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Turkish Press Review, 99-05-24Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>24.05.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..[02] SPECIAL KOSOVO[03] DSP AND MHP COMPROMISEPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit announced yesterday that the difficulties between the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) had been overcome and they had reached a compromise. Ecevit noted that after this difficult period he believed that the trust between the two parties had been strengthened and would be developed. He added that with a DSP-MHP-ANAP coalition government they would have the majority vote in Parliament and that they would have the opportunity to make amendments in the Constitution and structural reforms would be able to be achieved.Concerning the establishment of the government, Bahceli noted that they were in favour of an active, flexible government to solve Turkey's problems. He added that for Turkey to turn its face solely towards home and waste time in domestic politic struggles alone could not be accepted. Bahceli stressed that he would like the government to be set up as soon as possible and that the government ought to depend on cooperation and trust in order to be productive. After receiving a positive answer from the Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz concerning the formation of a coalition government, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit announced yesterday that a tri-partate meeting between the leader of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), Devlet Bahceli, ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz and himself would be held today. He added that they would accelerate their efforts to establish a government over the next few days. After his visit to Yilmaz, Ecevit stated that ANAP was ready to be part of and contribute to the government. /Hurriyet/Cumhuriyet/ [04] YILMAZ APPROVES HIS PLACE IN THE COALITIONPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that the Chairman of the Motherland Party (ANAP), Mesut Yilmaz, and his party had agreed in principle to contribute to the establishment of a new government. Following a meeting with Yilmaz yesterday evening, Ecevit made a statement to journalists saying that he had had a beneficial meeting with Yilmaz. Additionally, Yilmaz met Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev yesterday. /Aksam/[05] CHP NEW CHAIRMAN: ALTAN OYMENAltan Oymen became the new Chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) yesterday. However a list prepared on behalf of Oymen for the CHP Party Assembly caused some discussions. More than half of the 60-member Party Assembly was absent. Therefore, CHP Chairman Altan Oymen said that an extra-ordinary meeting would be held in order to determine the Party Assembly within 45 days. /Aksam/[06] "TURKEY CONTINUES TO SUPPORT AZERBAIJAN"President Suleyman Demirel said that Turkey would continue her support of Azerbaijan and hoped that the Nagorna-Karabah issue would be solved in line with the principles of international law. Demirel gave a banquet at Cankaya Palace in honour of Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev, who is on holiday in Turkey after heart surgery in America. Demirel noted that the American embargo on Azerbaijan because of the Karabak issue was unjust and Turkey had asked the US adminisitration to lift it. Aliyev said for his part that the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline project would be begun as soon as possible.[07] TURKEY REQUESTS PKK ARCHIVES FROM SYRIAIn line with the information obtained from Abdullah Ocalan and the Sakik brothers, Turkey has asked for the PKK archives in Syria. It is reported that the files compromise the list of the PKK's ties both in Turkey and abroad. There is also information about the PKK's financial and economic situation. Ankara has been informed that these documents are in the hands of the Syrian Intelligence Service. /Sabah/[08] OCALAN'S LAWYERS IN ITALYSelim Okcuoglu and Irfan Dundar, lawyers for the chief of the terrorist PKK organization, Abdullah Ocalan, have organized a press conference in Rome. According to Italian newspapers and news agencies, Okcuoglu and Dundar, Ocalan's Italian lawyers Luigi Saraceni and Giuliano Pisapia, some Communist Party MPs and members of the Human Rights Organization also attended the conference. It was reported that Okcuoglu and Dundar have requested political asylum for their client. /Sabah/[09] SIMITIS CLAIMS ON OCALAN'S TRIALGreece, which had embraced the head of the PKK terrorist organization, Abdullah Ocalan, prior to his capture by Turkey, is now claiming that Ocalan's trial process will not be just. Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis made a statement to 'To Vima' newspaper in which he said that Ocalan's trial bore no relation to fair trials in Europe. He added: "Ocalan's trial is pre-planned". Simitis also remarked that the Ocalan issue was closed for Greece. /Aksam/[10] -300 FIASCOThe Russian-made S-300 missiles deployed on Crete continue to be a headache for Greece and Southern Cyprus. The Washington Times newspaper, quoting some Greek-Cypriot sources in Lefkose, said that the deployment of the S-300 missiles in Crete had turned into a complete fiasco. The newspaper remarked that members of the Greek-Cypriot Guard Army (RMMO) trained in Russia were unable even to remove the missiles from the boxes. The newspaper stated that the S-300 missiles were causing tension between Greek and Greek-Cypriot officers and pointed out that Greece which is unbale to manage to set up the missiles is planning to give this work to Russian experts. /Turkiye/[11] NEW GERMAN PRESIDENT'S GUARANTEE FOR TURKSJohannes Rau from the Social Democrat Party, a man known as 'a friend of Turks', won the Presidential elections held in Germany yesterday. Rau (68) obtained 690 votes during the second round of voting, which was attended by 1,338 people, and became the eighth German President. In a statement following his election, Rau said: "I am the man on the spot for those who are living and working in Germany but do not have a German passport to talk to". Rau also thanked all the delegates who voted for him. /Aksam/[12] GEN.OZKOK VISITS CHINAThe Deputy Chief of General Staff, Gen.Hilmi Ozkok, went to Beijing yesterday to pay an official visit to China. During his visit to China which will last until May 30, Gen.Ozkok will meet high-level officials from the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Gen.Ozkok, before proceeding to Sian and Shanghai, will visit some military schools and units there. Diplomatic circles in Beijing say that this visit is of great significance since it is being paid during a period when Chinese-NATO relations are strained. /Aksam/[13] PKK MINES DAMAGED 50 HECTARES FOREST LANDA blaze flared up last night on Zorkun Plain in the district of Osmaniye, which PKK terrorists had planted with landmines. Officials announced that the PKK had created a large minefield in the region and 50 hectares of forest land had already been damaged by the end of a fire caused by the explosion of a mine. They added that the fire had been taken under control but had not been extinguished yet. /Hurriyet/[14] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN CALL ON IMPROVEMENT OF RELATIONS WITH EUThe Representative of the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) to the EU, Bahadir Kaleagasi, and the Representative of the Turkish Young Businessmen's Association (TUGIAD) to the EU, Hakan Hanli, have sent letters to permanent representatives of 15 EU-member countries in Brussels in which they have stated that the chill in relations between Turkey and the EU should be overcome as soon as possible.The businessmen stated that relations between Turkey and the EU should be improved and pointed out they hoped that Turkey's EU membership application would be evaluated during the Cologne Summit. They said that such an approach would be beneficial for Turkey's economic and democratic reforms and would provide a more healthy economic structure in Europe. They added that the EU should encourage an effective solution to the problems between Turkey and Greece. /Turkiye/ [15] STABILITY PACT FOR THE BALKANSThe EU Commission is giving the final finishing touches to the Balkan stability pact to be presented to those Balkan countries negatively affected by the Kosovo crisis. The EU has Commission also issued a declaration on the recent situation in the Balkans; this also included the preparations for the 'Stability Pact' proposed by the current EU President, Germany. A meeting to be held on May 27 will be attended by representatives from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Albania, Macedonia, Croatia, Turkey, Slovenia, Romania, Russia, the US, Canada, Japan, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the IMF and the European Development and Re-Construction Bank in addition to regional institutions. /Turkiye/[16] TREASURY TO EXPORT 21-MONTH BONDSThe Treasury Undersecretariat will export 21-month bonds worth 200-400 trillion TL tomorrow. The repayment of the bonds will be on February 21, 2001.Meanwhile, the Treasury Undersecretariat gave 309 investment incentives worth 578.4 trillion TL in March 1999. These investment incentives have created employment opportunities for 19,516 people. The largest number of of investment incentives was given to the manufacturing sector: 156 in March 1999. /Aksam/ [17] MORNINGSTAR LEAVES HIS DUTYAmbassador Richard Morningstar, who has been working to see the Baku-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Project come into fruition for more than a year as US President Bill Clinton's Special Envoy responsible for Caspian Basin energy resources, will leave his duty next month. It is reported that Morningstar, who is being assigned as the US Permanent Representative to the EU, will be replaced by Ambassador John Wolf, the US Representative to the Asian Pacific Economic Council.According to information received from American officials, Morningstar will pay his last visit to the region in the second half of June and will go to Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Wolf will accompany Morningstar and meet the leaders of the region. /Turkiye/ [18] DUFF & PHELPS GIVES FINANSBANK SWITZERLAND BB+International rating agency Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. (DCR) rated Finansbank Switzerland (FBS) BB+ for long term obligations. According to the DCR report, the FBS was given D-3 as regards its short-term obligations. These rates reveal strong structure of the bank and its stable management staff, the Anatolia News Agency reported.[19] VARDARLI INVESTS IN EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIADogan Vardarli, who sold the 'Tikvesli' brand to DanoneSa, has invested in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. Vardarli will distribute its products under the brandname of 'Dogadan' to be produced at facilities worth $100 million in various sectors in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. /Turkiye/[20] BAYINDIR CORPORATION TO INVEST IN MOLDOVIAAfter its investments in Romania, the Bayindir Corporation has decided to invest in Moldovia. Bayindir Corp.; and its Romanian partner, Banca Turco plan to set up a bank in Moldovia. The President of the Executive Board of Bayindir Corp., Kamuran Cortuk, said that they would find a Moldovian partner for their bank. Noting that they controlled 8 % of the banking sector in Romania, Cortuk added that they aimed to become a leading name in banking in Moldovia with their Romanian and Moldovian partners. /Sabah/[21] DPT ASKS FOR $ 500,000 CREDITThe State Planning Organization (DTP) has asked for $ 500,000 from the World Bank in order to establish a new department to monitor and control the integration efforts of the organization to the 21st century. It is planned that public institutions will send monthly reports to the DTP concerning their integration efforts. /Sabah/[22] NIHAT ESKI BECOMES A CANDIDATE FOR EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTA Turkish journalist living in Holland, Nihat Eski, has been listed as a candidate by the Christian Social Democrat Party (CDA) for the European Parliament (EP) where political decisions concerning the European Union (EU) are taken. Eski, who became a nominee for the EP elections to be held on June 10, said he believed that he would take his place in Parliament with the support of three million Turks living in various European countries. /Aksam/[23] CULTURE MINISTER IN BISHKEKCulture Minister Istemihan Talay will go to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, today to attend the 12th term meeting of the Turkish Culture and Arts Joint Administration's Permanent Council (TURKSOY). The Culture Ministry Undersecretary, Tekin Aybas, will also participate in the meeting during which the 70th anniversary of the birth of world-renowned Kyrgyz writer Cengiz Aytmatov will also be celebrated. /Turkiye/[24] A BOMB IN BAKIRKOY RENDERED INEFFECTIVEA bomb placed in a small bag in the Bakirkoy district of Istanbul has been rendered ineffective by bomb disposal experts. It is reported that citizens who were suspicious of some strange-looking items in a wastepaper bin in Ozgurluk Square notified the police. Officials stated that an investigation into the incident was in progress. /Aksam/[25] 'TURKISH AIRPORTS MEET WORLD STANDARDS'The General Director of the State Airports Company (DHMI), Taner Kucukunsal, said that new arrangements would be implemented in airports and new airports, terminal buildings and runways would be constructed. Kucukunsal remarked that an international airport would also be constructed in the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region, an integrated development project in Turkey. /Turkiye/[26] TURKISH TOURISM IN FOREIGN PRESSA total of 347 pages of news about the Turkish tourism was issued in 295 foreign publications in the first three months of 1999; it was reported by the Anatolian News Agency. The Tourism Ministry Promotion Directorate General said that nine of the publications were issued after the Ministry hosted the representatives of the press agencies.[27] LEGAUE CHAMPION: GALATASARAYGalatasary Football Team became Champion this year. The result of the Galatasaray-Antalyaspor match was 1-1. However, Galatasaray became the Turkish League Champion for the thirteen time, leading Besiktas by three points, with a 26-point average. /Aksam/[28] RUSSIAN BOLSHOI BALLET GROUP IN ANTALYATo celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Belek Tourism Investors' Union (BETUYAB), the Russian Bolshoi Opera and Ballet have staged performances in the historic Aspendos Theatre in Antalya. Five thousand people in the audience, most of whom were tourists, enjoyed the Russian folk dances, songs, classical arias and ballet performances during the evening. Turkish Tourism Minister Ahmet Tan, who also attended the evening, said that there were no borders in art since it is universal. /HUrriyet/[29] TATAROGLU EUROPEAN CHAMPION IN JUDOSelim Tataroglu has become the European Champion following the European Adults' Judo Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia. Beating a Spanish competitor in the Final, Tataroglu won the gold medal. In the 66 kg Men's category, Huseyin Ozkan came second. The Turkish team came third overall at the end of the Championship in Slovakia. /Hurriyet/[30] FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..[31] EU AND THE KURDISH PROBLEM - BY SUKRU ELEKDAG (MILLIYET)Former Ambassador Sukru Elekdag comments on the relations with the EU and its stance on the Kurdish problem. A summary of his column is as follows:"The EU is tying Turkish full-membership in the Union to bringing a political solution to the Kurdish problem. This stance has been revealed since the arrest of Ocalan. Certain EU members, among whom we can cite Germany, fear that the trial of Ocalan would turn their countries into a battlefield between Turks and Kurds. Therefore, they believe Turkey should find a political solution to the problem as a matter of urgency. In a press statement issued by the EU Council of Ministers while all sorts of terrorism was being denounced no mention was made of the PKK being a terrorist organization neither Ocalan was described as a terrorist. This immensely disturbed Ankara. This was the reason why the Council of Europe did not accept a draft resolution bearing the words "the PKK is a terrorist organization". Finding 42 members of the EU standing against this opinion as a bloc, shows Turkey's isolation in this matter. Additionally, the European media, as if vowed to act in unison, define the situation in Southeastern Anatolia as the separatist ethnic war of a people deprived of their rights, and describe Ocalan as a warrior of independence. This not only shows the foreign pressure we are up against concerning the "Kurdish Problem" but also the impasse Turkey's full-membership in the EU is facing. But the roots of the problem are deep. The Europeans believe that the spirit and essence of Western culture comes from Christian values. Due to certain prejudices they do not accept Turks for themselves. However, the young Turkish Republic's identifying its understanding of civilization with that of the West, and taking her place in European institutions in the years following the Second World War has resulted in certain positive evaluations of Turkey in the West. In fact, during the Cold War period, world policy was focused on the conflict between communism and democracy and therefore the distinction between Christians and Muslims was pushed into the background. During this period Turkey's Muslim identity was not questioned due to its important strategic role in NATO. This led certain circles in Turkey to believe that Europe accepted Turkey as one of them. When the Cold War ended and Turkey's role in the defence of Europe decreased they remembered that Turkey had a different religion and culture. The view that integration with Turkey would bring financial and social commitments which the EU would not be able to bear and all her regional problems, including that of Southeastern Anatolia, would be brought to Europe was accepted within the Union. However, excluding Turkey totally or creating a disenchantment within the country was not favoured either. The EU hoped to secure a dominant place within the wide Turkish market with the Customs Union agreement but this was not enough. While Greece had a place within the EU, it had to find solutions to the Cyprus and Aegean problems and prevent the possibility of a conflict which would draw the Union into it. Therefore, it had to have a certain amount of control over Turkey. Furthermore, due to its strategic location and multilateral geopolitical identity, Turkey is an important country in the search for peace and stability in Eurasia. Therefore, the EU while putting unsurmountable barriers in front of Turkey for full-membership, has not altogether severed ties with Turkey but uses delaying tactics. The decision taken by the European Christian Democrat Party leaders in March 1997, showed the real face of Europe. In their decision they stated that Turkey did not have a place in Europe, since it does not have Europe's Christian cultural and humane values. Turkey could have evaluated this statement thus: if the real barrier was Turkey's not being Christian, then all claims of human rights violations or the "so-called" invasion of Cyprus were nothing but excuses and hypocrisy. In fact, the EU identified "being European" with that of "being Christian" and has accepted 11 more States as candidates while ignoring Turkey. Ankara's response has been to suspend political relations with the EU. Even though Ankara says that full-membership in the EU is not an obsession for Turkey, she acts as if thinking she will be a full-member one day. Therefore she is unable to form a European policy taking these harsh realities into consideration. This leads to a certain weakness on Turkey's part." [32] "GARDEN PARTY AT HARRAN" - BY OKAN MUDERRISOGLU (SABAH)Okan Muderrisoglu wrote his column today about the meeting organized by HALKBANK in Sanliurfa to celebrate the 61st anniversary of HALKBANK. He said that a crowd of businessmen, bored with Ankara's recent unclear political atmosphere, arrived in Sanliurfa; these businessmen, who met with the realities of life in the Southeastern region, used their right to determine the agenda of their meeting.He added, "In his speech to the meeting Mehmet Arslan, the Chairman of the Gaziantep Trade Chamber, said, "If trade is not improved in the Southeast, industry will not be developed no matter how many incentives there are. Turkey, which was damaged by the Gulf Crisis, has been using her rights in line with the 50th Article of the United Nations since 1991. Regional businessmen visited Iraq and signed an oil agreement in order to get a $ 81 million credit debts from their Iranian counterparts. We succeeded in realizing a total of $ 150 million economic activity. Before the Crisis we exported $ 500 million-worth of livestock export to Gulf countries. However, now Syria, who closed its doors to us, exports livestock to Balkan countries via the Straits." Muderrisoglu noted that Arslan's speech reflected the real feelings of the regional businessmen. However, he added, there was a contrast in the scene. There was a "garden party" in the middle of the Harran Plain, which scene regional people watched from the roof of their houses, said Mudderrisoglu. He added that the industrialists, who were in the region to unite with the people of the region, shared their meals on the table immediately after they had recovered from the shock of Arslan's words. He continued, "The last words at the 'garden party' were again from the regional people. There is great hope for the future of the region when you see businessmen from Ankara and regional people sitting down together and sharing their bread." [33] * * * * * * *[34] SPECIAL KOSOVO[35] NATO RENEWS RAIDS ON SERB POWER SUPPLYNATO warplanes attacked Yugoslavia's already crippled electricity network on Sunday, targeting a major power plant, and pounded Serb military targets in Kosovo as the air campaign reached the end of its second month. Refugees continued to pour out of the Serbian province. Several thousand ethnic Albanians fled Kosovo on Saturday, including an estimated 7,700 into Macedonia -the biggest influx in weeks- and hundreds more arrived there by bus on Sunday morning. Taking advantage of clear skies, NATO jets unleashed another round of heavy attacks on Yugoslavia -652 sorties, 301 of them strikes- after carrying out a record 684 sorties the previous day.During daylight strikes in Kosovo yesterday, Alliance forces blasted an abandoned military barracks in the southern town of Urosevac with 13 missiles and also fired on the eastern region of Gnjilane after numerous attacks around the province overnight, the Serb-run Media Centre reported. /All papers/ [36] COMMANDERS TO OBSERVE BASESTomorrow, the Chief of General Staff, Gen.Huseyin Kivrikoglu, and Forces' Commanders, will inspect the Balikesir Ninth Main Jet Base where aircraft taking part in the NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia will be deployed as of the end of this month. Gen.Kivrikoglu will be accompanied by Land Forces Commander Gen.Atilla Ates, Naval Forces Commander Vice-Admiral Salim Dervisoglu, Air Forces Commander Gen.Ilhan Kilic and Gendarmerie General Commander Rasim Betir. /Aksam/[37] "KOSOVARS TO GO TO TURKEY"Three German provinces, Bavaria, Saxony and Turingen have announced that they want no more Kosovars. They declared that the refugees should not go too far away from their homelands and added that there was ample room in the refugee camps in Turkey and Albania for the Kosovars.Meanwhile, the US President, Bill Clinton, said in his statement issued in the New York Times newspaper yesterday that other military choices had been discussed but thet would continue with the present military strategy because it had been showing results. He stressed the necessity of the NATO operation and added that these airstrikes prevented a worse war in the region. /Hurriyet/Cumhuriyet/ [38] NATO STRIKES DISSOLVE TURKISH-YUGOSLAVIAN TRADENATO air strikes on Yugoslavia are negatively affecting Turkey's foreign trade. According to information the Anatolia News Agency obtained from the International Transporters' Association (UND), although 1,300 Turkish lorries were driven to Yugoslavia last year, no Turkish lorry has travelled to this country since the bombardment began.Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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