TURKEY IN WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
Turkey reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time in its history. The score of the match between Senegal and Turkey on June 22 was 1-0. This means that Turkey will face Brazil in Saitama on June 26 for a place in the World Cup final. Ilhan Mansýz scored the golden goal that put Turkey into the World Cup semifinals. “Turkey is the greatest” was the triumphant message in Turkish newspapers today, revelling in Turkey’s victory over Senegal. /All papers/
SEVILLE SUMMIT ENDS; UNCERTAINTY REMAINS FOR TURKEY
The weekend European Union summit at Seville, Spain failed to provide a timetable for Turkey’s accession talks and thus meant the uncertainty surrounding Ankara’s EU prospects will keep Turkish leaders busy in the months to come. The summit, held in the midst of the excitement of the World Cup and Turkey reaching the semifinals, resulted with just a few lines of encouragement for Turkey to carry on reforms. However, Turkey was not able to secure a date for starting accession talks, in accordance with the delays in Ankara in fulfilling political criteria. In fact, the agenda of the summit was mainly focused on the issues of immigration and asylum. Institutional reforms, the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), enlargement, economic issues, sustainable development and a review of the progress of the Convention on Europe’s Future were other topics on Seviile’s agenda, declared by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in letters sent to the heads of governments of the EU member and candidate states. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said yesterday in an interview on CNN Turk that he had not been surprised with the statements of the summit concerning Turkey. As long as Turkey continues in the direction of reforms, it will be able to get a date, Cem said, drawing attention to the difficulty of the realization of reforms with the existing parliamentary structure. Concerning the Cyprus issue, Cem said that Cyprus was a political factor, but not a precondition. /Turkish Dailly News/
GREECE SATISFIED WITH SEVILLE SUMMIT
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou over the weekend offered his evaluation of the results of the European Union’s Seville summit, focusing upon the dispute over the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) and illegal immigration. In an interview with a Greek newspaper, Papandreou remarked that Greece was satisfied with the agreement on the ESDP reached by the EU member countries. “After a series of heated discussions, we at last reached an agreement on the ESDP which is in line with Greece’s national interests,” said Papandreou. “However, Turkey is opposing this policy. The EU will continue its negotiations with Turkey on the issue.” Arguing that the issues of Cyprus and Aegean should be considered parts of the ESDP, Papandreou added, “The parties of the Cyprus issue might reach a settlement which conforms with their interests.” Stating that Greece was ready for any possible contingency that might come up on Cyprus, Papandreou predicted that the Greek Cypriots would be successful in their bid for full EU membership. /Cumhuriyet/
BAHCELI: “WE WILL NOT MAKE CONCESSIONS”
Speaking at a festival in Antalya yesterday, Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli pledged that the MHP wouldn’t make any concessions on the issues of Cyprus, teaching and broadcasting in mother tongues and the abolition of capital punishment. Bahceli added that the MHP wouldn’t accept the political criteria “forced on Turkey” by the European Union in order to obtain a date for the beginning of its accession negotiations. /Turkiye/
CILLER URGES PARLIAMENT TO SKIP SUMMER RECESS
True Path Party leader Tansu Ciller (DYP) yesterday celebrated the 19th anniversary of the establishment of her party in Istanbul. Ciller said there that Parliament should skip its summer recess this year, scheduled to begin on July 1, and that the government’s primary problem in terms of its European Union membership bid was the Cyprus issue. Ciller also remarked that whoever says that the path to the EU lies in abolishing the death penalty is mistaken, because the main problem in front of the EU is the Cyprus issue. We should discuss these problems in Parliament, she reiterated. “The language of education cannot be other than Turkish, education in mother tongues can only be allowed in private and fee-paying courses,” Ciller added. /Hurriyet/
BAYKAL: “THE COUNTRY NEEDS DERVIS”
Speaking to Hurriyet newspaper yesterday, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that the country needs Economy Minister Kemal Dervis. Baykal also said that Dervis should also take into consideration that the country needs him in deciding whether to enter politics or not. Baykal also voiced support for Dervis on recent discussions and stated that the economy minister had made sound suggestions for the country to avoid falling into a new economic crisis, but the government hadn’t listened to him. /Hurriyet/
TURKISH DELEGATION VISITS BELGIUM
A delegation numbering around 200, including members of the Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) along with Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and State Minister Tunca Toscay, arrived in Brussels yesterday. Tomorrow, a conference regarding developments in Turkey’S EU membership bid will be held. Speaking to reporters, TOBB Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said that if the Turkish national football team reaches the finals in the World Cup, a TOBB delegation would travel to Japan to support it. Expressing his pleasure at Turkey’s success in the World Cup, Hisarciklioglu said, “Only inflation and economic growth remain to be defeated.” /Turkiye/
NATO, PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE MANEUVERS CONTINUE
The Cooperative Partner-2002 Sea and Amphibian Maneuvers, a scheduled NATO exercise, are currently continuing on the Black Sea. As part of the maneuvers, education about joint action for earthquake preparedness is also being given. The Secretariat General of the Turkish Chief of General Staff yesterday stated that the Cooperative Partner-2002 Sea and Amphibian Maneuvers had started on last Friday. The maneuvers, which are being carried out on the Black Sea and at Romania’s Constanta harbor in with the participation of 40 ships, 20 planes and 5,000 personnel from NATO and Partnership for Peace (PFP) countries, will end on July 6. Eight NATO countries, namely, Turkey, the US, Germany, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Greece, and various forces from five CFP countries -- Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Ukraine -- plus the NATO Mediterranean Permanent Sea Force (Stanav-formed), NATO Southern Region Force Against Mines (Mcmforsouth) and NATO Southern Region Command Headquarters are participating in the maneuvers. During the exercises, joint training will be conducted to increase cooperation and coordination among the multinational forces as part of efforts to provide civilian populations with post-earthquake aid and relief. /Cumhuriyet/
CELASIN SPEAKS ON DEATH PENALTY
Former Air Forces Commander Ergin Celasin and former Court of Cassation Chief Justice Sami Selcuk attended the Fifth Akoren Festival in Konya yesterday. Answering a journalist’s question about the death penalty, Celasin said, “Whatever is required by international standards and the world’s level of civilization should be done concerning the death penalty. If Turkey wants to play in the big leagues, it should implement the standards of big league countries.” /Cumhuriyet/
KUTAN: ”THERE ARE TWO GOVERNMENTS IN TURKEY”
Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan said yesterday at a party luncheon in Eskisehir that there are two governments in Turkey, one headed by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and the other headed State Economy Minister Kemal Dervis. He remarked that Dervis’s mission was carrying out the policies of the monied foreign interests. Kutan added that these interests wanted to harm Turkish agriculture, industry and national banks because they don’t want to see Turkey develop. /Aksam/
ERDOGAN: “THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO HOLD A REFERENDUM”
Speaking at the Anatolian Young Businessmen’s Association (AGIAD) in Ankara yesterday, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan said, “If a government doesn’t work efficiently and cannot do the things which its mission requires, after three years a referendum should be held since they need to ask people if they are pleased with the government or not.” He added, “If people think that the government isn’t successful, then elections should be held.” Meanwhile AKP Deputy Chairman Abdullatif Sener charged that the current government defines “stability” as whatever allows to stay in power, but that this wasn’t stability at all. /Sabah/
ISTANBUL APPROACH OFFICIALLY BEGINNING
The Framework Agreement for Financial Restructuring, popularly known as the Istanbul Approach, is to begin being implemented today. The agreement will be signed today for the Isiklar Group. A Council of Arbitrators was jointly established by the Turkish Union of Banks and the government’s Banking Supervision and Regulation Agency (BDDK) for implementation of the agreement. /Sabah/
TURKEY’S ECONOMIC GROWTH LAGS BEHIND EU NEWCOMERS
In the wake of last weekend’s European Union Summit in Seville, Spain, where Turkey lobbied for its EU membership bid, World Bank data show that Turkey has some catching up to do economically to reach the level of some EU newcomers. Turkey’s per capita income and Gross National Product (GNP) in 2000 lagged behind that of Greece and Spain, who both entered the EU in the ‘80s, as of 1980. Turkey developed more rapidly than these two nations over 1980-2000, but its rapid population growth has held back its economic progress. Over these 20 years, Turkey’s national income grew by 4.55%, but per capita income stalled because the population grew by 20.8 million people. /Sabah/
NOAH’S ARK REPLICA TO BE BUILT NEAR MT. ARARAT
Tourism Minister Mustafa Tasar announced yesterday that a replica of the biblical Noah’s ark would be constructed in Agri, near Mt. Ararat where scripture says the ship came to rest and Lake Kup, in Turkey’s east. The ark complex is set to include tourist facilities such as a museum, restaurant, conference hall and library, and will be constructed by the Igdir Governor’s Office. It will also be able to house overnight visitors with 500 beds. “A delegation sent to the Igdir Governor’s Office in January 2001 laid the groundwork for this project,” Tasar added. /Milliyet/
WORKS BY TURKISH PAINTERS IN PARIS AUCTION
Works by two Turkish painters, Fikret Mualla and Tahsin, were up for sale at a recent international art auction in Paris. One of Tahsin’s paintings, “Yeni Cami” (New Mosque), was considered the most expensive item on the auction block. In addition, eight paintings by Mualla were bid on at the art scale. /Cumhuriyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION