Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-04-25

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

25 APRIL 1998

CONTENTS

[01] SAKIK BROTHERS ARRESTED

[02] HOLBROOKE DUE IN CYPRUS NEXT WEEK

[03] EDU PARTY LEADERS' SUMMIT

[04] TURKISH-CHINESE JEC MEETINGS

[05] TANER, MINISTER OF STATE: ''RUSSIA IS A MORE IMPORTANT MARKET FOR TURKEY AND EU''

[06] EDU SUMMIT... - TURKEY AND BULGARIA REACHES CONSENSUS OF OPINION ON TRADE AGREEMENT

[07] GAP WORKSHOP IN UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

[08] ALIEV AND SHEVARDNADZE DUE IN TURKEY TO LAY FOUNDATION OF DERINER DAM

[09] HISTORICAL WORKS OPERATION - 188 PIECES OF HISTORICAL WORKS BELONGING TO BYZANTIUM AND OTTOMAN PERIODS SEIZED

[10] TWO NIGERIANS WOUNDED AS THEY TRY TO PASS TURKISH-SYRIAN BORDER WITHOUT PERMISSION

[11] A GROUP OF SEPARATIST TERRORISTS OCCUPIED TURKISH AIRLINES OFFICE IN MILANO CALLING FOR FRISULLO'S RELEASE

[12] ''TAYYIP ERDOGAN'' RESPONSE FROM HAKTANIR TO US ADMINISTRATION

[13] SEZGIN, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RETURNS TO TURKEY

[14] ANAP DELEGATION RAISES RESERVATIONS TO EDU FINAL STATEMENT

[15] FIVE TERRORISTS KILLED THREE OTHERS WOUNDED

[01] SAKIK BROTHERS ARRESTED

Nihat Cakar, Chief Prosecutor of DGM and four other prosecutors intorragated Sakik brothers for 12 hours without intervals.

Semdin Sakik having a code name ''Parmaksiz Zeki'' and his brother Arif having a code name ''Hasan'' were sent to Diyarbakir prison after being arrested.

No statement was released related with the arrest.

[02] HOLBROOKE DUE IN CYPRUS NEXT WEEK

Jamie Rubin, the US State Department Spokesman, said Holbrooke would be in the Island next week adding that he would expand efforts to find a solution to Cyprus question with his ''high diplomatic'' experiences.

Rubin gave no information if Holbrooke would go to Ankara or Athens. He said Holbrooke would hold contacts with the concerned officals in the region to provide peace.

Holbrooke, who is known as the architect of ''Dayton Peace Agreement'', earlier said resolutions of European Union (EU) deadlocked solution in Cyprus.

EU decided to start negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side on behalf of ''Cyprus'' and did not give full membership perspective to Turkey. With this step of the EU Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) entered into an integration process. TRNC said it would not sit at negotiation table with the Greek Cypriots unless bi-federal state principle is accepted.

Holbrooke, for a time, is searching for formulas to include Turkish side to negotiations with the EU.

It is not clear yet wheather Holbrooke brings a new proposal or not.

[03] EDU PARTY LEADERS' SUMMIT

Addressing a session titled ''Security Policy in Europe and Expansion of NATO'' after participating in the 18th Party Leaders' Summit of the European Democrats' Union (EDU) in the Austrian city of Salzburg Yilmaz said Turkey rapproached positively to the expansion of the alliance.

''Yet, we believe that several criterion should be implemented while evaluating the expansion of the alliance. The expansion should consider security interests of the alliance and the partners. The expansion should not have aims directed to a third country and should not create such an impression'' Yilmaz said adding that close relations should be establihed within the framework of partnership activities for peace.

''Turkey favors continuation of expansion process and that we will continue to expand efforts to the candidacy of Balkan countries mainly Romania and Bulgaria'' Yilmaz said.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz was elected as deputy chairmanship again which he carried out since 1988.

[04] TURKISH-CHINESE JEC MEETINGS

Foreign Trade Undersecretariat said Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JEC) 12th term Meeting took place in Beijing between April 21 and 23.

Economic and trade relations between the two countries were reviewed and arrangements to improve trade relations were evaluated.

Within this framework, trade volume between the two countries will be increased to 1.2-1.5 billion dollars in the year 1999 and exportation of Turkey to this country will be 300 million dollars.

Effective participation to fairs, exhibitions and seminars in each countries will be realized.

Turkish and Chinese entrepreneurs will promote investments and joint investment projects in third countries.

[05] TANER, MINISTER OF STATE: ''RUSSIA IS A MORE IMPORTANT MARKET FOR TURKEY AND EU''

Addressing the businessmen during his visit to Russian-Turkish Businessmen Association in Moscow, Taner said there was necessary facilities to increase trade volume between the two countries from 10 billion dollars to 100 billion dollars.

Taner called on businessmen to establish dialogue relations with Russian deputies in particular.

[06] EDU SUMMIT... - TURKEY AND BULGARIA REACHES CONSENSUS OF OPINION ON TRADE AGREEMENT

Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz who participated in the 18th Party Leaders' Summit of the European Democrats' Union (EDU) in the Austrian city of Salzburg held a private meeting with Ivan Kostov, Bulgarian Prime Minister on Friday.

The two Prime Ministers reached to a consensus of opinion to sign a free trade agreement between Turkey and Bulgaria during Kostov's scheduled visit to Turkey in October.

In the meeting in question, Turkey said it would expand support to the deployment of Balkan Multinational Peace Force in Bulgaria.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that Bulgaria would expand support to Turkey's UN Security Council membership between the years 2000-2001.

[07] GAP WORKSHOP IN UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

GAP Administration Chairmanship said in a written statement that a workshop will be realized on April 29 within the context of the UN Sustainable Development Commission meetings that will take place between April 20 and May 1.

With the workshop the importance GAP attributes to the sustainable humanitarian development will be stressed and promotion of GAP is targetted.

Meanwhile, it was reported that during the sixth term meeting views of Turkey on ''Waters and Industry'' issues will be conveyed in details.

[08] ALIEV AND SHEVARDNADZE DUE IN TURKEY TO LAY FOUNDATION OF DERINER DAM

Foreign Ministry statement that President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will welcome the guest Presidents in Trabzon Airport.

The statement said Turkey attributed a great importance to relations with Azerbaijan and Georgia and willing to improve regional cooperation with these countries adding that ''Deriner Dam is evaluated as a comprehensive cooperation and a benefical example project within the framework of good neighborhood and friendship relations.''

[09] HISTORICAL WORKS OPERATION - 188 PIECES OF HISTORICAL WORKS BELONGING TO BYZANTIUM AND OTTOMAN PERIODS SEIZED

Istanbul Financial Department Directorate officials said the police, acting on a tip off, staged an operation on a house belonging to Alparslan Kurtarici who works as a collectionist and seized the historical works.

Kurtarici who was taken under custody after the incident said he collected the historical works from markets.

The historical works will be handled to Istanbul Archeology Museum.

A wide ranged investigation has been launched into the incident.

[10] TWO NIGERIANS WOUNDED AS THEY TRY TO PASS TURKISH-SYRIAN BORDER WITHOUT PERMISSION

The incident happened when security forces opened gunfire on four Nigerian tourists, two of them women, as they did not obey the security forces who called them to ''stop.'' The tourists were trying to enter Turkey from Syria.

Kevin Adah (28) and Cathrine Oanen were wounded during the gunfire and immediately hospitalized.

The other Nigerian tourists Kemo Saidy (27) and Bright Uwagne surrendered to security forces.

Investigation underway against the Nigerian tourists who wanted to enter Turkey through illegal ways although they had passports.

[11] A GROUP OF SEPARATIST TERRORISTS OCCUPIED TURKISH AIRLINES OFFICE IN MILANO CALLING FOR FRISULLO'S RELEASE

The separatist demonstrators entered the office as customers and chanted slogans. They left the office after the coming of the police.

Three of the demonstrators were carrying a red piece of cloth on their shoulders where ERNK was written on it. ERNK is a branch of the separatist terrorist PKK organization.

Meanwhile, another separatist group chanted slogans in front of the office and distributed documents.

Officials in Turkey's Embassy in Rome recalled that PKK terrorism in Germany started like this and pointed out that Italian government should act with common sense and take the incidents under control.

Officials that permission was given ERNK to open office in Italy and that this was a very grave mistake.

Damiano Frisullo, the Italian citizen who was arrested on charges of ''inciting to violence'' during the Nevruz (Spring Feast of the Vernal Equinox) celebrations in southeastern Diyarbakir Province.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Damiano Frisullo, the Italian journalist, started a hunger strike in the Diyarbakir prison. A sentence of five years imprisonment was requested for Frisullo.

The hunger strike of the Italian journalist will continue until April 28, the date when his hearing will take place.

[12] ''TAYYIP ERDOGAN'' RESPONSE FROM HAKTANIR TO US ADMINISTRATION

Haktanir said he told the US officials said the laws of the state would be valid for the elected ones if they contradict with the principles and promote people to these contradictions.

Haktanir said they opposed to the usage of human rights issue as a political weapon adding that Turkish government expanded intense efforts on human rights field.

James Rubin, the US Spokesman, evaluating the 10 months imprisonment for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Mayor of Istanbul, said they were of the opinion that this decision weakened the confidence felt for Turkish democracy.

Responding to a question about Erdogan's sentence given by the Diyarbakir State Security Court Rubin said, ''this punishment of Erdogan, a political leader elected democratically, for his statements, is a serious issue.''

Haktanir also said Turkey submitted a file to the US officials showing links between the separatist terrorist PKK organization with Syria and Greece adding that the US was of the opinion that separatist PKK was about to collapse.

[13] SEZGIN, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RETURNS TO TURKEY

Addressing a press conference in Ankara's Esenboga Airport Sezgin said during the visits they searched for ways to improve existing cooperation between the two countries.

Sezgin said during his meeting with Werner Fasslabend, Austrian Defense Minister, they stressed that Europe was a whole within the framework of security and defense identity and that they pointed out the requirement that expansion processes of NATO and other European structures should be harmonized.

Sezgin said he had the impression that EU would give necessary financial support and launch initiatives to adjust the decisions taken in Luxembourg summit during Austria's Term Presidency in the second half of this year.

[14] ANAP DELEGATION RAISES RESERVATIONS TO EDU FINAL STATEMENT

Cavit Kavak, Minister of State said ANAP's objection was to the paragraph which said ''we are willing to see the countries within EU soon which applied to the expansion of the union.''

Kavak said the objection of ANAP was for the full membership of Greek Cypriot side.

Decisions are taken unanimously within the operation of EDU. The final statements are not binding.

[15] FIVE TERRORISTS KILLED THREE OTHERS WOUNDED

The terrorists were killed in a clash which erupted in southern part of Artos mountain near Kayabogazi village.

Officials said there were no reported casualities from security forces.

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