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Turkish Press Review, 98-10-20Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>20.10.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] A LAST WORD TO SYRIASpeaking during a tour of Hatay yesterday, President Suleyman Demirel said that Turkey was not occupying land that does not belong to Turkey. Directly addressing Syria, Demirel warned the Syrian government that should Syria try to test the strength of Turkey, then Syria would be made to feel very sorry indeed. Making the point that Turkey was both powerful and peace-seeking, Demirel stressed that although Turkey sought stability by using peaceful means, this did not mean that Turkey was weak.Syria on the other hand, has again announced that it will never give up its claim that the Hatay corner of Turkey really belongs to Syria. Syrian Minister for Information Muhd Salman said yesterday that the issue was a matter with international dimensions and one that would never be forgotten. Back in Turkey, Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin said yesterday that one of the main reasons for the tension in relations with Syria stemmed from proven connections between the PKK terrorist organization and Syrian army officers. In a television interview Sezgin said that not once had Syria responded to Turkey's diplomatic efforts to defuse growing tensions mainly connected with Syrian support for the PKK. Sezgin noted too, that despite Syrian support for the PKK, the terrorist organization had been dealt some serious blows by Turkish security forces. /All papers/ [02] TURKEY-SYRIA MEETING IN ADANAAccording to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources a 'special security meeting", which started yesterday between Turkey and Syria in Seyhan, Adana, will continue today. Turkish and Syrian diplomatic and military officials and also Turkey's Ambassador to Damascus, Cenk Duatepe, are attending the meeting, report foreign ministry sources. /Milliyet/[03] RUSSIA: "PKK LEADER NOT WELCOME HERE"Russian Federation Ambassador to Ankara, Alexander Lebedev said that Russia had never showed tolerance to Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the PKK terrorist organization. Visiting Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz yesterday in Ankara, Lebedev noted that people who were against Turkey would never be welcomed by the Russian government. Lebedev denied claims that Ocalan was at the moment sheltering in Russia. /Milliyet/[04] PKK CRISIS DISCUSSED IN LONDONThe tension between Turkey and Syria was yesterday discussed during an international meeting in London. Speaking at a meeting on Strategic Perspectives in the Middle East, organized by the Royal United Services Institute in London, Turkish Ambassador to England, Ozdem Sanberk stressed that Syria had fought an "undeclared war" against Turkey for years by sheltering PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Sanberk noted that Turkey was determined to make Syria act in line with international laws against terrorism.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a written message to the meeting saying that agreements between Turkey, Israel and Jordan were not aimed any other country. /Milliyet/ [05] APO: "I AM NOT IN SYRIA"Leader of the PKK terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan said in a statement to the Kurdish News Agency in Germany yesterday that he was no longer in Syrian territories. Ocalan added: "It is right that I sometimes visited Syria, however I am not in Syria anymore". /Sabah/[06] DSI: "WE GIVE SUFFICIENT WATER TO SYRIA"General Director of the State Water Works (DSI) Dogan Altinbilek stated yesterday that Turkey has given sufficient amounts of water to Syria. Altinbilek noted that with a protocol signed by the then Turkish President Turgut Ozal in 1992, it was agreed that on average every second 500 cubic metres of water would flow from Turkey to Syria and added that between the years 1974 and 1998, every second Syria received 882 cubic metres of water, and that since the beginning of the crisis in October 1998, Syria has received 850 cubic metres of water per second on average. /Sabah/[07] ANTONOVIC VISITS TURKEYIvan Antonovic, Foreign Minister of Belarus, who arrived in Istanbul late on Saturday, proceeded to Ankara on Sunday. Within the framework of his contacts in Ankara on October 19-20, Antonovic will be received by President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. Antonovic met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yesterday. During their meeting, foreign ministers Cem and Antonovic took up bilateral relations, regional and international issues concerning their two countries, the Anatolia news agency reports.The two foreign ministers also signed a protocol on more information exchange cooperation. Speaking after the meeting, Cem stressed that the two countries should seek ways of improving bilateral political and economic relations. He said that he had briefed his counterpart on the recent Turco-Syrian crisis and Turkey's position on the Cyprus problem. [08] TURCO-EU RELATIONS GAIN MOMENTUMTurkish State Minister responsible for the economy Isin Celebi arrived in Brussels yesterday to participate in the EU conference on trade, enlargement and a multilateral system, which at the commission, the executive branch of the EU, there are moves toward a solution to secure finance to implement the European strategy for Turkey.Celebi underlined the importance of including Turkey in the EU enlargement plans. "We want to offer Turkey's capabilities as a contribution to the success of enlarging Europe" Celebi said. /All papers/ [09] TURKISH-UKRAINIAN BUSINESS COUNCILThe Turkish-Ukrainian Business Council will convene in Bursa on October 21-22. The Council will hold bilateral meetings on textiles, carpets, rugs, foodstuffs, machinery, electricity, electronics, chemicals, furniture and tourism. Ukranian businessmen will make tours of some industrial facilities in Bursa, the Anatolia news agency reports.[10] INTERPOL MEETING IN EGYPTAn Interpol General Council Meeting will be held in Cairo, Egypt, on October 22-27. A delegation headed by Head of the Interpol Department Yalcin Cakici will represent Turkey at the meeting during which reports on drug smuggling, bribery, counterfeiting and crimes against children will be mainly taken up. /Sabah/[11] IMF CONTACTS IN TURKEYThe International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Turkey-desk chief Martin Hardy answered journalists' questions following his meeting with the chairman of the Privatization Administration Chairmanship (OIB) Ugur Bayar in Ankara. Hardy said: "The continuation of privatization is important because Turkey has benefitted a lot from it. I hope that privatization will not be damaged even more as a result of global financial changes, and I hope privatization gains its former momentum after the negative conditions subside". Hardy added that he would like to see foreign capital flow into Turkey increase when the stability of international markets improves.Meanwhile, OIB Chairman Bayar stated that many of Turkey's giant privatization projects, such as the sale of the state-run oil company TUPRAS, petrochemical company PETKIM and Turkish Airlines (THY) have been delayed until 1999. Bayar explained certain aspects of the privatization drive in Turkey. "Turkey has made $6.4 billion out of privatization this year despite adverse external conditions". /All papers/ [12] COURT SUSPENDS POAS PRIVATIZATION DEALThe Ankara 6th Administration Court has decided to suspend execution of the planned sale of 51 percent of Petrol Ofisi A.S. to the consortium of Is Bank, Bayindir Holding, Petrol Urunleri Tur. ve Nak. A.S. and Park Holding, thus blocking an earlier Supreme Privatization Board (OYK) decision to sell POAS to the aforementioned consortium. If the court's decision to stop execution is opposed, the Ankara Regional Administration Court will make the final decision. /All papers/[13] GUREL MAINTAINS HARSH RHETORIC AGAINST EUState Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, who is responsible for relations with the EU and Cyprus affairs, once again accused the EU yesterday of continuing to drag its feet in fulfilling its obligations towards Turkey. In reference to Ankara's decision to cut political dialogue with the EU in response to Turkey's exclusion from a list of full membership candidates last December, Gurel said: "This decision will not change as long as the EU does not adopt a more positive stance towards Turkey".Gurel was speaking at the first meeting of the EU Consultation Board, the institution in charge of regulating relations between Turkey and the EU. The aim of the gathering is to brief an array of institutions and organizations on the course of Turkey-EU relations, Gurel said. /All papers/ [14] S & P MAY INCREASE TURKEY'S CREDIT RATINGLeading US rating institution Standard and Poor's stated yesterday that if Turkey continues with proper economic policies, its credit rating may be increased. Although Turkey currently has a "B" rating, the country's economic performance is better than other countries with a "B" rating, S & P's latest report stated, commenting on the economic and political developments of Turkey.S & P's analyst for the Turkish economy, Marie Cavanaugh, said that holding early elections in January in stead of April could have positive effects on markets. Turkey's 1999 budget is sound, because it reflects global economic realities, she added. /All papers/ [15] SECURITY FORCES UNCOVER 17 PKK DEPOTS IN AGRISecurity forces conducting filed searches in the Eastern Anatolian province of Agri have discovered 17 depots belonging to the PKK terrorist organization, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Agri Governor Lutfi Yigenoglu said that the depots, found near the village of Kovancik, contained considerable amount of food and beverages that would be enough for a battalion to survive on through the winter.[16] TURKISH CANDIDATES SUCCEED IN GREECETurkish candidates running in the Greek local elections clinched three more victories in Sunday's second round vote. In Greece, Halit Mehmet, Erdogan Sait and Mustafa Agar were elected to mayoral posts in the Western Thracian townships of Kozlukepir, Susurkoy and Mustafcova, respectively, where only Turkish candidates had been nominated, according to the Anatolia news agency.[17] ENERGY FAIR TO BE OPENED IN ISTANBULA "First International Energy Fair" will be opened on 22-25 October at the Istanbul World Trade Centre. New technologies and systems to facilitate the rational usage of energy, will be exhibited during the fair. /Cumhuriyet/[18] BIG HEROIN HAULIn an Istanbul Narcotics Branch operation, 550 kg. of heroin worth 1.3 trillion Turkish Liras was seized yesterday. Acting on a tip-off, police, found out that the heroin was hidden in a truck coming from Southeast Anatolia and started following. The truck was stopped on the way to Istanbul. The officials later said that the drugs were on the way to the UK. /Hurriyet/[19] ENKA-BECHTEL CONSTRUCTS ROADS IN CROATIAThe first 120 km. of the Bregana-Zagreb-Dubrovnik motorway in Croatia will be constructed by the ENKA and BECHTEL companies partnership. A groundbreaking ceremony for the start of the motorway will be held today. In a written statement ENKA said that the Croatian President, Prime Minister, Ministers, and Turkish and Croatian ambassadors will attend the ceremony. The statement added that the total cost of the project, which will be completed in four years would reach six hundred million dollars. /Hurriyet/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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