TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (May 17, 1995)

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

Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (May 17, 1995)

CONTENTS

  • [01] UN RESUMES CYPRUS UNIFICATION EFFORTS

  • [02] EURO-PARLIAMENTARIANS TO VISIT TURKEY

  • [03] GREEK OFFICIALS PROTECT FAIKOGLU'S ATTACKER

  • [04] BOUTROS-GHALI WANTS TURKISH CONTINGENT TO STAY IN BOSNIA

  • [05] GERMANY CONSIDERS LIFTING ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST TURKEY

  • [06] TURKEY DEMURS OVER TWO WEU STATEMENTS

  • [07] "BLACK VOICE" KAPLAN DEAD

  • [08] "ATATURK PEACE AWARD" CEREMONY

  • [09] TERRORIST LEADER CAUGHT

  • [10] NATO EASING AEGEAN TENSION

  • [11] EBOLA BORDER CONTROLS

    •

    WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF

    DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION

    TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

    MAY 17, 1995

    Summary of the political news in the Turkish press this

    morning.

    [01] UN RESUMES CYPRUS UNIFICATION EFFORTS

    UN Special Envoy to Cyprus Joe Clark yesterday met with senior Turkish officials as part of a UN initiative for intensified efforts for the unification of the east Mediterranean island following last month's presidential election in Turkish Cyprus. Clark said after a meeting with Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Tugay Ulucevik that he was trying to find out if conditions were suitable for the UN to call for face-to-face meetings between Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafkos Klerides. "I wanted to discuss with Turkish officials Ankara's assessment of the situation in Cyprus and hear their advice" Clark told reporters. Ulucevik said Turkey backed the holding of direct talks between the two Cypriot leaders. Turkey appreciates and supports UN efforts for a just and permanent settlement to the Cyprus issue on the basis of the equality of the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities, Ulucevik added. But he warned that a solution should not bring the Turkish Cypriots to the conditions of the period before 1974. Clark, accompanied by his deputy Gustave Feissel, also met with Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Ozdem Sanberk later on Tuesday. The UN envoy, who met with Greek officials in Athens on Monday before travelling to Ankara, is due to meet with Denktas and Klerides in Cyprus. Meanwhile, the US and British Ambassadors to Nicosia met with Rauf Denktas yesterday. US Ambassador Richard Boucher said that they wanted a comprehensive and quick solution to the Cyprus problem adding that his country would do its best on this issue. British High Commissioner David Madden pointed out that efforts had intensified for a solution and said: "We have a good opportunity before us". /Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/

    [02] EURO-PARLIAMENTARIANS TO VISIT TURKEY

    Two chairmen of the Socialist group, the Green group and the Radical group in the European Parliament will visit Turkey between May 23-26, the Anatolia news agency reported. They will meet with Parliament Speaker Husamettin Cindoruk, Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, Deputy Prime Minister Hikmet Cetin, Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu and ex-parliamentarians from the DEP who are now in prison. The visit is deemed important in Turkish circles because the European Parliament is due to vote on the customs union in October.

    [03] GREEK OFFICIALS PROTECT FAIKOGLU'S ATTACKER

    Greek officials are protecting Nikos Haciprokopiu, who attacked Ahmet Faikoglu, a former deputy in Western Thrace, the Anatolia news agency reported in Xanti on Tuesday. Greek officials claim that Haciprokopiu is mentally ill, and that he has previously received medical treatment. The Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned in a written statement the attack against the former Xanti independent deputy Ahmet Faikoglu. In the statement, it is stressed that attacks against the Turkish minority in Western Thrace have increased, and that Turkey is closely following developments. It is also stated that Greek officials should take the necessary measures to stop the violence in the shortest possible. /Hurriyet/

    [04] BOUTROS-GHALI WANTS TURKISH CONTINGENT TO STAY IN BOSNIA

    UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali suggested in a letter to the UN Security Council that Turkey should stay in Bosnia. Ghali, preparing a report on the peacekeepers in Bosnia, Croatia and Macedonia, wrote to Jean-Bernard Merimee, the Security Council Chairman and French Permanent Representative, that changing the make-up of the force at this stage would not be useful. Ghali, who originally opposed sending Turkish forces to the region for "historical reasons", later praised what he said was excellent work. The UN Secretary-General is expected to brief the Security Council today about the latest situation on the ground in the former-Yugoslavia. Merimee stated in his response letter to Ghali that the suggestions had been accepted by the Council members. /Milliyet/

    [05] GERMANY CONSIDERS LIFTING ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST TURKEY

    German Foreign Ministry is preparing to lift the arms embargo it imposed on Turkey in protest of Turkey's military operation inside Iraq, a Berlin-based newspaper said yesterday. The Berliner Zeitung quoted German Foreign Ministry officials as saying that the ministry would soon submit a report to the Federal Parliament recommending the lifting of the embargo. Bonn suspended a military loan to Turkey for two German-built frigates and halted other arms shipments after Ankara sent 35,000 troops into northern Iraq to destroy separatist Kurdish camps. The Turkish military operation in Iraq ended on May 2. /Cumhuriyet/

    [06] TURKEY DEMURS OVER TWO WEU STATEMENTS

    Turkey, an associate member of the Western European Union (WEU), has inserted two reservations into the WEU communique. The Turkish reservations, noted as footnotes in the text, were about Cyprus and the former-Yugoslavia. The 39th article of the communique said that WEU ministers "welcomed" the declaration of Cyprus and Malta to enter into dialogue with the WEU, a move which paralleled their closer ties with the EU. Another objection came from Rauf Denktas, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), who said that the WEU could not ignore Turkish Cypriots and take the Greek administration as the sole representative of the island. Turkey also objected to the passage on former-Yugoslavia, in which the WEU said the lifting of the arms embargo would cause further violence and force the peacekeepers to withdraw from the region. /Cumhuriyet/

    [07] "BLACK VOICE" KAPLAN DEAD

    Cemalettin Kaplan known as "Black Voice", died in Germany yesterday. Metin Muftuoglu (Kaplan), son of Cemalettin Kaplan has been appointed to the leadership of the pseudo "Anatolian Islam Federal Republic" established by Cemalettin Kaplan, but a group within the religious community has not accepted the caliphate of Metin Muftuoglu. Establishing bases in Germany, Cemalettin Kaplan proclaimed himself Caliph of the Anatolian Islam Federal Republic in order to establish a system based on the Shari'a in Turkey. /Hurriyet/

    [08] "ATATURK PEACE AWARD" CEREMONY

    A presentation ceremony will be held on May 19, when the Ataturk Peace Award will be given to the Turkish Red Crescent Association. According to, the Chairman of the Ataturk High Institute of Culture, Language and History, President Demirel will participate in the ceremony in the State Opera and Ballet. /Cumhuriyet/

    [09] TERRORIST LEADER CAUGHT

    A terrorist organization leader, suspected of violence against Turkish institutions in Germany during 1993, has been caught. According to a statement by the Karlsruhe Federal Attorney, the terrorist, whose name has been given as "Aziz Y." is thirty-six years old. He was caught during secret meeting of the terrorists on Sunday in Mainz. /Cumhuriyet/

    [10] NATO EASING AEGEAN TENSION

    After stopping off in Greece, NATO Secretary- General Willy Claes will arrive in Turkey today to have talks with government officials about the in- creasing tension in the Aegean.

    Both Greece and Turkey have been cautioned by the US about increasing tension in the Aegean Sea, where both sides seem determined to hold naval and military ex- ercises despite the warnings to avoid provocatory act- ion.

    Willy Claes wants to redefine the roles of Turkish and Greece forces and present a new package acceptable to both sides. Ankara merely says that Greek proposals are being "considered." /Cumhuriyet/

    [11] EBOLA BORDER CONTROLS

    The Health Ministry has announced that border controls to prevent Ebola virus carriers from getting into Turkey have been brought into effect.

    Travellers arriving from Zaire will be subject to tight controls before they are allowed into Turkey. Officials stress however, that there is no serious threat that the virus will get into Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/

    END

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