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Turkish Press Review, 98-02-26
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
26.02.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] ANKARA CRITICIZES GREECE FOR REJECTING PEACE PROPOSALS
[02] NSC MEETS TODAY
[03] US AWARDS TURKISH PROFESSOR
[04] TURKISH DELEGATION VISITS BULGARIA
[05] BULGARIAN COMMANDER VISITS TURKEY
[06] TURKEY AND TRNC TO EXPAND COOPERATION
[07] TOP TURKISH OFFICIALS TO VISIT CAUCASUS
[08] DEMIREL AWARDED DEMOCRACY AND UNITY PRIZE
[09] MINISTRY OF TOURISM TO ESTABLISH A WEB SITE
[10] ISRAELI JEWISH LEADER IN ISTANBUL
[11] ISRAEL PROTESTS TO GREECE
[12] M.EMIN AGA RELEASED
[13] 40 T-80 TANKS FOR SOUTHERN CYPRUS
[14] 8TH INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL FASHION FAIR
[15] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN ABROAD TO MEET IN IZMIR
[16] "EU MEMBERSHIP WITH TWO FEDERATIONS"
[17] ENERGY MINISTER ERSUMER IN THE US
[18] CULTURAL COOPERATION WITH GREECE
[19] NUMBER OF FP DEPUTIES INCREASES TO 123
[20] TURKEY'S INCREASING MIDEAST EFFORTS
[21] GULF CRISIS AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER CONFERENCE
[01] ANKARA CRITICIZES GREECE FOR REJECTING PEACE PROPOSALS
"Greece has once more displayed to the world that its official foreign
policy is to maintain the current tension in the Aegean and keep all
problems with Turkey unresolved" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan
told a press briefing yesterday. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem conveyed a
five-point proposal to Greece on February 12, calling for, among other
suggestions, a direct dialogue on existing problems in the Aegean and a
high-level meeting between the two foreign ministries before the end of
March. "Turkey has proposed a very constructive approach, but the Greek
government failed to follow suit. Greece has once again adopted the
role of the uncompromising side" Utkan stressed.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is only one of the means of
peaceful settlement, Utkan stressed, adding that for years Greece has
been trying to create the idea that the ICJ is the only alternative.
/Milliyet-Sabah/
[02] NSC MEETS TODAY
The National Security Council (NSC) will gather today for its usual
monthly meeting chaired by President Suleyman Demirel at the
presidential palace. Internal and external developments affecting
Turkey will be evaluated at the meeting. /Cumhuriyet-Milliyet/
[03] US AWARDS TURKISH PROFESSOR
The US Biography Institute has awarded Professor Ismail Hakki Aydin,
head of the neurosurgery department of Aziziye Hospital, in association
with Ataturk University in Erzurum, with its Presidency Honour Prize for
his international research and innovations on the subject of brain
surgery. /Hurriyet/
[04] TURKISH DELEGATION VISITS BULGARIA
A four-person delegation to Sofia, composed of Turkish representatives
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
finalized its official visit when it met the Bulgarian foreign minister,
Nadejda Mihaylova, late on Wednesday afternoon. Mihaylova said that an
environment of full confidence has been achieved between the two
countries.
[05] BULGARIAN COMMANDER VISITS TURKEY
Chief Commander of the Bulgarian Naval Forces, Adm.Hritso Kontrov, said
that they hoped for the support of the Turkish Armed Forces. Knotrov is
visiting Turkey following an invitation from Turkish Naval Forces
Commander Adm.Salim Dervisoglu.
Historical relations between Turkey and Bulgaria should strengthen the
already friendly relations between these two countries, Kontrov said,
adding that they were aiming at cooperation with the Turkish military,
not only in naval affairs but in other military areas as well.
[06] TURKEY AND TRNC TO EXPAND COOPERATION
Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will sign an
agreement for broader cooperation in the fields of trade and economy
today. TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu, on an official visit to
Turkey, met yesterday with President Suleyman Demirel, Foreign Minister
Ismail Cem, Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin and Parliament Speaker Hikmet
Cetin. Today, he is scheduled to meet Chief of General Staff Gen.
Ismail Hakki Karadayi and Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.
[07] TOP TURKISH OFFICIALS TO VISIT CAUCASUS
Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will pay an official visit to
Georgia on March 13-14, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan told
reporters on Monday. Meanwhile, President Suleyman Demirel is scheduled
to attend the birthday of Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev, in
Azerbaijan, on May 10.
[08] DEMIREL AWARDED DEMOCRACY AND UNITY PRIZE
The Democracy and Unity Foundation yesterday presented President
Suleyman Demirel with its "Democracy and Unity" award. In his
acceptance speech, Demirel said that in a country where there is a
culture of democracy, there also peace, confidence and rights will
exist.
Later in the ceremony, fifty-four people, including Chairman of the
Democrat Turkey Party (DTP) Husamettin Cindoruk and Minister of Culture
Istemihan Talay, were given plaques in appreciation of their
contributions to the foundation and its aims. /All papers/
[09] MINISTRY OF TOURISM TO ESTABLISH A WEB SITE
In order to promote Turkey to the world, the Ministry of Tourism will
establish a web site on the Internet which will include
three-dimensional pictures, photographs, maps, short films translated
into a variety of languages and answers to approximately 1,200 questions
frequently asked by tourists, the Anatolia news agency reported
yesterday.
[10] ISRAELI JEWISH LEADER IN ISTANBUL
The Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic Jews of Israel, Eliyahu Baksi Doron,
met with Muslim cleric Fettullah Gulen in Istanbul yesterday for
inter-faith talks, Israeli Consulate officials said. Doron and Gulen
discussed inter-faith dialogue, tolerance and bringing the large
monotheistic religions together, they said. /All papers/
[11] ISRAEL PROTESTS TO GREECE
Israel has officially protested to Greece over Greek Foreign Minister
Theodoros Pangalos' criticism military cooperation between Israel and
Turkey. The Greek Ambassador in Tel Aviv was summoned to the Israeli
Foreign Ministry yesterday. Pangalos said in a statement to reporters
on Monday in Cairo that Turco-Israeli relations could be described as a
barbaric alliance, reflecting the spirit of the Cold War. /Milliyet/
[12] M.EMIN AGA RELEASED
Iskece (Xanthi) Mufti Mehmet Emin Aga, sentenced to 20 months in prison
on two separate charges of violence against the official authority, was
brought before the Lamia Court of Appeal yesterday. M.Emin Aga was
sentenced to eight months on the first charge and six months for the
second. Aga, who has paid out nearly TL 500 million in fines (1500
Drahmi for each day) for 14 months, was later released.
/Milliyet-Sabah/
[13] 40 T-80 TANKS FOR SOUTHERN CYPRUS
It is reported that the Greek Cypriot Administration will purchase 40
T-80 tanks from Russia. The cost of the tanks, which will be produced
at an arms plant in Omsk, Siberia, will total $20 million. It is also
reported that $3 million in advance has been paid to Rosvooruzheniye,
one of the giant producers in the Russian arms industry. /Milliyet/
[14] 8TH INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL FASHION FAIR
The eighth International Istanbul Fashion Fair will begin today in
Istanbul. Chairman of the Italian Clothing Industrialists' Association,
Vittorio Giulini, will be the guest of honour and 642 foreign and
domestic firms are exhibiting at the fair. Giulini said that Istanbul
will one day be the future fashion center of the world.
/Sabah-Hurriyet/
[15] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN ABROAD TO MEET IN IZMIR
Almost 1500 Turkish businessmen living abroad will meet between 30
April-1 May in Izmir. The second World Turkish Businessmen's Assembly
will be chaired by businessman Sakip Sabanci. The meeting will be
organized by the Turkish Foreign Trade Foundation with the title of
"Hand-in-Hand towards 2000". /Sabah-Hurriyet/
[16] "EU MEMBERSHIP WITH TWO FEDERATIONS"
Thomas Miller, aid to US special envoy to Cyprus Richard Holbrooke, said
in a statement to the Greek daily newspaper EXUSIA, that he supported
the EU membership of a Cyprus with two federations. He added that EU
representatives however would not support two separate and equal
representations but only one island representative. /Sabah-Hurriyet/
[17] ENERGY MINISTER ERSUMER IN THE US
Energy Minister Cumhur Ersumer, who is in Washington for a
American-Turkish Business Council meeting, met yesterday with US Energy
Secretary Federico Pena. During the meeting, projects to carry Turkmen
natural gas to world markets were discussed. Within this framework,
Minister Ersumer briefed his US counterpart about a feasibility report
on projects to transport Turkmen natural gas via the Baku-Ceyhan
pipeline. US Secretary Pena praised the report and said that the report
could well accelerate completion of the project. /Hurriyet/
[18] CULTURAL COOPERATION WITH GREECE
Turkish and Greek specialists will cooperate in the restoration of
ancient Greek and Ottoman monuments. Sources close to the Greek Foreign
Ministry say that restoration projects will be financed by the Culture
Ministries of the two countries. An 18th-century Greek school and six
Byzantine churches will be restored in Turkey, and in Greece specialists
will restore two Turkish baths and two mosques. /Hurriyet/
[19] NUMBER OF FP DEPUTIES INCREASES TO 123
Yesterday 12 more independent deputies joined the newly-established
Virtue Party (FP). The number of FP seats in Parliament thus becomes
123. /Hurriyet/
[20] TURKEY'S INCREASING MIDEAST EFFORTS
Turkey is intensifying its efforts to establish "regional security and
cooperation" by deepening contacts with neighbouring countries after a
peaceful end to the gulf crisis has been achieved. Foreign Minister
Ismail Cem, who is going to Jordan today, will visit Saudi Arabia in
March in order to convey Turkey's opinions on regional issues.
/Cumhuriyet/
[21] GULF CRISIS AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER CONFERENCE
The United Nations Turkish Association is organizing a conference,
dealing with the recently ended Gulf crisis and changing features of the
world order, in the Vakifbank General Directorate conference hall.
Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit,
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Chairman of the Republican People's
Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal are expected to participate in the conference
by delivering speeches. /Cumhuriyet/
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