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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (January 23, 1996)From: TRKNWS-L <trh@aimnet.com>Turkish News DirectoryCONTENTS[01] CILLER, YILMAZ STARTING COALITION TALKS[02] SECOND TRY AT ELECTING SPEAKER TO BE HELD TODAY[03] DEMIREL CONGRATULATES ARAFAT[04] YELTSIN THANKS TURKEY FOR FREEING HOSTAGES[05] TURKEY ENDS BELGRADE EMBARGO[06] KOHL SAYS EU TIES WITH TURKEY MUST BE DEVELOPED[07] SEVEN PKK MILITANTS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST[08] REINFORCEMENTS FOR TURKISH TROOPS IN BOSNIA[09] ANKARA ANGRY AT EURO-PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION[10] SIX TRUCKLOADS OF ARMS CAUGHT HEADING FOR LEBANON[11] TURKISH PROPOSAL FOR CASPIAN OIL PIPELINE ON THE TABLE[12] TRADE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAELTURKISH PRESS REVIEWTUESDAY JANUARY 23, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] CILLER, YILMAZ STARTING COALITION TALKSDYP leader and caretaker Prime Minister, Tansu Ciller, and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz come together today for the first of what promises to be a tough series of talks for the formation of a government. Ciller will discuss the draft program of the "Motherpath" government she proposes with ANAP leader Yilmaz during their meeting today. /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/
[02] SECOND TRY AT ELECTING SPEAKER TO BE HELD TODAYA second attempt to elect a new Parliament speaker will be held today. The Welfare Party (RP) has decided to put forward only one candidate for the second vote. Aydin Menderes has been chosen as the sole candidate from the RP for the second vote. The number of candidates running for the speakers chair is now five. Mustafa Kalemli, a Motherland Party (ANAP) member got the highest number of votes (156) in the first vote. If today's attempt also fails to elect a speaker then a third try will be made on Wednesday. Only a simple majority is needed in this third vote. /All papers/
[03] DEMIREL CONGRATULATES ARAFATPresident Suleyman Demirel yesterday sent a message of congratulations to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat following his sweeping electoral victory. The elections are a cornerstone of Arafat's struggle for a pluralist democratic society. Turkey, which has supported the cause of the Palestinian people from the very beginning, will continue to do so to help overcome problems that may arise in the future, the message said. It also praised the personal efforts of Arafat which Demirel said were "engraved in history". Demirel also telephoned Arafat to offer him congratulations. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] YELTSIN THANKS TURKEY FOR FREEING HOSTAGESRussian President Boris Yeltsin has thanked President Suleyman Demirel in a written message yesterday for Turkey's help in freeing the Russian hostages kidnapped by pro-Chechen gunmen. "The two countries should intensify their cooperation in the struggle against terrorism" said Yeltsin in his message to Demirel. Yeltsin also said that international terrorism was a threat against all humanity and that the two countries would always work together against it.Caretaker Prime Minister Tansu Ciller said in a reply message to her Russian counterpart Viktor Chernomyrdin that the pro-Chechen gunmen who kidnapped passengers on the Avrasya ferry would be judged in accordance with Turkish law, adding that the two countries should intensify cooperation to ensure peace and provide peaceful solutions to terrorism. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] TURKEY ENDS BELGRADE EMBARGOTurkey has formally lifted its embargo against Belgrade in line with the UN's decision to do the same, the Foreign Ministry announced yesterday. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said that a circular was sent on 10 January by the Prime Ministry to relevant public offices to formulize the end of the embargo. This is in line with the UN decision to suspend the embargo, he added. But Akbel said that the suspension of the embargo would not be automatically followed by the restoration of full diplomatic ties. "We are watching developments in the region before the normalization of ties" Akbel said, adding that Turkey would also take into account the attitude of international public opinion regarding the new Yugoslav Federation. /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/
[06] KOHL SAYS EU TIES WITH TURKEY MUST BE DEVELOPEDGerman Chancellor Helmut Kohl said that partnership relations with the EU's southern neighbours should be developed, specifically citing Turkey in that group. In an interview with the German daily Stuttgarter Nachrichten, he said that countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic belonged in Europe. After the enlargement of the EU with the inclusion of those countries, it will be necessary to develop the association of the EU with other countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the Mediterranean region, Kohl said. /All papers/
[07] SEVEN PKK MILITANTS KILLED IN SOUTHEASTSeven militants of the PKK terrorist organization were killed, three captured and two surrendered during military operations in the Southeast. Officials from the Diyarbakir-based emergency rule region said that five militants were killed in a rural area near Mutki, in Bitlis and two were killed near Silopi in the Sirnak district. Three militants were captured during military operations in Diyarbakir and Elazig, and two militants surrendered in the Diyarbakir district. /All papers/
[08] REINFORCEMENTS FOR TURKISH TROOPS IN BOSNIATurkish troops are to be sent to the Zenica military base in Bosnia on January 25 to reinforce the Turkish contingent currently stationed there as a part of the International Implementation Force (IFOR). According to a written statement from the office of the Chief of General Staff released yesterday, the reinforcements will consist of artillery units, a mechanized infantry company, a tank company and a bomb disposal team. With the arrival of the reinforcements, the number of Turkish troops there will be 1,500. The mechanized infantry company will provide security of the IFOR headquarters which is in the US command area. The equipment and vehicles of the reinforcement contingent will be sent by ship to the Croatian port of Split. Two Turkish Airlines (THY) planes will fly the troops directly to Split. A Turkish frigate, which is on patrol in the Adriatic Sea, and 18 F-16 aircraft, based in Italy at Ghedi Air Base, will also be placed under IFOR command. /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/
[09] ANKARA ANGRY AT EURO-PARLIAMENT RESOLUTIONTurkey criticized yesterday a resolution taken by the European Parliament last week as a "one-sided and hostile move". Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said that the resolution had "taken seriously the cease-fire call made by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) when the PKK had only a few days ago burned a bus full of civilians. The resolution, prepared by the Socialists, made a reference to the PKK ceasefire and called on Turkey to lift the emergency rule in the southeast. "(This attitude) jeopardizes the credibility and the prestige of the European Parliament (EP)." Akbel said in a press conference yesterday. "It is worrisome that the EP can be one sided and even use fake photos distributed to the Western media by the supporters of terrorism" he said.He noted that the decision showed once more how much the EP, which voted for the realization of customs union with Turkey last month, was influenced by "radical and militant circles" against Turkey. "The Turkish people confront this hostile attitude with sorrow" Akbel said. /Hurriyet/
[10] SIX TRUCKLOADS OF ARMS CAUGHT HEADING FOR LEBANONSix trucks filled with ammunition and arms stopped by Turkish security forces were on their way to Lebanon, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. The trucks were loaded in Iran and they were going to Lebanon via Syria, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said in his weekly press conference. The ambassadors of Syria and Iran were called to the Turkish Foreign Ministry where they were told of the operation and asked for information. No response has been made, Akbel said. Asked where the trucks were going in Lebanon, Akbel replied that there were a variety of theories about their final destination, all of which the security forces were investigating. /All papers/
[11] TURKISH PROPOSAL FOR CASPIAN OIL PIPELINE ON THE TABLETurkey's proposals concerning exporting Azeri "early oil" via a pipeline connecting Baku and Supsa, known as the "western line", are to be taken up in the Azeri capital today. This pipeline is one of the two proposed to carry oil from under Azerbaijan's sector of the Caspian Sea to world markets. The other is planned to run to ther Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Both would be used to ship the oil initially available under a multinational, multimillion-dollar project, with decisions to be made later regarding shipment of oil after the project is fully operational. One of the Turkish proposals has the Baku-Supsa pipeline being laid on the "build-operate-transfer" (BOT) model. An alternative Turkish proposal foresees Turkey providing the financing in the event that the international consortium of companies, established to process and market Azeri oil, decides to build a pipeline itself.The evaluation of the Turkish proposals by members of a company formed for constructing the pipeline -which includes companies from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the multinational consortium- is expected to be followed by a decision on the subject in the first week of February. It is expected that a delegation headed by the Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister and Pipelines Coordinator Bilsel Alisbah will go to Baku to attend the meeting. /Milliyet/
[12] TRADE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAELMinister of Industry and Trade Fuat Cay said yesterday a bilateral free trade agreement between Turkey and Israel would be signed in March. Fuat Cay, who has been in Israel for the Tel-Aviv Turkish export products exposition, said: "I believe that foreign trade volume with Israel that has reached 327 million dollars, will further expand." /Cumhuriyet/ |
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