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Turkish Press Review, 96-12-23Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWDECEMBER 23, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] PARTY LEADERS AT CANKAYA SUMMITPresident Suleyman Demirel brought party leaders to a round table discussion yesterday. The Cankaya Summit followed Demirel's tete-a-tete meetings with each party leader. Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, coalition junior partner True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller, main opposition Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz, Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Muhsin Yazicioglu were all present at the summit. /All papers/[02] RAFSANJANI: "WE DISCUSSED NATO POWERS"Iranian President Ali Ekber Hashemi Rafsanjani and his accompanying delegation left Turkey yesterday morning. In a statement to reporters in Tehran, Rafsanjani said: "We discussed the presence of NATO powers in Turkey. Turkey wants to continue with Iran-Turkey-Syria tripartite meetings".Noting that Turkey had problems with Greece and Syria, Rafsanjani said: "Since we have good relations with Greece and Syria, we agreed that we would help find a solution to these problems. We have not assumed special responsibilities. However, we are determined to work to ease the tension". /Sabah/ [03] TIES WILL DEVELOP DESPITE LEADERS, SAYS ISRAELI ENVOYIsrael's ambasasdor to Ankara, Zvi Elpeleg has expressed his belief that his country's ties with Turkey will continue to develop regardless of the fact that there are "arch-conservative" governments in power in the two countries who do not necessarily harbor the best sentiments for each other.Elpeleg indicated that the driving force in these developing ties is the existence of pervasive mutual interest which has nothing to do with leaders or changes in government. /All papers/ [04] FAO DIRECTOR SAYS TURKISH AGRICULTURE IS A MODEL FOR DEVELOPING NATIONSThe United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director Jacques Diouf said Turkish agriculture provided a model for many developing nations. Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Diouf praised Turkish agricultural technology which enabled Turkey to expand its output yearly to feed its rapidly increasing population. The FAO chief pointed out that Turkey was among the few countries in the world able to feed its people from its own resources and, thus, provided an example for developing nations suffering food shortages. He said the FAO wanted closer cooperation with Turkey to enable it to lend a hand to neighbouring countries.[05] TURKEY ACCEPTS LEASES FOR THE OPERATION OF SEVEN PORTSTurkey has accepted leases for the operation of seven Turkish ports over a 30-year period for a total $252.3 million, the Privatization Administration (OIB) has announced. The final decisions on the leasing of the seven ports, currently run by Turkey's shipping authority, will be presented to the High Privatization Board for approval. /All papers/[06] ERBAKAN: TURKEY NOT ALLOW ANY DISTURBANCES ON ISLAND OF CYPRUSPrime Minister Necmettin Erbakan said the Greek Cypriots cannot enter the EU without Turkey's consent and added that should that happen then the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would integrate with Turkey with great speed. Erbakan, speaking before a briefing on Cyprus at the Prime Ministry said as a Cyprus guarantor state, Turkey would never allow any kind of disturbances on the island. "It is Turkey's duty to help the Turkish Cypriots to make the year 1997 a year of economic revival" Erbakan declared. Erbakan also said that irrespective of the conditions Turkey will always stand by its brothers on Cyprus.Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Ambassador Inal Batu has stated that the US and Britain have a tendency to act without considering other countries in solving the Cyprus problem. Batu said: "Therefore 1997 will be a critical year both for Turkey and the TRNC. The EU will begin full membership negotiations with the Greek Cypriots after six months following an international conference". Batu pointed out that Turkey and the TRNC could face "pressures" as seen in the visit of British Foreign Minister Malcolm Rifkind to Cyprus. /Milliyet/ [07] ISIK AHMET CHOSEN AS NEW CHAIRWOMAN OF DEBIsik Ahmet was elected chairwoman of the Friendship-Equality-Peace Party (DEB) -a party based in Western Thrace, Greece- at an extraordinary congress held in the town of Komotini (Gumulcine) on Friday, the Anatolia news agency reported. The post became vacant when the former chairman, Sadik Ahmet- Isik Ahmet's husband- was killed when his car collided with a tractor in 1995. Isik Ahmet was then chosen to be acting chairman by the extraordinary congress.[08] US FORMER SECRETARY PRAISES TURKEYUS former Secretary of State James Baker has noted that Turkey is an indispensable partner in US foreign policy and recommended to the Bill Clinton administration that "Relations with Turkey should be given priority regarding the agenda of US foreign policy". Baker stated that a Turkey based on Ataturk's secular and democratic principles was a model for Muslim countries. In a statement to the "Washington Times" newspaper, Baker indicated that Turkey was a key NATO partner and said: "If for example Iran, Iraq and Libya could achieve only half of the path Turkey has covered, the Middle East would be a more secure and calm region". Baker recalled that Turkey had experienced a year full of important reforms regarding human rights. /Milliyet/[09] GREEK EXTREMISTS COOPERATE WITH PKKAccording to the Greek daily newspaper Eleftherotypia, Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) members cooperate with ultra-nationalist Greek groups. It was reported that PKK members also wrote articles to the Stohos, Politics and Hronos newspapers published in Athens and Mytelene. In their articles PKK terrorists writers are noted for their untrue claims. /Sabah/[10] TOURISTS RECOMMEND TURKEY TO THEIR FRIENDSAccording to surveys conducted by different tourism companies in Antalya, tourists visit Turkey upon their friends recommendations. Surveys including 3,000 tourists showed that they believed what they saw instead of what they heard. 69 % of the tourists visiting Turkey came to Turkey upon their friends recommendation following visits to Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/[11] 2,600 PKK TERORISTS KILLEDAs a result of the struggle against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists within the southeastern emergency rule region, 2,306 PKK terorist were killed during the first eleven months of 1996. During the clashes 236 security members and 23 civilians were also killed.Necati Bilican, Governor of the Emergency Rule, said that they would continue their struggle against the terrorist organization which threatens the lives of civilians. He said operations would be continued non-stop during the winter. /Milliyet/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |