TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (June 19, 1995)

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

Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (June 19, 1995)

CONTENTS

  • [01] ARAFAT EXPECTED IN TURKEY TODAY

  • [02] SAUDI FM ARRIVES IN ANKARA

  • [03] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT VISITS TURKISH REGIONS

  • [04] TURKISH BUSINESS MISSION IN TATARSTAN

  • [05] TURKEY AGAINST EU-GREEK CYPRIOT "STRUCTURAL DIALOGUE"

  • [06] TURKEY DENIES DUDAYEV ASKED FOR SANCTUARY

  • [07] CILLER IN PARIS

  • [08] NEJAT EREN LEAVES FOR TURKMENISTAN AND UZBEKISTAN

  • [09] ZIYA HALIS NEW LABOUR MINISTER

  • [10] PRESIDENT TOURS BORDER POLICE STATIONS

  • [11] MACEDONIA ASKS FOR TURKISH SUPPORT

  • [12] TURKISH ARMED FORCES NO THREAT TO NEIGHBOURS, DEMIREL SAYS

  • [13] DEMIREL TO ATTEND BLACK SEA SUMMIT

  • [14] TURKEY TELLS UN IT HAS NO INTENTION OF ALTERING BORDER

  • [15] GERMAN PAPER HIGHLIGHTS TURKISH TOURISM

  • [16] WB DELEGATION MEETS WITH TURKISH FIRMS

  • [17] EURO-MUSLIM SUMMIT

  • [18] DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN TURKS AND GREEKS

    •

    WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF

    DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION

    TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

    JUNE 19, 1995

    Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish

    press this morning.

    [01] ARAFAT EXPECTED IN TURKEY TODAY

    Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is expected to visit Ankara today to discuss bilateral relations and the Middle East peace process. He is expected to have talks with his Turkish counterpart, Suleyman Demirel, and other high-ranking Turkish officials during his visit. This will be Arafat's seventh visit to Turkey.

    [02] SAUDI FM ARRIVES IN ANKARA

    Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal arrived in Ankara yesterday for an official two-day visit. Al-Faisal, greeted by Turkish counterpart Erdal Inonu at Ankara's Esenboga Airport, will meet with Prime Minister Tansu Ciller and President Suleyman Demirel along with Inonu. "Turkey is a friend of ours and has an important role in the region" al-Faisal told reporters at the airport. Inonu said Turkey and Saudi Arabia had historical ties and said he believed al-Faisal's visit would further bilateral relations. He also said the two countries should boost economic ties.

    [03] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT VISITS TURKISH REGIONS

    Bulgarian President Jelu Jelev visited the mainly Turkish- populated region of Kircali prior to President Suleyman Demirel's visit to Bulgaria early in July, the Anatolia news agency reported on Saturday. Jelev, while speaking to businessmen and local officials in the region, said many people were immigrating to Turkey from the region, which is currently in a depression. Jelev pointed out that ethnic Turks should learn the Bulgarian language if they want to find employment in Bulgaria.

    [04] TURKISH BUSINESS MISSION IN TATARSTAN

    A group of Turkish businessmen headed by Yalim Erez, head of the Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Borses (TOBB), is seeking business opportunities in Tatarstan. The delegation which left Turkey on Thursday will participate in the Tatar Festival in Kazan today, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The TOBB delegation will travel to Moscow from Tatarstan and is expected to return Turkey on June 21.

    [05] TURKEY AGAINST EU-GREEK CYPRIOT "STRUCTURAL DIALOGUE"

    Turkey criticized on Sunday a European Union move to launch a "structural dialogue" with the Greek Cypriot administration, saying the decision would not contribute to efforts for a settlement to the Cyprus question. At a meeting on June 12, the EU-Greek Cypriot administration association council took the decision for the opening of what it called a "structural dialogue", seen as a move towards Greek Cyprus' membership in the union.

    Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have already declared that the Greek Cypriot administration had no right to represent Turkish Cypriots at talks with third parties. The two Turkish states have also warned that Greek Cypriot membership in the EU would put an end to efforts for unification of the east Mediterranean island, leaving no options for the TRNC other than integration with Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/

    [06] TURKEY DENIES DUDAYEV ASKED FOR SANCTUARY

    Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev has not applied to Turkey for asylum as suggested by Russian President Boris Yeltsin, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. "There has not been a request connected with asylum from the Chechen leader," Foreign Ministry spokesman Omer Akbel noted. "Therefore, there is no question of a decision being taken on this subject."

    The Foreign Ministry denounced the hostage-taking operation by Chechen forces in Budennovsk in southern Russia. "Turkey condemns this violent act of taking hundreds of innocent civilians hostage which has also led to the death of some of these people," it was said in a statement. Turkey has reiterated several times that the Chechnya crisis should be solved within the area of the Russian Federation's territorial integrity and by respecting human rights, the statement added.

    [07] CILLER IN PARIS

    Prime Minister Tansu Ciller will address the assembly meeting of the Western European Union (WEU) that is scheduled to begin in Paris today. Ciller, who is to arrive in Paris Monday evening, in addition to addressing the Assembly will also attend an official dinner with her French counterpart Alain Juppe and meet President Jacques Chirac. Relations between France and Turkey have been described as "excellent", with Ankara considering Paris as not only its closest ally from within the 10-nation WEU, but also as the prime mover for pushing through a customs union agreement between Turkey and the European Union agreed to in March.

    [08] NEJAT EREN LEAVES FOR TURKMENISTAN AND UZBEKISTAN

    A Turkish business delegation headed by Foreign Trade Undersecretary Nejat Eren will visit Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on June 25 - July 2. The visit, organized by the Middle East Exporters Union, aims at seeking new business opportunities and improving commercial and economic relations between the countries.

    [09] ZIYA HALIS NEW LABOUR MINISTER

    State minister Ziya Halis has been appointed Labour Minister following the resignation of Aydin Guven Gurkan fifteen days ago. /All papers/

    [10] PRESIDENT TOURS BORDER POLICE STATIONS

    President Demirel spent part of the weekend in Van where he visited border police stations following recent PKK terrorist attacks which led to the deaths of a large number of security officials.

    Travelling in a military helicopter, President Demirel visited a number of places and reiterated Turkey's determination to eliminate the PKK. He also spoke with a number of high level military officers, and confirmed that military operations against the PKK in the emergency rule region were going ahead.

    In a strongly worded speech, Demirel gave what is described as a "hard" message to Iran. Following the deaths of fifteen Turkish soldiers along the border with Iran, Demirel made it clear that Turkey would not tolerate PKK incursions, and that Iranian support for PKK terrorists was strongly condemned in Turkey. Demirel implied that there was growing feeling that Turkey should take action against the PKK camps reported to be supported by the Iranian government.

    Over the weekend, reports from the troubled southeast regions of the country said that a further 34 PKK terrorists had been killed in continuing clashes with the security forces.

    Turkish security officials claimed over the weekend that PKK terrorist groups were using US made "Stinger" missiles in their attacks against Turkish forces. according to some reports the missiles being used by the PKK come from the mucahideen in Afghanistan. Officials also note that the PKK now has access to a much wider range of weapons. /All papers/

    [11] MACEDONIA ASKS FOR TURKISH SUPPORT

    Macedonia has asked for Turkish support for its prospective membership in international organizations, such as the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, Council of Europe, Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and NATO's partnership scheme. "We hope Turkey will not deprive us of its support in our access to (those organizations)" Branko Crvenkovsi, the first Macedonian prime minister to visit Turkey, said on Friday. His Turkish counterpart Tansu Ciller, for her part, stressed that Ankara would continue to mobilize all its abilities to help Macedonia both in the bilateral and international front. "The international community should also show the same understanding to Macedonia" Ciller said in her luncheon speech. "We are two peace-loving nations in the Balkans and Macedonia's stability is pivotal to Balkan stability" Ciller added. /All papers/

    [12] TURKISH ARMED FORCES NO THREAT TO NEIGHBOURS, DEMIREL SAYS

    President Suleyman Demirel said on Friday that Turkey's efforts to have strong armed forces were aimed at providing deterrence and do not target any of its neighbours. But he warned Greece against hostile acts towards Turkey. "Our armed forces are for securing the existing balance of power in our region, that helps provide stability" he told a news conference aboard a navy frigate. He was observing Friday's operations within the Turkish navy's planned Sea Wolf-I exercises in the Aegean Sea. /All papers/

    [13] DEMIREL TO ATTEND BLACK SEA SUMMIT

    President Suleyman Demirel will travel to Romania for a Black Sea summit on June 30, it was announced Friday. Leaders of the 11 member states of the BSEC forum are expected to attend the summit, during which a decision on establishing a Black Sea Bank is expected.

    [14] TURKEY TELLS UN IT HAS NO INTENTION OF ALTERING BORDER

    Turkey officially told the UN Friday that it did not intend to change its frontier with Iraq, the Anatolia news agency reported from New York. Inal Batu, Turkish Ambassador to the UN, noted that several newspaper reports stating that Turkey was seeking a new border were wrong.

    [15] GERMAN PAPER HIGHLIGHTS TURKISH TOURISM

    The German daily Ostsee Zeitung called Turkey the safest country for tourism, the Anatolia news agency reported on Friday. The newspaper, in a special section on Turkey, quoted Tourism Minister Irfan Gurpinar's assurances about security in Turkey. The article, which said that Turkey has a wealth of cultural and historic sites, also advertised several holiday resorts in Antalya.

    [16] WB DELEGATION MEETS WITH TURKISH FIRMS

    A World Bank delegation headed by Ratchel Lomax, the bank official responsible for six countries including Turkey, met with private and banking sector representatives in Istanbul on Friday, the Anatolia news agency reported. Lomax visited Ankara yesterday and was briefed about progress on the stabilization of macro-balances in the Turkish economy. The World Bank official is expected to leave Turkey on June 23.

    [17] EURO-MUSLIM SUMMIT

    A "Euro-Muslim Summit" attended by 150 delegates including Muslim authors and scientists, most of them living in Europe, ended on Saturday. From Turkey, Hacettepe University lecturer Prof.Bozkurt Guvenc participated in the summit initiated by Swedish Foreign Minister Lena Hjelm-Wallen in Stockholm on June 15. After giving a speech in the summit, Prof.Guvenc met with the people of Rinkeby where many Turks are living and held a conference about religious independence and secularism. This meeting has held unexpectedly under the direction of Yasar Pektas, Swedish-Turkish Labourers Associations Federation Chairman. After the meeting Prof.Guvenc enjoyed dinner given in his honour by Turkish Ambassador to Sweden Solmaz Unaydin. /Cumhuriyet/

    [18] DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN TURKS AND GREEKS

    A Parliamentarians Assembly meeting of the Western European Union (WEU), which is the military branch of the European Union (EU), begins today. A report prepared by British parliamentarian Lord Finsberg about giving Turkish parliamentarians the right to vote, and a report by Spanish parliamentarian Alfons Cuco regarding the Eastern Mediterranean region will likely be approved after discussions. In the Cuco report about developments in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus it was stated that unsolved problems between Turkey and Greece were threatening security and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean. In a draft proposal to be approved in parallel with the Cuco report, it was noted that the two countries should learn from the French and the Germans; and instead of seeking revenge, should look for ways to find a lasting solution. It was also noted that negotiations between the Turkish and Greek sides constituted the key point in improving relations between Turkey and Greece, and that initiatives from the United Nations were being supported. The Turkish army in Northern Cyprus was stated as being a major obstacle to solving the Cyprus problem. The Greek economic embargo against Macedonia was criticised, and it was stated that this issue would damage both the stability of Greece and the region. The draft proposal stressed that Turkey had made her choice for democracy and secularism years ago, but noted that in spite of this, the Western European Union Assembly had cautioned that Turkey still had some problems to resolve in connection with these principles. In the draft proposal, in which every kind of terrorism condemned whether it there was a political objective or not, it was said: "The WEU Assembly is drawing a definite line between unacceptable PKK terrorism and free expression of the Kurds regarding their cultural identity in Turkey and other countries.". It was also stated that they were pleased to note the prompt withdrawal of Turkish troops from northern Iraq, but the statement of President Demirel saying that if necessary there would be further military operations in northern Iraq, was a cause for anxiety. /Cumhuriyet/

    END

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