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Turkish Press Review, 97-04-29
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION SUMMIT
[02] CRITICAL TURKEY-EU MEETING BEGINS TODAY
[03] CAUCASIAN SUMMIT ON BSEC SIDELINE
[04] ERBAKAN WARNS EUROPE
[05] TURKEY: PKK INVOLVED IN DRUG TRAFFICKING
[06] GENERAL STAFF BRIEFINGS
[07] ENERGY OFFICIALS VISIT OIL-RICH TURKMENISTAN
[08] 19 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED IN CLASHES
[09] SOYLEMEZ IN WASHINGTON
[10] BOTAS AND GAZPROM SING AN AGREEMENT
[11] TURKEY BECOMES SUBCONTRACTOR OF BOEING
[12] PFP COMMANDERS VISIT TURKISH GENERAL STAFF
[13] ERBAKAN RECEIVES IDB DELEGATION
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
APRIL 29, 1997
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning.
[01] BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION SUMMIT
Today's papers provide extended coverage to the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) meeting that started yesterday in Istanbul under
the auspices of President Demirel. The meeting has turned into a BSEC
summit with the participation of the presidents of Armenia, Ukraine,
Azerbaijan, Moldovia, Georgia and Romania. The conference will last
three days. During the discussions today, new economic opportunities
in the region, projects aimed at regional cooperation, as well as
energy, agricultural and environmental issues will be taken in hand.
/All papers/
[02] CRITICAL TURKEY-EU MEETING BEGINS TODAY
The 38th meeting of the Turkey-EU Association Council, which has an
important place in Turkey-EU relations convenes this evening in
Luxembourg. This will be the first meeting of the Council after the
Customs Union entered into force on January 1, 1996. Despite the fact
that Greece has declared its intention not to lift its veto on EU
funds to Turkey, official confirmation is expected to the effect that
the doors of the EU will open in the long run for membership, as
stated at the Apeldoorn meeting. European countries are exerting
pressure on Greece to projecta more cooperative attitude. /All
papers/
[03] CAUCASIAN SUMMIT ON BSEC SIDELINE
The presidents of Azerbaýjan and Armania met in Istanbul on Monday on
the sideline of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation meeting. The
meeting was arranged by President Demirel who attended the first five
minutes of the Azerbaijan-Armenia summit. The Turkish president said
that Turkey was after peace not only in the Balkans or the Middle
East, but in the Caucasus as well. "It is easy to break peace, but
very difficult to restore it," Demirel noted, stressing that Ankara
wanted Azerbaijan and Armenia to settle their disputes through
dialogue. /Sabah/
[04] ERBAKAN WARNS EUROPE
Prime Minsiter Erbakan received yesterday a delegation of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) headed by
Javier Ruperez, Speaker of the European Parliamentary Assembly. "The
issue that should be addressed in particular when talking about human
rights in Europe, should be safeguarding the security of Turkish
workers there," Erbakan said. The OSCE delegation also met with
Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa Kalemli. /Milliyet/
[05] TURKEY: PKK INVOLVED IN DRUG TRAFFICKING
According to a Turkish report on the fight against drug smuggling
submitted to the European Council, the outlawed PKK organization
played an important role in drug trafficking, the Anatolia news agency
reported. The report underlined Turkey's efforts to eliminate
narcotics smuggling and urged European countries to cooperate and take
the neccesary measures. /All papers/
[06] GENERAL STAFF BRIEFINGS
The General Staff has launched a number of briefings in a move to
furnish the Turkish public with details about Turco-Greek
disagreements and the PKK terrorist organization. A briefing was held
yesterday for rectors, deans and university lecturers. Today,
journalists will be briefed, and on May 2 a meeting with
representatives of public organizations is planned. The briefings are
being given by military experts. /Sabah/
[07] ENERGY OFFICIALS VISIT OIL-RICH TURKMENISTAN
Energy Minister Recai Kutan flew to Turkmenistan yesterday for a
three-day visit to discuss an oil deal with Turkmen officials. Turkey
already has a significant natural gas deal with Turkmenistan. /All
papers/
[08] 19 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED IN CLASHES
The regional security center in Diyarbakir reported that 19 PKK
terrorists and five soldiers were killed in clashes in southeastern
Anatolia. The army will continue its operations in teh region through
the summer as the PKK has announced that it will undertake a number of
attacks on holiday resorts visited by tourists. /Hurriyet/
[09] SOYLEMEZ IN WASHINGTON
State Minister Ufuk Soylemez said that they supported the idea for the
renovation of the World Bank. He delivered a brief speech at a group
meeting. Soylemez will meet with IMF Executive Director Michel
Camdessus tomorrow. /Sabah/
[10] BOTAS AND GAZPROM SING AN AGREEMENT
Yesterday, Turkey's Pipelines and Transportation Company (BOTAS) and
the biggest gas company of the Russian Federation Gazprom signed a
natural gas agreement worth $13.5 billion for 25 years. According to
the agreement, the annual natural gas amount, which Turkey will
purchase from Russia during this period, will be increased from six
billion cubic metres to 30 billion cubic metres. Energy Minister
Recai Kutan said that when the natural gas amount from Russia rose, a
project would be in progress to lay the second pipeline under the
Black Sea.
Meanwhile, Kutan said that the natural gas pipeline between Turkey and
Iran which was under construction would reach Ankara by the end of
1998. He added that Turkey's annual need for natural gas would amount
to 60 billion cubic metres in 2010 and therefore they made many
agreements with various countries. /Milliyet/
[11] TURKEY BECOMES SUBCONTRACTOR OF BOEING
The Boeing Aircraft Company based in the Seattle province of the US
rolled up its sleeves to produce certain parts of new Boeing 737
planes in Turkey and to replace Beoing 737 previously used by the
Turkish Airlines (THY), with new models. Boeing President Philip
Condit, who had contacts with Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan and
officials from the Turkish Airlines (THY) and the Turkish Aerospeace
Industry (TAI) in Turkey in the middle of April, delivered a speech at
the Boeing centre in Seattle giving details about the initiative.
/Milliyet/
[12] PFP COMMANDERS VISIT TURKISH GENERAL STAFF
Deputy chiefs of general staff of 12 countries, which are members of
Partnership for Peace (PFP) and have applied for NATO membership,
visited Deputy Chief of General Staff General Cevik Bir yesterday.
Bir said that the aim of the meeting was to convey the experiences of
the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) gained in NATO to the representatives
of the countries which applied for membership to NATO. Bir added:
"Another aim of the meeting is to develop friendly relations with
these countries". /Cumhuriyet/
[13] ERBAKAN RECEIVES IDB DELEGATION
Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan received a delegation of the Islamic
Development Bank (IDB) headed by Dr.Ahmed Muhammed Ali yesterday.
Erbakan noted that when a project was underway in an IDB-member
country credits should be deposited not in the Western banks but in
the banks of Muslim countries. IDB Chairman Dr.Ahmed Muhammed Ali
stated that Islamic countries would support electricity projects in
Turkey in line with Erbakan's proposal. /Cumhuriyet/
END
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