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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (January 16, 1996)From: TRKNWS-L <trh@aimnet.com>Turkish News DirectoryCONTENTS[01] ECEVIT TURNS DOWN ERBAKAN[02] EU REPRESENTATIVE TO CHECK ON CYPRUS[03] GERMAN AWARD FOR TURKISH PROFESSOR[04] UNICE PRESIDENT VISITS TURKEY[05] ISRAEL URGES SYRIA NOT TO SUPPORT TERRORISM[06] COMMERCIAL TIES WITH ISRAEL[07] TURKEY TO SUE THE EUROPEAN, SCOTTISH RECORD[08] TURKEY, IRAN TO SIGN GAS AND PIPELINE DEAL WITHIN 10 DAYS[09] ISTANBUL PATRIARCHATE SUPPORTS EU MEMBERSHIP FOR TURKEY[10] WRECKAGE OF MISSING PLANE CARRYING FAMOUS COMPOSER ONNO TUNC FOUND[11] WORLD'S FIRST AIR OLYMPICS TO BE HELD IN TURKEY NEXT YEARTURKISH PRESS REVIEWTUESDAY JANUARY 16, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] ECEVIT TURNS DOWN ERBAKANLeader of the socialist DSP party, Bulent Ecevit has turned down any kind of coalition deal with the pro-Islam Welfare Party (RP). After talks yesterday with RP Chairman Necmettin Erbakan, Ecevit said that he preferred to remain on the opposition side. He added that in his opinion, the RP was not committed to secularism, and that he was not happy about that. /Cumhuriyet/[02] EU REPRESENTATIVE TO CHECK ON CYPRUSEuropean Union (EU) official in charge of EU ties with Turkey, Sergei Abou, will be in Ankara on Wednesday to check into two vital matters: the Cyprus issue and how the early stages of the customs union are going.Although the customs union between the EU and Turkey only came into effect on January 1 of this year, already there are some wrinkles to smooth out between the EU member countries and Turkish customs officials. There are over 900 pages in the CU documents that regulate the CU, and time is needed to get things running smoothly. The Cyprus issue is also a matter of serious concern. It has been suggested that a neutral country could act as coordinator in a move to try and ease both sides towards an agreement. Italy has been put forward as a country that fits the bill, but this has not been well received by the people on the island. /Cumhuriyet/ [03] GERMAN AWARD FOR TURKISH PROFESSORFormerly an undersecretary in the Tourism Ministry, Professor Doctor Emre Kongar has been awarded the "German Cross of Merit" for his services in connection with furthering Turkish-German relations.A number of Turkish officials attended the award presentation ceremony at the German Embassy in Ankara, where German Ambassador Dr.Hans Joachim Vergau made the award. /Sabah/ [04] UNICE PRESIDENT VISITS TURKEYFrancois Perigot, President of the Union of Industry and Employers Confederations in Europe (UNICE), arrives today in Turkey. During his visit, which at the same time is the first international official visit to Turkey after the customs union with the European Union (EU) entered into effect, Perigot will have contacts with Turkish businessmen and will also be received by President Suleyman Demirel. UNICE, the sole organization authorized to represent employers in the EU, represents industrial and employers' organizations from 25 countries, and its president is described as the "chairman of European bosses". /Milliyet/[05] ISRAEL URGES SYRIA NOT TO SUPPORT TERRORISMIsrael has said that it will not sign a peace agreement with Syria as long as that country continues its support of terrorism, Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said yesterday. Nurkan, describing the visit of Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen to Israel last week, said that Ankara had been assured by Prime Minister Shimon Peres that a peace deal between Syria and Israel could not be signed unless the support of Damascus for terrorist organizations, which includes the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), was "completely cut". "Israeli officials made it very clear that they will make no agreement with any country that supports terrorism" Nurkan said. Nurkan's announcement came after a report -prepared by Greece- that Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the outlawed PKK who lives in Damascus and Rifat Esad, brother of Syrian leader Hafiz Esad, were ccoperating in drug smuggling. Nurkan stated that he had seen the report, quoted in a newspaper, and could not deny or confirm the allegation. "However, we are aware of the Syrian support of terrorism and clearly, this must be cut in line with Syria's international obligations" he said.During the visit of Undersecretary Oymen, which diplomats called "a particularly important one in bilateral ties", Oymen gave Prime Minister Peres a message from Tansu Ciller. In the message, Ciller said that the Turkish government was "determined to develop" bilateral relations with Israel and regular consultation mechanisms would contribute to the relationship. Demirel, whose visit to Israel was cancelled because of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, is due to visit Israel in March. Meanwhile, Israel has expressed an interest in the international marketing of the waters of the Turkish rivers Seyhan and Ceyhan. The issue, brought on the agenda during the visit of Oymen to Israel, will be discussed further at a technical level. The initial Israeli proposal is to transport the water by tanker to prospective buyers but this calls for the building of a station in the area. The two rivers discharge into the Mediterranean, close to the Turco-Syrian border. /All papers/ [06] COMMERCIAL TIES WITH ISRAELA Foreign Trade Undersecretariat delegation is preparing to pay a visit to Israel, chosen as one of Turkey's target export markets. According to a statement by the Undersecretariat, the delagation consisting of businessmen headed by Foreign Trade Undersecretary Nejat Eren will pay a visit to Israel between January 21-25 and will open a "Turkey in Israel" exhibition of Turkish products. /Cumhuriyet/[07] TURKEY TO SUE THE EUROPEAN, SCOTTISH RECORDTurkey will take legal action against the London-Based daily The European and a Scottish newspaper for attempting to defame Turkey, Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said yesterday. The statement by Nurkan came after a picture in The European last week, which showed a man in a Turkish military uniform holding up severed heads, allegedly belonging to Kurdish terrorists that he had killed. Turkey denied this, saying the picture was a forgery. The Scottish newspaper, Daily Record, also said that various Turkish diplomats were involved in drug smuggling. "The article does not give any names. We consider the accusation a baseless one" Nurkan said, adding that legal action would be taken against the newspaper. "Turkey is a state of law which would not tolerate or ignore any security official's illegal actions. If any such action is proven, judicial proceedings against the officer would be started immediately" Nurkan said. He noted that the allegations in the media had been investigated and there was no evidence of any truth in them. He added that the two newspapers had been "tricked by the psychological war tactics of terrorist organizations" and would be brought to the attention of the media organizations. /Cumhuriyet/[08] TURKEY, IRAN TO SIGN GAS AND PIPELINE DEAL WITHIN 10 DAYSIran and Turkey have delayed for 10 days the signing of a deal for the sale of 10 billion cubic metres of Iranian natural gas beginning in 1999 and the construction of a pipeline through Tebriz-Erzurum-Erzincan-Sivas to carry it, Energy Minister Sinasi Altiner said yesterday. Altiner told reporters in a press conference at Ankara Esenboga Airport that Turkey would buy a total of 10 billion cubic metres of Iranian gas from 1999 until 2020. "The final agreement will be signed within a week or 10 days at the latest" Altiner said. The minister ruled out any technical problems in finalizing the gas deal. /Cumhuriyet/[09] ISTANBUL PATRIARCHATE SUPPORTS EU MEMBERSHIP FOR TURKEYIstanbul's Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartolomeos said, in a statement to the Greek ET-1 TV channel yesterday that Turkey should become a full member of the European Union. He said it was not enough for Turkey just to enter the customs union. He said that Greece would benefit due to the increase in commercial activities and the fact that Greek businessmen would be able to easily travel to Turkey. In his statement Bartolomeos attacked Yakovas, Patriarch of the North and South American Orthodox Churches, and accused him of trying to break away from the Istanbul Patriarchate. /All papers/[10] WRECKAGE OF MISSING PLANE CARRYING FAMOUS COMPOSER ONNO TUNC FOUNDThe wreckage of the private aircraft carrying Onno Tunc, a well-known Turkish composer, arranger and producer, was found yesterday. The aircraft disappeared late Sunday afternoon while flying from Bursa to Istanbul. The aircraft's wreckage was discovered near the village of Selimiye in the region of Armutlu in northwestern Anatolia. Deputy Governor of Bursa Hasan Tulay said that the wreckage had been found by villagers. Reports indicate that apart from Tunc there was only one other person in the plane, its pilot, Hasan Kinik. /All papers/[11] WORLD'S FIRST AIR OLYMPICS TO BE HELD IN TURKEY NEXT YEARThe World's first Air Olympics will be held in Turkey next year. The Turkish Aviation Society has announced that three thousand fliers from 70 countries are expected to participate in the Olympics in 17 different branches in various parts of Turkey in September 1997. /All papers/ |
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