TRKNWS-L Turkish Daily News (February 3, 1996)

From: TRKNWS-L <trh@aimnet.com>

Turkish News Directory

CONTENTS

TURKISH DAILY NEWS / 3 February 1996

[01] Jordan asks Turkey's cooperation to soften sanctions against Iraq

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- Jordanian Crown Prince Hassan bin Tallal, who came to Ankara earlier this week, urged Turkey and Jordan to launch a twofold initiative to lobby their Western allies for a relaxation of sanctions against Iraq.

The swift visit takes place against the backdrop of increased diplomatic activity aiming for Iraq's reentry to oil markets, after Iraq agreed that it was going to enter talks with the U.N. on limited oil sales under U.N. Security Council Resolution 986.

The round of talks, which U.N. officials say will be long and technical, are expected to start next Tuesday.

According to the Turkish officials who attended the meeting between President Suleyman Demirel and Prince Hassan, the crown prince said that the attention of the world public opinion should be drawn to the, "suffering of the Iraqi people" under the sanctions.

The Security Council has allowed Baghdad to sell $2 billion worth of oil over six months to pay for food and medicine. This could mean that Iraq would export some 700,000 barrels per day, but under strict U.N. controls.

Turkey and Jordan, who have long advocated the "re-integration of Iraq into the international community," have an acute interest in Iraq agreeing to limited oil sales.

Jordan has decided to slash its exports to Iraq by half, citing high debts by the beleaguered Baghdad government.

Turkey, meanwhile, claims to lose $1 million a day in revenues since Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline, the main outlet for the Iraqi oil, was closed in 1990. The U.N. has said that the "major part" of the allowed oil should be exported through this pipeline, which would enable Ankara to flush and "save" the pipeline as well.

According to a senior Turkish official, Turkey and Jordan agreed that the Western countries, in particular the United States, should try to make the deal "acceptable" to Iraq.

Among the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, France and Russia already favor a "softer approach" toward Iraq, which has traditionally rejected U.N. offers as a "infringement of its sovereignty." Iraq opposed the allocation of part of the proposed oil revenue to northern Iraqi Kurds. Neither does Baghdad accept any U.N. interference on the route to export oil.

The two countries also took the opportunity to assure each other on the importance they placed on the territorial integrity of Iraq. Prince Hassan and Foreign Minister Abdulkerim Kabariti said that Amman did not want any division of Iraq.

The stress on this point comes after Jordan's King Hussein floated an idea concerning a federative Iraq comprising separate Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish components within a unified country. Ankara had been irked with the plan.

King Hussein made his suggestion in an interview appearing in the Financial Times and warned that the disintegration of Iraq in faction fighting could spell a "regional disaster." "A federated Iraq might be the answer," he said in his interview, excerpts of which were carried by Agence France Presse.

Turkish diplomats think that a federative division of Iraq along the lines suggested by King Hussein would in effect amount to a two way split with the Shiites on the one side and "the rest" on the other.

They also fear that Ankara's real concern over King Hussein's suggestion has to do with the fact that this could pave the way to a largely autonomous Kurdish entity in northern Iraq, thus causing instability in the whole region.

"We were convinced that there was no motive behind this idea and that Jordan supports the territorial integrity of Iraq," a Turkish official said.

[02] Turkish industry output grows 8.7 percent in 1995

ANKARA- Turkey's industrial production grew 8.7 percent in 1995 after shrinking 6.2 percent in 1994 because of an economic crisis, the State Institute of Statistics (DIE) said on Friday.

It said manufacturing industry had grown 9.1 percent last year, compared with an 8.6 percent contraction in 1994. But the mining industry grew only 0.1 percent in 1995 after growing 9.3 percent in 1994.

The electricity, gas and water sector grew by 9.8 percent, compared to 6.2 percent growth in 1994.

The DIE said the machinery industry, which mainly depends on imports for raw materials, struck the highest growth with 24.7 percent in 1995 compared to 31.7 percent shrinkage in 1994.

[03] Kandemir rejects US proposal

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- Nuzhet Kandemir, the Turkish ambassador to Washington, has written to Chris Smith and Steny Hoyer, the two members of the House of Representatives who presented a proposal to the U.S. Congress last week, the Anatolia news agency reported from Washington on Tuesday.

Kandemir said that these two members, known to be opposed to Turkey, were ignorant of events in Turkey and under the influence of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In his letter he said that their proposal, which portrayed Turkey and the PKK as the two hostile camps in a battle, included very serious faults. This kind of approach, he added, distorted the true nature of the PKK and the legality of the Turkish struggle against terrorism.

He stressed that Turkey was fighting not against its people but against the PKK, defined as murderers of innocent people by the U.S. secretary of state. To suppose that these separatists' sole aim was freedom for their native language and songs was wrong, Kandemir said.

Kandemir stated that the proposal ignored the fact that the PKK threatened Turkey, that in Turkey people from various ethnic backgrounds had equal rights, and that there were many people of Kurdish origin in the Turkish Parliament.

The best way to fight terrorism was economic improvement, Kandemir said, and Turkey would therefore invest in Southeast Anatolia. He called on the U.S. Congress to understand the true nature of the situation and to support Turkey in its struggle against terrorism, and stressed that Turkey would never negotiate with the PKK. Lastly he said that defending the views expressed in the proposal would harm U.S.-Turkish relations.

[04] Greek Patriarch receives honorary doctorate

ISTANBUL- Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew has been given the title of honorary doctor by the Flemish Louvain Catholic University in a ceremony Friday at that institution. German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Utrecht University academician Gerardus Thooft and Oxford University academician Raymond Allain Dwek were also received honorary doctorates at the same ceremony.

European Union Commission Chairman Jacques Santer, Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene and representatives of various political parties attended the event.

Louvain University was established in the 15th century and is considered Europe's oldest university.

Patriarch Bartholomew, was cited for the work which he had carried out in providing unity in the Christian world, for establishing ties between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches and the spiritual endeavors which he has been carrying out within the framework of the European Union.

Speaking at St. Peter's Cathedral, Belgian Cardinal Godfrit Danneels thanked Patriarch Bartholomew for the contributions which he had made to furthering dialogue in the Christian world.

The Greek Orthodox leader has been active in supporting efforts aimed at improving the dialogue between the Greek Orthodox Church and the Christian churches in western Europe and elsewhere ever since he ascended the patriarchal throne in 1991. He has been behind efforts to organize conferences and seminars in this past year which the United Nations had proclaimed "The Year of Tolerance." Patriarch Bartholomew is also known for his support for Turkey's membership in the EU.

The Patriarch has drawn criticism from more conservative Muslim circles in Turkey for his encouragement of dialogue and is usually chided for having overstepped the boundaries of religion and trespassed on political grounds. The most important criticism is aimed at his use of the term "ecumenical" an adjective which refers to the unity of the Christian church throughout the world. Critics have accused him of having ambitions to establish a church which supersedes national boundaries and which would operate as a country in its own right, somewhat along the lines of the Vatican. In answer to these critics, the Patriarch points out that the term ecumenical patriarch was first used in 325 A.D. and was approved of by Fatih Sultan Mehmet following the conquest of Istanbul.