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Turkish Press Review, 97-08-29Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWDIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER29.08.97Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning.[01] TURKEY TO SEEK FRENCH SUPPORT ON CYPRUS, EUForeign Minister Ismail Cem heads for Paris next week for a working visit which will seek to obtain the support of France for Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU) as well as on the Cyprus question. Like his visit to Rome, the Paris visit will concentrate on those two questions, as well as on bilateral issues between the two countries. The visit, which begins on Monday, will enable Cem to check the pulse of the three-month-old Socialist government. The two questions - particularly on the accession of Turkey to the EU, about which France, after the vocal support of the previous government, now keeps a low profile.[02] GREEK CYPRUS' MILITARY SPENDING REACHES ALARMING LEVELAs Greek Cyprus prepares to buy Russian-made long-range S-300 missiles, U.N. statistics indicate that Greek Cypriot armament spending has reached an alarming level. The U.N.'s 1997 Development Report said that the Greek Cypriot side has spent five times more on armaments than Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported. The statistics show that the average distribution of armament expenditures per person in Turkey is around $ 98, while in Greek Cyprus it is $ 477. The statistics also reveal a trend of increasing armaments purchases in recent years. The average distribution of armaments expenditure per person was $ 62 in 1985. This distribution rate has increased by 150 percent to reach $ 98. For Greek Cyprus, the rates were $ 179 in 1985 and $ 477 in 1995.[03] NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR PREVENTING TORTURE PLANNEDHikmet Sami Turk, Minister of State responsible for human rights, declared on Thursday that they have decided on a 'friendly settlement' in the cases against Turkey opened by the European Court of Human Rights. Turkey, talking to the press after the weekly meeting of the Coordination Board of Human Rights, said that they aimed to prevent human rights violations as a necessary show of respect for the public. In that framework, Turk said, a national committee for preventing torture may be established in the very near future. "The measures taken against torture are not suffiecient in Turkey," commented Turk. /Sabah/[04] ASIK: 'TURKEY SUFFERING DUE TO LACK OF TRADE WITH ARMENIA'State Minister Eyup Asik pointed out on Thursday that Turkey wants to initiate social and economic relations with Armenia. Meeting in Trabzon with businessmen who have demanded that the border crossing between Turkey and Armenia be opened, Asik said that Turkey has been suffering due to the lack of direct trade between Turkey and Armenia, the Anatolia news agency reported. "Turkey is a country which has to have real trade ties with Armenia. Although Georgia has problems with Armenia, they have trade ties, which includes selling our goods indirectly," said Asik.In addition, Mehmet Novruzoglu Aliyev, the Azerbaijani ambassador to Ankara, has responded to press reports about the possibility of the closed trade border crossing between Turkey and Armenia being opened. He added that because of the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, not only do the two countries not have any ties with each other, but also, Turkey should keep its border crossing with Armenia closed. [05] NEW TOP MILITARY COMMENDERS BEGIN TO ASSUME OFFICEThe upper military echelons, who are to retire in a few days, following the recent decisions of the Supreme Military Council (YAS) of the Turkish Armed Forces, have begun to leave their posts. Air Force Commander Gen. Ahmet Corekci, and Land Forces Commander Hikmet Koksal handed over their posts to their successors on Thursday in a ceremony. Two other commanders, Naval Forces Commander Adm. Guven Erkaya and Gendarmarie Forces Commander Gen. Teoman Koman, are to leave their offices on Friday.The handing over ceremonies were attended by the heavyweights of the state, including Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and defense Minister Ismet Sezgin. President Suleyman Demirel on Wednesday participated in the handing over ceremony to the MGK. Ergin Celasin, who was appointed to the rank of general at the last meeting of YAS, will become the new MGK secretary-general. The ceremony marking the changeover from gen. Kilic to Gen. Celasin was held on Wednesday afternoon. /Milliyet/Hurriyet_ [06] NEW COUNCIL SET UP TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCYThe Treasury on Thursday set up a Domestic Borrowing Consultancy Council in order to carry out the government's plans for more transparency, according to a statement released by the Treasury. The Treasury undersecretary responsible for monetary transactions will head the council the statement said. The Domestic Borrowing Consultancy Council will meet each month under the direction of the Treasury. The council will hold its first meeting in September. /All papers/[07] IRAQ FUEL SMUGGLING COSTS TURKEY $ 750 MILLION A YEAR IN TAXESTurkey's failure to regulate the illicit trade in diesel fuel across the border from Iraq is costing the state $ 750 million annually in lost revenues, according to an official report. The report shows that trucks bringing 1.5 million tons of smuggled diesel a year, 30,000 barrels a day, from Iraq into Turkey for sale at prices far below the official Turkish level. The report, prepared by the General Directorate of Petroleum Operations and Customs, said the failure to impose tax and duties on the fuel accounted for the $ 750 million loss. /Sabah/[08] DEMIREL TO VISIT HUNGARYPresident Suleyman Demirel will pay an official visit to Hungary on 3 September. During his visit, Demirel will open the Gulbaba Tomb restored by the Turkish Culture Ministry. With the opening of the tomb, the Culture Ministry will also organize a painting exhibition in Budapest. Gulbaba was a poet and Bektashi dervish who died in the battles during the Suleyman the Magnificent period. /Sabah/[09] AGREEMENTS BETWEEN TURKEY AND GERMANYAgreements for credit worth DM 365 million and grants for DM 50.5 million provided by the German government were signed yesterday. According to a Treasury statement, the agreements signed within the framework of a financial cooperation protocol between Turkey and Federal Germany, additional resources are ensured for many projects in Turkey. /Sabah-Milliyet/[10] FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES INCREASEForeign exchange reserves in the Central Bank (CB) reached $17.4 billion. According to Central Bank data, CB foreign exchange reserves, which totalled $17.199 billion on 15 August, increased by $241 million and rose to $17.440 billion on 22 August. Meanwhile, according to data released on 8 August, foreign exchange reserves in commercial banks amounted to $7.973 billion and gold reserves stood at $1.384 billion. /Sabah-Milliyet/[11] DRUG MATERIALS SEIZEDIn a truck which entered Turkey through the Kapikule border gate, 1.060 kilograms of acetic acid anhydride used in the production of drugs were seized yesterday. The driver of the truck is being questioned. /Sabah/[12] WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL TO CONVENE IN TURKEYThe Turkish National Committee of the World Energy Council will meet today in the Silifke district of Mersin for a meeting of the executive board to discuss a nuclear plant planned to be built in Akkuyu. /Sabah/[13] EVERYONE WILL HAVE A NUMBERInterior Minister Murat Basesgioglu said that the "MERNIS Project" started in 1980 for the modernization of identification and citizenship proceedings would be put into implementation. He noted that the project to be carried out within the framework of a World Bank credit and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would cost $5.5 million. According to the project, every citizen will be given an identification number. /Sabah/[14] TERROR TRIANGLE IN BLACK SEAThe PKK terrorist organization, which is trying to spread its activities first started along the Hatay-Iskenderun line into the northern regions of Turkey, is cooperating with the illegal organizations DHKP-C and ML TIKKO in the Sivas-Tokat and Ordu triangle. Security General Director Necati Bilican said: "The PKK is trying to move via Armenia to the Black Sea regions" and added that they were taking necessary measures to prevent terrorist activities. /Milliyet/[15] AIR GAMES IN TURKEYA promotion meeting for the First World Air Games, which will begin in Ankara on 13 September with a glorious ceremony, was held yesterday at the Cankaya Palace. President Suleyman Demirel said at the meeting that they were expecting material and spiritual support from the business and tourism sectors which are expected to benefit from the Games. /Milliyet/[16] FOREIGN CAPITAL FLOWS TO TURKEYAccording to World Bank figures, Turkey was one of the most popular developing countries among foreign investors. Turkey is ranked ninth in the list of developing countries with respect to foreign capital flow. /Cumhuriyet/[17] RUSSIA SELLING S-300 MISSILES TO TURKEY'S NEIGHBOURSGreek Chief of the General Staff, Afanasisos Tsoganis, has begun contacts with Russia for the purchase of S-300 "Favorite" missile systems. Last year, tensions escalated when the Southern Cypriot administration announced its decision to purchase S-300 missiles from Moscow. There are reports that Russia has sold similar systems also to Iran, and that a related deal was being negotiated with Syrian officials. Observers stress that Turkey is facing the danger of being surrounded by S-300 systems.Foreign Ministry officials announced that vessels passing through the Bosphorus Straits will be carefully checked to prevent a possible smuggling of parts for the S-300 missiles sold by Russia to Southern Cyprus despite all the objections of Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/ [18] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN INVITED TO INVEST IN THE CRIMEANCemil Kirimoglu, who arrived in Izmir to attend an Assembly of Turkish-speaking countries, meeting, invited Turkish businessmen to invest in the Crimean. Kirimoglu said that houses and employment opportunities needed to be created in the Crimean to facilitate the return to their homeland of Crimean Tartars now in exile. /Hurriyet/[19] TURKEY A LEADING POWER IN WATER PRODUCTSAccording to statistics provided by the National Productivity Centre, Turkey has emerged as a giant in the production of water products. Turkey is ranked 30th among 161 countries from all over the world, 5th among EU countries and third among Mediterranean countries. /Hurriyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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