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Turkish Press Review, 99-08-16Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>16.08.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] 'TRAVEL TO THE SUN' CANDIDATE TO BE NOMINATED FOR EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS[02] FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..[03] DEMIREL TO VISIT HACIBEKTAS'The 36th National and the 10th International Hacibektas-i Veli Commemoration and Cultural Art Events' will be held today in Hacibektas, Nevsehir. President Suleyman Demirel, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli, Chairman of the Motherland Party (ANAP) Mesut Yilmaz and Chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Altan Oymen will take part in the events. /Hurriyet/[04] US ENERGY SECRETARY TO ARRIVE IN TURKEY TODAYUS Energy Secretary Bill Richardson will arrive in Turkey today to review the Baku-Ceyhan crude oil pipeline and Turkmenistan-Turkey natural gas pipeline projects and to investigate opportunities for Turco-US cooperation in the field of energy. Richardson is expected to express US support for these aforementioned projects once again. Richardson, who will be received by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, will meet Deputy Prime Minister and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer on Tuesday, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[05] TRADE DELEGATION FROM SOUTH KOREAA trade delegation from South Korea will visit Turkey on September 14-16, 1999, as part of the 1999 promotional campaign activities being carried out by the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat. A statement issued by the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat said that a delegation consisting of the Head of the Korean Foreign Trade Agencies' Union, active within the South Korean Importers' Union, and representatives from 23 import-export firms will come to Turkey and meet representatives from Turkish export firms, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[06] MEMORANDUM OF ACCORD BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE PHILIPPINESA memorandum of accord envisaging the establishment of a political negotiation mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of Turkey and the Philippines signed in Ankara on June 17, 1999, has gone into effect. According to the accord published in the Official Gazette on August 13, 1999, regular political negotiations will be held on regional and international issues which concern the two countries. The negotiations will be carried out bi-annually in Ankara and Manila, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[07] GAP TO BE PROMOTED TO THE WORLD ON CNNA five-person delegation from the CNN TV channel which arrived in the region in order to prepare a programme on 'Water and the GAP's effect on regional people' will promote the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) to the whole world. The Director of the GAP Regional Development Administration, Erkan Alemdaroglu, said that the CNN delegation would conduct their research in Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir and Mardin. Alemdaroglu stated that the delegation would leave Turkey on August 16, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[08] EIGHT TERRORISTS KILLEDDuring operations carried out by security forces in the Southeast, 10 terrorists including eight dead were rendered ineffective. According to a statement issued by the Emergency Rule Region, four members of the PKK terrorist organization were killed in the village of Icpinar village and Kigi, a district in Bingol; two were killed in the Yuksekova district of Hakkari and two were killed in the Gurpinar district of Van while one terrorist surrendered in the Bulanik district of Mus and one was captured in the Lice district of Diyarbakir. Officials said that a search for other terrorists was underway, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[09] DRUGS RAIDGendarmerie teams have seized 513.8 kilos of heroin in a truck which entered from Iran to Turkey. A written statement issued by the Gendarmerie General Command said that the driver of the truck has been detained regarding the incident. The statement remarked that an investigation into the incident was in progress, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[10] FOREST FIRE IN BUCAAs a result of a forest fire in the Buca district of Izmir, 1.5 hectares of forest have been destroyed. Officials said that the fire has been brought under control. They added that three people who are allegedly involved in the incident have been detained, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[11] ERDEMIR TO IMPORT COAL WORTH $190 MILLIONThe General Directorate of Eregli Iron and Steel Companies (ERDEMIR) has placed an order with three firms for the import of a total of 1.6 million tons of coal needed over the next two years. These three firms will be Canada's Farding (640,000 tons), the US-Cansol Glencse Company (300,000 tons) and Australia's Ruhr Kohle and A.M.C. (675,000 tons), the Anatolia News Agency reports.[12] TPAO'S DAILY OIL PRODUCTIONThe Turkish Petroleum Board (TPAO) has achieved a daily output of 42,000 barrels (nearly 7,000 tons) of oil, the Anatolia News Agency reports. The TPAO which meets the greater part of Turkey's crude oil requirement of 25 million tons of petroleum together with foreign firms is expected to produce 2.5 million tons of crude oil this year. The daily production of natural gas by the TPAO is 1.2 million cubic metres.[13] KOSOVARS CONTINUE TO RETURNKosovar refugees, who fled from the Serbian massacre and arrived in Turkey, are continuing to return to their country. According to a statement issued by the Interior Ministry, 17,575 Kosovar refugees had left Turkey as of Saturday since a peace agreement has been reached in Kosovo. There are still 135 Kosovars in the Gaziosmanpasha Guest House in Kirklareli, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[14] INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTSThe Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) will be turned into a regional economic organization. According to a decision published in the Official Gazette yesterday, the founder members of the BSEC, including Turkey, will take into consideration the path covered since the beginning and strengthen the international legal features of the BSEC. The decision foresees that the BEEC Parliamentary Assembly, the BSEC Business Council, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank and the Academic Cooperation Council will be active as affiliated organizations of the BSEC. Member countries will cooperate in many fields such as banking, energy, communications, agriculture and the struggle against organized crime, terrorism and drug smuggling. The five-year extension of a memorandum of accord concerning the development of economic and social cooperation between Turkey and Moldovia was also published in the Official Gazette yesterday, the Anatolia News Agency reports. Turkey and Moldovia will also cooperate also in the areas of infrastructure, privatization, agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism, health, the environment and energy.[15] CLINTON TO VISIT TURKEYUS President Bill Clinton will first attend the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Summit in Istanbul on November 18-19 and then visit Ephesus and Meryemana, believed to be the last House of the Virgin Mary. Bill Clinton will come to Turkey with his wife, Hillary Clinton and his daughter Chelsea and will visit the historic and tourist sites in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions. /Hurriyet/[16] JUSTICE COMMIISSION APPROVES NEW DRAFT OF REPENTANCE BILLThe repentance bill, which grants limited amnesty to members of the PKK terrorist organization who did not play an active part in the separatist group's campaign against the Turkish State and who surrender to security forces, has been accepted by Parliament's Justice Commission. Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk, who delivered a briefing on the repentance bill to the Justice Commission, stated that the terrorist organization has been harming Turkey for at least 15 years. /All papers/[17] FP GOES TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURTVirtue Party's (FP) Group Deputy Chairman Ismail Kahraman, will apply to the Constitutional Court for the abolishment of some of the articles of the 1999 Budget Law. Kahraman will go to the Constitutional Court today with a committee and later will issue a press declaration. /Turkiye/[18] 60 OUT OF EVERY 1,000 CARS WORLD-WIDE PRODUCED IN TURKEYSixty out of every 1,000 cars produced throughout the world are produced in Turkey. While world automobile production was 39.1 million last year, this figure was 240,000 in Turkey which received a 0.6 % share of the world's automobile production. /Hurriyet/[19] CONSTRUCTION OF ENERGY BRIDGEThe 'Mideast Countries Interconnection Energy System' project is being revived after a stand still over ten years since the negative attitude of Syria. The Energy and National Resources Ministry authorities expressed that the 60 km-energy transport line in Syria will be constructed by the Turkish and German firms. After the construction the energy exchange between Syria and Turkey can begin in 2001. The system will be also an important energy passage between Turkey, Mideast and European Countries. /Turkiye/[20] UNIONS IN ASSEMBLY TODAYThe administrators of the unions annexed to the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DISK) will convene in Ankara today in order to protest against the Social Security draft law. A written statement issued by the DISK representative office in Ankara said that a delegation headed by DISK Chairman Vahdettin Karabay will visit the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) today and hold a round of talks. /Hurriyet/[21] NEW CHAIRMAN OF MINING-LABOUR: ALTUNCetin Altun has become the new Chairman of the General Mining-Labour Union (Genel Maden-Is) following the killing of the General Secretary of the Turkish Trade Unions' Federation (Turk-Is) and the Chairman of Genel Maden-Is, Semsi Denizer. /Hurriyet/[22] TRAIN DE-RAILEDA train carrying 200 passangers and travelling from Denizli to Izmir was sabotaged yesterday. The train hit an iron bar which had been put on the rails and turned over. As a result of the accident, 20 people were injured. It was remarkable that the accident was on the same day as members of the PKK terrorist organization raided the Eruh district of Siirt and the Semdinli district of Hakkari and also was the anniversary of bloody attacks on August 15, 1984. /Hurriyet/[23] PLANS FOR TURKISH UNIVERSITY IN GERMANYThe 'Turco-German Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group' set up in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) has decided to lobby German Members of Parliament for the establishment of a Turkish university in Germany. The Afyon Deputy from the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), Mujdat Kayayerli, became the Chairman of the Friendship Group which consists of 70 deputies from Parliament. Kayayerli said that they would make every effort to establish a Turkish university in Germany through a dialogue between Turkish and German politicians and to solve the problems of Turkish citizens living in Germany. /Hurriyet/[24] BIRECIK DAM ALMOST COMPLETEDNearly 85 % of the construction of Birecik Dam has been completed. The Dam which is being constructed with a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model will produce 2.5 billion kwh of energy every year. The cost of the Dam will total nearly 2.3 billion DM. /Star/[25] THREE-MONTH TENDER FROM TREASURYThe Treasury will issue the second batch of three-year-term bonds with variable interest rates tomorrow as part of its new borrowing strategy. The bonds will receive coupon payments once every three months. /Star/[26] TURKISH MARK ON GEOTHERMIC ENERGYTurkey has been honoured: Orhan Mertoglu, the Chairman of the Turkish Geothermic Association, has been elected Chairman of the International Geothermic Institution's European Department. Orhan Mertoglu, who was a member of the European Executive Board of the International Geothermic Institution, has been unanimously elected to this post, and will remain in this post until the end of the year 2001. /Aksam/[27] CAGLAYAN: "ENERGY COUNCIL SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED"The Head of the Ankara Chamber of Trade (ASO), Zafer Caglayan, said that the enactment of a Constitutional amendment concerning international arbitration was very pleasing and added: "An energy council should be established". He also proposed the establishment of an autonomous 'Telecommunications Council'. /Aksam/[28] GAZIANTEP INDUSTRY TO PRODUCE HELICOPTER PARTSGaziantep industries will now produce helicopter parts. The Acting Chairman of the Foundation for the Development of Gaziantep's Economy (GAGEV), Mustafa Geylani, said that officials from Bell, part of the US Textron Holding Corporation, one of the biggest helicopter producers in the world, had arrived in Gaziantep and held a round of talks. Geylani remarked that the talks had been very beneficial. /Aksam/[29] ASSAULT AGAINST GULER FOILEDDuring a raid in Gaziantep, it was discovered that two German members of the PKK terrorist organization were about to carry out an assault against the Gaziantep Governor, Muammer Guler. These terrorists were captured and sent to prison. /Aksam/[30] ISRAEL TO PURCHASE TURKISH WATERIsrael will pruchase water from Turkey. Officials from the Israeli Foreign Ministry and water experts will visit Turkey on September 5-6. In Manavgat, Turkey, it is possible to transport 500,000 cubic metres of water every day. /Aksam/[31] TOURISM CAMPAIGNThe Tourism Ministry will launch new plans next week. An advertising campaign, costing $7 million, to be implemented as of next week aims at an additional $1 billion income in the tourism sector. Acording to information received from Tourism Ministry officials, the campaign will last for two months and will be carried out in six countries: Britain, the US, Austria, Russia, Germany and France. /Milliyet/[32] WEAPONS CACHE SEIZED IN SIVEREKDuring the raids conducted in the Siverek district of Sanliurfa, security forces seized 10 RPG-7 rocket-launcher ammunition in three sacks. Authorities said that an investigation was being carried out into the case. /Cumhuriyet/[33] 'TRAVEL TO THE SUN' CANDIDATE TO BE NOMINATED FOR EUROPEAN FILM AWARDSThe film 'Travel to the Sun' directed by Yesim Ustaoglu, has been chosen as a candidate to be nominated for the European Film Awards 1999, which is organized by the European Film Academy (EFA). /Cumhuriyet/[34] AWARD FOR PRO-ATATURK NEWSPAPERThe Turkish newspaper 'Bizim Anadolu' which has been issued monthly in Montreal, Canada since 1994, was presented with the second prize in 'the best paper design' category by the Quebec Public Newspapers' Association. The General Director of 'Bizim Anadolu', Omer F.Ozen, received the award at a ceremony. The newspaper has been known as being a pro-Ataturk publication. /Cumhuriyet/[35] 'ACCOMPLISHMENT AWARD' TO A TURKISH STUDENTCagatay Erakin who has graduated from Newyork University's Dentist Faculty in the first rank, has been the owner of the'accomplishment award' of the American Endodondists' Association. The award has been given to only one student in whole America. /Turkiye/[36] BAKU-CEYHAN PROJECTThe Turkish and Azerbaijan working committees working the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project will meet in Tbilisi in September. Baku-Ceyhan is planned to send Azerbaijan petroleum production to world markets, reported the Anatolian News Agency.The Georgian Government's Petroleum Firm's President, Giorgi Canturiya stated that US President Bill Clinton and his advisor on the Caspian River Basin, John Wolf, would also attend the meetings in Tbilisi. Canturiya said that the working party would go to the US and that they would hold a meeting with the World Bank officials. [37] FOREIGN INVESTORS' PURCHASES IN JULYForeign investors purchased 18 million 250 thousand dollars-worth of stocks on the Istanbul Stock Exchange in July. Investors purchased 936 million dollars-worth of stock and sold 756 million dollars-worth last month. So the net amount purchased increased to 444 million dollars in the months between January and July. Foreign investors were most interested in the shares of the Sabanci Holding Company and bought 49 million 428 thousand dollars-worth of them. In this share the amount purchased cost 109 million dollars whereas the amount sold was 59.7. The Sabanci Holding Company is followed by Akbank with 33.3 million dollars, the Dogan Holding Company with 20.9 million dollars, Hurriyet with 19.7 million dollars and the Koc Holding Company with 16.8 million dollars. At the top of the best-sellers list, there is Yapi Kredi with 13.1 million dollars. Yapi Kredi is followed by Finansbank with 12.7 million dollars, Migros with 7.9 million dollars, the Dogan Publishing Holding Company with four million dollars and Netas with three million dollars. /Sabah/[38] GREAT SUCCESS IN ARCHERYThe Turkish archery has accomplished a great success. During the world championship the quota of six archers per country was able to be filled by six sportsmen in Turkey. Turkey is one of only five countries who were able to succeed in this in the year before the Sydney 2000 Olympics, reported the Anatolian News Agency.In Riom, in France Turkish archers were placed in the 40th World Archery Championship that was held between July 22 and 29 and thus they were able to fill the quota of six that had been determined by the International Federation of the Olympic Games. Among 64 women and 64 sportsmen to compete in Sydney, Turkey, the US, Italy, the Ukraine and South Korea are the five countries that have been able to attain the quota of six archers. As the host country, Australia will also participate with six archers. The Archery Federation's President, Ugur Erdener, emphasizing their overwhelming achivement, said that Turkish archery, although it was not considered to be successful particularly in the men's category had proved itself by filling the quota that had been determined by the International Federation. Erdener said that countries other than those who had been able to attain the quota could get the chance to send a maximum of three archers to Sydney. He added that among the 68 teams that competed in the last World Championship they had obtained this right by being placed in the top eight, both in the men's and the women's category. [39] FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..FROM THE COLUMNS..[40] BE RELAXED -BY ENIS BERBEROGLU (HURRIYET)Enis Berberoglu, a columnist in the daily 'Hurriyet' newspaper, says the following in his article today:"I was on vacation last week. I read the newspapers while I was on holiday. I was extremely interested in the atmosphere of peace prevailing in Turco-Iranian relations following the release of the two Turkish soldiers detained by Iran. I regarded some newspaper headlines such as 'Cooperation with Iran against the PKK' as very trustworthy! However, the same newspapers say that there are 11 PKK camps in Iran, along with a PKK hospital... I also viewed the re-activation of an old politician by Turkey. It was also very meaningful that before the government had gained more than six months of experience, there is the possibility that an early election could be held. Social Security, the Repentance Law, the Amnesty Law.. it was very amusing to read the newspapers while on vacation!" [41] THE TURNING POINT IN THE SOUTHEAST -BY SUKRU ELEKDAG (MILLIYET)Sukru Elekdag, a columnist in the daily 'Milliyet' newspaper, says the following in his article today:"Firstly Ocalan asked the PKK to "give up the terrorist action and go over the border" and then said, "The PKK may be disarmed if Turkey applies the law reform and proclaims an amnesty" and this surprised the European press greatly. These developments were considered to be important improvements towards peace and great opportunities to take advantage of. Official viewpoints do not take Ocalan into consideration. They say that Ocalan cannot be the object of them in any way and that his offers cannot be a subject of bargain.According to the news we received, we can say that Turkish information offices are very careful in what they say about Ocalan's rhetoric and that they suspect that the members of the PKK will not obey Ocalan. According to these bureaus' evaluations, even if the members of the Presidential Council that administers the PKK do not respect Ocalan, they pretend to respect him in order to avoid the PKK being segregated. Furthermore, the information offices claim that even if the PKK offers to redirect itself towards politics, this manner only means a change attitude. So their aim is still the same. The aim is to make the Kurdish identity known on an equal footing with Turkey in terms of the Constitution and to give the Kurds geographical space and autonomy. Ocalan's explanations are evaluated in the light of these truths. In this case the problem is knotted at these points. Is Ocalan sincere while saying "we can reduce the Kurdish problem to a "cultural and democratic rights" problem and on the other hand if Turkey makes a law reform (I still do not know what it means) and proclaims an amnesty, then the PKK can be disarmed"? Or does he use these explanations as a bait to enter on a path of independence for himself. Even if people believe in Ocalan's sincerety, does he have the chance of being accepted by the Presidental Council, People's Liberation Army of Kurdistan (PLAK) or by its European cadre? Hasn't it been recognized that PLAK played both ends against the middle? On the one hand it pretended to obey Ocalan's order to the PKK to go over the border, on the other hand it showed that it does not intend to obey this order in terms of some other regions. In this case will the members of the PKK surrender after the proclamation of an amnesty? In such a case won't the European cadre reject it? In this term it is impossible to answer these questions. In any case Turkey will make her decision according to actions, not words, and while doing this she does not intend to stoop to speak to the PKK. Obviously Turkey's biggest problems derive from the PKK. It would be a dream to think that Turkey will be happy and receive welfare without solving this problem. However, Turkey does not have a plan or strategy that aim at solving the Kurdish problem. The governments that are responsible for this big embrassment considered the problem only in terms of security. However, a plan like this should cover the problem's social, political, economic, cultural, educational and democratizational aspects and to direct all national power to the solution of the problem. In this respect, priority should be given to bring about an end to the economic and social conditions that feed terrorism. To achieve this goal a socio-economic development plan over eight years should be applied as soon as possible and the most suitable conditions for the eight-year education initiative should be obtained in order to create an educated generation. Another problem is that our compatriots in the region are treated in a different way. They think that this behaviour derives from their different identity and culture. The practices and restrictions that cause this situation should be abolished and the people living there should be given the personal rights and freedom that all Turkish citizens have. One of the steps that should be taken to achieve this goal is to abolish the restriction that television and radio broadcasts should be made in the mother language and to proclaim an amnesty for the young people in those mountains in order to turn them into useful citizens". Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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