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Turkish Press Review, 98-05-20
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
20.05.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] COOK VISITS TURKEY
[02] YOUTH FESTIVAL CELEBRATED
[03] CELEBI AT WTO MEETING
[04] KINKEL: "TURKEY IS ESSENTIAL FOR GERMANY"
[05] PANGALOS CRITICISES US AND EU
[06] CEM EVALUTES VISITS TO BULGARIA, ROMANIA AND ENGLAND
[07] KARADAYI IN MOSCOW
[08] SWEDISH BUSINESSMEN TO VISIT GAP
[09] GIANT PROJECTS FOR TURKEY
[10] TURKISH AND BULGARIAN BUSINESSMEN TO MEET ON INTERNET
[11] FOUR PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
[12] GREEK CYPRIOTS ARREST TURKISH SOLDIER
[13] ARMENIAN PROBLEM CASTS SHADOW ON TURCO-FRENCH RELATIONS
[14] US REVEALS SALE OF MISSILES TO TURKEY AND GREECE
[15] GREEN LIGHT FOR PIPELINE VIA IRAN
[16] TURKEY AMONG THE CHEAPEST HOLIDAY COUNTRIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
[17] JAPANESE COMPANY IN ISTANBUL
[01] COOK VISITS TURKEY
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, saying British Foreign
Secretary Robin Cook displayed the "correct attitude" in their meeting
in Turkey on Tuesday, reported that the European Union (EU) and the
Turkish government were together laying the groundwork for a possible
meeting of the Turkish-EU Association Council. Cook, who arrived for
a short visit to Ankara, met with President Suleyman Demirel and Prime
Minister Mesut Yilmaz as well as with Cem before returning home in the
evening.
Cem said Turkey's position of refusing to conduct political
dialogue with the EU remained, but said this did not mean the two
sides could not discuss economic and social issues. Cem added that he
told Cook the EU had to abandon its stance of discriminating against
Turkey if it wants to mend fences with Ankara and resume political
talks. After the Cem-Cook meeting, the two sides issued a joint
statement declaring they had agreed on the importance of laying the
foundation for a European strategy to prepare Turkey for accession.
/All papers/
[02] YOUTH FESTIVAL CELEBRATED
The 79th anniversary of founder of the Turkish Republic, Kemal
Ataturk's arrival in Samsun from Istanbul on May 19 to start the War
of Independence was celebrated yesterday in Ankara and other cities.
Official ceremonies in the capital were held at the May 19 Stadium,
which high school students from Ankara attended both as performers and
spectators. President Suleyman Demirel and other leading politicians
attended the ceremonies. /All papers/
[03] CELEBI AT WTO MEETING
Turkish State Minister Isin Celebi has said that the World Trade
Organization (WTO), which brings together the highly developed
countries and less developed countries, should adopt a balanced
approach, which favours the interests of all countries. Delivering a
speech at the WTO Second Ministers' Conference continuing in Geneva,
Celebi noted that Turkey, which is among the first signatories of the
Customs Tariffs Agreement (GATT), was also determined to support the
targets of the WTO. /Milliyet/
[04] KINKEL: "TURKEY IS ESSENTIAL FOR GERMANY"
In a speech on German foreign policy, Foreign Minister Klaus
Kinkel talked about German-Turkish relations in detail. He said that
Turkey has a strategic role in the Mediterranean and way of essential
importance to Germany. Adding that Turkey was a part of Europe,
Kinkel said he had started personal initiatives to normalize
Turkey-Germany and Turkey- European Union (EU) relations. /Hurriyet/
[05] PANGALOS CRITICISES US AND EU
Greek Foreign Minister Thedoros Pangalos held a press conference
yesterday and turned down a US suggestion for solving the Cyprus and
the Aegean issues. He also criticised European Union (EU) efforts to
break the Greek veto in order to extend financial aid to Turkey. He
added that Cyprus and the Aegean issues should not be mixed with each
other, and that the Cyprus issue should be solved within the framework
of the United Nations (UN). Pangalos said that they would not lift
their veto on financial aid to Turkey until Ankara changed its
policies towards Greece and the EU. /Hurriyet/
[06] CEM EVALUTES VISITS TO BULGARIA, ROMANIA AND ENGLAND
Foreign Minister Ismial Cem, who returned home on Monday,
evaluated his visits to Bulgaria, Romania and England to Turkish press
members. Cem said: "During the visits I stressed that Turkey had
formulated a Eurasian policy. Turkey gives importance not only to its
relations with Europe but also with the Eurasian countries, where
interest in Turkey has been increasing." /Hurriyet/
[07] KARADAYI IN MOSCOW
Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi continued his
contacts during his second day in Russia. Karadayi visited the
Jukovka Military base and examined the KA-52 type Russian helicopters
there. Later he laid a wreath at the Unknown Soldier Monument in
Moscow and also visited the Trtyakovskaya Art Gallery during the same
day. Karadayż will start his official contacts today. It is expected
that at the end of the meetings a memorandum of "mutual understanding"
will be signed between the delegations. /Sabah/Hurriyet/
[08] SWEDISH BUSINESSMEN TO VISIT GAP
A delegation of Swedish businessmen will visit Turkey on 24-28
May. There are high-level representatives from multi-national Swedish
companies in the delegation. After holding contacts in Istanbul and
Ankara, the delegation will visit the Southeast Anatolian Project
(GAP) Office and the European Commission Representative Office.
/Sabah/
[09] GIANT PROJECTS FOR TURKEY
A conference on "Point at the crossroads of the world" to be held
on 27-29 May by the "Trade and Development Agency" annexed to the US
Commerce Department will be hosted by Turkey. It is expected that
nearly 500 people will attend the conference, during which over 65
projects in the energy, mining and transportation sectors of 14
countries, including Turkey, will be discussed. /Sabah/
[10] TURKISH AND BULGARIAN BUSINESSMEN TO MEET ON INTERNET
Aegean businessmen are discussing cooperation opportunities with
their Bulgarian counterparts. Members of the Aegean Chamber of the
Industry and Trade in Bulgaria for a Turkish-Bulgarian Businessmen's
Meeting organized by the Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Trade
discussed opportunities to further develop economic and commercial
relations between the two countries. An agreement was signed between
the two chambers for the exchange of information on Internet. /Sabah/
[11] FOUR PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
During current operations carried out by Turkish forces in the
Hafik district of Sivas, four members of the PKK terrorist
organization have been killed. Meanwhile, the "Murat Operation"
carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in the southeastern
region of Turkey ended on May 10. It is reported that security forces
are preparing to launch a new cross-border operation along the
northern Iraqi border, aiming to eradicate PKK terrorists from the
region. During another operation carried out against the illegal
fundamentalist Hizbullah organization in Mus, 44 members of this
organization were arrested. /Sabah/
[12] GREEK CYPRIOTS ARREST TURKISH SOLDIER
Greek Cypriots have arrested a Turkish soldier in the Akincilar
region of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). TRNC
officials noted that the UN Peace Force had informed them that the
Turkish soldier had crossed the Greek Cypriot border, and added that
investigation into the incident was continuing. /Milliyet/
[13] ARMENIAN PROBLEM CASTS SHADOW ON TURCO-FRENCH RELATIONS
The Armenian issue, which dominated Turco-French relations in the
early 1980s, has again disturbed the otherwise smooth relations
between Ankara and Paris. A new initiative on the Armenian issue by
some socialist party deputies led to a meeting between Turkey's
ambassador to Paris, Sonmez Koksal, and Foreign Ministry
Secretary-General Bertrand Dufurcq yesterday. The socialist deputies
want to present on May 29 "an Armenian resolution" on the so-called
Armenian genocide between 1915 and 1921. /All papers/
[14] US REVEALS SALE OF MISSILES TO TURKEY AND GREECE
Washington is planning to sell Turkey and Greece anti-ship and
air-to-ground missiles, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
A statement made by Pentagon officials said that the total sales,
pending approval by Congress, would be worth $67 million. Turkey's
$43 million share of the proposed deal is expected to be in the form
of $30 anti-ship Harpoon missiles plus spare parts. Defense
Department officials said that the sale will serve the security
interests of the US by contributing to Turkey's military and security
needs. Turkey currently has McDonnel Douglas-made Harpoons in its
military inventory. /All papers/
[15] GREEN LIGHT FOR PIPELINE VIA IRAN
After the US declared that it will not impose sanctions on
French, Russian and Malaysian companies, all of which have made
natural gas agreements with Iran, hopes have arisen that the proposed
Turkmen natural gas pipeline via Iran to Turkey and Europe will
actually be built. /Sabah/
[16] TURKEY AMONG THE CHEAPEST HOLIDAY COUNTRIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
It is reported that Turkey is the third cheapest holiday country
in the Mediterranean after Tunusia and Malta. According to the
Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TYD), one week hotel costs
during the high-season at a three star hotel in Turkey is DM 1077,
whereas it is DM 1270 in Spain or DM 1160 in Greece. However, it was
also reported that costs in Turkey are 14 % more than in Tunisia and 6
% more than in Malta. /Hurriyet/Sabah/
[17] JAPANESE COMPANY IN ISTANBUL
The Japanese NSK-RHP company, the second largest ball-bearing
producer in the world, has announced that they will use Turkey as a
base and has already started activities in Istanbul. Toshia Arata,
chairman of thecompany, and other high level officials of the company
attendedthe opening ceremony of the Istanbul office yesterday. Arata
said in a speech that they will sell the spare parts that they produce
in Istanbul internationally. /Hurriyet/
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