Subject: Turkish Press Review (March 31, 1995)
President Suleyman Demirel said yesterday in a message sent to Germany about the northern Iraq military incursion that
"Turkey could defend itself" -this in reference to issues involving the role of the UN Provide Comfort security
umbrella.
Demirel also noted that despite negative reports in the press, the friendship between Germany and Turkey had to be
preserved, and developed. On the other hand, the Provide Comfort mandate, agreed to by Turkey, had not fulfilled its
promise, and terrorism in the region had increased. /Cumhuriyet/
Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu said yesterday that he would visit the US, Germany and France next week to clear up
"certain misunderstandings" regarding the Turkish military incursion against the PKK terrorist organization's militants
in northern Iraq. Deputy Prime Minister Hikmet Cetin will go to London with the same aim. "The Turkish armed forces
are engaged in an action of legitimate defence in northern Iraq. No one can take away our right to fight against
terrorists who have accumulated there and are ready to attack our country and citizens" Inonu told a news
conference.
Inonu said: "Contrary to false reports and misunderstandings, the duration and scope of the operation
is limited. As soon as PKK camps and facilities in the region have been eliminated our troops will withdraw.
However, after our forces pull out, Turkey must no longer face the necessity to stage repeated operations such as
this. We will take the necessary measures to prevent the PKK from establishing a presence in northern Iraq again".
"We notice there is needless panic in Germany. The misunderstanding is especially apparent there. We expect
this to be remedied without delay" Inonu said. "The problem should be solved without bringing it to the agenda of
"unnecessary authorities". The UN and international organizations cannot solve such local questions" he said
ruling out a new reorganization within the framework of the "Provide Comfort" mandate. Inonu also said an ultimate
solution to the problem must ensure the sovereignty of the legitimate Iraqi leadership over the whole of the country
after Baghdad resume good ties with the UN and Iraq's political opposition groups.
Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu will also attend the meeting "Mediterranean Forum" in Paris. The foreign ministers of 11
Mediterranean countries will attend the meeting which started following initiatives by France and Egypt and was
held for the first time last summer in Egypt. This forum is a non-official platform envisaging cooperation in solving
regional problems and establishing a joint security mechanism especially against fundamentalism. Inonu is
expected to meet with Greek Foreign Minister Karolas Papulyas during the meeting. /All papers/
As the Turkish military operation in northern Iraq continues into the furthest corners of the regions where the PKK
terrorist organization is known to have its camps, special Turkish military units are moving to block every way of
escape.
Reports from the region say that there have been a number of fierce clashes with groups of PKK terrorists and that they
suffered heavy losses. Using Black Hawk helicopters, specially trained units have been deployed in Hakurk and the
Kuadis valley.
As PKK terrorists moved to escape into Syria, reports say that military units already in place along the Turkish-Syria
border effectively prevented the escape of the terrorists. Other terrorist groups trying to get into Turkey by way of
Syria found their way blocked at points in and around Hatay province. The terrorists fled after a fight with security
forces. /All papers/
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has been warned by Turkey that separatists could well try to
infiltrate operations by the UNHCR to help refugees in northern Iraq.
Turkish representative to the UN in Geneva, Gunduz Aktan, has alerted UNHCR Commissioner Ogata to the risk that PKK
terrorists might be among the refugees that UN teams are moving from regions in northern Iraq. UNHCR workers in the
field have also been alerted to the possibility. /Cumhuriyet/
Turkey accused Germany yesterday of breaking NATO rules by suspending a military hardware delivery over Turkey's push
into Iraq against PKK militants. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the suspension harmed Turkish
territorial integrity and was a serious contradiction given NATO's support for German reunification. Germany has
suspended a shipment of military material to Turkey because of Ankara's military incursion into northern Iraq. "Turkey
needs support and cooperation from allies and friends when its territorial unity is under threat from terrorism
directed from abroad" the ministry said. /All papers/
There are reports that German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel has softened his stand against the Turkish military incur-
sion into northern Iraq.
Speaking about the issue during budget debates in the German Federal parliament, Kinkel referred to Turkey as a "friend
of Germany" and added that "we trust what Turkey has to say" about what is happening there. Noting that full studies
into the situation had yet to be made, Foreign Minister Kinkel admitted that Turkey had to be helped in view of the
Turkish motives behind the military operation. /All papers/
The Independent, one of the more serious press British newspapers has editorized that Turkey's close friend,
Germany has tried to present a very hard image about the northern Iraq issue and that it intends to be Europe's moral
guardian in a news about northern Iraq. According to the Independent, Germany tries to present a fair image in the
international field, but is rather hypocritical about Turkey. The French Le Monde newspaper also said that it was
difficult to understand Washington's reaction to Ankara about the crossborder operation. Le Monde said that Turkey
was very important to the US and that Washington should not react to Ankara like Germany and other European countries.
Le Monde also wrote that NATO bases in Turkey were very important to the US. The British parliamentarians who
visited Gorumlu township in northern Iraq after the recent PKK slaughter said that the claims were not true. About the
Turkish security forces and that this could be understood from the villager's sympathy towards the Turkish army.
/Hurriyet/
According to initial figues, exports worth $1.5 billion and imports worth $2.9 billion were made in January 1995. While
there was an 18.1 % increase in exports, a 2.6 % decrease was noted in imports. These figures were $1.3 billion in
exports and $2.1 billion in imports in January, 1994. Therefore the rate of exports, which was 61% in 1994,
increased by 73.9 % in 1995. Similarly, the foreign trade deficit, which was $841 million in January, 1994, decreased
by $547.4 million or 34.9 % in 1995. Imports worth $40.1 million were made in January through financial leasing
compared with a total of $44.2 million in 1994. Of the total 1995 export figure, $1.3 billion came from industrial
products, $190.5 million from agricultural products and $20.9 million from mine and quarry products. While there
was a 24.8 % decrease in the export of agricultural products, there was an increase of 55.7 % in mine and quarry
products, and an increase of 27.9 % in the export of industrial products. /Cumhuriyet/
Turkish delegation Chairman Emre Gonensay, who is in Washington to attend a Turco-American Economic Joint
Commission Meeting, said that Turkey would not hesitate to penetrate deeper into northern Iraq if the terrorism problem
could not be solved in Turkey.
In his opening speech at the Turco-American Economic Joint Commission, Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Holbrook,
said that Turkey was important to the US and added that America would exert every effort in order to help Turkey in
the economic and political fields. /Sabah/
Attacks against Turkish property in Germany continue. Turkish tourism agencies, societies and mosques were
attacked in twelve different cities throughout Germany last night. Although some damage was reported no one appears to
have been killed or injured in the attacks.
PKK members were later arrested in possession of molotov coctails near Bonn.
A Turkish tourism agency was also set on fire in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss authorities said later that similar
incidents had taken place in Basle, Aarau and Sait-Gall.
In another incident, about 50 separatists demonstrated in front of the U.S. Embassy in Brussels and demanding that
Turkey withdraw its troops from northern Iraq. /Sabah/
Turkey's gold and foreign currency reserves have reached $21.7 billion, the highest ever in the republic's history,
Central Bank (CB) statistics revealed yesterday. According to the CB figures, on March 10, 1995, Turkey's gold reserves
reached $1.4 billion, Central bank foreign currency reserves $11.2 billion and commercial banks' reserves peaked to $9.1
billion. /All papers/
Mihalis Papaconstantinou, the former Greek Foreign Minister, said that Turkey posed no threat to Greece. "No Turkish
government with any common sense has expansionist tendencies. I believe Turkey has the strength to stand
against any rise in fundamentalism" Papaconstantinou said in an article that appeared in a Greek magazine, "Politika
Themata". /All papers/
State Minister Baki Atac visited the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for the opening of the Teknecik power
station and a telecommunications facility built with support from Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
Atac said that the Turkish Republic will give support and aid to ensure the prosperity of the TRNC. He said the
Teknecik power station will solve the electricity problems in the TRNC and add TL 250 billion to the economy. Anatolia
reported that Turkey provided TL 800 billion in economic support to the TRNC in 1994.
A conference will be held in Turkey with the participation of nearly 200 countries in order to save the Black Sea which
is faced with massive pollution and ecological damage. Suggestions from Rasim Zaimoglu, deputy president of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Parliamentarians Assembly (KEIPA), and ANAP deputy for Giresun have been approved
regarding this subject. In meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Parliamentarians Assembly held in Kiev,
Ukraine a call was made to begin urgent measures to save the Black Sea. Speaking at the meeting Rasim Zaimoglu said:
"If global measures are not taken immediately, the Black Sea which has the only warm water in Europe will be a dead sea
in the near future." /Hurriyet/
Blue Guide, one of the world's most popular tourism guides, has brought out a second edition of its "Turkey Guide", the
Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The first edition sold out rapidly. The new guide includes the history of
Turkey and Anatolia, Turkish cuisine, traditions and basic Turkish terms.
A conference on the Gallipoli campaign after 80 years, and its effects on Australia and New Zealand, took place in
Ankara yesterday. It was organized by the international relations research group of Ankara's Gazi University. The
Anatolia news agency reported the participation of Australian Ambassador W. Evans and New Zealand Ambassador
Clive Pearson and speeches by the two diplomats. They referred to the importance of April 25 -the day of the
original Gallipoli landing- in the histories of their countries, but stressed the friendly relations their
countries have developed with Turkey.
A symposium on tourism and Turco-German relations, organized jointly by the Turkish Research Centre and ORSA Holding, is
to be held in Antalya from April 6-7, the Anatolia news agency said. German Travel Agencies Union Chairman Gerd
Hasselmann and North Rhine-Westphalia State Economy Ministry Undersecretary Hartmut Krebs together with representatives
of German travel agencies are due to take part in the symposium.
The Chairman of the Theatre, Opera and Ballet Association (TOBAV), Tamer Levent, who started the "Yes to Art"
campaign, will hold meetings in Germany to explain the importance of the campaign, the Anatolia news agency
reported yesterday. The first meeting is scheduled for today in Cologne.
THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL MEMPHIS (March 25, 1995)
"Once again, Turkey is trying to deal a death blow to the Kurdish People's Party, or PKK. For a decade, this
savage Marxist terrorist group has been seeking to destabilize Turkey for the alleged purpose of establishing a
separate Kurdish state. Most of Turkey's 12 million Kurdish citizens have no
more sympathy for these murderers of women and children than the people of Ireland do for the gun-toting fanatics who
long claimed to act in their name. In fact, most of the PKK's victims are Kurds, eliminated because they or their
relatives "collaborated" with the Ankara regime. Enjoying support from all the usual trouble-making
dictatorships of the region - Syria, Iraq, Iran - PKK fighters find haven in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. In
the 1980's, Turkey had a hot-pursuit agreement with Saddam Hussein. And in 1992, a large military incursion targeted
PKK base camps. Those camps are again the object of the current
cross-border operation... Still, the proper analogy here is with Israel's incursions into Lebanon seeking to halt
cross-border attacks by Hezbollah guerrillas - not, as some slightly hysterical critics would have it, with Hussein's
invasion and annexation of Kuwait. Turkey should stay in Iraq until the job is done. As
long as Turkish tactics are reasonable, America should provide diplomatic cover."
GAZET VAN ANTWERPEN (March 21, 1995)
"Despite repeated promises to Ankara by the Iraqi Kurdish leaders Barzani and Talabani that the PKK will not
be allowed onto their territories, the PKK controls two major camps and a number of smaller strongholds in Iraqi
Kurdistan. The PKK has never been popular among the Iraqi Kurdish people for they ruthlessly punish village guards,
killing their entire families..."
USIA WIRELESS FILE (March 21, 1995)
"The United States sees Turkey's military action against Kurdish terrorists inside northern Iraq as
self-defense, the acting spokesman said. 'We see this Turkish action as something which is
taking place in accordance with their views of their own self-defense," (David) Johnson (acting spokesman of the US
State Department) told questioners. 'In principle, a country has the right to use force to protect itself from
attacks from a neighboring country if that neighboring state is unwilling or unable to prevent the use of its territories
for such attack,' he said."
DPA (January 2, 1995)
"Five children and four women were killed in an attack by rebels of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) on Sunday on a
village in Turkey's southeastern Diyarba