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Turkish Press Review, 97-02-19Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWFEBRUARY 19, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] CILLER INSISTS NATO AND EU EXPANSION ARE 'RELATED PROCESSES'In Brussels for a NATO foreign ministers' meeting, Tansu Ciller said Turkey was not opposed "in principle" to the eastward expansion of the alliance provided it did not proceed independently of the expansion of the European Union (EU). Foreign Minister Ciller is likely to face strong pressures to withdraw Turkey's threat to veto NATO's planned eastward expansion during the American-sponsored summit aimed at mending fences between member states and presenting a united front against tough Russian criticism of the expansion.In a radio interview with the BBC yesterday, Ciller said NATO states had agreed in 1995 to consider the membership applications of former Eastern bloc countries in relation to the expansion of the EU and its military wing, the Western European Union (WEU). "It must not be forgotten that NATO documents prescribe that the expansion of NATO, the EU and the WEU should proced together in close relation" Ciller said. Turkey wants to get its name among the list of most-likely-to-be-accepted applicants to be invited to an EU meeting in Amsterdam later this year. US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was quoted as telling the commissioners that it was important for the US to have a secular Turkey "rooted in the West", and added that she hoped 1997 would herald a breakthrough in Ankara's relations with Greece as well as movement on solving the Cyprus problem. Noting that Turkey's economic integration with Europe was of great importance, Albright said: "The Customs Union was a beginning. We believe that economic integration should be further developed". /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/ [02] SEEKING CLOSER TIESLatvian President Guntis Ulmanis came to Ankara yesterday for an official visit, accompanied by Latvian Foreign Minister Valdis Birkavs, Defence Minister Andrejs Kranstins, other officials, and many press members. President Ulmanis visited Anitkabir, Ataturk's Mausoleum, in the afternoon. Ulmanis negotiated with President Suleyman Demirel at the presidential residence. Two agreements for economic cooperation between the two countries were signed yesterday. Defence Minister Kranstins and Turkey's Chief of General Staff General Ismail Hakki Karadayi are going to sign a military agreement on educational, technical and scientific cooperation between Turkey and Latvia today. Ulmanis and his entourage will leave Turkey on Friday. /Cumhuriyet/[03] GUL TO ASK US FIRMS TO INVEST IN TURKEYTurkish State Minister Abdullah Gul flew to the US yesterday on a ten-day oficial visit during which he will ask American bankers, businessmen and brokers to invest in Turkey. "We will prepare all the opportunities to allow US companies to invest in Turkey at a time when the country is opening up to the outside world and promoting its investment potential" Gul said before his departure from Istanbul.Gul also declared he would meet members of the National Security Council, the Senate majority leader and members of Congress during his trip. "In all our meetings, we will strive to take Turkish-US relations forward. Our relations aren't one-dimensional. We have deep military, political and economic ties that our government wishes to strengthen" he added. Gul is expected to give the inaugural address of the annual Turkish-American Council meeting in Washington. /Cumhuriyet/ [04] US WARNS GREECEThe US has warned Greece that moves to hold military exercises at the same time as Turkey will only lead to increasing tension in the Aegean region.Turkey diplomatically informed Greece in good time that military and naval exercises around the Aegean island of Sakiz were planned for February 18-19. Greece however, responded by setting up similar exrcises for the same dates in the same area. As a result the US has strongly warned Athens about increasing antagonism in the Aegean, and forcing Greece into a position where Athens will have to take a step back. /Sabah/ [05] TURK TO HEAD GERMAN JOURNALIST'S ASSOCIATIONHurriyet newspaper representative in Bonn, Germany, Ahmet Kulahci, has been selected as new head of the German Foreign Journalist's Association-the first time that a Turk has been appointed. /Hurriyet/[06] EL ARISH SELECTED FOR EGYPT'S GAS EXPORTS TO TURKEYEgypt has selected the north Sinai town of El Arish as the site of a terminal for natural gas exports to Turkey and other countries in the eastern Mediterranean, a government newspaper said. Oil Minister Hamdi el-Banbi has told the state's Egyptian General Petroleum Corp to reserve 400 acres (160 hectares) of land near El Arish airport for the project, which will cost $1.2 billion, the newspaper Akhbar el-Yom said. "The terminal will export gas to Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Building work will begin within the next few months" it added. /All papers/[07] FAIR DRIVE FOR EXPORTSIn order to increase exports, the Exports Development Study Centre (IGEME) will organize national participation in five international fairs in Singapore, Japan, Syria, Poland and the United Arab Emirates. /Cumhuriyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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