Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-09-23

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

23 SEPTEMBER 2000 Saturday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

ECEVIT ENDS LAS VEGAS STYLE IN ANKARA
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, during the discussions on energy shortage at the Ministers Council, said ''Ankara resembles Las Vegas with all the lights on its squares. We cannot persuade anyone to economize on electricity when we have all these lights in the city.'' One day after the meeting, lights at many squares of Ankara were turned off including Kizilay and Kugulu Park squares.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

HUNGRY VILLAGERS ON ARMENIAN BORDER TO SEEK SHELTER IN TURKEY
Armenian Armenpress Agency reported that inhabitants of Pemzasen village on Turkey-Armenia border cannot find enough food and therefore they want to pass to Turkey. Villagers who lost their crops because of a serious drought, said they would starve if they don't pass to Turkey. Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan had released a message early last week and said they were facing serious economic and social problems due to the drought and asked support from international organizations.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

INVESTORS SHOW GREAT ATTENTION TO TURKEY AT IMF MEETINGS
IN PRAGUE
International investors showed great attention to the Turkish delegation during IMF meetings in Prague. Over 30 banks and investor institutions got appointments to have meetings with the Turkish delegation. JP Morgan, UBS Warburg, Commerzbank, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, Royal Bank of Canada, Barkleys Bank and ING Barings are among the institutions who are interested in meeting with the Turkish delegation.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

DEATH SENTENCE TO BE DISCUSSED
The coalition partners postponed the issues like Article 312 and death sentence to the discussions on the draft law foreseeing amendment to the Turkish Penal Code. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit defended that the government was working in harmony.

REPORT HAS OFFICIAL STATUS
Acceptance of the Human Rights Coordinator Supreme Committee's report as a ''recommendation and working document'' by the government created debates. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), a partner of the coalition government, claims that the report did not have an official status while the European Union sources say, ''there is a statement of the Prime Minister. The report has gained an official status.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)

QUAKE SURVIVORS SHOCKED ONCE AGAIN
Pelit Apartment collapsed in the devastating earthquake, killing 20 people. In the case brought by relatives of those people, Kemal Uzun, the contractor of this jerry-built apartment, was sentenced to four years in prison, Mehmet Nuray Tozlu, the person who is in charge of technical works, was sentenced to three years in prison, and Sukran Uzun, the manager of cooperative, was sentenced to one year in prison.

ANKARA STARTS ACTION
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent a message to Washington D.C. for prevention of draft-law on so-called genocide on Armenians while the Foreign Ministry and General Staff are preparing a three-stage action plan. Ecevit said that approval of the draft law by the sub-committee of the House of Representatives overshadowed Turkey-U.S. relations. ''I hope that the U.S. administration will show the House of Representatives the right way.'' Turkish Ambassador to U.S. Baki Ilkin said that it had not reached the red line yet while Ankara has prepared a three-stage action plan: A-The draft law will be prevented at the higher committee, B-Pressure will be put on Armenia, C-The whole world will be informed on the issue.

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

ECEVIT:''IT IS AN UGLY DECISION''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said approval of the bill recognizing the so- called genocide on Armenians by the U.S. House subcommittee is ''a sad and ugly incident.'' Noting that the U.S. administration is also uneasy about the subcommittee's decision, Ecevit said ''he hoped the U.S. administration would show the right way to the House of Representatives.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

TURKEY OUTRAGED AT U.S.
President Ahmat Necdet Sezer said that the U.S. administration should increase its efforts, and the relations would be harmed if the draft-law was legalized. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said, ''it was an upsetting and ugly development. Some irresponsible politicians are extremely influential.'' Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said, ''the decision will have no effect. It destroys at the most the good relations between Turkey and the U.S.'' Recai Kutan of the Virtue Party (FP) said, ''the issue was approached politically. The votes of Armenians were taken into consideration.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

U.S. SHOULD INCREASE ITS EFFORTS
The Presidency announced that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer had said that the U.S. administration should increase its efforts against the draft-law during his meeting with W. Robert Pearson, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that aapproval of the draft-law was an ''upsetting and ugly development''. He said, ''I hope that the U.S. administration will show the House of Representatives the right way.'' Turkish Ambassador to U.S. Baki Ilkin said, ''the necessary thing will be done if it reaches the red line. The red line is the approval of this draft-law by the House of Representatives. After this stage, relations will be damaged.'' Releasing a written statement, Turkish Armenians Patriarch Mesrob II said that approval of the draft-law was not ''pleasing'' and this would damage the Turkey-Armenia relations.

-REACTION FROM CLINTON ADMINISTRATION TO BILL ON SO-CALLED GENOCIDE ON
ARMENIANS
WASHINGTON D.C. - The U.S. administration on Friday announced the sorrow it felt over the adoption of the bill on the so-called genocide on Armenians by the U.S. House of Representatives' International Operations and Human Rights Sub-Committee.

An official at the U.S. State Department told the A.A correspondent that Clinton administration was against the adoption of this bill, and noted that former administrations were also opposed to similar bills.

The official pointed out that they believed the historians should be interested in this issue, not the parliamentarians. He also expressed readiness of the U.S. to extend efforts of experts from Turkey, Armenia and other countries to examine their mutual history.

The official said Turkey-U.S. relations and peace efforts in the Caucasia might be damaged if the bill was adopted in Representatives Assembly Plenary Session.

The official said concepts of the tragic period at the beginning of the century could only be respected by exerting efforts to provide regional peace and security.

The official also called on the developments regarding the bill not to damage Turkey-U.S. relations.

-DRAFT LAW ON SO-CALLED GENOCIDE ON ARMENIANS
ANKARA - Turkish Bars Union (TBB) Chairman Eralp Ozgen said on Saturday that labelling the deaths during a war as a ''genocide'' was a betrayal to the laws.

Ozgen released a statement after approval of the draft law on so-called genocide on Armenians by a House of Representatives International Relations subcommittee.

Ozgen said that the Turkish jurists felt ''deep sorrow'' over the approval of a non-binding resolution on ''systematic and deliberate annihilation of Anatolian Armenians between 1915 and 1923 so the concept of 'genocide' should be referred in the official announcements every year.''

Stressing that the resolution first of all contradicted with the ''historical facts'', Ozgen said that the Turkish nation, as a part of the War of Independence, had struggled against those who attempted to invade Turkey to annex Turkish territories to Armenia.

''This was a war. Both sides lost many of their citizens. It should not be forgotten that more than three million Turkish people lost their lives in this war. Labelling the deaths during a war as a 'genocide' is a betrayal to the laws. Taking such a decision by taking into consideration the upcoming elections is an ugly attitude which has a meaning of using laws as a political tool,'' he said.

''This resolution which is an outcome of seeing Turkey as a state ruled by the U.S. does have the characteristic which can destroy the friendly relations between two allies. With this respect, we condemn this decision. We expect the government to give a serious response to this decision, and review our relations with the United States,'' he said.

-PENTAGON ASKS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOT TO PASS ARMENIAN BILL
WASHINGTON D.C.- The U.S. Department of Defense, Pentagon, in a letter it sent to the leaders of the House of Representatives, openly asked them not to pass the bill regarding the so-called genocide on Armenians.

Pentagon said approval of the bill by the House of Representatives would harm strategic interests of the United States in the region.

The letter which was signed by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Walter Slocombe was sent to House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert and other House leaders.

Pentagon's letter expressed drawbacks of the Armenian bill much more clearly than the texts of the U.S. State Department.

Slocombe said in his letter that the bill's approval by the House of Representatives would negatively affect United States' interests in the region as well as peace and stability efforts.

Defense Secretary William Cohen's assistant Slocombe said Turkey was situated in the middle of a region which causes security worries to the United States and he added that Turkey had always supported interests of the United States.

''Turkey has been protecting NATO's southeast wing for 50 years and it is one of the most important NATO members,'' Slocombe stated in his letter. ''Over 2,000 Turkish soldiers were deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia. Ankara, despite facing big economic losses, has been supporting the U.S.'s Iraq policy. Operation Northern Watch which controls the no-fly zone on Iraq is being run from the Incirlik base in Turkey.''

He noted that passing a bill related to a historical incident would harm Turkey-U.S. relations, and also it would negatively affect the United States' security interests in the region.

Noting that the United States could easily reach a big part of the Balkans, Persian Gulf and the Middle East via its military bases in Turkey, Slocombe said Turkey shared borders with Syria, Iraq, Iran and Caucasia, all of which are strategically important regions for the United States.

''Our alliance and relations with Turkey will become more vital in the coming years,'' Slocombe said. He stated that the bill related to the so- called genocide on Armenians would make it difficult to sustain positive relations with Turkey which was an ally having an important strategic location.

At the end of his letter, Slocombe said he hoped House leaders would consider Pentagon's views while deciding on the bill.

-ARMENIAN BILL TO BE PUT TO VOTE ON THURSDAY BY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON D.C. - The draft on so-called genocide on Armenians which was approved by U.S. House of Representatives International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee will be put to vote by a higher committee, International Relations Committee, on Thursday.

Sources said that the majority of the fifty-member International Relations Committee was in favor of the draft law, and that the draft law would absolutely be approved in the vote on Thursday.

After this stage, the draft law is foreseen to be sent to the Regulations Committee to set the details for its discussion at the General Assembly.

Sources said that the Armenian lobby had time till the Congress recessed in mid-October to have the draft law passed from the House of Representatives.

Stressing that House Speaker Dennis Hastert deployed a position in favor of the draft law, sources said that there was still sufficient time to put the draft law to the vote before the Congress recessed in case Hastert insisted on this position.

Observers emphasized that the draft law was actually only an ''announcement of sensetivity'' and it did not have a legal power and binding characteristic. With this respect, discussion of the draft law at the Senate and its presentation to U.S. President Bill Clinton for approval were out of question, sources said.

Observers said that if the House of Representatives passed the draft law, the supporters of the Armenian lobby could bring it to the legalization stage by settling it on the basis of ''genocide'' concept, and the inheritors of victims of so-called genocide could demand compensation from Turkey.

The second dangerous issue that could occur following the approval of the draft law would be a reduction in punishment to Armenian terrorist Murad Topalyan in the case that would be heard in the U.S. in November, observers said.

Observers stressed that the punishment to Topalyan could be reduced with the argument that ''didn't you get angry if you had been exposed to genocide?''

The Turkish diplomatic sources said that Armenians had put forward in the U.S. their genocide allegations by also using terrorism methods.

Such an exploitation of democratic process in the U.S. was an unacceptable situation, they said.

The Clinton administration which opposes to the draft law is not expected to intervene in the issue at this stage.

During the United Nations Millennium Summit, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer conveyed Turkey's sensitivities to President Bill Clinton, and Clinton stated that the U.S. administration was opposed to the draft law.

-BILL ON SO CALLED GENOCIDE ON ARMENIANS PASSED BY ''PARTY DECISION'' OF
REPUBLICANS
WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert had telephoned to Republican Party members in the U.S. House International Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights the night before the voting, and asked them to vote ''yes'' for the bill recognizing the so- called genocide on Armenians, sources said on Saturday.

Hastert who is from the Republican Party called all Republican members of the subcomittee on the phone, and told them that this was a party decision and the bill should be approved for the sake of the Republican Party.

He told some members that the only way to become head of subcommittees was to approve the bill.

What is important for the Republicans is to keep a Republican majority against Democrats during elections in the House of Representatives, rather than recognizing the so-called genocide on Armenians. It was stated that Hastert pressured the members in the subcommittee due to this reason.

Despite several warnings of the U.S. State Department and Pentagon, Hastert also claims that Turkey would not start an initiative that would harm its relations with the United States because of the bill which has no binding power.

It cannot be predicted whether Republicans and Democrats would fill the six seats in the House of Representatives in the upcoming elections. A very tough competition is expected to take place between Republican James Rogan and Democrat Adam Schiff in California where many Armenian Americans live.

Observers said that Rogan and Schiff are competing to disrepute Turkey to win the Armenian's votes in the elections, therefore Turkey has become a victim of domestic calculations. They also said that the Turkish lobby could not have any influence regardless of what arguments they would have put forward because of the race between Republicans and Democrats in California.

The Turkish lobby had presented the following arguments to the subcommittee members to prevent the approval of the bill:

-The bill would harm geostrategic interests of the United States and it would damage relations with Turkey.

-U.S. State Department is already educating its personnel who will be appointed to the region about incidents that took place during the First World War.

-If the bill is approved, the concept of genocide would expand and there would be a need to review many laws related to Native Americans to Vietnam.

Observers said Hastert has fallen into the trap of Armenians in California.

Many people who are not of Armenian origin will decide about their votes according to House members' approach to U.S. President Bill Clinton's Lewinsky scandal. Therefore it should be clearly explained that the two parties are not only fighting for the votes of Armenian Americans.

The U.S. House International Relations Subcommittee on International Organizations and Human Rights passed the bill late on Thursday. The bill urges Clinton administration to educate personnel of the State Department and other departments on the so-called genocide on Armenians committed by Turks beginning of last century. It also calls on the U.S. President to refer to the killings as a genocide in an annual April 24 message to commemorate the deaths.

-ATTEMPT TO PROTEST ''F'' TYPE PRISONS IN ISTANBUL -ALMOST 15 PROTESTERS
DETAINED
ISTANBUL - A group of people attempted to hold a demonstration in Beyoglu, Istanbul on Saturday to protest ''F'' type prisons.

All of the protesters were detained.

Almost 15-person group which gathered at about 12 hours in front of Galatasaray High School on Istiklal Avenue firstly staged a sit-in demonstration.

The group which was composed of families and relatives of prisoners tried to make a prass statement.

The security forces warned them to disperse peacefully but the protesters insisted on their demonstration by chanting slogans.

Later, security forces intervened in the group and detained almost 15 demonstrators.

-PARLIAMENT SPEAKER AKBULUT SAYS WORKS ON ADJUSTMENT TO EU WOULD TOP
PARLIAMENT'S PROGRAMME IN NEW LEGISLATIVE TERM
KARS - Parliament Speaker Yildirim Akbulut said on Saturday that works on adjustment to the European Union (EU) would top parliamentary programme in the new legislative term.

Akbulut came to the eastern province of Kars to attend the Second International Bard, Culture and Art Festival on Saturday.

Akbulut told reporters that works on adjustment to the EU constituted an important issue for Turkey, and it would be dealt as a prior issue by Parliament in the new legislative term.

Akbulut said the world had united around some common values, among which there were human rights and supremacy of law. ''We must work on these activities for our own good. We want to integrate with the Western world in science and technology. The modern world has certain ways and rules and we want to reach that level. Human rights should not remain only on paper, people should be treated equally.''

Responding to a question about the prison sentence given to leader of the closed Welfare Party (RP) Necmettin Erbakan, Akbulut said amendment to Article 312 should not be regarded as a change that was made for a person.

He stated that the amendment aimed to expand freedom of thought. ''We will not totally lift Article 312, because we need some of the values it includes. We cannot give up Turkey's indivisibility or its secular structure. However, we can expand the borders of freedom of thought by preserving these values. It is possible to clearly define what constitutes a crime and what does not.''

Commenting on the approval of the bill related to the so-called genocide on Armenians, Akbulut said the Turkish nation was hurt by the bill's approval. ''People with whom we lived together during the years of the First World War had collaborated with the invaders. The lightest sanction that could have imposed on them was to deport them.''

''However, taking a decision against the United States would hurt our relations with this country,'' Akbulut said and added that friendly relations with the United States should be supported.

When asked whether or not he would run to become the parliament speaker for the second time, Akbulut said the deadline for applications was October 10.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Second International Bard, Culture and Art Festival, Akbullut said ''Turkey needs values such as independence and unity today, like it did in the past, therefore it should protect them.''

The festival continued with folkloric dances and various cultural activities.

-PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT RECEIVES FOREIGN MINISTER CEM
ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit received on Saturday Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting which lasted for almost 1.5 hours, Ecevit said the Ismail Cem had given him a detailed information about the foreign policy issues.

''The Foreign Minister had held very important contacts in the United States and Brussels. He has given a detailed information about these contacts,'' Ecevit said.

When asked whether or not there would be a change in Turkey's policy towards Armenia in coming days, the Prime Minister said that he had made the necessary statement the day before so he did not want to make a new statement on this issue.

When recalled of the debates on whether or not the acceptance of reports of the Human Rights Coordinator Supreme Committee as ''reference and working document'' bind the government, Prime Minister Ecevit said, ''the government has put forward its political will for taking necessary measures for European Union full-membership.''

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that he couldn't brief the Prime Minister on the developments as he had been abroad for a long time.

''I have informed the Prime Minister on all issues concerning Turkey. We have held a quite good meeting,'' he said.

Foreign Minister Undersecretary Faruk Logoglu was also in attendance at the meeting.

-182 STUDENTS HOSPITALIZED FROM FOOD POISONING
ISTANBUL - A total of 182 students from three elementary schools in Istanbul's Kayisdagi district were hospitalized late on Friday after they had been food poisoned from the food catered by the Biber Catering firm.

Istanbul Health Directorate said that 131 students had been released from the hospital while 51 of them were still kept under medical observation.

Meanwhile, Biber Catering's business activities have been stopped and the food which is believed to have caused the poisoning is being examined in laboratory.

-AKIN BIRDAL RELEASED FROM PRISON
ANKARA - Former Chairman of the Human Rights Association (IHD) Akin Birdal who was sentenced to two years in prison for violating Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code completed his prison term and was released from Ankara Maximum Security Prison early on Saturday.

Birdal's family, IHD Chairman Husnu Ondul, former leader of the Rebirth Party (YDP) Hasan Celal Guzel, Birdal's lawyer Sedat Aslantas and IHD members welcomed him in front of the prison at 10.30 a.m.

''I am hoping that I would be the last person put in prison for expressing and writing his thoughts,'' Birdal said during a statement he made in front of the prison.

When asked to comment on the prison sentence given to Necmettin Erbakan, the former leader of the closed Welfare Party (RP), Birdal said it would be wrong to discuss the issue on individual basis. ''Of course there will be some victims for the solution of problems and we are proud of being victims. We only want thought not to be a crime in Turkey.''

Birdal said ''physical freedom is nice,'' when describing his release from the prison, but said having a free mind was also important. Noting that there are important obstacles in front of Turkey's democratization and its EU membership process, Birdal said ''Without the Copenhagen criteria, cannot Turkey become democratic? Does Turkey deserve this?'' He asked the government to take the report prepared by Human Rights Coordinator Higher Council into consideration.

Birdal said he was stripped from his democratic and political rights due to his crime, but stressed that he will continue to struggle for human rights.

U.S., the Netherlands, Britain, France and Norway sections of the International Amnesty Organization have sent flowers to the prison due to Birdal's release.

Birdal was sentenced to a total of two years in prison by the Ankara State Security Court (DGM) for the speeches he made on September 1, 1995 in Mersin and September 1, 1996 in Ankara on the World Peace Day.

Birdal was sent to Ankara Maximum Security Prison on June 3, 1999 but he was released on September 25, 1999 due to health problems and his sentence was postponed for six months.

After six months, Birdal applied to postpone his punishment one more time but his application was rejected by the court. He had entered prison again on March 23, 2000 to serve his remaining sentence.

-BASKENT UNIVERSITY WINS TWO AWARDS AT 37TH EUROPEAN NEPHROLOGY DIALYSIS
AND TRANSPLANTATION CONGRESS IN FRANCE
ANKARA - Baskent University won two awards in the best research category during the 37th European Nephrology Dialysis and Transplantation Congress in the French city of Nice between September 17-20.

A written statement released by the Baskent University in Ankara said 6,000 scientists attended the congress.

Baskent University attended the congress with eight representations and ten posters. The university won its first award for its research on the medical treatment which enables the body to adjust to the new organ after organ transplantations. Baskent University won a second award for another research on the successful treatment methods of Prof. Mehmet Haberal and his team after organ transplantations.

Turkey had a total of 19 oral presentations at the congress. Medical faculties of Hacettepe, Edirne, Ege and Marmara universities also won an award at the congress.

-NED'S MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL MEETING STARTS IN ISTANBUL
ISTANBUL (A.A) - World Democracy Movement's (NED) Middle East Regional Meeting started in Istanbul on Saturday.

Turkey Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) is hosting the meeting.

TESEV Foundation Director and retired Ambassador Ozdem Sanberk who spoke at the opening said that NED aimed to strengthen democratic initiatives in the world and form a network among people who share similar mentalities.

Sanberk said their first meeting took place in the Indian capital, New Delhi two years ago and it was attended by representatives of 400 non- governmental organizations from 80 countries.

Globalization, poverty, regional imbalances, transparency, human rights and supremacy of law will be the major topics of discussion during this year's meeting, Sanberk said.

He also added that the meeting will be a preparation for the NED Summit which will be held in Sao Paolo city of Brazil in November 2000.

Stating that Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, and Morocco are represented at the congress by 11 non-governmental organizations, Sanberk said this is the first meeting between Turkish and Arab non-governmental organizations.

The meeting will end on Sunday.

-''SEVEN STARS-2000'' MILITARY EXERCISE STARTS IN BULGARIA
KOREN - The ''Seven Stars-2000'' military exercise which is staged within framework of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) started on Saturday at the Koren military artillery range in Haskoy region in Bulgaria.

The military units of the multi-national peace force Southeast Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) member seven countries are participating in the Seven Stars-2000.

The main headquarters of SEEBRIG which was activated in 1999 is in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

A ceremony was held on the occasion of official start of the military exercise on Saturday in Koren.

Speaking at the ceremony, SEEBRIG Commander General Hilmi Akin Zorlu of the Turkish Army said that the SEEBRIG had recorded important progress in a very short period of time.

''At the end of this first military exercise, SEEBRIG will prove that it is ready for action,'' he said.

General Zorlu recalled that Multinational Peace Force South-Eastern Europe (MPFSEE) or South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) was currently a brigade- size formation, established by seven participating nations to contribute to regional security and stability in the euro-atlantic area and foster co- operation among south-eastern european countries.

''The SEEBRIG is to be employed, on a case by case basis, following a political decision in accordance with its own procedures, to supports a conflict prevention and other peace support operations, including peace keeping, peace making, peace building and humanitarian operation, under NATO, WEU, and/or a UN formation or independently. Units allocated to the SEEBRIG will remain at their permanent bases and will be committed under a task force principle for exercises and operations upon the decisions of the contributing nations,'' he said.

A total of 1,640 military personnel from NATO members Turkey, Greece and Italy, PfP members Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania and Albania are participating in Seven Stars-2000.

The United States and Slovenia are participating as observers.

Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov and NATO Secretary General George Robertson and Defense Ministers of member countries will watch the stage on September 27.

Seven Stars-2000 will end on September 30.

The Hq MPFSEE/SEEBRIG has been activated with a permanent nucleus staff which will function under the command of Commander SEEBRIG on 31 August 1999. Nucleus staff consists of a general, 19 officers and 14 ncos. The number of the officers for contingency establishment will be 64.

The force hq is to be fully activated for exercises and operations. All personnel assigned to the contingency establishment will, in principle, be deployed with the Hq SEEBRIG during operations, regardless of the participation in the force package.

The location of the Hq SEEBRIG will be on a four year rotational basis and will be hosted by four participating countries in the following order; Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Greece.

The commander of the SEEBRIG will be provided by the participating nations on a two year rotational basis.

The commander will assume the command of the subordinate units upon the transfer of the authority.

Four mechanized infantry battalions, one frame mechanized infantry regiment with two infantry companies and one reconnaissance company have already been declared by the participating nations.

One self propelled howitzer battery, one engineer platoon, and two tactical air control parties form combat support units while a combat service support battalion to be established by three participating nations form the combat service support unit. Signal company and Hq company have been assigned by the host nation.

Units allocated to the seebrig will remain at their permanent homebase locations and they will come together to form the appropriate force packages for exercises, training activities and contingencies.

Nations are responsible for the training of their own units in their permanent locations and in national training facilities in accordance with jointly established standards.

The force has been declared to UN and OSCE after its activation.

The SEEBRIG is available for employment in conflict prevention and other peace support operations, including peace keeping, peace making, peace building and humanitarian operations, but peace enforcement.

The force will also be available for possible employment in UN or OSCE mandated NATO or WEU-led conflict prevention and other peace support operations.

The SEEBRIG can be committed in one of two ways;

- As a part of a larger (divisional) formation, most often in a NATO or WEU led operation. given the size and overall capabilities of the SEEBRIG, this is the standard option of the employment; or

- Autonomously as a self-containing theater formation. Autonomous employment may be appropriate for small scale operations, usually in the area of humanitarian initiatives associated with very low risks of conflict events and implies specific provisions and additional logistics and command assets.

Force availability is generally described as ''on call''.

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