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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (October 20, 1995)
From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)
Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (October 20, 1995)
CONTENTS
[01] FOUNDATION LAID FOR REVIVAL OF DYP-CHP COALITION
[02] TURKISH JOURNALISTS FREED TOMORROW
[03] KINKEL: "WE NEED TURKEY"
[04] PRESS CONDEMNS SERBS FOR HOLDING JOURNALISTS
[05] 1996 FISCAL YEAR DRAFT BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT
[06] GEN.BAYAR TO VISIT ALBANIA AND CROATIA
[07] PKK MILITANTS KILL ONE, KIDNAP TEN
[08] BELGIUM EXTENDS CREDIT TO TURKEY
[09] TURKEY-RUSSIA TOURISM SEMINAR BEGINS IN ANTALYA
[10] WORLD FORESTRY CONGRESS WILL MEET IN ANTALYA
[11] TURKEY TO IMPOSE TEXTILE QUOTAS AGAINST 37 NATIONS
[12] MORE DECISIONS ON AZERI PETROL
[13] GERMAN ANTI-PKK OPERATION
[14] BAYKAL OFF TO BRUSSELS
[15] ANTALYA CONFERENCE
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
FRIDAY OCTOBER 20, 1995
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press
this morning
[01] FOUNDATION LAID FOR REVIVAL OF DYP-CHP COALITION
The foundations for the re-establishment of the True Path Party
(DYP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) coalition were
laid yesterday. Officials from both parties said negotiations
on the coalition protocol had left them with positive
impressions. The electoral law will reportedly constitute the
most important item of the protocol. Once the talks on the
coalition come to an end and the document is presented to the
DYP and CHP leaders for approval, the Cabinet list is expected
to be released. However, with President Demirel leaving for
his postponed visit to the US tomorrow; it is expected that the
Cabinet list will be submitted to him for approval after his
return on Tuesday. After the list is submitted to the president,
the government programme will be presented to Parliament and the
vote of confidence for the new government will be held next week.
While the DYP and CHP representatives negotiating on the new
coalition government have reached an agreement in principle,
a separate commission has been set up to make amendments to
the electoral law. /Hurriyet-Sabah/
[02] TURKISH JOURNALISTS FREED TOMORROW
Turkish journalists Munire Acim and Ali Kocak, who have been
held by the Bosnian Serbs for 12 days", will be released
tomorrow. In a written statement yesterday, Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Ambassador Omer Akbel disclosed that as the result
of contacts between officials of the UN Protection Force
(UNPROFOR) and the Serbian side, the Turkish journalists would
be released tomorrow at Sarajevo Airport. Akbel expressed
his satisfaction over this commonsense development. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] KINKEL: "WE NEED TURKEY"
Klaus Kinkel, German Foreign Minister, said in a press conference
with the Foreign Journalists' Association in Bonn yesterday,
that they were ready to support Turkey on the customs union
issue. He said: "I always support customs union between Turkey
and the EU. Turkey is very important from the standpoint of
relations with NATO as it is a bridge between the Islamic
countries and Asian countries. We need Turkey. We must help
Turkey in solving her problems". He also stated that they wished
to see a stable government set up in Ankara. /Hurriyet/
[04] PANEL ON "TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE EU"
European Commission Member, Ambassador Michael Lake pointed
out that the customs union would bring many opportunities for
cooperation between Turkey and the EU in many fields and
said that it would be an important step towards Turkey's
integration with Europe. Attending the panle entitled
"Turkey's membership in the EU-Problems and Possibilities"
held yesterday at the Turkish-American Council, Lake noted
that the EU had allocated an ECU 14 billion-fund for the customs
union and said: "Turkey, which is among the 10 countries
where the EU does most of its trading, is a very important
market for the EU with its large population".
/Cumhuriyet/
[05] ALBANIA PERCEIVES TURKEY AS AN IMPORTANT ALLY
"One cannot think of the Balkans without Turkey" Albanian
Defence Minister Saffet Zulali said yesterday. He is in
Washington D.C. as the guest of US Secretary of Defence
William Perry. The cooperation between Turkey and Albania
will help secure lasting peace in the Balkans, the Albanian
minister said. Turkey, with which Albania has close relations,
is helping the latter to train its military personnel, he added.
He also made it clear to Perry that Albania hoped to join
NATO.
Meanwhile, Ground Forces Commander Gen.Hikmet Bayar was received
yesterday in Albania by President Sali Berisa. During the
meeting, both sides expressed their pleasure at the existing
cooperation between the Turkish and Albanian armies. Gen.Bayar,
in Albania as the official guest of the country's Chief of
General Staff Sheme Kosova, arrived on Wednesday.
[06] US AMBASSADOR HELPS EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
Ankara's US Ambassador Mark Grossman presented a $61,000 check
to the UN Development Programme Resident Coordinator, Paul
Van Hanswick de Jonge yesterday in Ankara. The check was given
by the US administration as relief aid for the Dinar earthquake
victims. The funds will be used to replace the 290 tents given
to the people of Dinar right after the quake. The tents need to
be replaced because they belong to the UNHCR stockpile,
maintained for refugee emergencies.
[07] AZERI PRESIDENT APPRECIATES TURKISH AID
Azeri President Haydar Aliyev said that Turkish aid to Azerbaijan
and the Republic of Nakhichevan was greatly appreciated. During
a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Baku, Omur Orhun, Aliyev
said that Nakhichevan had been faced with a tough economic
situation and that Turkey's aid had been of great help to them.
Aliyev stated that he would like to see Turkish businessmen in
Nakhichevan and Azerbaijan now that the trade barriers between
the two countries had been lifted. Turkey is planning to send
25 thousand metric tons of sugar beet to Nakhichevan, as well
as establishing a model agricultural centre in the Azeri city
of Kacmaz.
[08] FRIENDSHIP MESSAGES FROM ARMENIA
Armenian Parliamentary Speaker and Black Sea Economic
Cooperation Organization Parliamentary Assembly Speaker Babken
Ararktsian, yesterday visited Istanbul. In request to
journalists questions, Ararktsian said that Armenia was
willing to improve its relations with Turkey. After Turkey
opened the Turco-Armenian air corridor to air traffic, in a
display of good will, Armenia handed over two PKK terrorists
to the Turkish government. /Hurriyet/
[09] US SENATE DISCUSSES AID TO TURKEY
The military and economic credits to be extended by the US to
Turkey in 1996 will be determined by the end of this week. A
Conference Committee has been established to reconcile the
opposing attitudes of the House of Representatives and the
Senate regarding the issue. The Conference Committee is
expected to insist on a $320 million foreign military sales
credit, although a $21 million Economic Support Fund remains
a point of debate. /Milliyet/
[10] EUROPEAN SUPPORT FOR BAYKAL
The European Parliament (EP) socialist group has repeated that
the December 14 customs union between Turkey and the European
Union (EU) must go ahead.
Leader of the CHP party, Deniz Baykal has again been assured
that the socialist group will give every support to customs
union with Turkey. During his visit to Brussels, Baykal has
promoted the customs union with Turkey, and has been well
received in return.
Baykal's efforts to advance Turkey's cause has led to a
softening in the European stance against Turkey. Optimism has
grown in many areas of agreement, but there is still doubt in
some EU quarters that Turkey will make the grade in connection
with changes to articles in the law. Top EU officials have only
this week said that "no change means no customs union."
Baykal has bargained over this sensitive issue - but so far
there has been no real compromise made by either side.
/Hurriyet-Milliyet/
[11] GETTING TO UNDERSTAND TURKEY
An editorial in the Washington Post by Amos Perlmutter said that
the time had come to show more understanding when it came to
Turkey's situation.
Decrying the propaganda of the powerful Greek and Armenian
lobbies, Perlmutter related how Turkey had always been a good
friend of the allies, had always denounced racialism and
advocated religious freedom. /Hurriyet/
[12] GOOD NEWS FROM ATHENS
The Greek government is preparing to lift restrictions "on
crossing" applications between villages which are called "the
Balkan Branch" by the Western Thrace Turkish Muslim minority.
In his statement to the private MEGA TV channel last night,
Greek Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis said that he would
visit the Western Thrace Turkish minority in two weeks' time
and the application restrictions would then be lifted in Sahin,
Demircik, Kozluca, Ilica and Memkova and some other Pomok
villages. In order to reach these villages, one now has to get
permission from the Greek gendarmerie, Foreign Ministry and the
Provincial administration.
Regarding the prevention of the activities of some fanatical
individuals working in local state administrations in Western
Thrace, Arsenis said: "A group of extremist nationalist staff
members has created unwanted and difficult situations for the
Greek state abroad."
The Athens government, which is determined to change its tough
policies in Western Thrace, has decided to to realize two
important investment projects in the region. The value of the
first project is about $800 million and is a private
investment; the second one is about $700 million and an
investment with the participation of 160 countries.
Another field in which the Greek government will take a positive
step is education. "English" will be an elective course in
monority schools as in Greek schools. Also, a special
contingency plan will formed for minority students who have
difficulty in entering Greek universities.
Finally, Greek Defence Minister Arsenis announced that youths
from the minorities could enter Greek military school if they
so wanted.
According to some diplomatic sources, Greece is trying to force
Turkey to reviews its minority proceeding and is also trying to
satisfy both America and the European Union. /Sabah/
[13] PKK CAMP FALLS TO KURDISH FORCES
An important military camp belonging to the PKK terrorist forces
in northern Iraq has reportedly fallen into the hands of Kurdish
units of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP).
Kurdish forces have also commandeered large amounts of food,
weapons, ammunition and other supplies belonging to the PKK.
Known PKK leaders have also been arrested. /Sabah/
[14] 1995 BREAKS TOURISM RECORDS
This year for the first time in Turkish tourism history, one
million tourists visited Turkey in September, usually a quiet
month in previous years. Officials from the Tourism Ministry
said the number of tourist arrivals in the country has been
increasing steadily since the beginning of the year and this
September saw a 36.3 % increase in visitors compared to the
same month last year. A total of 6,157,300 tourists visited
the country in the first nine months of 1995, whereas the
corresponding figure for the first nine months of 1994 was
5,241,577. In terms of the nationality of tourists visiting
Turkey, the greatest number of arrivals since the start of the
season have been from Germany, totalling 1,296,629. According to
statistics, most of the tourists come from the OECD countries;
this season the number was 3,557,230. Tourism revenue for the
first eight months reached $3.14 billion.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry is publicizing winter tourism,
hunting, underwater sports and tracking. According to a
statement from the Tourism Ministry, the new project, entitled
"Four Seasons, Twelve Months in Turkey" aims to make the most
of the potential for alternative tourism throughout the country
and to promote the attractions of Turkey around the world.
[15] ANTALYA CONFERENCE
The "International Antalya Security and Cooperation Conference"
will be held in Kemer-Camyuva between 2-5 November. The theme of
the conference will be "The mutual influence between
developments in the Middle East and the Mediterranean and
Turkey's role in ensuring stability in the light of Europe's
new security achitecture". Conflicts in Bosnia-Herzegovina and
Turco-Greek relations will be taken up at the conference at
which President Suleyman Demirel will make an opening speech.
The conference has been organized under the auspices of the
Speaker of the Turkish Parliament and with the contributions of
foreign and defence ministries. It is reported that Turkish
Parliament Speaker Ismet Sezgin, Prime Minister Tansu Ciller
and NATO Secretary-General Willy Claes will also make speeches.
/Cumhuriyet/
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