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Turkish Press Review, 98-08-11
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
11.08.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] 'DEPLOYING S-300 MISSILES IS A GREEK GAME'
[02] TURKEY ASKS PAKISTAN TO USE INFLUENCE ON TALEBAN
[03] TERRORISTS BURN HOTEL
[04] NINE DEAD, 50 MISSING IN BLACK SEA FLOODING
[05] HONG KONG TRADE MINISTER VISITS ITO
[06] EFFORTS BY JUSTICE MINISTRY TO APPREHEND CRIMINALS ABROAD
[07] US SUPPORTS TURKEY AGAINST TAX EVASION
[08] PAMUKBANK SIGNS $50 MILLION SYNDICATED LOAN
[09] GEN. KILIC: "TURKEY ABLE TO COPE WITH AGGRESSIVE ENEMY"
[10] HALKBANK PROMOTES GAP ABROAD
[11] FOREST FIRES IN ANTALYA
[12] GARRISON BELONGING TO THE FIRST CENTURY B.C.
[01] 'DEPLOYING S-300 MISSILES IS A GREEK GAME'
Chief of General Staff Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi pointed out
yesterday that deploying S-300 missiles was a "Greek game" and
said: "The basic aim of the Greek-Greek Cypriot joint defense
doctrine, which has been in effect since 1993, is not to defend
the island but to encircle Turkey from the south. The main target
of the Russian-made S-300 missiles to be deployed in southern
Cyprus is to protect the power of Greek soldiers to be stationed
in southern Cyprus in the future". Karadayi, in an interview with
Defense Magazine, noted that Turkey would not allow the current
strategic balance to be upset. /Milliyet/
[02] TURKEY ASKS PAKISTAN TO USE INFLUENCE ON TALEBAN
Concerned about the ongoing clashes in Afghanistan, Ankara has
asked Pakistan to use its influence on the Taleban forces there,
which control most of the country. In a written statement
yesterday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Turkey favours
the establishment of a settlement through peaceful means and
negotiations. "Our government will continue its contact with
related countries in order to prevent the civilians in
Afghanistan from being harmed because of the armed clashes" the
statement read.
Turkey is in contact with the US, the Russian Federation, Iran
and China concerning the fighting. The Foreign Ministry also
declared that Turkey expected respect from the warring sides for
the human rights of the civil population. /All papers/
[03] TERRORISTS BURN HOTEL
Members of the PKK terrorist organization killed the owner of a
hotel in the Caykara district of the northern Turkish city of
Trabzon, after burning the hotel down. Raiding the hotel in the
town of Uzungol in Caykara on Sunday night, four members of the
PKK terrorist organization forced guests from the hotel. Then the
terrorists set the hotel ablaze by throwing molotov cocktails
into it. After killing Mustafa Akyuz, the owner of the hotel, the
terrorists fled. Officials stated that operations had begun in
order to catch the terrorists. /All papers/
[04] NINE DEAD, 50 MISSING IN BLACK SEA FLOODING
Flooding caused by torrential rains along the eastern Black Sea
coast have killed at least nine people and collapsed scores of
houses, the Anatolia news agency reports. As many as 50 people
are missing and are feared to have drowned in torrents of rushing
rainwater in the village of Beskoy, east of the city of Trabzon.
Deputy Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) Chairman
Bulent Ecevit, State Ministers Hasan Gemici and Mustafa Yilmaz
are inspecting the damage.
Arriving in the flooded area of Trabzon, Ecevit said that the
state would help those who have suffered losses because of the
flooding. Loans that people have made will be postponed for four
years, Ecevit added.
[05] HONG KONG TRADE MINISTER VISITS ITO
Hong Kong's Trade Minister Donald Tsang, accompanied by
businessmen from the autonomous Chinese region, visited the
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) yesterday and urged Turkish
companies to invest in the Asian economy. In a speech to Turkish
businessmen, Tsang said Hong Kong will pull through the current
financial turmoil that is rocking markets in the Far East. "We
will start the 21st century with big growth. Turkish businessmen
can take Hong Kong as a jumping off point" Tsang added. He noted
that his government aimed at creating business opportunities
between the businessmen of Turkey and Hong Kong, and higlighted
telecommunications, insurance and tourism as areas for joint
cooperation. Speaking at the same meeting, ITO Chairman Mehmet
Yildirim said that the potential of Hong Kong has not been fully
utilized by Turkish companies. /Milliyet/
[06] EFFORTS BY JUSTICE MINISTRY TO APPREHEND CRIMINALS ABROAD
The Ministry of Justice has increased efforts to apprehend
criminals abroad. After issuing a "red" bulletin for the arrest
of Aysegul Tecimer and Gulay Asliturk who escaped from Turkey to
avoid being punished for their illegal acts, the ministry has
also issued a "red" bulletin to apprehend Selim Edes, who
swindled money out of the state. He has also been sentenced to
three years in prison because he has not paid a 111 billion
Turkish Liras fine. The sentence will, therefore, open up the way
for a reconsideration by the US which has so far refused to send
him back to Turkey on the grounds that his crime is "monetary."
Following efforts by the Ministry's International Law
Directorate, 22 criminals have so far been returned to Turkey.
[07] US SUPPORTS TURKEY AGAINST TAX EVASION
The US will help the Turkish Finance Ministry to beat tax
evasions. The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has declared that
it is ready to make any kind of contribution to help Turkey. The
IRS will help Turkey to build up a "tax network" which will
provide necesssary information about financial flow within the
country. /Hurriyet/
[08] PAMUKBANK SIGNS $50 MILLION SYNDICATED LOAN
Turkey's private Pamukbank has signed an accord for a $50 million
loan, arranged by the Bank of New York, its general manager Orhan
Emirdag disclosed. The one-year pre-export financing facility was
priced at 85 basis points over Libor, Emirdag said. The loan was
increased from $40 million after an oversubscription. The loan
agreement was signed on Friday in London. /Sabah/
[09] GEN. KILIC: "TURKEY ABLE TO COPE WITH AGGRESSIVE ENEMY"
Turkish Air Forces Commander General Ilhan Kilic said that
Turkish Air Forces had the power and determination to inflict the
heaviest lesson on any possibly aggressive enemy. During a
handing-over ceremony for the 50th CN-235 type light
transportation airplane, a co-production of TAI and CASA (Spanish
Construcciones Aeronauticas S.A.), Kilic added that the Air Force
was not aiming at threatening any particular counrty. Kilic said:
"Turkey needs a strong air force to help provide stability in an
unstable region. /Cumhuriyet/Sabah/
[10] HALKBANK PROMOTES GAP ABROAD
Halkbank not only gives technical and administrative assistance
to the Southeastern Anatolia Region (GAP) but also supports
international seminars and programmes to promote the region
abroad. The bank has opened a KOBI (small and medium-scale
enterprises) Informative Service in Cologne and Dusseldorf,
Germany, to help investors to invest in the region. /Sabah/
[11] FOREST FIRES IN ANTALYA
Forest fires which broke out in Serik, Antalya, and Yeniköy near
Manavgat on Sunday were brought under control yesterday.
According to local officials 500 hectares of pine forest has been
destroyed. /Sabah/
[12] GARRISON BELONGING TO THE FIRST CENTURY B.C.
The remains of a military structure belonging to the first
century B.C. have been brought into daylight during the
excavations carried out in Oylumhoyuk in Kilis province, the
Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Prof.Engin Ozgen, the
head of the excavation team composed of Turkish and foreign
scientists, told the Anatolia news agency correspondent that
there is a garrison belonging to the end of Hellenistic Period
and the start of the Roman Period in the tumulus near military
buildings.
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