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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-03-07Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>07 MARCH 1998CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-BULGARIA - PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ LEAVES FOR BULGARIAANKARA, March 7 (A.A) - Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz left for Bulgaria on Saturday on a one day work visit.Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Korkmaz Haktanir and Deputy Undersecretary Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik accompany Yilmaz during the visit. Yilmaz will meet Bulgarian Prime Minister Kostov and evaluate developments in the Balkans. Yilmaz left for Bulgaria by ''Falcon 900'' type private plane. [02] TURKEY-KOSOVO - KOSOVO PROBLEM... - TURKEY WARNS UN: ''KOSOVO SHOULD NOT BECOME A SECOND BOSNIA''NEW YORK, March 7 (A.A) - Turkey on Saturday attracted attention of the UN to the developments happening in Kosovo recently and called on UN not to allow Kosovo to be a second Bosnia.Turkey's Permanent Representative to UN Huseyin Celem met the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and conveyed the message that Turkey expressed serious concern over the developments in Kosovo and added that ''Ankara wants UN to intervene the issue timely this time.'' Pointing out that Balkans would be dragged into a serious conflict if measures are not taken, Celem stressed that incidents happening in Kosovo reached to grave dimensions that required individual interests of Security Council and Secretary General. Meanwhile, Turkey extended support to a demand coming from Albania to convene Security Council urgently to talk about the incidents in Kosovo. Britain, the Term Presidency of the European Union (EU) will brief Security Council about the outcomes of the Contact Group meeting which will take place in London on Monday. [03] TURKEY-ARGENTINA - GEN. BOZTEPE LEAVES FOR ARGENTINAANKARA, March 7 (A.A) - General Commander of the Gendarmery Fikret Ozden Boztepe left for Argentina on Saturday as the official guest of Argentine Gendarmery General Director Gen. Timar Musumeci.Gen. Boztepe and the accompanying delegation will hold official contacts and observations in Argentina between March 9 and 12. Training and cooperation issues will be taken up between Turkish Gendarmery General Commanding and Argentine Gendarmery Organization within the framework of the visit. [04] TURKEY-GERMANY - TOURISM MINISTER GURDAL IN BERLIN - ''JANUARY FIGURES SHOW THAT TURKEY WILL REACH ITS TARGETS FOR 1998''BERLIN, March 7 (A.A) - Tourism Minister Ibrahim Gurdal said on Friday that figures of January show that Turkey would reach the targets which were put for tourism in 1998.Gurdal arrived in Berlin on Friday to participate in the International Berlin Tourism Fair. Gurdal said 12 million tourists are expected to visit Turkey for the year 1998 adding that tourism income is expected to reach 12 billion dollars. Noting that Turkey took Spanish tourism as example which has one million bed capacity, Gurdal said ''as of the nature and quality, Turkey is as powerful as other world markets. Morever, it has cultural values.'' Gurdal said Turkey was the country of four seasons, ''we may promote Turkey as the country of every continent'' and added that there was everything for people who knew what he looks for. [05] TURKEY-KAZAKHSTAN - CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF KARADAYI RETURNS FROM KAZAKHSTANANKARA, March 7 (A.A) - Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi returned to Turkey on Friday concluding his visit to Kazakhstan.General Staff General Secretariat told a statement that Karadayi, during his visit which took place between March 4 and 6, met Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Defense Minister Gen. Muhtar Altinbayev, Chief of General Staff Bahitcan Yertayev, force commanders and other high ranking officials. During the visit the two sides exchanged information about struggle against terrorism, cooperation agreements on military training and defense industry and on many issues. Such kind of reciprocal visits will help the improvement of relations and contribute to the providing of peace and stability in the region and in the world, the statement said. [06] TURKEY-SPAIN - PRESIDENT DEMIREL'S VISIT TO SPAIN - TURKEY AND SPAIN TO COOPERATE ON POLITICAL ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL FIELDSANKARA, March 7 (A.A) - Important developments were recorded particularly in political, economic and cultural fields during President Suleyman Demirel's visit to Spain, it was reported on Friday.Foreign Ministry statement on the issue said Turkey and Spain were the two ally countries sharing same European and the Mediterranean vocation and having a wide cooperation experience in international forums. The statment said time came to add a more comprehensive momentum to the relations of the two countries in 21st century adding that concerned sides reached to an agreement on basic three fields namely politics, economy and culture. The statement said the sides decided that regular annual meetings will be staged between Foreign Ministries, Foreign Ministry Undersecretariats, Secretary Generals and General Directors level to carry out close political consultations between the two countries. ''Both sides will try to make the maximum contribution to the international efforts to turn the Mediterranean into a sea of peace, security and cooperation by considering their mutual interests'' the statement said adding that ''similarly, cooperation on justice and internal affairs and relations between Parliamentarians will be promoted.'' On the issue of cooperation provided in economic field, the statement said Joint Economic Commission (JEC) and industry cooperation joint commission and Turkish-Spanish Business Council would convene this year. The statement said Turkey and Spain agreed that negotiations related with the agreement to prevent double taxation would be concluded this year and for the implementation of the agreement before April 1999. The statement said the two countries would also cooperate in cultural field. [07] TURKEY-GREECE - GREEK OBSTACLE TO SCHENGENANKARA, March 7 (A.A) - Foreign Ministry said on Friday that except people who will go to Greece or will have transit passage from this country, within the framework of joint visa implementation started with Schengen agreement, can get only one visa from the country they go first.Foreign Ministry statement said Belgium, term president of Schengen, said former implementation would continue for the visa applications of Turkish citizens except the ones who would go to Greece or who would have transit passages from this country. According to the Schengen agreement which was signed in 1995, citizens who would visit more than one Schengen country not for more than three months, will apply to the consulate of the country they go first and get only one visa which is also valid for other Schengen countries. Foreign Ministry statement said citizens who would go to Greece or make transit passage from this country besides the other Schengen countries would better mention this during their application for visa. [08] TURKEY-TUNUSIA - TUNUSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DUE IN TURKEY ON SUNDAYANKARA, March 7 (A.A) - Tunusian Foreign Minister Said Ben Mustafa will come to Turkey on Sunday to participate in ''Turkish-Tunisian Joint and Economic Trade Commission Eight Term Meeting.''''Turkish-Tunusian Joint Economic and Trade Commission'' was established under ''Trade Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement'' signed between the two countries. Eight Term Meeting will take place between March 9 and 10 in Ankara. ''Follow up Commitee Meeting'', established within Turkish-Tunusian Business Council, will take place in Ankara within the framework of Tunusian Foreign Minister's contacts. ''International Landway Transportation Agreement'' and ''Animal Health Agreement'' are expected to be signed during the visit. Tunusian Foreign Minister Said Ben Mustafa and the accompanying delegation are expected to be received by President Suleyman Demirel and Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin. The guest delegation will depart Turkey on March 11 after the meeting and the signature of the protocol. [09] TURKEY-YUGOSLAVIA - FOREIGN MINISTER CEM DUE TO BELGRADE - CEM TO CONVEY A MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT DEMIREL TO YUGOSLAVIAN PRESIDENT MILOSEVICANKARA, March 7 (A.A) - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will go to Belgrade on Saturday evening to convey a message of President Suleyman Demirel to Yugoslavian President Slobadan Milosevic.Foreign Ministry statement said Cem will also meet Yugoslavian Foreign Minister Jovonovic during the visit. The statement said recent developments in the Balkans and in Kosovo will be taken up during the visit and the sides will exchange views about the incidents which caused uneasiness for Turkey. [10] TURKEY-US - CELEM: ''COOPERATION BETWEEN TURKEY AND ISRAEL ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF REGIONAL STABILITY''NEW YORK, March 7 (A.A) - Turkey's permanent representative to UN Huseyin Celem said cooperation between Turkey and Israel was for the benefit of regional stability.Addressing a meeting staged by an institution called ''American Jewish Committee'' Celem said both of these countries extended efforts to provide peace and stability in the region and pointed out that Turkey and Israel had to face various terrorist activities while extending these efforts. Noting that if Iraq fully abides by resolutions of Security Council embargo imposed on this country since the Gulf War should be lifted Celem said ''yet, lifting of embargo depends on the attitude of Iraq.'' Mentioning about Cyprus question Celem said this problem could only be solved through realism. Responding to a question about Cyprus Celem said ''the two communities living in the Island should specify the future of Cyprus together.'' Celem stressed that decisions specifying the future of the Island should not be taken before consulting each other and recalled that Greek Cypriot side applied to European Union (EU) full membership before taking the confirmation of Turkish Cypriot Side. Celem said Greek Cypriot Side did not represent Turkish Cypriot side and that steps that will be taken by this government would not be binding for Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). [11] CYPRUS - HOLBROOKE'S ASSISTANT MILLER AND CORDOVEZ DUE TO ANKARAANKARA, March 7 (A.A) - The US is expected to start an intense contact traffic with Ankara as European Union (EU) member countries extend efforts to provide Turkish Cypriots participate in EU full membership negotiations with the Greek Cypriot Side.The US President Bill Clinton's Special Envoy to Cyprus Richard Holbrooke is expected to visit Ankara in April within this framework. Meanwhile, it was reported that Holbrooke's assistant Thomas Miller will come to Ankara on Wednesday to hold contacts. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's Cyprus Special Representative Diego Cordovez will come to Ankara in the second half of March after Miller. A high ranking official of Foreign Ministry said Luxembourg Summit changed all parameters related with Cyprus question adding that ''if TRNC enters to EU, it would be impossible to defend its rights.'' Mentioning about the outcomes of Luxembourg summit, the official said this summit has three points which could not be accepted due to Cyprus question. -EU member countries, in the Luxembourg Summit, disclosed that they regarded Greek Cypriot Side as the legal government of the Island. -Final decision issued in the summit said full membership to EU was for the benefit of all communities in the island and that this put TRNC on the same status with other minorities. -It was disclosed that EU negotiations could be made with legal Cyprus government and that TRNC could only participate in community level. Mentioning about the S-300 missiles which Greek Cypriot Side planned to purchase from Russia, the official said Turkey took every kind of measures to prevent the coming of the missiles to the island and added that ''missiles may not come to the island due to pressures. A similar situation happened in 1960's. Greek Cypriot Side had to give Sam missiles to Egypt as present which it planned to purchase from Russia. The official said the S-300 missiles were not of defense aim and stressed that Turkey would take every kind of measures if the missiles come to the island. The high ranking official said tension escalated in the island and that there were indications that it will rise to the highest level in summer. Noting that opening of an air base where Greek Cypriot and Greek forces were act together created uneasiness, the official said ''this is a hostile act which makes us uneasy.'' [12] TURKEY-BULGARIA - PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ IN BULGARIA - ''THERE IS NO PROBLEM BETWEEN TURKEY AND BULGARIA''BURGAZ, March 7 (A.A) - Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said on Saturday that there was no existing problem between Turkey and Bulgaria adding that ''especially the point where our bilateral relations reached in the last eight months is an example to other neighoring countries.''Yilmaz arrived in Burgaz today on a one day work visit and met Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov. Addressing a joint news conference after the meeting Yilmaz said such visits contributed to the improvement of bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries. Yilmaz said recent situation of bilateral relations, Kosovo problem, developments in the region and relations of Turkey and Bulgaria with European Union were taken up during the meeting. Yilmaz said they also evaluated the studies of work group which was established during his last official visit to Bulgaria adding that the two countries would launch new initiatives to improve trade and investments and evaluate cooperation potential in energy and tourism fields. Yilmaz also said they reached to a consensus of opinion to establish Turkish-Bulgarian free trade region between the borders of the two countries. Pointing out that recent incidents happening in Kosovo caused uneasiness both in Bulgaria and Turkey, Yilmaz said he supported Bulgaria's view to issue a joint declaration by the Balkan countries. He said this joint declaration would be the most concrete study of the Balkan Union which was set up a while ago and called on all Balkan countries to extend support to this declaration. Responding to a question about Turkey's decision to boycott EU conference, Yilmaz said Turkey would not change its attitude unless EU changes attitude. Meanwhile, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kostov said he had a very fruitful meeting with Yilmaz adding that there was a consensus of opinion between themselves almost on every issue. Kostov also expressed willingness to improve cooperation with Turkey on every issues mainly on energy field. Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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