Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-04-08

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

08 APRIL 1998

CONTENTS

[01] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF GEN. KARADAYI RETURNS TO TURKEY

[02] ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY UNDERSECRETARY FASSINO IN CYPRUS

[03] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF GEN. KARADAYI: ''EFFORTS HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED DURING THE WEU MEETING TO STRENGTHEN OPERATIONAL ABILITY OF WEU'' - ''WE HAVE EXCHANGED VIEWS WITH MY GREEK COUNTERPART GENERALLY ABOUT MILITARY ISSUES''

[04] TREMOR SHAKES WESTERN PROVINCE OF AYDIN

[05] MINISTER OF INTERIOR BASESGIOGLU: ''IT IS NOT KNOWN WHERE, WHEN AND WHOM TERRORISM HITS''

[06] FINAL DECLARATION OF WEU CHIEFS OF GENERAL STAFF MEETING PUBLISHED

[07] TURKISH-AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS SEND LETTER TO US CONGRESS MEMBERS: ''DO NOT BE A TOOL OF ARMENIAN DIRTY POLITICAL GAMES''

[08] BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: ''BELGIUM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE''

[09] SEZGIN, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER: ''WE FAVOUR DIALOGUE AND PEACE WITH GREECE''

[01] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF GEN. KARADAYI RETURNS TO TURKEY

Gen. Karadayı participated in West European Union (WEU) Chiefs of General Staff meeting in Athens and also met his Greek counterpart Athanasios Tzogani.

[02] ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY UNDERSECRETARY FASSINO IN CYPRUS

Addressing a statement upon his arrival in Cyprus, Fassino said that he will hold contacts about various issues in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and in the Greek Cypriot side, recalling that he visited the island last December.

Fassino earlier said in Athens before his departure for Cyprus that Greece should lift its veto on the financial assistance that will be given to Turkey by European Union (EU), adding that this will be a ''strong signal'' towards Turkey.

Taking up Cyprus question with Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and his deputy Yorgo Papandreu, the Italian Foreign Ministry Undersecretary pointed out that Italy favours participation of the Turkish Cypriots in negotiations with EU for full membership of the island.

[03] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF GEN. KARADAYI: ''EFFORTS HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED DURING THE WEU MEETING TO STRENGTHEN OPERATIONAL ABILITY OF WEU'' - ''WE HAVE EXCHANGED VIEWS WITH MY GREEK COUNTERPART GENERALLY ABOUT MILITARY ISSUES''

Chief of General Staff Gen. Karadayı, who returned to Turkey, issued a written statement about his contacts and West European Union (WEU) meeting held in Athens.

Recalling that WEU, which is a security organization, has a separate legal status than of NATO and European Union (EU) and Turkey is an associate member of WEU, Gen. Karadayı said that efforts were launched during the meeting to strengthen the operational ability of WEU.

Gen. Karadayı pointed out that issues like improvement of NATO-WEU relations, strengthening of military structure of WEU, setting up a military committee just like NATO's and strengthening of Albanian police organization by WEU operations were taken up during the WEU meeting.

''Principles concerning the WEU operations supported by NATO were also taken up. As it is known, the participation of European allies and also Turkey in such kind of operations was approved by a decision taken on April 15, 1997. Besides Turkey will participate in crisis administration operations which are planned and carried out by WEU headquarter just like the other WEU countries on equal terms. In this framework an important meeting was held in Antalya between March 23-27 concerning WEU Crisis Administration Operation that will be exercised in Fall, 1998. Turkey is also represented WEU Multinational Police Solidarity Element which is set up to strengthen Albanian Police Organization,'' Karadayı said.

Recalling that he had also the opportunity to meet Greek Chief of General Staff Athanasios Tzogani during his stay in Athens, Karadayı added that ''we have generally exchanged views about military issues during this meeting. Both of us expressed our wish to meet again. I would like to express my belief once again that all the problems between Turkey and Greece can be solved by comprehensive negotiations and through dialogue which is based on good will.''

[04] TREMOR SHAKES WESTERN PROVINCE OF AYDIN

Kandilli Observatory Quake Research Center said that the epicenter of the quake, measuring 3,6 on the Richter scale, was Germencik township of Aydın province.

The quake caused no damages or casualties.

[05] MINISTER OF INTERIOR BASESGIOGLU: ''IT IS NOT KNOWN WHERE, WHEN AND WHOM TERRORISM HITS''

Addressing a statement to A.A correspondent, Basesgioglu stated that the power of the separatist terrorist organization has decreased due to the operations of the security forces.

Pointing out that the top members of the separatist organization have took shelter in Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the chief has lost his most ''reliable'' men, Basesgioglu stressed that they aim to completely get rid of the separatist terrorist organization.

Noting that the terrorist organization can not get support within the country compared to the past, but it continues to have support abroad, Basesgioglu stated that ''our contacts with these countries, which support terrorism, continue.''

[06] FINAL DECLARATION OF WEU CHIEFS OF GENERAL STAFF MEETING PUBLISHED

The Declaration, which was submitted to the press by Greek Defense Ministry, noted that the operational ability of WEU and strengthening of relations with European Union (EU) and NATO were taken up during the meeting.

Stressing that the future role of Planning Group was also taken up during the meeting, the Declaration said that strategic proposals concerning criteria of CRISEX-98 Operation, activities of WEU in space, BAB-NATO cooperation and extension of duration of Multi-National Police Solidarity Group were also discussed during the meeting.

The Declaration added that the decisions taken at WEU Chiefs of General Staff meeting will be submitted to WEU Foreign and Defense Ministers meeting that will be held in Rhodes between May 11-12.

Meanwhile, Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said that a decision will be taken soon concerning ''reciprocal security measures'' which aim to improve Turkish-Greek relations and to install peace and stability in Aegean.

[07] TURKISH-AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS SEND LETTER TO US CONGRESS MEMBERS: ''DO NOT BE A TOOL OF ARMENIAN DIRTY POLITICAL GAMES''

The letter sent by the Association of Turkish American Assembly (ATAA), says that the so-called genocide claims are put forward again in the draft resolution, although such kind of drafts had no result in the past, but they only provocate hatred feelings towards Turkish and Turkish originated Americans.

ATAA Letter called the US Congress members to oppose the draft resolution and not to be a tool of such kind of dirty political games against Turkey, which is a reliable ally of the US for the last 50 years. The letter underlined the fact that the draft will harm Turkish-American relations.

[08] BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: ''BELGIUM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE''

Responding to questions of A.A correspondent, Belgian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Andre Querton recalled the independence among legislation, execution and the judiciary in Belgium, adding that ''the decisions of the senate are not binding, they are recommendary.''

''It is up to researchers and historians to comment on the meaning of these events,'' said Querton and noted that the Belgian government does not recognize the so-called genocide.

The Belgian Senate approved a draft resolution titled ''1915 Armenian Genocide,'' last month and called the ''Turkish government to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide and also EU and its member countries to contribute to initiatives supporting the dialogue between Turkish and Armenian people in this field.''

[09] SEZGIN, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER: ''WE FAVOUR DIALOGUE AND PEACE WITH GREECE''

Responding to questions of journalists, Ismet Sezgin recalled that Chief of General Staff Gen. Ismail Hakkı Karadayı visited Greece to participate in West European Union (WEU) Chiefs of General Staff meeting, adding that:

''We always say that Greek people are our friend, we are the children of two coasts. I can not see any reason of disagreement between the two countries. Turkey favours dialogue and peace with Greece. I believe that Turkey and Greece, which are members of NATO, can solve their problems by negotiations.''

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