Anadolu Agency: News in English, 99-01-17

Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

AA Daily

17 January 1999 Sunday

CONTENTS

[01] LEBEDEV, RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY, ASSURED ANKARA THAT RUSSIA'S PROMISE NOT TO SHELTER OCALAN IN RUSSIAN LANDS IS STILL VALID

[02] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[03] THE 56TH GOVERNMENT WINS CONFIDENCE VOTE - ECEVIT, PRIME MINISTER: ''THE PRIMARY GOAL OF OUR GOVERNMENT IS TO CARRY TURKEY 18 APRIL ELECTIONS SAFELY AND IMPARTIALLY''

[04] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY INFORMS TURKISH EMBASSY IN MOSCOW: ''TERRORIST CHIEF IS NOT HERE, AND WILL NEVER BE HERE AGAIN''

[05] IRIDIUM SYSTEM TO BE IN PRACTICE IN FEBRUARY

[06] PREMIER ECEVIT: ''IT WAS REVEALED THAT THE CHIEF TERRORIST CAN'T EASILY TAKE SHELTER ALMOST IN EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD''

[07] FOREIGN MINISTRY: ''CHIEF TERRORIST CAN'T ESCAPE FROM JUSTICE''

[08] RUSSIA'S RESPONSE TO ANKARA: ''OCALAN DID NOT ARRIVE IN RUSSIA AND WILL NOT''

[09] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

[10] STATEMENT FROM GENERAL STAFF: - ''THE NEWS CLAIMING THAT AN ECONOMIC WORKING GROUP WAS ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF GENERAL STAFF WAS BASELESS AND IMAGINATIVE''

[11] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS CONVENES

[12] AN IMPETUS IN THE TURKISH-SPANISH RELATIONS

[13] MEETING OF COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ENDS - GUREL, MINISTER OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: ''WE HAVE STILL NOT RECEIVED A DEFINITE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTRY WHERE THE CHIEF TERRORIST HAD ARRIVED IN''

[14] INTERNATIONAL EXPORTERS' FEDERATION: ''A BOOM IS EXPECTED IN TURKEY'S EXPORTS TO THE US NEXT YEAR''

[15] GUREL, GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: ''WE WISH MR. HAYDAR ALIYEV A RAPID RECOVERY''

[16] ARMENIA AND UKRAINE ARE AMONG THE COUNTRIES WHERE OCALAN, THE CHIEF OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATION PKK, MIGHT GO

[17] PRESIDENT DEMIREL CONDEMNS THE MASSACRE OF 45 KOSOVONIAN ALBANIANS BY THE SERBIANS

[18] DANGEROUS INITATIVES OF GREECE IN THE AEGEAN - FOREIGN MINISTRY: ''THE STATEMENTS OF GREECE WHICH SHOW ATHENS F.I.R. AND INTERNATIONAL AIR SPACE OF THE AEGEAN AS AREAS UNDER HER AUTHORITY, ARE DIRECTED TO DISTORT AND STIR UP THE PROBLEM'' - ''IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT ATHENS CARRIES OUT VARIOUS ACTIVITIES INCLUDING MILITARY EXERCISES ON SOME ISLETS AND ROCKS WHICH ARE NOT GIVEN TO HER''

[19] LEBEDEV, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA: ''NEITHER OCALAN NOR A PERSON RESEMBLING HIM CROSSED THE RUSSIAN BORDER''

[20] ALIEV, AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT: ''I THINK DOCTORS WILL LET ME GO IN A COUPLE OF DAYS''

[01] LEBEDEV, RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY, ASSURED ANKARA THAT RUSSIA'S PROMISE NOT TO SHELTER OCALAN IN RUSSIAN LANDS IS STILL VALID

Sources said that Faruk Loğoğlu, Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary, contacted Lebedev and asked for information following the news reports that Ocalan left Italy for Russia. Lebedev responded, ''the assurances which we gave to you are valid. We will have concrete information about the issue and convey it to you.''

Meanwhile Lebedev and Massimiliano Bandini, Italy's Ambassador to Turkey, are expected to be summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Sunday to exchange views concerning the issue.

Foreign Ministry sources evaluated the news items that Ocalan left Italy for Russia as ''an unexpected development.'' An official from the Foreign Ministry told A.A that ''Russia gave written and verbal assurances that she will not provide shelter to the person in question in her lands.''

[02] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

Massimo D'Alema's government, which treated the chief terrorist with respect in Rome, understood the facts when it felt suffocated against Turkey's diplomatic attacks. The terrorist in question was sent to Moscow in a hurry with an Italian military plane through Saturday afternoon.

KIRCI: ''WHAT WE DID WAS BRUTALITY''
Haluk Kirci, who was sentenced to capital punishment on charges of killing seven members of Turkish Workers' Party (TIP) in Bahcelievler district in Ankara in 1978, said after 21 years, ''what we did was brutish. It was brutality. I feel regret.''

Giving 31-page testimony to the Istanbul Security Directorate Department of Struggle Against Organized Crimes, Kirci said he was acquainted with Mehmet Agar in August 1992 when he was the Governor of Erzurum. ''Abdullah Catli was my close friend. Sedat Bucak and I went to Siverek in early 1996 before the traffic accident in Susurluk. I hid in Bucak's house when I was being wanted by the police,'' he said.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

FURIOUS COMPETITION IN ELECTION
A total of six unwanted incidents occured between 8-15 January due to the quarrel for the register of electors and rivalry of the candidates.

A total of seven people were killed and 50 others were wounded in eastern Erzurum, southeastern Kahramanmaras and central Konya and Kastamonu provinces.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

Ocalan is expected to transit to the Ukraine or Estonia.

DOPING TO THE MARKET
Tradesmen became happy when a total of 463 trillion Turkish Liras was thrown on the market in two days and when the Russian guilds restarted shuttle trade.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

Ulugbay said they would seek a basis for a broad cooperation with the IMF.

RETIRED PEOPLE BECOME THE TARGET OF ROBBERS
Two retired people died while they were waiting to draw their retirement pays in a queue in front of bank offices.

Kadir Sozbilir, a pensioner, was killed by robbers for his pension. Muzaffer Dogan, another pensioner, committed suicide when he got his wallet including his retirement pay stolen.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

After the residents in Bergama and Camlihemsin, the people of Arnavutkoy proved that the public has the environmental consciousness by opposing to the ''Third Bridge to Istanbul Straits'' for which there is still not a project.

36 PEOPLE KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
In the first day of the nine-day religious holiday, a total of 36 people lost their lives in traffic accidents.

Despite the measures taken by the traffic police and warnings, a total of 36 people were killed and 61 others were injured in traffic accidents happened yesterday.

YENİ YÜZYIL (LIBERAL)

''Ankara missed the chance for administrating the crisis. The markets will relieve in spring. Turkey will rapidly get off this crisis,'' he said.

EVEN YILMAZ COULDN'T CONVINCE HIM
Mesut Yilmaz, the then Prime Minister, couldn't convince Hakan Sukur, the striker of Galatasaray, before his second visit to Italy.

Prior to his second departure, Hakan Sukur and Mesut Yilmaz met at the Swiss Hotel in Istanbul. At that meeting, Yilmaz told Hakan that he would constitute an example for the younger players if he goes to Italy and plays for Juventus. Hakan said , ''there, a Turkish person is externalized. It will be difficult for me to take on there.''

TÜRKİYE (RIGHT)

Italian government which cannot stand Turkey's pressures returned the head of the separatist organization back to Moscow.

DURAK AND CILSAL RESIGNED FROM DYP
True Path Party (DYP) deputy Osmal Cilsal and Aytac Durak, Adana Mayor from DYP; resigned from their party on Saturday.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

The Serbs who continues their massacres in Kosovo as they did in Bosnia, wildly cut 45 Albanians into pieces to death before the Muslim holiday.

APO IS AGAIN IN RUSSIA
The head of the separatist terrorist organization left Rome for Russia yesterday. It is expected that he will use Russia for transit to another country.

[03] THE 56TH GOVERNMENT WINS CONFIDENCE VOTE - ECEVIT, PRIME MINISTER: ''THE PRIMARY GOAL OF OUR GOVERNMENT IS TO CARRY TURKEY 18 APRIL ELECTIONS SAFELY AND IMPARTIALLY''

Following the voting session, Hikmet Cetin, the speaker of the parliament, said that the 56th government received 306 confidence votes while the number of no-confidence votes was 188. One deputy abstained.

Prime Minister Ecevit thanked for the support given to his government in the parliament.

Stating that they will be very sensitive to deserve the trust of the deputies who gave confidence vote to the government, and to gain the confidence of the deputies who gave no-confidence vote, Ecevit said, 'the primary goal of our government is to carry Turkey to 18 April elections safely and impartially.''

[04] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY INFORMS TURKISH EMBASSY IN MOSCOW: ''TERRORIST CHIEF IS NOT HERE, AND WILL NEVER BE HERE AGAIN''

Stating that there was not any information which confirms that Ocalan came to Russia, the Russian officials guaranteed that the terrorist chief will never be sheltered in Russian territory again.

The Turkish desk officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Russian promise that ''terrorist chief is not in Russia and will never be here again'' which was given to Turkey at Prime Ministerial level is still valid. The Russian authorities had promised Turkey that Russia would not provide shelter for Ocalan in Russian territories the day after the terrorist chief left Russia in November 13, 1998.

[05] IRIDIUM SYSTEM TO BE IN PRACTICE IN FEBRUARY

Erkan Tezcanli, the Director of Turkish Branch of Iridium satellite system, told A.A correspondent that this system had been put into effect in some other countries on November 1, 1998.

Stating that all the technical requirements were completed in Turkey for the system, Tezcanli said that there are two problems left for them to overcome.

Stressing that the Turkish Telecom undertook the transactions of subscription and invoice collection of Iridium in Turkey, Tezcanli noted that Turkish Telecom will determine the telephone bills to this end.

Pointing out that the Turkish Telecom will add brokerage and taxation rates to its servicing tariffs, Tezcanli stated that the Ministry of Transportation will declare the tariffs after it ratifies them.

Emphasizing that Motorola and Kyocera type mobile phones can be used in the system, Tezcanli said that KVK, STS and UNITEL firms applied the authorities to get the permission of the import of these types of mobile phones.

Noting that this Iridium system will account for 3200-3500 US dollars for the subcribers, Tezcanli said that the only problem left behind is the import permit and added that this system will be launched in February.

Tezcanli stressed that the per minute talking fees in the world is 3-5 dollars on the internal call basis and 5-8 dollars on international call basis and added that this amount will be a little higher due to the additional brokerage fees.

Noting that the owners of the mobile phones can use the system directly by being a subcribers of Turkcell and Telsim, the present mobile phone firms in Turkey, and Iridium; Tezcanli said that it will be more economical for the users to use this satellite system by only buying a mobile phone which is suitable for this new system and by continuing to use their existing sim cards.

[06] PREMIER ECEVIT: ''IT WAS REVEALED THAT THE CHIEF TERRORIST CAN'T EASILY TAKE SHELTER ALMOST IN EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD''

Speaking to reporters at the Parliament, Bulent Ecevit said, ''we still don't have a sufficient information revealing the country he arrived in. However, even if he has arrived in Moscow or another region in Russia, we believe that Russia will abide by her commitments.''

Responding to a question about the attitude of Italy, Ecevit said, ''the Italian administration had been involved in contradictions. Opposite opinions appeared in the Italian public and political area and it was seen that protecting such a terrorist resulted in major costs. In the next few hours, we will receive definite information about the issue.''

Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister, said that the concerned units of state were following the developments in coordination.

''According to the announcement of the Italian government, he was obliged to leave Italy. According to the messages we received from Russia, Moscow will never accept that terrorist in question or other terrorists to take shelter in the Russian territories,'' he said.

Foreign Minister Cem said that Turkey correctly took up the issue up until now and she, as a state of law, demanded the implementation of what the law requires.

[07] FOREIGN MINISTRY: ''CHIEF TERRORIST CAN'T ESCAPE FROM JUSTICE''

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that despite Turkey's insistence on the implementation of laws, the Italian authorities provided an opportunity for the chief terrorist to leave Rome with a decision they made alone.

Recalling that the Italian government had announced that the chief terrorist couldn't take on in Rome where he stayed for 65 days and obliged to leave Italy, the statement said that as a result of Turkey's resolved struggle against terrorism, the terrorist chief had been expelled from Syria and his taking shelter in Moscow had been prevented.

Pointing out that the chief terrorist tried to change Rome into a center of terorism and sought for a broad-support from Europe for separatist terrorism, the statement said that those efforts became of no use and at the end, the Western European public opinion started to see and understand the bloodiest and real face of the terrorist organization.

Stressing that Turkey, as a state of law, approached the issue in accordance with the international cooperation in the struggle against terrorism and wanted the chief terrorist be tried for his crimes, the statement said, ''however, it was seen that the Italian authorities could not solve the problem they created and could not assume an attitude appropriate to the necessities of law and justice.''

[08] RUSSIA'S RESPONSE TO ANKARA: ''OCALAN DID NOT ARRIVE IN RUSSIA AND WILL NOT''

Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Viktor Melnik, the Press Attache of the Russian Embassy in Ankara, said that Faruk Logoglu, the Deputy Undersecretary of Foreign Ministry, met late on Saturday with Aleksander Lebedev, the Russian Ambassador to Ankara, and asked for information about the news claiming that the chief terrorist had arived in Moscow.

Pointing out that Ambassador Lebedev conveyed the issue to Moscow and asked for information, Melnik said that the expected response of the Foreign Ministry came this morning and it said that Ocalan did not and will not arrive in Russia.

Melnik said that this response had been conveyed to the Deputy Undersecretary Logoglu and the Russian Foreign Ministry would issue an official statement in the next few hours.

Stressing that the attitude of Russia concerning the Ocalan issue was clear, Melnik said, ''there is not any difference in our attitude. Ocalan can't be permitted to take shelter in the Russian territories.''

[09] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Bulent Ecevit was born in Istanbul in 1925.

Ecevit, who graduated from the Istanbul American College in 1944, married Rahsan Ecevit (Aral), a classmate from the Istanbul American College in 1946.

Bulent Ecevit started his career at the Directorate General of Press and Information in 1944 as a translator. Ecevit, who worked in London between 1946-50 as a press attache, worked at the ''Ulus (Nation)'', ''Yeni Ulus (New Nation)'' and ''Halkci (Republican)'' newspapers as a journalist and editor. Ecevit, whose daily articles were published in ''Milliyet'' newspaper, also worked for Forum magazine as a journalist. Bulent Ecevit issued the monthly magazine namely ''Ozgur Insan (Free Man)'' in 1972 and the weekly magazine of ''Arayis (Search)'' in 1981.

Ecevit, who became a Member of Parliament in 1959 as a Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy from Ankara, was re-elected as a MP from Ankara in 11th Term while he entered the Parliament as a Zonguldak deputy in 2nd, 3rd ,4th ,5th and 19th Terms.

Ecevit, who was also a member of Representatives' Assembly, entered the Parliament as a DSP deputy from Istanbul in last general elections.

Ecevit worked as the Secretary General of the CHP in 1966 and became the leader of the CHP in 1972. Following the military intervention on 12 September 1980, Ecevit gave up his leadership in the CHP and took over the leadership of the DSP from his wife Rahsan Ecevit when the political prohibitions were lifted in 1987.

Ecevit, who quited his post in DSP when his party failed to get a good result in the general elections held shortly after he became the leader of DSP, was re-elected as the leader of DSP in an extraordinary convention in 1989.

Ecevit, who became the Minister of Labor in the governments led by Ismet Inonu between 1961-1965, became the Prime Minister of the CHP-National Salvation Party (MSP) coalition government in 1974.

Ecevit, who formed a minority government in 1977 but failed to get the vote of confidence, undertook the prime minister's post for 21 months in the government formed in 1978 with the contributions of some independent deputies.

Ecevit, who published poetry and political books, translated some works of famous authors into Turkish language. The poems of Ecevit were published in Federal Germany, former Soviet Union, Romania, Yugoslavia, Denmark and Sweden.

Ecevit, who studied English Language and Literature at the Ankara University, Sanskritic and Bengalese Languages and History of Art at the London University and made researches at the Harward University in the US in 1957 for eight months, worked as a tutor in 1985 at the Hamburg University.

During the period he was barred from politics and later, Ecevit staged conferences at several universities in Europe and the US.

Ecevit, against whom a number of lawsuits were opened on charges that he continued his political studies and opposed to military administration after 12 September 1980, was sentenced to imprisonment terms for three times.

Ecevit became the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of State in the 55th Government formed on 30 June 1997 under the leadership of Mesut Yilmaz, the leader of the Motherland Party (ANAP).

Bulent Ecevit was re-elected as the leader of the DSP at the Regular Convention on 7 December 1997.

On 2 December 1998, Ecevit was assigned to form the 56th govenment by President Suleyman Demirel but gave the mandate back to Demirel on 21 December 1998.

However, Ecevit was re-appointed to form the new government on 7 January 1999 when Yalim Erez, an independent deputy from Mugla province and the Minister of Industry and Trade, failed to fulfil the commission.

[10] STATEMENT FROM GENERAL STAFF: - ''THE NEWS CLAIMING THAT AN ECONOMIC WORKING GROUP WAS ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF GENERAL STAFF WAS BASELESS AND IMAGINATIVE''

The Office of General Staff issued a written statement recallign that a newspaper had published a news claiming that ''an EWG is being established for economic crimes''. The statement stressed, ''leading way to mislead and misinform the public by publishing baseless news without making any research was regretful.''

Stressing that there was not such a group namely ''EWG'' within the Turkish Armed Forces, the statement said such news were baseless, unreal and imaginative.

[11] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS CONVENES

The meeting at the Prime Ministry building lasted one hour and ten minutes.

Prior to the meeting, Prime Minister Ecevit said that they would discuss the prior issues and Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister, would brief the members of the cabinet, on the leave of Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the separatist terrorist organization, from Italy.

Responding to a question about the health situation of Haydar Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, Ecevit said that Turkey had launched the necessary contribution and she would continue to do so.

When asked why the office of the State Ministry responsible for the Turkish Republics had been removed, Ecevit said it did not mean that Turkey's interest in the Turkish Republics was reduced.

Ecevit said that after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, they would announce the new information about the country where the chief terrorist had arrived in.

[12] AN IMPETUS IN THE TURKISH-SPANISH RELATIONS

The interest of Turkish companies in the ''Turkish Export Goods Fair'', which will be held in Spain within the framework of the goal of improving the Turkish-Spanish trade relations, is gradually increasing. More than 100 companies, including Efes Pilsen, Pilsa, Penyeluks, Ministry of Industry and Trade and Sumer Hali, applied to participate in the fair which will be held between 15 and 18 March in Barcelona, the capital city of Catalonia.

The improved relations between the Turkish and Spanish companies had a legal basis when the council of ministers ratified the memorandum of understanding concerning the first term meetings of the Turkish-Spanish Joint Economic Commission (JEC).

Not only the Turkish authorities such as Prime Ministry Foreign Trade Undersecretary, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Culture, Turkish Embassy to Spain but also Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Spanish Foreign Trade Institute and Catalan Region Trade Improvement Centre are interested in the fair.

Stressing that Spain has significant trade relations with not only the countries which are the members of the European Union (EU) but also with the Latin American and Northwestern African countries, the officials said that Turkish entrepreneurs should benefit from this market.

The officials added that Turkey aimed at realizing one billion US dollars in exports to that country in near future.

[13] MEETING OF COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ENDS - GUREL, MINISTER OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: ''WE HAVE STILL NOT RECEIVED A DEFINITE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTRY WHERE THE CHIEF TERRORIST HAD ARRIVED IN''

Addressing a press conference following the meeting of the Council of Ministers, Gurel said that the cabinet reviewed the prior issues.

Pointing out that the Italian authorities had officially announced that Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the separatist terrorist PKK organization, left Italy as he couldn't take on in Rome, Gurel said, ''we still don't get a certain information about the country for which the chief terrorist had left Italy. We think the uncertainty about the issue will not continue more than one or two days.''

When asked whether or not it became definite that the chief terrorist was in Russia, Gurel said, ''the Russian authorities don't give such a definite information. They also don't make an official confirmation. Thus there is an uncertainty about the issue. This is not an uncertainty which will continue more than one or two days.''

[14] INTERNATIONAL EXPORTERS' FEDERATION: ''A BOOM IS EXPECTED IN TURKEY'S EXPORTS TO THE US NEXT YEAR''

The IEF said in its statement that despite the limited increase in the Turkish-US trade in 1998, the Turkish exporters started to head for the US markets.

Dr. Philip W. Byrd, the IEF Turkey Region Director, said that the Turkish exports to the US in ready-wear, textile and its raw materials, leather and carpet sectors increased 15.46 percent to 738.3 million US dollars in 1998 when compared to the figures of 1997.

Pointing out that IEF expects an increase of 30-40 percent in 1999 in the trade between the two countries, Byrd said that this increase can be realized as the US government decrease its goods which are subjected to quotas and as the Turkish exporters have further information about the potential of this market.

Noting that Turkish exports in the world rose 2.2 percent and reached 28.1 billion US dollars in 1998 when compared with the figures of 1997, Byrd emphasized that this amount accounted for an increase of 262 thousand US dollars in 1998.

IEF stressed that the sector which indicated the highest increase in exports last year was the electrical-electronical sectors, the live animal sector showed an decrease of 24 percent in 1998.

Meanwhile, IEF will hold an introduction conference in Istanbul on February 3 for the people who want to get further information about the Turkish exports to the US.

[15] GUREL, GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: ''WE WISH MR. HAYDAR ALIYEV A RAPID RECOVERY''

Speaking to reporters following the meeting of the Council of Ministers, Sukru Sina Gurel said that the Ministry of Health immediately launched initiatives after receiving an information that Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev had a serious illness.

''A health team was sent to Azerbaijan to carry out the medical treatment for Mr. Aliyev. It is our duty to host Mr. Aliyev for medical treatment if necessary. We wish Mr. Haydar Aliyev a rapid recovery,'' Sukru Sina Gurel said.

Meanwhile it was claimed that Haydar Aliyev had a heart problem.

A source who asked not to be identified said that doctors believed that Aliyev had a heart problem due to an infection in his respiratory system and from bronchitis. The source said that following the diagnosis, President Suleyman Demirel invited Aliyev to Turkey for treatment.

[16] ARMENIA AND UKRAINE ARE AMONG THE COUNTRIES WHERE OCALAN, THE CHIEF OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATION PKK, MIGHT GO

The common view is that the terrorist chief would use Moscow as a transit point in case he came to Russia, and he would try to leave the country immediately. Especially Armenia and Ukraine are leading the list of the countries where he can possibly go.

Sources told A.A correspondent that Mahir Velat who uses the title ''East Europe and C.I.S. (Commonwealth of Independent States) representative'' of the terrorist PKK organization visited Armenia almost one month ago, and held some activities there. Following his visit to Armenia, Velat came back to Moscow and then proceeded to Italy and met with Ocalan almost 20 days ago.

As these journeys attracted attention in a period when the efforts to deport Ocalan from Italy were intensified, it was not clear that if Velat tried to settle Ocalan directly in Armenia.

Velat also visited some other places apart from Armenia.

Armenian authorities officially announced earlier that they would not accept the chief of the terrorist organization to their countries.

Turkey and Armenia do not have diplomatic relations, and it is seen that Armenia does not refrain to strain relations with Turkey recently. But Turkish goods indirectly enter into Armenia, and it is estimated that this country will prefer to refrain from new economic blows which will put Armenian people into difficult position.

[17] PRESIDENT DEMIREL CONDEMNS THE MASSACRE OF 45 KOSOVONIAN ALBANIANS BY THE SERBIANS

The statement issued by President Demirel said that Turkey harshly condemns this massacre which constitutes a crime of humanity, and expects the immediate arrest and trial of the criminals.

Turkey drew attention of United Nations (UN), NATO and the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to this development, which threatens the regional peace and security, he said.

Demirel added that Turkey also demanded a discussion of this development in the UN Security Council, and a meeting in NATO to discuss the measures that can prevent the situation in Kosovo be out of control.

Demirel emphasized that Turkey expects the international community to take measures which are necessary to end to such massacres.

[18] DANGEROUS INITATIVES OF GREECE IN THE AEGEAN - FOREIGN MINISTRY: ''THE STATEMENTS OF GREECE WHICH SHOW ATHENS F.I.R. AND INTERNATIONAL AIR SPACE OF THE AEGEAN AS AREAS UNDER HER AUTHORITY, ARE DIRECTED TO DISTORT AND STIR UP THE PROBLEM'' - ''IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT ATHENS CARRIES OUT VARIOUS ACTIVITIES INCLUDING MILITARY EXERCISES ON SOME ISLETS AND ROCKS WHICH ARE NOT GIVEN TO HER''

Necati Utkan, the Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, said that ''Greece is facing the trouble stemming from the deficiencies and mistakes of a mentality, which increases the flight costs, endangers the security of civil flights and paralyzes the civil air traffic in the Athens Flight Information Region (F.I.R) for years by ignoring the rules and regulations foreseen by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).''

Spokesman Utkan said that the Greek Foreign Ministry Spokesman Dimitris Reppas' statements on 7 January which interpreted the Athens F.I.R. responsibilities as ''an understanding of sovereignty'' and showed the international air space in the Aegean as ''an area of authority restricted to Greece'' once again revealed Greece's wrong attitude, which considers the F.I.R. as the sovereignty area of Greece, contradicting with international laws, agreements, and the rules, and principles of civil aviation.

Pointing out that Greece's violation of the international laws and civil aviation rules and regulations was not a new incident, Utkan said that Greece did not have the right to consider itself as the only competent authority to change and announce air corridors with unilateral arrangements within the Athens F.I.R. composed of mostly international air space.

Noting that Greece had a bad record concerning air corridors, Spokesman Utkan recalled that Greece, in 1981, attempted to make a change in the route of the G-18 air corridor which passes both the Turkish air space and international air space in the Aegean, with a unilateral decision contradicting with the rules and regulations of ICAO.

''Greece, with only political purposes, drew the corridor in question to the east to have it passed over the Limni island. The corridor in question passes nearly 50 miles offshore Turkey in the Aegean from north to south. So it extended the corridor further, necessitating the use of additional fuel for civilian planes. As a result of Turkey's objection, the ICAO Council rejected in 1985 this ''fait accompli'' in compliance with Turkey's opinions and decided that Greece should take the necessary measures to start the accurate and true route implementation as soon as possible,'' he said.

Pointing out that the decision of the ICAO Council had the characteristc of a warning to Greece against its arbitrary, irregular and illegal attitude it assumed under its F.I.R. responsibility in the international air space in the Aegean, Utkan said, ''however, Greece, which failed to even fulfil the F.I.R. commitments in the Aegean, abstained from putting into practice for years the ICAO Council's binding decision by continuing its arbitrary attitude contradicting with international laws. Thus, Greece tries to restrict Turkey's military training activities in the Aegean air space and forces hundreds of civilian planes to fly a longer route every day.''

Ambassador Utkan stated that Greece should abide by this commitment and fulfil its reponsibilites before putting forward claims about the ICAO rules and regulations.

''It is unacceptable that Athens carries out various activities including military exercises on some islets and rocks which are not given to her with agreements. It is unacceptable that Athens tries to change the status of these places by creating de facto situations and unilateral actions. Besides, these efforts won't bring a result in accordance with international laws regarding the sovereignty of those islets and rocks,'' he said.

Stressing that Greece could never claim any right over the formations in question with such actions, Utkan said, ''those activities of Greece have the characteristic of escalating the tension in the Aegean. It is very important that Greece should abstain from unilateral and illegal activities. Turkey believes all of the problems related with Aegean should be solved by negotiations and talks.''

[19] LEBEDEV, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA: ''NEITHER OCALAN NOR A PERSON RESEMBLING HIM CROSSED THE RUSSIAN BORDER''

Lebedev said Moscow warned all of its embassies throughout the world not to issue visa to the chief terrorist.

Lebedev said, ''this person would never be allowed to enter into Russia. He will be prevented if such an attemp occurs. The news claiming that this person had arrived in Russia were baseless. I received information that neither Ocalan nor a person who resembled him arrived in Russia.''

[20] ALIEV, AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT: ''I THINK DOCTORS WILL LET ME GO IN A COUPLE OF DAYS''

Aliev and President Suleyman Demirel held a joint press conference at the hospital. The two leaders said that Aliev had come for a series of tests and that his condition was not serious.

Aliev attributed his illness to a flu epidemic and hard work.

''The flu is making its way round in Azerbaijan, and I finally caught it, too,'' Aliev said. ''It was an opportunity for me to come to Ankara for a checkup and meet my dear friend, Demirel.''

Aliev came down with a cold and high temperature Friday, Azerbaijan's Health Ministry said.

Following treatment by a medical team sent to Azerbaijan by President Demirel, Aliev was feeling better on Sunday and his temperature had fallen.

President Demirel said that Aliev will pass through a checkup, and he believed that everything will be all right in a couple of days.

A.A

Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article