Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-04-23

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

23 APRIL 1998

CONTENTS

[01] MEETING OF TURKISH-MACEDONIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL - TRNC AND MACEDONIA SIGN GOOD INTENTION PROTOCOL

[02] VATICAN TO HOLD FIFTH WORLD BELIEF TOURISM CONGRESS IN EPHESUS

[03] TURKEY WANTS TO CHANGE HER PLACE IN CLIMATE AGREEMENT

[04] FP TO CONVEY TO COUNCIL OF EUROPE ITS VIEWS REGARDING THE IMPRISONMENT OF ERDOGAN, MAYOR OF ISTANBUL

[05] UN AND WORLD PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE FUND APPRECIATE TURKEY THAT PUTS FOUR WATERY LANDS INTO SCOPE OF PROTECTION

[06] NATIONAL SOVEREIGNITY AND CHILDREN'S DAY IS BEING CELEBRATED

[07] BLACK SEA ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME NATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS FORUM DECIDES TO CELEBRATE 1998 WORLD OCEAN YEAR AS BLACK SEA YEAR IN TURKEY

[08] TURKEY IN BRIEF - APRIL 23, 1998

[09] AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ALIEV: ''I HAVE DECIDED ON THE BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINE ROUTE'' ''IT IS TIME FOR ACTION ANY MORE''

[10] 12TH TERM PROTOCOL OF CHINESE-TURKISH JEC SIGNED IN BEIJING

[11] GENERAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS TO BE HELD NEXT MARCH

[12] CLINTON DUE TO MEET WITH TURKMENBASI - MOBIL AND EXXON SIGN AGREEMENTS WITH TURKMENISTAN

[13] INTENSE DEMAND FOR ROMANIAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

[01] MEETING OF TURKISH-MACEDONIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL - TRNC AND MACEDONIA SIGN GOOD INTENTION PROTOCOL

The Macedonian businessmen delegation that came to Bursa province to attend the Third Term Meeting of the Turkish-Macedonian Business Council visited several industrial organizations in Bursa the same day.

Meanwhile, Vedat Celik, a former Foreign Minister of the TRNC, and a group of businessmen from the TRNC hold several meetings with the Macedonian businessmen.

The protocol was signed by Eren Ertanin, the Chairman of the TRNC Chamber of Industry; Ahmet Havutcu, the Chairman of the TRNC Chamber of Commerce and Dusan Petreski, the Chairman of the Macedonian Chamber of Economy.

Vedat Celik said that the TRNC and Macedonuan businessmen built up commercial relations with the help and support of Turkey.

''Macedonia is our sister country and we have close friendship. We do not have any official problem with Macedonia. I believe this protocol will open the course for increasing and improving of commercial relations between our two countries,'' Vedat Celik, a former Foreign Minister of the TRNC said.

After the signing ceremony, the parties decided to make mutual visits of between the two coutries.

The Fourth Term Meeting will be held in Skopje.

[02] VATICAN TO HOLD FIFTH WORLD BELIEF TOURISM CONGRESS IN EPHESUS

Nearly 200 clergymen from different countries and the representatives from religious organizations are expected to attend the congress in Ephesus, once the commercial center of the ancient world in the South Aegean Region.

It was reported that Vatican wanted the ''House of Holy Virgin'' in Selcuk and other sites and churches, the holy places of the Christians in Turkey, to be repaired and cleaned and asked Turkey to open these places for worship.

Ministry of Tourism gave the start to the repairment studies for these places and continued the restoration studies together with the Ministry of Culture.

It was reported that the congress increased the possibility of Turkey's participation in the celebration activities of the 2000th birth anniversary of the Jesus Christ.

The Ministry of Tourism will organize a tour covering the Ephesus and Selcuk for the participants of the congress.

[03] TURKEY WANTS TO CHANGE HER PLACE IN CLIMATE AGREEMENT

Imren Aykut, the Minister of Environment, who will attend the meetings of the UN Sustainable Development Commission in New York between April 28 and May 2, will hold bilateral contacts and asked the member countries to support Turkey's request to this end.

Turkey, a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), is included in the ''developed countries'' category within the scope of the agreement.

The agreement foresees the limitation of the ratio of the carbondioxide gas with the ratio in 1990.

Turkey will be obliged to restrain her industrialization in order not to produce more carbondioxide gas if she protects her existing position.

[04] FP TO CONVEY TO COUNCIL OF EUROPE ITS VIEWS REGARDING THE IMPRISONMENT OF ERDOGAN, MAYOR OF ISTANBUL

Abdullah Gul, Mehmet Silay and Ismail Ilhan Sungur, the deputies from the FP, said that they would convey the view of the FP in the press conference in the Council of Europe.

Meanwhile, responding to the Turkish reporters in Strasbourg, Abdullah Gul said that the imprisonment decision about Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not conform with democracy.

[05] UN AND WORLD PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE FUND APPRECIATE TURKEY THAT PUTS FOUR WATERY LANDS INTO SCOPE OF PROTECTION

Turkey put the ''Kizilirmak and Gediz Deltas, Uluabat Lake and Akyatan Lagoon'', the four watery lands, into the scope of protection within the content of the ''Ramsar Agreement'' signed within the framework of the UN to protect the watery lands.

Thus the number of the watery lands put into the scope of protection in Turkey increased to nine.

Turkey earlier put the ''Manyas Bird Lake, Burdur and Seyfe Lakes, Sultan Sazligi and Goksu Delta'' into the content of the agreement.

The ''Ramser Agreement'', which was signed in 1971, went into effect in 1975. Turkey has been a party for this agreement since 1994. A total of 106 UN member countries are still the parties fon the agreement.

[06] NATIONAL SOVEREIGNITY AND CHILDREN'S DAY IS BEING CELEBRATED

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, declared April 23, the day the Parliament was set up, as the National Sovereignty and Childrens' Day.

Thus children from all over the world came to Turkey to celebrate their Childrens' Day.

The celebration activities will continue through the day.

Children from all over the world perform folk dances of their countries and take part in various activities during the festival organized by the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) every year.

[07] BLACK SEA ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME NATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS FORUM DECIDES TO CELEBRATE 1998 WORLD OCEAN YEAR AS BLACK SEA YEAR IN TURKEY

Gul Goktepe, the Secretary General of the Forum, told the A.A correspondent that the year 1998 was announced as the World Ocean Year with the decision of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and that the aim of the year was to attract the attention to the water sources, especially to the situtation and future of the seas.

Pointing out that the Black Sea was once one of the ecologically richest and productive seas in the world, Goktepe said, ''Black Sea has been experiencing a change, a disaster, for the last 30 years while it had a unique natural environment.''

Stressing that the settlements near the Back Sea in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia did not have any purification plants, Goktepe said that the natural balance, that was ecological balance, in the Black Sea was totally and completely destroyed.

Gul Goktepe said that they would give the start to the ''Black Sea Year Sharing of Responsibility For Environment'' programme on April 30 to specify the measures to prevent the sea pollution.

[08] TURKEY IN BRIEF - APRIL 23, 1998

A total of 100 million Francs of loan was given to Turkey to finance two projects in accordance with the protocol.

The Undersecretariat of Treasury recalled that the protocol was initialed after reaching an agreement following the intergovernmental negotiations in Paris between December 22 and 23, 1997.

It said that 87 million French Francs of loan was provided to finance the Erzurum Water Purification Plant Project and 13 million French Francs of loan was provided to finance the Anatolian University Civil Aviation High School Research and Development Project.

ANKARA - Sir Michael Hardie Boys, the Governor General of New Zealand, who is holding contacts in Turkey as the official guest of President Suleyman Demirel, met on Wednesday with Hikmet Cetin, the Speaker of the Parliament.

Hikmet Cetin before the interdelegationary meetings said that the relations between the two countries started in the field war had changed into close friedship.

''The relations between our two countries have further improved in recent years. We are launching efforts to improve the economic relations,'' Cetin said.

Meanwhile, President Demirel gave a dinner to the honour of Governor General Hardie Boys.

Demirel called the New Zealander businessmen to invest in Turkey.

''The relations between Turkey and New Zealand in the field of culture shold be improved. Our two countries should sign cultural cooperation agreement,'' President Demirel said.

ANKARA - The first meeting of the Turkey-Bulgaria Joint Working Group which was formed in framework of the agreement reached between the Prime Ministers of Turkey and Bulgaria in 1997 to discuss social, humanitarian and cultural issues, was held on April 21-22, it was reported on Wednesday.

The Foreign Ministry pointed out in its written statement that the delegations reached concensus on the finding acceptable solutions to the problems and on the taking up the issues concerning the social security within the related European norms and standarts.

The second meeting of the Joint Working Group will be held in Bulgaria later this year.

ISTANBUL - Ambassador Ayhan Kamel organized a cocktail party in honour of the representatives of the member states to D-8 Economic Cooperation Organization who came to Turkey to attend the 5th period commission meeting, on Wednesday.

High level bureaucrats from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan, joined the party.

ANKARA - President Suleyman Demirel sent a congratulatory message to Thomas Klestil who was re-elected for the presidency of Austria, it was reported on Thursday.

Demirel said in his message, ''I believe that we will have the opportunity of improving the relations between Turkey and Austria during your presidency.''

SOFIA - It was reported on Thursday that 2.4 kilogram heroin worth of nearly 600 thousand German Marks, was captured in the bag of a Hungarian woman travelling in a bus, at the Captain Andreevo border gate.

The Hungarian woman was taken under custody and an investigation related the incident is underway.

AGRI - Illegal 66 Afghan immigrants were captured in Agri Province and deported on Thursday.

Officials told the A.A correspondent that the security officials on border captured 66 immigrant who wants to enter Turkey illegally in Kalender district of Agri Province. The illegal immigrants were deported after the questioning.

[09] AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ALIEV: ''I HAVE DECIDED ON THE BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINE ROUTE'' ''IT IS TIME FOR ACTION ANY MORE''

Attending to a ceremony for the start of Turkish pritave tv channel NTV's broadcast in Azerbaijan, Aliev said that he will tell about this decision to President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yżlmaz in the foundation laying ceremony of Derimer Dam in Turkey in April 26.

''Turkish people keep on speaking about Baku-Ceyhan for the last 5-6 years. Even the children speak about Baku-Ceyhan. But it is time for action anymore. The project has to be realized. We do what is necessary for this. Turkey and Georgia should do the same,'' he said.

Pointing out the meeting with the Presidents of Turkey and Georgia in April 26 is very important, Aliev said they will take up all other issues, not only the Deriner Dam in the summit. Aliev said that they will also evaluate the possibilities of Azerbaijan to benefit from the Deriner Dam.

Aliev said that the start of NTV broadcasts in Azerbaijan will contribute to further development of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

[10] 12TH TERM PROTOCOL OF CHINESE-TURKISH JEC SIGNED IN BEIJING

The 12th Term Protocol of the Chinese-Turkish Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JEC) was signed in Beijing the same day.

Isin Celebi and Shi Guangsheng, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, inked the protocol.

The trade volume between Turkey and China will be increased to 1.2 billion US dollars in accordance with the protocol. Turkey will launch initiatives to increase her exports of food and construction and chemical equipments. The Chinese entrepreneurs will invest in Turkey in accordance with the protocol that allows the Turkish banks' to open offices in China.

The Turkish and Chinese civil aviation units will convene to discuss the technical details of the Turkish Airlines' (THY) Istanbul-Beijing-Shangai flights and to make researches of the possibility of the start of these flights in 1999.

The parties have reached an agreement to cooperate with the third countries in the protocol that includes the opening of a fair at which the Turkish construction equipments and contractor services will be exhibited, and organization of a Turkish Week in China early in 1999.

State Minister Isin Celebi met with Wu Yi, the member of the Chinese State Council.

Wu Yi briefed Isin Celebi on the Chinese economy in the meeting.

Celebi, who concluded his contacts in Chinese capital of Beijing, will proceed to Shangai late on the same day.

After wrapping up his two-day contacts in Shangai, State Minister Celebi will return to Turkey.

[11] GENERAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS TO BE HELD NEXT MARCH

''This is an important agreement. I hope that we can keep within this agreement,'' Baykal told reporters in the parliament after a one-and-a-half hour meeting with Yilmaz.

Baykal said a pre-election government would be formed after parliament returns from its summer recess after October 1. Responding a question if his party may join the new government, Baykal said, ''we did not make a detailed evaluation. We have foreseen a pre-election government to prevent an election economy and the possibilities of the government be used to the benefit of certain parties.''

An independent prime minister would take the place of Yilmaz in the pre- election government, ahead of both general and local polls on March 28, 1999, Baykal said.

Yilmaz made no statement after their meeting, but Baykal said the two had ''reached a united understanding''.

''There will be both local and general elections in March 1999,'' Baykal said.

General elections, last held in December 1995, were not officially due until 2000.

Baykal's Republican People's Party has supported the coalition in key parliamentary votes since it came to power last June, in exchange for assurances that early elections would be held at some point.

[12] CLINTON DUE TO MEET WITH TURKMENBASI - MOBIL AND EXXON SIGN AGREEMENTS WITH TURKMENISTAN

Mobil and Exxon, the leading oil companies of the US, signed several agreements with Turkmenistan.

Mobil Company signed an agreement to research the energy sources in the west of Turkmenistan. Ten thousand barrels of oil were produced daily in the region and Mobil aims to double this number.

And Exxon Company will hold a technic research for the gas and oil beds around the Amuderya River in Turkmenistan.

Clinton will try to persuade Turkmenbasi for the transportation of the Turkmen gas to the Western markets via Azerbaijan and Turkey, at the meeting. The US Administration rejects the pipeline projects via Iran.

The US Trade Development Agency (TDA) will contribute 750 thousand US Dollars for the preperation of a feasibility report concerning the transportation of the Turkmen gas to Turkey. The feasibility report will be prepared by an American company, but Turkmenistan will choose the company. The company will be announced at the end of the May.

[13] INTENSE DEMAND FOR ROMANIAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

The officials from the DTM told the A.A correspondent that a total of 227 applications were made to import agricultural products from Romania within the content of the quotas and that however, they approved the applications of only 174 firms.

Officials said that the firms made seventeenfold of the amount of the quota for the imports of meat and live-stock as they would implement considerable deductions in the customs due for the imports within the scope of the quotas.

The firms, which were given import license by the DTM for the imports of meat and live-stock, should apply to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for control documents.

The firms applied to the DTM for the imports of also honey, wheat corn and vegetal oils.

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