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Turkish Press Review, 98-03-25Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>25.03.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] PANGALOS CALLS FOR 'NO-FLY ZONE' OVER CYPRUSGreek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, who is on an official visit to Washington, has proposed a scheme that, if implemented, has the potential to bring Turkish forces in Cyprus up against a NATO peacekeeping force. During his discussions with his counterpart, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Pangalos suggested the implementation of a 'no-fly zone' over Cyprus, supported by the U.N. Security Council and enforced by NATO forces.Pangalos extended a conditional olive branch to both Turkey and Turkish Cypriots during interview on American CNN television by lending his nominal support to Turkish and Turkish Cypriot EU membership. Pangalos claimed that Greece wants to see not only the Turkish Cypriots, but also Turkey in the EU. He told CNN that if Ankara lifts the 'obstacles' it is placing in the way of Cyprus joining the EU, then Greece will lift its veto of EU funds for Turkey. /Milliyet/ [02] CEM ACCUSES ATHENS OF CHAUVINISMTurkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem accused his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos, who said that they accepted the giving 'autonomy' to Turkish Cypriots, of being chauvinistic. Evaluating Pangalos' interview on American CNN television, Cem said, "Greece buys S-300 missiles and opens a military base on the island, describes Turkish side as a minority, and then wants to "grant them autonomy. Greece then expects the Turkish side to accept this autonomy. If international public opinion has any ethical principles at all, it should stop this injustice against the Turkish side."After a meeting with UN special envoy to Cyprus Diego Cordovez in Ankara, Cem said, "Pangalos should know that there is no similarity between Cyprus and the Kosovo issue. Greece cannot grant autonomy to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the way that Serbia has to Kosova. However, his statement on CNN television shows once more that the obstacle to solving the Cyprus issue is Greece, not Turkey." /Cumhuriyet/Milliyet_ [03] LOGAN, "TURKEY HAS PRIORITY IN ECONOMIC RELATIONS"British Ambassador to Ankara, David Logan said that Turkey was among the 14 countries to which England gives priority in economic relations. Logan noted that these 14 countries had promising futures and that Turkey was one of these countries. He stressed Turkey's importance to England by saying that trade volume between Turkey and England was 2.5 billion dollars. He added that in recent years more Turkish businessmen had been investing in England. /Milliyet/[04] GREEK CYPRIOT SECURITY PROPOSALGreek Cypriot Foreign Minister Yannakis Kasulides, has proposed that there should be a "no-fly zone" around the island. Kasulides suggests that the Greek Cypriot commuity would feel more secure if there was a no flying zone rather like the one in northern Iraq.Speaking on the Greek RIK television programme, Kasulides said that if such a zone could be made effective, then there would be no need to deploy Russian-made S-300 missiles on the Greek Cypriot side of Cyprus. The deployment of missiles on the island is a very highly sensitive issue between the two communities on the island. /Milliyet/ [05] GREEK CYPRIOTS IGNORE US WARNINGGreece has brushed off a warning from US President Clinton about measures that will be taken if the Greek Cypriot community on Cyprus persists in following a policy of arming their side of the island. Clinton has warned that the Greek Cypriot community should cancel a deal with the Russians for S-300 missiles.Turkey has already made it clear that if the missiles are actually deployed, then serious measures will be taken to restore the balance of military force on the island. The Greek Cypriot administration has described Clinton's warning as nothing more than an idle threat. /Hurriyet/ [06] TURKISH ARMY CARRYING ON OPERATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ANATOLIAIn a "spring attack" against the PKK terrorist organization, the Turkish Army has heightened its efforts to sweep clean the southern Anatolia of terrorist forces. Many caves, where PKK members are supposed to be hiding, are being blasted by special Turkish Army teams especially in the provinces of Lice and Kulp near Diyarbakır, and Genc near Bingol, where search and destroy operations are being carried out. To secure the city centers from possible terrorist intrusions, special security measures have been taken.Because of the conflict in the top levels of the terrorist organization , a lot of terrorists might well surrender, military officials said yesterday, noting the number of those who have already surrendered. Meanwhile, the Turkish Army has also launched military operations in the Black Sea region, aiming to prevent the PKK from continuing terrorist activities there. /Milliyet/ [07] EMERGENCY RULE EXTENDEDParliament yesterday approved a Prime Ministry decision to continue emergency measures for four months more in southeast Anatolian cities including Diyarbakır, Hakkari, Siirt, Sırnak, Tunceli and Van. Out of 299 parliamentarians present for voting, 207 approved whereas 91 voted against. This is the 31st extention of this special application for the southeast, which has continued for 14 years. /Sabah/[08] VIRTUE PARTY INCREASES PARLIAMENTARY SEATSAfter an independent parliamentarian joined the Virtue Party(VP), the number of VP parliamentary seats has increased to 142, whereas the number of independents has decreased to 17. New transfers to the Virtue Party are expected. /Milliyet/[09] TURKISH-US ENERGY COOPERATIONCumhur Ersumer, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources said on Tuesday that feasibility studies related to Caspian oil pipeline projects had reached to the final stages, adding that preparations of specifications were underway for a tender to transfer the operationing right of the Hamitabat and Ambarli power stations. Speaking to reporters after meeting the US Ambassador to Ankara, Mark Parris, Ersumer said that they had discussed an "Energy Cooperation Agreement" signed between the US and Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported.Parris said that they had especially focused on the extension of the Baku-Ceyhan project. [10] HALKBANK LOANS FOR TRNC TRADESMENHusamettin Ozkan, the Minister of State explained the conditions for government-run Halkbank loans to tradesmen from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Tuesday, the Anatolia news agency reported. He added that tradesmen who are officially resigtered with the TRNC Chamber of Commerce can apply for a bank loan.[11] POLICE STRIKE HEAVY BLOW AGAINST ILLEGAL TIKKO ORGANIZATIONPolice arrested 20 members of the illegal TKP_ML-TIKKO organization on Tuesday. Hasan Ozdemir, Istanbul Police Chief said that a heavy blow had been struck against the illegal terrorist organization, and that its activities in Istanbul would be completely eradicated by this latest operation. /Milliyet/[12] TURKISH TOURISM IN MOSCOWThe Turkish public and private tourism sectors are preparing to promote themselves at the "MITT Moscow Tourism Fair" in order to increase Turkey's influence in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Turkey plans to introduce historical, touristic and cultural values and increase the demand for Turkish tourism abroad during the fair that will be held between March 26-28. Turkey will exhibit her tourism sector facilities at the fair through 25 private sector companies together with the Ministry of Tourism. /Miiliyet/[13] KARADAYI IN LONDONGeneral Ismail Hakki Karadayi, the Chief of General Staff, is holding official talks in London, reported the Anatolia news agency on Thursday. General Karadayi will meet with his British counterpart Sir Charles Guthri.[14] ECEVIT-CORDOVEZBulent Ecevit, the Deputy Prime Minister received on Thursday Diego Cordovez, the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy to Cyprus, who is holding talks about the Cyprus issue in Ankara. Sukru Sina Gurel, the Minister of State responsible for Cyprus, also joined the meeting. Addressing journalists before the meeting, Cordovez said that he will convey the results of his meetings in Ankara to Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the UN.He said that Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and Kofi Annan will meet in Geneva on March 28. /All papers/ [15] PALESTINIAN LEGISLATORY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN IN ANKARAAhmet Qurie, the Chairman of the Palestine Legislation Council and an accompanying Parliamentary delegation will come to Ankara on Wednesday as the official guesta of Hikmet Cetin, the Parliamentary Speaker, reported the Anatolia news agency.Qurie and his accompanying delegation are also scheduled to meet with Minister of State Sukru Sina Gurel, and Murat Karayalcin, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission. Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will also receive the Palestinian delegation. The delegation will be received by President Suleyman Demirel on March 27 and Qurie will hold a news conference at Parliament the same day. Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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