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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (August 9, 1995)From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)CONTENTS[01] INONU RETURNS HOME[02] TUDJMAN SENDS THANKS TO DEMIREL[03] ONE DAY WORK STOPPAGE[04] PAKISTAN HONOURS CILLER WITH A STAMP[05] CLINTON'S ADVISOR TO VISIT ATHENS, ANKARA AND NICOSIA[06] CHECHEN PRIME MINISTER IN ISTANBUL[07] SOUTHEASTERN DEATH TOLL MOUNTS[08] PRESIDENT DEMIREL SENDS GET-WELL MESSAGE TO MEHMET EMIN AGA[09] TPAO TO PRODUCE GAS FROM MARMARA SEA WELLS[10] ANKARA-ATHENS UN DUELTURKISH PRESS REVIEWWEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 1995Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] INONU RETURNS HOMEBelarussian Prime Minister Mihail Chiguir disclosed yesterday that Minsk partly accepted its responsibility for the diplomatic crisis with Turkey that erupted last year after Belarus expelled two Turkish diplomats for alleged spying. Inonu expressed his pleasure over Chiguir's remarks on the diplomatic crisis. "This is an indication of humanity. It is difficult to accept faults. It is a sign of the high level of our relations" Inonu said. He pointed out that Turkey wanted to improve its relations with Belarus. Inonu also extended an invitation from Prime Minister Tansu Ciller to the Belarussian premier. Chiguir dislosed that there was no political problem between Turkey and Belarus. "We are ready to sign all agreements which will strengthen our ties with Turkey" Chiguir concluded. It was also learned that Inonu urged Belarussian officials not to allow activities of the PKK terrorist organization, which has recently intensified efforts to open PKK-affiliated "Kurdish centres" in East European countries. Belarussian Foreign Minister Uladzimir Syanko assured Inonu that they would never allow the PKK to organize on their soil. An agreement on the struggle against terrorism is expected to be signed between the foreign ministers of the two countries. Ankara has been concerned that the PKK exacts protection money from bus companies carrying bag trade tourists. Belarus, which wants to break its economic independence upon the Russian Federation, voiced its readiness to increase trade volume with Turkey and called for joint investment. Turkey and Belarus initialed a friendship and cooperation agreement and signed four other accords on protection of investment, cooperation in aviation, cooperation in transportation and in the fields of culture, science, education and sports during Inonu's visit. Inonu was also received by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Inonu returned to Ankara yesterday evening and held a press conference at Esenboga Airport. Inonu said that his visit had been "very useful". /Sabah-Cumhuriyet/
[02] TUDJMAN SENDS THANKS TO DEMIRELCroatian President Franjo Tudjman relayed his thanks to President Suleyman Demirel through the Croation Ambassador to Ankara. Yesterday President Demirel was given a briefing about the developments in Bosnia by the ambassador, who at the same time conveyed the message of thanks from Tudjman.Turkey is one of the countries closely involved in Bosnia, and Demirel was updated yesterday about the Croatian involvement in the fighting, and the reversals now affecting the Serbs. In the meantime, a special Bosnian Defence Ministry delegation now in Ankara has been meeting with Turkey's defence sector leaders and touring defence sector plants and factories involved in producing military equipment from rifles to rockets. In reply to questions about whether or not Turkey was getting ready to break the weapons embargo against Bosnia, officials merely said that cooperation between the countries was being given a new dimension. /Milliyet/
[03] ONE DAY WORK STOPPAGEAlmost 600 thousand public sector workers joined in a nationwide work stoppage yesterday, saying that it was the prelude to a general strike planned for the near future if the government sticks to its present tough wage policies.Although workers turned up at their offices and work places no work was done, reports note that the work stoppage did not affect public life too much. In Ankara especially, workers came together, shouted slogans and threatened much stronger measures to protest low wages and poor working conditions. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] PAKISTAN HONOURS CILLER WITH A STAMPThe Pakistan government has honoured both the Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, and Prime Minister Tansu Ciller with a special commemorative stamp printed following the recent meeting of women parliamentarians from Islamic countries in Islamabad.On the stamp for Ciller it says "Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey- Professor Doctor Tansu Ciller". In a message to Ciller, Benazir Bhutto noted the important role of women in the Islamic countries, and informed Ciller about the new stamps. /Sabah/
[05] CLINTON'S ADVISOR TO VISIT ATHENS, ANKARA AND NICOSIAGeorge Stefanopulos, the Greek Cypriot-origin advisor of US President Bill Clinton, will make official visits to the three capitals that are closely involved in the Cyprus issue. Aiming to pre-investigate the latest developments before US initiatives about Cyprus take place in September, Stefanopulos will first visit the Greek Cypriot leader and foreign minister on the 20th August, and then Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas, on the 22nd of August. /All papers/
[06] CHECHEN PRIME MINISTER IN ISTANBULHasan Hasoyev, the Chechen prime minister, has arrived in Istanbul, the Anatolia news agency reported. Tayyip Erdogan, the mayor of Istanbul, received Hasoyev who, the mayor said, had come to Turkey to seek help for his country. The mayor added that the Istanbul municipality would do what it could to help.
[07] SOUTHEASTERN DEATH TOLL MOUNTSNineteen militants of the PKK terrorist organization were killed during operations by security forces in rural areas of the Sirnak and Hakkari provinces. According to the State of Emergency region's authorities, in the last two days, a total of 28 militants have lost their lives and two surrendered. Meanwhile, terrorists opened fire on a police patrol late on Monday in the Sivas Divrigi district. The attackers burned 20 trucks belonging to a mining company and afterwards sprayed a state building with bullets before they escaped. Police officials said that one policeman was slightly injured and that investigations were continuing. /Sabah-Cumhuriyet/
[08] PRESIDENT DEMIREL SENDS GET-WELL MESSAGE TO MEHMET EMIN AGAPresident Suleyman Demirel has sent a get-well message to Mehmet Emin Aga, the popularly-elected mufti of Iskece (Xanthi), who was released from jail on Monday. In his message, Demirel said that he had received the news of Aga's release with pleasure. "Your treatment has brought the issue of human rights violations targeting the ethnic Turkish minority in Western Thrace to the attention of the international community. Your struggle will contribute to improving the living conditions of the minority there" the president added.
[09] TPAO TO PRODUCE GAS FROM MARMARA SEA WELLSAccording to Turkish Petroleum (TPAO), one million cubic metres of high quality natural gas have been produced in tests of the gas from the first and third exploration wells drilled in the northern part of the Sea of Marmara, the Anatolia news agency reported. TPAO officials said that testing of the third well was complete and that preparations for testing the fourth well were underway. The spokesmen added that commercial gas production in the area was expected to start in 1996 after testing of all the wells in the region was complete. Gas was first found in an offshore well drilled off Silivri in 1994.
[10] ANKARA-ATHENS UN DUELAs Greece lodges complaint against Turkey to the UN with letters, Turkish Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Inal Batu has sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali and said that the approach of Athens, which does not want dialogue, is expansionist. Batu said that the Permanent Mission of Turkey was not responsible for either initiation of the exchange of letters or the continuation. However the mission would not refrain from responding to Greek allegations, as deemed necessary. Batu noted that Turkey respected the territorial integrity of all her neighbours including Greece. He gave concrete examples of Greek expansionist ambitions continuing from a document presented to the US administration in 1942 to today's military doctrine. Batu pointed out that Greece used the PKK as a weapon in her struggle against Turkey and said that there were many proofs of this. Batu asked the UN that the Turkish letter should be circulated as a General Assembly and Security Council document. /Milliyet/END |