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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (December 8, 1995)From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)Turkish News DirectoryCONTENTS[01] DEMIREL IN BAKU[02] CU A VICTORY FOR TURKEY[03] BRITISH LABOUR PARTY SUPPORTS CU WITH TURKEY[04] CU DOORS OPEN TO TURKEY[05] TURKEY WELCOMES EURO MP BACKING OF TRADE PACT[06] WEU ASSEMBLY ADOPTS REPORT ON TURKEY'S FULL MEMBERSHIP[07] KLERIDES REJECTS OPEN AGENDA SUMMIT PROPOSAL[08] TURKS HELPING BOSNIAN REFUGEES TO RETURN HOME[09] HABITAT-II 'HOST COUNTRY' AGREEMENT READY TO SIGN[10] TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD CAN VOTE FROM TODAY UNTIL DEC.24TURKISH PRESS REVIEWFRIDAY DECEMBER 8, 1995Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish pressthis morning[01] DEMIREL IN BAKUPresident Suleyman Demirel arrived in the Azeri capital, Baku yesterday for a visit aimed at enhancing ties between the two ethnically and linguistically related countries. Greeted warmly at Baku airport by President Haydar Aliyev, Demirel told reporters that the developing ties between the brotherly countries was not just to the advantage of the region, but also to the world. Demirel pointed out that this was his first visit to Azerbaijan since President Aliyev was reelected in November. "I congratulate the Azeri people for the peace and quiet in which the elections, the most noticable outward sign of Azerbaijan's move to strengthen its democracy, were held" Demirel said.Pointing out that this visit would provide the opportunity for valuable exchanges of views on regional and world affairs, Demirel also touched on the dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. "Turkey will continue to do what is necessary in order to see a just and peaceful settlement to this dispute" Demirel said. In a further effort to promote the image of Azerbaijan as a developing democratic country, Demirel will speak in the newly formed Azeri parliament. He has already spoken with his Azeri counterpart Haydar Aliyev for at least two hours. In the meantime, the Armenians have made a gesture to Turkey by starting to return to Turkey PKK terrorists caught in Armenia. According to diplomatic sources, Armenia wants to build better relations with Turkey, and returning wanted PKK terrorists is a move in this direction. /Cumhuriyet-Milliyet/
[02] CU A VICTORY FOR TURKEYAccording to Foreign Minister and Chairman of the CHP party, Deniz Baykal, if Turkey gets into the customs union it will be a victory, not just for any single political party, but for the Turkish nation as a whole.Noting that customs union was not being achieved through the personal efforts of any single individual, Baykal said that he and his party were merely concluding the efforts of many over a long period of time. "We are not in a race between people" said Baykal, who added that it was a matter of working for the common good. /Hurriyet/
[03] BRITISH LABOUR PARTY SUPPORTS CU WITH TURKEYLeader of Britain's Labour Party, Tony Blair, has sent a note to Prime Minister Ciller declaring that the party has voted to support Turkey's customs union with EU member countries.Blair and Ciller met during a recent visit to London by Ciller who has been visiting leading EU capitals to promote Turkey's CU membership. In his letter, Blair wished Ciller every success in the final voting. /Sabah/
[04] CU DOORS OPEN TO TURKEYAccording to French Ambassador to Ankara, Francois Dopffer, Turkey will indeed pass through the portals of customs union with the European Union (EU) member countries.Speaking at the Kocaeli Chambers of Industry yesterday, Dopffer said that France headed the list of countries wanting to see Turkey in the CU. "We have 170 French companies investing in Turkey. We have every reason to want to see Turkey in the union. We even succeeded in getting Greece to accept the inevitable" said Dopffer. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] TURKEY WELCOMES EURO MP BACKING OF TRADE PACTTurkey yesterday welcomed commitments by Euro MPs to grant Turkey a trade pact with the EU. "We are pleased of course. Our wish and hope is that the Customs Union will now be approved" said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sermet Atacanli. The European Parliament's Socialists, the mainly Christian Democrat European People's Party and the Liberals have all decided to endorse the pact at separate meetings yesterday. "I believe that there will be a majority in favour" Socialist leader Pauline Green said. The European People's Party said: "By this positive vote, European Christian Democrats wish to demonstrate their confidence in those in Turkey who have brought about a number of improvements in the field of human rights and freedoms". The organization Eurocommerce, which represents the EU's retail and wholesale trade, said Turkey is the 10th most important trading partner of the EU, with a global trade value of more than $20 billion. It said European countries have a two-thirds share of foreign investment in Turkey. "The customs union will intensify this trend, in particular because the conditions contained in it are attractive for European investors" it said. The parliament, the EU's only directly- elected body, is due to vote on the agreement on December 13 during the assembly's monthly session in the French city of Strasbourg. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] WEU ASSEMBLY ADOPTS REPORT ON TURKEY'S FULL MEMBERSHIPThe Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union (WEU) has adopted a report which proposes that Turkey's membership status in this organization should be upgraded from associate member to full member. The report, prepared by British Deputy Lord Finsberg and adopted at the WEU general assembly meeting in Paris, calls for an invitation to be issued to Turkey, along with Norway and Iceland, who also have associate member status at present, to sign Article 5 of the Brussels Agreement. Like NATO's Article 5, this article in the Brussels Agreement which governs the WEU, also foresees a "one for all and all for one" arrangement, but one which is more binding than its counterpart in NATO. Pointing out Turkey's vital strategic importance for Europe, the Finsberg Report says that Ankara's inclusion in Article 5, along with Norway and Iceland, will also do away with some confusion presently experienced within the organization. In his report, Finsberg also maintains that if Turkey is kept out of the WEU this could force Ankara to even question its place within the North Atlantic Alliance. /Hurriyet-Milliyet-Sabah/
[07] KLERIDES REJECTS OPEN AGENDA SUMMIT PROPOSALGreek Cypriots yesterday rejected a call by Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktas for the resumption of Cyprus intercommunal talks with an "open agenda". Greek Cypriot government spokesman Ionnakis Kassulides said the proposal of Denktas was rejected beacuse it contained "nothing new". Kassulides said Greek Cypriot leader Glafkos Klerides was briefed on the proposals by Richard Beattie, the special envoy of US President Bill Clinton, and that Klerides had rejected them. Although Kassulides did not comment on the contents of the proposal, it is known that it called for an open agenda summit, political equality, separate sovereignty, and the continued presence of Turkish and Greek military contingents on the island after a settlement.Beattie left the island late Wednesday night after completing his tour of Cyprus and having two rounds of talks with Denktas and Klerides. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] TURKS HELPING BOSNIAN REFUGEES TO RETURN HOMEBosnian refugees in the region of Velika Kladusa in Croatia started returning to their homes yesterday. A joint force, made up of police officers from Turkey, Bosnia and Croatia, are helping to repatriate the refugees from the Kapijenko camp to Bosnia. Speaking at a meeting of the force's chiefs, Bosnian Interior Minister Omer Stanboliccame said he believed the refugees would be returned to their homes safely.Meanwhile, Turkish military units in Zenica will participate in NATO's Implementation Force (IFOR), to keep the peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The military units will be reinforced with an armoured and an artillery unit. The units will depart for Bosnia-Herzegovina at the beginning of January. By the time these troops arrive the total strength of the Turkish military forces in Bosnia will be 1,200 men. /Hurriyet/
[09] HABITAT-II 'HOST COUNTRY' AGREEMENT READY TO SIGNAn agreement governing Turkey's hosting next June's "city summit" in Istanbul is ready and may be signed on December 20 Ambassador Huseyin Celem, Turkey's permanent representative to the UN said. In New York, discussions concerning arrangements for the Habitat-II conference, to be held on June 13-14,1996, in Istanbul, have been completed. Habitat General Secretary Wally N'Dow is to arrive on December 19 in New York, and Celem said he and N'Dow could sign the agreement the next day.
[10] TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD CAN VOTE FROM TODAY UNTIL DEC.24Turkish citizens who have been living abroad for at least six months can vote at any one of nine border gates in Turkey between December 8-24, according to a Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) decision. /Hurriyet/
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