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Turkish Press Review, 97-06-02
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] COALITION DISCLOSES SHIFT
[02] PRESIDENT DEMIREL'S VISIT TO THE BALTICS
[03] MESSAGE FROM TURKEY ON NATO EXPANSION
[04] NEW CYPRUS TALKS NEXT MONTH
[05] WAY OPENS FOR MORE US AID
[06] FREE TRADE WITH ISRAEL GOING AHEAD
[07] TURKISH AIR FORCE CELEBRATES 86TH ANNIVERSARY
[08] BANK PRIVATIZATION
[09] MARITIME COUNCIL MEETS IN ISTANBUL
[10] MARDIN FREE TRADE ZONE
[11] TURKISH-GERMAN SYMPOSIUM
[12] TURKISH HOMES SET ON FIRE IN GERMANY
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
JUNE 2, 1997
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning.
[01] COALITION DISCLOSES SHIFT
At a news conference on Sunday, Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan and
his coalition partner Tansu Ciller announced their agreement for
transfer of the prime ministerial post and going to early elections.
Erbakan said that he will transfer the Prime Ministry to DYP leader
Tansu Ciller "in the second half of this month". Ciller added that
the country will go to early elections "within a reasonable period".
"The election date will be decided by the executive organs of our
parties and by Parliament," Erbakan said. /Milliyet/
[02] PRESIDENT DEMIREL'S VISIT TO THE BALTICS
President Demirel will pay a four-day visit starting today to
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. This is the first visit of a Turkish
president to these countries. The agenda of discussions includes
bilateral relations, exchange of views on regional and international
issues and the eastwards expansion of NATO. During his contacts,
President Demirel is expected to sign a number of agreements for
improving cooperation in various fields. /Sabah/
[03] MESSAGE FROM TURKEY ON NATO EXPANSION
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen said over the weekend that
Turkey supported the enlargement of NATO, but added that Turkey also
expected to see the growth of other European organizations in line
with NATO expansion.
Oymen said however, that if the Europeans wanted Turkish support for
the enlargement of NATO, then they would have to realize that
excluding Turkey from the European Union (EU) or the Western European
Union (WEU) would not help.
[04] NEW CYPRUS TALKS NEXT MONTH
Weekend reports noted that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has set up
a new round of talks between the two communities on Cyprus starting on
July 9.
If they do get off the ground, the talks will be the first of their
kind for three years. Although official details have not yet been
sent to the leaders of the two sides, it is understood that Kofi Annan
wants an early start to new talks, with follow ups leading to a
clearer view on issues by September. /All papers/
[05] WAY OPENS FOR MORE US AID
Reports from Washington say that President Clinton has used his powers
by using provisions built into the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act to
open the way for more economic aid grants to be allocated to Turkey.
Money from the Economic Support Fund (ESF), although agreed to by
Congress for fiscal 1997, has been caught up in the machinery and
blocked by the Armenian lobby. President Clinton's memorandum on the
issue of aid to Turkey has brushed aside restrictions and opened the
way for Turkey to get the 22 million dollar ESF allocation. /All
papers/
[06] FREE TRADE WITH ISRAEL GOING AHEAD
Turkey has started to implement free trade agreements with Israel
following pressure from Israel to make a move in accordance with deals
and terms already agreed upon between Turkey and Israel. Although the
Turkish government has yet to give full approval to the agreements as
they stand, Turkish customs officials are not charging tariffs on
goods coming in from Israel. The Israelis have not been charging
tariffs on Turkish goods since May 1. /All papers/
[07] TURKISH AIR FORCE CELEBRATES 86TH ANNIVERSARY
The Turkish Air Force celebrated its 86th anniversary at the Akinci
Fourth Main Jets Base near Ankara. A number of retired and active
high-ranking officers participated in the ceremony. Turkish F-5
fighter jets put on an air show on the occasion of the anniversary.
/All papers/
[08] BANK PRIVATIZATION
The state run Denizbank will be taken over by the Zorlu Holding Group.
The Anatolia news agency said that a privatization agreement had ben
reached for 66 million dollars, out of which 39 million had already
been paid over. Final payment plus 10 percent interest will be paid
on May 29, 1998.
[09] MARITIME COUNCIL MEETS IN ISTANBUL
The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) will meet today
in Istanbul for a three-day general council meeting. 700 delegates
from around the world will attend the meeting. Seminars, workshops
and discussions held within the framework of the meeting will dwell on
technological developments in maritime issues, common problems faced
by shipowners and recent trends in the field. BIMCO is an
organization with a membership of nearly 2,700 companies in 110
countries, including 1000 shipowners. Turkey is represented in the
organization with 126 members. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] MARDIN FREE TRADE ZONE
Mardin Free Trade Zone is rapidly growing. In the first five months
of 1997, nearly 19 companies began preparations to invest in the
Mardin Free Trade Zone. The number of companies investing in the
region is expected to reach 200 in two years. It is believed that the
volume of trade will amount to $ 500 million in five years.
[11] TURKISH-GERMAN SYMPOSIUM
At a symposium "Turkish-German Dialogue" to be held in Antalya,
current trends in Turkey and their impact on Turks living in Germany
will be discussed. 55 journalists from Turkey and Germany will take
part in the symposium. A similar initiative is planned to be held
also in Germany. /All papers/
[12] TURKISH HOMES SET ON FIRE IN GERMANY
In the township of Pffafenhofen, southern Germany, two houses and a
property belonging to Turks were set on fire over the weekend.
Although no one was hurt in the fires, both the houses and the snacks
buffet were badly damaged.
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