underscored, the need for international cooperation in the fight against terrorism Erdogan said. /Milliyet/

VERHEUGEN: “TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP IN 2007 NOT REALISTIC”

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul Thursday met with the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen in Brussels. During the meeting, Verherheugen said the idea of Turkey becoming an EU member by 2007 was not realistic, countering comments made earlier by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who said 2007 was a viable date for Turkey’s accession to the EU. In response to Verheugen’s remarks, Gul said what was important for Ankara at the moment was to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria and begin the accession negotiation talks in late 2004.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for Verheugen said that while Turkey was enacting legislative reforms to harmonize its laws with EU standards, these reforms were not being implemented in day-to-day life. The spokesman said a particular concern for the EU was a raid on the Human Rights Association (IHD) in Ankara.

In Brussels, Gul also met with Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who cautioned that the influence of the Turkish military in politics could hurt Turkey’s chances of joining the EU.

Speaking at a conference in Brussels, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul officially announced that Justice and Development Party (AKP) was planning to apply to join the European Christian Democrat Party (ECDP). Indicating that AKP as a “Muslim democrat” party carried many similarities with Christian democrats in Europe, Gul said ECDP officials agreed that the AKP could apply to join the party. /NTVMSNBC-Turkish Daily News-Cumhuriyet/

FOREIGN MINISTRY DELEGATION MEETS WITH U.S. AND KURDISH. OFFICIALS IN NORTHERN IRAQ; ANKARA SENDS MONITORING DELEGATION TO IRAQ

Turkey on Wednesday sent delegation to Iraq made up of both military and civilian officials charged with monitoring the latest developments in the region. The delegation chaired by former Ambassador to Baghdad Selim Karaosmanoglu traveled from northern Iraq to the capital to confer with local Iraqi authorities on recent political developments. Meanwhile, current Ambassador to Baghdad Osman Paksut, who took up his duties again the previous week after a wartime hiatus, recently sent reports to Ankara stressing that security has yet to be established in the country. Paksut complained that political chaos still dominates Iraq and stated that it was currently impossible contact any government official. 

The delegation on Sunday met with U.S. military officials, and representatives of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Northern Iraq. It conveyed Turkey's sensitivities about terrorism and other issues. The group later visited Mosul and Tall Afar, cities with a large Turkmen population. The delegation noted that the United States had important initiatives regarding disarmament in Iraq and the U.S. officials were in close contact with Turkmen Deputy Mosul Governor Ibrahim Arafat.

The delegation also visited KDP member Nechirvan Barzani.  Barzani said Turkey had significant contributions to stability in Northern Iraq in the past decade and stated that they wanted to leave behind old mistakes and tensions and launch a fresh start in relations with Turkey. Following Barzani, the group met with PUK member Barham Salih. Salih proposed to open Turkish Consulate General in Sulaymaniyah. The delegation proceeded to Baghdad on May 19 after their contacts with Turkmens in Kirkuk

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz stated Wednesday that Turkey believed that the decade-long UN embargo on Iraq should be lifted as soon as possible to ease the suffering of the Iraqi people. He added that the rights of Turkish companies set to conduct business in Iraq should be guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Northern Iraq’s regional parliament recently requested that Turkey withdraw its troops that have been deployed in the region for several years to prevent clashes between Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). /Turkiye-Cumhuriyet-Anatolian News Agency/

EP COMMISSION APPROVES REVISED REPORT ON TURKEY

The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission May 12 approved an annual report on Turkey prepared by Dutch Christian Democrat Parliamentarian Arie Oostlander. During the vote, sections containing criticism of Kemalist philosophy were removed upon the request of Oostlander himself. In a draft version of the report, Oostlander claimed that Kemalism, referring to the philosophy of the founder of modern Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, constituted an obstacle to Turkey’s EU membership bid. Following protests from Turkey and disagreements from other EP members, Oostlander pledged to remove the offending sections from the final version. /Turkiye/

§          The report is available at: http://www.abhaber.com/pdf2/oostlanderrapor.pdf

PLANNING AND BUDGET COMMISSION PASSES BILL ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

Parliament’s Planning and Budget Commission Wednesday passed a bill to improve the climate for foreign direct investments (FDI), a structural benchmark in Turkey’s latest letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund. Speaking at the commission, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said unemployment was still Turkey’s most serious problem, but it could be solved by FDI. “The bill would liberalize FDI in Turkey and grant foreign investors equal treatment with their domestic counterparts,” he said. Babacan added that 14 other bills would soon be presented to the Parliament in a further bid to improve the nation’s investment climate. /Star/

US TO TALK AID DETAILS WITH TURKEY AFTER IMF REVIEW

U.S. officials will begin talks on the details of financial aid for Turkey after the country finishes a review of its loan with the International Monetary Fund, U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs John Taylor said on Thursday. Last month, the U.S. Congress, as part of President George W. Bush's budget for the Iraq war, approved $1 billion in aid for Turkey but it is not yet clear how that money will be used. "In terms of the financial agreement with Turkey we have been in touch with the Turkish officials and in the coming weeks there will be an effort to begin discussing the financial arrangement in detail," Taylor said at a press briefing. U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow has said Turkey's adherence to its IMF program will be a condition for receiving the money from the United States. /Reuters-Cumhuriyet/