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Turkish Press Review, 98-02-09
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
09.02.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] YILMAZ: "IRAQ HAS 10 DAYS"
[02] ECEVIT HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE
[03] YILMAZ: "GERMANY LET US DOWN"
[04] BUSY WEEK FOR PARLIAMENT
[05] FOUNDATION LAID FOR PENDIK-KURTKOY AIRPORT
[06] BLAIR DEFENDS 'STRONG TIES BETWEEN TURKEY AND EUROPE'
[07] VOA: TURKEY SHOULD BE ACCEPTED BY EU
[08] COMMISSION APPROVES UNIONS FOR CIVIL SERVANTS
[09] COMMON VOICE IN AEGEAN: WE DO NOT WANT WAR
[10] FINAL CENSUS RESULTS
[11] MOVE FOR IMPROVING COOPERATION AMONG RELIGIONS
[12] TURCO-FRENCH MILITARY COOPERATION
[13] HARD BLOWS AGAINST THE PKK
[14] IRANIAN CRITICISM AGAINST TURKEY
[15] ASIAN CRISIS CANNOT AFFECT TURKEY
[16] TURKISH TOURISM IN JANUARY
[01] YILMAZ: "IRAQ HAS 10 DAYS"
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz has said: "If Saddam Hussein doesn't
take a step back, the operation begins in 10 days' time and lasts for
one or two weeks". Furnishing information to the deputies of Motherland
Party (ANAP) and later to members of the Council of Ministers regarding
the war strategy of the US, Yilmaz noted that if Iraq does not abide by
UN resolutions, war will be unavoidable. Yilmaz stated that the US
would carry out an "air operation" and if necessary also a "land
operation".
Meanwhile, it is reported that Turkish soldiers will enter northern
Iraq today. According to information received from the Office of the
General Staff, a nearly 200 kilometer-long buffer zone will be enforced
along the border against a likely Kurdish immigration, and 50,000
soldiers from the Sirnak Division will enter northern Iraq. /Sabah/
[02] ECEVIT HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE
At a press conference yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit directed sharp criticism against US policies towards Iraq, and
said that a hot confrontation in the Gulf could have fatal consequences.
Ecevit said that the Washington administration should consult Turkey
before starting moves which could effect the whole Middle East region.
/Hurriyet/
[03] YILMAZ: "GERMANY LET US DOWN"
Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz yesterday made a statement on
Germany's Bavaria Television channel. In his statement Yilmaz said that
Turkey was being excluded by Germany, and that German Prime Minister
Helmut Kohl had not ketp his word on supporting European Union
membership for Turkey. He added that Germany did not give much
importance to German-Turkish friendship. Yilmaz said, "The Luxembourg
decisions forced Turkey to stand on its own feet. And to do this we do
not need either the help of Germany or the European Union." /Hurriyet/
[04] BUSY WEEK FOR PARLIAMENT
There will be a busy schedule in Parliament this week. Both the
General Assembly and parliamentary commissions will deal with various
issues. A new bill which will allow police officials to complete their
military service in police departments will be debated in Parliament on
February 11. To enforce the new bill, an amendment in the law will be
required concerning military service. A proposal to provide free health
services to soldiers' families and a bill proposing an amendment in the
Retirement Fund Law are among other subjects on the Parliamentary
agenda. The Planning and Budget Parliamentary Commission will debate
the new tax bill on February 10. The bill aims at easing the heavy tax
burdens on wage earners. /Sabah/
[05] FOUNDATION LAID FOR PENDIK-KURTKOY AIRPORT
In a speech delivered during a foundation laying ceremony for the
new Pendik-Kurtkoy Airport in Istanbul, President Suleyman Demirel said
that Turkey would continue to grow, develop and become strong no matter
what the conditions were, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
"This project is the project of the 21st century" Demirel said, pointing
out that the airport, together with the Corlu, Ataturk and Cengiz Topel
airports, would provide services for 15 million people. Congratulating
the government for its contributions to the project, Demirel noted that
following the $32 billion Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP), the
Pendik-Kurtkoy Airport Project was one of the most massive construction
projects in Turkey. The airport project, which will cost $760 million,
will be completed within two years.
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Deputy Prime Minister and Defense
Minister Ismet Sezgin also delivered speeches at the ceremony. Yilmaz
noted that the project was one of the most important investments in
Istanbul and Turkey in recent years, and Sezgin stated that another
advanced technological industry park project was one of the
mega-projects which would carry Turkey into the 21st century. /Sabah/
[06] BLAIR DEFENDS 'STRONG TIES BETWEEN TURKEY AND EUROPE'
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has just visited Washington,
said during a joint press conference with US President Bill Clinton at
the White House on Friday that Turkey was one of the topics the two
leaders covered. Blair and Clinton discussed the issue of Turkey's
application for full membership in the European Union (EU). "We
discussed as well, and agreed, that it was important that Europe
strengthen its relationship with Turkey and that we build a strong
relationship with Turkey -between Turkey and the EU for the future"
Blair said.
[07] VOA: TURKEY SHOULD BE ACCEPTED BY EU
The Voice of America (VOA), official radio broadcast of the US
government, aired an editorial on Friday supporting Turkey's application
for full membership in the European Union (EU). The December EU summit
in Luxembourg did not extend an invitation to Turkey for membership
talks while inviting Greek Cyprus and ten Central European countries.
"Turkey should be given the same chances" VOA said.
[08] COMMISSION APPROVES UNIONS FOR CIVIL SERVANTS
The Parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission approved on Friday
a bill providing civil servants with the right to establish unions.
According to the bill, civil servants will be able to establish unions
in previously determined service sectors without asking permission. In
addition, more than one union may be established in each sector. The
administration of the unions cannot be in conflict with the
Constitution.
A high administration board will be established to supervise the
collective bargaining process. The board will consist of ministries'
undersecretaries and other public institutions' undersecretaries and
chairpersons.
[09] COMMON VOICE IN AEGEAN: WE DO NOT WANT WAR
Many Aegean Turkish and Greek journalists participated in a weekend
seminar in Izmir. All participants at the seminar agreed that if a war
between Turkey and Greece should occur, this would only further increase
problems and would create a disaster for the two countries. They also
pointed out that the Turkish and Greek media played an aggressive role
instead of a calming role. Greek European Parliamentarians Yannis
Papayanakis, Anna Karamanu and Kostas Hacidakis also delivered speeches
at the seminar. Touching upon the role of the third countries in
Turkish-Greek relations, they said that there was no need for third
parties in solving problems between the two countries. /Sabah/
[10] FINAL CENSUS RESULTS
State Minister Mehmet Batalli has announced the final results of
the national census that was held on November 30, 1997. The census
figures record the population of Turkey at 62,610,252, an increase of
over 6 million from the 1990 figure of 56,473,035. The population of
Istanbul is now put at 9 million, Ankara's at 3.6 million and Izmir's at
3 million. /All papers/
[11] MOVE FOR IMPROVING COOPERATION AMONG RELIGIONS
Fethullah Gulen, a leading man of religion in Turkey, yesterday
went to the Vatican for an official meeting with the Pope. Gulen will
meet with the Pope to discuss possibilities for improving cooperation
and tolerance among people from different religions. /Hurriyet/
[12] TURCO-FRENCH MILITARY COOPERATION
France has rolled up its sleeves for grabbing a share of lucrative
Turkish defence investment projects. Turkey and France have agreed in
principle to cooperate in the production of ERYX anti-tank missiles.
During a three-day visit to France last week by Defense Minister Ismet
Sezgin a number of steps for improving bilateral military cooperation
were taken. /Miliyet/
[13] HARD BLOWS AGAINST THE PKK
The Turkish Armed Forces started a wide-ranging operation against
the PKK terrorist organization four days ago in the Nusaybin, Mardin
region. According to military sources, 40 PKK members and three
soldiers hed been killed by the end of clashes in around mount Bagok.
/Hurriyet/
[14] IRANIAN CRITICISM AGAINST TURKEY
Chairman of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Ekber Natik Nuri, arrived
in Tehran yesterday after a five day visit to Syria and Lebanon.
According to IRNA reports, Nuri told press members that "because Iran
and Syria share borders with Turkey ", in his meetings with Syrian
President Hafiz Esad, Turkish-Israeli military manoeuvres were the first
issue on the agenda. Nuri also said that military alliances formed by
Israel are always intended to harm the Muslim countries. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] ASIAN CRISIS CANNOT AFFECT TURKEY
Foreign Trade Secretary, Yavuz Ege, said that Turkey's import
regime had been stabilized after a period of excessive increase because
of the customs union. Ege, responding to questions from Cumhuriyet
daily newspaper, on Turkey's foreign trade developments, said that
"trade seems rather stagnant, not very satisfactory". He also commented
on the Asian crisis saying that "although devaluation reduces the prices
of their export goods, import inputs' prices increase. These countries
cannot survive with continued devaluation" adding that the present
crisis in Asia would not effect Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/
[16] TURKISH TOURISM IN JANUARY
By the end of the first month of 1998, 57,462 tourists had visited
Antalya. It is reported that 525 charter flights from different parts
of the world came to Antalya, and that German tourists topped the list
where members are concerned. /Cumhuriyet/
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