30.
November 2001
1. "Turkey-prison-strike", Turkish advocates put forward new plan to end hunger strikes in Turkish jails that has already cost 42 lives
2. "Turk army fears Kurd rebels gaining political clout", Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said on Thursday that the powerful military feared Kurdish separatists were gaining political ground despite their losses on the battlefield.
3. "Turkey is still strongly against an attack on Baghdad", Ex-diplomat Sukru Elekdag affirms Ankara's opposition to US strikes against Iraq in the course of the anti-terror campaign
4. "What a Friendship", the relations between Turkey and the US following the Sept. 11 attacks.
5. "Is the Iraqi policy changin?", some TV channels presented National Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu's as saying if there were new conditions, Turkish options might be reconsidered
6. "Turkey clears another step toward new IMF deal", by january a strategy for dealing with banks' non-performing loans will be ready
1. - AFP - "Turkey-prison-strike":
Turkish advocates put forward new plan to end hunger strikes
ANKARA
Turkish advocates on Thursday unveiled a plan to try to end a hunger
strike in Turkish jails that has cost dozens of lives, and urged strikers
and the government to consider it. Since the strike movement began
in October last year 42 prisoners or their supporters have starved
to death, four have died after setting themselves on fire and another
four have been killed by police in an operation to regain control
of a jail where they were on hunger strike. The hunger strike was
initiated by mainly far-left inmates across Turkish prisons against
the introduction of new jails with tighter security, called type F
prisons, where cells for three people at most replaced dormitories
housing dozens. The strikers say the cells leave prisoners more vulnerable
to mistreatment and deepen social alienation.But the government has
ruled out a return to the dormitory system, arguing that the crowded
compounds had become strongholds for criminal groups, which frequently
rioted and took prison officials hostage. Now the advocates are urging
a plan where cells in Type F prisons are grouped into threes. During
the day the cells would be unlocked giving the nine detainees the
ability to mix before they are locked into their cells at night. Yucel
Sayman, who heads the Istanbul bar association said the proposal would
help to bring the situation to an end before there was a new death,
"without any architectural, structural or security changes." He said
the system would bring to an end the isolation which has been one
of the main complaints of the prisoners. "Opening the locks of three
doors could save dozens of lives," Sayman said. Currently 172 detainees
are on hunger strike to the death in type F prisons. 
2. - Reuters - "Turk army fears Kurd rebels gaining political clout":
ANKARA
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said on Thursday that
the powerful military feared Kurdish separatists were gaining political
ground despite their losses on the battlefield. Yilmaz said Turkey's
generals had expressed concerns at this week's National Security Council
meeting that Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas enjoyed political
support in the country's impoverished southeast. "It's not just within
military circles, there are these sorts of concerns in the state's
different ranks," Yilmaz told reporters in remarks broadcast live
on NTV television. "A state policy on this issue has not yet been
made," he added. The European Union, which Turkey aspires to join,
has urged Turkey to expand civil liberties for the country's 12 million
Kurds, who are not officially recognised as a minority group. Parliament
last month ratified sweeping amendments to the constitution, drawn
up under military rule, in a bid to meet EU standards and lifted a
ban on Kurdish-language broadcasting. The PKK began a violent campaign
for self-rule in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast in 1984, but fighting,
which claimed more than 30,000 lives, has dropped off sharply since
PKK commander Abdullah Ocalan was captured in 1999. Ocalan, on death
row for treason, has called on his followers to withdraw from Turkey
and seek cultural rights through political means. The military estimates
between 400 and 500 PKK fighters remain active in the southeast's
rugged mountains. Turkish media reports have recently said the military,
which has staged three coups since 1960, is worried that the People's
Democracy Party (HADEP), Turkey's sole legal pro-Kurdish party, dominates
local politics in the southeast. HADEP won several local offices in
the southeast in 1999 elections but fell short of a 10 percent threshold
for seats in parliament. "We are of the opinion that whichever party
offers solutions will find support in the east and southeast," HADEP
leader Murat Bozlak was quoted as saying on Thursday by the state-run
Anatolian news agency. Bozlak said HADEP, which faces possible closure
for its alleged ties to the PKK, was not just a Kurdish party. "HADEP
is not just the party of one ethnic group or one region," Bozlak said.
"It is not a separatist party...It's wrong to project HADEP as a party
that unsettles the army."
3. - The Daily star (Lebanon) - "Turkey is still strongly against an attack on Baghdad":
Ex-diplomat affirms Ankara's opposition
Despite speculation to the contrary, Turkey's opposition to any renewed
American military assault on Iraq appears firm and unbending, the
former Turkish ambassador to the US, Sukru Elekdag, told the Daily
Star. Expectations that Washington might make Iraq the next target
of its "war on terror" were raised again on Monday after President
George W. Bush demanded that Baghdad re-admit the UN arms inspectors
withdrawn ahead of the December 1998 Anglo-American aerial bombardment
of Iraq. The prospect of Turkey dropping its objections to a blitz
on Iraq was raised a few days earlier, when the country's ambassador
in Washington, Faruk Logoglu, stated that it may re-examine its position
if the US came up with solid evidence that Iraq has links with Osama
bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network The statement was regarded by the Turkish
press and by many Turkish commentators as a green light to the US
for a strike on Iraq, despite a disclaimer by Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit. Declaring that he did not know "with what intention Mr. Logoglu
made these remarks," Ecevit declared: "I wish that such a harmful
intervention would not occur near our borders." The Turkish prime
minister reasoned: "Now all attention should be focused on Afghanistan.
The Taleban have been vanquished, but there is no government, no legal
authority in Afghanistan. Consequently, instead of envisaging operations
regarding the other countries, we should direct all our attention
on the establishment of healthy and stable state governance in Afghanistan."
According to former ambassador Elekdag, this affirms that "the Turkish
government's firm opposition to any possible military campaign against
Iraq is continuing." Elekdag, speaking to The Daily Star by telephone
from Istanbul, said his own inquiries with Turkish policy makers,
including Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, "also led me to believe that
there is no change in the Turkish government's position. Ankara is
firmly opposed to any possible military campaign against Iraq." He
explained that Ankara shared the concerns of others that a military
operation aimed at bringing down President Saddam Hussein would be
de-stabilizing for Iraq's neighbors. "Other countries in the region,
such as Saudi Arabia, are also opposed to a US military intervention
in Iraq," he said. "The Saudi authorities refuse to believe there
is any evidence of the Iraqi government providing support to bin Laden
(that would justify) making Iraq a military target in the war on terror."
Elekdag said that other Gulf countries "fear that a military campaign
against Iraq will entail the disintegration of the country and will
lead to the establishment of a Shiite state in the south, in the buffer
area. They regard this as a scourge since on both sides of the Gulf
there would then be a Shiite state. This development would change
the balance in the Gulf area and will lead to dangerous instability
and Turkey shares that view." Ankara also has "serious pre-occupations
that a military intervention in Iraq would lead to the establishment
of an independent Kurdish state in the (Iraqi) north," he said. But
Elekdag said fears that Turkey might invade Iraq in the event of a
US attack were misplaced. "Turkey does not have any ambition regarding
the Mosul and Kirkuk oil areas," he said. "Top-level Turkish foreign
service sources have confirmed that to me. They said such an action
would create a new confrontation front which would deplete Turkey's
energy and resources." Turning to developments in Afghanistan, Elekdag
said the troops Turkey pledged to send would not be dispatched until
such time as some of the political uncertainties surrounding the country's
immediate future are resolved. And he made clear that while Ankara
would be willing to join a future UN peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan,
it was not keen on the idea of a multinational force drawn from pro-Western
Muslim countries, as has been suggested. "We are not sending our military
contingent there because perhaps there is no need for them now. If
a peace corps is established under the United Nations, then a larger
Turkish military unit would be sent. But for this, the situation has
to be cleared up," he said. Elekdag denied that Ankara was being deterred
from getting directly involved in Afghanistan by domestic opposition
to the American-led war there, especially on the part of the country's
two Islamist-leaning parties. He noted that the parties formed by
rival factions of the former Islamist opposition Fazilet (Virtue)
Party after it was banned by Turkey's constitutional court in June
did not in any case see eye to eye on the matter. While the more conservative
of the two, Recai Kutan's Saadet Party is "totally against" sending
the Turkish military to Afghanistan, the Justice and Development Party
(AK) led by former Istanbul mayor Recep Tayyip Erdogan "is not as
strongly opposed," Elekdag judged. The AK's position is, in effect,
that "under other circumstances it would have supported (sending military
units) but as it is an opposition party it has to be in harmony with
the opposition." Elekdag stressed that, even though it was too early
to tell what role Turkey would play in the political restructuring
of Afghanistan, its strong historic and cultural ties to the country
gave it an enduring interest in its future. Turks have a "strong affinity"
with Afghanistan even though the younger generation may be less conscious
of it and "show great interest in what is going on."
4. - Cumhuriyet -"What a Frienship":
The relations between Turkey and the US following the Sept. 11 attacks.
ANKARA / by Cuneyt Arcayurek
The West has two faces: When they need Turkey, Turkey is 'in,' but
then when it suits their purposes, Turkey becomes 'out.' Since the
Sept. 11 attacks, they have been buttering Turkey up. Turkey is in
the foreground with its soldiers, who are due to be sent to Afghanistan
as peace forces in the course of that country's political reconstruction.
However, during the international meetings meant to lay out Afghanistan's
future development, the doors were slammed in Turkey's face. The US,
France, Britain, Germany and Pakistan were present during the international
conference organized by the UN Development Program, World Bank and
the Asian Development Bank in Islamabad, but Turkey was not invited.
Actually Turkish contractors could have helped in many areas such
as boasting the fertility of Afghanistan's land and improving its
education and health. The above-mentioned countries' ambassadors were
invited to the meeting attended by 350 people, but Turkish ambassadors
and contractors were excluded. Furthermore, it has often been said
in recent weeks that Turkey would have a major role in the new Afghanistan.
Really? Turkey wasn't included in meetings convened to draw the outline
of a new Afghan state. But when we are asked to be prepared to sacrifice
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and leave the entire
island to the Greek Cypriots in exchange for EU membership, Europe
comes knocking at Ankara's door. When our manner becomes harsher concerning
the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), Belgian Prime Minister
Guy Verhofstadt (who represents the current EU term president) comes
knocking on Bulent Ecevit's door. I think they must have thought that
they would be able to make Turkey fear the attacks of those who are
accustomed to street violence like Daniel Cohn-Bendit. The National
Security Council's (MGK) attempt to protect TRNC President Rauf Denktas
blow to the repeated mentor "give up and you will be free." Why would
the Turkish government find sufficient Verhofstadt's guarantee that
'The European army wouldn't intervene in crises around the Aegean
or Cyprus issues or disputes between two NATO countries'? Consider
this strange logic: an army that will use all of NATO's assets is
guaranteeing that it won't threaten a NATO country (Turkey) with weapons.
Bravo! The EU thinks that Turkey will be satisfied with such a guarantee,
which is only a dream. The EU doesn't think that Turkey needs a place
in the ESDP. The sudden change in the US, which had supported our
policy on the ESDP issue before the Sept. 11 attacks, makes our eyes
water in the name of friendship and alliances. The US gives is now
fully supporting the EU on the European army issue. Some even say
that it told Ankara, "If you resist, the European army might be established
without Turkey, which is a NATO country." In addition, there have
been scenarios floating around since the Gulf War, suggesting that
northern Iraq would be given to Turkey. Every day another US commentator
writes of removing Saddam Hussein with Turkey in the mix. If Saddam
is overthrown with Turkey's support, Ankara's reward has even been
determined: a piece of Iraq's oil. One cannot help but feel that the
US is preparing to play the same game as in Afghanistan, but this
time in Iraq through using us. The US has trounced the Taleban regime
by supporting the Northern Alliance with money and materials, and
is now searching for Bin Laden, whom it plans to hang - all in territory
that was cleansed without losing a single US soldier. Why wouldn't
the US think of leaving us to tame the enemy-ridden Iraqi deserts
(note: This column was written before the confirmed combat death of
a CIA operative in Afghanistan( and then coming to Baghdad with a
clear path and enjoying overthrowing Saddam? The US puts its own national
interest first and foremost; it would certainly do this.
5. - Milliyet - "Is the Iraqi policy changin?":
ANKARA / by Sami Kohen
It might be thought that there has been a change in Turkey's policy
towards Iraq. Along these lines, yesterday some TV channels presented
National Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu's words that 'if there
are new conditions, we might reconsider our options' as a sign of
such a change. Previously there were people who interpreted Turkish
Ambassador to Washington Faruk Logoglu's words in the same way. The
seasoned diplomat said if the US puts for convincing evidence that
Iraq has something to do with the Sept. 11 attacks, then Ankara might
'review its policy.' The fact that some American commentators have
spread the interpretation that the US might open a second front in
Iraq after Afghanistan has created the impression that Ankara might
agree with such an action, in other words, that it might change its
policy in this direction. As I wrote last week, the US has not yet
decided whether to act against Iraq, or even how this would be carried
out. No strategy has been determined, one can only read position papers
from think tanks and the like. Another interesting issue now is that
a different rationale is being put forward for possible action against
Iraq. The previous argument spoke of punishing Iraq due to its links
to the Sept. 11 attacks and terrorism in general. However, US officials
have come to accept that there is not enough evidence concerning this
issue. So now Washington has changed its reasoning entirely: Iraq
has weapons of mass destruction and as Saddam has driven out the UN
inspectors, there is no way to check or control him. Thus the Bush
administration now says to Baghdad "Either you let the inspections
resume, or else...' The meaning of 'or else' is unspoken but clear.
Even Bush says 'they will see' and closes the subject. Actually this
situation could help Turkey show its position more openly. If the
US attacks Iraq due to its 'support for terrorism' and wants Turkey
to second this cause, Ankara will evaluate the issue. According to
Turkish officials, it would be impossible for Turkey, whose stance
against terrorism is so open, to say 'No, it isn't our business.'
If this is so then Ankara's support is inevitable. Otherwise, if the
US acts against Iraq for its rejection of inspections of its weapons
of mass destruction,' Ankara might not feel obliged to support it.
In that case Ankara would evaluate the new conditions according to
the situation. Turkish officials think that the US might want to solve
this problem through other means. The US might involve the UN Security
Council or it might use other ways to depose Saddam, or it might attack
using its own military capabilities, not including Turkey's. Thus,
one should not conclude after reading and listening to every statement
and article that the US will open a second front against Iraq and
that Turkey would participate in this.
6. - Turkish Daily News -"Turkey clears another step toward new IMF deal":
By january a strategy for dealing with banks' non-performing loans will be ready
Turkey plans to hammer out a new three-year economic program and
present it to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of
this year, aiming to focus further on banking reform, privatization,
private sector development and public sector efficiency. Hoping to
receive a $10 billion through a new three-year arrangement with the
IMF, the government has pledged spending cuts in order to be able
to handle a heavy debt load in 2002, a letter of intent published
on the IMF website late on Wednesday said. The letter said that Turkey
had fulfilled most of its commitments under the existing stand-by
deal and contained details but little new information apart from what
was leaked out during the latest IMF review earlier this month. A
new IMF mission is due in Ankara on Monday to start negotiating the
new program. The IMF executive directors Wednesday approved disbursement
of a $3 billion tranche under the existing stand-by arrangement upon
the completion of the tenth review, commending the authorities on
their continued strong implementation of the challenging economic
reform program. Turkey hopes the IMF will endorse the new program
in January, economy officials have said. In the letter of intent dated
Nov. 20, the government said it expects a 8.5 percent gross national
product (GNP) contraction this year, and a 4 percent growth in 2002.
It said it expects an end-2001 consumer prices index (CPI) inflation
of 65 percent, revised up from an earlier projection of 58 percent,
setting an end-2002 target of 35 percent. Analysts said the revised
projections looked realistic, apart from CPI which has already hit
66.5 percent on an annual basis in October. Market expectations average
around 70 percent for end-year CPI. "Apart from the end-year CPI-inflation
rate, the rest of the projections appear realistic," Credit Suisse
First Boston said in a daily note yesterday and predicted an end-2002
CPI of 45 percent. The government also said it expects current accounts
to yield a deficit of $2 billion in 2002, compared to an earlier estimate
of near balance, all these macroeconomic revisions reflecting the
shock of the Sept. 11 events. The letter said that in order to ensure
a smooth rollover of debt in 2002, the Treasury would utilize any
excess liquidity of public banks to reduce its borrowing requirement
from the private sector, suggesting that it would continue to restructure
its debt with state banks. To further improve the prospects for a
smooth rollover, Turkey pledged to issue eurobonds to the extent and
pursue a vigorous privatization. In addition the Treasury will issue
a broad range of instruments aimed at lengthening maturities of domestic
debt, including fx-denominated, fx-indexed bonds and floating rate
notes (FRNs). The letter showed that the authorities plan to keep
the current monetary and exchange rate policy framework broadly in
place and to introduce inflation targeting next year. The strategy
will aim to support an end-2003 CPI target of 20 percent and end-2004
target of 12 percent. In order to improve the working of the flexible
exchange rate system, the authorities will encourage the introduction
of a Turkish Interbank Offer Rate, which will enhance the development
of forward and futures exchange markets. In addition, taxation and
accounting procedures of the futures contracts will be clarified.
Meanwhile the Treasury and the Privatization Administration will take
measures to prevent lumpy forex transactions of state economic enterprises
(SEEs) from disrupting the foreign exchange market. Turkey said it
hopes to meet a 5.5 percent public sector primary surplus (as a ratio
of gross national product) target for 2001, cautioning, yet, of higher
than expected expenditures due to indexation of wages and pensions
consistent with the higher inflation rate. In the area of banking
sector reform Turkey said it's pressing ahead with the strategy to
strengthen the private banking system, centering on a capital adequacy
ratio of at least 8 percent for all banks by end-2001. The banking
watchdog remains committed to promptly imposing the sanctions prescribed
in the Banking Law on any bank that doesn't fully comply with its
agreed plan to achieve the minimum ratio, the letter said. would be
developed, suggesting that the establishment of an asset management
company would be an option. It also said an amended bankruptcy law
would be submitted to Parliament by January, which will seek to facilitate
corporate debt restructuring. The government also ruled out any doubts
over the fate of the banks under receivership, reiterating a commitment
to resolve all eight problem banks by end-2001 as planned, by selling
them or transferring their deposits to the private sector and liquidating
them. HC Istanbul chief economist Baturalp Candemir suggested that
the plan would cause lay-offs of around 5,000 people in the sector
in addition to the 15,000 that have already lost their jobs, unless
a bridge bank employs all of the employees of closed banks, which
the banking watchdog could keep for asset management purposes. Meanwhile,
Turk Ticaret, whose banking license was revoked as of July 1, will
enter voluntary liquidation once the legal appeal process has been
completed, the letter also said. Based on a recent court ruling, the
bank has resumed accepting deposits. As part of the process to privatize
state banks, the authorities committed to invite bids for Vakifbank
by early 2002, receive them by early May and pick a buyer by late
May. Vakifbank sell-off is also a precondition for World Bank's $1.3
billion public and financial sector loan, which is set to deviate
from an original disbursement schedule of December 2001. Turkey said
it eyes $1.5 billion in sell-off proceeds next year, and has collected
$2.8 billion so far this year. In order to attract foreign direct
investment, the government plans to submit to parliament by Jan. 15
a new draft Law on Foreign Direct Investment and by end-December 2001
a draft law on work permits, complete by end-January 2002 draft legislation
reducing red tape in obtaining investment incentives, and raise by
end-January 2002 the minimum amount in VAT rebates that can be made
without submitting examination reports and posting financial bond
guarantees. The government also said it's reviewing the commercial
law, the land development law, the tax law, and other legislation
affecting the business environment, adding that further measures would
be identified to combat corruption by the end of 2001. {Text}