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Turkish Press Review 96-06-18Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWTUESDAY JUNE 18, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] PRESIDENT DEMIREL IN BOSNIAAccompanied by Chief of General Staff, Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi and Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay, President Suleyman Demirel went to Bosnia-Herzegovina yesterday for a two-day visit.Following a private meeting between themselves, Demirel and Izzetbegovic attended official talks between the delegations. Demirel said that his talks with Bosnian President Alija Izzetbegovic focused on the future of the Balkan republic which has emerged from a long and painful ethnic conflict. He noted that the Peace Implementation Force (IFOR) should continue with its duties in the region. Demirel stated that Turkey had extended $80 million worth of credit, including $20 million in grants, to Bosnia. After signing an agreement yesterday between Etibank and Energoinvest, they held a joint press conference. Pointing out that this was the first presidential visit from Turkey since the establishment of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Demirel recalled that Turkey was the first country which recognized Bosnia-Herzegovina. Reiterating that he wanted to visit Sarajevo also in the past, however, because of some reasons, he could not pay the visit, Demirel said: "Today, peace prevails in Bosnia-Herzegovina" adding: "Turkey will continue to support Bosnia for its reconstruction, which needs $5-8 billion, and help Bosnia to take the place it deserves in the international arena". Demirel later met with Bosnian-Croat Federation President Kresimir Zubak and Vice President Eyub Ganjic. Demirel also visited the Turkish brigade stationed in Zenica to award a standard. On Tuesday, the president is to visit the picturesque town of Mostar, where Turkey has offered to rebuild a historic bridge destroyed during the war. /Sabah-Cumhuriyet/ [02] YILMAZ AND GONENSAY TO ATTEND FLORENCE MEETINGTurkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay will participate in a Florence, Italy, meeting with the EU's troika -the past, present and future presidents of the EU. Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan, speaking at the ministry's weekly press conference, said that Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay would participate in the Florence summit within the framework of structural dialogue with the EU."At the Florence meeting there will be a meeting with the troika plus, which means that an invitation was sent by the Italian Presidency to the member countries to participate in the meeting together with our Prime Minister in Florence" Nurkan said. /All papers/ [03] ANKARA: "THERE IS NO SECRET LETTER ABOUT KARDAK ISLETS"Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said at the ministry's weekly press conference that there was no old, undisclosed letter about the Kardak islets, claiming that sovereignty over Kardak had belonged to Italy, and later to Greece. Nurkan referred to press allegations that there was a secret letter, sent in 1932 by Turkey's then-Foreign Minister Tevfik Rustu to the Italian Ambassador arguing that the Kardak rocks belonged to Italy. "Regarding the Kardak issue there are several documents which constitute an integrated whole. In December 1932, the documents had not been ratified in Turkey by the Turkish Parliament, nor registered by the UN. There are no ratified documents stipulating the transfer of sovereignty on Kardak (that are) officially valid" he said. /All papers/[04] MINISTRY DENIES TURKISH MILITARY BUILD-UP ON TURCO-SYRIAN BORDERAnkara said that there was no military build-up on the Turkish side of the Syrian-Turkish border. Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan, in a weekly press briefing to foreign journalists, said that he was not able to confirm reports that on the Syrian side of the border troop movements were taking place.Responding to a question regarding Arab League Deputy General Secretary Muvaffak Al Allaf's statement that it would be a serious development if Turkey made an incursion into Syria, Nurkan said that Turkey did not constitute a threat to its neighbours. "We would like to have good relations with Syria, but there is a specific condition for improving our relations with Syria. They have to stop their support of terrorism", Nurkan said. Noting that the military training and cooperation agreement signed between Turkey and Israel did not foresee a joint military exercise, Nurkan said that Israeli ships would visit Turkish ports according to the agreement. /Sabah-Cumhuriyet/ [05] TURKEY SAYS ANTI-MILITANT INCURSIONS INTO IRAQ ARE OVERTurkey said yesterday its troops had withdrawn from northern Iraq after making limited incursions against militants of the PKK terrorist organization there. "As far as I know the last operation is already over and all the Turkish troops have already withdrawn from the border areas" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan told a news briefing. Turkish security officials said fighting with the PKK had spilled several kilometres across the mountainous border last week. Turkey says 163 militants, but only eight soldiers had died in clashes in the border area.[06] NATIONAL HABITAT MEETINGThe president of the Mass Housing Administration (TOKI) yesterday urged the government to call a national Habitat meeting to carry out the National Report and Plan of Action on urban development. "The National Report must be applied" TOKI president Yigit Guloksuz told a news conference, called to review the outcome of the June 3-14 Second UN Conference of Human Settlements, Habitat II, staged in Istanbul. "We are heading for a national Habitat meeting in one year's time" Guloksuz declared. He said necessary funding and constitutional changes should be made to allow for the local meeting to take place, which would give a broad section of Turkish society the right to make decisions on improvements of the nation's cities and settlements.Turkey submitted its 155-page National Report and Plan of Action to habitat II last week. Each of the nations that took part in the UN conference submitted a plan, which will be used in preparing a global plan of action. The report listed 28 priority issues that Turkey needs to address in order to make its cities livable and sustainable, including a proposal to help local authorities have greater relations with the outside world. /Cumhuriyet/ [07] ONE MONTH MORE FOR HAMMER FORCEmultinational "Provide Comfort" strike force stationed at Incirlik near Adana will only be extended for one month more.The force, also named "hammer", is a matter of some contention in Turkey, and parliament will have that in mind later today when a vote is taken on extending the deployment of hammer units in Turkey. Usually the stay of the strike force is for three month periods, but this time around Turkey is taking a tougher stance. Talks continue between Turkey and the US on the role and operational details of the multinational units which control northern Iraq and protect the Kurds living there. /Hurriyet/ [08] FRENCH TELECOM LOOKING FOR A DEAL IN TURKEYFrench Telecom, although out of favour with the Turkish authorities, is trying hard to come to terms with Turkey over an attractive deal with Turk Telecom.Following disputes over French support for MED-TV, a pro-PKK terrorist organization TV channel, French Telecom was given the cold shoulder by Turk Telecom. Although Turk Telecom has been looking for a suitable partner for a "Gold Star" communications project, Turk Telecom has refused all the blandishments of French Telecom. Now French Telecom has come up with an offer that perhaps Turk Telecom will not be able to refuse. French Telecom is offering a comprehensive package that includes a cellular phone system, giant communications centres and all the latest technology. If Turkey accepts the deal, then work could begin in 1998. /Sabah/ [09] PRODUCTION CAPACITY UPProduction volume in the industrial sectors went up by 4.2 points to 83.5% of full capacity during May when compared to the same period last year. During May of 1995, the industrial sectors were running at 79.3% of full capacity.According to government figures, the food, drink and tobacco producers were running at 71% of capacity, the textile, leather and clothing sectors at 84.7% and the wood and wood products sectors at 73%. Most of the major sectors were working at 70-80% of capacity during May of this year. /Sabah/ [10] PKK EUROPEAN CHIEF ARRESTEDGerman security forces have completed a big operation that has seriously damaged the PKK terrorist organization. The chief of the PKK European Front Center, Murat Ekinci, coordinating the activities of all PKK branches in Europe, was arrested on Sunday. German police officials claim that Ekinci was responsible for a chain of 80 attacks organized since June 24, 1993, against Turkish establishments in Germany. /Hurriyet/[11] "ISRAEL'S MOST IMPORTANT ALLIANCE"An article published in "The New York Times" daily newspaper describes the Turco-Israeli military agreement as the most important strategic alliance realized by Israel recently.The article, written by Thomas Friedman and titled "Turkish Delight", asks "What is going on in the Middle East?" and stresses that Turkey and Israel have allied themselves against their common foes, Syria and Iranian-style Islamic fundamentalists. "Having established peace in its immediate environment, now Israel may turn to Libya, Iran and Iraq", Friedman says, and draws attention to the fact that Israel has chosen to establish its most important strategic alliance not with Egypt or Jordan, but with Turkey located in the north. /Cumhuriyet/ [12] TURKISH PETROLEUM BOARD CHANGES POLICIESTurkish Petroleum Board General Director, Sitki Sancar, noted that the institution had decided to implement a new policy giving priority to oil and natural gas exploration in the sea. Sancar pointed out that the geological structure of Anatolian soil rendered oil exploration in that region very risky, and added that the problem could be overcome only with joint investments. Drawing attention to successful exploration realized by the Turkish Petroleum Board abroad, Sancar said: "We have caught up with modern technology, and we are able to compete with Western companies." /Sabah/[13] TURKEY AND FRANCE IN JOINT HELICOPTER PRODUCTIONFollowing US reluctance to sell a series of weapons systems to Turkey, and recent troubles about supplying three American Perry class frigates, Turkey has begun to deal with French Cougar helicopters despite a joint production contract with the American Sikorsky Company.Reports say that Turkey and the French Eurocopter company reached an agreement on "joint licenced production" during talks in Ankara. Turkey seeks to increase its share from 18% to 30% in joint helicopter production. /Miliyet/ [14] GERMANY INVITES TURKISH INVESTORSGerman Minister of Agriculture, Rolf Jannischen, has invited Turkish businessmen to invest in Germany and said that incentive credits would be extended for industrial investments.Governor of Mardin Province, Fikret Guven, paid a visit to Germany at the invitation of the Agriculture Minister of the Free Saxony Federation and the Union of Food Producers. Governor Fikret Guven met with Agriculture Minister, Rolf Jannischen. Rolf Jannischen said that the South Anatolian Project had attracted German food producers, and added that they would visit the region very soon in a bid to find joint investment opportunities. /Milliyet/ [15] METU: AN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITYMiddle East Technical University (METU), one of the most respected universities in Europe, is now thought to be on a par with the first ten American Universities when it comes to engineering education.ABET, an assessment system which evaluates standards of American Technical Universities, included METU's six engineering departments in the "World Class" category and described them as "having a world standard of success" after a five month study period at METU. /Sabah/ [16] 'BELIEF TOURISM' IN SEVEN PROVINCES'Belief Tourism', which aims to promote historical places in Turkey, will be held in seven provinces in the Marmara and Aegean regions this year. Tourists who will participate in Belief Tourism will visit sacred ruins belonging to the three major religions -Muslim, Christian and Jewish-, in Istanbul, Bursa, Balikesir, Izmir, Manisa, Denizli and Aydin between 3-10 September. The first tour was held last year. /Hurriyet/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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