TRKNWS-L Turkish Daily News (April 1, 1996)

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

Turkish News Directory

CONTENTS

TURKISH DAILY NEWS / 1 April 1996

[01] Turkey hits out at Arab League resolution on Euphrates waters

ANKARA- In a weekend counterattack, Turkish Foreign Ministry slammed the recent Arab League resolution critical of Turkey's stance regarding the use of Euphrates' waters. Responding to a question on the issue, deputy foreign ministry spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said the resolution had ignored the essence of matter. Recalling a series of Syrian efforts to internationalize the Euphrates Waters issue and turn it into a problem between Turkey and the Arab world, Nurkan charged that these stemmed from Damascus'anxiousness to mask the support it lends to the terrorists aiming to divide Turkey and deflect the attention of the world and Arab public.

He was referring to the separatist war waged in southeastern Turkey by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The fighting has claimed over 20,000 lives in official estimates.

PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is believed to be residing in Damascus although Syria denies that.

The foreign ministry official said the Arab league resolution -- calling for an agreement on the allocation of the Euphrates waters between Turkey, Syria and Iraq -- omitted to mention the fact that it was Turkey which has repeatedly invited Syria and Iraq for a dialogue on the "optimal" use of the river's waters and had even proposed a three-stage plan for that.

He said when implementing its own projects on the Euphrates, Turkey always took care to remain within the bounds of international rules and principles.

Despite the objections of the Syria and Iraq, Turkey is busy constructing about a score of large dams and hydroelectric power plants as well as irrigation tunnels on the Euphrates and its sister, the Tigris.

When complete in early 2000s, the multi-billion-dollar scheme dubbed Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) is to double the country's total energy output and transform the backward region through several fold increases in agricultural produce.

Dismissing Syria's objections, Turkey says it is keeping to its pledge of letting through an average volume of 500 cubic meters of Euphrates waters per second.

Ankara also blames what it sees as archaic irrigation methods in Syria and old technology of its power stations as cause of shortages Syria complains of.

[02] Turkish GNP grew 8.1 percent in 1995

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- Turkey's gross national product (GNP) grew by a rapid 8.1 percent in 1995, following a six percent plunge a year ago, official figures revealed at the weekend.

The national statistics agency said the Turkish GNP was TL 7.644 quadrillion, or $165.5 billion, last year. Gross domestic product (GDP) jumped 7.7 percent to TL 7.671 quadrillion, or $166 billion. The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) also said Turkey's per capita income soared by 22.9 percent to $2,685 at current prices. That represents a 6.2 percent rise at constant prices, the DIE said. Per capita income, in terms of the national currency, jumped 93.2 percent, at current prices, to TL 124 million.

The DIE said the Turkish economy grew by 7.7 percent in the final quarter of last year.

It said capital stock in the fourth quarter, at constant prices, dropped 17.3 percent in the government sector but climbed 38.8 percent in the private sector.

In 1995, the agency said, the industrial sector grew by 12.1 percent, fastest on a sectoral basis. The trade sector grew by 11.6 percent, agriculture 2.6 percent but construction shrank by 4.7 percent. At constant prices, the DIE said, financial services grew by a slight 0.4 percent, ownership of dwellings 2.1 percent, self-employed and services 7.5 percent, government services 2.5 percent and import taxes 11.8 percent. Nonprofit organizations, however, reported a 1.3 percent drop in value added.

The DIE said that in the final quarter of the year private consumption increased by 8.4 percent. Government investment dropped 17.3 percent but private investment rose 38.8 percent.