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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 99-03-30Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>AA Daily30 March 1999 TuesdayCONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 30, 1998. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)SENSITIVE MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DEMIREL TO FP LEADERPresident Suleyman Demirel received Recai Kutan, the leader of the Virtue Party (FP) on Saturday, warning him not to ''exceed the the Constitutional framework''. Demirel responded Kutan, who said that ''the initiative of the State Security Court against the FP destroyed the equality'', by saying that ''exceeding the constitutional framework destroys the equality.'' ''KEEP AWAY FROM PKK'' WARNING TO KURDS Schily didn't invite the representatives of the associations close to the PKK to the meeting. MILLIYET (LIBERAL)IMMIGRATION OF A NATIONTens of thousands of Kosovans set off on immigration to escape from the genocide. Thousands of men, women, children and old people are walking. They abandoned their homelands, they are escaping from the Serbian violence. Albania announced that 60 thousand Kosovans crossed the northern border in two days while the NATO determined that four thousand Kosovans take refuge in neighboring countries per hour. WIRE FENCE REMOVED ON SYRIAN BORDER SABAH (LIBERAL)PITILESS DOCTORSThey kept a patient, who had cerebral hemorrhage, wait on a stretcher for seven hours. Cerebral hemorrhage but negligence brought Nurdan Demirel into the threshold of death. The girl was taken to the Capa Medical Faculty. However, the doctors on duty even didn't take the patient to the intensive care by saying that ''her cerebral functions were dead.'' Nurdan Demirel was kept wait for seven hours on a stretcher. DIRTY ALLIANCE They collected a total of 20 trillion Turkish Liras in Europe up until now. CUMHURIYET (LEFT)SOLUTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES RESEMBLE EACH OTHERThe liberal economic policies, free market, privatization, and increase of domination of multi-national companies determined the economy programmes of the political parties before the elections. The Democratic Left Party (DSP), which undertook to decrease the inflation, which is the basic source of the problems in the economy, to one-digit numbers, promises to create a productive economy in spite of the unearned income economy. The True Path Party (DYP), which considers that privatization is the ''savior'', is trying to attract tradesmen and industrialists with the promise of ''less taxation''. The economic opinions in the programme of the Virtue Party (FP), which has the characteristic of the continuation of the banned Welfare Party (RP) which once upon a time targeted the poor people with the slogan ''fair order'', include more ''liberal'' elements. The economic pronunciation of the Motherland Party (ANAP) doesn't show any difference on the eve of the 21st century. The Republican People's Party (CHP) based its programme on three principles: productive economy, social state, and democratic politics. PROFITEERING OF ROBBERS IN RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY RADIKAL (LEFT)WE ARE GUILTY BUT CHILDREN ARE SUFFERINGThe number of street children, who commit crimes, is increasing rapidly. Most of the 2,058 children, 63 of them were imprisoned for robbery, are uneducated. The children, who are tried, are of the children, who prefer to live in the streets by setting up gangs. ALAWITES TO THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE The failure of the left parties in finding solutions to the problems of Alawites pushes them to make a detailed account for the coming elections. YENİ YÜZYIL (LIBERAL)TRADEMARK ENABLES THEM TO OVERCOME CRISISWhile many Turkish textiles companies are deeply distressed due to the global crisis, the companies, which created their own trademarks, don't take into consideration their rivals in the markets they entered. The Zeki Triko, which produces swimsuits, the Tween and the Mavi Jeans don't pay attention to global crisis and economic recession as a result of their sales. TÜRKİYE (RIGHT)MED-TV STARTS BROADCASTINGThe separatist television channel Med-TV, which was closed for 21 days by the British ITC, restarted broadcasting via a new frequency. LAND OPERATION BECOMES INEVITABLE Germany, the European Union (EU), U.N. PROFOR former Chief Commander General Rose and Kosovo Liberation Army consider that the last way is land operation. [02] OYMEN, TURKEY'S PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO NATO: - ''AIR OPERATION CONTINUES SUCCESSFULLY'' - ''INFORMATION COMING FROM KOSOVO IS DREADFUL'' - ''TURKISH PLANES CARRY OUT IMPORTANT TASKS IN AIR DEFENSE''BRUSSELS, March 30 (A.A) - Onur Oymen, Turkey's Permanent Representative to the NATO, said on Monday that the air operation of the NATO against Yugoslavia continues successfully within the framework of the specified plans and targets.Briefing the Turkish reporters on the air operation, Oymen said the attention of the public opinion should be drawn to the tragedy of humanity in Kosovo. Noting that the Serbians staged their ''spring attack'' they prepared and started before the NATO'S air strikes, Oymen said they should act cautiously against misinformation and initiatives trying to show the Alliance as it was the responsible side. Pointing out that they received information that there is a systematic ethnic cleansening movement and it was dreadful, Oymen said, ''Serbians can't obtain political advantage by changing the ethnic structure of the population in Kosovo. These won't remain as the profits of Serbians. The NATO will do the necessary till the people, who immigrated, return back to their homes.'' Stressing that there is not a split or division within the NATO structure; and the attitude which was put forward by the allied countries, comes before the statements given outside, Oymen said, ''protection of internal solidarity in NATO is an indispensable condition. Turkey has acted as a responsible ally since the beginning. The Turkish planes undertake important role and mission in air defense.'' Noting that strict and uncompromising attitude of Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic continues, Oymen said that a reasonable and planned strategy is followed in the air operation, the second stage was started as a result of the success in the first stage, recalling that the aim is the destruction of the military capabilities of Serbians. [03] TURKEY AND BULGARIA SIGN ''COOPERATION AGREEMENT IN FIELDS OF ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE'' - TURKEY TO PURCHASE 33.7 BILLION KWH ELECTRICITY FROM BULGARIA TILL 2008SOFIA, March 30 (A.A) - The ''Cooperation Agreement In Fields of Energy and Infrastructure'', for which the negotiations continued nearly eight months, was signed on Monday in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia.Turkey will purchase annually four billion kwh or a total of 33.7 billion kwh electricity from Bulgaria until the year 2008 in accordance with the draft agreement which was signed following a 11-hour talk by Ziya Aktas, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Ivan Shiliashki, the Chairman of the Bulgarian Energy Department. The draft agreement also foresees the construction of 114-km motorway between Orizovo and Captain Andrevo by the Turkish Ceylan Holding, and three dams within the framework of the ''Gorno Arda'' project in return to the electricity to be purchased. Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Ziya Aktas said, ''the draft agreement is very important for both Turkey and Bulgaria. This agreement is one of the most concrete examples of the developing cooperation between the two countires.'' [04] 74,000 TURKISH CITIZENS BECOME PILGRIM - 33 TURKISH CITIZENS LOSE THEIR LIVES DURING PILGRIMAGE - NEARLY 10,000 PILGRIMS CAN'T VOTE AS THEY CAN'T ARRIVE IN TURKEY ON 18 APRILMECCA, March 30 (A.A) - A total of 74,000 Turkish citizens, who arrived in the holy lands through the organizations of the Religious Affairs Authority and the Group A travel agencies, became pilgrims in Mecca, it was reported on Monday.The number of Turkish pilgrims reached 150 thousand when the other Turkish citizens, who arrived in the holy lands by other means, are taken into account. Staging a press conference in Mecca, Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, the Head of Religious Affairs, said the departures of the Turkish pilgrims from Mecca to Turkey will start by Tuesday. Yilmaz said that 33 Turkish citizens died during the pilgrimage due to cardiac and respiratory insufficiency. Pointing out that the last group of Turkish pilgrims will return to Turkey on 22 April, Yilmaz said that thus nearly ten thousand Turkish pilgrims will not be able to attend the polls on 18 April. [05] TRIAL OF CHIEF TERRORIST - LAWYERS OF OCALAN CAN'T LEAVE FOR IMRALI ISLAND DUE TO OFFICIAL HOLIDAYMUDANYA, March 30 (A.A) - Four of the lawyers of Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the terrorist PKK organization, couldn't leave for Imrali island on Tuesday due to the official holiday.Lawyers Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu, Hatice Korkut, Mahmut Sakar, and Niyazi Ulgan arrived early the same day in Mudanya. The lawyers, who were informed at the Contact Bureau that they can't leave for the island due to the official holiday, requested to meet with the public prosecutor. Speaking to reporters following their meeting with the public prosecutor, Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu said, ''we will come here again on Friday. Our client is facing very serious accusations. Anyway, we can speak to our client for one hour in every meeting. There is a hearing on 30 April. The indictments are being prepared. We still couldn't talk with our client about the merits of the case.'' When asked whether or not Ocalan's relatives will arrive in Mudanya for a meeting with Ocalan, Okcuoglu said, ''yes, they will come here on Friday. His brother Mehmet and his sister Havva will come here.'' Later, lawyers left Mudanya. The trial of Abdullah Ocalan with the request of ''capital punishment'' with charges of ''committing treason by betraying his country and committing crimes against the state and sovereignty of his country'' due to his address to the Med-tv and the murders staged by the terrorist PKK organization in Adana-Erzurum and surroundings, will continue with a hearing on 30 April 1999 on Imrali Island. [06] PREMIER ECEVIT: ''THE CRISIS WILL FINISH IF RUSSIA DOESN'T SUPPORT SERBIA, OTHERWISE IT WILL BE A DISASTER''KAYSERI, March 30 (A.A) - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Tuesday that the Kosovo crisis will end if Russia doesn't support Serbians, otherwise the developments will change into a disaster.Ecevit arrived in Kayseri province in the Central Anatolia to attend an open-air meeting. Meanwhile, when asked whether or not he is hopeful from the meeting between Russian Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov and Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said, ''I am hopeful. I think that only Russia will be able to bring the Serbians into the humane and peaceful level. Russia will serve humanity if she manages to make use of this opportunity. Thus, I want and hope that Mr. Primakov will bring the Serbian administration to a level of giving up genocide.'' Responding to another question prior to his departure for Kayseri, Ecevit said also Macedonia has concerns about the developments as she has a complex ethnic structure. Prime Minister Ecevit said it is difficult for the NATO to use a land force against Yugoslavia and such an initiative won't bring good results. [07] U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL'S REPORT ON CYPRUS: - ''THE GREK CYPRIOT DEMONSTRATIONS IN LEDRA PALACE ANNOYS TOURISTS'' - ''THE LIFE OF GREEK- CYPRIOTS AND MARONITES LIVING IN THE TRNC IS NOT DIFFERENT FROM THE TURKS''LEFKOSA, March 30 (A.A) - Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the U.N., sent a report to the U.N. Social and Economic Council's Human Rights Committee saying that the demonstrations, which were held every week since August 1996 in the Greek-Cypriot side barricade of the Ledra Palace Border Gate aiming at ''preventing the crossing of tourists to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)'', annoys the tourists, it was reported on Tuesday.Pointing out that mostly the organized student groups wearing uniforms attend the demonstrations in question together with their teachers, Annan said those domonstrations from time to time prevent diplomatic personnel and the U.N. members. U.N. Secretary General Annan stressed that the way of life of the Greek- Cypriots and Maronites living in the TRNC is not different from the life of the Turkish Cypriots. [08] 340 FACTORIES IN MARDIN, GAZIANTEP-1 AND 2 AND SANLIURFA-1 ORGANIZED INDUSTRY ZONES START PRODUCTION - 34,400 PEOPLE EMPLOYED AT THESE FACTORIESANKARA, March 30 (A.A) - The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) Administrative Chairmanship said that the organized industrial zones (OSB) namely Mardin, Gaziantep-1, Gaziantep-2, and Sanliurfa-1 were concluded, it was reported on Tuesday.A total of 342 factories in these OSBs started production and a total of 34, 400 people were employed. According to the programme, the third OSB in Gaziantep is foreseen to be concluded this year, the fourth OSB is foreseen to be constructed in 2000 and the purification plant in the Gaziantep-2 is foreseen to be concluded in 2002. Besides, OSBs are planned to be built in Cizre, Sirnak, Diyarbakir, Adiyaman, Batman, Siirt, Nizip, and Kilis till 2002. Meanwhile, 18 small industrial sites were opened to service, six of them in Diyarbakir, six of them in Gaziantep, three of them in Sanliurfa, one in Batman, one in Siirt, and one in Mardin. A total of 33 thousand people are working at 5,514 business places in those small industrial sites. [09] KARS-TBILISI RAILWAY PROJECT TO EXTEND TO 2000ANKARA, March 30 (A.A) - The construction of the Kars-Tbilisi railway, which will undertake an important commercial bridge role between Turkey and the Central Asian Republics, will extend to the year 2000, it was reported on Tuesday.The third international tender for the ''turn-key delivery'' construction of the railway will be opened this year. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications decided to authorize the State Seaports and Airports Directorate General with carrying out the project etudes, which were earlier made by the State Railways Directorate General. Officials at the Ministry said that the construction of the railway between Turkey and Georgia will once again be put out to international tender after some technical arrangements, and possibly the Georgian part of the railway can be financed by Turkey. The construction of the railway can start by the second half of 2000 if the construction is adjudicated this year. Officials said the Turkish and foreign consortiums will construct the railway which will be financed by an almost 200 million U.S. dollars of loan. [10] S AND P OBSERVES BANKING SYSTEM - STANDARD AND POOR'S: ''TURKISH BANKS WERE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED FROM GLOBAL CRISIS, BUT THEIR PROBLEMS ARE NOT AS HARD AS THE PROBLEMS OF BANKS IN LATIN AMERICA AND ASIAN COUNRIES'' - ''TURKISH BANKS LOST THE OPPORTUNITY OF FOREIGN CURRENCY LOANS''LONDON/ANKARA, March 30 (A.A) - One of the leading rating organizations in the world, the Standard and Poor's (S and P), said that the Turkish banks were seriously affected from the global crisis but their problem is not as hard as the problem at the banks in Latin America and Asian countries, it was reported on Tuesday.The S and P issued a report on the banking systems of the developing countries, saying that the Turkish banks managed to realize administration ability within a fluctuating crisis atmosphere despite the serious effect of the global criss on the Turkish banks. Noting that the Russia crisis had an important negative effect on the Turkish banks, S and P said that as a result of that crisis, the Turkish banks lost the opportunity for loans in foreign currency. Stressing that the interest rates increased when the financing sources became expensive in Turkey due to Russia crisis, the S and P said the fund costs increased and the opportunity to make business with loan decreased due to interest rates fluctuating between 110-140 percent. S and P said that the Turkish banks obtained exorbitant profits from treasury bonds in Turkish Liras (TL) despite the high-interest atmosphere. S and P said the crisis is still not diffused in many countries especially for the banks in developing countries, stressing that the banking systems of countries close to Europe, including Turkey, are at an endurance level better than the banking systems in other countries. [11] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT IN KAYSERI - ECEVIT: ''I AM STILL AS NATIONALIST AS I WAS IN CYPRUS PEACE OPERATION. BUT I AM NOT RACIALIST, I AM A KEMALIST NATIONALIST'' - ''EXTERNAL POWERS, WHO ARE AFRAID OF TURKEY, ARE THE SOURCE OF TERRORISM'' - ''THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY WAS FOUNDED TOGETHER BY TURKS, KURDS, SUNNIS AND ALAWITES. NOW WE ALTOGETHER PROTECT TURKEY AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO''KAYSERI, March 30 (A.A) - Bulent Ecevit, the Prime Minister and the leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), said on Tuesday that terrorism doesn't stem from Turkey or the Turkish nation; the external powers, who are afraid of Turkey's power, are the source of terrorism.Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit addressed the people living in Kayseri province at an open-air meeting held at the main square in the province. Noting that the 55th government adopted the Encouragement Law concerning the investments in the East and Southeast Anatolia, Bulent Ecevit said, ''we decided to go to the East and Southeast Anatolia with schools, factories, and investments not only with security forces and arms. Thus, we enabled the people to look at the future with confidence.'' Pointing out that terrorism can't enter the regions where industry and development were provided, Ecevit said that terrorists now can't stage their bloodiest attacks as a result of the struggle against terrorism. Stating that they started to stage petrol bomb attacks in some urban centers, Ecevit said, ''Turkey or the Turkish people are not the source of this terrorism. The external powers, who are afraid of Turkey's power, are the source of this terrorism.'' Stressing that the inflation and interest rates were decreased as a result of the policies, Ecevit said a total of 400 trillion Turkish Liras (TL) loan will be given to the tradesmen and 600 trillion TL loan will be given to the small and medium scale enterprises this year through the Halk Bank of which capital was increased. Noting that the Turkish entrepreneurs make important businesses throughout the world, Bulent Ecevit said, ''if the European Union (EU) wants to close its doors to Turkey, it can do it. Other doors will be opened for the Turkish nation if the EU doors are closed.'' ''The doors of the EU can be closed to Turkey. But it won't create problems for Turkey. Sooner or later, the EU will apply to Turkey and say, 'come and join us'. Although they pretend not to know, we are European. We are not only European, we are also Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and a Balkan country. Our roots reach China and India,'' Ecevit said. Emphasizing that the faults of Greece, which mostly prevents Turkey's membership to the EU, came to light after the capture of Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the terrorist PKK organization, Ecevit said, ''Turkey's power was enough to prevent the deployment of Russian S-300 missiles on the southern part of Cyprus.'' ''I am still a nationalist as I was in the Cyprus Peace Operation. I am still a nationalist as I was when I lifted off the sowing of hashish despite the pressure and threats of the U.S. However, I am not a racist. I am not a nationalist who covet other countries' territories. Because I am a Kemalist. My nationalism is the nationalism defined by Kemalism,'' Ecevit said. ''The Republic of Turkey was founded together by Turks, Kurds, Sunnis, and Alawites. Now, we altogether protect Turkey, and we will continue to do so, '' Prime Minister Ecevit stressed. A.A Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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