Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (April 10, 1995)
President Suleyman Demirel, who is in Chile on the second leg of his South America tour, was interviewed by the "La
Nacion" and "El Mercurio" newspapers.
During the interviews, Demirel noted that the whole world must cooperate against terrorism. Referring to the northern
Iraq military operation Demirel said: "It should not be expected that Turkey will sit at the conference table with
the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in the search for solution. Nevertheless, Turkey highly respects the territorial
integrity of Iraq."
Stating that Iraq had been informed about the military operation before it was started, Demirel added that the PKK
was not a supporter of the Kurdish interests but rather a terrorist organization.
President Demirel attended the opening ceremony of the "Ataturk College" in Santiago, and gave commemorative
presents to the students. /Hurriyet-Milliyet/
Prime Minister Tansu Ciller stated that unless the military operation attains its goal, Turkish soldiers will not
withdraw from the northern Iraq. Replying to the questions of journalists regarding the operation, Ciller said: "We
have brought terrorism under control within our borders. But, there is another issue. It is not my country's fault
or problem. There has been an authority vacuum following the Gulf crisis. The military operation will last until it
reaches its aim. We did not go there for occupation. We will protect our innocent people". Regarding the withdrawal
of a unit participating in the operation, Ciller said: "The withdrawal of a brigade has no relation to reactions from
abroad. We did not send our soldiers up 2,500 metres high in the mountains to occupy those areas. They will not
return unless the aim is achieved". Turkey has pulled about 3,000 soldiers out of the area. /Hurriyet/
Turkish Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu attended the "Mediterranean Cooperation Forum" summit in Sainte-Maxime,
France. While there, Inonu hold talks with his French counterpart, Alain Juppe, Italian Foreign Minister, Sanna
Agnelli, and Spanish Foreign Minister, Javier Solana.
After the meeting Inonu said that among other things customs union was discussed during the meetings and added: "We are
continuing with our democratization efforts for the Turkish people, not for the European Parliament."
Inonu pointed out that he had informed his foreign counterparts about Turkey's struggle against terrorism and
asked for cooperation from the Mediterranean countries.
At the end of the summit, Turkey had accepted a mission regarding transportation and tellecommunication, Inonu said.
Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu, in a later interview with "Le Monde" daily newspaper and said: "Our aim is to improve
democratization in Turkey. There are many reform packages going through Parliament. However, terrorism is an obstacle
blocking some of the reforms." /Cumhuriyet/
It is reported that the "pressure" policy of the US against Syria, as evidenced by including Syria in the list of
countries which support international terrorism as prepared by the US, is a development in favour of Turkey. US State
Department Special Middle East Coordinator, Dennis Ross, who met with Syrian Head of State, Hafiz Esad, two days ago,
urged that Damascus support to terrorist organizations, especially to the PKK, should be stopped. Turkish Tourism
Minister Irfan Gurpinar met with Syrian Deputy Head of State Abdul Halim Haddam, with whom he signed a tourism protocol.
Syrian Prime Minister Mahmet Zobi also attended the meeting. It is reported that the meeting between Gurpinar and Haddam,
Zobi, was "positive" and that Syria, despite its previous policies, showed understanding over Turkey's struggle
against terrorism. /Cumhuriyet/
German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said that Germany did not want to exclude Turkey from either NATO or the EU.
Replying to questions from Tagesspiegel newspaper published in the Berlin- Brandenburg province, Kinkel noted that there
were very important mutual interests and friendly relations existing between Turkey Turkey and the EU. Kinkel noted
that now "he had clearer impressions" about the northern Iraq operation following his meeting with Turkish Foreign
Minister Erdal Inonu in Bonn. Kinkel said: "We have to extend every political aid to our friend". /Hurriyet/
Turkey has warned the UN High Commisioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that the Etrus Refugee Camp in northern Iraq must
not be used as a weapons dump and shelter by PKK terrorists. In the reply of the UNHCR it was stressed that the Etrus
camp was established only for supplying humanitarian aid to civilians in difficulties. In the statement of the Turkish
Foreign Ministry about this reply it was said that the UNHCR had given a guarantee that the purpose of the camp would not
be abused and that the Turkish Foreign Ministry would closely follow developments. Recalling that some Turkish
citizens had been forced to migrate from trouble zones and were still staying in the Etrus camp, the Turkish Foreign
Ministry noted that Turkey could not force these people to return, despite the fact that necessary support would be
given to those asking to return to Turkey. Ministry Officials stressed that: "It is important for Turkey that
these people are not harmed ". /Hurriyet/
A group of PKK terrorists, waylaying trucks near Kozluk, Batman, killed four truck drivers. Officials said that
operations over the weekend to arrest the terrorists were being carried out. According to information from the
regional governor with special powers, 17 PKK terrorists were killed by security forces during operations carried out
in Siirt, Batman and Diyarbakir.The number of terrorists killed during operations in the Sehi forests of Bitlis and
in the rural areas of Sirvan, Siirt has reached 78 and 18 terrorists have surrendered. Five terrorists who
surrendered to security forces said that they had no choice but to surrender and that their organization was in a state
of collapse and inclinations to surrender were running high. 12 PKK terrorists arrested in Mus, Siirt, Bitlis and
Tunceli. /Cumhuriyet/
According to a weekend news report in the Greek To Vima newspaper, Prime Minister Ciller is going to send a special
envoy to Athens in an effort to improve Turkey- Greece relations.
In response to US pressure to improve ties between these two NATO member countries, the Greek press reports that Ciller
wanted to send former foreign minister Murat Kara- yalcin to Athens, but due to a change of plan the identity of the
special envoy is now unclear.
In connection with relations between Greece and Turkey, a number of questions remain unanswered, including just which
method will be used to get problems sorted out. Some suggest a comprehensive package deal, others propose solving
problems step by step. /Hurriyet/
In a note to the Greek government, US President Clinton has clearly requested Athens to make sure that nothing serious
arises out of disputes between Greece and Turkey over coastal limits in the Aegean Sea. Clinton has strongly
suggested that Athens quickly agrees to the "measures to increase security" package for the region, and has expressed
his concern that Greece should be unduly anxious about moslem fundamentalism in Turkey.
Top US official Richard Holbrooke had talks with Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreu over the weekend and conveyed the
message of Clinton to him. During the talks the matter of Turkey's customs union with the European Union (EU) also
came up, as did the matter of the twelve mile coastal limit that Greece wants to impose in the Aegean Sea. In both
cases, the US wants to avoid any situation that could block progress in the search for a solution to these issues.
Turkey too has been taking diplomatic initiatives to resolve the twelve mile limit issue, but remains firm in its stance
against the Greek demand. There will be further talks on the matter when Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu goes to Athens
on April 13-15 to attend a meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. /All papers/
A special delegation led by top US State Department official Strobe Talbott will arrive in Ankara today for a two-day
visit. According to officials, Washington sees the visit as being "very important" to US-Turkey interests.
Three major issues will be taken up during the visit: heading the list will be Turkey's military incursion into
northern Iraq, then will come the Cyprus question and Turkey's relations with Greece. The delegation also wants
to discuss the latest developments on the petrol pipeline projects that Turkey is deeply involved in. /All papers/
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has said that Turkey's indication that Turkish troops will slowly start to withdraw
from northern Iraq "is a positive signal" of improvement in the regional situation.
Juppe spoke for a few moments with Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu at a meeting of the "Mediterranean Forum" over the
weekend and noted that this was a "positive first step" -asking at the same time for a firm date for complete
withdrawal. Inonu replied by saying that it was easy to ask for a date, but that it was impossible to say just when
Turkish military forces would withdraw completely. /Cumhuriyet/
Deputy Prime Minister Hikmet Cetin, on the other hand, says that "Turkey will not withdraw just because of western
demands." Commenting on the withdrawal of a three thousand person unit from northern Iraq over the weekend, Cetin said
that it was being moved out because of Turkey's own programme, not because of pressure to withdraw coming from
the west. Nevertheless, in response to questions from the press, Cetin did indicate that "in accordance" with Turkish
military plans, there would be more withdrawals in the near future.
Although there are indications that a "regional solution" has not yielded the results expected, Cetin again called for
more cooperation from the Kurdish leaders in the region.
In the meantime, clashes between the Turkish military forces and PKK separatists continue sporadically. /All papers/
The US administration has come up with another solution to resolve the Cyprus issue. In a move to soften the stances
of Greece and Turkey, the US has proposed "Camp David-style talks" the first of which will take place soon after the
April 16 election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Likely President Rauf Denktas will win the election and there- after will join in marathon talks in a place far from
prying eyes with Greek community leader Glafkos Klerides. No details of the talks will be given to the press. Ankara
will consider the plan when details have been handed over to the government by the special US delegation led by Strobe
Talbott arriving in Ankara today. /Milliyet/
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze has asked Turkey's former Charge d'Affaires in Tbilisi to become his chief
advisor on political affairs, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The agency said Shevardnadze had cited
Vahit Ozdemir's contribution to Turkish-Georgian ties during his term in Tbilisi which ended last year. If the Turkish
Foreign Ministry consents to the request, Ozdemir, who is now a member of the Turkish diplomatic mission in
Azerbaijan's capital Baku, will take up the post as Shevardnadze's chief advisor in May.
A German TV panel, comprising several deputies and politicians as well as lawyers, agreed yesterday that Kurds
involved in attacks by terrorist organizations and in drug trafficking should be expelled from Germany, the Anatolia
news agency reported yesterday. The panel, participating in a program televised by the main German TV channel ARD, was
asked to comment on the idea of expelling Kurds. They said Turkey had a legal right to struggle against terrorism to
safeguard its territorial integrity and was in accordance with international law.
Bulent Ecevit, leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), flies to Israel today for a visit as the guest of the
Israeli Foreign Ministry. During his five-day stay, Ecevit, a former prime minister, is due to meet with Israeli Prime
Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestine's leader Yasser Arafat. /All papers/
A total of 19 Turkish textile firms were listed among 430 companies with annual sales of over DM 100 billion, the
Anatolia news agency reported yesterday, quoting an article published in the magazine "Textile Employees". The Turkish
textile firms Guney Sanayi, Bossa and Kordsa registered annual sales of DM 369 billion, DM 348 billion and DM 275
billion, respectively, and were the top three of the Turkish firms mentioned in the international survey. Turkey ranked
ninth in the list with 19 companies.
Turkey's Postal, Telegraph and Telephone (PTT) service plans to install 118,000 new telephone lines in the southeast as
part of a major development program launched for Southeastern Anatolia. PTT officials said in a statement on
Saturday that the PTT investment in the region would exceed $50 million this year. In another move within the framework
of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), Prime Minister Tansu Ciller is due to inaugurate a major irrigation tunnel
in the southeastern Sanliurfa province on Tuesday, the Anatolia news agency said yesterday. The T-1 tunnel will
help in the irrigation of 30,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Harran plains.
Turkey and Syria have signed a protocol to encourage tourism cooperation between the two countries, the Anatolia news
agency reported. Turkish Tourism Minister, Irfan Gurpinar, and his Syrian counterpart, Mohammad Amin Abdul Shamat, said
that the protocol, signed in Syria on April 9, would improve relations. One hundred and twenty thousand Syrian tourists
come to Turkey every year, but that number should rise following the protocol, which may also help improve economic
and political relations between the two countries. Meanwhile, border trade with Syria in the first three months
of the year totalled TL 962.6 million in exports and TL 4.957 billion in imports. For the same period in 1994,
imports amounted to TL 2.304 billion.
A meeting of the council of the North Atlantic Association began on Saturday in Marmaris, the Anatolia news agency
reported. The heads of the parliamentary committees, their assistants and the assembly bureau are attending the
three-day meeting.
Turkish Human Rights Minister Algan Hacaloglu announced his decision over the weekend to make official visits to Western
Thrace and Athens to demand the liberation of the newly-elected mufti of Iskece (Xanthi), Mehmet Emin Aga,
allegedly jailed for no criminal reason, the Anatolia news agency reported. Hacaloglu, who pointed out that the
Turkish minority living in Western Thrace had been given certain rights by the Lausanne Treaty and Athens Agreement,
added that the mufti, who was jailed nearly three months ago, was condemned only because he had been elected by
ethnic Turks living in Thrace.
In a debate in the Dutch parliament, Foreign Minister Hans Van Mierlo, said that, so far, there was no evidence of
human rights abuses by Turkey during the operations being carried out in northern Iraq. Mierlo said that Holland
would not be making any unilateral response to the operation. /All papers/
The sixth session of the Turco-Indian Joint Economic Commission Forum will be held on April 10-13 in New Delhi,
the Anatolia news agency reported on Friday. Foreign Trade Undersecretariat officials reported that at the meeting
Turkey would be represented by State Minister Baki Atac. It was also reported that potential areas for bilateral
cooperation were free zones, agriculture, railways, construction services, technical and scientific areas,
tourism, energy, air and sea transportation and telecommunications.
END