Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-09-06

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

06 SEPT 1998

CONTENTS

[01] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ LEAVES FOR JORDAN - YILMAZ: ''OUR SUPPORT TO PALESTINE WILL ALSO CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE''

[02] DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT LEAVES TRNC - ECEVIT: ''IN MY OPINION THE CYPRUS QUESTION HAS BEEN SOLVED IN RESPECT OF TURKEY AND TURKISH CYPRIOTS''

[03] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS IN EPHESUS - HAGARD, THE CHAIRMAN OF COE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY LEGAL COMMISSION: ''WE PREPARE A REPORT ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN TURKEY''

[04] ELCHIBEY, THE LEADER OF AZERI PUBLIC FRONT PARTY ADDRESSES TO A.A: ''THE RECENT LEVEL OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN DOESN'T SATISFY ME''

[05] ''OPTIONAL'' DEBENTURE BOND-BOND SALE FROM TREASURY

[06] SAYGIN, MINISTER OF STATE:''DIFFERENT KINDS OF ILLNESSES ARE SEEN AMONG TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING IN GERMANY THAN GERMAN CITIZENS''

[07] 47 SCHOOLS TO BE ESTABLISHED IN 31 PROVINCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROTOCOL BETWEEN IMKB AND MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION

[08] TURKISH-GREEK PEACE VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATE IN FIG FESTIVAL

[09] MINIBUS AND SMALL LORRY FACTORY IN SAMARQAND OF KOC HOLDING TO BE OPENED ON OCTOBER 24

[10] UNDERSECRETARIAT OF FOREIGN TRADE TO ORGANIZE ''FOREIGN TRADE WEEK'' BETWEEN OCTOBER 5-11

[11] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ IN JORDAN - TURKEY AND JORDAN SIGN THREE COOPERATION AGREEMENTS IN THE FIELDS OF AGRICULTURE, SPORTS AND STANDARDIZATION - YILMAZ: ''COOPERATION OF TURKEY WITH ISRAEL ISN'T DIRECTED AGAINST ANY COUNTRY''

[12] SKELATONS OF PEOPLE, WHO LIVED 4,500 YEARS AGO, FOUND IN HARMANOREN

[01] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ LEAVES FOR JORDAN - YILMAZ: ''OUR SUPPORT TO PALESTINE WILL ALSO CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE''

Prime Minister Yilmaz left for Amman, the capital of Jordan, the first stop of his three-day visit covering Jordan, Israel and Palestine.

Prior to his departure, Yilmaz said that the relations between Turkey and Jordan remain at the highest-level in every field. Pointing out that his negotiations aimed at further improving those relations, Yilmaz said that the bilateral relations and the issues concerning the region will be discussed during his visit to Israel.

Noting that Turkey and Israel have good economic relations, Prime Minister Yilmaz said that he will met with Yasser Arafat, the President of Palestine on 8 September.

''Turkey, together with her parliament and nation, have always supported the Palestinian people. Our support to the Palestinian friends will also continue in the future. We are launching efforts to help Palestine in her economic, social and cultural development. We improve and diversify our bilateral relations day by day,'' Yilmaz mentioned.

''Today, the Middle Eastern region needs stability and peace more than in the past. The Middle Eastern peace process has been blocked for a long time. Removing that curtailment and restarting negotiations are very important. Within this framework, we will support every initiative and effort. Turkey, as a country is playing an important role in the region, will continue her contributions,'' Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz added.

Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz is accompanied by his wife Berna Yilmaz; Isin Celebi and Yucel Seckiner, the Ministers of State; Mustafa Tasar, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; business men and reporters.

[02] DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT LEAVES TRNC - ECEVIT: ''IN MY OPINION THE CYPRUS QUESTION HAS BEEN SOLVED IN RESPECT OF TURKEY AND TURKISH CYPRIOTS''

Addressing a ceremony held upon the independence day of Yesilırmak, Bulent Ecevit said that Greek Cypriot gangs committed genocide against Turkish people on the island before 1974, however a permanent peace has been established on Cyprus for 24 years by the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation.

''Cyprus was a poor island. Now on the one side there is the Southern Cyprus which benefits from generous foreign assistance and on the other side there is TRNC which develops her economy in spite of the embargo imposed on her. Both sides reached democracy and freedom by the bi-communal and bi-zonal structure founded after the Turkish Peace Operation,'' Ecevit said.

Noting that he has defended the federal state on Cyprus for a long time, Ecevit pointed out that Greek Cypriots acted as if they accepted the federation, but their real will was to return to the period before 1974.

Stressing that there are people who want to show Turkish Cypriots as a minority living under the administration of the Greek Cypriot side, Ecevit said ''there is an independent Turkish state and it's not posible to break off the cooperation between this state and Turkey. From now on TRNC is a guarantee for Turkey. No body should wait for concessions, as long as Turkey exists, so does TRNC.''

TRNC President Rauf Denktas said in his part that ''we are proud of being a part of Anatolia. Turkish Cypriots are better today by the things that are done by Turkey.''

Noting that the confederation proposal is rejected by Greek Cypriots and his proposal created discussions in the Greek Cypriot side, Denktas said ''if we would propose the things that can be accepted by the Greek Cypriots, then we should also give the title deed of Cyprus to them. We also don't accept their claims saying that they are the 'Cyprus Republic.' We don't accept their application to the European Union (EU) and their delivery of Russian missiles to the island.''

[03] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS IN EPHESUS - HAGARD, THE CHAIRMAN OF COE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY LEGAL COMMISSION: ''WE PREPARE A REPORT ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN TURKEY''

The members of the COEPA Legal Commission from Poland, Austria, Greece, Slovakia, Norway and Sweden, who came to Turkey upon the invitation of Parliamentary Chairmanship, visited the Virgin Mary in Selcuk county of western province of Izmir and later visited Ephesus Ancient City.

Responding to questions of journalists, Hagard said that the meeting held in Istanbul was a regular meeting held in every two years.

Noting that ''the human rights issues in Turkey'' were also taken up at the meeting, Hagard claimed that ''the issue of human rights continues to be a problem in Turkey.''

''We have to compare well Turkey in 1920-1930s and Turkey today. The things which were valid 50 years ago can't be valid today. The Turkish society has changed a lot in 50 years. In those times, nationalism was very important, today this concept has to transcend its dimensions. The solution of the problems in Turkey can come true only by open debate,'' he added.

[04] ELCHIBEY, THE LEADER OF AZERI PUBLIC FRONT PARTY ADDRESSES TO A.A: ''THE RECENT LEVEL OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN DOESN'T SATISFY ME''

Responding to questions of A.A, Elchibey stated that his party fights in two fronts, one of them is for democracy and the other one is power struggle.

''The people of tomorrow in Azerbaijan are uneasy about Turkey and Turkey's relations today. They don't understand why Turkey doesn't found a democracy association in Azerbaijan. Americans do this, tomorrow everybody will say that it is the American people who tought democracy to Azerbaijan. We have only cultural integration with Turkey and that's all. This culture comes from our roots, apart from that our economic and commercial relations are weak,'' Elchibey said.

Expressing his views about the economic and political crisis in Russia, Elchibey claimed that ''the second stage of the collapse of Soviet Union in Russia will start.''

''Russia will have great uneasiness and several states will be established within this country. The Caucasus will further strengthen their independence,'' said Elchibey, adding that these people will need assistance in that stage.

[05] ''OPTIONAL'' DEBENTURE BOND-BOND SALE FROM TREASURY

The organizations, which will mediate in sales, will continue to receive demands on September 8 and 9 to specify the total limit in sales.

The firm sales will be realized on September 10.

The issue date for the three-month term bonds was determined to be September 10 while their repayment will be made on 10 December 1998.

The coupon payments of the one-year term debenture bonds will be realized in every three months while the coupon interest will be three percent. The issue date of those bonds was specified to be 10 September and the repayment date to be 9 September 1999.

Meanwhile, the people, who want to purchase bonds on September 10 although they won't make any application during the offer-period, will supply their additional requirement from the Central Bank if the mediator organizations will make request.

The lowest limit for the Tresury bonds will be 10 million Turkish Liras (TL). The proceeds derived from the bond sales will be deposited to the concerned account at the Central Bank's Office in Ankara by the end of the working hours on September 10.

The lowest limit for the coupon bonds will be one thousand US dollars. The proceeds will be deposited to the concerned account of the Central Bank at the Citibank N.A Newyork.

The mediator organizations, which are on commission, will earn 0.5 percent of the net sales of the Treasury and coupon bonds.

[06] SAYGIN, MINISTER OF STATE:''DIFFERENT KINDS OF ILLNESSES ARE SEEN AMONG TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING IN GERMANY THAN GERMAN CITIZENS''

Addressing a symposium namely ''Medical and Social Problems of Immigrants'' held by the Turkish-German Health Foundation upon the 10th foundation anniversary of the Foundation, Saygın stated that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) just like the Health Foundation carry importance for the strengthening of friendship between the countries.

Noting that the population of Turkish people, who have been living in Germany for 37 years, reached two millions, Saygın pointed out that the number of Turkish people who born in Germany reached approximately 46,000 in a year and the number of people who die in a year is 2800.

Stressing that a part of Turkish people living in Germany had acquired German citizenship and 160,000 of these people have the right to elect.

''This right provides an opportunity to our citizens to participate in elections and have a say in Germany concerning their problems,'' Saygın said.

Rita Sussmuth, the Speaker of the German Federal Parliament said in her part that the Turkish-German Health Association had taken important steps concerning ''harmonization in health.''

[07] 47 SCHOOLS TO BE ESTABLISHED IN 31 PROVINCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROTOCOL BETWEEN IMKB AND MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION

Prior to the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said that the IMKB allocated 32 trillion Turkish Liras (TL) for the construction of those schools last year and increased that amount to 67 trillion TL in one year.

Osman Birsen, the President of the IMKB, said that the Ministry of National Education had the Yildiz Technical University prepare the projects for those schools, adding that they saved up 32 trillion TL in the fund they established in November 1997 and this amount together with its accretions will be spent for the constructions of 47 schools in 31 provinces. Pointing out that 24 of those schools will be boarding schools, Birsen said that the tenders will be opened by the Governorships of those provinces.

Hikmet Ulugbay, the Minister of National Education, said, ''there are 155 boarding primary regional schools (YİBO) in these provinces. A total of 61 YIBOs are expected to be added to this number by the end of this year.''

Ulugbay added that the tenders for the constructions of 134 schools will be opened at the begining of the next week.

Later, the National Education Minister Hikmet Ulugbay and the IMKB President Osman Birsen signed the protocol and the Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz distributed the concerning protocols to the governors of Adiyaman, Amasya, Ardahan, Batman, Bayburt, Bitlis, Diyarbakır, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Gumushane, Igdir, Isparta, Izmir, Kars, Kayseri, Kirsehir, Konya, Malatya, Mardin, Mus, Ordu, Rize, Samsun, Siirt, Sivas, Sanliurfa, Tokat, Trabzon and Van provinces.

Cavit Kavak, Isin Celebi, Rustu Kazim Yucelen, Yucel Seckiner, Refaiddin Sahin, the Ministers of State, and the Foreign Minister Ismail Cem also participated in the protocol signing ceremony.

[08] TURKISH-GREEK PEACE VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATE IN FIG FESTIVAL

Demeztfis Nicas Demkısl, the Chairman of the Association and the accompanying delegation, who were received by Kamil Koten, the head official of Incirliova county of western province of Aydın said that the two peoples have to live in peace.

Angelika Demkısl, the Chairman of the Samos Woman Association said that they wish the Aegean to be a sea of peace between the two peoples.

''I believe that everybody has to do their best so that Turkish and Greek people can live in peace, we have to know each other and we have to stay away from conspiracy, which will bring us face to face. I find Turkish people very peaceful. There maybe some people both from Turkey and from Greece who don't favour peace, but I don't attribute much importance to them. The aim of making both of us enemies of each other is the wish of several powers which want us to be armed and expend a lot of money on armament. The two peoples should not be deceived by such games. We have to allocate the money we assign to armament to education, health, protection of environment and peace.''

[09] MINIBUS AND SMALL LORRY FACTORY IN SAMARQAND OF KOC HOLDING TO BE OPENED ON OCTOBER 24

Hikmet Ozdemir, the General Director of the factory, told the A.A correspondent that the opening ceremony of the factory, which was constructed in nearly two years with the Turkish-Uzbek corporation, will be held within the framework of the international commemoration meeting activities to be held in Samarqand on the 1,225th anniversary of the birth of the famous hadith scholar El Buhari, an important name in the Turkish and Islamic world.

A total of 500 personnel will be employed at the factory where annually four thousand Otoyol-Iveco type minibuses and small lorries will be produced.

The factory, which was equipped with the Turkish technology, costed nearly 58 million US dollars.

[10] UNDERSECRETARIAT OF FOREIGN TRADE TO ORGANIZE ''FOREIGN TRADE WEEK'' BETWEEN OCTOBER 5-11

The ''Foreign Trade Week'', which will be held for the first time this year, will be periodically organized in the second week of every October.

Within the context of the week, introductory and informative activities will be held to increase exports nationwide.

During the week, educational programmes will be broadcasted, panel discussions and symposiums will be held, most successful exporters will be determined at sectoral level and the successful TIR drivers and ship- captains will be awarded.

The students, who will manage to rank in the essay contest on ''exports'' among the primary and high school students, will find the opportunity to visit the food fair, the ''Berlin Green Week Fair'' together with their parents during the mid-break in spring.

Omer Berki, the General Director of the Exports Department of the DTM, said that the aim for organizing such a week was to get the public be conscious about the issue of exports.

Pointing out that Turkey took important steps in being an exporting country but the exports consciousness has not yet spreaded sufficiently throughout the country, Berki said, ''when we reach the consciousness of being an exporting country, we can remove most of the problems and difficulties we are facing in exports now.''

[11] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ IN JORDAN - TURKEY AND JORDAN SIGN THREE COOPERATION AGREEMENTS IN THE FIELDS OF AGRICULTURE, SPORTS AND STANDARDIZATION - YILMAZ: ''COOPERATION OF TURKEY WITH ISRAEL ISN'T DIRECTED AGAINST ANY COUNTRY''

Prime Minister Yılmaz met with Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez al-Tarawnah the same day and later interdelegationary meetings headed by the two prime ministers were held.

Turkey and Jordan signed three cooperation agreements at the end of these meetings.

The first agreement signed in the field of sports foresees opening of youth camps reciprocally and exchange of trainers.

The agricultural cooperation agreement foresees exchange of technology and agricultural experience between the two countries, financing of agricultural development programmes and encouragement of investments in this field.

The third agreement signed between Turkey and Jordan aims at standardization in quality and measurement.

Responding to questions of press members after the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Yılmaz said that the two countries are the countries which will install stability and balance in the region, they wish to further improve the bilateral relations and to make the Joint Economic Commission operate in order to increase the trade volume between the two countries.

Noting that the two countries share similar points of view concerning many international issues and they took up the regional issues including the Middle Eastern Peace Process during his meeting with Jordanian Prime Minister, Yılmaz added that ''very serious efforts were exerted for a comprhensive peace in the Middle East, however we face with very critical and disappointing developments. We are concerned about the existing situation and in this end we extend support to all kinds of efforts aiming at resuming the peace process, which halted.''

Prime Minister Yılmaz said that Turkey extends support to initiatives including the US plan which was also accepted by the Palestinian side concerning the Israeli settlers and the French-Arab proposal which foresees the holding of an international conference concerning the Middle Eastern peace process. Yılmaz stressed that Turkey appreciates the constructive attitudes of Jordanian King Hussein and Jordanian Crown Prince Hasan regarding this process.

Responding to a question, Yılmaz said that Turkey and Israel signed eight agreements so far, adding that ''the agreements which were signed and will be signed by Turkey will not negatively effect the Middle Eastern Peace Process. Our intention is to make our contribution to the peace and stability in the region.''

Stressing that Turkey is against all kinds of terrorism, Yılmaz said that if other countries show the same attitude towards terrorism just like Turkey, the international terrorism will not live.

Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez al-Tarawnah said in his part that it is not possible for Jordan to be in an alliance or coalition in the security field, adding that Jordan supports the Middle Eastern Peace Process.

''We wish installation of a comprehensive peace in the whole region and the Turkish officials have many times said that the cooperation made with Israel is not directed against third countries,'' Tarawnah said, adding that the relations between Turkey and Jordan are very good.

Tarawnah added that the potential for a cooperation in the field of military was also taken up at his meeting with Prime Minister Yılmaz.

Prime Minister Yılmaz later participated in the luncheon hosted by the Jordanian Prime Minister.

[12] SKELATONS OF PEOPLE, WHO LIVED 4,500 YEARS AGO, FOUND IN HARMANOREN

Prof.Dr. Mehmet Ozsait, the chief of the archaeological excavation team, said that the skeletons were placed in large earthenware jars for protection.

Ozsait told the A.A correspondent that during the excavations, they also brought to light stone hatchets with perforated handles, aquiline nose pitchers; double-handle caps and stylized human figures called as ''idols'' belonging to the Bronze Age.

Pointing out that the artifacts belonged to 2,500 B.C., Ozsait said that a few of such artifacts have reached today without destruction.

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