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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (October 3, 1995)
From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)
Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (October 3, 1995)
CONTENTS
[01] DINAR QUAKE TOLL MOUNTS
[02] ANKARA: POSTPONING CUSTOMS UNION IS SAME AS A NEGATIVE ANSWER
[03] US STRENGTHENS CILLER'S HAND IN AZERI OIL, CUSTOMS UNION
[04] GREECE-PKK CONNECTION CONFIRMED
[05] EUROPE PUTTING ON THE PRESSURE
[06] TURKEY DOES NOT WANT RAPID EXPANSION OF NATO
[07] THIRD CONVENTION OF TURKIC STATES CONCLUDES IN CESME
[08] UNITED STATES WARNS SYRIA OVER KURDISH MILITANTS
[09] SEAWOLF-2/95 NAVAL EXERCISES START IN AEGEAN AND MARMARA
[10] TURKEY READY FOR CULTURAL COOPERATION WITH GREECE
[11] FORMER FM MEETS SADDAM HUSSEIN
[12] FIVE MILITANTS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST
[13] "WORLD HABITAT DAY" CELEBRATED
[14] BRUSSELS CONFERENCE ON PRIVATIZATION
[15] TURCO-MACEDONIAN FRIENDSHIP EVENING
[16] TURKISH TEXTILE EXPORTERS IN JAPAN
WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
OCTOBER 3, 1995
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press
this morning.
[01] DINAR QUAKE TOLL MOUNTS
At least 57 people have lost their lives and about 250 have been
in the earthquake which devestated the southwestern Turkish town
of Dinar Sunday night after a week of earlier tremors.
At least 57 people lost their lives and about 250 were injured
in the earthquake which devastated the southwestern Turkish town
of Dinar Sunday night after a week of earlier tremors.
Officials said there were still people believed buried under the
ruins and rescue workers, assisted by troops and a special
survivors. The death toll may eventually rise to 100, officials
Besides Switzerland, Germany dispatched a seven-member team of
rescue specialits to Dinar. Greece also said it was sending 30
rescue workers,doctors and seismologists to the disaster site.
President Suleyman Demirel, who visited the stricken town along
with government ministers and ranking officials, had to listen
to the lamentations of the survivors about gross neglect on the
part of local officials and pledged that the town will be
completely rebuilt shortly using every means available to the
state.
Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, interrupting her efforts to set up
a minority government, also visited the town to soothe the
people and promise rapid relief./All Papers/
[02] ANKARA: POSTPONING CUSTOMS UNION IS SAME AS A NEGATIVE ANSWER
Turkey reiterated on Monday that it would not consent to the
customs union ratification being postponed as rumors mounted to
that effect.
"Postponing the ratification of the customs union will have the
same effect as a negative answer," Foreign Minister deputy
spokesman Nurettin Nurkan told journalists in a press
conference. He said, stressing that the establishment of the
customs union between Turkey and the European Union (EU),
without any dealy, was a "contractual obligation."
Nurkan, however, refrained from comment when asked about what
policy Turkey might follow in the event that the European
Parliament postponed the vote or voted negatively. "We hope
that the European Parliament will make a positive decision,"
Nurkan said./All Papers/
[03] US STRENGTHENS CILLER'S HAND IN AZERI OIL, CUSTOMS UNION
The US Administration, perhaps parallel to its recent and
substantial foreign policy gains in the West Bank and Bosnia,
recently felt the need to re-emphasize its long-standing support
for Prime Minister Ciller and a multiple-pipeline solution for
Azeri early oil which incorporates the "Georgian option"
designed by Ciller's senior advisor Professor Emre Gonensay,
without, however, totally alienating the Russians.
The White House expressed its support last week by saying,
"Ciller has been a good friend of the United States. We have
good relations with the Turkish government. We hope our
excellent relations continue."/All Papers/
[04] GREECE-PKK CONNECTION CONFIRMED
According to Foreign Ministry advisor Onur Oymen, is firm
evidence of strong ties between the PKK terrorist organization
and Greece. One of the points mentioned over the weekend by
Oymen was that Greek parliamentarian Siguridis was recently
given an award by PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Interestingly, other sources have also confirmed that there is a
connection between the PKK and Greece. The "Defence and
Diplomacy" magazine that is circulated in Greece referred to the
connection in its September issue. Bringing everything
together, Oymen added that many of the problems in the Aegean
region stemmed from outside sources. Oymen again stressed that
Turkey still wanted "real dialogue" with Greece. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] EUROPE PUTTING ON THE PRESSURE
Turkey is coming under pressure from the European Union (EU)
from all sides. Both the EU and EU parliament want Turkey to
make more changes in the current reforms, and to be more
"flexible" in some areas of change.
Diplomatic sources note the contacts between Ankara and the EU,
especially as the days grow shorter in connection with a final
decision on Turkey's membership in the EU customs union.
Supporters of Turkey among the EU member countries have again
said that they will do all they can to promote Turkey's
membership. /Milliyet/
[06] TURKEY DOES NOT WANT RAPID EXPANSION OF NATO
Turkey said on Monday that it was not against a planned
expansion of NATO that would include east European states in the
Western allience, but was concerned that this process should be
carried our carefully and gradually.
"We are in favor of NATO's expansion in principle, but this
should be done very carefully and on a step-by-step basis,"
Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman, Nurettin Nurkan, told
reporters./All Papers/
[07] THIRD CONVENTION OF TURKIC STATES CONCLUDES IN CESME
The third "Turkic States and Communities' Friendship,
Brotherhood and Cooperation Convention", which has lasted for
three days in Izmir's touristic resort of Cesme, ended on Monday
with the release of a final declaration.
In the final declaration, the participants said that they were
all loyal to international legislative and human rights
conventions and that they adopted them as their main principles.
Noting that all the Turkic states and communities were equal and
that they respected each other's independence, the declaration
emphasised: "We intend to cooperate in every area of life and
futher develop our relations."
Underlining that this cooperation among Turkic states should not
be damaged by any third country and that such a move would be
seen as interference in the domestic affairs of an independent
country, it added: "However, we consider it a humanistic
approach if the member countries of the Coomonwealth of
Independent States (CIS) would like to provide us with
assistance."
The declaration pointed out that they would act in cooperation
against all terrorist activities, particularly the Kurdish
Workers' Party (PKK), all of which are a major threat to the
Turkic world./All Papers/
[08] UNITED STATES WARNS SYRIA OVER KURDISH MILITANTS
The United States has warned Syria on the issue of its support
for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a high ranking US
official said.
Robert Pelletrau, assistant Secretary of State in Charge of Near
East Affairs, said that the tension between Syria and Turkey was
the cause of potential instability in the region, the Anatolian
news agency reported on Monday. "There are some difficulties in
Turkey's relations with Syria. We are drawing Syria's attention
to the PKK issue. This situation is a source of concern for us.
It is also another reason for us to improve our relations with
Damascus. Dialogue will help us to to solve these sort of
problems," he concluded.
[09] SEAWOLF-2/95 NAVAL EXERCISES START IN AEGEAN AND MARMARA
The Turkish Naval Forces launched their scheduled "Seawolf-2/95"
exercises on Monday.
Troops and ships taking part left their respective main bases
and ports in Mugla, Kocaeli, and Istanbul for the Marmara Sea
and Aegean, where the exercise is taking place in international
waters and airspace.
The exercise will end on October 11 with the return of troops
and ships to main bases and ports./All Papers/
[10] TURKEY READY FOR CULTURAL COOPERATION WITH GREECE
Turkey is ready to resume talks on cultural cooperation with
Greece, which Athens broke off last summer over tensions
concerning territorial waters, Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman
Nurettin Nurkan said. Speaking after a meeting between the
Greek and Turkish foreign ministers in New York, Nurkan repeated
that Ankara wanted to have a "constructive dialogue" with
Greece. /All Papers/
[11] FORMER FM MEETS SADDAM HUSSEIN
Mumtaz Soysal, a Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy and
former minister of foreign affairs, met with Iraqi leader Saddam
Hussein in Baghdad. "The talks centered mainly on bilateral
relations,"the Iraqi state agency INA reported.
[12] FIVE MILITANTS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST
Turkish security forces have killed five Kurdish Workers' Party
(PKK) militants and captured another 14 in separate clashes in
the Southeast, according to a statement released on Monday by
government officials from the region. During operations in
Hakkari, Siirt and Bingol, security forces also seized arms and
grenades, officials said on Monday. In an operation in Adana,
10 PKK rebels were captured, including one who allegedly took
part in the 1993 PKK ambush on the Elaz}g-Bingol highway in
which 33 soldiers were killed./All Papers/
[13] "WORLD HABITAT DAY" CELEBRATED
President Suleyman Demirel issued a message on the occasion of
"World Habitat Day", the Anatolia news agency reported on
Monday. Demirel said in his message that Turkey was becoming
urbanized and although there are some problems with housing
these could be solved by Turkey's highly-developed construction
sector.
[14] BRUSSELS CONFERENCE ON PRIVATIZATION
A conference on the privatization initiated in Turkey starts
today in Brussels under the theme "Two days for catching a
historical investment opportunity". During the conference, the
18 most important State Economic Enterprises in Turkey will be
discussed. Investors interested in the enterprises to be
privatized include Turkish and foreign companies such as Shell,
Siemens, Pirelli, RP Morgan Banking, as well as the Koc, Sabanci
and Eczacibasi groups. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] TURCO-MACEDONIAN FRIENDSHIP EVENING
The Association for Turco-Macedonian friendship and the
Macedonian Embassy in Ankara jointly organized a "friendship
evening". In a speech during the evening, Macedonian Ambassador
Tirayan Petrovski drew attention to the fact that Ataturk, the
founder of modern and secular Turkey, got his military education
in the Manastir province of Macedonia. He said that for the
promotion of Ataturk and his ideas all over the world, "Ataturk
days" should be held in Manastir. /Cumhuriyet/
[16] TURKISH TEXTILE EXPORTERS IN JAPAN
Turkish exporters have initiated steps for grabbing a share in
the huge Japanese market. Within this framework, a "Turkish
Week", jointly organized by the Istanbul Union of Textile
Exporters and the Japanese Institution for Foreign Trade, is
being held in Tokyo. /Cumhuriyet/
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