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Turkish Press Review, 98-06-26
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
26.06.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] INTERIOR MINISTER GIVES DETAILS ABOUT STRUGGLE AGAINST CRIME
[02] EUROPEAN COUNCIL DECLARES PKK A "TERRORIST ORGANIZATION"
[03] FIVE PKK MEMBERS ARRESTED IN FRANCE
[04] TUBITAK MICRO SATELLITE PROJECT
[05] WORLD BANK CREDIT
[06] DEMIREL IN MOLDOVA
[07] NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS MEET TO PROTECT BLACK SEA
[08] WATER SHIPMENTS TO TRNC
[09] COOPERATION IN EDUCATION
[10] WEU CHAIRMAN TO VISIT TURKEY
[11] CETIN RECEIVES BULGARIAN CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF
[12] SIXTH ANNIVERSARY OF BSEC
[13] BRITISH INVESTORS LOOKING TO TURKEY
[14] STEFANOPULOS: "CYPRUS ISSUE PREVENTS TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP"
[01] INTERIOR MINISTER GIVES DETAILS ABOUT STRUGGLE AGAINST CRIME
Speaking to Hurriyet newspaper correspondents, Interior Minister
Murat Basesgioglu said yesterday that organized criminal groups had been
terminated by anti-terrorist teams from the Security Administration in
most of the country's biggest cities. He also noted that the
administration's branch for the struggle against smuggling and organized
crime had launched operations against the mafia and drugs smugglers. In
the past year, 10 tons of drugs and 549 guns have been seized by the
branch, said Basesgioglu noting that drugs seized in Turkey accounted
for 60 percent of the total amount of drugs seized in all the European
countries. According to details the minister gave, in the period from
July 1, 1997 to June 21, 1998 2,823 terror incidents happened in Turkey,
when 1,722 terrorists were killed and 37 were wounded. 18 members of
the security administration, 227 soldiers, 140 temporary village guards
and 164 civilians died during the same period. /Hurriyet/
[02] EUROPEAN COUNCIL DECLARES PKK A "TERRORIST ORGANIZATION"
In yesterday's session of the European Council's Parliamentarians'
Assembly, a report concerning Turkey's southeastern region was debated.
After the discussion European parliamentarians decided to declare the
PKK a "terrorist organization." They also turned down a a proposal for
an international conference on the Kurdish problem; and a call for
ceasefire was excluded from the report. The assembly, therefore, made
all the changes Turkey wanted. Raporteur Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold voted
against the report on the grounds that the content of her report had
been considerably changed. /Hurriyet/
[03] FIVE PKK MEMBERS ARRESTED IN FRANCE
Five members of the PKK terrorist organization have been arrested
in Paris. The five were among a group of nearly 80 PKK members who
attacked Turkish people in Paris last Saturday while they marched to
protest against a draft resolution passed by the French Parliament about
a so-called Armenian massacre by Turks. Three Turkish protesters were
severely injured while 15 received minor injuries during the attack.
The five will be tried for acts of violence and for being members of a
terrorist organization. /Hurriyet/
[04] TUBITAK MICRO SATELLITE PROJECT
The Institute of Information Technologies and Electronics Research
embodied in the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Institute
(TUBITAK) is working on a project to launch a micro satellite in 2000.
The satellite will be used for collecting and sending data on various
subjects ranging from agriculture to city planning to a centre at the
Middle East Technical University (METU). /Hurriyet/
[05] WORLD BANK CREDIT
An agreement for $300 million in World Bank credit to support the
eight-year education programme in Turkey was signed yesterday in
Washington by Turkish State Minister Gunes Taner and Head of the World
Bank James Wolfenson. The credit will be re-paid in 15 years, the first
three years of which will be without repayment.
Wolfenson and Taner also signed an agreement regarding a $270
million credit for a "National Transmission Lines Project". Within the
framework of this agreement, an investment programme for transmission
lines for the Turkish Electricity Production-Transmission Company
between the years 1999-2002 will be realized. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] DEMIREL IN MOLDOVA
President Suleyman Demirel arrived in Moldova yesterday as the
official guest of Moldovan President Petru Lucinschi. On arrival,
Demirel stressed the importance of relations with Moldova within the
framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and said that he
would also visit the Gagauz Turks who constitute an important bridge
between the two countries. Demirel noted that economic and commercial
relations between Turkey and Moldova were strengthening.
Demirel said: "We are determined to further develop relations in
education and culture with Moldova. The Gagauz have an autonomous
administration and live in peace and calm. I want to express Turkey's
pleasure once more regarding Moldova's positive approach towards the
Gagauz problem and I am very pleased that $15 million in
Turkish-Eximbank credit has been extended, and that projects for
providing potable water for the Gagauz are being implemented. I also
want to say that I have invited Mr.Lucinschi to Turkey". /Cumhuriyet/
[07] NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS MEET TO PROTECT BLACK SEA
Representatives from non-governmental organizations, academicians
and businessmen from six countries which have coasts along the Black
Sea, met yesterday to discuss the prevention of pollution in the Black
Sea and ensure the safety of passage through the Turkish straits. They
convened under the name of "Partners of the Black Sea". They will also
hold a demonstration on June 28 with the participation of many small
boats to protest against cargos being carried through the straits.
/Cumhuriyet/
[08] WATER SHIPMENTS TO TRNC
For a short-term solution to the water problem in the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), it is planned that trials for the
project to carry water from Turkey in huge balloons will begin by the
end of this month. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] COOPERATION IN EDUCATION
A cooperation protocol has been prepared between Namik Kemal
Zeybek, head of the trustee delegation of the Kazakhstan Hodja Ahmet
Yesevi University, and Turkish National Education Minister Hikmet
Ulugbay. Ulugbay noted yesterday that Turkish aid and support for the
university would provide new opportunities to Turkish citizens in
Kazakhstan. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] WEU CHAIRMAN TO VISIT TURKEY
It is reported that Chairman of the Western European Union Assembly
(WEU) Lluis Maria de Puig will visit Turkey as the official guest of
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem on July 1-3. Foreign Ministry
Deputy Spokesman Sermet Atacanli said in a statement yesterday that Puig
will be received by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, Parliament
Speaker Hikmet Cetin and meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Defense
Minister Ismet Sezgin. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] CETIN RECEIVES BULGARIAN CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF
Turkish Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin yesterday received
Bulgarian Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Miho D.Mihov, who is
in Turkey for an official visit. Cetin said in a statement during the
meeting that relations between Turkey and Bulgaria were an example for
the other countries in the region. Cetin said: "We have no problems.
On the contrary, we want to further develop our bilateral relations".
Mihov said for his part that he hoped that Turkish-Bulgarian relations
would further improve, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
[12] SIXTH ANNIVERSARY OF BSEC
Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Sermet Atacanli said in a
weekly press conference yesterday that the Black Sea Economic
Coope[Bration (BSEC), which aims at peace, stability and prosperity in
the region, would continue to strengthen, the Anatolia news agency
reported yesterday. Turkey congratulated the BSEC member countries on
the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the
organization. Atacanli noted that a Black Sea Trade and Development
Bank would begin to function by the end of 1998 and contribute to the
development of concrete joint projects. He said: "The foremost
projects are to establish a free trade zone in the Black Sea region and
to connect the energy networks of the BSEC member countries".
[13] BRITISH INVESTORS LOOKING TO TURKEY
Britain, Turkey's second biggest trade partner following the US,
has started a campaign to turn Turkey into a leading country for
investment. A seminar started yesterday in London with the
participation of British State Minister responsible for trade, Lord
Clinton Davies, Turkey's Ambassador to London, Ozdem Sanberk, Britain's
Ambassador to Ankara, David Logan, Turkish officials, and British and
Turkish investors.
Praising Turkey's developing economy in his opening speech, Davies
said that they aimed to increase the trade volume between Turkey and
England. He added that the 1996 Customs Union facilitated trade between
Turkey and England and pointed out that Turkey was an important bridge
to Central Asia. Chairman of the Turkish Economy Bank, Yavuz Canevi
said for his part that mutual investments should be increased and that
European Union funds had to be extended to Turkey. /Milliyet/Hurriyet/
[14] STEFANOPULOS: "CYPRUS ISSUE PREVENTS TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP"
Greek President Kostis Stefanopulos went yesterday to southern
Cyprus accompanied by Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and a
47-member delegation. Kostis Stefanopulos is the first Greek President
to visit Cyprus since 1960. He said: "The Cyprus issue is preventing
Turkey's membership in the European Union (EU). Turkey should
understand this reality. Greek Cyprus however, will become a member of
the EU."
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf
Denktas, who is in Vienna, Austria, said regarding the visit that
although Greece was trying to prove that Cyprus was a Greek island, they
could not change the political reality on the island. He added: "We
hope that during the term presidency of Austria, which will take over on
1 July, 1998, the European Union will change its attitude of support for
Greece." /Sabah/
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