TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (May 3, 1995)

From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)

Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (May 3, 1995)

CONTENTS

  • [01] CILLER: "TURKISH SOLDIERS GAVE HUMAN RIGHTS LESSON"

  • [02] NATO COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IN ANKARA

  • [03] FOREIGN AFFAIRS: "TURKEY IS A STRATEGIC COUNTRY"

  • [04] TURKEY, ISRAEL TO SIGN FREE TRADE DEAL

  • [05] TRADE MISSION BACK FROM KUWAIT

  • [06] STATE MINISTER AKTUNA IN WESTERN THRACE

  • [07] BARZANI DELEGATION IN ANKARA

  • [08] US INTRODUCES NEW TRADE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

  • [09] INONU OFF TO AZERBAIJAN

  • [10] TURKEY REACTS STRONGLY TO EUROPEANS

  • [11] TGNA CONDEMNS COUNCIL OF EUROPE

  • [12] COST OF MILITARY OPERATION

  • [13] US TO PROMOTE INVESTMENT IN TURKEY

  • [14] TURKEY ATTENDING WHO MEETING

  • [15] ANKARA NEUTRAL ABOUT US EMBARGO AGAINST IRAN

  • [16] AZERI MEASURES AGAINST THE PKK

    •

    TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

    WEDNESDAY MAY 3, 1995

    Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press

    this morning

    [01] CILLER: "TURKISH SOLDIERS GAVE HUMAN RIGHTS LESSON"

    Prime Minister Tansu Ciller told her True Path Party's parliamentary group that Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq gave a lesson in human rights to the world. Noting that Turkish soldiers aided the people in northern Iraq during the operation, Ciller said: "The northern Iraqi people are pleased with the Turkish soldiers. Some people were saying there would be human rights violations there. However, Turkish soldiers gave a human rights lesson to the world". Requesting that the struggle against terrorism and democracy should not be confused, Ciller added: "No one can say "there aren't human rights. So, terrorism occurs", that is wrong. Weren't there human rights and democracy in Oklahoma or at the Tokyo subway?". Ciller stated that terrorists were selling drugs and buying weapons and that they were killing young people with them. Ciller said: "We support democratization. No one can see this as a solution to something else". /Hurriyet/

    [02] NATO COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IN ANKARA

    The Commander-in-Chief of NATO's European Allied Forces, Gen.George A.Joulwan arrived in Ankara yesterday as the official guest of Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Ismail Hakki Karadayi. Gen.Joulwan will meet with Gen.Karadayi, Lieutenant Gen.Tamer Akbas and Major Gen.Cetin Dogan today. Joulwan will leave Ankara this afternoon. /Cumhuriyet/

    [03] FOREIGN AFFAIRS: "TURKEY IS A STRATEGIC COUNTRY"

    Misha Glenny, in an article in the New York-based Foreign Affairs magazine, has argued that if the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina spreads to Macedonia, there could be a series of new clashes in the Balkans. He says the war could spread to the Aegean, and US transportation through the Middle East might be cut. Because the US sees Turkey as a strategic country, Glenny writes, and if Turkey goes war with Serbs because of the Kosova problem, the US administration could offer military aid. Glenny also says that the Welfare Party (RP) can endanger US advantages in the Aegean. He says US regional concerns are Albanian- Greek relations, the Macedonia problem, Turco-Greek problems in the Aegean and Cyprus. Glenny said American diplomats are trying to lessen the strain between Turkey and Greece because of Cyprus and the Aegean. The article in Foreign Affairs notes that Richard Beattie, President Bill Clinton's private envoy on Cyprus, is an important figure in these attempts and that Clinton attaches importance to the problems between Turkey and Greece. /Sabah/

    [04] TURKEY, ISRAEL TO SIGN FREE TRADE DEAL

    Turkey and Israel will sign a free trade agreement following talks between visiting Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Jossi Beilin and Aykon Dogan, State Minister responsible for the economy. Dogan said if Turkey becomes part of the EU customs union in 1996, Israel would benefit from the Turkish market. The agreement will be signed parallel to both countries' negotiations with the European Union (EU). The agreement also covers double taxation, protection and the encouragement of mutual investments. Arriving in Turkey on Sunday and making contacts in Ankara the following day, Beilin said in a statement to a group of journalists, that it had been decided to establish a political dialogue mechanism between Turkey and Israel. From now on, Israeli and Turkish delegations will meet twice a year, one in Israel the other in Turkey. Beilin stated that an Israeli delegation would come to Turkey later this month to develop trade in food and textiles. Beilin noted that there were many business opportunities between Israel and Turkey and that joint projects could be set up with the Central Asian Republics. /Hurriyet/

    [05] TRADE MISSION BACK FROM KUWAIT

    The Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Commodity Exchange delegation, headed by Chairman Yalim Erez has returned home after a five-day visit to Kuwait, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The chambers of commerce of the two countries have signed a cooperation protocol to further strengthen relations.

    [06] STATE MINISTER AKTUNA IN WESTERN THRACE

    Yildirim Aktuna, State Minister and Government Spokesman, yesterday said that his visit to 120,000 ethnic Turks in Western Thrace should not be perceived as any kind of a threat. He added: "We see it as a first step to amicable relations between Turkey and Greece". Aktuna, who crossed into Greece at the Ipsala border post on Tuesday morning, said that as neighbours, it was a "pity" that Turkey and Greece did not collaborate more on various economic and commercial projects. He went on to say that Turkey was open to friendlier relations but always ran into Greek "attitude problem" with regard to Turkey, be it on an international or bilateral level. Underlining that the ethnic Turks in Western Thrace did have problems which needed to be brought into the open, Aktuna added that peaceful talks with the Greek authorities were "the best way" to handle the matter. /All papers/

    [07] BARZANI DELEGATION IN ANKARA

    A delegation from the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) headed by Mesut Barzani came to Ankara from Diyarbakir yesterday. The IKDP delegation will make contacts regarding border security. A delegation from the Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) headed by Celal Talabani is expected to come to Ankara following the Religious Holiday (Kurban Bayrami). At the meetings, border security issues against PKK terrorist activities will be taken up. /Sabah/

    [08] US INTRODUCES NEW TRADE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

    The US has set-up a new communication system designed to revive foreign trade and to accelerate the international flow of trade information. The system is already operating fully in 70 countries through US diplomatic representative offices. Turkey is hooked into the system through Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir connections. The system was announced by US Trade Secretary Ronald Brown last week, and promoted to the foreign press in Washington by Undersecretary of Trade Jeffrey Garten. Garten said that the new system will serve to increase trade with the European Union (EU) by two-fold within ten years. The new communications system will also increase the flow of trade information first of all in the EU, Turkey, the former Soviet Republics and other international centres with computer networks. With this system, US foreign trade companies will be supplied information about prices, market possibilities and trade problems in anywhere in the world. /Milliyet/

    [09] INONU OFF TO AZERBAIJAN

    Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu will fly to Azerbaijan today for an official visit. Inonu and the delegation with him will fly in a special plane through Armenian air space. This will be the first time for years that a Turkish plane has flown in the Armenian air corridor.

    There has been no air connection between Turkey and Armenia for many years and with the closure of the H-50 Armenian air corridor, all air connections were severed completely. Today's flight by Foreign Minister Inonu is thus a small but historic step forward. /All papers/

    [10] TURKEY REACTS STRONGLY TO EUROPEANS

    Turkish parliamentarians have reacted strongly to the attitude of visiting European parliamentarians repre- senting the European Council (EC). In a statement signed by all the major parties, Turkish parliamentar- ians have condemned the attitude of the Europeans as "ill-intentioned and biased."

    Turkish parliamentarians have declared that the visiting EC delegation has gone beyond the accepted limits of re- lations between countries and the interest countries can show in the internal affairs of another country. In the statement published yesterday, Turkish parliamentarians said they expected the EC delegation to show respect for Turkish political sovereignty and national unity. /All papers/

    [11] TGNA CONDEMNS COUNCIL OF EUROPE

    All political parties at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), condemned the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (CEPA) with a text jointly prepared yesterday. The text says: "The Turkish Group in the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly has decided not to cooperate with the CEPA and not to participate in the assembly meetings and council's commission studies until the European Council Ministers' Committee changes its attitude". /Sabah/

    [12] COST OF MILITARY OPERATION

    The 43-day Turkish military operation in northern Iraq has so far cost the government 2.8 trillion TL, and the lives of 61 officers and men along with three missing.

    On the other hand, military spokesmen say that security in the northern Iraq region has been restored and that the PKK terrorist organization has been dealt a massive blow. Although the majority of units have been withdrawn from the region, a number of military units will remain to maintain control over certain vital areas. /Sabah/

    [13] US TO PROMOTE INVESTMENT IN TURKEY

    As a follow up to its efforts to embargo Iran and Iraq, the US has intimated that it will give more support to US foreign investment in Turkey. US Under Secretary for International Trade Jeffrey Garten is reported as saying that in view of developments with Iran, US trade relations with Turkey will be increased. /Sabah/

    [14] TURKEY ATTENDING WHO MEETING

    Turkey will be represented at the Geneva World Health Organization (WHO) meeting by Health Minister Dogan Baran. Representatives from 190 countries are attending the current sessions of the meeting and Minister Baran has already had talks with a number of top level WHO officials. /Cumhuriyet/

    [15] ANKARA NEUTRAL ABOUT US EMBARGO AGAINST IRAN

    Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ozdem Sanberk said that there was no need for Turkey to comply with US embargo sanctions against Iran. Sanberk added: "Turkey will not join in an embargo against Iran unless the UN Security Council takes a decision for an embargo. In the past, America applied sanctions against Iran and Turkey did not comply with the embargo." The US embargo decision against Iran has not influenced Iranian Oil Minister Gulam Riza Aghazade's Ankara visit. Turkish Energy Minister Veysel Atasoy said yesterday: "Turkey is for improving economic relations with Iran". Atasoy and Aghazade met yesterday for talks to improve relations between Turkey and Iran in the energy field. Before the meeting Aghazade said: "We are positive about transporting Turkmen natural gas to Europe via Turkey. We are ready to help Turkey." Pointing out that there were historical ties between Turkey and Iran, Atasoy said that it would be very beneficial to complete natural gas projects between Turmenistan, Iran and Turkey as soon as possible. Aghazade will be received by President Suleyman Demirel today. The delegation accompanying Aghazade, including Deputy Minister of Oil and representatives of a natural gas company will leave Turkey on Thursday. /Hurriyet-Milliyet/

    [16] AZERI MEASURES AGAINST THE PKK

    Azerbaijan has taken measures against the possibility of PKK terrorists using Nakhichevan as a route to infiltrate Turkey following the establishment of temporary security zones in Digor/Kars and the northern regions of the Aras river by the Turkish Chief-of-Staff in order to prevent PKK infiltration into Turkey through Armenia. Stating that Azerbaijan had increased the number of troops along the Armenian border, Namik Hasanov, head of the Nakhichevan Assembly said: "We are doing what we can to help Turkey get rid of terrorism". Azeris have deployed new units in Sederek village, the Upper Yayli, Ardic and Cagazur regions which are along the Armenian border. The numbers of soldiers protecting the "Hasret Bridge" linking Turkey and Nakhichevan in the Dilucu region have been increased and controls have been tightened along the border. Commenting on the measures Hasnov said: "PKK terrorists who were arrested when they were buying weapons have been handed over to Turkish officials. Azerbaijan has increased measures in the regions along the Armenian and Iranian borders in order to prevent the infiltration of terrorists into Turkey." /Hurriyet/

    END

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