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Turkish Press Review, 96-10-01Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWTUESDAY OCTOBER 1, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] ERBAKAN'S VISIT TO AFRICA AIMS TO INCREASE TRADEPrime Minister Necmettin Erbakan's visit to Egypt, Libya and Nigeria is aimed at developing economic ties with those countries, Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Sermet Atacanli said yesterday at the weekly press conference for foreign journalists. Erbakan will visit Egypt on October 2-4, Libya on October 4-6, and Nigeria on October 6-8.Atacanli said that regional and international subjects would also be discussed and that Libya's debts to Turkey ($365 million) would be an important item on the agenda. He added that Erbakan was expected to meet Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. A team of Turkish trade officials headed for Libya on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan's visit this week to secure Tripoli's outstanding debts to Turkish building contractors, government officials said. Treasury and foreign trade officials will begin talks with Libyan officials later on Monday on ways to speed up payment on the Libyan debts, mostly for projects completed before 1990, officials said. /All papers/ [02] ANKARA ADOPTS 'WAIT AND SEE' ATTITUDE ON AFGHANISTANThe Turkish Foreign Ministry will make a decision about Afghanistan after evaluating the situation, Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Sermet Atacanli told reporters at the weekly press conference yesterday. He repeated Turkey's concerns about recent developments in "brother Afghanistan", especially the loss of life and the economic consequences of the war in that country.He said that Turkey would be happy to play host for peace talks among the rival groups under the aegis of the UN. Atacanli added that all members of the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Kabil were now in Islamabad and the Ministry would decide on their next move after evaluating the situation. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller said in her speech at the UN General Assembly in New York yesterday that Turkey would continue to support efforts for the establishment of a solution based on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Afghanistan. /Milliyet/ [03] IRAQ PETROL PIPE TO OPENAccording to Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller, the overland petrol pipeline between Iraq and Turkey will be re-opened within two to three weeks. In a press conference following talks with UN Secretary-General Boutros-Boutros Ghali, Ciller said yesterday that in line with the UN agreement with Iraq for limited petrol sales, Ghali had promised that the pipeline would soon be brought into operation.During her talks with Ghali, Ciller again stressed the losses Turkey had incurred because of the UN embargo against Iraq, and pressed for the re-opening of the pipeline. /Hurriyet/ [04] TURKEY ASSURES SUPPORT FOR NORTHERN CYPRUSIn talks with President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktas, Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan extended assurances that Turkey would continue to support the economic development of the TRNC.At a meeting in the Ankara Sheraton Hotel yesterday, Erbakan and Denktas spoke together and reaffirmed ties between Turkey and the TRNC with a view to bringing stability to the island. /Sabah/ [05] STATE MINISTER SOYLEMEZ IN WASHINGTONState Minister Ufuk Soylemez, who is in Washington, had a lunch with World Bank President James Wolfensohn and World Bank VP for Europe and Central Asia Johannes Linn on Sunday. "As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) itself admits, our programme in 1994 (April 5 austerity package) was very successful for the first 18 months until the elections (of December 1995)" Soylemez said. "Then the IMF did not support us although our exports increased, although we repaid 9 billion dollars of debt and we gave no difficulty to any international institutions. Now we are putting together another successful programme. We have, for example, reworked the telecommunications (privatization) law; just passed on August 30th a bill which provides treasury guarantees for all BOT (build-operate-transfer) and BOO (build-operate-own) project financing. Thus this time IMF must support us to maintain both our and their own credibility" he said.The "stability programme" presented to IMF for a stand-By arrangement has four crucial goals, according to Soylemez: 1) To lower inflation; 2) To eliminate the budget deficit; 3) To lower the public debt; and 4) Realize "structural reforms" like social security system reform, privatization and overhauling the tax system. Soylemez also explained that the "resources package" he presented to IMF and World Bank officials "is not an alternative to the structural reforms". Soylemez said that Turkey would find the necessary resources through two main venues: 1) Transferring short-term debt into medium- and long-term obligations. 2) To mobilize the "inert" capacity of such state properties as "state-provided housing and summer-camps" for additional income. Soylemez added that IMF and World Bank officials were assured that Turkey would not deviate from its traditional political principles of Western democracy and commitment to liberal market practices. High- and technical-level contacts between IMF and Turkish officials will continue in the days and weeks ahead with the previously-scheduled October 1st meeting between Soylemez and IMF managing Director Michel Camdessus. "We will be discussing things on a project-basis" Soylemez said. During the first week of October, Soylemez will meet again with US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers. An IMF delegation is expected to visit Ankara again during the first week of October. That will be followed by World Bank VP Johannes Linn's visit to Turkey on November 15th. /Cumhuriyet/ [06] ANTI-POLLUTION PROTOCOL FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN TO BE SIGNED TODAYEnvironment Minister Ziyaettin Tokar, speaking at a meeting of environmental experts on Monday, hailed an agreement on the transport of toxic wastes which is expected to be signed today by 20 countries that have coasts on the Mediterranean. The meeting, which began in Izmir on September 26, is entitled "Protocol on the prevention of pollution arising from crossborder transportation of toxic wastes in the Mediterreanean". Tokar said he thought the protocol would fulfill the expectations of all the parties involved.Meanwhile, a committee from the European Parliament's Environment Commission arrived in Turkey yesterday to examine the projects of the Turkish Foundation for Reforestation, Protection of Natural Habitats and Combatting Soil Erosion (TEMA). According to a statement issued by TEMA, the committee visited the Karaca Arboretum after they examined the projects on Monday. The committee will gather infomation from villagers on their participation in a two-year TEMA project in Bergama-Camavlu to improve pastures there. The committee will travel to Ankara tomorrow and meet Deputy Parliament Speaker Uluc Gurkan and the members of the Parliament's Environment Commission. President Suleyman Demirel will also receive the committee. TEMA said in its statement that the investigatory visit will be a beginning step in the promotion of their projects abroad, not only in Turkey, and they hoped to obtain financing from the EU. /All papers/ [07] AMPHIBIOUS PHASE OF DYNAMIC MIX-96 STARTS IN SAROZ BAYThe amphibious phase of Dynamic Mix-96, a military exercise planned by the Belgium-based NATO Supreme headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), started on Thursday in Saroz Bay off the coast of southern Thrace. During the first stage of the exercise warships from Turkey, the US and Italy dropped off special landing vehicles, equipment and marines with air support from fighter jets and helicopters belonging to the participating NATO-member countries. The exercise will end on October 4 with the return home of the guest military units. The objective of the Dynamic Mix-96 exercise is to develop command structures and coordination between NATO's naval and air forces. /All papers/[08] BOMB ROCKS PATRIARCHATEThe Greek Patriarchate in Fener, seat of the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos 1, the spiritual head of 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, was rocked by a bomb explosion around midnight Sunday. Sources at the Patriarchate reported that while there had been some material damage to the structure of the building, there had been no serious injuries.The illegal Islamist group, the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders (IBDA-C) have claimed responsibility for the attack, and if so this would represent the second time that this organization has attacked the Patriarchate, four suspected IBDA-C members having been arrested in connection with an earlier assault on the building in 1994. /Sabah/ [09] AN OPERATION IN MANISAIn an operation carried out by Manisa Security Office in the Turgutlu district, six members of the PKK terrorist organization, who established a MED-TV system, in support of PKK terrorism, have been taken into custody. /Sabah/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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