Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-03-17

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

17 MARCH 1998

CONTENTS

[01] BUKOSHI, THE ''KOSOVONIAN PRIME MINISTER'' IN EXILE, ADDRESSES THE A.A

[02] TURKISH PRESS REVIEW (1)

[03] TURKISH PRESS REVIEW (2)

[04] TURKEY-THE BALKANS - MULTINATIONAL ''BALKANS RAPID DEPLOYMENT FORCE'' TO BE DEPLOYED AT EDIRNE

[05] NARCOTICS - SEVEN KG OF HEROIN SEIZED IN EASTERN VAN PROVINCE

[06] TURKEY IN BRIEF - MARCH 17, 1998

[07] PRESIDENT DEMIREL AT GENERAL STAFF - DEMIREL IS BRIEFED ABOUT ''DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN THREATS''

[08] TURKEY IN BRIEF (2)- MARCH 17, 1998

[01] BUKOSHI, THE ''KOSOVONIAN PRIME MINISTER'' IN EXILE, ADDRESSES THE A.A

Responding to the questions of the A.A correspondent on the phone, Bukoshi, who is in Germany, stated that a special representative made contacts in Turkey last week with this objective.

Noting that the Serbian people are trying to create a tense atmosphere before the elections in Kosovo, Bukoshi stressed that ''The Serbian police will probably use pressure in order to influence the results of the elections. However, I suppose that objectivity will be protected somehow.''

''I am calling on the international public opinion, please do not let Kosovo be another Bosnia. This is an S.O.S. message,'' he said.

[02] TURKISH PRESS REVIEW (1)

(Derived from the Newsspot of the Turkish General Directorate of Press and Information.)

UN IMPOSING CYPRUS DECISIONS
The European Union Countries, after creating new imbalances in Cyprus by opening the way for the Greek Cypriot Adminstration's membership in the EU, are now trying to put pressure on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus(TRNC) by using the United Nations. The UN Security Council has again intervened in the issue, particularly following the efforts by the UK. Today, the UN Secretary General's Special Cyprus Envoy Diego Cordovez is arriving on Cyprus to reinforce the process of meetings between the two sides. In a statement before starting his visit, Cordovez implied that he would put pressure on the President of the TRNC, Rauf Denktas, whom he wants to persuade to begin contacts with the Greek Cypriot Administration, despite the fact that Denktas has declared that he will not participate in any negotiation unless Cyprus is officially recognized. /Hurriyet/

TURKISH-IRANIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST THE PKK
Ismail Cem, the Turkish Foreign Minister and his Iranian counterpart Kemal Harrazi yesterday held a special meeting during the Islamic Conference in Doha, Qatar. In the meeting they resolved to take allied action against the PKK terrorist organization. ''Joint security mechanisms'', long since inapplicable because of the ''cool relations'' with this country, will again be brought into effect. Harrazi's statements to reporters indicated Iran's willingness to make these mechanisms functional again. /Hurriyet/

''TURKEY WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE ASIA CRISIS''
Yavuz Ege, the Foreign Trade Undersecretary said yesterday that the Asian financial crisis would not damage the Turkish economy as previously supposed, and that his office was making the necessary evaluations concerning the sectors that might be affected by the crisis. Ege commented on the Asian crisis and its probable effects on Turkey in a meeting with the members of the Economy Correspondents Association (EMD). In the meeting, Ege said that the crisis could affect the textile and iron-steel industries directly, but the extension of its effect would be limited. /Milliyet/

NEW DIALOGUE WITH SYRIA
Ismail Cem, the Turkish Foreign Minister talked yesterday with his Syrian counterpart Farul El-Sara after the initiatives by the Tunisian Foreign Minister. Although the Syrian Minister wanted to talk about Turkey's relations with Israel, Cem steered the conversation around to the need for cooperation in the fight against international terrorism.

In response, El-Sara declared that ''we are absolutely against terrorism. We must fight against all forms of terror''. Although the Syrian Minister still had comments to make about Israel and developments in the Middle East, and aspects of the Israel-Palestinian confrontation, journalists attending the Qatar meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference later said that Damascus appeared to be taking a less intransigent attitude towards Turkey. Most evaluated the incidental meeting as ''a small step forward''. In reply to a question from a journalist about a future improvement in ties with Turkey, El-Sara said ''I hope there will be''. /Milliyet-Sabah/

MONGOLIAN PRESIDENT IN ANKARA
Mongolian President Natsagiin Bagabandi, who came to Ankara yesterday, first visited Ataturk's Mausoleum. Bagabandi was welcomed with an official ceremony by President Suleyman Demirel at the Cankaya Palace. At the reception Demirel said that Turkey welcomed the democratic developments in Mongolia and added that the visit would contribute to improving bilateral relations. After the ceremony the Mongolian and Turkish delegations signed agreements on mutual incentives for more investments. It was also decided that the historic Orhon inscriptions will be restored by Turkey.

Bagabandi also received Hikmet Cetin, the Speaker of the Parliament, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Husamettin Cindoruk, the Chairman of the Democratic Turkey Party (DTP). A banquet was held in honour of the Mongolian President Bagabandi at the Cankaya Palace last night. /Milliyet- Sabah/

US AND BALKAN COUNTRIES DISCUSS REGIONAL PEACE FORCE
Faced by the existing and emerging armed conflicts in the Balkans, military representatives from a number of regional countries and the United States came together on Monday in Ankara in an effort to search for ways of setting up a ''Balkan Peace Force''.

''We, as the Balkan states, should take the responsibility to safeguard peace and stability in our region. This meeting does not aim to set up an alliance against a third party. It is only a meeting that intends to share the ideas of an organized movement towards ensuring the region's peace and world peace,'' Deputy Chief of General Staff, General Cevik Bir said at the meeting.

Military officials from the United States, Romania, Bulgaria and Macedonia took part in the meeting. /Milliyet/

(To be continued)

[03] TURKISH PRESS REVIEW (2)

(Derived from the Newsspot of the Turkish General Directorate of Press and Information.)

SIRNAK OPERATION ENDS
The number of PKK terrorists killed during a four-day operation carried out by the Turkish security forces in Sirnak has risen to 55. During clean-up operations by the security forces, ground units discovered and destroyed many terrorist hideouts where weapons, ammunition and seven tons of food and medical equipment were being stored. Officials said that operations would continue to ensure peace for the people in the region.

Meanwhile, the security forces have identified six terrorists killed in operations in the town of Erbaa in the province of Tokat. /Milliyet/

TURKEY TO ATTEND 'TERRORIST MOSS' SUMMIT
A delegation from the Ministry of the Environment will present a report and a documentary about the so-called ''terrorist moss,'' a harmful seabed moss at the Moss Summit, March 18-20, on Crete. Dr. Mustafa Tolay from the Istanbul Divers' Sports Club, Prof. Sukran Cirik from the Dokuz Eylul University and Ergun Terzioglu from the Ministry of the Environment will represent Turkey at the summit.

The moss has been mapped in Turkey's Akkuyu province of Mersin, the Seven Islands of Gokova, Mersincik Island and along the Bodrum coast. /Milliyet/

EU-CYPRUS TALKS
At a meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, over the weekend, the EU foreign ministers decided to start membership discussions with Cyprus, whether or not the Turkish Cypriots participate in the talks. The discussions will begin on March 31. France has stepped back from its previous decision to veto the talks if there are no representatives from Northern Cyprus in the Cyprus delegation./Milliyet/

FORD LAUNCHES INVESTMENT DRIVE IN TURKEY
The Ford Motor Co., a leading automobile producer, is planning to initiate an investment drive in Turkey. The company will set up a new 250 million US dollars plant in Turkey. On March 19, the Ford President Alex Trotman will pay a visit to Turkey. Observers draw attention to the fact that this is the first visit to Turkey of a top level Ford official in more than 20 years, and they evaluate the visit as an indication of the importance placed on Turkey by Trotman. /Hurriyet/

ZIRAAT BANK GROWS
Turkey's largest state-owned bank, Ziraat Bank, is establishing joint-banks in Kyrgyzstan and Macedonia. The number of banks set up abroad with the participation of the Ziraat Bank has surged to nine. Ziraat Bank is the co- owner of banks in Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, and has its own bank in Bosnia-Herzegovina. /Hurriyet/

[04] TURKEY-THE BALKANS - MULTINATIONAL ''BALKANS RAPID DEPLOYMENT FORCE'' TO BE DEPLOYED AT EDIRNE

The meeting, which started in Ankara on Monday within that framework with the participation of the representatives from Turkey, the US, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Albania and Slovenia, will finish on Wednesday.

The peace force will be deployed near Edirne Province with 3-5 thousand soldiers from the participant countries at the meeting in Ankara if those countries make a decision. Greece rejected participation in the establishment of the peace force although she had been invited.

Turkey had started her first initiative in the NATO and PFP meetings in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon in May 1997 by proposing the establishment of a peace force and Turkey's proposal had received general support.

The meeting in Ankara constitutes the first concrete step for the realization of that proposal.

Diplomatic sources said that Greece was not only against the deployment of a peace force in Turkey, but also trying to prevent Turkey's participation in that force.

It was reported that Akis Cohacopulos, the Greek Minister of Defense, sent letters to the US, Italian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Romanian, Albanian and Slovenian Ministers of Defense early in February, saying that Greece wanted the peace force to be deployed in Greece country and Turkey should not be included in the organization.

The aim of the force is to make an early intervention in the crisis spots in the Balkans in case of similar events such as the clashes in Albania last year and in Kosovo this year. However, diplomatic sources stressed that there have been many steps that should be taken for the specification of the status of this force regarding its relations with the UN.

At first, the participation of the NATO countries such as Turkey, the US and Greece, and the countries in the PFP programme such as Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania and Slovenia are foreseen in the peace force to be set up on Turkey's proposal.

-TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS:
''CORDOVEZ'S MISSION IS TO PREPARE A BASIS FOR THE TWO STATES''
LEFKOSA, March 17 (A.A) - Rauf Denktas, the President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Monday that the mission of Diego Cordovez, the United Nations (UN) Secretary General's Special Consultant to Cyprus is to prepare a negotiation basis for the two states on Cyprus.

Addressing a statement to journalists after meeting with David Madden, the British High Commissioner to Lefkosa, Denktas stated that ''there is no other basis other than this, because Clerides and the European Union (EU) have removed the rest.''

Noting that he wants very much to meet with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan due to the negative situation that arised on Cyprus after the Luxembourg decision of the EU, Denktas pointed out, ''I wanted to meet with Annan before the elections at the Greek Cypriot side, but I think Britain did not permit it.''

Responding to a question, Rauf Denktas stated, ''Clerides lives in a world of dreams and thinks that he is the legitimate president of the entire island of Cyprus.''

[05] NARCOTICS - SEVEN KG OF HEROIN SEIZED IN EASTERN VAN PROVINCE

The Gendermarie teams, acting on a tip off, searched for the case of Nezmi Akdogan, a passenger in a taxi and seized three kg of pure heroin.

During his interrogation Akdogan said he gave four kg of heroin to Uzeyir Dik, a worker at the Ferit Melen primary school and an operation was launched and the heroin was seized.

Dik and Akdogan were taken into custody and an investigation was started regarding the incident.

[06] TURKEY IN BRIEF - MARCH 17, 1998

A German delegation led by Doss visited the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) and met with Sinan Aydin Aygun, the Chairman of the ATO. Doss said in the meeting that the first aim of their visit was to improve the Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises and the second aim was to organize a joint meeting which the Turkish and German businessmen would attend after the elections in Germany in September.

IZMIR - Manfred Unger, German Consul General in Izmir, said on Monday that no other country had as close relations with Turkey as Germany, stressing that the cultural, economic and political relations between the two countries had further improved.

The symposium titled, ''The Cultural Problems of the Turkish People Living in Germany'', which was organized by the Turkish Research Center and the TUYAP, was held in Izmir.

Addressing the symposium, Unger said that a total of 2,300,000 Turkish people are living in Germany and that nearly two million Turkish people had returned to Turkey after living in Germany for many years.

''The first generation of Turkish people who came to Germany had difficulties with their social status because they could not speak the German language. Some of the third generation Turkish people are fully integrated in the German culture, while some of them are receiving the Turkish culture by watching the Turkish TV channels and reading the Turkish newspapers,'' Unger said.

ISTANBUL - The Turkish film ''Tabutta Rovasata'' (Reverseshot in the Coffin) directed by Dervis Zaim was rewarded with the ''Best Movie'' award at the 15th Annonay International Film Festival organized in France between February 27 and March 9, it was reported on Monday.

''Tabutta Rovasata'' earlier received a total of eight awards at the international film festivals organized in Montpellier Amiens, France; Torino, Italy and Salonica, Greece.

The Turkish films ''Sürü (Herd)'' and ''Hakkari'de Bir Mevsim (A Season in Hakkari)'' also received a total of eight awards at the international film festivals.

ANKARA - The Fourth General Assembly of the Balkan Countries Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (BC-SME) Cooperation Center will be held at the Istanbul Armada Hotel on March 27, it was reported on Tuesday.

It was reported that Turkey would transfer its term presidency at the Fourth General Assembly of the Cooperation Center to which Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, the Ukraine, Greece and Turkey have memberships.

Georgia is expected to be the next term president. If Georgia will not be the next term president, then the term presidency will be given to Azerbaijan.

[07] PRESIDENT DEMIREL AT GENERAL STAFF - DEMIREL IS BRIEFED ABOUT ''DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN THREATS''

President Demirel arrived at the General Staff in the afternoon for the briefing.

It was also reported that President Demirel held a tete-a-tete meeting with the Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi at the General Staff Headquarters.

[08] TURKEY IN BRIEF (2)- MARCH 17, 1998

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security said in a written statement that the ''Social Security and Cooperation'' protocol was signed with Albanian Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Women in Tirana last week.

ANKARA - The one-person combat surveillance aircraft ''TG-X1'', the newest of the production development projects implemented by the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI), will be introduced to the General Staff officials on Wednesday.

The decision for the project's future will be made after the promotion and if the project attracts the attention of the Armed Forces, the TAI will start to produce the ''TG-X1'' planes.

ANKARA - Natsagiin Bagabandi, President of Mongolia, who is holding contacts in Turkey as the official guest of President Suleyman Demirel, visited on Tuesday the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI).

Burhan Kara, the Minister of State, acommpanied Bagabandi in his visit to TAI. The guest President Bagabandi is expected to leave Turkey the same day.

ANKARA - Skender Gjinushi, the Speaker of the Albanian Parliament, and an accompanying delegation met with Hikmet Cetin, the Speaker of the Parliament on Tuesday.

Cetin said that the world was taking positive steps in freedom and democracy while the incidents in Kosovo were fully the opposite, stressing that the escalation of the incidents may change into a crisis.

BAKU - The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Parliamentarians Assembly Economy, Trade, Environment and Technology Commission will convene in Baku on Wednesday.

Ahmet Guryuz Ketenci, a member of the Commission's Turkish Group and the Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul Deputy, the bourses in the BSEC region and the proposed projects for the transfer of the Caspian oil to Europe via Black Sea countries would be discussed during the two-day 10th Meeting of the Commission.

SOFIA - Bulgarian government approved on Tuesday the authorization document for the Ministry of Trade concerning the establishment of a free trade zone.

The Ministry of Trade officials said that the negotiations would start in near future and that they would do their best to activate the Turkish- Bulgarian free trade zone.

ANKARA/BONN - Isilay Saygin, the Minister of State, will leave for Germany on March 20 to hold various contacts and participate in several meetings, it was reported on Tuesday.

State Minister Isilay Saygin will return to Ankara on March 25.

YEDISU - Security forces on Tuesday killed five separatist terrorists in the rural part of Yedisu town of southeastern Bingol province.

Operations are underway in the region.

ISTANBUL - The ''Friendship and Solidarity Concert'' organized by the Turkish-Greek Friendship Association and ten women associations in Istanbul will be held in the Ataturk Culture Center in Istanbul on March 23, it was reported on Tuesday.

The Bosphorus Group will perform the best pieces of the Turkish and Greek Cypriot music of the Ottomon era.

Vassiliki Papageorgiou will attend the concert as singer.

ANKARA - Richard Hand and Tom Dupre, famous guitarists, will come to Turkey on March 21 to give concerts in Istanbul, Trabzon and Ankara, it was reported on Tuesday.

Hand and Dupre will give a concert at the Istanbul Ataturk Culture Center the same day and at the Trabzon State Theatre on March 22, and then at the Ankara TUBITAK Feza Gursey Hall on March 23.

ISTANBUL - The Turkish-Romanian Business Council Meeting will be held in Samsun on March 19, it was reported on Tuesday.

The Turkish and Romanian businessmen delegations will then visit the organized industry zones in Samsun and Rize.

ANKARA - Tsviatko Barchovski, the Chairman of the Bulgarian Youth, Physical Training and Sports Committee, will come to Turkey on Wednesday to attend the Turkish-Bulgarian 1998-year Sports Exchange Programme specification meeting and to sign the Turkish-Bulgarian Sports Cooperation Protocol, it was reported on Tuesday.

The protocol will be signed on March 20 by Tevfik Sarpkaya, the Chairman of the Directorate General of Youth and Sports, and Barchovski.

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