SEZER: “ISRAEL SHOULD WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY FROM PALESTINIAN CITIES”
Speaking to reporters after meeting with his Latvian counterpart Vaira Vike Freibega in Latvia’s capital Riga as part of an official visit, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that Israel should withdraw immediately from Palestinian cities in compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1397, 1402 and 1403. Sezer also said that the US should put pressure on both sides in the region to work for peace and that a positive atmosphere should be created in order to restart the negotiations process. /Hurriyet/
DERVIS: “TURKEY SHOULD GROW THIS YEAR”
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis, who is in Germany for an official visit, met yesterday with German Finance Minister Hans Eichel and German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Speaking to reporters after meeting Eichel, Dervis said, “We discussed the improvements in the Turkish economy as well as the Middle East situation and Turkish-EU relations.” Dervis then met with Foreign Minister Fischer. Dervis told reporters afterwards that the year 2001 had been a very challenging year for Turkey, but that with economic reforms and better budget policies the Turkish economy was improving. Dervis also said that Turkey had received support from the IMF and from friendly nations such as Germany. “We are expecting economic growth this year,” Dervis added. /Hurriyet/
TURKEY RATIFIES UN CONVENTION ON TERRORIST BOMBINGS
Turkey yesterday ratified the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, while placing reservations on Articles 9, 12 and 19 as well as the first paragraph of Article 20. The convention applies to the offence of the delivery or placement of an explosive in a public area with the intent of causing death, injury, or destruction resulting in major economic loss. Under the convention, parties are required to make such offences punishable under their domestic laws. The convention stresses that acts of terrorism are under no circumstances justifiable by consideration of political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic or religious reasons and that perpetrators of such acts must receive heavy punishment. While ratifying the convention, Turkey has stated that it will not be bound by the first paragraph of Article 20, which states that any dispute between two or more states concerning the interpretation or application of the convention which cannot be settled through negotiations within a reasonable period of time shall be submitted to arbitration. The same paragraph also says that in the case of a failure to reach agreement on the organization of arbitration within six months, any one of those parties may refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice. /Cumhuriyet/
DENMARK’S PRIME MINISTER: “NAME CHANGE WON’T ALTER PKK’S STATUS”
Danish Prime Minister Anders Rasmussen said yesterday that the recently announced name change of the PKK terrorist organization would not alter its status. Denmark is due to assume the European Union rotating term presidency in July and hold it through year’s end. /Sabah/
NEWSWEEK CRITICIZES EU’S TREATMENT OF TURKEY
The current issue of Newsweek International features an article on Turkish-EU relations entitled “Europe’s Orphan” written jointly by magazine staffer Owen Matthews and Turkish journalist Sami Kohen. In the piece, the writers criticize the European Union for its tendency to take the Turkish-EU friendship for granted, saying, “Turkey is heading for a major crisis in its relations with the European Union, and that could in turn trigger a major rethink of just who its real friends are — and where its best strategic interests lie.” Reproving the EU for “dealing with Turkey as if it were an impoverished Eastern European nation with no option but to go along with Brussels’s every whim,” the article remarks that Europe’s assumption that Turkey will wait patiently to join its Union, making whatever social and political changes that Brussels deems appropriate, is today less likely to be true than it once was. In addition, Matthews and Kohen note, “As it stands now, Turkey may officially be a candidate for European membership — but it receives no structural funds to help undertake reforms.” The magazine also stresses that since Turkey has other alternatives to the EU, unlike other membership candidates, the Union should “reward Turkey for how far it has come rather than constantly reminding it of how far it has to go.” /Cumhuriyet/
CHINESE PRIME MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL
Chinese Prime Minister Rongji Zhu proceeded to Istanbul yesterday after completing his official contacts in Ankara. State Minister Tunca Toskay hosted a dinner in the visiting premier’s honor last night. Rongji is the first Chinese prime minister to visit Turkey in over 15 years. /Star/
KOEHLER: “HANDS-OFF APPROACH WILL HELP TURKEY’S ECONOMY”
Following the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval of a $1.1 billion loan tranche to Turkey earlier this week IMF Managing Director Horst Koehler spoke on the Turkish economy yesterday in Washington. “If politicians do more to keep their hands off, the Turkish economy will improve,” the IMF director remarked. Pointing to the importance of the restoring trust in the markets, Koehler stated, “Turkey should carry out only the program which we agreed on.” Commenting that the crisis in the Middle East and related increases in oil prices represented new risks for Turkey’s economy, Kohler said, “This situation may cause difficulties in putting the Turkish economy back on track.” He added, however, “I have no doubts that Turkey will overcome its difficulties.” He also characterized the government’s targeted 3% growth rate for this year as “within reach.” /Star/
OECD PREPARES TURKEY REPORT
State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel held a press conference yesterday concerning a report on Turkey to be prepared by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Gurel stated that the report was being prepared at Turkey’s own behest and with financial contributions from the government. He added that he was representing Turkey’s interests in the report’s preparation and that a final draft was already in the works. /Aksam/
LATE PRESIDENT OZAL COMMEMORATED
Ceremonies were held yesterday to honor late President Turgut Ozal on the ninth anniversary of his passing away. At a ceremony held in Istanbul by his grave, relatives of Ozal and other citizens, as well as members and current leader Mesut Yilmaz of the Motherland Party (ANAP), the party Ozal founded, gathered together to honor his memory. Additionally, other meetings and panels throughout Turkey discussed the statesman’s vision and his contributions to the nation. /All Papers/
NEW PARTY TO BE UP AND RUNNING BY MONTH’S END
Members of the nascent Social Democratic People’s Party (SDHP), led by former parliamentarian Murat Karayalcin, are expected to submit an official petition for the party’s establishment to the Interior Ministry on April 26. Thereafter, the party’s administrative posts will be filled. The new party’s emblem is a human figure carrying an olive branch. /Star/
SEPT. 11 “GROUND ZERO” PHOTO EXHIBIT TO TOUR TURKEY
A display of photographs of the former World Trade Center site, known widely in the United States as “Ground Zero”, is currently being exhibited at the Turkish-American Association Gallery in New York City and is set to come to Turkey this summer. The 27-photo exhibit of the work of famed photographer Joel Meyerowitz, entitled “After September 11: Images from Ground Zero,” will be in New York through April 30 and is to proceed thereafter to Ankara, Izmir, and Bursa. The show is sponsored by the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. /Cumhuriyet/
INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT INCREASES
Capacity usage ratio in Turkey’s manufacturing sector rose to the 75.2% last month, the State Institute Of Statistics (DIE) reported yesterday. The ratio was the highest recorded since November 2000 before the onset of the most recent domestic economic crisis. According to the DIE, a decreased shortfall in consumer demand helped boost the figure. While the shortfall in March 2001 was 57.2%, it was only 54.9% this March. Capacity usage ratio for last March stood at 70.7%. The same ratio was %72.1 this February. / Hurriyet/
MOODY’S BOOSTS RATINGS FOR YAPI KREDI, AKBANK
International rating company Moody’s yesterday announced improved ratings for Yapi Kredi Bank and Akbank. In the foreign exchange deposit category, it gave a “B3” rating to Yapi Kredi in the long term, a “prime” rating in the short term and a “D” for financial strength. In addition, Moody’s gave a “Baa2” to Yapi Kredi in terms of the Turkish lira for long- and short-term deposits. It also increased its ratings for Akbank, whose financial strength rating is “D+,” from “stable” to “positive.” /Aksam/
RAHMI KOC DECORATED WITH KAZAKH STATE MEDAL
Koc Holding Board of Directors Chairman Rahmi Koc was decorated yesterday with the State Medal of Kazakhstan in recognition of his company’s successful investments in that country. The medal was bestowed on Koc by Kazakh Ambassador to Turkey Kayrat Saribay on behalf of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. /Turkiye/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION