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Turkish Press Review, 99-02-12
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
12.02.99
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] 700TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE BEING
HELD IN FRANCE
[02] FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS
[03] TURKEY-CROATIA BOOST BILATERAL COOPERATION
[04] SPAIN PUTS PRESSURE ON BASQUE REGION
[05] PARLIAMENT ON VACATION DUE TO ELECTIONS
[06] TEMIZEL: "THE BANKING LAW WOULD HAVE ACCELERATED CAPITAL INFLOWS"
[07] YILMAZ KICKS OFF ANAP ELECTION CAMPAIGN
[08] AYDIN JOINS ANAP
[09] BROEK, "FIRST SOLUTION, THEN EU MEMBERSHIP"
[10] SYMPOSIUM ON "LEGAL ASPECTS OF TURCO-TRNC RELATIONS"
[11] GERMANY: "WE INSIST ON DUAL-CITIZENSHIP"
[12] DUFF AND PHELPS LOWERS TURKEY'S GRADE
[13] IMKB INDEX OVER 3000
[14] FIRST BOSTON ADVISES INVESTMENT IN TURKEY
[15] ARMENIAN PRESSURE ON FRENCH SENATE
[16] TURKEY'S PERSPECTIVE IN EUROPE
[17] LE MONDE: "TURKEY FAVOURS THE US IN HELICOPTER BID"
[18] PKK MEMBER STANDS TRIAL IN GERMANY
[19] EMBARGO BY THE CB AGAINST THOSE WHO SUCCUMB TO THE MILLENIUM BUG
[20] KARACAM: "BANKS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIGH INTEREST RATES"
[21] ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY TO TAKE INVENTORY OF TURKEY'S CHEMICALS
[22] TURKISH CARNATION EXPORT TO JAPAN
[23] TURKISH TEXTILES LOOK TO FOREIGN LOANS
[24] 700TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE BEING
HELD IN FRANCE
[25] FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS
[26] THE NEW MIDDLE CLASS - BY TUFAN TURENC (HURRIYET)
[27] WHAT VEINSTEIN TEACHES - BY SERVER TANILLI (CUMHURIYET)
[01] 700TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE BEING
HELD IN FRANCE
[02] FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS
[03] TURKEY-CROATIA BOOST BILATERAL COOPERATION
Turkey and Croatia been paved the way for accelerated bilateral
relations by signing five cooperation agreements after a meeting
between visiting President Franjo Tudjman and his Turkish
counterpart Suleyman Demirel and following talks between
delegations from the two countries. Tudjman and Demirel also
participated in the Turco-Croatian Business Council meeting.
Speaking at the gathering, Demirel stressed that the present
volume of bilateral trade did not reflect the genuine potential
of the two countries. He added that Eximbank export loans should
be carefully considered.
On Thursday, Croatian Ministers accompanying Tudjman held talks
with their Turkish counterparts. /All papers/
[04] SPAIN PUTS PRESSURE ON BASQUE REGION
Spain will not grant visas to the Kurdish Parliament-in-exile who
are planning to meet in the Basque region. Spanish Prime Minister
Jose M. Aznar gave assured his Turkish counterpart, Bulent
Ecevit, that everything would be done by the Spanish government
to cancel the meeting. The Basque decision had angered Turkey and
worried Spain which fears damaging its economic relations with
Ankara. Jose M. R. Fraga, Spokesman for the governing
Conservatives, called the Basque decision a "shame" while
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abel Matutes accused the Basque
region of "giving legitimacy to groups linked to certain
terrorist acts."
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said in a press conference
yesterday in Ankara that if the Basque Parliament did not alter
its recent decision, it would put Spain in a difficult postion in
Europe. Ecevit added that Turco-Spanish economic and bilateral
relations would be greatly damaged if the meeting took place.
/Milliyet/
[05] PARLIAMENT ON VACATION DUE TO ELECTIONS
The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) went into recess due
to the forthcoming elections in April. In the last working day of
the TGNA, a Parliamentary majority, vital for making legislative
resolutions, could not be achieved. Therefore the Banking Law,
still pending in the schedule of Parliament, could not be
discussed and enacted in spite of the fact that all the parties
have agreed on it. Noting that it is quite hard to reach a
Parliamentary majority due to the forthcoming elections, Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit said, "Some important bills, such as the
Banking Law, on Parliament's agenda could not be enacted during
this period; we accept this with great sorrow alongside
understanding." /Aksam/
[06] TEMIZEL: "THE BANKING LAW WOULD HAVE ACCELERATED CAPITAL INFLOWS"
While Parliament could not enact the Banking Law on its agenda
due to the lack of a Parliamentary majority in yesterday's
session, Zekeriya Temizel, the Minister of Finance, said that if
the Law had been passed, the foreign capital inflows to Turkey
would have augmented rapidly. Noting that the reforms concerning
the financial sector are not related to party politics but to the
future of the country, Temizel said, "According to the resolution
of the Constitutional Court, there is still time to enact this
law. The Banking Law will provide improvements in basic economic
indicators. In particular, we will be able to overcome the
question of high interest rates. There are no short term risks in
the banking sector. Yet we are concerned with medium- and
long-term improvements. We want to emancipate the financial
sector's operational principles from both individuals and
governments. Through this law, the Turkish banking system would
be able to comply with the prevailing international norms."
/Sabah/
[07] YILMAZ KICKS OFF ANAP ELECTION CAMPAIGN
The Moterhland Party (ANAP) kicked off its propaganda campaign
for the April 18 elections wirth the slogan "We are the voice of
the silent majority." ANAP organized a meeting in Istanbul to
inform the public about its goals for Turkey. Presenting the new
image and principles of ANAP, Yilmaz said that they wanted a
reliable future, to solve Turkey's health, education and work
problems by 2003 and to put Turkey into the top ten greatest
countries in the world by 2010. /Turkiye/
[08] AYDIN JOINS ANAP
Canakkale Independent Deputy Hikmet Aydin returned to his former
party, the Motherland Party (ANAP) on Thursday. With Aydin's
return to the fold, the number of ANAP seats in Parliament
increased to 137. /Turkiye/
[09] BROEK, "FIRST SOLUTION, THEN EU MEMBERSHIP"
The Chief-Commissioner of the European Union (EU) Foreign
Relations Commission, Hans Van den Broek, pointed out that if
Greek-Cyprus became an EU member before the Cyprus issue was
resolved, this would create problems in the international arena.
According to a Greek-Cypriot radio station, Broek said that he
would exert himself to reach a settlement of the Cyprus issue.
Regarding the Russian made S-300 missiles, Broek remarked that
Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should
welcome the Greek-Cypriot decision not to deploy the S-300
missiles on the island. Broek added that they expected that
Turkey would increase the number of its soldiers on the island.
/Cumhuriyet/
[10] SYMPOSIUM ON "LEGAL ASPECTS OF TURCO-TRNC RELATIONS"
High-level officials and legal experts from Turkey and the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) gathered in Ankara on
Thursday for a two-day symposium to discuss the legal aspects of
the close relationship between the two countries. The Turkish
Minister of Justice, Selcuk Oztek, said in his opening speech
that a 1989 Turkey-TRNC agreement concerning judicial cooperation
in legal procedures, commerce and criminal issues constitutes one
of the main legal base regulations governing bilateral relations
between the two states. The symposium, organized by the Turkish
Justice Ministry and the Turkish-Cypriot Development Platform,
will end today. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] GERMANY: "WE INSIST ON DUAL-CITIZENSHIP"
The German Minister of the Interior, Otto Schily, noted that they
had not retreated from the dual-citizenship bill which is to be
re-organized due to pressure by the Opposition, and said, "Just
the contrary, we insist on carrying out our purpose." Describing
the Citizenship Law reform, including dual-citizenship, as a very
significant project, Schily pointed out that they should prepare
a bill which could be accepted by the majority of the Federal
Parliament, as well as by the Opposition and the State
Assemblies. /Sabah/
[12] DUFF AND PHELPS LOWERS TURKEY'S GRADE
Duff and Phelps (DCR), an international credit rating
institution, lowered Turkey's credit grade concerning borrowings
in terms of TL from "BB plus" to "BB". However, it re-approved
Turkey's credit grade concerning borrowings in terms of foreign
exchanges without revision. The DCR declared that this change
reflects the weakening of the domestic financial structure. It
also stated that a possible agreement with the IMF would help
Turkey overcome its macroeconomic unbalance. Noting that Turkey
has a fairly fluid and advanced capital market, the DCR
emphasized that if Turkey continues its targeted economic
program, its credit grade could be raised. /Hurriyet/
[13] IMKB INDEX OVER 3000
The Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) was not unduly concerned by
DCR's lowering of Turkey's credit grade. The IMKB General Index
exceeded the 3000-point mark yesterday, reaching 3035 with an
increase of 2.19% compared to the previous day. /Hurriyet/
[14] FIRST BOSTON ADVISES INVESTMENT IN TURKEY
Preparing a research report on the Turkish economy, Credit Suisse
First Boston (CSFB) said that Turkish markets are expected to
revive following the April elections and therefore, investors
need to penetrate Turkish markets prior to the elections in order
to receive higher returns. Accordingly, the CSFB expects "a
reformist government after the elections. It is very likely that
the stock markets and the fixed-return investment instruments in
particular will revive after the elections." /Aksam/
[15] ARMENIAN PRESSURE ON FRENCH SENATE
Armenians living in France have lobbied the French Senate in
order to force them to place the Armenian genocide on the agenda
of the Senate. The draft bill concerning the Armenian genocide
was accepted by the French Parliament in May; in order to be
legalized, it should be approved by the Senate. Following
Turkey's harsh reaction, the French Senate postponed placing the
draft bill on the agenda. Turkey had admonished France concerning
the draft bill saying that French-Turco relations would be
damaged if the draft bill were be accepted by the Senate.
/Turkiye/
[16] TURKEY'S PERSPECTIVE IN EUROPE
The Turco-German Foundation organized a conference concerning
"Turkey's Perspective in Europe: The Future of Turco-German
Relations" in Istanbul. The Head of the Turco-German Foundation,
Vural Oger, said at the conference that the foundation aimed to
improve both Turco-German relations and the legal rights of
Turkish citizens living in Germany. /Milliyet/
[17] LE MONDE: "TURKEY FAVOURS THE US IN HELICOPTER BID"
A French newspaper, "Le Monde" reported that Turkey favoured the
US over Europe when it came to the purchase of helicopters.
According to the artice by Jacques Isnard, Turkey turned down the
200 military helicopter produced by the Eurocopter Corporation, a
Franco-German joint-venture company. It is claimed that Turkey
had decided to buy 50 "Blackhawk" helicopters from the US.
/Turkiye/
[18] PKK MEMBER STANDS TRIAL IN GERMANY
A State Court in Stuttgart, Germany on Thursday began a trial
against a member of the outlawed PKK, the Anatolia news agency
reported from Bonn. The office of the Federal Prosecutor in
Stuttgart said that Harun Bekir is charged with being the
representatives of a terrorist organization in Mannheim between
1995 and 1996. He is also linked to a number of assaults carried
out by the PKK, including arson attacks against some Turkish
businesses in 1993 in Germany.
[19] EMBARGO BY THE CB AGAINST THOSE WHO SUCCUMB TO THE MILLENIUM BUG
Gazi Ercel, the Governor of the Central Bank, declared that those
firms which fail to resolve the "Year 2000" problem in computer
systems will not be allowed to enter the markets and systems
under the control of the Central Bank. Noting that they have
formed a "Year 2000 Committee" to resolve the question, Ercel
said that the Cnetral Bank will be ready for the Millenium by
April 15. /Hurriyet/
[20] KARACAM: "BANKS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIGH INTEREST RATES"
Burhan Karacam, the Chairman of Yapi Kredi Bank, argued that the
banks were being unjustly criticized because of the so-called
fancy returns due to high interest rates on industrial loans.
Holding a press conference on "Credit Relations between the
Banking and Industrial Sectors in Turkey", Karacam mentioned that
it has long been claimed that the banks are selling the low-cost
funding at a high rate to the industrial sector, but the banks
are merely intermediary institutions in this process. Karacam
said, "The banks are held responsible for high interest rates on
industrial credits, which are indeeed rooted in the unfavourable
developments in emerging markets and alterations in the tax laws.
It is true that the interest rates on loans increased
unreasonably due to the jam in liquidity, and no doubt, this
creates a considerable burden for the industrial sector. Yet it
is not true that the banks receive excessive profits from this
process, for the increase in interest rates also increases the
re-collection risk undertaken by the banks." /Hurriyet/
[21] ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY TO TAKE INVENTORY OF TURKEY'S CHEMICALS
The Ministry of the Environment has begun a project to take an
inventory of all the chemicals that are being used in the
cosmetics, industry, food production, nuclear and other sectors
in Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported. In addition, the
Ministry is also working to prepare a set of regulations
regarding the storage and transportation of these chemicals. It
was reported that the current regulations would be adjusted
according to European Union standards. By the year 2000, all
countries will be obligated to disclose information about the
chemicals they use and the products that contain these chemicals,
so Turkey has started to gather the information in oder to meet
that deadline.
[22] TURKISH CARNATION EXPORT TO JAPAN
In time for Valentine's Day on 14 February, 10 million sprays of
carnations have been exported from Antalya to Europe and Japan.
Antalya Flower Exporters said that the European demand for
carnations was lower than had been expected. /Cumhuriyet/
[23] TURKISH TEXTILES LOOK TO FOREIGN LOANS
The ready-to-wear sector of the market is seeking foreign
investment. Representatives of the sector decided to meet
representatives of their financial backers from abroad. The
Turkish Clothing Industrialists' Association (TGSD) organized
meetings with five foreign banks. The TGSD also announced that
they aimed to establish a consortium under the chairmanship of
one Turkish bank and five foreign banks. This consortium would
transfer foreign financial funding to Turkey, they reported. A
renowned Turkish foreign trade company will be the guarantor of
the process. /Milliyet/
[24] 700TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE BEING
HELD IN FRANCE
The Foundation for the Protection of Culture and Works of Art has
organized an exhibition to mark occasion of the 700th Anniversary
of the foundation of the Ottoman Empire. The exhibition, which
will be opened on 19 February at the famous Lafayette Galleries
in Paris, will cover the themes of "Suleyman the Lawmaker", the
"Turkish Bath" and the "Bosphorus". The first area of the
exhibition will offer a glimpse of daily life in Istanbul; the
second section, "Turkish Bath", is divided into the men's and
women's facets of this traditional Turkish institution; the third
section, the "Bosphorus", decorated in blue, and glass objects
and the blue stones used to ward off the evil eye, which, in
Turkish belief, is a potent source of ill fortune. /Turkiye/
[25] FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS
[26] THE NEW MIDDLE CLASS - BY TUFAN TURENC (HURRIYET)
Columnist Tufan Turenc expresses his opinion of the statement
made by the Chairman of the Motherland Party, Mesut Yilmaz. A
summary of his column is as follows:
"When the Great Turkey Party was forced out of the race by the
Generals of September 12, it became clear that Ozal's Motherland
Party was going to win the elections... At the time Ozal made the
middle class his base and addressed himself directly to it...He
based his election campaign on the middle class which formed the
backbone of Turkish society. The middle class brought Ozal to
power.... It seems that the present Chairman of the party, Yilmaz
has also chosen the "middle class" as his target audience.
However election specialists have found a new name for the
"middle class" and that is the "silent majority"...It seems clear
that Yilmaz will prepare his election campaign on the wishes,
necessities and longings of the "silent majority" which forms a
great part of the electorate. The target is right but Yilmaz does
not have the advantages which Ozal had in 1983...These elections
come at a time when politics have hit the rock-bottom, in
addition to the divisions in the political arena. Therefore it
will not be easy for him to embrace the "silent majority". The
campaign statements Yilmaz has issued to the press were
laborious to prepare but were evaluated were evaluated
positively by those listening to them. The logical argument in
which domestic and international problems were set forth; the
solutions proposed to them and the targets pinpointed for action
were correct. When he says that the 1999 elections are in fact a
Referendum which will determine whether Turkey will keep pace
with the new Millenium or go back a hundred years, he is making a
correct statement. He expresses his confidence in the ability of
Turkish society to make the correct choice...We shall see whether
the"silent majority" will make him the largest party in the
Parliament." /Hurriyet/
[27] WHAT VEINSTEIN TEACHES - BY SERVER TANILLI (CUMHURIYET)
In "Cumhuriyet", columnist Server Tanilli looks into the recent
discussions on the statements of the great historian Gilles
Veinstein. A summary of his column is as follows:
"In recent weeks in France a great debate has taken place
concerning the great historian Gilles Veinstein who was elected
to the Department of Turkish and Ottoman history, newly-founded
at the College de France. Even though his appointment was
officially approved by the French President, Jacques Chirac,
discussions continued to prevent its implementation regarding
inflammatory issue such as the "Armenian Genocide."... College de
France is an educational institution dating back to the 16th
century, affiliated to the Ministry of Education and autonomous
from the University...It is a great honour to be elected to this
prestigious Institute... Veinstein is one of the few specialists
on Ottoman history especially between the 15th and 18th
centuries... A campaign against him was launched because of one
his articles published in the L'Histoire magazine in 1995. In his
article entitled "Three Questions On A Genocide" Veinstein did
not deny the calamity which befell tens of thousands of Armenians
in 1915, during the "deportation" which came during the most
turbulent period in the First World War... What he is against is
that these were pre-determined massacres and were implemented by
the Ottoman Administration as some circles claim. ...Therefore
the incidents which took place are dissimilar to the "Jewish
Holocaust" carried out in the Second World War. In the Ottoman
Empire, like the Jews and all other Christian citizens Armenians
were not subjected to racial discrimination. The Armenians were
even called 'the loyal nation'. When the national system emerged
in a very sensitive region in the form of terrorism, a gap
between the two societies was formed and widened."
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