TRKNWS-L Turkish Daily News (April 16, 1996)

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

Turkish News Directory

CONTENTS

TURKISH DAILY NEWS / 16 April 1996

[01] Israel & Turkey stand firm in defense of military accord

Israel's air force chief to visit Turkey

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- Turkey and Israel stood firmly in defense of a much-criticized military training deal on the eve of a visit by Israel's air force chief to oversee implementation of the accord.

"No country at all has the right to, or will be allowed to ask any question to Turkey on the military training agreement Turkey has made with Israel," Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay said after his meeting with Israeli Ambassador Zvi Elpeleg.

Elpeleg's visit to Gonensay aimed to explain the latest developments regarding Israeli raids on Lebanon and also give a clear message to Gonensay that the two countries had to stand firm against the Arab world's criticism of the deal.

Elpeleg said no third country, particularly Egypt, had any say in Turco-Israeli relations -- which was interpreted as an Israeli response to Egypt's criticism that the accord had upset regional balances.

The Turco-Israeli accord was expected to be discussed with Egypt during the visit of Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, but the visit was cancelled due to an emergency meeting of the Arab League on the Israeli raids to Lebanon.

Nurkan said that the cancellation of the visit bore no relation to any Egyptian displeasure over the Turco-Israeli deal.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said that Amr Moussa had telephoned Gonensay to tell him that he was unable to leave Egypt and hoped to see his Turkish counterpart in Luxembourg, where the foreign ministers of 22 countries will come together for a follow-up meeting of the anti-terrorism summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Ankara's position vis-a-vis the Israeli raids in Lebanon remained unchanged despite the civilian casualties over the weekend. "There is no change in the Turkish attitude. I will stick to the earlier statement made Friday," Nurkan said in response to a question.

Friday's statement contained no condemnation of Israel, except to urge the Jewish state to refrain from action that would harm civilians and deal a blow to the peace process in the region.

"I have repeated to the Israeli ambassador our concern regarding civilian casualties. Utmost care should be taken to prevent this," Gonensay said, as he stressed the Turkish support to the fight against terrorism.

Israel has indicated that it was pleased with Turkey's stance over the Israeli raids. "Turkey, as a peace-loving and friendly country, understands our position," Elpeleg said in a press conference Sunday.

He said that Turkey was briefed on the operation which aimed to force Lebanon to restore its sovereignty on its own territory.

"We have no territorial claim on Lebanon. We only want Lebanon to maintain security on its own territory and prevent terrorist attacks against Israel," he said.

Responding to a question on the Turco-Israeli accord, he said that Israeli jets would come to Turkey for training, but refrained from naming a day.

A statement from the Turkish General Staff said Israeli air force commander Herzl Budinger was to visit a Turkish air force base near Ankara.

But there is complete confusion in Ankara on when the Israeli jets are coming to Turkey, or if they have come already. Reuters quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Israeli pilots had already begun unarmed training flights in Turkish air space under the agreement.

Diplomatic sources said eight Israeli pilots had arrived in NATO member Turkey in the last few days and begun training flights.

"They are just taking off and landing, nothing else," a diplomat said.

But asked if the planes would come today as reported, Emre Gonensay said, "There is no such thing at the moment." "(However) There is an agreement and the planes will of course come. When and how many is a detail," he said.

A senior Turkish military official said he could not confirm that the Israeli pilots had begun training in Turkey.

"But, under the agreement, there is no reason for them not to begin very soon," he said.

[02] DSP leader unveils radical plan for regional security

By Kemal Balci

TDN Parliament Bureau

ANKARA- The Democratic Left Party (DSP) has disclosed his regional security plan dealing with Operation Provide Comfort force, border security and attempts to ensure Iraq's territorial integrity. The plan was to be assessed later in the day at a "security summit" to be chaired by President Suleyman Demirel.

Ecevit's comprehensive package envisages a Turco-American force to be created in the framework of the Turco-American Defense Cooperation Agreement (DECA) which would replace Provide Comfort, the Turkey-based multinational relief force for northern Iraq which includes British and French units.

Ecevit was asked if that would entail the introduction of a Turkish military force into northern Iraq. He said an actual military presence might not be needed. The creation of the proposed Turco-American joint force could serve as an effective deterrent proving adequate security for the inhabitants of northern Iraq, he stressed, indicating that even a reference to the possibility could suffice.

Ecevit was also asked by the TDN whether his proposals were in line with current world political developments. His reply was: "If the current conjuncture is not suitable we should be creating that kind of conjuncture ourselves to a certain extent."

Measures aimed at making the Turkish border secure against terrorist infiltration from Iraq take up a special place in Ecevit's plan. During the interview Ecevit urged the United States, an allied country, to help install an early warning system along Turkey's border with Iraq. He also suggested creation of a security belt along the border by moving the border, which currently runs along border mountaintops, toward the plains on the Iraqi side. For such an arrangement, which would remain in effect "until security is achieved," an agreement would have to be reached with the Iraqi administration, he noted.

Ecevit's 12-article plan also envisages Turkish efforts to bring about an agreement between the Baghdad administration and the Kurdish and Turkmen groups in northern Iraq. Ecevit said that the 30 parliamentary seats which the Iraqi administration had kept vacant because voting could not take place in northern Iraq in the latest election, should now be occupied by the representatives of the inhabitants of northern Iraq. He also called for an international campaign for human rights and democratization in Iraq, a campaign which would be supported with confidence-building measures.

Ecevit said that although Resolution 688 (dated April 5, 1991) of the U.N. Security Council stressed that Iraq's "sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence" should be respected, Iraq was in effect divided by Operation Provide Comfort. He said, "If the United States does not have any secret aims, it can be persuaded that it should take that resolution into consideration."

Referring to former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Morton Abramowitz's comment that the United States does not want a Kurdish state but Saddam Hussein is still a threat, Ecevit said the United States could not attain its aim of toppling Saddam Hussein and bringing peace to the region. On the contrary, the tranquillity in the region was further disrupted not only for the Iraqi people and the northern Iraqi Kurds but also for Turkey.

Ecevit stressed the great importance for regional peace of working out a rapprochement between Iraq and Israel, and that Turkey could act as a mediator for that purpose. He also called for the creation of an international monitoring board similar to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to deal with the issue of human rights violations in the region.

Ecevit's proposals were expected to be taken up at a security summit at the presidential palace on Monday. Those taking part in the meeting chaired by President Suleyman Demirel would include Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, Defense Minister Oltan Sungurlu, Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay and Interior Minister Ulku Guney. The "official line" to be determined during the meeting would be relayed to U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry by Oltan Sungurlu who will fly to the United States May 12.

Later, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will discuss the issue with President Bill Clinton in Washington in late May. The Yilmaz government decision, which would be shaped as a result of these contacts, will be presented to Parliament in mid June in the form of a bill. The final decision about the status to be given to the Provide Comfort force will be taken in Parliament. The force's mandate expires at the end of June.

[03] IPU conference opens in Istanbul

Turkish Daily News

ISTANBUL- The 95th Inter-Parliamentary Conference opened in Istanbul Monday with President Suleyman Demirel calling on world legislators to "help find global solutions to global problems."

Some 605 parliamentarians and 26 observers from 117 countries are attending the five-day conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the world organization of parliaments. The Geneva-based IPU is an advisory body that recommends legislative action for member parliaments.

"We must look beyond our own personal interests and our national boundaries to solve international problems," Demirel told the opening session of the conference at Ataturk Cultural Center.

He said that governments were having difficulties adjusting to the rapid changes taking place in the world.

"We must prove together that genocide, poverty, hunger and contagious diseases aren't the fates of mankind," Demirel declared.

The conference will focus on two main issues -- conservation of world fish stocks, and the safeguarding of the rights of world's minorities, IPU officials said.

They said the parliamentarians will choose to debate a supplementary item from several issues, including the fight against terrorism, the banning of land mines, nuclear test bans and the tightening of American economic sanctions against Cuba, during the meetings.

An IPU committee monitoring human rights issues will disclose a report on the arrests of parliamentarians.

IPU officials said that there were 132 cases in 26 countries where parliamentary deputies had been arrested or harassed by authorities because of their views. Sixteen of the cases involve deputies of the pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP) in Turkey.

In the cases involving Turkey, the National Assembly stripped the parliamentary immunities of the DEP deputies in 1994 and shut down the party because of their suspected links with separatist Kurdish rebels.

Four DEP deputies, including Leyla Zana, a woman parliamentarian, are currently serving prison sentences for attempting to destroy Turkey's national unity and associating with the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

More than 17,000 people have been killed in Turkey since 1984, when the PKK launched a bloody guerrilla war for an independent Kurdish state in southeast Turkey.

Fighting between security forces and the PKK in recent months has shifted from the villages and towns on the lowlands to the rugged mountainous areas of the southeast.

In a flare up of violence last week, the government claimed that over 100 PKK militants were killed in clashes with military forces. Twenty-nine Turkish soldiers were also killed in the battles.

An IPU committee is also reviewing the situation in Cyprus, divided since 1974 into Turkish and Greek zones.

[04] Turkey and Azerbaijan criticize Russian Duma

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- Turkey and Azerbaijan have criticized the recent resolution adopted by the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, which expressed regret at the dissolution of the Soviet Union and declared null and void the agreement that enabled this dissolution.

A joint statement issued after day-long talks by Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Azeri President Haydar Aliyev in the Azeri capital Baku indicated that such initiatives as this one by the Duma would adversely affect peace in the region as well as the world.

During his visit to Azerbaijan, which ended on Monday, Prime Minister Yilmaz also reassured his Azeri interlocutors that an overland border post between Turkey and Armenia would not be opened until Armenian forces evacuated the Azeri lands they have occupied.

The joint statement, issued late on Sunday after the completion of the Turkish-Azeri talks, pointed out that the recent decision by the Russian Duma could not be implemented in practical terms, the Anatolia news agency reported from Baku where it was following the Yilmaz visit.

The statement emphasized that such decisions, not based in any way on the free will of those nations which received their independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, would destabilize the region.

Addressing a joint press conference with Azeri President Haydar Aliyev after the official talks, Yilmaz said that it was out of the question that Turkey would open the Alican border gate to Armenia as long as Yerevan refused to compromise with Azerbaijan.

The two countries are locked in a bitter conflict over ownership of the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan which is mainly inhabited by Armenians.

Referring to the fact that Turkey last year opened an air corridor to Armenia over its airspace, Yilmaz conceded in response to a question referring to this that Yerevan had not taken the conciliatory steps expected after this move by Ankara.

"It is true that Armenia did not take peaceful steps after Turkey opened the air corridor to this country. The conditions for our government to open the Alican border post are clear. As long as Armenia does not come to a position of compromise in the talks it is conducting with Azerbaijan, and as long as it does not sign a declaration of principles that foresees the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azeri lands, it is out of the question that Turkey should open the border post," Yilmaz said.

Azerbaijan's sensitivity on this issue was reflected once more on Monday when President Aliyev's foreign policy adviser Vefa Gulizade warned Turkey "not to tricked by Armenia's diplomatic maneuvering" into opening the Alican border gate.

Gulizade, whose remarks were quoted by Anatolia reporting from Baku, said that the Armenian side was trying to secure concessions from Turkey without giving anything in return.

Responding to another question about his talks in Ankara on Saturday with a representative of Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian, Yilmaz told reporters at the joint-press conference that he had made Turkey's position concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute clear on that occasion.

He said that as far as Turkey was concerned it was the Armenian insistence that Nagorno-Karabakh should be independent that was blocking the talks aimed at solving this dispute.

Yilmaz characterized this Armenian position as "unacceptable." Responding to another question, Yilmaz said Turkey remained insistent on the question of an oil pipeline that would carry Caspian oil over Anatolia to the Mediterranean.

"We will follow this subject to the end both from the economic angle and from the angle of the safety of the Turkish Straits," Yilmaz said.

President Aliyev, for his part, told the press conference that early oil from the Caspian fields would be transported to world markets both from Russia's port of Novorossiysk and through the Georgian port of Soupsa. He added that work was continuing concerning the transportation of the main Caspian oil reserves and added that the results of this work would be announced soon.

Indicating that his talks with Yilmaz would "prove Azeri-Turkish friendship to the whole world," Aliyev also recalled that a commission had been set up between the two countries to promote commercial ties. He said this commission would start work immediately.

Aliyev said that the bulk of his talks with Yilmaz had been taken up by the Azeri-Armenian dispute and the question of Nagorno-Karabakh.

He said that Azerbaijan shared Ankara's view that this problem could be resolved with the help of Turkey, the United States and Russia, working within the context of the so-called "Minsk Group" under the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Visiting Azeri refugees who had fled the Armenian onslaught which eventually occupied a third of Azerbaijan, Yilmaz told them on Monday that he "condemned with hate those who have made you suffer all this." Accompanying Yilmaz to the refugee camps, President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan had always been conscious of Turkey's support since the start of the Armenian occupation.

[05] Aliyev said this had always given them great strength.

Energy Minister R.F. Botha, who had served 17 years as foreign minister before the 1994 elections, will lay a wreath in the Ataturk mausoleum on behalf of the Government of National Unity

By Nazlan Ertan

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- A member of South Africa's National Unity Government began Monday the "first ever" visit to Turkey which follows months of tense relations stemming from Pretoria's "arms embargo" on Turkey, Energy Minister R.F. (Pik) Botha, a veteran diplomat who had served 17 years as foreign minister before 1994 all-race elections, arrived in Turkey Monday. His visit takes place against the backdrop of a difficult phase in relations caused by a South African arms embargo on Turkey. Turkey retaliated by placing South Africa on a "red list" of arms suppliers last May.

The suspension of military supplies to Turkey has reminded Ankara of old wounds -- the allegations that Nelson Mandela's African National Congress (ANC), particularly in its days as a resistance group, had ties with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). When Nelson Mandela, prior to the all-race elections that installed him as president, declined to accept the Ataturk Award offered to him by Turkey in 1992, some Turkish circles attributed this to the influence of the PKK on the ANC.

Botha's program today includes a "mausoleum visit" that aims to assure Turks that the South African government holds Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Turkey, in very high regard. Botha will lay a wreath at the mausoleum of Ataturk on behalf of South Africa's National Unity Government.

Mandela, after becoming president, took pains to stress his high regard for Ataturk. He said he would accept the Ataturk Award if he was offered it a second time.

Botha met his Turkish counterpart Husnu Dogan Monday afternoon in what was described as an "introductory meeting." The aim of veteran politician is to assure Turkey that South Africa is eager to improve relations with Turkey. Botha, a former foreign minister, is a good stand-in for the long-expected foreign ministerial visit.

There are no energy projects ongoing between Turkey and South Africa, although South Africa is considered a potentially good supplier for Turkey's demand for low-sulphur coal.