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Turkish Press Review, 98-04-15
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
15.04.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] DEMIREL: "TURKEY SHOULD BE A GOLDEN TOURISM COUNTRY"
[02] MESUT YILMAZ IN KYRGYZSTAN
[03] CEM IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
[04] KARADAYI CONTINUES CONTACTS IN BAKU
[05] US LETTER REGARDING TURKEY
[06] 'TURKEY'S 3-300 POLICY HAS NOT CHANGED'
[07] OPERATION IN SIRNAK: 62 TERRORISTS KILLED
[08] ESCAPE FROM ABDULLAH OCALAN
[09] BLACK SEA FIRES CONTINUE
[10] TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS ARRIVE IN ISTANBUL
[11] IRAQI KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY INFORMED ABOUT LATEST OPERATION
[12] TURKISH STORE SET ON FIRE
[01] DEMIREL: "TURKEY SHOULD BE A GOLDEN TOURISM COUNTRY"
Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, who attended a Tourism Forum
in Istanbul yesterday, said that Turkey should be the golden country
of world tourism in the 21st century. Demirel noted that 10 million
tourists visited Turkey in 1997, bringing in 8 billion dollars.
Demirel added that 12 million tourists and $10 billion were expected
in 1998. He pointed out that it was clear that Turkey would reach the
target of 25 million tourists and $15 billion in tourism earnings as
soon as possible. Demirel stated that Turkey was a huge open-air
museum and gave a message to the world: "Come and see the cradle of
many civilizations in this country". /Hurriyet-Milliyet/
[02] MESUT YILMAZ IN KYRGYZSTAN
Completing his contacts in Uzbekistan, Prime Minister Mesut
Yilmaz went on to Kyrgyzstan where he was welcomed with a military
ceremony by Prime Minister Kubanichbek Cumaliyev at Bishkek Airport.
During meetings between the Turkish and Kyrgyz delegations under
the chairmanship of the two prime ministers three agreements to
develop cooperation in the customs services, forestry sector and
economic areas were signed. During the meeting Yilmaz asked Cumaliyev
to take strong measures against the PKK terrorist organization now
taking steps towards increased activity in the region. Cumaliyev said
that they were ready to cooperate with Turkey in the struggle against
terrorism.
Yilmaz was also received by President Askar Akayev at the
Presidential Palace. /Milliyet/Cumhuriyet_
[03] CEM IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will start today his contacts in
Sarajevo. Cem will ask Bosnian, Croat and Serb representatives to
bring the Dayton Agreement to life as soon as possible. Before his
departure from Ankara Cem described the Bosnia war as a "shame of the
century". /Cumhuriyet/
[04] KARADAYI CONTINUES CONTACTS IN BAKU
The Chief of General Staff, Ismail Hakki Karadayi said yesterday
that Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces would continue to support
Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. On the second day of his
visit, Karadayi was received by Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev.
At the reception Karadayi said that the Armenian-Azerbaijani problem
should be solved within the framework of the territorial integrity and
sovereignty of Azerbaijan with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk group.
Karadayi also presented a good-will letter from President Suleyman
Demirel to Aliyev and invited him to Turkey.
Haydar Aliyev for his part said that historical relations between
Turkey and Azerbaijan relations have been rapidly improving.
/Cumhuriyet/Milliyet_
[05] US LETTER REGARDING TURKEY
Democrat Robert Andrews, a member of the Foreign Relations
Committee of the US House of Representatives, in an article in the
Washington Post newspaper, proposed a three-stage plan to the US
government for Turkey's entry into the European Union (EU) and for the
solution of the Cyprus problem. The proposals of Andrews are as
follows: -In return for a solution to the Cyprus problem, the US
should support Turkey's entry into the EU. The US should persuade
Germany to pioneer Turkey's entry into the EU and for sitting at the
negotiation table with Greece. The US should help Turkey by using her
economic power. Andrews concluded that Turkey's membership in the EU
would decrease tensions between Turkey and Greece. /Hurriyet/
[06] 'TURKEY'S 3-300 POLICY HAS NOT CHANGED'
Ankara has stated that its policy regarding Russian-made S-300
missiles to be deployed in Greek Cyprus has not changed. Turkish
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ambassador Necati Utkan said yesterday:
"The security of Turkish Cypriots is under Turkey's guarantee. Turkey
will respond to any initiative which aims to undermine this".
/Hurriyet/
[07] OPERATION IN SIRNAK: 62 TERRORISTS KILLED
Turkish Armed Forces have carried out an operation along the
northern Iraqi border and in the Sirnak against the PKK terrorist
organization. During the operation, 62 PKK militants were killed and
10 Turkish soldiers died. Many terrorists were also caught. Military
officials noted yesterday that although a wider-ranging cross-border
military operation was not under consideration, these kinds of
operations would continue during the spring months. /Hurriyet/
[08] ESCAPE FROM ABDULLAH OCALAN
Following the extradition of Semdin Sakik, who was first held
during an operation in northern Iraq and later brought to Diyarbakir,
three more top-level people from the administration of the PKK
terrorist organization have also abandoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.
It is reported that PKK Central Committee members Riza Altun, Murat
Karayilan and Sait Curukkaya, responsible for Diyarbakir, are seeking
ways for finding refuge in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Meanwhile, Ocalan has had his two closest men, who tried to escape,
executed. /Hurriyet/
[09] BLACK SEA FIRES CONTINUE
A greater part of the Black Sea region forest fires, which
started on the last day of the Feast of Sacrifice holiday, has been
extinguished. On the other hand, fires in the districts of Ardesen
and Findikli near Rize, are continuing. It is reported that up until
now, 700 hectares of forest have been destroyed during the fires.
/Milliyet/
[10] TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS ARRIVE IN ISTANBUL
Techonology managers from the world's leading electronics firms
are coming to Turkey today for a technology congress in Istanbul on
May 12. Technology awards, presented jointly by Turkish Scientific
and Technical Research Institution (TUBITAK), Turkish Technology
Development Foundation (TTGV) and Turkish Businessmen's and
Industrialists' Association (TUSIAD), will be awarded to the most
successful companies in this congress which will be attended by high
level representatives from several American and English technology
giants such as Northern Telecom, Montpellier Technopole, Cite De
Science, 3M Europe and Philips. /Sabah/
[11] IRAQI KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY INFORMED ABOUT LATEST OPERATION
The Turkish Foreign Ministry yesterday called the Ankara
representative of Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) in order to
brief him on the operation in which Semdin Sakik was extradited to
Turkey. Ministry officials noted that the IKDP had resisted handing
over Sakik despite frequent calls from Turkey. They also demanded
that the party should submit to Turkey a full report of the
interrogation of him made by the party. /Sabah/
[12] TURKISH STORE SET ON FIRE
A market run by Turks was set on fire in Osnabruck, Germany
yesterday. German police officials said later that the incident was
being investigated. So far, however, there has been no indication
that the fire was the result of racist action against the Turkish
community. /Cumhuriyet/
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