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Turkish Press Review, 97-02-28Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1999Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] GENERAL KARADAYI MEETS NETANYAHUIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting with Gen. Ismail Hakki Karadayi, Turkish Chief of General Staff, on Thursday that cooperation between Turkey and Israel will bring peace and stability to a region which has "extremist elements," the Anatolia news agency reported.Having received Karadayi, Netenyahu said, "Turkey and Israel have a joint interest in securing stability, peace and moderation in our region." Karadayi said for his part that there were excellent relations between the Turkish and Israeli armies and defense industries. /Milliyet/Sabah_ [02] TURKEY TO ASSESS AIRCRAFT MAKERS PROPOSALSTurkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan said Turkey would assess proposals by the McDonnell Douglas Corp., Airbus Industrie and Lockheed Martin Corp. on aircraft production. "These proposals will be analysed by us and a solution producing the most benefit for the sides working in cooperation will be put forward," he said.Erbakan said on Wednesday that Turkey was seeking an agreement with the maximum possible level of Turkish parts supply and complete know-how cooperation. [03] THY ANNOUNCES NEW ROUTETurkey's national carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) will start flying a new direct route from Chicago to Istanbul beginning 7 May. Reggie Bal, Cargo Sales Manager for U.S. Operations, based at John F. Kennedy airport in New York, said the THY will fly three Airbus 340's on a Wednesday, Friday and Sunday schedule.[04] OYMEN SEES 'BRIGHT FUTURE' FOR TURKISH-GREEK TIESTurkey's highest ranking diplomat has expressed optimism about 'bright relations' between Turkey and Greece because of the values the two countries share. Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Öymen, in an interview with the Greek daily Eleftheros Typos published on February 25, said the people of the two countries must be encouraged to work to that end. Ambassador Oymen also explained Turkey's position concerning the disputed Aegean islet known as Kardak to the Turks and Imia to the Greeks. "We must look at all these problems with a desire for cooperation and return to the 'status quo ante'. We must come together and explore how we are to overcome these problems, which are also related to one another, concerning the Aegean," said Oymen.[05] TURKEY TO BUY TWO AIR DEFENSE RADARS FROM USDespite all the recent talk about a silent "arms embargo" on Turkey, Hughes Aircraft is getting ready to deliver to Turkey two sophisticated Sentinel "Ground Based Sensors (GBS), in February 1999.[06] US, "IRAN DOES SUPPORT PKK"In a debate on the intentions of Iran, the U.S. State Department came down on the side of the Turkish military and said, yes, Iran does provide aid and support to for the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). "Iran provides a safehaven to elements of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)," an official State Department statement said, and described the PKK as a 'Turkish Separatist group which has conducted numerous terrorist attacks in Turkey and throughout Europe."Nicholas Burns, State Department spokesman, said: "Turkish tradition and policy for the last 70 years has been quite consistent. Turks have already made a decision on their own secular foundation. The Turkish people have already decided on Turkey's secular democracy." Sabah/Hurriyet/ [07] RUSSIA BLOCKS BASE ON TURCO-GEORGIA BORDERLev Rohlin, chairman of the Defense Committee of the Duma and the deputy of the "Our House is Russia" political movement under the leadership of Prime Minister Victor Chernomirdin, objected to Georgia's plans to set up a military base located on the Turkish border because of its political implications. Revaz Adamiya, the Defense Committee Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, quoted Rohlin's comments to him, "The base planned to be established in Georgia has a military aim, not political. However, the base at Akhalkali, is too near the Turkish border. So it goes beyond military aims. This base can cause tension with Turkey."/Cumhuriyet/[08] TURKISH-IRANIAN CRISISTurkey's relations with Iran which came under strain recently over Tehran's suspected support for anti-secular activities in Turkey came to a head on Thursday with Ankara declaring an Iranian diplomat 'persona non grata". A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Saeede Zare, the Iranian Consul General in the eastern city Erzurum, had been given 48 hours to leave the country.Ankara's move followed reports of preparations by Tehran to ask Turkish ambassador Osman Koruturk and another Turkish diplomat to leave./Sabah/Milliyet_ [09] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETINGThe Council of Ministers convened yesterday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan. During the meeting additional salary payments to civil servants were discussed. The status of Bulgarian Turks now living in Turkey was also taken in hand. The Council agreed to extend by one year the residence permit given to these immigrants. Ministers who paid official visits to foreign countries gave details about their contacts in these countries. Following the meeting, State Minister Namik Kemal Zeybek released a government statement related to the meeting.The routine monthly meeting National Security Council will convene today at the Cankaya Palace with the participation of President Demirel, political leaders and General Staff representatives to discuss recent developments in the country. /Cumhuriyet/ [10] TURKISH CHILDREN PROTEST AGAINST GERMAN LAWAround 100 Turkish children stayed away from school in Hamburg on Thursday, forming a human chain around a city centre church to protest against a new law which obliges them to hold residence permits. Under a rule which came into force last month, children under 16 from Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, and former Yugoslavia now have to apply for visas to visit relatives in Germany. Turkish communities in Berlin and Frankfurt were also due to protest against the law on Thursday./Milliyet/[11] TURKISH-GREEK FRIENDSHIP MEETINGA gathering of the Turkey-Greece Friendship Association in Istanbul turned out to be a great success, with participants declaring that they would do all they could to further better relations between their two countries.A large group of 160 people from political and other circles enjoyed a dinner together despite the tensions between Turkey and Greece in a number of vital areas. /Sabah/ [12] STRONG GREEK REACTION TO EU RULINGGreece is more than unhappy about the European Union (EU) ruling that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should also attend talks on whether or not Cyprus should be a member of the EU.Representing Holland as the current EU term president, Hans Van den Broek said that it was essential that the Turkish side be represented in talks about the future of Cyprus in relation to the EU. Greece has reacted strongly to this decision with more antagonistic statements against Turkey. EU officials however, remain hopeful that a political solution to problems involving Cyprus, Greece and Turkey will be found before the end of this year. /All papers/ [13] ADMIRAL ERKAYA IN ALBANIANaval Forces Commander Admiral Guven Erkaya paid a 3-day official visit to Albania between 25-28 February, Anatolia news agency reported. During the visit Erkaya and his accompanying delegation also met Albanian Chief of General Staff Gen. Sheme Kosova and took up relations between the armies of the two countries and realization of mutual activities. Erkaya and the accompanying delegation visited several provinces and historical places in Albania.[14] PKK LEADER OCALAN: A DICTATORKurdish writer Selim Curukkaya, who was one of the founding members of the PKK terrorist organization, but left the organization after a while and hid himself in Europe, made a statement to journalists in Cologne, Germany, and blamed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan of making the PKK a Stalinist party. He also viewed Ocalan as a dictator and claimed that Ocalan had killed those who held different opinions from him. Curukkaya's book was published in 1994 in Switzerland. Curukkaya stated that since his book was published, he had been threatened with death by the PKK. /Hurriyet/[15] TURKISH-AZERI JEC MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SIGNEDTurkish State Minister Namik Kemal Zeybek said on Wednesday that Azerbaijan proposes to supply electricity to Turkey via Georgia and to Nakhichevan via Turkey, and declared: "we welcome this Azeri proposal with pleasure".State Minister Zeybek and Azeri Deputy Prime Minister Abid Serifov signed a Memorandum of Understanding after the end of the Turkish-Azeri first-term Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meetings. It was reported that Azerbaijan had concluded necessary technical investments by making an agreement with Georgia to supply electricity to Turkey and Nakhichevan. Zeybek said that under the Protocol, Turkey will give priority to the establishment of business centers in Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. The protocol confirmed that marketing of Azeri petroleum through the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline had been a joint decision of Turkey and Azerbaijan and also proposed that the Turkish state-run Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) raise its share in evaluation of new oil fields in Azerbaijan. /All papers/ [16] BOSNIAN GEN.DELIC VISITS ANKARABosnian Army Commander Gen.Rasim Delic who is in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, met Land Forces Commander Gen.Hikmet Koksal on Wednesday. Bosnian Gen.Delic also visited the Military Academy where he met Major General Isik Kosaner. Making a statement in the Academy, Bosnian Gen.Delic said some military officers of the Bosnian Army were being trained in the Academy. Gen.Delic later met Bosnian students training in the Military Academy. /All papers/[17] ALBRIGHT-CILLER IN BUNTE MAGAZINEBunte, a leading German magazine, has given a wide coverage in its latest issue to Turkish Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller and Madeleine Albright. The article noted that they were the first woman foreign ministers of their countries and listed similarities in their personalities. /Hurriyet/[18] FRENCH AWARD FOR YAPI KREDIBecause of his contributions to the cultural cooperation between France and Turkey, Deputy General Director of the Yapi Kredi Bank Omer H.Kayalioglu has been presented with "Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Legion d'Honneur" by French Ambassador in Ankara, Daniel Laguesher. Kayalioglu expressed pleasure over receiving such an important award. French Ambassador Daniel Laguesher noted that Kayalioglu had been honoured with this medal because the Yapi Kredi Bank sponsored International Yapi Kredi Youth Festival and various other organizations which contributed to the development of cooperation between the two countries. /Hurriyet/[19] KOC HOLDING ESTABLISHES A COMPANY IN AZERBAIJANKoc Holding is establishing an car-renting company in Azerbaijan. The Holding has reported that it will have a 60 % share in the "Set-Auto" company which has $200,000 in capital. The other partners will be Ram Foreign Trade (20 % share) and Tur Yat Touristic Investment (20 % share). /Sabah/[20] $1.1 BILLION FOREIGN DEBT PAYMENTThe public sector paid off $ 1.1 billion in foreign debts between 1 January-28 February. According to Central Bank officials, $ 449 million of the debt was paid in January and $ 629 million was paid out on 1-26 February./Cumhuriyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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