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Turkish Press Review, 96-10-24Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWTHURSDAY OCTOBER 24, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL TO MOSCOW TO MEET BLACK SEA LEADERSPresident Suleyman Demirel will fly to Moscow today to attend a Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Summit to be held on Friday. Demirel is due to meet Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze and Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev tonight. On Friday, Demirel will meet with Ukrainian President Leonid Kravcuk and Armenian President Levon Ter Petrosian. Demirel is also due to hold talks with Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.Meanwhile, Turkey still rejects the bid of the Greek Cypriot administration to attend the summit meeting as an observer. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said at his weekly press conference yesterday that Turkey believes that the Greek Cypriot move is a part of its effort to join as many relevant or irrelevant organizations with the encouragement and provocation of Greece. Akbel said that the Greek Cypriot administration has not the authority to represent the whole of the Cyprus. /Cumhuriyet/ [02] KARADAYI RETURNS TO TURKEYAfter concluding his trip to Malaysia and China, Turkish Chief of the General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi returned to Turkey yesterday. Speaking to members of the press at the airport in Ankara, Karadayi said his visits to Malaysia and China had provided Turkey with the chance to improve relations and cooperation with these countries. In reference to a military training and cooperation agreement signed between Turkey and Malaysia in 1986, Karadayi said, he and his Malaysian counterpart had agreed to speed up and expand the defence industry and technology exchange. He said they also agreed to increase the exchange of military personnel between the two countries.Karadayi also referred to his trip to China and said he had met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin and other top defence and military figures in Beijing. Karadayi noted that China was eager to have broad cooperation with Turkey. Noting that China was an element of peace and stability in the region and in the world, Karadayı added that he also conducted an inspection tour of military units and facilities in both Malaysia and China. /All papers/ [03] US SAYS NO INTENTION TO BASE FORCES IN N.IRAQVisiting Turkey at a sensitive time marked by negotiation efforts toward a cease-fire between the Iraqi Kurdish factions, US Deputy Secretary of Defence John White said yesterday that the US had no intention of basing forces in northern Iraq.Speaking at a press conference, White, who on Tuesday met with Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen.Cevik Bir and Defence Minister Turhan Tayan, said he was pleased with the productive talks he had with the Turkish officials, saying that during the meetings they tackled issues of northern Iraq, the activities of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and the Bosnian situation. White also voiced his country's determination not to allow Saddam to threaten US allies and interests. Noting the presence in Turkey of Robert Pelletreau, another high-level US diplomat, White said that efforts to set up lasting peace in the northern Iraq would be launched in the near future, with the Turkish government's assistance. Regarding Turkey's plans to set up electronic security systems along Turkey's border with Iraq, White said that the US was working on a programme to provide electronic equipment for this in support of Turkey's struggle against terrorism. Later, White headed for the Incirlik Turkish and American Joint Air Force Base in Adana where the Operation Provide Comfort force is located. /Sabah/ [04] A SUMMIT IN ANKARA FOR NORTHERN IRAQIraqi Kurdish leader Celal Talabani yesterday voiced optimism for peace and stability in northern Iraq after joint Turkish-US efforts to end the bloody war between his Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and its rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Mesud Barzani. Talking to reporters after a day of contacts with Turkish and US officials, Talabani said that the PUK was ready for a cease-fire "right this moment" as the PUK did not want to create obstacles in the path of peace.Iraqi Kurds will start peace talks in Ankara next week with a view to ending their fight, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel announced yesterday. "The KDP and the PUK have accepted to send delegations next week for the talks", Akbel told reporters. US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Pelletreau in a statement prior to his departure said Turkey, the US and Britain were calling on both the KDP and the PUK to implement an immediate cease-fire. On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayeti said that Turkey had proposed Iran to mediate between the warring groups in northern Iraq and he had replied that Iran was ready to do so. Prior to a joint seminar of deputy foreign ministers of countries with coasts along the Caspian Sea held in Tehran yesterday, Velayeti said in a press conference that they were ready to mediate for peace in northern Iraqi. /Sabah-Cumhuriyet/ [05] 65TH INTERPOL GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING IN ANTALYAThe 65th Interpol general council meeting began yesterday with an address from Turkey's Interior Minister Mehmet Agar in Belek near Antalya. President Bjorn Eriksson spoke at the opening of the general council, an event attended by 926 representatives from 144 Interpol member countries.In his opening speech, Agar reminded delegates that the Turkish police force had been amongst Interpol's founders and that it had proved its commitment to international cooperation for the prevention of crimes against public order, terrorist activities and drug smuggling. Drawing attention to the necessity of the struggle against international terrorism and other crimes, Agar alleged that the activities of terrorist groups such as the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Dev-Sol endangered European public security to a serious degree. Agar called upon European countries to show decisive action against the activities of such organizations and to ensure decision-making from this standpoint. /Hurriyet/ [06] MORE TURKISH FIRMS GAIN INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIMForbes, a well-known US economic magazine, listed Turkey's tire producer BRISA and cooper products manufacturer Sarkuysan among the world's top small- and medium-scale enterprises in its November issue. Turkey's blanket producer, Usak Sesli Tekstil, was given the World Quality Award by the Spanish-based European Trade Leaders Club for its high quality and efficiency.Hazım Sesli, a company shareholder, will accept the award in Paris on October 28. BRISA and telecommunications firm Netas recently won Europe's highest quality awards in Edinburgh, topping the group of 500 candidate firms. BRISA won the European Quality Award while Netas was given the European Quality Prize along with two other giant concerns, British Telecom and TNT Express. /Sabah/ [07] US SUPPORT FOR GREECEOn the eve of the US presidential elections, the Clinton administration trying to win the support of Greek-origin electorate has coined a new name for the Turkish minority in Western Thrace - "Greek Muslim minority". At a press conference, US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns said that the Mufti problem in Western Thrace was a disagreement between Muslim groups in Greece sharing opposing views on the appointment of their mufti. Thus the US has made an important alteration in its foreign policy assuming a more pro-Greek attitude towards the problematic issues in the region. /Sabah/[08] EU DISAGREEMENT OVER TURKEYThe EU Commission and the European Parliament have fallen in disagreement with each other over the aid to be extended to Turkey within the framework of the MEDA project. Hans Van Den Broek, member of the EU Commission who is responsible for Turkish Affairs accused the EP of being too harsh in its dealings with Turkey and pointed out that the Commission will use its authority to resolve the issue. On the other hand, the members of EP accused Van Den Broek of being biased. /Milliyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |