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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (April 12, 1996)From: TRKNWS-L <trh@aimnet.com>Turkish Press Review DirectoryCONTENTS[01] OYMEN IN ITALY[02] TURCO-DUTCH COUNCIL CALLS FOR ECONOMIC READJUSTMENTS[03] WASHINGTON SENDS A DELEGATION TO CYPRUS[04] TROOPS INFLICT FURTHER BLOWS ON PKK[05] HUNGARY NEEDS TURKEY'S SUPPORT FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP[06] STRAINED TIES WITH IRAN[07] MESSAGE FROM ARMENIAN LEADER[08] HABITAT II PREPARATIONS REJUVENATE ISTANBUL[09] WASHINGTON TO HOST MEETING ON PRIVATE POWER IN TURKEY[10] A NEW TERRORISM SUMMIT[11] GEORGIAN KURDS REFUSE TO COOPERATE WITH THE PKK[12] WORLD INTERPARLIAMENTARY UNION MEETS IN ISTANBUL[13] GERMAN GANG ATTACKS TURKISH RESTAURANT, THREE HURTTURKISH PRESS REVIEWFRIDAY APRIL 12, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] OYMEN IN ITALYForeign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen arrived in Rome yesterday to help Italy, which currently holds the EU rotating term-presidency, to set a date for the postponed Association Council meeting between Turkey and the fifteen member countries. Oymen's visit to Rome takes place after his Italian counterpart Boris Biancheri visited Athens to discuss the prospects of a meeting "scheduled at a suitable time for Turkey and Greece". The last meeting, which should have taken place on March 26, was postponed when the Greek objection to the financial assistance to Turkey, provided in the customs union accord, was not lifted. Biancheri made no statement on when the meeting would take place, but said only that he was hopeful that it could happen during the Italian presidency. /All papers/
[02] TURCO-DUTCH COUNCIL CALLS FOR ECONOMIC READJUSTMENTSDutch Minister of Foreign Trade, Mrs.A.Van Dok said that Holland wishes to cooperate with Turkey in her moves towards readjustment and restructuring in accordance with the requirements of the customs union between the EU and Turkey. Van Dok spoke at the opening session of the Turkish-Dutch Business Council's joint meeting in Istanbul yesterday. The council has met twice a year since its formation in February 1993 and at this meeting the agenda focused on the subject of port development. A delegation of businessmen from Rotterdam, accompanied by another twelve Dutch businessmen from different industrial sectors came together with around 300 Turkish businessmen for the Council's April meeting. Van Dok said that in a market economy, governments play only a complementary role to private business ventures but, she continued, it is still the duty of governments to stimulate and encourage private enterprise.She elaborated on the nearly 400 year old relations between Holland and Turkey which began with the opening of the Dutch Consulate in stanbul in 1610. "Since then," Van Dok said, "we had good bilateral relations although we did have ups and downs". She recalled that Holland is one of the major trading partners of Turkey, with the volume of trade between two countries on the increase in recent years. Turkey is important for Europe and Holland not merely as a 60 million strong market but also for her strategic location, the minister said. She continued by saying that the economic stability of Turkey is very important for a wider regional stability, both in the Middle East and Central Asia. Because of that, she argued, cooperation with Turkey is a necessity. Turkish Undersceretary of Foreign Trade, Nejat Eren, speaking after his Dutch counterpart also pointed to the remarkable increase in the volume of trade between the two countries and welcomed the Netherlands' willingness to give assistance to Turkey in the restructuring of the Turkish economy in line with its European competition. He said direct foreign investments are vital for Turkey's new course and that the capital flow into Turkey in recent years had risen in the form of direct investment. He rated Turkey as the second biggest investor after the US in the former Soviet Republics. Eren noted that US and German firms prefer to enter joint ventures with Turkish companies when they want to invest in Central Asia and invited the Dutch firms to do the same. /All papers/
[03] WASHINGTON SENDS A DELEGATION TO CYPRUSUS President Bill Clinton will send a delegation to Ankara, Athens and Nicosia at the latest in May within the framework of US initiatives for "an absolute solution" in Cyprus.Richard Beattie, President Clinton's special coordinator for Cyprus, will be visiting Athens, Ankara and Nicosia with John Kornblum, acting assistant secretary for European and Canadian Affairs, the US State Department disclosed on Wednesday. "I know that Mr.Beattie will be making a trip, but I don't have any dates for you on that" Nicholas Burns, State Department Spokesman said. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] TROOPS INFLICT FURTHER BLOWS ON PKKSecurity forces who are continuing to fight an encircled band of militants of the outlawed Kurdistn Workers' Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey have killed 110 militants over the past six days and captured five, three of whom were wounded. Officials of the Diyarbakir-based emergency rule region governor's office reported yesterday that Operation Hawk, which began on April 5 against an estimated 250 rebels, was still continuing north of Diyarbakir's Hani and Lice districts and the Saggoze area to the south of Bingol's Genc district. Three soldiers more have been killed in action, making a total of 33 members of the security forces who have died in the fighting with the PKK militants.Interior Minister Ulku Guney said that the operation against the PKK in the Southeast would go on until there were no terrorists left, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Guney noted that hand-to-hand combat was continuing in the operation, and said that separatists had also been surrounded in the Pervari region. Guney further noted that there was no cross-border operation being held in the region.//
[05] HUNGARY NEEDS TURKEY'S SUPPORT FOR NATO MEMBERSHIPDeputy Undersecretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Istvan Pataki, while visiting Ankara on April 10 and 11 for political consultations, said Hungary needs Turkey's support for NATO membership. He said there is comprehensive preparation in Hungary for full membership in the EU, hopefully to be realized at the end of the 20th century. Pataki noted that his country's being a member of NATO would contribute to security. Sharing the same ideas about democracy and economic development with the Western world, Hungary, Pataki said, has done much to reform its defence forces to make them compatible with NATO. He said: "We have witnessed that Hungarian forces can work in harmony with NATO forces in the logistic basis in Hungary, and the UNPROFOR in Bosnia".On the subject of relations with Turkey he said the cultural links between the two countries were excellent. "We cherish a common heritage and unquestionable mutual sympathy among the two peoples. But Hungary is definitely interested in increasing trade and economic relations with Turkey, as well as political ties" he said. Pataki expressed his thanks for Turkey's support to Hungary regarding its membership in the OECD and Council of Europe. "We will lend the utmost support for Turkey's membership in the EU" he added. /Milliyet/
[06] STRAINED TIES WITH IRANAlthough ties between Turkey and Iran are stretched to the limit, Turkey is working hard to prevent a complete break. For three days the situation between the two countries has been described as a crisis with both sides responding to moves designed to win a diplomatic victory.To prevent the issues involved from developing into an irreversible situation, Turkey has put a brake on the diplomatic game being played between Ankara and Tehran involving a group of Turkish diplomats accused by the Iranians of being spies. The Turkish diplomats in fact are in Tehran to seek answers to Iranian involvement in a number of murders in Turkey. Foreign Ministry officials, commenting on the situation yesterday said that President Suleyman Demirel, who has planned a visit to Tehran sometime during May, will likely go even though relations are strained. In view of the Iranian response to the visit of the four Turkish diplomats, Ankara was about to withdraw them and continue with its own enquiries into the matter of the murders. Now the issue has escalated, but Ankara nevertheless does not want to create further problems. The security of the diplomats is being closely followed by the Turkish Embassy in Tehran. /Milliyet/
[07] MESSAGE FROM ARMENIAN LEADERArmenian leader Levon Ter Petrosyan has sent a message to President Demirel with his top advisor Jirair Libaridyan. Today Libaridyan will meet with government representatives in Ankara, and convey Petrosyan's message to President Demirel.It is understood that the message is a reply to a letter sent by Demirel to Petrosyan about a month ago. The message is expected to explain the Armenian response to proposals about new talks to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan issue. Further developments could lead to a re-opening of the Armenia-Turkey border noted officials yesterday. /Milliyet/
[08] HABITAT II PREPARATIONS REJUVENATE ISTANBULNow that the "Host Country Agreement" between Turkey and the UN has been signed, preparations for the huge Habitat II conference to be held in Istanbul in June are going ahead with a rush. The whole of the "conference valley" an area covering the Taksim-Macka-Harbiye centre of Istanbul has been closed off to the public as buildings and parks are rejuvenated for what is billed as the last big event of the century.Everything possible is being done to make the conference a success, both from the angle of preparation and to make sure that no dissention arises during the conference itself. Nevertheless, minority groups will have a platform during the meetings in line with the purpose of the conference-finding the way to a better world for everyone. /Hurriyet/
[09] WASHINGTON TO HOST MEETING ON PRIVATE POWER IN TURKEYA conference on "private power in Turkey" will be held in Washington on June 24-25. The event is sponsored by the Center for Business Intelligence, ICW Publications International, and Financial Times Energy Publishing. The subtitle of the conference is "positioning, planning and profiting in the Turkish electricity market". /All papers/
[10] A NEW TERRORISM SUMMITA summit meeting on terrorism, aiming to strengthen international cooperation in the struggle against terrorism that is an obstacle to the establishment of lasting peace and stability in the Middle East, is scheduled to take place in Luxembourg on April 22. The meeting will bring together foreign ministers from 28 countries, including Palestine, and will actually be a continuation of the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit held in March. Syria and Lebanon have declared that they will not take part in the summit. /Milliyet/
[11] GEORGIAN KURDS REFUSE TO COOPERATE WITH THE PKKChairman of the Georgian Kurdish Cultural Association, Zaza Kalashov, has refused PKK appeals for unification. Kalashov noted that such a unification could be possible only if the PKK organization abandoned its present policies and terrorist activities. /Sabah/
[12] WORLD INTERPARLIAMENTARY UNION MEETS IN ISTANBULA World Interparliamentary Union (WIU) Conference will be held in Istanbul between 15-20 April, 1996. The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) will host the conference and President Suleyman Demirel will give an opening speech.600 parliamentarians from 134 national assemblies will attend the conference during which three main issue will be taken up: protection of minorities and the protection of fish resources. The last topic to be discussed will be determined by the votes of parliamentarians. Meanwhile, TL 150 billion has been set aside as an additional fund by the TGNA for the WIU Conference. /Cumhuriyet-Sabah/
[13] GERMAN GANG ATTACKS TURKISH RESTAURANT, THREE HURTThree Turks were injured, two of them seriously, when a gang of about 15 Germans attacked a Turkish restaurant in the east German town of Zwickau in a possible racist attack, police said yesterday. The gang stormed into the premises on Wednesday night, smashing furniture and attacking the owners, two of whom were taken to hospital with cuts. Police said they were not ruling out racism as a possible motive, and were still hunting the attackers. They estimated the damage at around 10,000 marks ($6,600). /All papers/ |
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