TRKNWS-L Turkish Daily News (March 13, 1996)

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

Turkish News Directory

CONTENTS

TURKISH DAILY NEWS / 13 March 1996

[01] Turkey highlights PKK but others prefer Hamas

Turkish Daily News

JERUSALEM- President Suleyman Demirel flies to Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt today to participate in a summit against terrorism where he is expected to press for global cooperation and action against terrorism. However, most of the participants seem to be going to the summit with the idea to concentrate on the Middle East issue and obtain a recommitment from regional countries for the continuation of the peace process in view of the recent wave of bomb attacks in Israel.

Turkey, hurt by a separatist terrorist war in southeastern Turkey waged by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) since 1984, wants concrete measures to halt all forms of terrorism and feels the summit will be a golden opportunity for such measures to be discussed.

Turkey feels all countries should be committed to the fight against terrorism. "Some countries feel as long as terrorism is not directed against them they can pay lip service and effectively avoid combatting terrorists," a leading Turkish Foreign Ministry source told the TDN. He asked not to be named.

He said Turkey wants two things to emerge after today's summit. One is to win commitment from the participants to agree on a determined effort to fight terrorism and the second is to bring pressure on states which actually support terrorism.

He lamented that the West until now has not shown serious determination to combat terrorism and said it would be hard pressed to skirt the accusations at the summit today.

President Demirel presented Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres a set of ideas on global measures to combat terrorism. The foreign ministers of Israel and Turkey discussed the issue between themselves during talks on Tuesday.

Among the ideas Demirel presented to Peres was an offer to share information on terrorists. He also said countries should extradite terrorists without creating any political alibis.

Demirel also told Peres that terrorists should not be allowed to use the facilities of various countries to make radio and TV broadcasts. "A certain NATO country is still allowing terrorists to make TV broadcasts from its soil," the Foreign Ministry source lamented. Turkey has been complaining that PKK has been using a private TV station in Britain to spread its propaganda by beaming its broadcasts to Turkey via satellite.

Turkey also feels countries should share information on the origins of arms and explosives used by terrorists. "We have to trace the source of the weapons used by the terrorists and this can only be done through effective international cooperation," the Foreign Ministry source says.

Demirel also told Peres that Turkey wants the international community to impose sanctions against countries which are known to be supporting terrorists. He said countries who come under terrorist threat should also be given technical support by the international community.

Turkish officials feel an international center to combat terrorism could be set up.

Turkish officials say the international community until now has been highly reluctant to put up an effective fight against the PKK in fear that they too could be the targets of the Kurdish militants. "However, everyone is under the terrorist threat and we have to combat terrorists irrespective of who they are and where they operate," Turkish officials say.

Demirel took up the issue of the PKK with Peres and explained to him Turkey's sensitivity over the issue. However, Turkish officials were upset to read in the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that quoted "an Israeli source" who claimed "no specific mention was made of the PKK in the talks and that Israel is not willing to change its traditional position of nonintervention on this point." "This shows if the terrorists do not hurt you, you can pretend they do not exist. This is sad especially when it comes from the Israelis who suffered so much from terrorism," a high ranking Turkish official told the TDN. He said the issue would be raised with the Israeli administration.

Turkish officials fear the anti-terrorism summit may become an exclusively "Middle East terrorism summit" and thus other terrorism issues may be sidetracked.

[02] Motherpath passes first test, wins confidence vote

ANKARA- The Motherland Party (ANAP)-True Path Party (DYP) minority government, formed two and a half months after the Dec. 24 general election, won a vote of confidence in Parliament on Tuesday but the indirect support which enabled this victory seems tenuous. The coalition government led by ANAP's Mesut Yilmaz received 257 votes in favor and 207 against, while 80 deputies abstained. A total 544 deputies were present in the 550-seat Parliament and the votes in favor fell short of an absolute majority of 276 votes.

The votes in favor came from the ANAP and DYP deputies. Three DYP deputies, Mustafa Zeydan, Omer Demir and Necdet Menzir, were absent, the last reportedly with the permission of the party leadership.

The votes against the government were cast by the Welfare Party (RP) and Republican People's Party (CHP) deputies. The Democratic Left Party (DSP) and Grand Unity Party (BBP) deputies abstained. One BBP deputy, Orhan Kavuncu, did not take part in the voting. The DSP has 75 and the BBP seven seats in Parliament.

Taking the floor to express his thanks, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said: "With this result the Turkish democracy leaves behind yet another tough test. With awareness of the serious responsibility we have undertaken, we will make every effort to merit the confidence Parliament has expressed. Let Allah help Parliament, our people and the country." The ANAP deputies gave Yilmaz a standing ovation while DYP deputies clapped their hands but remained seated. DYP leader Tansu Ciller, who is not a member of the Yilmaz government, congratulated him after RP leader Necmettin Erbakan. Afterwards DSP leader Bulent Ecevit and CHP leader Deniz Baykal also congratulated Yilmaz.

The Motherpath Government has thus become the first Turkish Government since 1980 to win a vote of confidence without an absolute majority. Since it won the vote thanks to the indirect support of the DSP, the coalition will need DSP support in every move it makes from now on. The votes in favor surpassed by only 50 the votes cast against the government. Though the coalition has passed the first test, it is obvious that it will be hard for it to maintain this critical balance in Parliament during the coming days. When critical votes are held on important bills in the future, the government will meet with failure unless the DSP agrees to abstain on every occasion.

Faced with a powerful opposition block consisting of the RP and the CHP, the new government will not be able to pass any bills without working out a compromise with the DSP or the other opposition parties. And such a compromise would amount to making concessions from the goals cited in the government program.

The Motherpath Government has already made a concession to the DSP prior to the vote of confidence. In order not to alienate the DSP, Yilmaz omitted from the government program at the last minute the pledge to privatize the country's social security institutions.

According to the protocol signed between ANAP and the DYP, the Yilmaz government will remain in power till the end of the current year when Tansu Ciller will take over as prime minister.

The new Ciller-led government will be obliged to seek a fresh vote of confidence from Parliament. The DSP has refused to give an assurance in advance that its indirect support would continue then, stressing that this will depend on the current government's performance. So a Ciller-led government will also have to make concessions to the DSP to ensure the continuation of its support.

The Motherpath government would be able to survive by making concessions but these concessions may cause it to fail. The next few months will show what kind of balance Yilmaz will strike between the need to stick to the government program and the need to make concessions.

[03] Foreign Policy expert urges gradual approach instead of frontal assault f

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- "The world is unjust to us. Particularly our European allies who need us for their security, but would not take us among themselves because we are Muslims" runs the decades-long argument which has remained more or less unchanged as Turkey worked its way uphill on a turning and twisting road towards integration with Europe.

On the opposite side stand the optimists who want to shake the public out of their gloom. "Thanks to our Tansu Ciller and Deniz Baykal, we have bagged the customs union despite the opposition of bad Greeks and now it will not be too long before we become full members."

The two views have again come into conflict as the EU is preparing to start a wide-scale Intergovernmental Conference on March 29 for the recvsion of the Maastricht Treaty which includes the issue of the expansion.

Where does Turkey, claiming privileged status for itself bacause of its long association with EU and the customs union stand at this crossroads.

In between, according to Seyfi Tashan, the president of the non-governmental think-tank Foreign Policy Institue, who says there is neither ground for resentful rejectionism although he harbors some himself , nor for daydreaming about an immediate seat within the trade bloc rapidly evolving into a political superpower.

The key for Turkey, Tashan said in the a special interview with the TDN on ties with Europe, was avoiding public controversies that cause unwanted backlashes, and work quietly common action plan with the EU.

He also noted that as the EU evolves into a political-military bloc, Turkey can best protect its interests by remaining equidistant to Europe and the United States in the new defense arrangements and seek the continuation of NATO.

Structural change needed

"Turkey has an arrangement with the EU and that is the Association arrangement, which has partially reached not completely - the final stage through the customs union on industrial products. This is a partial arrival. At this moment, in the European public opinion, there is no consensus on whether Turkey should be admitted to full membership, but there is an understanding that the association and its objective of full membership remains, but they are unable to establish a time perspective for Turkey's inclusion, " Tashan said.

But he said there were no denying the strong winds against Turkey's joining the club:

"Some people adamantly object because of religious grounds, or cultural grounds; some people object because of the cost of Turkey's entry; some pople object because of the possible tansfer of huge power to Turkey within the EU under the present structures.

And Greece, of course, is a conscientuous objector to Turkey's entry. Germany is an objector because of the scare of the flow of workers. So, there is no consensus at this moment. But, to Europeans, from a security point of view, Turkey is an essential ally. This feeling is there."

Some of our friends were saying if Europe enlarges to 27 member 12 members are to be included Europe cannot be the same. Its structures have to be changed; there should be a deepening at the hard core and a relaxed attitude. At that time, whether the 27-member EU must necessarily include Turkey or it must be 28, it does not make much difference. So the structural change only can get Turkey in. Structural change can only get all these central and eastern European countries. "

According to the foreign policy specialist, Turkey sghould not stand by idly and wait for this structural change to happen.

"What is important, to my mind, is to be able to work out quietly with the EU, within the Association Council, and through dialogue, to establish an action plan that would govern Turkey's relations in the transition period even though we call it the final stage in the transition period that would lead up to full integration."

ingredients in it, but not all. For example, we need something that the United States worked out with EU. That is in the transatlantic agenda. That's a common action plan. We need to have a common action plan with the EU. I don't know whether it is in the offing, but it should be.

Tashan also focused on other "very serious problems that need to be mentioned" : "Western European Union (WEU) in which Turkey is an observer member and can take part, if it wishes, in WEU actions. But it is not involved in European policy making. Particularly, there is a tendency now within the Intergovernmental conference to incorporate WEU policy making within EU.

So, there is a big debate going on in Europe now, and Turkey is not there.

Turkey has no right, in the formulation of the EU security policy, whereas Turkey is an equal partner in NATO. So, there is a contradiction. That contradiction has to be eliminated through an action plan, in which a structural form, an institutional form must be developed for Turkey.

"There is a very loose wording on the recommendation. It says, well, working groups may be set up. That is not enough. Because the danger is that, Greece being present in the policy formation of EU and because of the member solidarity, Greece will be highly influential in the common foreign and security formation in the EU. Therefore there are serious risks, serious dangers that such a policy that cones out of EU council may be against Turkish interests both in the security and external policy. This is very important. I think that point needs to be clarified."

Customs deal needs to be rectified

The Foreign Policy Institute president also objected to the unequal terms of the customs deal:

"we have accepted under the customs union, an arrangement whereby we will grant preferential treatment to hose countries with which EU has special arrangements for customs: The Mediterranean countries, APEC countries and there will be an agreement with the United States in preparation of WTO. But, what is happening now in those free trade arrangements? EU, is getting some rights in return to lifting customs duties for those countries.

We, in Turkey, will have to accept the EU customs rates, but we will not take advantage of the privileges EU gets for their exports to these countries. So, what will be needed will be to negotiate between us and those countries special free trade arrangements. But there is a risk there. Those countries are reluctant, because they have already a free export possibility to Turkey. They are highly reluctant to grant the same facilities to us. That is a very important point. We have found this example in free trade negotiations with Hungary and Israel.

The free trade negotiations with Israel had been delayed becuse Israel wants quota lists for textiles."

So, there are quite a number of things we have put in the recommendations a clause about the rights of Turkish citizens in Europe. The social rights. We set a dialogue.... But if you remember its history, there was a free circulation provision.

In '86, Europeans proposed us certain conditions to improve the rights in Europe in lieu of granting free circulation. We said these rights which were to be granted were too small, too irrelevant, and we rejected them.

Now, what is being included is only a dialogue. The tone and object of this dialogue must be clearly determined. What I want to say is that in the coming years, we have to develop an action plan and work consistently to achieve a greater integration and increase our weight in European policy formations.

Realistic prospects for Turkey

Regarding the second thoughts the mainstream EU countries were having about an early expansion, Tashan said two indirect roads still remained open.

"One way is the famous (former president of EU commission Jacques) Delors concept of concentric circles. An inner core, and those who can gradually enter that inner core by improving their economies, and so on, so forth.

The second idea is that, because of a diverging interests, regional interests and regional attitudes, there can be some encouraged regional formations within the overall EU structure, such as Nordic, such as Central Eurppean, such as Mediterranean and so on. Southern tier countries, the Balkans, including Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and so on, so forth, a Central European region, with all regions converging .

That, of course, is an ideal solution for us. For, to my mind, it is wishful thinking at this momnt to expect full membership to happen."

Tashan saw both formulas were acceptable fallback positions for Turkey because that will put it, with its economy in better shape than those of many central and eastern European countries, in a more advantageous position.

"So, it will be possible to integrate and create an interface between a possible Balkans area and a Black Sea area. That will increase the importance of Turkey. Also within the Mediterranean area and Caucasus Turkey is a lynchpin that would greatly enhance Turkey's central role in the area."

Euro-security without U.S. not our cup of tea

Tashan, while foresseing some solutions from the new process in the EU, warned against being caught in between the U.S. and European interests:

"There are solutions but one should not expect an early result from the Intergovernmental Conference. The conference will take at least a year before there are some results. Of course, one major problem is how to reconcile the European interests with the American interests. How to keep America in Europe while developing a European defense identity?

So, our interest in this set up lies in being able to maintain an equidistant position between the EU and the United States. Hence, the development of a European defense identity, if it is going to exclude America, will be bad for us; if it includes a U.S. role, that will have to be within NATO where we have an equal say. That is a better arrangement for us.

Causes for resentment

The think-tank official admitted that while counselling against emotional responses, he, himself was not immune to bouts of resentment over the slight accorded to Turkey in the preparatuions for the Intergovernmental Conference.

"For example, this Madrid declaration on the meetings that will be held during the Intergovernmnental Conference. That includes all Central and East European countries, includes Malta and (Greek) Cyprus, European Economic Space countries, Norway, which has refused to be a member of the EU, Iceland, and Switzerland which has refused to be a member of the Economic Space. And there is not a word about Turkey.

So these are very cheap and very snobbish attitudes towards Turkey and I don't know who has caused this, that is, included Turkey in such a dialogue. This does not cost anything to the EU. These are snobbish attitudes probably caused by Greeks.

Spanish chairmanship should not have allowed this attitude.

But probably when we say that we would be a member in a few years' time, and push them into (accepting) it, that creates the backlash and snobbishness. "

Bulgaria second Greece?

Tashan said the EU enlargement in eastern Europe and Balkans were frught with dangers from Turkey from another perspective.

"Can you imagine Bulgaria becoming a European country with over 20 percent of its population being Turks? That will create problems in the Balkans. Because, until becoming members of the council of Europe, they were appearing to be democratic and so on towards the Turkish minority in Bulgaria, but now that they have become members, they have gone back to socialism and there is again pressure on the Turkish minority. But what happens if they are included in NATO, if they are included in EU? There will be another Greece, I suspect. There is a situation. I think their integration with Europe should be balanced with Turkey's integration. Otherwise, problems will arise."

US isolationism danger for Europe

According to the foreign policy specialist, there was no serious rift between the U.S. stance and a non-existent European policy regarding the Balkans. But he identified a possible isolationism seizing the United States in the case of an upset election result as a serious threat for Europe:

"Since there is no common European foreign policy, there is no common Balkans policy.

The U.S. interest is part of its major responsibility as a superpower. In the case of Bosnia, remember, the United States let Europe to try to find a solution - and fail. Europe said we will do it; this is our matter, but were not able to develop a coherent policy. In the end, the U.S. came in and found a solution.

But the American interest, the American committment to Europe is fragile. The dominant debate in the United States is not Europe. It's the internal American policies and that American policy can change. The Clinton administration managed to keep the American coomittments to Europe. But its continuation will largely depend on who will become the next president.If someone like Mr. Forbes becomes the next president, I don't think the United States will be able to maintain its committment to Europe. Because U.S. will look at the global picture, they'll concentrate on pacifying the Russians and let Europeans take care of their own business. And they will try to protect their Middle East interest."

Tashan said the U.S. and EU interests were clashing in the Far East which has become an economic giant in its own right, although Europe had begun stalling in the race nad was in need of a good shakeup.

"Europe is sharply divided. There is a Franco-German stance for the future of Europe, but the British stand is completely immovable. And the southern Europe is declining. Spain, Italy and Greece, for example, their economy is not developing as much as they should. And here is this great burden of central and eastern Europe, where socialism is back, and how much the economic reforms can be achieved is problematic.

That's why there are so many hopes attached to the Intergovernmental Conference of European scale. Because Europe needs a revival and it is in our interest that Europe revives.

Because Europe is our greatest trade partner. Europe is an area where we culturally belong and where our foreign policy interests lie."

[04] Turkey: reaching for the sky

Turkish Daily News

ISTANBUL- The Istanbul Technical University (ITU) is playing host to a conference on the future, a future that is here today. For three days, beginning today, experts from around the world will gather at the University's Maslak campus for the Remote Sensing Satellites and their Applications Conference.

The conference, sponsored by Arianespace, the European space launching consortium and coordinated by ITU's Space Research Technology Centre, will discuss advances in satellite technology and the applications of new and existing satellite services with special regard to Turkey.

These services go far beyond those now taken for granted by most people. When thinking of satellites, communications come to mind. Metal dishes bringing a myriad of television channels into the home, vastly improved telephone and facsimile services allowing callers to reach out to others more easily, the Internet reaching into our lives, all signs of the presence of satellite technology in our lives. But it is the unseen satellite services that the ITU's seminar will focus on as Mesut Ciceker, senior official with Arianespace, explains.

Ciceker, himself a graduate of ITU, sees remote sensing satellites as the next great contribution space technology has for mankind. Instead of a communications satellite merely relaying information a remote sensing satellite can generate information through its array of sensitive instruments and beam this down to earth not for entertainment but for the betterment of mankind.

"Pictures taken from space can show all the accidents, oil spills, urbanization, disaster information, pollution levels or forest control," says Ciceker.

"The contribution of remote sensing satellites to the protection of the quality of life that we have on this earth and to development is what I want to stress. I can show you some dramatic pictures taken by remote sensing satellites showing the deforestation of the Amazon. With the communication satellites you do not get this service." Another satellite advances to be discussed at the conference will be the METROSAT program, a meteorological monitoring system that allows for greater reliability in following and predicting weather pattens and enabling better precautions to be made in case of potential disaster. SPOT, a program to provides excellent quality images of It is with such information that governments and private companies can better understand the environment in which they are working, assess resources, make plans for the future and on how to best preserve the present.

It is appropriate that Arianespace is a major supporter of the ITU conference holds 60 per cent of the market for commercial satellite launches. Its record of reliability and quality of service was the reason that Turkey chose Arianespace to launch its satellites into orbit. That said, the launch of Turksat 1a was a failure, with the loss of the satellite. Despite this setback, Turkey soon had national satellite coverage, courtesy of Turksat 1b, put into space by Arianespace ahead of schedule.

The launch of the next of Turkey's satellites is planned for later this year.

There are companies of twelve countries represented as shareholders of Arianespace; Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. These international partners provide the scientific, technical and financial skills to get a customer's satellite up and operational. The company supplies launch services to clients from around the world from its facilities located in French Guiana. Arianespace was the world's first commercial space transportation company and was established in 1980.

The conference is also supported by Turk Telekom, Turksat, Eumetsat, Nuova Telespazio, the European Space Agency and the French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatales.

Ataturk once said that Turkey's future lay in the skies. With the launch of Turkey's own satellites and the greater use and understanding of satellite technology, as furthered by the ITU Remote Sensing Satellite conference, the country's founding father is again being proved right.

[05] Widening trade deficit seen pressuring Turkish lira policy

ANKARA- Turkish bankers and government officials see a one-off devaluation of the lira as unlikely, but some economists fear the widening trade deficit could force the government to allow a faster depreciation of the currency.

But central bank officials say they are sticking to a policy of depreciating the lira in line with inflation. "Our policy is clear. Inflation was 16.17 percent in the first two months of this year. The depreciation of the lira against the basket (of one dollar and 1.5 marks) has been 15.63 percent so far this year," said a central bank official.

State Minister Ufuk Soylemez, an influential figure in Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz's new conservative coalition, told Reuters last week: "No one should expect an overnight devaluation." But some economists caution that the increased cumulative trade deficit which stood at $12.15 billion at end-November, could force the government to speed up the depreciation rate over a short period or even devalue the lira.

"I look at the foreign trade deficit to determine whether there is a need for a readjustment in the value of the lira. It was high in November and is likely to remain high in December, January and February," said Faruk Selcuk, associate professor of economics at Bilkent Univeristy.

Abolition of customs barriers ahead of a trade pact with the European Union is expected to boost Turkish imports and widen the deficit further. But many bankers now appear more confident that the new government would not go for a devaluation.

"There is no logical explanation for a one-off devaluation," said Fettullah Acil, assistant general manager of private Tekstil Bank. Even exporters say they do not favour a devaluation.

"We only want a realistic exchange policy. We would like to be sure that the lira depreciaton will match inflation," Ayhan Copur, secretary-general of exporters' association Turktrade.

Bankers say the central bank may intervene or raise cash rates if speculation over devaluation or faster depreciation continues to haunt the lira. The bank has enough foreign currency resources $15.78 billion on March 1 to defend the lira.

The lira weakened to 67,900 lira to the dollar on Monday from Friday's close of 67,430. According to a 1988=100 trade-weighted real exchange rate index prepared by Selcuk for Reuters, the lira was overvalued by 2.4 percent in February.

Bankers say the central bank could remove the overvaluation over a reasonable period by refraining from destabilizing financial markets with one-off adjustments as many banks carry short positions in foreign exchange.

"We are still short in forex and not planning to square it. We don't think that the depreciation of the lira would exceed the return on lira instruments this year," the treasurer of a leading Turkish bank said.