|
|
|
Turkish Press Review, 96-12-26
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] DEMIREL APPROVES THE BUDGET
[02] FRANCE NOT REPRESENTED IN THE RECONNAISSANCE FORCE
[03] TURKEY ASKS US TO INVESTIGATE KURDISH INSTITUTE
[04] SYRIA WARM TO MENDING TIES
[05] TURCO-IRAQI RELATIONS
[06] REACTION TO ATTACKS IN WESTERN THRACE
[07] CONSORTIUM TO SELL TURKISH TELECOM SET UP
[08] TURKEY TO IMPOSE VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR BELGIAN CITIZENS
[09] MUSIAD BACKS ESTABLISHMENT OF COTTON UNION
[10] BAYINDIR AND INTERBANK SECURE SYNDICATION LOANS
[11] HONORARY DOCTORATE TO MELIH SIPAHIOGLU
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
DECEMBER 26, 1996
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning.
[01] DEMIREL APPROVES THE BUDGET
President Suleyman Demirel has approved the 1997 Fiscal Year Budget
Law, accepted by the Parliament. With the ratification of the Budget
law, he has also approved the Clear Accounts of 1994 and 1995 fiscal
years. The 1997 budget will enter into effect with its publication in
today's Official Gazette. /Hurriyet/
[02] FRANCE NOT REPRESENTED IN THE RECONNAISSANCE FORCE
According to a decision of the Turkish Parliament, the Provide Comfort
Force whose mandate is ending on December 31, 1996, will be replaced
by a Reconnaissance Force. The final talks prior to the discussions
at the Parliament, regarding some technical details related to the
Reconnaissance Force, were held yesterday among the US, British and
French embassies in Ankara and the Turkish Foreign Ministry. During
the discussions, France unveiled its decision to withdraw from the
Force. /Sabah/
[03] TURKEY ASKS US TO INVESTIGATE KURDISH INSTITUTE
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said on Wednesday that Turkey
had asked the US to investigate the Kurdish Institute in Washington.
When questioned about PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's declaration that
the Kurdish Institute in Washington belonged to the PKK, Akbel said
that Ocalan's statement was very clear and unambiguos. "We are
waiting for an assessment by US officials. We have requested that
everything about this institute be investigated, including the source
of its funding," Akbel said. /Sabah/
[04] SYRIA WARM TO MENDING TIES
The Syrian envoy to Ankara, Abdulaziz al-Rifai, said Damascus was in
favour of any initiatives aimed to improve relations between Turkey
and Syria, countries which he called neighbours and friends. During a
visit to Turkey last week, Iranian President Rafsanjani had offered to
mediate between Turkey and Syria for resolving the problems between
the two countries. Ankara replied by saying that as long as Syria
supported terrorism there could be no dialogue. /All papers/
[05] TURCO-IRAQI RELATIONS
Pointing out that the embargo imposed on Iraq since 1990 had been
"unfair and meaningless", Energy and Natural Resources Minister Recai
Kutan said that Turkey and Iraq would exert joint efforts to lift this
unjust implementation. Meeting Iraqi Oil Minister Amir Muhammed
Rashid, who is in Ankara to attend the Turco-Iraq Joint Economic
Commission meeting, Kutan said that Turkey would buy 10 billion cubic
meters natural gas from Iraq./Cumhuriyet/
[06] REACTION TO ATTACKS IN WESTERN THRACE
The Western Thrace Turkish Minority Solidarity Council has issued a
communique and condemned the inhuman treatments of Greek policemen who
attacked a mosque and villagers in Kimmeria, Xanthi. The Council said
that the mosque was being constructed under a legal permission and
viewed the attacks as "state terror".
During a weekly press conference yesterday, Turkish Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Ambassador Omer Akbel, said: "Necessary initiatives have
been made under the auspices of the Greek Embassy in Ankara. The
issue will be closely followed". /Cumhuriyet/
[07] CONSORTIUM TO SELL TURKISH TELECOM SET UP
Goldman Sachs was appointed as the leader of the consortium which will
give consultancy service to the government in selling a 20 percent
part of Turkish Telecom (TT). The government is expecting to raise a
reveneu TL 450 trillion by selling the TT. Thirteen banks will
participate in the consortium, including two Turkish banks, Garanti
Yatirim and Global Securities. According to the officials, the
consortium will start operations after obtaining a World Bank
approval. /All papers/
[08] TURKEY TO IMPOSE VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR BELGIAN CITIZENS
The Belgian Foreign Ministry has made a statement recalling that
Belgian citizens, who will go to Turkey, should obtain visa by 31
December 1996. The statement said that visas could be obtained from
the Turkish official representative offices in Belgium and from the
border gates. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] MUSIAD BACKS ESTABLISHMENT OF COTTON UNION
Turkey's Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association
(MUSIAD) on Wednesday unveiled an ambitious "cotton Union" plan which
envisages bringing together the world's leading cotton producers. The
"Cotton Union 1996" report prepared by MUSIAD and the International
Foundation for Technological, Economic and Social Research was
introduced by MUSIAD Chairman Erol Yarar at a press conference. Yarar
stated that the Cotton Union project will be the liberation of Turkey
and will be a useful and rational start for economic and political
targets for the Turkish and Islamic world. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] BAYINDIR AND INTERBANK SECURE SYNDICATION LOANS
Bayindir Holding, a Turkish contractor company, obtained a $50 million
three-year syndication loan from an international group of seven banks
to finance highway projects, company officials said on Wednesday. The
agreement for the loan, to be used by the Turkish Treasury on behalf
of the company, was signed on Monday in London. In addition, Turkey's
private bank Interbank said it had secured a $25 million syndicated
loan from a group of eight banks, led by Bankers Trust and Fuji Bank.
/Milliyet/
[11] HONORARY DOCTORATE TO MELIH SIPAHIOGLU
University of Nebraska University, America, gave the "Honorary
Doctorate" title to Melih Sipahioglu, Chairman of the Administration
Council of the Fruko Tamek Corporation. Sipahioglu, a 1953 graduate
of the University of Nebraska Administration Faculty, was presented
with the award by Jack Goebel, the dean of the Faculty. Sipahioglu is
the first foreigner awarded by the University of Nebraska./Hurriyet/
END
|
