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Turkish Press Review, 96-10-18Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWFRIDAY OCTOBER 18, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT BACKS TURKEY JOINING EUHungarian President Arpad Goncz yesterday told Turkish businessmen that Turkey's membership in the European Union (EU) was not something strange but normal, saying that it was Hungary's aim to widen the borders of Europe. Goncz, attending a meeting of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), said that Turkey and Hungary could cooperate in the fields of energy and trade.He told the businessmen that Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan had told him on Wednesday that trade between the two countries should increase from the present $140 billion to $500 billion. "This is a declaration of an important wish" Goncz said, adding that the aim was a realistic one if one considered the impact of the yet to be signed Turkey-Hungary Free Trade Agreement. He added that after the collapse of the Soviet economy, Hungary had liberated its economy and started privatization. He said that Hungary's current growth was about 3.5 %. /All papers/ [02] TURKEY READY TO HOST TALKS ON AFGHANISTANHuseyin Celem, Turkey's permanent representative to the UN has declared that this country was prepared to host a meeting organized under UN auspices to find a solution to the situation in Afghanistan. Celem said on Wednesday at a special meeting of the UN Security Council that a cease-fire should be established in Afghanistan and that the Security Council should accelerate efforts to restore peace in that country.Celem also proposed that the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) should send a committee to Afghanistan. Celem called on the opposing sides in Afghanistan to come together and establish a broad-based government as soon as possible. Celem said that the integrity and sovereignty of Afghanistan should be protected. He requested that arms shipments to all sides should be halted and that the Afghan people be given the opportunity to determine their own future. /All papers/ [03] TURKEY AND US HOLD JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE MEETINGThe Turkey-US Joint Economic Committee third term meeting started in Ankara on Wednesday. On the agenda are discussions about cooperation opportunities in agriculture, financing, investment, the environment sector and the measures to improve economic and commercial relations. Study groups are scheduled to discuss the removal of taxes and quotas imposed by the US on some Turkish products particularly in the textile sector.Turkish Ambassador in Washington, Nuzhet Kandemir, pointed out before the meeting that there were some doubts about Turkey's economic policy, privatization and natural gas imports from Iran. The US imposes quotas on Turkish products: 21 are in textiles and 21 are in the ready-to-wear sectors. Turkey's exports to the US amounted to $806 million last year. /Cumhuriyet/ [04] INVITATION TO TURCO-RUSSIAN BUSINESS COUNCILA Turco-Russian Business Council meeting, active under the direction of the Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK), will be held in Antalya on 20-24 October. Nearly 350 Russian businessmen will attend the meeting to which all Turkish businessmen are also invited. At the meeting, there will be three panels on tourism, energy and transportation. /Cumhuriyet/[05] TURKEY IS OPEN TO FOREIGN INVESTMENT"There can be no resistance to the entrance of foreign investment to Turkey" said Finance Minister Abdullatif Sener. He stated he expected that there would be an increasing desire on the part of both foreign and domestic investors to enhance their investments in the country. Sener spoke at the opening yesterday of a panel on 'Foreign Capital in Turkey', organized by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce.Finance Minister Sener pointed out that the country needs foreign credits and foreign capital, as well. He also promised that some relevant incentive policies would be carried out in the near future in order to promote the influx of foreign capital to Turkey. State Minister Sabri Tekir also attended the panel, saying that foreign capital would also bring about new technology, increase in production, as well as additional employment opportunities. /Sabah/ [06] IKV SIGNS COOPERATION ACCORD WITH EU COMMISSIONTurkey's Economic Development Foundation (IKV) has signed a financial cooperation agreement in Istanbul with the EU commission. The agreement aims to supply financing for an "Information distribution network for small and medium-scale enterprises in the Customs Union Process" project. IKV Chairperson Meral Gezgin Eris, speaking at the signing ceremony, voiced her satisfaction with the close and positive ties between the IKV and the EU Commission during the talks. She said that the cooperation agreement would be the first step toward further projects and would help to develop relations between Turkey and the EU as well as develop the economy.Serge Abou, the EU Commission official responsible for Cyprus, Turkey and Malta made contacts in Ankara yesterday. Abou said despite the long-lasting cooperation between Turkey and the EU this was the first project signed between the two sides. Abou emphasized the importance of the project and pointed out that the agreement was an important step toward the integration of Turkey with the EU. /All papers/ [07] ARAFAT INVITES ERBAKANPalestinian Head of State Yasser Arafat has invited Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan to Palestine. Arafat's invitation was conveyed to Erbakan yesterday by Palestinian Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Nabeel Shaath. Shaath said that he had relayed Arafat's invitation to Erbakan whose response had been positive. Shaath added: "We want Turkey to assume an active role in the Middle East Peace process". Palestinian Ambassador in Ankara Fuat Yasin was also present at the Erbakan-Shaath meeting. /Cumhuriyet/[08] FARRAKHAN PRAISES ERBAKANLouis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam organization, praised Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan and said that Erbakan had taken upon his shoulders the duty to prepare a magnificent future for Turkey.Following a "World Atonement Day" meeting in New York, Farrakhan answered journalists questions at the UN centre. Reflecting on Erbakan's foreign policy, Farrakhan said that after Erbakan became Prime Minister, Turkey had started to follow a foreign policy independent of the West, displaying Islamic brotherhood by visiting Iran, Libya and Nigeria. /Cumhuriyet/ [09] DENKTAS GIVES CONDITIONAL 'YES' TO EUTurkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktas yesterday gave a qualified "yes" to European suggestions that Turkish Cypriots make a separate application for membership to the EU. In an interview with the Turkish Cypriot socialist "Yeniduzen" newspaper, Denktas said that "if the EU recognizes the status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), we may file a separate bid for accession to the EU". /Hurriyet/[10] US: "WE WILL MEET ERBAKAN IF SO DESIRED"US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns said that the US administration was determined to continue to establish dialogue with the Turkish government as in the past. Burns stated that the US administration was ready to meet with the Turkish coalition government if so desired. Noting that there had been no appointment request so far, Burns said that US officials would be very busy until the US elections. /Sabah/[11] FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES INCREASEOther than gold, foreign exchange reserves in the Central Bank reached $17.534 billion increasing by $202 million during one week. On the other hand, Turkey repaid $260.24 millions worth of foreign debts in the first half of October. /Sabah/[12] PRIVATIZATION CREDIT FROM WORLD BANKThe World Bank will launch meetings for the second portion of $100 million in credit pledged to Turkey for structural harmonization projects in privatization. It is pointed out that following the $15 million credit which was extended in the first portion, $20 million in credit will be extended within the framework of privatization activities.Meanwhile, Turkish Privatization Administration officials will meet a World Bank delegation which will come to Ankara on 15 November under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman Johannes Linn. /Sabah/ [13] GREEK CYPRIOTS SAY "YES" TO MILITARY DIALOGUEThe Greek Cyrpot side has accepted a UN proposal for an indirect military dialogue. A Greek Cypriot administration spokesman said: "If meetings are held, the issues of removal of soldiers in the buffer zone, except for the UN Peace Force soldiers, and the deployment of these soldiers in other more suitable places will be discusssed". /Sabah/[14] SECURITY FORCES BLOCK PKK ATTACKSecurity forces in Diyarbakir have struck a blow against almost completed PKK plans to carry out suicide bomb attacks in the city. Security operations carried out in almost complete secrecy led yesterday to the arrest of a group of PKK terrorists together with their bomb making equipment.Officials said that only at the last minute had PKK plans to bomb targets in Diyarbakir been blocked. 2.5 kilos of TNT was taken away by the police along with fuses, batteries and shards of metal needed to make anti-personel bombs. /Hurriyet/ [15] GREEK PKK MEMBERS IN NORTHERN IRAQTurkish security forces have confirmed that Greek nationals have been found operating with PKK groups in the regions of northern Iraq.During air attacks by security forces some of the known Greeks managed to make their escape, but reports from the area say that Greeks sent to train PKK terrorists have been killed during security operations. During the last few days of operations it is claimed that 25 PKK terrorists have been killed. /All papers/ [16] KURDISH LEADERS SUPPORTING PKKAccording to the statements of PKK terrorists who recently surrendered to the security forces in the border regions between Turkey and Iraq, Kurdish leaders Mesud Barzani and Celal Talabani both support the PKK terrorist organization and provide logistic support for its terror operations.The group of 25 PKK terrorists, some of them women, also claimed that some of the leaders in PKK run camps in northern Iraq were of Armenian origin, and that considerable numbers of weapons and quantities of ammunition had been supplied by either Barzani or Talabani. /All papers/ [17] FUTURE OF NORTHERN IRAQ IN TURKEY'S HANDSDiplomatic traffic revolving around developments in northern Iraq has increased in Ankara as steps are taken to resolve the fighting there. This coming weekend, special US State Department representative, Robert Pelletreau will have talks in Ankara with Kurdish leaders Mesud Barzani and Celal Talabani.Some officials have suggested that the talks could take place in the border town of Silopi, but US State Department representives said yesterday that phone calls to both Kurdish leaders had confirmed talks in Ankara. The talks with the two leaders will, however, be held separately. One of the issues that will be taken up with both Barzani and Talabani will involve the role of the multinational "hammer" peace force stationed in Turkey at a base near Adana. /All papers/ [18] HUMAN RIGHTS PACKAGE ON THE WAYForeign Minister Ciller said yesterday that in a move to improve Turkey's human rights record, a new package was being put together that included a shortening in the period of time the State Security Courts could hold suspects prior to trial.Ciller said that the fifteen day period as it now stands would be shortened, but she did not say by how much. Other sensitive matters that will be included in the move will be torture and abuses of other human rights. Claiming that the European Union (EU) was falsely using claims of torture and human rights abuses to exclude Turkey from full EU membership, Ciller did concede however that Turkey needed to develop its democratic structure to the levels of other highly developed democratic countries. /Cumhuriyet/ [19] GALATASARAY TAKES OUT FRENCH OPPOSITIONGalatasaray football team has restored hopes that Turkey still stands a chance in the European Cup league matches. After Fenerbahce was wiped out 2-0 by Britain's Manchester United on Wednesday evening, Galatasaray restored the balance last night by defeating French team Paris Saint Germain 4-2 after a rather dull start.Joy prevailed throughout the country after Turkey's resounding win with crowds taking to the streets in celebration. /All papers/ [20] FIRST BLOW AGAINST "TRAFFIC MONSTER"A law which will deal the first blow against the so-called "traffic monster", which kills many and leaves others maimed after collisions on Turkey's roads, was passed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly yesterday. The Traffic Law, for which studies have continued for two years, was passed unanimously.The Law brings into effect rules on the cancellation of the licences of those driving under the influence of alcohol and increases fines. New institutions will also be formed and restrictions on the use of cellular phones. A Highway Security High Committee which will be headed by the Prime Minister has also been formed. The committee will meet twice a year to determine deficiencies and find solutions. Thus fines which lose their current punitive value will be constantly brought up to effective levels. /Hurriyet/ [21] GREEK TOURISM AGENTS CANCEL PEACE MEETINGA symposium organised by SKAL, a Tourism Club comprised of experienced managers and administrators in the different branches of the tourism sector, designed to contribute to peace between Turks and Greeks has been cancelled only one day before starting by Greece.The Chairman of the Athens SKAL club A.Papadimitriu, in a fax message to Istanbul SKAL club President Savas Gursel expressed their regrets on not being able to attend to symposium. The news had a shocking effect on the Istanbul SKAL center where great efforts have been spent on the long preparation period for the day when the symposium would take place. Istanbul Skal Administrative Board Chairman Savas Gursel expressed his regrets about the consequences to an initiative which would contribute to peace, and said that he believed the Athens side had to cancel the meeting because of the influence of Greek public opinion and government circles after the death of the second Greek-Cypriot killed in a recent border incident on Cyprus. Stating that the preparations at the Lutfu Kirdar Congress Center where the meeting would have taken place, and that money spent for airline tickets, and hotel reservations worth around $30 thousand had been in vain. Gursel added that his Greek colleagues had left him in a difficult situation. /Cumhuriyet/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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