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Turkish Press Review, 99-07-05Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>05.07.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..[02] SPECIAL KOSOVO[03] DEMIREL TO VISIT ISRAELPresident Suleyman Demirel will visit Israel on July 14 and Palestine on July 16. Demirel will seek ways to develop the Turco-Israeli military and economic partnership and to cooperate in the fight against terrorism especially against the fundamentalists. Demirel will engage in an exchange of views on regional issues and the Middle East peace process with Israeli President Ezer Weizman and Prime Minister Ehud Barak. /Milliyet/[04] U.S. ADMINISTRATION SATISFIED WITH THE COALITION GOVERNMENTThe U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Mark Parris, who arrived in Adana to attend the 223rd anniversary of American Independence Day, said that Turkey and America enjoyed close cooperation in energy, economic reform, trade, regional power-cooperation and security. He noted that they want Turkey to be a leader in its region, to have responsibility in the region and to be effective in the region. He noted that the U.S. Administration was extremely satisfied with the efforts of the 57th government especially in the area of achieving reforms in the laws concerning human rights, the economy and social security. Parris underlined that the 57th coalition government was powerful enough to solve Turkey's immediate problems. /Cumhuriyet/[05] CEM: "ATHENS IS CAUTIOUS IN COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM"Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem informed the members of the press concerning his meeting with his Greek counterpart Yorgo Papandreu saying that Turkey and Greece would sit at the same table if the terrorism issue was clearly the top topic of the meeting. He added that Turkey already had an anti-terrorism agreement with various countries and a Turco-Greek anti-terrorism agreement would be the first step in sweeping out terrorism from the region. However, Cem added, Greece had determined the topics of the meeting as issues related to terrorism, plus four different issues such as tourism, the environment, trade and regional cooperation. /Cumhuriyet/[06] A FRIENDSHIP MESSAGE FROM PAPANDREUSpeaking to the Greek "Kathimerine" newspaper, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yorgo Papandreu said that Greece would have a lot to gain from establishing dialogue with Turkey. He noted that he believed in the sincerity of his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem. Papandreu stressed that every issue, including terrorism and illegal immigrants, was very important for them; however, terrorism was the most important issue for Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/[07] OCALAN VERDICT REPORT IS READYAnkara's No.2 State Security Court (DGM) who sentenced the head of the PKK terrorist organization, Abdullah Ocalan, to death, during the trial on Imrali Island, completed its verdict report consisting of its main reasons. The 280-page outline of the main reasons for the verdict will be announced after it is published as a book. In the first 180-page are the names of those who attended the trial as intervenors, while the remaining 90 pages make a comprehensive legal evaluation of the death penalty verdict passed on Ocalan.The Court's Chief Judge, Turgut Okyay, and Judges Huseyin Eken and Mehmet Maras have returned to Ankara. Okyay replied to questions posed by members of the press and said that the trial was fair. He added: "The reaction of Europe is not important. We have implemented the laws". /Sabah/ [08] PKK'S $200 MILLIONTurkey will roll up its sleeves to enable authorities to lay hands on the $200 million of the PKK terrorist organization held in Swiss banks. The head of the PKK terrorist organization, Abdullah Ocalan, confessed during his trial on Imrali Island that the PKK has $200 million deposited in Swiss banks. The Council of Ministers will initiate their plans under the watchful eye of the Swiss Government. /Milliyet/[09] IRAN CONTINUES ITS SUPPORT FOR PKKAccording to a report prepared by security forces, Iran is continuing her support for PKK terrorists and is trying Turkey's patience. It is claimed that Iran, which has serious domestic problems, does not want Turkey to be powerful in the region. "Iran supports the PKK in order to attach the Kurdish minority on its territories to itself. And it believes that it will be alble to use the PKK a a trumpcard against Turkey in their mutual relations. Iran also gets revenue from the drug smuggling conducted by the PKK," said the report. It is noted that almost half of the PKK terrorists captured within the last 15 days during the operations in Bingol, Bitlis and Hakkari were Iranian. /Star/[10] PKK BRUTALITY IN AVCILARMembers of the PKK terrorist organization planted a bomb in a rubbish bin in a picnic area in the Avcilar district of Istanbul. When the bomb exploded, one person died and 30 people, including seven seriously, were wounded yesterday. Istanbul Security Chief Hasan Ozdemir who visited the area said that an investigation into the incident was underway. /Turkiye/[11] OPERATION IN TARSUSMetin Turker, a primary school teacher, and his wife Gulhan Turker were set free yesterday after being captured by terrorists a few days ago. Security forces announced that a wide-ranging search has been conducted in and around the region to seize the terrorists who fled after they allow the couple to go free. /Cumhuriyet/[12] PKK ATTACK IN MIDYATMembers of the PKK terrorist organization attacked the Ceyhan-Yumurtalik oil pipeline owned by the Turkish Pipeline Transport Joint Stock Company (BOTAS) near the Midyat district of Mardin and killed two Turkish soldiers. A funeral ceremony was held for the two soldiers in Mardin yesterday.Meanwhile, three members of the PKK terrorist organization including one woman supposed to have organized terrorist attacks in Sariseki, a county of the Iskenderun district of Hatay, have been captured. /Turkiye/ [13] SUPPORT FOR TRNCThe 7th Turkish States' and Societies' Friendship, Brotherhood and Cooperation Congress has ended after issuing a final communique in Denizli. The final communique foresees political and economic communication among Turkish States and with this aim they should use a common alphabet and apply a common educational programme as soon as possible. The report accepted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as a part of the Turkish World, furthermore, it added, any solution only to the advantage of the Greek-Cypriot side would be unacceptable. It claimed that the decisions taken at the end of the recent G-8 Summit and by the United Nations' (UN) Security Council were unacceptable. In order to give support to the recognition of the TRNC, the countries attending the 7th Congress decided to organize the 8th Congress in the TRNC. /Cumhuriyet-Aksam/[14] SUCCESS IN PRODUCTION OF F-16sThe production of the Falcon F-16 warplanes by the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI), which is the apple of the Turkish Defence Industry's eye, is in progress in line with their planned programme. As part of the TAI's production project, the number of F-16 warplanes delivered to Air Forces' Command to date has totalled 278. It is expected that the production of 80 aircraft for the Turkish Air Force fleet will be completed by the end of this year. /Turkiye/[15] MINISTER GOKALP IN BRITAINThe Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Husnu Yusuf Gokalp, went to Britain yesterday to attend the Royal Agricultural Fair. one of the most important agricultural fairs in the world. Gokalp, who will stay in London until July 8, will meet the British Minister responsible for Agriculture and the Food Industry, Lord Donoughue, and Trade Minister Brian Wilson. /Turkiye/[16] TURCO-EU CUSTOMS UNIONThe trade deficit between Turkey and the European Union (EU) has been widening. According to a State Planning Organization'a (DTP) recent report, entitled "Macroeconomic Developments in EU Economies", it is noted that the trade deficit was $ 5.8 billion in 1985 whereas it had grown to $ 10.6 billion last year. It said that Turkey's total export to the EU was 50 % and imports stood at 52 %; however, Turkey was the 6th most important market for the EU's total export and 10th as far as its imports were concerned. /Aksam/[17] EFES TO BE WORLD GIANTDirector of Business Improvement and Foreign Relations for the Efes Beverage Group, part the Anadolu Group, Hursit Zorlu, said that they aimed to gather breweries under one roof in order to reach a leading position in the world. He added that by uniting three Turkish breweries, they would sell shares in the new company on the London and New York Stock Exchanges. Zorlu noted that they would conclude their preparations to establish such a conglomerate by the year 2000. /Aksam/[18] IMF TURKEY-DESK PREPARES A PROGRAMME FOR TURKEYThe IMF Turkey-Desk, which has made a detailed forecast concerning the Turkish economy until the year 2003, has prepared a monthly inflation and debt payment programme. According to the IMF Turkey-Desk, consumer inflation which will be 58.7 % at the end of 1999 will decrease to 25 % in 2000 and to 10.1 % in 2001. The inflation rate will be reduced to single digits in 2002. The aim is for inflation to be 5 % in 2003. The IMF foresees that the growth rate in 1999 will be 0.4 %. The growth rate will amount to 3.1 % in 2000, while it is planned to be 4.5 % in 2001. Price increases will stop in June and July 2000. According to the IMF, a domestic debt repayment of $21.885 billion will be made in the July-December 1999 period. /Sabah/[19] TURKMEN ELECTRICITY VIA IRANA draft agreement which envisages the transmission of Turkmen electricity via Iran to Turkey has been signed between Turkmenistan and Iran. According to the IRNA news agency, the Turkmen Energy and Industry Deputy Minister Muhammedov and the Iranian Energy Deputy Minister Huccet initialled the draft agreement which will be finally signed next year. According to the draft agreement, 100 megawatts of electricity will be initially transmitted via Iran to Turkey and this amount will gradually increase. Iran and Turkmenistan will construct the facilities needed to transmit the electricity on their own territories and electricity lines will be combined. /Sabah/[20] TURKEY RANKS 24TH IN IMPORTSWhile the US ranked first in imports in 1998, Germany came second and Britain third; imports by these three countries constituted 31.1 % of world imports. Turkey ranked 24th with imports worth $46 billion. According to World Trade Organization data, imports into Turkey decreased by 4 % in 1998 when the effects of the global crisis were observed. /Sabah/[21] GERMAN AWARD TO TURKISH AUTHORThe German DG Bank in Hannover gives the "Litera Tour Nord" award every year. This year the bank presented the award to a Turkish author, Emine Sevgi Ozdamar. /Aksam/[22] TOURISM SECTOR LOOKS FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENTRepresentatives of Turkish tourism believe that an increase in foreign investment in the sector would contribute to the development of tourism in Turkey. The Chairman of the Tourism Investors' Association (TYD), Tavit Koletavitoglu, said that there was not currently enough foreign capital which could guarantee the future of Turkish tourism. He remarked that they would support the idea of improving new laws to find a concrete solution to the promotion issue.Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ulusoy Group Yilmaz Ulusoy said for his part that they were hopeful with the results of the measures taken by the 57th coalition government. /Aksam/Cumhuriyet/ [23] TURKISH DOCTOR DEVELOPS AN ARTIFICIAL HEARTDr.Mehmet Oz, a Turkish cardiac surgeon and the Director of Columbia University's Heart Centre, has developed a 30 gramme-artificial heart instead of a 1.5 kilo heart. Dr.Oz said: "Artificial hearts produced to date have been very heavy and big. Batteries were needed to activate these hearts and they could only be used for a maximum of 10 months". Dr.Oz remarked that his invention would be a revolution in medicine. /Sabah/[24] NORWEGIAN MODEL ON THE AGENDAThe enlargement of the EU will be taken up during the EU Summit to be held in December. It is reported that the scrutiny of Turkey's candidacy will cause a review of the Customs Union (CU) accord signed between Turkey and the EU. Foreign Ministry sources state that the CU could not be given up and say: "Turkey can only get rid of those obligations which restrict Turkey. Turkey can enter a European free market region as Norway did". An official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry remarked that the CU was beneficial for Turkey. He added: "However, the EU does not carry out any of its obligations. On the other hand, Turkey complies with all its obligations". /Milliyet/[25] NGOs TO DEBATE SOCIAL SECURITY REFORMHeads of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) will gather again to debate the controversial topics tied to social security reform such as unemployment insurance, retirement age and job security, the Anatolia News Agency reports. The social security reform bill provides for raising the retirement age to 62, and it is the article stipulating this which is the most controversial article of the bill. NGO heads are strongly opposing this part of the bill's text.[26] ASO CHAIRMAN: IMF HELPFUL FOR FOREIGN BORROWINGWhat the IMF gave to Turkey was 'preaching and advice', said Ankara Industrial Chamber (ASO) Chairman Zafer Caglayan. Caglayan told the Anatolia News Agency that they also wanted the structural reforms demanded by the IMF. "The IMF allocated large amounts of aid to countries such as Korea and Brazil. The IMF was generous to some countries and I want them to be generous to Turkey".[27] GAP 2010 PLANStudies into the 2010 Development Programme for the Southeastern Anatolian Project (GAP) have been in progress. It is planned to complete the GAP Project in 2010. According to the GAP Regional Development Administration, 545 billion TL is required annually to complete the project in 2010. The State Planning Organization (DTP) in continuing its research studies into the programme. /Cumhuriyet/[28] NAZARBAYEV IN ANTALYAKazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev has arrived in Antalya on holiday. The guest President was welcomed yesterday by Antalya's Governor, Husnu Tuglu, at Antalya Airport. It is announced that Nazarbayev will leave Turkey on 12 July. /Star/[29] RHODES: AMBITIOUS TURKS WILL CREATE MIRACLESThe American Cornell University's Rector and Koc University's Counsellor Committee member Prof. Frank Rhodes said; "The Turks are creating a miracle, attaining a 7 percent rate of development with an inflation rate of 65 percent. The dynamism behind this miracle is provided by young, educated and ambitious Turkish people". Describing his Turkish students as "wonderful", he noted that Turkish students are always full of a desire to learn and they are always his best students. Entering the new century, he said that knowledge is the most important capital resource and in this century the people who have not invested in knowledge will be coerced very much in the next century. Prof. Rhodes has travelled all over Turkey from one side to another with 160 students who graduated from Cornell University and he stated that all of them were very impressed with Turkish history, natural beauty, and the people during the journey and Turkey has gained 160 new friends. He also expressed his ideas about inflation and said: "Everybody suffers due to inflation. This should be hindered but it requires political determination, difficult decisions and the politicians should make a choice at this point". /Hurriyet/[30] TGSD: NEVER FORGET THE DAYS OF BOYCOTT, ITALYThe Turkish Clothing Industries' Association (TGSD) has rebuked Italy for behaving negatively towards Turkey due to Ocalan's trial. Bulent Atuk, the chairman of the TGSD, sent a letter to the Italian Textile and Clothing Industries' Association in which he said: "We can go back to the days of boycott". Atuk has also sent the same letter to Eurotex. Requiring a constructive attitude from the Italian textiles' businessmen, he declared in the letter that with their warnings the Italian Government should note the contrary attitudes which could harm and endanger long-established mutual relations. Meanwhile, it was also explained that the Italian Government's attitudes were understood by the Turkish people as interference in their sovereignty rights and it was once more stressed that the capital punishment verdict came from the independent Turkish judiciary. /Hurriyet/[31] FAMOUS SINGER, ACTRESS SEVIM TUNA PASSES AWAYFamous Turkish singer and cinema actress, Sevim Tuna, passed away late Saturday night in the hospital where she was undergoing cancer treatment, the Anatolia News Agency reports. Tuna will be buried in Istanbul on Wednesday.[32] FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..[33] CEM, PAPANDREU AND OTHERS.... -BY YASEMIN CONGAR (MILLIYET)Columnist Congar writes on the recent meetings between the Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Greece and the reactions to them. A summary of her column is as follows:"The meeting of Turkish and Greek Foreign Ministers on 30 June was an important first step. This meeting which had been facilitated by the 'constructive' personalities of Cem and Papandreu resulted in two different reactions. What is even stranger is that these two different reactions could both be seen in Ankara and Athens. In Athens, a group of political observers and a part of the press are not happy with achieving concrete results from the meeting between Cem and Papandreu. They believe they have nothing to discuss with Turkey who they ybelieve blocks the road to a solution on Cyprus. However, in Athens thereare those who believe in the necessity of a rapprochement between Turkey and Greece. Some Greek diplomats believe that the Ocalan affair had damaged Greece's image. It is one thing to sympathize with the demands of Kurds and another to support the killing of innocent people: "We have suffered from terrorism ourselves. Therefore, we can cooperate with Turks on the issue." In Ankara, some circles believe that as Greece has been forced out on limb due to the Ocalan affair, Turkey has lost her trump cards by helping them. However, the stance of Cem and other Turkish diplomats are different, and they believe that Turkey has to be cautious and look at the results. They also consider it important to open the road to bilateral agreements on many issues, including terrorism. If Turkey can guarantee that the PKK will not be supported by Greece from now on it will be an achievement. The reason why the meeting in New York could yield concrete results lies in the personalities of Cem and Papandreu and their inclinations. The US Administration is pleased with the Cem-Papandreu meeting and their decision to start work among delegations in five fields. However, the talk on the importance of a dialogue cannot only be explained by the personalities of the Ministers. Some foreign policy concerns have paved the way for this meeting. In answer to a question, Papandreu had said said that Greek people favoured good relations with Turkey. If the biggest problems could be surmounted the public would support the meeting in New York. All these do not mean that all problems with Greece will be solved immediately. Foreign Minister Cem is right to be cautious. However, to urge Greece to take a step forward depends on our stand based on how much we want it. Then we can see how far Greece will cooperate against terrorism. If we can sit at a table with Syria who does not have any respect for rights, law or democracy it should not be seen as strange to sit at a table with Greece!" [34] SPECIAL KOSOVO[35] TURKISH SOLDIERS IN KOSOVOThe first contingent of the Turkish unit to be deployed in Kosovo as part of the Peacekeping Force in Kosovo (K-FOR) arrived in Prizren, Kosovo, yesterday. People of Turkish origin welcomed the Turkish unit with great pleasure. Members of the foreign press and other NATO military officials said that there hasn't been such an emotional welcome for the soldiers of other countries. The Turkish unit coordinated by Brigadier-General Mehmet Ali Erdogan later proceeded to Dragas. /Turkiye/[36] CEM: "WE WILL RECONSTRUCT KOSOVO"Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem, said that the measures to ensure the participation of almost 60,000 Kosovors originated from Turkey in the democratization process have already been started. He added that Turkey saw the Kosovo issue as being of great significance and with this aim a $ 18 billion investment was foreseen for the construction of the region. Stressing that at the moment the most important issue was to give a political structure to Kosovo, Cem pointed out that all Kosovars should take part within this political structure. Ismail Cem underlined that ethnic division should not be alllowed in the region. /Aksam/[37] LIBERATION -BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)Columnist Gungor Mengi writes on the arrival of the Turkish unit in Kosovo which will serve within the UN's K-FOR peacekeeping force. A summary of his column is as follows:"Yesterday, an enthusiastic reception was witnessed in Kosovo. The first contingent of the Turkish unit to work in the Kosovo peacekeeping force was welcomed with great joy in Prizren... The entrance of the peace-keeping force in Kosovo, following the NATO strikes against the racist administration of Milosevic, heralded an atmosphere of safety and the end of sorrows. However, the Turks and Albanians in Prizren believed in their liberation when they welcomed the Turkish unit. These people are our kinsmen and practice the same religion as us. They have been the target of Serbian oppression and suffered under this regime. This fact has even been documented. In his book entitled "Kosovo", Noel Malcolm says that in 1937 a series of measures were suggested to the Yugoslav Government to get rid of Albanians. They were, " We have to make it unbearable for Albanians to stay here. For example, their old land titles should be considered invalid...Their meadows should be taken back. They should be dismissed from their jobs in State and local administrations and in private organizations... Their cemeteries could be burnt and one last resort used for centuries is to set on fire to Albanian districts."... The motherland of nation states, Europe is being integrated and boundaries are being abolished. The welcome in Prizren may be used against Turkey by those who oppose Turkish acceptance into the EU. However, if the West respects the opinions of its own historians it can understand the reason for the enthusiasm seen yesterday and even learn a few lessons from the Ottomans concerning the union it is trying to establish in Europe. Historian Jason Goodwin in his book entitled "The Lords of the Horizons" says: "The Lords of the Horizons", inevitably brings to mind the strange and dynamic Empire made up of thirty-six nations in the Balkans, the Black Sea and the Middle East. As far as nationalist history is concerned, this is a great story of conquest and forcing people into submission. However, the reality is different. In the great historian Braudel's words, "Turks had created structures for cooperation." This structure formed of many languages was a Turkish Empire created under a combined will..." The scenes witnessed in Prizren yesterday deny the slanders of "Barbarian Turks" and reveal a true pictures." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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