Chronology January 1 - December 31, 2003
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CHRONOLOGY JANUARY 1 - DECEMBER 31, 2003 CONTENTS I. DOMESTİC DEVELOPMENTS II. RELATİONS WITH EUROPEAN STATES AND THE EUROPEAN UNION III. RELATİONS WITH THE UNITED STATES AND NATO IV. RELATİONS WITH THE MİDDLE EAST V. RELATİONS WITH RUSSİA, CAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA VI. OTHERS I. DOMESTİC DEVELOPMENTS January 15- Parliament passed a law amending the National Security Council law according to a Constitutional amendment made last year. January 24- The regulations allovving religious communities' foundations to possess real estate property vvas published in the Offîcial Gazette to go into effect. February 11- The Turkish Red Crescent expressed its readiness to provide shelter for Iraqi refugees in case of a war in Iraq. March 11- President Ahmet Necdet Sezer designated the Justice and Development Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to form the nevv government. March 13- The Constitutional Court ruled to outlavv the People's Democracy Party (HADEP). 'Prepared by Dr. Özgür Mengiler 228 the turksh yearbook [vol. xxxıv May 4- Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAİ) is planning nevv strategic defense projects including the production of AWACS early warning planes, FLA transportation planes and attack helicopters. Juııe 24- Turkey Announced opening her air bases and ports to be used for humanitarian aid and logistics operations by coalition countries. July 1- The Nevv Vessel Traffıc Management Information System equipped vvith radar started operating to facilitate smooth and safe navigation along the Turkish straits. July 9- Turkey dropped to number 96 among 175 countries according to the 2003 Humanitarian Development Report prepared by the United Nations Development Program. July 18- Turkish non-governmental organizations began holding a series of conferences on the benefıts and diffıculties of Turkey's EU membership. August 1- The IMF executive board approved the fıfth revievv vvith Turkey, releasing a $ 500 million loan to the country. August 5- President Ahmet Necdet Sezer approved 'vvin-back to society lavv', envisaging partial and conditional amnesty for terrorists. August 8- The lavv foreseeing the establishment of an EU Committee for Education and Youth as vvell as an EU Education and Youth Central Directorate vvhich aim to enable participation of Turkey in EU education and youth programmes vvas approved by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. August 22- The National Security Council assessed the role to be played by Turkey in Iraq, especially the U.S. request to deploy Turkish soldiers. September 23- The head of the Turkish Constitutional Court Mustafa Bumin stated that cooperation vvith the European Court of Human Rights vvould contribute to the improvement in Turkey's human rights record. October 24- The World Bank stated in its report focusing on Turkey that Southeastern Anatolia Watershed Rehabilitation Project (GAP) dramatically increased agricultural production and accordingly the rural incomes. October 29- Turkey marked the 80lh anniversary of the creation of the modern republic. Ceremonies vvere held across the country on the Republic Day. October 30- Turkey vvas ranked 52 nd, moving op tvvo ranks as compared to last year according to the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum. November 3- The European Union Communication group, comprising of representatives from the Foreign Ministry, the Tourism and Culture Ministry, The 2003] chronology 229 General Directorate of Press and information, The Union of Turkish Bars and Chambers and The Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association and established to increase public awareness for Turkey's EU membership began vvorking. November 10- Turkey commemorated Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, in his message delivered to the nation on the occasion, stated Atatürk's principles to continue to determine Turkey's futuıe. November 15- Suicide bombers detonated truck bombs outside two İstanbul synagogues, claiming the lives of more than twenty people. November 20- The headquarters of the London-based HSBC bank and the British Consulate General in İstanbul vvere attacked, causing nearly 30 deaths. November 20- Ali Turkish security forces vvere put on the highest alert level after the bombings in İstanbul. December 8- President Ahmet Necdet Sezer designated Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Teziç as the head of the Higher Education Board (YÖK). December 25- E-Transformation Turkey Executive Council held its first meeting in Ankara. December 29- According to the State Institute of Statistics (DİE) estimates, Turkey's population vvould rise to 72,316,000 by the end of 2004, making the country the third most crovvded country in Europe and the sixteenth most populated country in the vvorld. II. RELATİONS WITH EUROPEAN STATES AND THE EUROPEAN UNION January 2- Parliament passed a package of reform lavvs bringing Turkish legislation into line vvith the EU norms. January 16- Turkey signed the Sixth Protocol of the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, abolishing peacetime death penalty. January 16- Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis gave support to Turkey's being in the EU family, adding that Greece vvould back the realization of EU reforms by Turkey, in his speech at the European Parliament's general assembly session on the occasion of Greece's taking över the EU term presidency. January 17- Secretary - General of the Council of Europe Walter Schvvimmer qualifıed Turkey's signing of the Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights as a significant step to continue vvith the democratic reform process Turkey had begun. 230 the turkish yearbook [vol. xxxıv January 29- Turkey and the European Commission signed a series of agreements in preparation for the Community's Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and youth programs. Accordingly, Turkish students, apprentices and teachers vvould be able to set up projects or undertake periods of study of teaching in EU countries as of 2004 on condition of Turkey's making the necessary amount of contribution to the programs' budgets. January 31- EU Troika arrived in Ankara, marking the first high-level gathering since the Copenhagen Summit of December 2002. February 3- The Treaty of Nice, vvhich was designed to set out changes in the EU decision-making process to pave the vvay for enlargement, came into force. February 4- Six lavvs, including the reforming of several lavvs in order to bring them in line vvith the EU standards, commonly referred as the second democracy package vvas approved by the President. The package also contains provisions to allovv retrial of convicts vvhen so requested by the European Court of Human Rights. February 5- Turkey and Greece signed an agreement to promote tourism in the Aegean Sea. March 3- German Interior Minister arrived in Ankara to sign a security agreement on struggling against terrorism and organized erime. March 14- The first political dialogue meeting betvveen Turkey and the EU in accordance vvith the Copenhagen Summit of December 2002 took place in Brussels to assess Turkey's recent efforts to harmonize vvith the EU. April 4- Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geona and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gül held a joint press conference in Ankara during vvhich Turkey's support for Romania's membership to NATO vvas reiterated. April 7- The representative of the European Commission in Turkey, Ambassador Hansjoerg Kretschmer, addressing the 15lh meeting of the Turkey - EU Joint Consultation Committee, stated that he considered Turkey as a developed and povverful country, yet she should fulfill the Copenhagen political criteria to start accession negotiations vvith the EU. May 3- The foreign ministers of EU member and candidate states coming together vvithin the framevvork of unoffıcial meetings held tvvice a year gathered in Meis and Rhodes islands of Greece and then proceeded to Turkey's coastal tovvn of Kaş. May 9- Hansjoerg Kretschmer, the European Commission representative in Turkey, speaking on the occasion of Europe Day, stated that Turkey and the EU needed each other, qualifying Turkey's accession to the EU as beneficial for both sides. 2003] chronology 231 May 26- Turkey and Albania signed an air transportation agreement during Albanian President Alfred Moisiu's visit to Ankara. In his meeting vvith his Albanian counterpart Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer expressed Turkey's support for Albania's NATO membership. May 26- Turkey and Greece agreed on a series of high-level military exchange visits to be held regularly and establishing and internet-based information sharing system betvveen their military hospitals. May 28- Turkey signed a multinational contract vvith Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain on the joint production of 180 A400M cargo planes to be completed by 2008. June 4- President Ahmet Necdet Sezer attended the trilateral Balkan Summit in Romania. The Presidents of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania agreed on setting up a mechanism to enable regular consultations on issues of common interest regarding the integration process vvith the EU. President Sezer, in a joint declaration vvith his Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts Georgi Parvanou and Ion Illiescu called on the EU to give clear perspective for Turkey's full membership. June 4- Turkey and Moldavia signed six bilateral agreements vvhich vvould strengthen the legal infrastructure needed by the businessmen of both countries during Moldavia Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev's offîcial visit to Ankara. June 4- In response to the request of the European Council made at