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Turkish Press Review, 97-04-03Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWAPRIL 3, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning.[01] ANKARA BLAMES EU CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS FOR RACIST ATTACKSTurkey has blamed statements made last month by Europe's Christian Democrat parties for indirectly encouraging the latest arson attacks against Turkish citizens in the Netherlands and Germany. The Christian Democrats suggested last month that Turkey could not become a member of the European Union because of its different culture and religion, and cited the separateness of the European 'civilization.'Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel told reporters on Wednesday that there was no doubt that statements by some conservative European politicians concerning the underlying cultural and religious differences between the EU and Turkey were unhelpful for Turks living in Europe. He added that these kinds of attacks were the most serious violation of human rights because they violated the right to life. Akbel said that they were inviting all the human rights associations to raise their voices, saying that otherwise these groups would lose their credibility. "We are waiting for the countries concerned to immediately take the measures necessary to protct Turkish citizens. In addition, radical measures must be taken to prevent xenophobia," Akbel said. A Turkish delegation from the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission headed by State Minister Lutfu Esengun arrived in the Dutch city of The Hague to investigate and to develop feelings of conscience aimed at the recent attacks against Turkish families working in Germany and the Netherlands./Cumhuriyet/Sabah/Milliyet/ [02] VISITOR FROM SLOVAKIAPrime Minister Vladimir Meciar of Slovakia arrived in Ankara on Wednesday on a visit as the guest of his Turkish counterpart Necmettin Erbakan. The official greeting ceremony for the visiting prime minister took place in the afternoon at the prime ministry. On his arrival earlier in the day, Meciar told reporters at Ankara's Esenboga airport that he was the first prime minister from Slovakia to visit Turkey since his country gained its independence in 1993. Meciar said he was here to further the already lively dialogue between the two countries and explore the possibilities for futher exoanding ties in every field.The delegations began official talks following the welcoming ceremony. Slovakia and Turkey have signed a defense agreement based on training, technology and science cooperation. The agreement was signed by Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi and Slovakian Defense Minister Jan Sitek. Slovakia and Turkey will sign an environment proptection and double-taxation agreement as well as a fourth protocol for closer ties between the two nations./Cumhuriyet/ [03] SECURITY FORCES KILL 56 PKK REBELSSecurity forces killed 56 rebels and captured two members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) during operations near the southeastern provinces of Tunceli and Sirnak, the Anatolia news agency reported. Accdoring to the General Staff Secretary General, in attempts to sweep PKK militants from the region since March 20, 43 terrorists have been killed and one captured in Tunceli province in operations backed by air power in the last three days. Another 13 rebels were killed and due captured in Sirnak province./Hurriyet/[04] FRANCE'S CHARETTE IN ANKARA FOR TALKSFrench Foreign Minister Herve de Charette arrived in Ankara late Wednesday for high level talks with senior officials that began shortly after his arrival and are due to continue today. In his press conference Charette said: "The European vocation of Turkey is undoubted. The French government has been the tireless defender of the Turkish cause within all the institutions of the European Union. This was demonstrated in 1995 during all stages, including the final ratification of the customs union, and it is still true today, when Turkey is concerned with the evolution of its relations with the European Union."/Sabah/[05] DEMIREL TO VISIT SLOVENIAPresident Suleyman Demirel is going to Lubliana, the Slovenian capital, today for a two-day official visit. Slovenian Head of State Leon Kucan visited Turkey in 1995. State Ministers Ayfer Yilmaz, Gurcan Dagdas, Transport Minister Omer Barutcu, businessmen, officials from the Foreign Ministry and journalists are accompanying Demirel on his visit. /Hurriyet/[06] PKK IS LOSING THE WAROne of the leading weekly magazines of the world, TIME, reported in its latest issue that the Turkish Armed Forces are drawing to a close their thirteen year struggle against the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). Editor of the article, Maryann Bird, wrote: "The number of PKK supporters in the region has been clearly decreasing. The Turkish Armed Forces have won the trust of the regional people. The people in the Southeastern regions want to end the struggle very soon so that more investment will be made in the region."The "Turkish government is now trying hard to achieve economic and social reforms in the region. The region is taking its steps towards a bright future." It was also noted in the article that McDonald's fast food chain would open a branch in Diyarkabir by the end of the year./Sabah/ [07] BULGARIA ASKS FOR TURKISH SUPPORT IN NATO AND EUBulgarian Foreign Minister Stoyan Stalev on Wednesday urged Turkey to give Bulgaria full support for Bulgaria's NATO membership and integration with Europe, the Anatolia news agency reported. Before leaving Sofia for a four-day official visit to Turkey at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Tansu Ciller, Stalev expressed his pleasure at being invited as the foreign minister of the technocrat government in Bulgaria set up by President Petar Stoyanov.[08] IMF TEAM IN ISTANBULAn International Monetary Fund (IMF) team lead by Martin Hardy, head of the Fund's Turkey section, started 15-day visit to look into the private sector. Hardy said that they intended to examine the present economic potential of the Turkish private sector. He added that the development rate in Turkey was very encouraging but privatization should be speeded up./Hurriyet/[09] TURKEY, ROMANIA TRADE DEAL AGREEDTurkey and Romania have come to a consensus on the contents of a free trade pact between two countries, the Anatolia news agency reported. According to a statement released from the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat, the delegations of the two countries reached agreement in Ankara between March 26-28 on the setting up of a free trade operation between the two countries by the year 2002.[10] GORBACHOV IN ISTANBULFormer Soviet leader Mihail Gorbachov arrived yesterday in Istanbul. Gorbachov will have a meeting with Turkish Businessmen and Industrialist Association (TUSIAD) representatives and with members of the Yapi-Kredi Bank Board of Directors. Referring to the great progress made by Turkey during the last few years, the politician said that all countries were facing problems during the process of development and added that Turkey and Russia had to deal with similar problems because of their close geographical locations. /Sabah/[11] BOSNIAN PEACE ORGANIZATION MEETS IN ISTANBULA meeting of the Follow up Committee for Peace in Bosnia started in the Ciragan Palace Hotel in Istanbul on Wednesday. The meeting was led by Dayton Agreement UN representative Carl Bildt. The Directory Council was formed in 1995 in London to evaluate the studies and programs to protect peace in Bosnia. The Council determined a 13-article target list for the first two years. Control and inspection of arms for stability in the region, providing security, monitoring human rights, continuation of democratization, preparation for elections, and returning refugees are among the primary targets of the council./All papers/[12] ENERGY GIANTS COOPERATE IN NUCLEAR PLANT CONSTRUCTIONWorld energy giants Amaco, Total, AGIP and Mitsui have set up a consortium jointly with the Turkish Yasar Holding group for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Aliaga, Izmir. The consortium will also undertake the transportation to Turkey of Egyptian natural gas. /Milliyet/[13] TURKEY - LEADER IN THE TOURISM SECTORInternational Tourism Overview, a magazine published by the World Tourism Organization, ranked Turkey second among European countries with respect to increase in number of tourists visiting the country in 1996. Turkish tourism revenues in 1996 increased by 32 percent in comparison to the previous year, the magazine reported. Thus, Turkey turned out to be the country having realized the greatest increase in tourism revenues in Europe in one year. /Cumhuriyet/[14] TURKISH DEPUTIES IN THE KNESSETSedat Aloglu from the DYP and CHP deputy Ismail Cem are participating in debates at the Israeli Parliament Knesset in a move to assist Israel and Palestine overcome the stalemate in the Middle East peace process. Stressing the importance of preserving peace in the region, both Turkish representatives said that Turkey was ready to extend any kind of support to the process. /Milliyet/[15] OFFICE OF GENERAL STAFF TO DELIVER A BRIEFINGIt is reported that the Office of the Turkish General Staff will deliver a briefing within this month to all administrators of institutions in Turkey regarding issues on "Aegean and Turco-Greek problems" and "PKK and terrorism". /Cumhuriyet/[16] BAYKAL IN SPAINChairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal went to Barcelona yesterday to attend a meeting jointly organized by the Socialist Group in the European Parliament and European social democrat parties. In a statement prior to his departure from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Baykal said that during the meeting, relations with the European Union and Mediterranean countries would be taken up. /Cumhuriyet/[17] A TURKISH DOCTOR TO HEAD WORLD SURGEONS' CONGRESSProf.Serdar Tezelman, a lecturer at the General Surgery Department of Istanbul Medical University, will head a session at the World Surgeons' Congress to be held in Acapulco in August. Porf.Tezelman, who returned to Turkey after working at California University for two years, has been included in a "whose who" of endocrine surgery by the International Endocrine Surgeons' Association. For the first time, Turkey has been recorded as a "centre where endocrine surgery can be taught" in an annual catalog issued by the Association. /Hurriyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |