TRKNWS-L Turkish Daily News (February 6, 1996)

From: TRKNWS-L <trh@aimnet.com>

Turkish News Directory

CONTENTS

TURKISH DAILY NEWS / 6 February 1996

[01] Syria continues water lobby against Turkey

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- As Syria continues its search for Arab backing for its water dispute with Turkey, Ankara's "technical approach toward water" has received support from Jordan.

"While in Ankara, the Jordanian Crown Prince Hassan has discussed with President Suleyman Demirel the general water question in the region," Foreign Ministry spokesman Omer Akbel said on Monday.

"He said that technical studies must be made in the whole region. This, as you know, is the crux of our attitude on water.

We also advocate the same technical approach to our water question," Akbel said.

Ankara is urging its two downstream neighbors, Iraq and Syria, to negotiate on a three-staged plan which proposes "a technical approach" to the water question by formulating water and land inventories for the three countries, then comparing them for optimal use of water resources.

The Syrian government has already sent a memorandum to the league asking for the dispute over the sharing of the waters of the river Euphrates to be discussed at its ministerial council, due to meet in Cairo on March 13, Arab League sources told Reuters.

Similarly, senior officials from Syria and Iraq will meet in Damascus next Saturday. Diplomats said the meeting between the long-time Arab foes, who severed diplomatic ties in 1980, constituted a sign of improvement in relations. This will provide a forum for the two countries to coordinate their water policies.

Turkish officials expressed scepticism about the outcome of such a meeting, saying that the two countries do not exactly have a common position, although both sides reject Turkey's three-staged plan for solving the water problem between the three countries.

"Turkey's three-staged plan considers the water transfer opportunity from the Tigris to the Euphrates. It is the Iraqis who oppose this," a Turkish diplomat said. Iraq, basing its argument on its "ancestral rights" over the Tigris, refuses the water transfer.

Iraq has both the Tigris and Euphrates flowing through its territory, while Syria only has the Euphrates.

Ankara has also said, following an Iraqi demarche claiming that the water coming downstream to Iraq was polluted, that it was faulty irrigation techniques by Syria that caused the pollution to Iraq's water.

The Turkish diplomat also maintained that there was a joint technical group between Turkey, Syria and Iraq to debate the water question. "If there is to be a meeting, this is the right framework," he said.

Ankara last month warned the Arab countries against "appearing as if they are forming an anti-Turkish bloc." Turkish diplomats also brushed aside the claim made by Egypt and six Gulf Arab states -- in the form of a "Damascus Declaration" -- that Turkey built dams on the Euphrates without consulting Syria and Iraq.

Syrian protests have increased since November, when Ankara announced a finance agreement for a fourth dam on the Euphrates, designed to produce power and irrigation water for southeastern Turkey.

German, Belgian, French and Austrian firms are part of an international consortium financing the new Birecik dam and power plant costing $1.62 billion.

Ankara maintains that both Baghdad and Damascus have been informed of the Birecik dam, and even protested the plan for its construction in 1993.

Syria is calling for the signing of a permanent water-sharing agreement with Turkey to replace a provisional accord requiring Turkey to allow the flow of 500 cubic meters of water to Syria per second.

But Turkey, which accuses Syria of backing the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has been cool about the Syrian demand.

Spokesman Akbel repeated on Monday that Syria still has not replied to the Turkish request for information regarding six truck-loads of arms seized by Turkey last month on their way from Iran to Lebanon via Syria. Turkish Interior Minister Teoman Unusan said that the arms-laden trucks demonstrated beyond doubt the support given to the PKK and other terrorist groups by Syria, but did not elaborate further.

[02] Yilmaz urges DYP defections

TDN Parliament Bureau

ANKARA- Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz issued a call to True Path Party (DYP) deputies to support his quest to form a Motherpath (ANAP-DYP) coalition.

In his call to wavering DYP deputies, Yilmaz asked them, "to analyse properly the reasons barring the partnership between ANAP and the DYP ... (and to) determine their stance accordingly." On Monday Yilmaz met with his party aides to hammer out a strategy for his attempts to form a government.

Imren Aykut, a chief Yilmaz aide told reporters after the meeting that it was Ciller who had tried to block a Motherpath coalition. She said that her party would try every alternative to form a coalition, seeing increased chances for Ciller backing down from her intransigence.

But Aykut said that if all else failed ANAP would go to the RP.

Playing on the fears of the newly-elected lawmakers about a new contest, Aykut said "We would not go to the RP with the obligation of setting up a coalition. We do not discount an early election if no solution can be found." Yilmaz is starting his own round of coalition talks with a meeting today with Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. The ANAP leader was assigned to form the government by President Suleyman Demirel on Saturday after Islamist leader Erbakan and Ciller admitted defeat earlier.,

Later Tuesday Yilmaz will meet with Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit, who is pledged to back his efforts to put together a center-right coalition or set up a minority government.

Meetings with DYP leader Tansu Ciller and Welfare Party (RP) leader Necmettin Erbakan are planned for tomorrow.

During his talks with Baykal and Ecevit, Yilmaz is expected to seek support for an ANAP minority government, although the support of leftist parties leaves Yilmaz still short of the 276 votes he needs in the 550-member legislature to survive the required confidence vote. Thus, Yilmaz must rely on a group of DYP deputies to support him.

It is believed that some 20-30 DYP deputies are angered at the failure of the two center-right parties to come to a coalition agreement. They reportedly grudge Ciller's insistence on remaining prime minister which they see as having barred a deal.

But the DYP sources say it is questionable that the the rebels will provide Yilmaz the support he expects.

In a setback to Yilmaz's efforts, CHP leader Deniz Baykal pointed out that at the moment there is no group of DYP deputies who are committed to support Yilmaz. Baykal said that as no such group exists yet, "a (minority government) formula is not yet in a negotiable stage." Baykal said that he had done everything possible to try and to bring about a compromise between Tansu Ciller and Mesut Yilmaz. It would be better to have a coalition than a minority government, he stressed.

Yilmaz's call for DYP dissidents has drawn strong reaction from DYP officials. Haluk Muftuler, a DYP deputy chairman, said that not a single deputy would be prepared to desert the DYP to join another party. Noting that Yilmaz had opened the doors to the would-be DYP deserters, he said, "He has opened an ugly path. If he now attempts to form a Motherpath government by trying to recruit deputies from the DYP or from any other party, the result will not be Motherpath, but an 'Immoralpath'." Yilmaz said any dissent by DYP deputies should not be viewed as indicating a party switch. He said, "Transfers take place between football players (clubs). Men determine their own line if they are devoted to their principles." Meanwhile, there are reports that ANAP officials will first attempt to form a Motherpath coalition led by a third person, that is, someone other than Yilmaz or Ciller.

They voice hopes that the uneasiness in the ranks of the DYP will force Ciller to agree to such a plan.

State Minister Cavit Caglar has already called on Ciller and Yilmaz to step down to allow the formation of a Motherpath coalition.

Another potential defector, Energy Minister Sinasi Altiner who was offended by Ciller's phone slamming on him, was persuaded at the last minute to drop his decision to resign.

Yilmaz denied that he had spoken to Altiner.

[03] Greece ups tension in the Aegean

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- The Greek government, which has been accused of losing face to Turkey in last week's crisis over the Kardak rocks, protested to Ankara on Monday over warning shots fired by Turkish coastal guards at two Greek fishing boats on Saturday night.

The protest, which a Greek spokesman said was delivered to the Turkish Embassy in Athens on Monday, comes right after a military standoff between the two countries last week, and coincided with an announcement by Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis that the planned visit of U.S. troubleshooter Richard Holbrooke to Athens was "not possible." Holbrooke had announced that during his visit he would focus on the problems in the region, and see whether there was a role for a U.S. contribution to improve relations between two of its key allies, Turkey and Greece.

However, the new Greek government, which has come under heavy attack for accepting a U.S.-brokered compromise in its recent showdown with Turkey over the Kardak rocks, slammed the door on the expected visit by Holbrooke, the assistant secretary of state for European and Canadian affairs.

"The program that Holbrooke proposed does not fit in with the government's schedule. So the visit is not possible," Simitis told reporters.

Ankara, which had announced earlier in the day that it was ready to welcome Holbrooke on Feb. 10, said after the declaration that they had received no news that the Turkish leg of the visit was cancelled.

"We have said that we are ready to welcome Mr. Holbrooke. But the decision whether to carry out the visit under these conditions is his," a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said.

"So far, we don't have any indication that the Turkish leg of his visit is also cancelled." Foreign Ministry spokesman Omer Akbel said before Simitis' announcement that Ankara hoped a visit by Holbrooke would make a positive contribution to relations between Turkey and Greece, which came to the brink of war last week after a military standoff.

"Mr. Holbrooke will be visiting Ankara on the 10th of this month ... This will give the opportunity to both sides to take up any matter of common interest," Akbel said.

Akbel said Turkey believed that the only way to solve the problems between Turkey and Greece was through direct negotiations. "Any friendly contribution would be welcomed," he said.

Holbrooke, who negotiated the Bosnian peace accord in Dayton, Ohio last November, said last week he would lead a mission to Greece and Turkey because of the Kardak row, instead of a previously planned initiative on Cyprus.

Holbrooke maintained that the improvement of relations between the Aegean states would contribute to a settlement on Cyprus, but the shooting incident, which is common between the two Aegean neighbors, cast a further shadow on the strained bilateral ties.

The boats were pursued by Turkish coastal guards for two hours while they were fishing between Semadirek Island and the Turkish coast, the Athens news agency reported.

In a press conference on Monday morning, Akbel confirmed that there had been "some friction" between Turkish and Greek boats. "But I understand there was nothing grave," he added.

After the Greek protest, a Turkish diplomat told the TDN that the Greek move to increase tensions over a minor incident could be "for domestic consumption." "The Simitis government has come under heavy attack after the Kardak crisis," the diplomat said. "This intransigent attitude is the result of that -- Simitis will find it more difficult than ever to take any constructive step in Turco-Greek relations." Greece has so far not formally replied to the Turkish request to discuss the legal status of the islets and rocks in the Aegean. Both sides claim ownership, and Ankara has conveyed its legal argument to Greece.

According to Greek sources, Athens' answer, which claims that there is nothing to negotiate about, is already prepared and will be conveyed to Turkey in the coming days.

[04] Turkey eyes trade with Iraq but cites snags

By Ercan Ersoy

Reuters

ANKARA- Turkish officials said on Monday Iraq's talks with the United Nations on an oil-for-food scheme may mean profit for Turkey but uncertainties and obstacles lay ahead before any trade with Baghdad actually started.

"There are many uncertainties in the approach Iraq will take in the New York talks," said one Turkish government official. "We do not know what reaction Iraq will show if the UN insists on the resolution 986 as the way it was decided," he told Reuters. "Iraq has always opposed to the resolution." Iraq and the United Nations enter talks on Tuesday in New York after the Baghdad government last month said it was ready to negotiate the oil-for-food plan under which Iraq would be allowed to sell oil worth $2 billion for food over six months.

But the official said there were two major snags for the U.N. plan, spelled out in the resolution 986, to actually be implemented to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people.

"Iraq has reservations in the distribution of food in its Kurdish-held north and it insists that the oil be exported through its ports, not through the trans-Turkey pipeline," said the official, who declined to be named.

He said Iraq and the United Nations might have to make some concessions at the talks "without altering the essence of the resolution".

The resolution obliges Iraq to export the larger part of any oil to be sold under the U.N. plan via a twin pipeline from Kirkuk oilfields to Turkey's southern Ceyhan port.

Turkey has said the pipelines, which pumped 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iraqi crude oil to the Western markets before the U.N. trade embargo on Baghdad in 1990, were technically ready for re-usage.

Iraq wants to export at least part of the 700,000 bpd of oil envisaged in resolution 986 by tankers from its Gulf ports at Mina al Bakr and Khor al Amaya. It also wants to avoid a pipeline transit fee Turkey will charge.

Baghdad also cites geographical difficulties in supplying its crude from the Mediterranean to the Far East, one of its favorite markets before the embargo.

Turkey has lost about $2 billion in fees since it shut down the pipeline in 1990 to abide by the U.N. embargo on Iraq, Turkey's top oil supplier and third largest trade partner before the embargo.

The Turkish official said private companies in Turkey would be the best placed suppliers of food items, especially flour, to Iraq if the two sides agreed in New York. "We know they (Iraqis) need flour and sugar most," he said.

Ozkasikci, a leading wheat flour producer in Turkey, said it could provide Iraq with up to 100,000 tonnes of flour in a year.

"We are looking forward to the result of the talks. We hope there will be some trade with Iraq because Turkey is the nearest big supplier of what they need," said Ali Guvenir, trade manager of the company.

Officials from Southeast Cereal Exporters Union said their exports of staple items to Iraq were expected to strike a "significant rise" this year but declined to give any figures.

They exported most of their wheat flour exports of 345,566 tonnes to Iraq in the January-November period of 1995.

[05] Holbrooke clarifies Cyprus trip intentions

Pan-Hellenic Socialist Party: 'The recent crisis caused by the Turkish government is indicative of the aims and aspirations of Turkish expansionism'

By Ugur Akinci

Turkish Daily News

WASHINGTON- The U.S. assistant secretary of state for European and Canadian affairs, Richard Holbrooke, in an interview he gave to the Greek TV channel MEGA, said he is not going to Greece, Turkey and Cyprus to negotiate the status of any Aegean islands.

He also said Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) would not be on his agenda, contrary to a news story that appeared recently in a Turkish daily. Concerning Holbrooke's expected trip to the region, US Ambassador to Athens Thomas Niles told the Greek press that he was not sure when Holbrooke would arrive in Greece.

During his MEGA Channel interview, Holbrooke said: "I'm not going to negotiate the islands or to talk about confidence-building measures. I'm going to talk about the general situation in the area. I'm not going to negotiate." In response to a question on if removal of the Greek flag from Kardak was part of a negotiated deal, Holbrooke said "we didn't pressure the Greek government... President (Bill) Clinton talked to Prime Minister (Costas) Simitis and, incidentally, today President Clinton sent Prime Minister Simitis a personal letter of appreciation for his statesman-like actions."

'Honest broker'

Holbrooke added: "Secretary (of State Warren) Christopher and I talked to (Greek) Foreign Minister (Theodoros) Pangalos, and Secretary (of Defense William) Perry talked to Defense Minister (Gerassimos) Arsenis. In all the conversations, and in similar conversations with Ankara, we said this is not an issue to go to war over, and we feel strongly about that... And the Greek government took its own actions on its own volition, and we acted, as we would call in America, an 'honest broker,'" he said.

"The Turks guaranteed us that if the situation were resolved and that there was status quo ante, they would put no flags, no men, no armaments into battle... And that's where we are now. We conveyed the Turkish assurances to Athens, and the Athens government, the Greek government, took its own steps, not under American pressure" Holbrooke said, in an indirect reply to various Greek press reports that Pangalos agreed to removing Greek flag from Kardak only as a result of intense U.S. pressure.

Concerning the assurances Athens gave to Washington, he said: "The Greek government said to restore the status quo ante without any compromise to its positions, and on that basis we conveyed that to the Turkish government, and the issues were resolved in a way that we think - and by 'we', I include President Clinton and Secretary Christopher ... is mutually beneficial and reduces tensions in the region. This is not an issue to go to war over." National Security Advisor Anthony Lake is also known to have been involved in the telephone traffic on last Tuesday evening that averted a skirmish between Turkey and Greece.

Irish Times

The Irish Times, quoting a "European diplomat," reminded that Holbrooke might be running out of time to resolve the Cyprus issue. "Cyprus is an even tougher nut to crack than Bosnia," said the European diplomat. "The prize to be won is a great one but it seems to me Holbrooke has not left himself nearly enough time." Ireland's interest in the Cyprus issue can be linked to the visits the Irish foreign minister, Dick Spring, paid to the island as a mediator.

"Time is running short for Mr. Holbrooke," the Irish Times said. "He has announced his intention of leaving the U.S. State Department at the end of the month, although he is only 54, with a view to returning to the world of investment banking. However, this announcement, some observers suggest, may be no more than a career ploy."

'High maintenance'

"There have been suggestions that Mr. Holbrooke could eventually replace the current Secretary of State, Mr. Warren Christopher, particularly if Mr. Clinton wins a second term in the White House. However, Mr. Holbrooke's straightforward approach has at times caused him problems in Mr. Clinton's inner circle where many acknowledge his negotiating skills but also bristle at his attitude," said an editorial in the New York Times

The New York Times commented that his superiors consider Holbrooke "a brilliant mind but very, very high maintenance." The paper quoted friends as saying he is "cursed by the conviction that he is the smartest person in the room."

PASOK: 'Threat is from the East'

The ruling Pan-Hellenic Socialist Party's (PASOK) Executive Bureau expressed support on Friday for the Greek government's handling of the issue. "The recent crisis caused by the Turkish government is indicative of the aims and aspirations of Turkish expansionism. It confirms our permanent position that the threat to our country's integrity, sovereignty and security comes from the east," a statement said, according to Athens news agency.

"The Greek government faced the crisis by protecting the peace and without giving up any of our sovereign rights. We do not accept lessons in patriotism from those who led the country to dependence and subservience... We wish to declare to all that any attempt at overthrowing the existing status quo in the Aegean will meet with our resolute opposition. We are ready to defend our sovereign rights determined by international law and international treaties in force with all means. No negotiations can take place or be imposed on the country concerning these indisputable rights, for which Greeks everywhere are, at any moment, ready to win the war if there is no other way," a PASOK statement said.