 |
Compact version |
|
 |
        |
|
 |
||
|
Sunday, 22 December 2024
|
||
 |
 |
|
|
|
Turkish Press Review, 97-11-27Turkish 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 MINISTER27.11.97Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] CRUCIAL MEETING AHEAD BETWEEN TURKEY AND EU PRESIDENCYPrime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker and Foreign Minister Jacques Poos of EU term-president, Luxembourg, will meet Turkish officials for a crucial meeting today to clear up the vagueness surrounding Turkey's position on the union's enlargement list. The one-day visit of the high-level Luxembourg officials to Istanbul to meet Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will be, perhaps, the last contact between Turkey and the EU before the Luxembourg summit of December 12-13 that will finalize the decision about the union's enlargement process.Foreign Minister Cem said on Tuesday that whatever the complications arising from Turkey's troubled relations with EU-member Greece, the Cyprus conflict or its human rights record, the basic question was whether the EU wanted Turkey as a member or not. Cem's words sparked reaction in Europe, both in the press and among diplomats of the member states delegations. /Milliyet/ [02] NSC MEETING IN ANKARAThe National Security Council (NSC), presided over by President Suleyman Demirel, met yesterday to discuss recent vital developments, both at home and abroad, and proposed policies including banning the fundamentalist propaganda of some media organizations. The board apparently discussed a report presented by the Radio-Television Supreme Board (RTUK) on possible measures that should be taken in an effort to prevent fundamentalist TV and radio channels.Among other top items discussed was the upcoming European Union Summit in Luxembourg in December, at which EU member countries will finalize the Union's enlargement process. The board agreed on a new policy that Turkey will drop EU membership from its priority agenda if the country is not named as a candidate member in the EU enlargement programme. Other critical issues discussed by the NSC included the Aegean, Cyprus, and Habur border gate linking Turkey to Iraq. /All papers/ [03] BIR IN WASHINGTONGen.Cevik Bir, Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS), praised Turkey's human rights performance during an award reception on Tuesday evening, where the Ataturk Society of America (ASA) presented him with the "Ataturk Peace and Democracy Award", which he accepted on behalf the TGS. Bir, who is visiting Washington for annual High Level Defense Group meetings, summarized his contacts with his US counterparts by saying: "I am pleased with the results".The vice president of Capitoline Manning, the lobbying firm, also a former Chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff and the previous US Ambassador to London, Admiral William Crowe, presented Bir to the VIP audience. Following Crowe's presentation, Bir gave an address on the importance of Turkish-US friendship, and the vigilance with which the Turkish Armed Forces continue to defend Turkey's secular democracy against internal and external adversaries. Following the address, Bir accepted the award from ASA president, Hudai Yavalar. Ambassadors of Kazakhstan, New Zealand, and senior officials from other embassies, joined Ambassador Nuzhet Kandemir and US Ambassador to Ankara, Mark Parris, at the award reception. /Cumhuriyet-Milliyet/ [04] SECURITY FORCES KILL 30 TERRORISTS IN SOUTHEASTTurkish security forces have killed 30 separatists of the PKK terrorist organization during recent clashes in the southeastern region. Statements from the Emergency Rule Governor's Office said yesterday that during clashes on Tuesday and Wednesday, Turkish troops killed 26 terrorists in the southeastern province of Siirt and four in Sirnak. The military has been conducting large-scale operations following recent PKK movements. /Hurriyet/[05] ANKARA: STRAITS NOT OIL PIPELINEAnkara declared yesterday that the Turkish Straits should not be considered as a "crude oil pipeline" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ambassador Necati Utkan said. He dismissed allegations that Turkey introduced the "Safety of Passage Act" through the Turkish Straits in an effort to make its Baku-Ceyhan pipeline proposal more attractive than other options for transporting Caspian and Central Asia crude to international markets. Utkan noted that the straits of Istanbul and Canakkale cannot take more than they already have."The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles are not pipelines" Utkan said evaluating the recent situation concerning the International Maritime Organization's latest general meeting and stressed that no pressure was put on Turkey to any action, and that Turkey had conveyed to the IMO that it was taking measures to improve the situation in the Straits. However, the spokesman said amendments Turkey was planning to make in the "Safety of Passage Act" would not aim to help increase the number of vessels passing through the Straits, but rather increase security for maritime traffic. /All papers/ [06] TUSIAD DELEGATION RETURNS HOMEThe Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) delegation has returned home. The representatives of the delegation noted that both the American administration and public opinion supported Turkey's full European Union (EU) membership. They added that they had discussed Turkey-American relations, and Turkey-EU relations with American officials during their visit between 17-21 November to America. /Hurriyet/[07] STATE MINISTER GUREL IN DUBLINState Minister Sukru Sina Gurel went to Dublin yesterday upon the official invitation of the Irish Foreign Minister. Gurel will meet with the EU Cyprus Coordinator and will give a speech at the European Affairs Institution. /Milliyet/[08] BREAKTHROUGH IN TURCO-GREEK RELATIONSThe Turkish and Greek Chiefs of the General Staff will come together for a meeting for the first time in the history of Turco-Greek bilateral relations. Chief of the General Staff, Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi may pay a visit to the Greek capital, Athens, to attend a meeting of WEU general staff chiefs. Observers note that Karadayi's participation in the meeting depends largely on Greek attitudes towards Turkey. /Hurriyet/[09] STATE OF EMERGENCY EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER FOUR MONTHSThe government's proposal for extending the state of emergency in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country by another four months has been accepted by Parliament. Diyarbakir, Hakkari, Siirt, Sirnak, Tunceli and Van are the main cities that the state of emergency decision will affect the most. /Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/[10] INTERNATIONAL MEDITERRANEAN WATER CONFERENCEAn International Mediterranean Water Conference jointly organized by the Genova University and the Middle East Technical University within the framework of the EU Avicenne Programme, began yesterday in Istanbul. During the conference, water problems in the Mediterranean region will be taken in hand. 130 scientists and water specialists from 14 countries are participating in the conference. /Cumhuriyet/[11] SUCCESSFUL OPERATION AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKINGSecurity officials in Van and Malatya have seized 36.5 kg of pure heroin in a successful operation against drug smuggling. The market value of the heroin seized by the police is estimated as TL 130 billion. /Cumhuriyet/[12] TURKEY READY FOR DIALOGUE WITH GREECETurkey has suggested that the Turco-Greek Committee of Specialists should convene on December 10 to tackle bilateral problems. The proposal was presented to Athens by EU Term President Luxembourg, Greek government Spokesman Dimitri Reppas announced at a press conference yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/[13] TRNC PRESIDENT CRITICIZES EUPresident of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Rauf Denktas arrived in Istanbul on the official invitation of Military Academies Commander General Necati Ozden. Denktas will give a conference on "The latest developments in Cyprus". In a statement on his arrival in Istanbul, Denktas said that EU moves to bring Southern Cyprus into the Union were a violation of international agreements regulating the status of Cyprus, as well as of international law provisions, democracy and humanity. /Cumhuriyet/[14] MOROCCO SUMMITRepresentatives of 15 EU member countries and 12 Mediterranean countries will come together today in Morocco for the Third Summit of European and Mediterranean Economic and Social Councils. Distribution of water is on the top of the agenda of the summit. The Turkish delegation together with representatives of France and Morocco will present a report on water resources and desertification during the meeting. /Cumhuriyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
All Rights Reserved.