Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-02-06

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From: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>

06 FEP 1998

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] TURKEY-IRAQ-UN - TURKEY AGAINST RESOLUTION OF CRISIS BY OPERATION

[03] TURKEY-AZERBAIJAN - AZERI PRESIDENT ALIYEV: ''WE HOPE MORE ACTIVE COOPERATION WITH TURKEY IN OSCE MINSK GROUP''

[04] TURKEY-ISRAEL - LAND FORCES COMMANDER KIVRIKOGLU IN ISRAEL

[05] TURKEY-GAGOGUZ AUTONOMOUS REGION - PRESIDENT DEMIREL RECEIVES GAGOGUZ LEADER TABUNSHGIK

[06] TURKEY-TERRORISM - 27 TERRORISTS KILLED

[07] TURKEY-IRAQ-UN - CONTACTS OF FM CEM IN BAGHDAD - CEM: ''THERE IS STILL THE POSSIBILITY OF WAR'' - ''NO COUNTRY IN MIDDLE EAST SHOULD USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS'' - ''WE UNDERSTOOD TURKEY'S GREATNESS AND EFFECTIVENESS IN IRAQ''

[08] TURKEY-GREECE - GREEKS HARASS TURKISH YACHT - FOUR GREEK MEN ATTACKS TURKISH YACHT CASTED ANCHOR IN HARBOUR IN CHIOS ISLAND

[09] TURKEY-IRAQ-UN - SITUATION IN INCIRLIK BASE

[10] TURKEY IN BRIEF- FEBRUARY 6, 1998

[11] TURKEY-IRAQ-UN - FOREIGN MINISTER CEM RECEIVES US AMBASSADOR PARRIS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL) HITTING SIGNAL
UN experts who were not allowed to control the palaces will leave Iraq at the weekend. This improvement is interpreted as a signal for hitting Iraq.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL) TURKISH PLAN
Foreign Minister cem who met Saddam presented 4-item proposal package. During the meeting Cem conveyed President Demirel's message to overcome the crisis.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

YENI YUZYIL (LIBERAL)

-Abide by all the UN resolutions without any condition.

-Destroy all mass destruction weapons.

-Stop lack of authority in Northern Iraq.

-Let us set up regional security and cooperation system.

-Let us support Iraq's territorial integrity.

-Let us contribute to the lifting of embargo.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

TÜRKİYE (RIGHT)

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

FINANSAL FORUM (ECONOMY) RUSSIA REACTS TO MILITARY OPERATION
As efforts were underway to find a diplomatic solution to Gulf crisis, Russian President Boris Yeltsin who reacted to a military operation said the worst part of the operation was over.

[02] TURKEY-IRAQ-UN - TURKEY AGAINST RESOLUTION OF CRISIS BY OPERATION

Pointing out that Turkey would not follow the same policies of other countries for regional problems, reliable sources said that ''a fire in Iraq would also burn Turkey.''

Same sources said that Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's last initiative was launched within the framework of Turkey's interests and neighbourly relations.

Stating that the core of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's initiative in Iraq was to convey Baghdad the Turkish view that Iraq should cooperate for its own interests, same officials said, ''Iraq's territorial integrity and unity should be protected. We will not accept anything contrary to these. This is our basic policy.''

Noting that the crisis between Iraq and the UN was taken up within three different phases, the officials defined those phases as ''peaceful initiatives'', ''military strike'', and ''the day after an operation''.

Stating that the crisis was still in the first phase, same sources said that Turkey launched intense diplomatic efforts to prevent a ''war'' at this first phase.

Emphasizing that Turkey's countable losses reached 35 million US dollars after the Gulf crisis, the sources said that the amount of the losses would increase more and would bring grave consequences to Turkey, if the crisis would be resolved by a US military operation.

Stating that there could be a new immigration wave from Northern Iraq to Turkey as it had happened before following the Gulf War if the US would resolve the crisis by a military strike, officials said that the region would face with uncertainty, if the operation would destroy Iraq's territorial integrity, unity, and structural and economic texture.

Stressing that some new organizations which would be against Turkey could emerge in northern and southern parts of Iraq if Iraq's territorial integrity and unity would be destroyed, officials said the aim of those all initiatives was to prevent crisis to result in that way.

Officials said the contacts between Turkey, and the UN Security Council member countries and regional countries about Cem's initiative in Baghdad still continued, adding that the initiative was supported by all those countries.

Within this framework, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Russian Ambassador to Ankara, briefed Foreign Ministry officials on Russian President Boris Yeltsin's Special Representative Viktor Posuvalyuk's contacts in Baghdad.

Kuznetsov said that the contacts of Posuvalyuk's brought positive developments and that the peaceful initiatives would continue.

[03] TURKEY-AZERBAIJAN - AZERI PRESIDENT ALIYEV: ''WE HOPE MORE ACTIVE COOPERATION WITH TURKEY IN OSCE MINSK GROUP''

Haydar Aliyev received Ali Hikmet Alp, Turkish President Süleyman Demirel's newly appointed Special Representative to OSCE Minsk Group.

Haydar Aliyev said in the meeting that the appointment of Alp as the special representative concerning with Armenian-Azerbaijani issue carries considerable importance for Azerbaijan.

Ali Hikmet Alp said that he will do his best to help Azerbaijan to overcome its problems.

[04] TURKEY-ISRAEL - LAND FORCES COMMANDER KIVRIKOGLU IN ISRAEL

An Israeli Defence Ministry statement said that during the meeting Mordechai said relations between the two countries were warm and sincere, adding that they were willing to improve relations.

Speaking about the Iraq-UN crisis, Mordechai said that they were in coordination with the US, yet, he added that ''Israel does not want to be included in a possible war.''

Gen. Kıvrıkoglu will also meet Israeli Chief of General Staff Ammon Lipkin Shakak, and other military authorities.

Gen. Kıvrıkoglu is expected to come to Turkey on Friday.

[05] TURKEY-GAGOGUZ AUTONOMOUS REGION - PRESIDENT DEMIREL RECEIVES GAGOGUZ LEADER TABUNSHGIK

Presidential Press Center said in a written statement that Gagoguz Region achieved a special statue within Republic of Moldova structure after declaration of its independency in August 27, 1991.

The statement said the Gagoguz people was accepted as ''Gagoguz nation'' not a minority in the ''Status Law'', adding that Gogoguz Autonomous Region, which was an administration based upon territorial autonomy, had the authority to open commercial and cultural representations abroad.

The statement said the country's population was 170 thousand, capital was Komrad and official languages were Gagoguzian, Moldovan and Russian, adding that Georgiy Tabunshgik was elected as President of Gagoguz Autonomous Region in July 11, 1995.

The statement said Turkey was launching efforts to improve its economic, educational and cultural relations with that country with its several facilities, recalling that Turkish Eximbank had signed 35 million US dollars of loan protocol with Moldova for irrigation and spring water projects to be implemented in the region where Gagoguz people live.

''Meanwhile, Turkish Institution of Higher Education (YOK) and the University of Komrat had signed 250 thousand US dollars of loan protocol and President Suleyman Demirel announced that University of Komrat was Turkey's 59th university,'' the statement added.

President Suleyman Demirel also received Uzbek Ambassador to Ankara Abdugafur Adurahmanov in the Presidential Palace in Cankaya.

Abdurahmanov, whose term in office in Turkey expires, paid a farewell visit to Demirel.

[06] TURKEY-TERRORISM - 27 TERRORISTS KILLED

Emergency Rule Governors Office told a statement that 22 terrorists who killed three people from security forces in a clash in Nusaybin, Midyat townships in Mardin were killed.

Meanwhile, five terrorists were also killed in Homek Hill region in Lice township in Diyarbakır province.

A terrorist was captured in Ergani township and two others surrendered to security forces in Dicle and Kulp townships.

Operations underway in the region.

[07] TURKEY-IRAQ-UN - CONTACTS OF FM CEM IN BAGHDAD - CEM: ''THERE IS STILL THE POSSIBILITY OF WAR'' - ''NO COUNTRY IN MIDDLE EAST SHOULD USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS'' - ''WE UNDERSTOOD TURKEY'S GREATNESS AND EFFECTIVENESS IN IRAQ''

After arriving from Baghdad, Cem hold a press briefing at the Esenboga Airport in Ankara.

Ismail Cem said that Turkey was an important side in the Middle East, adding that he launched initiatives to contribute to the resolution of the crisis between Iraq and the UN.

Stressing that they did not exaggerate the crisis, Cem said that they understood Turkey's greatness and effectiveness in Iraq.

Noting that Turkey's prior target was to prevent a hot clash in Iraq within the framework of the crisis, Cem said they also presented several proposals to Iraq.

Stating that he urged Iraq to comply with the UN's decisions, Cem said he conveyed to Iraqi officials that Turkey would give every assistance in reconstruction of Iraqi economy.

''We are on the treshold of a war as Iraq uses chemical weapons. However, no country in the Middle East should use such weapons,'' said Cem, adding that they presented that proposal to Iraq and that Iraqi officials gave positive response.

Cem said Turkey attaches great importance to Iraq's territorial integrity and unity, and to the improvement of neighborly relations with the Middle Eastern countries within the framework of cooperation, adding that the cooperations were not against any country.

Emphasizing that Turkey was mostly considering the results of the standoff, Cem said that Turkey's attitude was supported by both Iraq and international public opinion.

''Turkey exists in the Middle East and will continue to exist,'' Cem said.

Cem said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein told him that Turkey had a vital importance for Iraq and that our initiatives brought a new dimension for the resolution of the crisis.

[08] TURKEY-GREECE - GREEKS HARASS TURKISH YACHT - FOUR GREEK MEN ATTACKS TURKISH YACHT CASTED ANCHOR IN HARBOUR IN CHIOS ISLAND

Mustafa Cenger, Deputy Mayor of Cesme Municipality in the Aegean Izmir province, and the owner of the yacht named ''Espelina'', said that they visited Chios for spending their Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Cenger said that the windows of the yacht were broken and its Turkish flag was torn away.

Cenger said his brother and yacht's vice captain Ali Hira Gencer and second captain Cemal Can were on board during the attack and they saw the Greek attackers.

Cenger said his family and he returned to Turkey after the attack and that the Chios Island police opened an investigation regarding the attack.

[09] TURKEY-IRAQ-UN - SITUATION IN INCIRLIK BASE

Totally 20 fighters including F-15s, F-16s, Tornadoes, EA-6B Prowlers, one Awacs and one KC-15 tanker plane landed on the base while 16 fighters took off from the base between 07.30-12.00.

[10] TURKEY IN BRIEF- FEBRUARY 6, 1998

Presidential Press Center said in a written statement that Demirel approved Council of Ministers' decision regarding the approval of the ''Functional and Structural Cooperation Protocol'' signed between Foreign Ministry and TRNC Defense and Foreign Ministries on January 13, 1998 in Lefkosa, and Council of Ministers' decision regarding the approval of the ''Military Training Agreement'' signed between General Staff and Hungarian Defense Ministry on December 18, 1997 in Budapest.

ISTANBUL - The 19.6 billion liras of nominal-value part which represents 40 billion liras of Setkom Net Trank Communication's capital, will be sold to the Motorola International Development Corporation in the IMKB Wholesale Market, it was reported on Friday.

TEB Investment sent a letter to the Directorate of Stock Exchange and said that the sale-price of Setkom's share having one thousand lira-nominal value will be fixed by the Central Bank.

ANKARA - Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin on Friday received Uzbek Ambassador Abdurgafur Abdurrahmanov and then Venezuelan Ambassador Dr. Raman Delgado.

During Abdurranmanov's farewell visit, Cetin said Turkey and Uzbekistan were sister countries in solidarity.

ANKARA - President Suleyman Demirel on Friday received Austrian Ambassador to Ankara Dr. Ralph Scheide in the Presidential Palace in Cankaya.

Ambassador Scheide presented his credentials to President Demirel in the meeting.

ISTANBUL - The European Champion Clubs Cup 17th Women Cross-Country Competition will be held in Istanbul Zeytinburnu course on February 8, it was reported on Friday.

Turkey will host such a championship for the first time. Totally 19 clubs from 18 countries will participate in the championship in which Turkey will be represented by Istanbul Gunes Sigorta Sports Club and Ankara Yenimahalle Municipality Sports Club.

ANKARA - Turkey paid 143.5 million US dollars of foreign debt between February 2 and 4, it was reported on Thursday.

Central Bank data showed that Treasury paid 136.8 million US dollars, Cenral Bank paid 1.5 million US dollars and Defense Industry paid 5.2 million US dollars of foreign debt during the same period.

Meanwhile, Turkey's payment of foreign debt since January 1, 1998 reached 1.5 billion US dollars.

ISTANBUL - Istanbul and Albania's Durres city was declared as ''sister city'' with a protocol signed on Friday.

Istanbul Mayor Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing the signature ceremony, said Albanian people were Turkey's brothers and an inseparable part of Turkey due to Albanian origin people living in Turkey.

Erdogan said Turkey always favored brotherly Albanian people to develop in peace and stability and to take steps on the way of democracy.

Meanwhile, Durres Mayor Arqile Gorea in his part said they were very pleased that Durres and Istanbul became sister cities.

He said both of these cities based on the history and stressed that peoples of these two countries have mutual cultures. Gorea said with the protocol there may be cooperation in trade, tourism, education, culture and sports fields.

[11] TURKEY-IRAQ-UN - FOREIGN MINISTER CEM RECEIVES US AMBASSADOR PARRIS

During the meeting Cem briefed Parris about his contacts in Baghdad.

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