Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-04-04

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

04 APRIL 1998

CONTENTS

[01] DENKTAS-HOLBROOKE MEETING

[02] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CETIN LEAVES TRNC

[03] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM RETURNS TO TURKEY

[04] TORTURE ALLEGATIONS

[05] OECD ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS MEETING

[06] PARLIAMENTARY FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMISSION CHAIRMAN KARAYALCIN: ''TURKEY IS A PART OF THE WEST AND WILL REMAIN SO''

[07] PRESIDENT DEMIREL PARTICIPATES IN CEREMONIES STAGED TO CELEBRATE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRAGUE SPRING

[08] US STATE DEPARTMENT: ''OUR TARGET IS BI-COMMUNAL, BI-ZONAL FEDERATION IN CYPRUS''

[09] ANNUAL CONGRESS OF NAI TO TAKE PLACE IN ISTANBUL

[01] DENKTAS-HOLBROOKE MEETING

No statement was issued following the meetings.

Holbrooke proceeded to Greek Cypriot Side following the meeting. Holbrooke is expected to stage a news conference in Larnaca on Saturday.

[02] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CETIN LEAVES TRNC

Speaking in TRNC's Ercan Airport Cetin said Turkish people will always continue to extend support to the justified case of Turkish Cypriot people.

Cetin said TRNC will improve economically and that cooperation between Turkey and TRNC will be improved and deepened in time.

Cetin said his visit to TRNC together with deputies from various parties having groups in the Parliament aimed at boosting morale to the Turkish Cypriot people at a time when Cyprus question was in a critical point.

During his stay in TRNC Cetin met senior officials of political parties of Republican Assembly.

Cetin mentioned about the importance of providing political stability adding that ''political stability and economic mobilization will contribute to the overcoming of this critical period.''

Noting that a project to bring potable water with baloons will be implemented soon, Cetin said projects forwarded to meet the needs of irrigation and infrastructure problems will be solved later.

[03] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM RETURNS TO TURKEY

Speaking at his arrival Cem said as a result of his contacts in Pakistan and Turkmenistan, he saw how large the horizons and facilities of Turkey were.

Cem said during his contacts in Pakistan, especially, political and economic issues were taken up. Cem also said he had the opportunity to brief Pakistani officials about Cyprus question.

Noting that he also hold contacts to improve trade volume between Turkey and Pakistan, Cem said the talks especially focused on improvement of investment in construction field and naval transportation between the two countries.

Cem said he later proceeded to Turkmenistan and hold several bilateral contacts. Pointing out that he was received by Turkmen President, Cem said he conveyed a message of President Suleyman Demirel to Turkmen President during the meeting.

Cem said political and economic issues were taken up in particular during the contacts and added that they also discussed transportation of Turkmen natural gas to Turkey and to world markets via Turkey.

Cem said apart from his contacts here, he also met Lakhdar Ibrahimi, the UN Special Representative to Afghanistan and took up the problem of Afghanistan.

[04] TORTURE ALLEGATIONS

Piskinsut staged a news conference related with the results of the visit of a delegation, set up to make investigation on human rights, to Eastern and Southeastern region and prisons, sentries, hospitals and interrogation centers there.

Piskinsut said the investigations which lasted for 100 hours will be submitted as a report adding that as a result of these invesgations they have determined that people received torture during their interrogations, not in prisons.

Piskinsut said the evaluation of the report will be made multilaterally and very openly and later will be conveyed to the Parliament to establish an infrastructure with proposals for solution.

Piskinsut said there will be no use of hiding the incidents ''on the contrary'' she said ''it will postpone finding a solution.''

She said "I have seen the signs of torture... Electric and telephone cables, truncheons, pipes, water in interrogation rooms."

[05] OECD ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS MEETING

Addressing a news conference which she staged following a conference, participated by Environment Ministers of 29 countries who are members of OECD, Aykut said the issue of environment settled in the heart of economy. Aykut said ''there was economic development concept up to now but the concept of sustainable development is improving nowadays. This is a corner point for the member countries.''

The attending ministers issued a statement at the end of the conference stressing that environment should be settled in the focus point of economic policies and pointed out that implementation of sustainable development will not be possible otherwise.

The ministers adopted the approach that transition to economic welfare process should take place instead of economic development and stressed that this could only be realized with the environment values of sustainable development.

[06] PARLIAMENTARY FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMISSION CHAIRMAN KARAYALCIN: ''TURKEY IS A PART OF THE WEST AND WILL REMAIN SO''

Addressing a conference titled ''Recent Political Developments and Turkey's Foreign Policy'' staged by Adnan Menderes University Karayalcin said ''foreign policy is an important issue, it should be discussed by every people of the country and know Turkey's place in Europe and in the world.''

Noting that discussions were underway that ''are we European or Asian'', Karayalcin said ''we are both Europeans and Asians. Turkey is a part of the West and will remain so.''

Karayalcin said Turkey acted as a buffer in the Middle East adding that it consolidated peace by taking Euphrates and Tigris under control.

Mentioning about Turkish-EU and TRNC-EU relations, Karayalcin said ''Greece misleads EU member countries related with problem with Turkey.

-CULTURE MINISTER TALAY RETURNS FROM SWEDEN
ISTANBUL, April 4 (A.A) - Istemihan Talay, Minister of Culture, said important culture riches in Turkey, primarily Topkapi Palace and Ayasofya Museum, will be repaired till the year 2000.

Talay returned to Turkey after participating in a conference titled ''Power of Culture.''

Speaking at his arrival Talay said culture ministers from nearly 60 countries participated in the conference. He said the final communique of the conference said culture was the most important aspect in development adding that its support by local administrations and non-governmental organizations was a condition.

[07] PRESIDENT DEMIREL PARTICIPATES IN CEREMONIES STAGED TO CELEBRATE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRAGUE SPRING

Addressing the ceremony Demirel said ''Aleksander Dubcek, defunct Czechoslovakian President, was a man of courage and vision.''

Demirel said he and Dubcek formed a friendly relations during his assignment in Ankara adding that Dubcek went through hard days in his life.

Noting that Dubcek extended great efforts to improve relations between Turkey and his country, Demirel said ''Dubcek gained the admiration of all the world.''

Bulent Ecevit, Deputy Prime Minister, Ismet Sezgin, Defense Minister and Sukru Sina Gurel and Hikmet Sami Turk, the state ministers participated in the ceremony.

In the series of events which are remembered in history as ''Prague Spring'', Czechoslovakia was occupied by Warsaw Pact members led by the Soviet Union, and democratic reforms were ended.

Antonin Novotny, the President who covered Stalinist policies resigned after when democracy activities spread in the country in 1968. Aleksander Dubcek, a defender of democratic reforms came to power after him.

Soviet Union and four members of Warsaw Pact, Poland, Bulgaria, Eastern Germany and Hungary, could not remain reactionless to the democratic activity which is getting stronger in Czechoslovokia and invaded this country on August 20, 1968. The incident was protested by demonstrations throughout the country.

Alexander Dubcek resigned from leadership of Communist Party on April 17, 1969 as he could not realize democratic reforms after the occupation of Soviet Union. Dubcek acted as Ambassador to Ankara till the year 1970.

Czechoslovakia was divided into two as Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993 peacefully.

[08] US STATE DEPARTMENT: ''OUR TARGET IS BI-COMMUNAL, BI-ZONAL FEDERATION IN CYPRUS''

Responding to questions about the visit of Richard Holbrooke, the US Special Representative to Cyprus, to the Island, Rubin said Thomas Miller, the US Special Coordinator to Cyprus, met President Rauf Denktas of the Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) two times and also with Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides on Friday.

Rubin said Holbrooke was not planning to visit Turkey and Greece adding that they relied upon the initiatives of Holbrooke.

Experienced diplomat Richard Holbrooke is known as the architect of Dayton Agreement.

[09] ANNUAL CONGRESS OF NAI TO TAKE PLACE IN ISTANBUL

President Suleyman Demirel will open the annual meetings of NAI which is an institution bringing together representatives of think-tank organizations, leading names of press, policy and business world and the academicians.

Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin, Executive Board Director of NAI based in Washington, briefing about Turkish journalists on the issue said Turkey was very important as a country contributing to Atlantic community for years.

Noting that they invited nearly 200 people for Istanbul meetings, Gedmin stressed that Turkey's full membership to European Union (EU) would be beneficial for the US as well as the EU. He said holding the meetings in Istanbul will be beneficial for improvement of relations with the Europe adding that Turkey was a European country spritually and politically.

NAI acts in an effort to install democracy, human rights, free market economy and principles of legal order and stands still with the contributions from the business world.

Parliamentarians from every each country of Europe, including Greece, businessmen, academicians and journalists will attend the meetings.

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