Press Review

Turkish Press.com
Published: 4/6/2005

SEZER VETOES BILL ON SECURITY FORCE President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
yesterday vetoed a bill proposing amendments to the Security Force
Organization Law, including the hiring of 10,000 personnel. Sezer
stated that waging effective anti-crime efforts was not possible
using hastily trained policemen with low educational levels. Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, commenting on the issue, told reporters
that his government would discuss the bill and then decide how to
proceed. /Star/

ERDOGAN TO ATTEND FUNERAL FOR POPE JOHN PAUL II

Representing Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set
to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II to be held on Friday at
the Vatican. More than 200 world leaders and religious leaders are
expected to attend the funeral for the pontiff, who passed away last
Saturday evening. /Hurriyet/

GUL MEETS WITH UAE OFFICIALS

As part of his visit to the United Arab Emirates, Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul yesterday met with head of state Sheik Caliph Bin Zeyd
El Nahayan and Abu Dabi Crown Prince Sheik Mohammad Bin Zeyd El
Nahayan. Afterwards, speaking to reporters, Gul said Turkey should
boost its ties with Persian Gulf countries. Pointing to the UAEâ’s
importance in world financial circles, Gul said that he hoped Turkish
firms could get positive results from tenders in this country. The
foreign minister stated that his talks with top UAE officials had also
focused on the Cyprus issue, adding that he had asked for their support
to end the Turkish Cypriotsâ’ international isolation. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN: â”OUR GOVTâ’S SUCCESS SHOULD BE ACCEPTED BY EVERYONEâ”

Speaking at his partyâ’s parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that certain circles still could
not stomach the success of the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) government. Pointing to the recent positive economic figures,
the premier stressed that good developments in the economy were a
result of the governmentâ’s great efforts and stability in political
policies. Yesterday, Erdogan also received 41 new officials for
provincial districts, recent graduates of a training course. Erdogan
called on the new officials to believe in democracy in their hearts and
accept the problems of the nation as if they are their own. /Turkiye/

ALBANIAN PRESIDENT, CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF VISIT TURKEY

Albanian Chief of General Staff Gen. Pellumb Qazimi who is currently
paying an official visit, yesterday met with his Turkish counterpart
Gen. Hilmi Ozkok. The two top officials reportedly discussed bilateral
military ties. In related news, Albanian President Alfred Moisiu also
arrived in Ankara yesterday after participating in a meeting of the
Turkish Atlantic Council in Antalya earlier in the week. /Turkiye/

SYRIAN PRESIDENT: â”SINCE SEZER RESPECTS HIS NATION, HEâ’LL VISIT
SYRIA DESPITE THE USâ’ OBJECTIONSâ”

Appearing on CNN Turk yesterday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said
that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer would pay an official visit to his
country this month despite US objections, adding that Sezer couldnâ’t
visit Syria if he didnâ’t respect the Turkish nation. â”The visit
is important since it will take place despite US objections,â”
he said. â”Turkey, as an independent, sovereign country, didnâ’t
allow the US to interfere in Sezerâ’s decision.â” Al-Assad said
that the nations of both countries became friends following his
historic visit to Ankara last year. Touching on Iraq, al-Assad said
that Damascus wasnâ’t uncomfortable about a Turkish presence in the
country. /Milliyet/

LAGENDIJK CALLS FOR ANKARA TO SIGN EU ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL BEFORE OCT.
3 TO PROVE ITâ’S NOT â”OBSTINATEâ”

Speaking at a conference in Istanbul yesterday, Turkey-European
Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk called
for Ankara to sign the additional protocol of the Ankara Agreement
before Oct. 3, when it is expected to begin its European Union
accession talks. â”Prove to the EU and Greek Cyprus that youâ’re not
obstinate, and surprise them,â” he said. He stressed that signing
the additional protocol would mean greenlighting the recognition
of Greek Cyprus. â”If you begin to formally address a country,
this means that youâ’re beginning to recognize it.â” Touching on
the so-called Armenian genocide, Lagendijk stated that Turkey should
take the initiative on the issue, adding that it would benefit from
the resulting clarification. /Milliyet/

GONUL: â”NEITHER THE DEFENSE MINISTRY NOR THE GENERAL STAFF HAVE
PLANS TO ALLOW SHORTENED MILITARY SERVICE FOR PAYMENTâ”

Speaking to reporters before his partyâ’s group meeting yesterday,
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said that in line with the modernization
of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), someday shortening the period
of compulsory military service in exchange for payment could be
considered. â”But the time being, there are no such plans at our
ministry or the General Staff,â” he added. â”However this is a
technical issue and weâ’ll do whatever modernization requires. If
there is a need to shorten the military service, then weâ’ll do
this.â” In related news, the General Staff yesterday declared that
it was not working on shortening the military service in exchange
for payment, adding that the issue wasnâ’t being explored. /Aksam/

PARLIAMENT DEBATES ARMENIAN PROBLEM

Parliament yesterday debated the so-called Armenian genocide
allegations. Journalists and authors of Armenian origin as well as
retired ambassadors attended a special joint session of the European
Union Harmonization and Foreign Affairs Commissions. The meeting was
closed to the press. â”Some problems start being resolved as soon
as they are discussed,â” Ali Riza Alaboyun, the EU Harmonization
Commissionâ’s acting chairman, told reporters, expressing his belief
in the benefits of such discussions before the meeting began. /Star/

BAYKAL: â”A DECISION ON INCIRLIK AIRBASE EXCLUDING PARLIAMENT
WOULDNâ’T BENEFIT THE NATIONâ”

Addressing his partyâ’s group meeting yesterday, opposition Republican
Peopleâ’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that the government
should brief his party and Parliamentâ’s Foreign Affairs Commission on
the US requests concerning Incirlik Airbase. â”A decision excluding
the Parliament wonâ’t benefit the nation,â” he said. While the
Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is reportedly planning
to conclude the issue with a decree, the CHP believes that any decision
needs to be approved by Parliament. /Cumhuriyet/

DUTCH MEP BOZKURT: â”THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT SHOULD HAVE A QUOTA
FOR WOMENâ”

Emine Bozkurt, a Turkish-origin social democrat European
parliamentarian, recently drafted a report on the role of women
in Turkeyâ’s social, economic and political life. In her report,
Bozkurt demanded that womenâ’s rights be given top priority in the
European Unionâ’s membership negotiations with Ankara, and argued that
the issue has long been neglected by Turkey. Bozkurt also urged the
government to implement a quota for women in the Turkish Parliament
to boost their numbers. The European Parliament is due to discuss
her report next month.

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