TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (June 15, 1995)

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

Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (June 15, 1995)

CONTENTS

  • [01] VISIONS OF A PETROL PARADISE

  • [02] DREAM OF A BIGGER AND BETTER TURKEY

  • [03] AWARD FOR PRESIDENT DEMIREL

  • [04] FOREIGN CAPITAL FLOW TO TURKEY

  • [05] ANKARA RAPS EURO-PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON EX-DEPDEPUTIES

  • [06] INTENSIVE DIPLOMATIC TRAFFIC IN ANKARA

  • [07] POLISH DEPUTY FM TO VISIT TURKEY

  • [08] SAUDI FM TO MAKE TWICE-POSTPONED VISIT

  • [09] MACEDONIA MAKES FIRST-EVER PRIME MINISTER LEVEL VISIT

  • [10] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO MACEDONIA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

  • [11] CONFERENCE ON TURKEY HELD IN BRITAIN

  • [12] TURKISH CARTOONIST RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL AWARD

  • [13] INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY USAGE RISES TO 81.5 % IN MAY

  • [14] TURKEY SIGNALS RAPPROCHEMENT WITH AMSTERDAM

  • [15] STATEMENT OF TRNC MINISTER DISTRIBUTED TO US CONGRESS

  • [16] 42 PKK MILITANTS AND FOUR SOLDIERS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST

  • [17] HISTORICAL DAY IN PARLIAMENT

  • [18] FINNISH HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT VISITS MENTESE

  • [19] INCREASE IN NUMBER OF TOURISTS

  • [20] CALL TO MILOSEVIC FROM ANKARA

  • [21] REACTION AGAINST BIASED GREEK DECISION

  • [22] US LOBBYING FOR PROVIDE COMFORT

  • [23] TURKEY OPPOSES NEW APPOINTMENT

    •

    WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF

    DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION

    TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

    JUNE 15, 1995

    Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish

    press this morning.

    [01] VISIONS OF A PETROL PARADISE

    Following the visit of President Suleyman Demirel to Kazakhstan for talks with his Kazakh counterpart Nazarbayev, the vision of Turkey as a petrol paradise has grown that much brighter.

    The concrete steps taken by President Demirel to make sure that Kazakh petrol is delivered to world markets through Turkey means that transport income from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iraq could reach 500 million dollars a year. Turkey will also have access to overflowing petrol supplies, which means that per barrel prices to Turkey will drop.

    Turkey will also earn from refinery charges, and the fact that in future -once final agreements are reached- petrol will be paid for in cash with no need for credit facilities which cost money. /Milliyet/

    [02] DREAM OF A BIGGER AND BETTER TURKEY

    The seventh five year development plan is still being debated. Nevertheless, when it is finally passed, it will be the start of a programme that envisions what at the moment appears to be impossible goals.

    The targets for the year 2000 as seen in the development plan include only 6 percent inflation, growth running at 5 percent and considerable increases in the import and export sectors. More attention will be given to health and education. Privatization will take on new dimensions and those institutions that do not lend themselves to privatization will become more autonomous.

    Progress in the privatization programme will be reflected in the employment figures. Income from privatization will be used to train the unemployed in new areas of work. With Turkey tied into the European Union through customs union agreements, there will be many more industrial and other sector possibilities. /Cumhuriyet/

    [03] AWARD FOR PRESIDENT DEMIREL

    During his visit to Kazakhstan, President Demirel was made honorary professor of the new Hodja Ahmet Yesevi International Turk-Kazakh University, during the ground breaking ceremony held during his visit.

    The university project will draw Turkey and Kazakhstan even more closely together and has been described as one of biggest Central Asian educational projects.

    In line with the university project, money has also been set aside for the restoration of the historic mausoleum of Hodja Ahmet Yesevi. According to details from the Vakiflar Directorate, ten million dollars has already been spent on the restoration programme, and a further 25 million dollars will be needed to complete the restoration. /Cumhuriyet/

    [04] FOREIGN CAPITAL FLOW TO TURKEY

    The capital of the European Union member countries active in Turkey has exceeded TL 25 trillion. The total sum of foreign capital in Turkey averaged out at TL 41.2 trillion at the end of May. Figures show that TL 25.6 trillion of this capital belongs to 15 EU member countries. EU member countries have a 62 % share in the total foreign capital in Turkey. Holland comes first among the EU member countries with foreign capital investment worth TL 8.4 trillion. France comes after Holland with TL 6.1 trillion, and then Germany with TL 4.5 trillion. The number of companies in Turkey operating with foreign capital averaged 2948 at the end of May. /Milliyet/

    [05] ANKARA RAPS EURO-PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON EX-DEP DEPUTIES

    Turkey, rapping a resolution of the Euro-Paliament linking the release of jailed Kurdish deputies with ratification of the customs union, maintained that linking the lucrative deal with other factors would not benefit any of the sides. "It is said that the European Parliament (EP) keeps this issue on the agenda despite our repeated statements that under the principle of separation of powers, neither the (Turkish) Parliament nor the government can influence the judiciary" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said. The EP, which previously froze its joint parliamentary committee with Turkey, passed a resolution last Thursday saying it would oppose the trade deal if their terms were not met. Akbel, asked about the EP resolution, stressed that there was no need to link the customs union to other issues when Turkey is fulfilling its own obligations. Giving a long itinerary of technical harmonization Turkey has done so far for the customs union, he pledged that Turkey will fulfill its obligations on time. However, he reminded reporters that the EU, for its part, had undertaken the obligation to provide $3.2 billion in aid to Turkey within five years. /Sabah/

    [06] INTENSIVE DIPLOMATIC TRAFFIC IN ANKARA

    During the next few days Ankara will witness intensive diplomatic traffic with the visits of high-level representatives from Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Poland and Macedonia. Yaser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), arrives in Ankara on June 19. Arafat was invited to visit Turkey by Prime Minister Tansu Ciller during her visit to Gazza. /Cumhuriyet/

    [07] POLISH DEPUTY FM TO VISIT TURKEY

    A Polish delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Stefan Meller today starts a two-day visit to Turkey. Stefan Meller and his Turkish counterpart, FM Deputy Undersecretary Ambassador Gunduz Aktan, will exchange today the ratification documents of a previously-signed Friendship and Cooperation Treaty. The accord was signed during a visit made by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel to Poland in November 1993. Meller's visit will also provide an opportunity to discuss regional and bilateral issues and prospects of cooperation in international organizations.

    [08] SAUDI FM TO MAKE TWICE-POSTPONED VISIT

    Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal will finally realize his twice-postponed visit to Turkey this weekend. Al-Faisal is supposed to come to Turkey on June 18 and meet with Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu, Prime Minister Tansu Ciller and President Suleyman Demirel to discuss the pilgrim quota of Turkey as well as some problems concerning Turkish construction companies active in Saudi Arabia.

    [09] MACEDONIA MAKES FIRST-EVER PRIME MINISTER LEVEL VISIT

    Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski will pay the first-ever prime ministerial visit to Turkey on June 16-18, a Foreign Ministry statement said. "We hope that this first visit will be an opportunity to enchance and further the cordial ties we have" it said. Crvenkovski and an accompanying delegation are expected to have high level contacts with Turkish officials, and is seen as a message to Greece which refuses to recognize Macedonia. /Cumhuriyet/

    [10] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO MACEDONIA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

    Unal Marasli, the newly-appointed Turkish Ambassador in Skopje, presented his credentials to Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Gligorov said at the presentation that bilateral relations between Turkey and Macedonia were developing well. Gligorov wished success to Marasli, the agency reported.

    [11] CONFERENCE ON TURKEY HELD IN BRITAIN

    In a conference on "Turkey: Current Economic and Political Issues" organized by the London School of Economics, experts on Turkish affairs took part in the conference and the Turkish economy, relations between Europe and Turkey, and developments in political life in Turkey were discussed.

    [12] TURKISH CARTOONIST RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL AWARD

    Ali Sukru Fidan, a Turkish cartoonist, received the private press award given by the Knokke-Heist Cartoon Festival in Belgium, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Cartoonists from 58 countries took part in the festival. Fidan started drawing cartoons in 1990 and has received 13 national and international awards to date.

    [13] INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY USAGE RISES TO 81.5 % IN MAY

    The State Institute od Statistics (DIE) stated that capacity utilization in the production sector increased by 81.5 % in May, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The same figure was 69.5 % in May of 1994.

    [14] TURKEY SIGNALS RAPPROCHEMENT WITH AMSTERDAM

    Turkey and the Netherlands, whose ties have been strained for months due to the meeting of the so-called Kurdish Parliament in-exile in The Hague, are taking steps to improve relations, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. "We have said, from the very beginning, that we maintained the principle of dialogue in order to improve our relations with the Netherlands" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said in the first press conference after his appointment. "Now we see that the contacts we have had between the two countries have yielded some progress". While Akbel did not specify the diplomatic contacts that had taken place, he did say that a technical delegation -which included security personnel- would meet in Ankara this week. "This technical level meeting aims at effective action against the PKK in the Netherlands. We envisage a step up in our cooperation against terrorism" Akbel said.

    [15] STATEMENT OF TRNC MINISTER DISTRIBUTED TO US CONGRESS

    Copies of a statement made by Atay Ahmet Rasit, the foreign and defence minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), regarding the situation of Greek Cypriots in the TRNC have been distributed to members of the US Congress. Rasit had disclosed that steps were being taken to ensure better conditions for Greek Cypriots and this was a gesture of goodwill on the part of the TRNC. There is a strong Greek lobby in the US Congress.

    [16] 42 PKK MILITANTS AND FOUR SOLDIERS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST

    Forty-two militants of the PKK terrorist organization and four soldiers were killed during military operations in the last 24 hours in the Southeast. Regional officials said that 31 militants, two of whom were women, were killed in the Hakkari Yuksekova district, four militants were killed in the region between Bingol's Genc and Diyarbakir's Lice districts, two militants were killed in Tunceli's Ahbanoz district and a militant was killed in the Cudi mountains of Sirnak. Officials also said that four soldiers were killed in action during clashes with PKK militants. /Sabah/

    [17] HISTORICAL DAY IN PARLIAMENT

    The Parliament yesterday allowed the package of constitutional amendments clear the crucial first hurdle, agreeing to debate individually 21 articles the governing coalition and several opposition parties jointly want to be changed. At the session which 34 deputies did not participate in, despite 86 "no" votes, there were 298 "yes" votes. Although the advocates of the upgrade carried the day, the result did not leave room for too much jubilation as the number of the yes votes fell short of the required 300 necessary for the eventual passage of the amendments. According to the Constitution, amendments of a constitutional article requires two rounds of parliamentary debates and two separate votes. Secret voting is required and at least 300 votes must be obtained for passage of the amendment. However, if between 270-299 "yes" votes are obtained, a referendum must be held for passage of the amendments. /Sabah/

    [18] FINNISH HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT VISITS MENTESE

    Interior Minister Nahit Mentese received Christopher Panico, a research expert from Human Rights Watch-Helsinki, at his office yesterday. Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Mentese said Panico had come to Turkey to research the activities of the PKK terrorist organization and the suffering inflicted on innocent people by this organization. Mentese noted that the PKK was formed illegally in 1978, with the aim of damaging Turkey. Mentese added that the PKK has always targeted innocent people. He stressed that 1,086 innocent people were killed by PKK militants in 1994. Last week, four babies died at the hands of militants in Hakkari, he said. "Our struggle is right and our aim is to protect the innocent. Turkey is one united country and no one can divide this country" he stated. The minister noted that the PKK was on the decline and was finished. Panico will meet with state ministers Necmettin Cevheri, Algan Hacaloglu, Justice Minister Mehmet Mogultay and some deputies and will go to Adana and Diyarbakir. /Sabah/

    [19] INCREASE IN NUMBER OF TOURISTS

    A 13.62 % increase has been seen in the number of tourists coming to Turkey when compared with last year. In the first five months of 1995, the largest number of tourists came from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) 504,990, and Germany 366,445. 894,611 visitors came from the OECD countries in the first five months of 1995, which is a 20.47 % increase when compared with last year. There was, however, a 11.29 % decrease in the number of tourists coming from East Europe. A big 63.20 % increase in the number of tourists coming from Africa to Turkey is noteworthy. Tourists coming from Asia reached 302,785, a 19.89 % increase. According to the Tourism Ministry, tourism income increased by 11.56 % in the first three months of 1995. Tourism income amounting to 441 million dollars last year, has reached 492 million dollars so far this year. In March alone, tourism income came to 180 million dollars. /Hurriyet/

    [20] CALL TO MILOSEVIC FROM ANKARA

    Following the bargaining between Serbia and the Western countries in order to end the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey has begun to send diplomatic messages to Serbia saying that "Turkey is not your enemy" in order to make Serbia recognize Bosnia-Herzegovina. Meanwhile, the Ankara government expects Serb leader Milosevic to make a statement calling for an end to the embargo, with confirmation that Serbia would recognize Bosnia-Herzegovina government, even though presently not recognizing the government in Bosnia. It has been reported that Turkey is also trying to persuade Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic to have the Bosnia-Herzegovina government accepted by Belgrade. The Ankara goverment has also supported the establishment of new ties between the moderate Serbs in Bosnia and the Belgrade government within the framework of the isolation plan regarding Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who supported independency. A delegation from the "Serb Civilian Group", established by moderate Bosnian Serbs has held contacts with Serbian officials. A delegation from the Serbian parliament attended the second congress of the "Serb Civilian Group" in Bosnia approximately two weeks later. As a result of the efforts of the Western countries, including Turkey, Serbian President Milosevic has begun to hint that he will recognize Bosnia-Herzegovina in return for the embargo being lifted. Diplomatic sources have suggested that Milosevic has accepted recognition of Bosnia in principle but is looking for a formula to make this acceptable to Serbian public opinion. /Hurriyet/

    [21] REACTION AGAINST BIASED GREEK DECISION

    It was decided in the Greek-EU Partnership Council meeting held in Luxembourg that a solution to the Cyprus problem should not be tied in with membership in the European Union (EU). Showing reaction against this decision, Atay Ahmet Rasit, the Foreign and Defence Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), has stated that the EU was insistant on accepting one-sided applications while ignoring legal and political realities in the island. In a written statement yesterday, following the comment of President Rauf Denktas, saying that there was no need for the EU to make contact with the TRNC government any more, Rasit said: "The TRNC will take the necessary measures against these developments". /Milliyet/

    [22] US LOBBYING FOR PROVIDE COMFORT

    Prior to the next meeting of the National Security Council, U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Marc Grossman has started intensive lobbying for extending the Provide Comfort mandate. Grossman is trying to win the support of General Staff officials claiming that Turkish interests also require an extended mandate. /Cumhuriyet/

    [23] TURKEY OPPOSES NEW APPOINTMENT

    The National Defence Ministry has opposed to the appointment of NATO General Mike Joulwan to mediate a solution to the headquarters crisis between Turkey and Greece. Defence Minister Mehmet Golhan has noted that Turkey does not approve the appointment of General Mike Joulwan and that the necessary steps in this respect had been taken. /Sabah/

    END

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