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Turkish Press Review, 97-11-11Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWDIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER11.11.97Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning. [01] EU INVITATION TO TURKEYAt a meeting in Brussels, EU Foreign Ministers agreed in principle that Turkey will be invited to attend the European Conference to be held early next year. In a statement after the meeting, British Foreign Minister Robin Cook announced that Turkey will be among the countries invited to attend the Conference. He described this development as an important step on the way to initiating full membership discussions with Turkey.Observers note that French President Jacques Chirac has played an important role in influencing positively German Chancellor Helmut Kohl's attitudes towards Turkey. Now the only obstacle to Turkey's participation in the conference is the Greek veto. Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said that Greece was against the decision and will continue to block moves to invite a Turkish representative to attend the conference. /Milliyet/ TURKEY COMMEMORATES 59th ANNIVERSARY OF ATATURK'S DEATH Today's papers focus on the celebration held yesterday to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Thousands of Turkish people flocked to Ataturk's Mausoleum and vowed to stick to Ataturk's principles and to protect secularism and democracy in Turkey. Ceremonies were held all over Turkey. A number of activities are being held to commemorate Ataturk within the framework of the "Remembrance week of Ataturk". A special train journey from Ankara to Samsun, where Ataturk started the War of Independence, has been organized by the Ministry of Culture. The train journey started off with a ceremony attended by President Suleyman Demirel. /All papers/ [02] NEW DEAL FOR CYPRUS ON OFFERSpecial US representative for Cyprus, Richard Holbrooke, has come up with a new deal for problem-plagued Cyprus. His new proposals for resolving the decades old problems on the island include a way of sharing government on the island between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities.Holbrooke has also proposed that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should be given proper recognition, and that following this, then both sides should form a temporary joint government until all the details have been sorted out. Both sides will move towards a position where they both share equal status in all matters concerning the island. Today Holbrooke will meet the leaders of both communities in the old Ledra Palace Hotel which stands in the neutral green belt zone which separates the two sides. /All papers/ [03] ANKARA IN DIFFICULTIES OVER IRAQThe power-play between the US and Iraq has left Ankara in a difficult position, claim government officials. The main point of contention is whether or not the US should be allowed to use Incirlik base near Adana should there be a confrontation between Iraq and the US. Ankara yesterday declared in a message to London and Washington that whatever course the US decided to take, Incirlik air base would not be made available to US forces.Ankara government representatives said yesterday that Ankara had been placed in a position which satisfied no one, but they made it clear that they did not want Turkey to be included in another US adventure in the region. Ankara has also sent a message to Baghdad suggesting that Iraq accept UN decisions, try to get in line with western thinking and avoid confrontation with UN appointed observers in Iraq. /All papers/ [04] FRANCE SUPPORTS "EQUAL STATUS" FOR TURKEYIn a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz yesterday French President Jaques Chirac confirmed that France supported, along with other European Union (EU) member countries, the proposal that Turkey attend the upcoming European Conference. Chirac again said that Turkey should attend sharing equal status with other invited countries in line for membership in the EU. /Sabah/[05] US SUPPORT FOR BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINEThe US has voiced support for the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline to carry Azeri early oil to international merkets. On the eve of the ceremonies to be held tomorrow in Baku to begin the pumping of the oil, US Energy Secretary Federico Pena has arrived in Turkey. In meetings with President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, Secretary Pena said that Washington was for the materialization of the Baku-Ceyhan project. US Energy Secretary Pena will attend the ceremonies in Baku.Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will also go to Baku to participate in the ceremonies. Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev and Turkish Prime Minister Yilmaz are expected to release a Baku-Ceyhan Declaration. Observers say that this declaration will voice Azerbaijan's official commitment to the Baku-Ceyhan project. /Hurriyet/ [06] "TURKEY, US AND MIDDLE EAST" MEETING IN LONDONA meeting on Turkey, the US and the Middle East organized by the US Institute for Peace was held in London on November 7. US Deputy State Secretary Mark Grossman, former US Ambassador to Turkey, Morton Abramowitz and present Ambassador Mark Parris attended the meeting. Meral Gezgin Eriz, President of the Foundation for Economic development, and President Demirel's adviser Nezihi Cakar, along with parliamentary deputies Ayfer Yilmaz and Ilhan Kesici were also present at the meeting. /Milliyet/[07] RP PRESENTS DEFENSE TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURTToday's papers concentrate on the latest developments in the case filed at the Constitutional Court for the closure of the Welfare Party (RP). Party Chairman Necmettin Erbakan will present today the party defense to the Constitutional Court. Erbakan is expected to focus on procedural blunders in the case.[08] BOOM IN CAR SALESDuring the first ten months of 1997, the car market in Turkey expanded greatly. Total car sales for the January-October period of this year amount to $3.5 billion. Sales of Turkish-made cars increased by 18 percent, and sales of foreign cars surged by 141 percent. /Sabah/[09] 10 PKK TERRORISTS KILLEDIn operations in Siirt and Diyarbakir, ten PKK terrorists have been killed by the security forces, the State of Emergency Governorship announced.In a statement, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sermet Atacanli said that the Turkish Armed Forces were carrying out operations in Northern Iraq designed to destroy PKK camps there. According to Atacanli, the goal of the operations has been achieved, and PKK camps in the region have been rendered ineffective. He said that Turkish forces in the region will begin to withdraw as they accomplish their goals. In contrast to previous cross-border operations in Northern Iraq, the scope of this operation is quite limited. /Cumhuriyet, Sabah/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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