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Turkish Press Review, 96-10-16Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWWEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL TO ATTEND SUMMIT OF TURKISH-SPEAKING REPUBLICSThe 4th summit meeting of the Turkish-Speaking Republics will be held on 21-22 October in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Turkish President Suleyman Demirel will be among those attending the summit which will take place in the Presidential Palace of Uzbekistan's president, Islam Kerimov. Demirel will stay at the Intercontinental Hotel which was built by a Turkish firm. The first of these summits was held in Ankara, the second in Istanbul and the third in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. /All papers/[02] HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT IN TURKEYHungarian President Arpad Gorecz and his accompanying delegation will pay an official visit to Turkey today as the guests of Turkish President Suleyman Demirel. The delegation will seek new business opportunities. In addition to representatives from 35 firms, the Deputy Chairman of Budapest Trade and Industry Chamber, top level representatives from the Hungarian Eximbank and Development Investment Bank and many firms, and General Director of the Privatization Administration, Bela Kunszler are in the Hungarian delegation.Kunszler said: "Hungarian banks and organizations are seeking foreign partners. As manpower in Hungary is highly qualified and cheap, well-planned investments will bring high profits to investors". /Cumhuriyet/ [03] SECURITY FORCES KILL 63 PKK MILITANTS IN SOUTHEASTSecurity forces killed 63 militants from the PKK terrorist organization during several operations in the Southeast during the last three days. Six terrorists were killed during a clash between security forces and a group of PKK members on the road between the Kirkbulak village of Tatvan and Egritas village of Bitlis two days ago.Nineteen militants were killed in the rural areas of Hakkari's Semdinli district, 15 in the Silo high plateau region, eight in Hakkari's Cukurca district, seven in Bitlis, four in rural areas near Diyarbakir, three near Tunceli, one in Bingol. During the operations, security forces also captured four PKK separatists in the eastern town of Van, while two other militants surrendered. Meanwhile, 37 militants were arrested in various Southeast provinces after being questioned by security forces. /Sabah/ [04] GERMAN MISSION IN GAPA German mission from the Baden-Wurttemberg Public Education Centers Federation arrived in Sanliurfa to observe the Southeastern Anataolia Project (GAP), a huge regional development project which includes 22 irrigation dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants and will serve the farm, industry, communications, transport, tourism and housing sectors. Frieder Birzele, the federation's leader, and Daniela Riesse from Stuttgart University accompanied the group. The mission made a stop at the Ataturk dam and plans to visit the Sanliurfa irrigation tunnels as well. /All papers/[05] IMF TEAM IN ANKARAThe Turkish Economic Council reviewed the final version of the 1997 draft budget last night, prior to its submission to the Parliamentary budget commission by tomorrow's deadline. The coalition government's final touches on the draft budget coincided with the visit of a team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which arrived in Ankara on Monday. The mission, led by Martin Hardy, in charge of the Turkish desk at the IMF, began negotiating with Turkish officials yesterday. The negotiations will help the IMF to decide on future ways of cooperating with Turkey. The results of these meetings and the new cooperation package are expected to be announced at the end of next month. /All papers/[06] UN TURNS DOWN TURKSAT LINK TO IRAQThe Iraqi government's application to Turkey for the rental of a Turksat satellite channel was turned down by the UN Sanctions Committee. In the light of the present climate regarding sanctions on Iraq, Turkey put Baghdad's proposal before the UN committee. The request was discussed at a meeting in New York on Monday but the committee could not come to a consensus due to rejections by the US and Britain who justified their stance with the view that the rental of a channel was not a "humanitarian need". Other member countries criticized Iraq's aim to allocate money for such a channel when the Iraqi administration claims it cannot find funds for medicine and food.The UN committee's chairman, Tono Eitel, said that Baghdad wanted to broadcast to parts of Iraq, neighbouring countries and western Europe through the channel. However, committee members from the US and Britain countered that the Iraqis aimed to use the channel to focus on broadcasts to western Europe. This would allow Iraq to influence public opinion about the elimination of sanctions, they said, many of which are in place due largely to persistence by Washington and London. Iraq has made it clear that the rental fee would be paid to Turkey in US dollars and in cash but Iraq's actual offer was not dislosed. /Milliyet-Hurriyet/ [07] TURKEY TO TALABANI: "CUT OFF YOUR RELATIONS WITH IRAN"A senior envoy from Celal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), in Turkey for discussions with Turkish officials, yesterday said they would enter into talks with Baghdad if certain conditions were met. "If Baghdad accepts the implementation of UN Resolution 688 we can accept dialogue with them" said Adnan Mufti, a leading adviser to Talabani."This resolution asks for a dialogue between all groups with Baghdad, and new elections. If Iraq enters into a dialogue with the PUK, Assyrians, Turkmens and other groups we can talk about the future of the region with Baghdad" Mufti said. It is reported that Turkish officials wanted the PUK to respect Iraq's territorial integrity and to assume a stance against the PKK terrorist organization. Meanwhile, during previous meetings held between the PUK and Turkey, Turkish officials sent a message to Celal Talabani to "cut off their relations with Iran". /Milliyet/ [08] ITALY SUPPORTS TURKEYItaly has stated that Turkey is at the crossroads of the world and that it would be a great mistake to push Turkey into political isolation. According to the Athens News Agency (ANA), Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Piero Fassino said in a speech on "Turkey's situation" at the Defence Ministry Studies Centre in Rome that Turkey had a strategical importance not only for Italy but also for Asia and the Middle East. /Hurriyet/[09] WESTERN THRACE CLOSED TO TURKISH AMBASSADORGreece refused to give permission to Turkish Ambassador to Athens, Umit Pamir, to enter Turkish villages in Western Thrace. British Undersecretary Christopher Deene, who went to the region, was also criticised by Greek authorities.One year after being appointed to his post, Ambassador Umit Pamir visited Western Thrace and went to Gumilcine. Pamir gave the names of villages that he wanted to visit to the Greek Foreign Ministry. However, officials did not give permission to Pamir to extend his visits beyond Gumulcine, Iskece and Dedeagac. Not only the Turkish Ambassador but also British Undersecretry Deene was not permitted to visit the Turkish villages. /Hurriyet/ [10] SYMPOSIUM ON TURCO-GREEK COOPERATIONThe Turkish tourism investors' club, SKAL will organise a symposium together with their Greek counterparts to contribute to Turco-Greek peace.Chairman of the club, Savas Gursel, announced yesterday that there would be a symposium which Greek SKAL members would also attend on 18 October in the Lutfi Kirdar Sports Center in Istanbul. Turkish Tourism Minister, Bahattin Yucel, who is a member of SKAL, would make the opening speech, Guresel said, and added that the aim of the "Turco-Greek Cooperation Symposium" was to contribute to global peace efforts./Cumhuriyet/ [11] LIBYA PLANS TO PAY TOMORROWAs it has done several times in the past, Libya has promised to pay its debts to Turkish contractors this Thursday. Despite Prime Minister Erbakan's statement that the money would be invested in Turkish banks before their return from Libya,no payment has been made during the week that has followed. However, it has been learned that Libyan Scientific Research and Education Minister Mohammed Maltuh called President of the Board of Turkish Contractors Union in Libya, Barlas Turan, the previous day and said that $60 million of the money owed will be paid on Thursday.President of the Board Barlas Turan, who noted that he had spoke with Maltuh the previous day, said: "He did not give us any information as to the payment of the money. He said that payment would definitely be made and that I could cite his name when making this statement. He also stated that necessary instructions has been given to the President of the Central Bank." /Sabah/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |