Compiled by the Washington Office of

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

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CONTENTS

• PARLIAMENT APPROVES CONTROVERSIAL HIGHER EDUCATION LAW

• BRITISH PM BLAIR IN ANKARA

• EU TO RELEASE MID-TERM REPORT ON TURKEY

• TURKISH CYPRIOT DEPUTY RESIGNS; PM TALAT’S COALITION BECOMES MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT

• US HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT PRAISES TURKEY’S REFORMS

• FOREIGN MINISTRY EXPRESS CONCERN OVER ISRAEL’S ACTIONS TOWARDS PALESTINIANS

• CHP DEMANDS PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON IRAQ 

• FOUR NEW EU MEMBERS STAND BEHIND TURKEY’S BID

• NEW PRESS LAW APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT

PARLIAMENT APPROVES CONTROVERSIAL HIGHER EDUCATION LAW

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group went along with the government's determination to pass the Higher Education Board (YOK) bill. The bill amends the high-school coefficients for all schools, in order to pave the way for graduates of vocational schools, including religious imam- hatips, to chose broader range of academic concentrations in undergraduate level, rather than being strictly limited to departments in their fields. Despite all of the efforts from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to prevent the bill's passage, the bill was passed after an 18-hour debate in the Parliament.

The bill also reduces the number of YOK board members and adjusting the structure of the board. The chairman of YOK, who is currently being selected by the president, will be elected by the board itself. The education minister will be allowed to attend YOK meetings and will chair the meetings he or she attends. The bill also modifies the academic career structure of university members. The most controversial article of the bill increases the university entrance coefficients of imam-hatip graduates. The Office of the Chief of Staff, Inter-University Council, YOK, and political parties waged an intensive campaign against this article, arguing that it would harm the secularist principle of the republic and was a violation of the fundamental laws that assured unified and central education.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan replied harshly against these criticisms and made accusations against the media and university executives. AKP deputies supported Erdogan's stance and assured the bill's passage. Parliament Speaker's Office will send the bill to President Sezer for his approval. Sezer has 15 days to assess the bill. If he does not approve, the President has the right to veto the bill once and send it back to Parliament for reconsideration. If the bill is passed by the Parliament for the second time, President can send the bill to the Constitutional court for further debate.

Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said on Friday that the Turkish Parliament had done its legislative duty and added that he hoped future developments would be in accordance with democratic principles. Speaking on his return from Jordan, Arinc said he respected Higher Education Board (YOK) Chairman Erdogan Tezic, noting that he could not be a party to disputes between YOK and the government on the issue of the YOK bill. In response to an earlier statement made by Tezic, Arinc said Parliament was the supreme legislative body, noting that while the Constitutional Court could decide that a law violated the Constitution, it could not amend it.

Meanwhile, university rectors said they were very disappointed to see that the government’s understanding of educational reform was only limited to imam-hatip schools. Numerous student and academic associations staged rallies against the YOK bill. /Turkish Daily News-Anatolian News Agency/

BRITISH PM BLAIR IN ANKARA

 British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Turkey for a brief working visit. Blair, the first British prime minister to visit Turkey in 14 years, met with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to express support for Ankara's drive to join the European Union, discuss developments in Iraq and bilateral cooperation against terrorism. The two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding on enhanced cooperation against terrorism. They also drew up an action plan on how to tackle counter-proliferation and human trafficking. In comments published in Turkey's Hurriyet daily newspaper, the British leader praised Turkey's reform drive and said his visit was aimed at encouraging Turkish leaders to keep up their efforts. Asked whether Turkey could obtain a date in December to begin negotiations with the EU, Blair said: "Yes, if Turkey maintains the extraordinary speed of its reform programme." "My conviction is that Turkey's accession will be a good thing for us all. I sincerely hope that there will be a positive decision for Turkey in December," he told Hurriyet. Ankara also asked for support from Blair for ending the isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. 

The one-day visit was overshadowed by bomb explosions overnight in front of the branches of British bank HSBC in Istanbul and Ankara, which caused minor damage and no casualties. It was not immediately clear who was behind the blasts, which brought back memories of a wave of suicide bomb attacks against two synagogues, the main office of HSBC and the British consulate in Istanbul last November, which killed more than 60 people, including British consul Roger Short. The carnage was blamed on Turkish extremist militants with links to Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network. Police stepped up security for Blair's visit with armed paramilitary troops taking up position on the main road from the airport into town. As the British leader arrived in Turkey, protestors took the streets in both Ankara and Istanbul to denounce London's involvement in the US-led occupation of neighboring Iraq and abuse of prisoners in Iraqi jails, the Anatolia news agency reported. "Bloody-handed Blair, take your hand off Iraq. Get out murderers, this country is ours," chanted the protestors from a leading trade union in a central park in Ankara. In Istanbul, demonstrators gathered in front of the British consulate, holding up a banner which read: "We do not want Blair, who is responsible for torture and massacres in Iraq, in our country." Turkish leaders have condemned the "inhumane" and "repugnant" behavior of US troops following alleged reports of abuse, but they have not directly criticized Britain. /AFP-Hurriyet/

EU TO RELEASE MID-TERM REPORT ON TURKEY

EU is to present a mid-term report on Turkey during May 18 Turkey-EU Partnership Council to be held in Brussels. The partnership council is the highest decision-making body on both sides and will host its 43rd session under the leadership of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Turkish papers reported the EU report welcomes the final package of constitutional amendments, which were ratified by Parliament on May 7. The package includes abolition of State Security Courts (DGMs), democratic reforms on the structure of Turkey's Higher Education Board (YOK) and gender equality.

The report presses for more effective implementation of the law allowing Turkey's Kurdish citizens to study and broadcast in their own language. The report criticizes the fact that only three schools teaching Kurdish are operating, while broadcasting in Kurdish has yet to commence. it criticizes court verdict on pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP) deputies and lack of implementation of law on broadcasting in Kurdish. The EU report urges Turkey is improving the independency and efficiency of the judiciary. It also mentions honor killings and says it expects the new penal code to protect the rights of women regarding this issue. In additional to Turkey’s Human Rights and democratization report, the document expresses determination of the EU to end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and pledges support for economic development of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It also welcomes the recent improvement in ties between Turkey and Greece.

The EU report to be released on May 18 is the most important one before the Progress Report on Turkey, which is to be released by the European Commission in October, and which will have a strong bearing, as many EU leaders predict, on their decision regarding Turkey's accession credentials. /Turkish Daily News-NTVMSNBC/

TURKISH CYPRIOT DEPUTY RESIGNS; PM TALAT’S COALITION BECOMES MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT

TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat’s Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Famagusta deputy Nuri Cevikel resigned on May 17. With the resignation of Cevikel, the number od CTP deputies in the 50-member parliament declined to 18. Two deputies from Serdar Denktas’s Democrat Party (DP) had also resigned recently. With Celikel’s decision, the CTP-DP coalition, which jointly had 26 seats, now became a minority in Parliament with 23 seats.

Turkish Cypriot Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas said on Sunday that the Cyprus dispute can no more be presented as an obstacle before Turkey's EU aspirations. Turkish Cypriot minister said Cyprus has now become a problem of Europe. /Turkish Daily News-Aksam/

US HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT PRAISES TURKEY’S REFORMS

In its 2003-2004 Human Rights Report released May 17, the US State Department praised Turkey’s improving record on human rights and its commitment to reforms within the past year. The report stressed that there were still some deficiencies in implementation. /Turkiye/

Click to view US State Department’s report on Turkey

FOREIGN MINISTRY EXPRESS CONCERN OVER ISRAEL’S ACTIONS TOWARDS PALESTINIANS

A Foreign Ministry statement Monday said that Ankara was deeply concerned about the escalation of Israeli/Palestinian dispute and urged the sides to return to the negotiating table to resume efforts for peace. Concerning Israel’s recent crackdown in Gaza refugee camps, the statement said that Ankara was distressed to see the loss of lives and destruction of Palestinians’ homes during the operations. The statement said demolishing houses and punishing innocent Palestinians would not serve the security of Israel. /Turkiye-NTVMSNBC/

CHP DEMANDS PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON IRAQ

The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) demanded a Parliamentary debate on Turkey's Iraq policy following news of torture allegations of the Iraqi prisoners by the United States and British soldiers. In the debate proposal submitted to the Parliamentary Speaker, CHP deputies emphasized that the Coalition forces in Iraq have become "invasion forces" in the recent period. "Every country and international institution which share the values of democracy should react to the pictures of torture and violence in Iraq," said the proposal statement. The proposal said that it was with the efforts of CHP deputies that Turkey was prevented on March 1 from being dragged into a war that has no legal, political or moral ground. The deputies noted in their proposal that the Parliament should condemn the countries responsible for the events. /Turkish Daily News/

FOUR NEW EU MEMBERS STAND BEHIND TURKEY’S BID

The prime ministers of four new members of the European Union –Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia – said last week that the EU’s doors should be open to Turkey. The four countries that just joined the Union on May 1, added that they had agreed to support Ankara’s goal to begin its EU accession talks. /Aksam/

NEW PRESS LAW APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT

Parliament's Justice Commission on Thursday approved the new press law, submitted by government after a long preparation process. The bill is designed to improve the freedom of press and revise press regulations. If the bill, prepared in cooperation with the media organizations, becomes law, the present law that was passed in 1951, will be replaced in its entirety. /Turkish Daily News/