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Turkish Press Review, 97-01-15Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWJANUARY 15, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] ERBAKAN SPEAKS OUT STRONGLYPrime Minister Necmettin Erbakan spoke out strongly yesterday against Greek and Greek Cypriot provocation in Cyprus and said that as both sides knew the Turkish character, his hope was that neither side would do anything foolish to worsen the situation."We hope that this provocation will not continue, and that history will not be repeated," said Erbakan in a call to the Greeks to stop playing with fire in Cyprus. Speaking to the Refah (Welfare) Party Parliamentary Group, Erbakan said that the Greek Cypriot community on Cyprus had been arming for a long time, and that now an intolerable position had been reached. He noted that Turkey had made its position clear and called for an immediate clearing of weapons from Cyprus and the Aegean Sea islands. /Sabah/ [02] MOVES TO INVEST IN TRNCTurkish businessmen are starting new initiatives to invest more in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Even as the situation worsens on the island, but before the Greek Cypriots actually receive and deploy their Russian-made S-300 missiles, Turkish businessmen want to get the TRNC economy moving.Turkish business sectors have taken note of the fact that per capita income in the Greek community now stands at 15 thousand dollars a year-well above income in the TRNC. After a recent visit by a 110 person delegation to the TRNC, businessmen are working on a new "Cyprus Holding" project designed to boost trade and economic cooperation with Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/ [03] STATE MINISTER ADAK IN WASHINGTONState Minister Fehim Adak, who is paying an official visit to the US, met yesterday with US Deputy State Secretary responsible for economic relations, Alan Larson. During their discussions, Minister Adak noted that the Refahyol coalition government was determined to improve cooperation with the US and to strengthen ties with the West. Touching upon the agreement recently signed with Iran, Adak stressed that the agreement was aimed only at meeting the energy needs of Turkey, adding that cooperation with Iran would remain limited to the field of economics.Minister Adak also had contacts with World Bank Chairman James Wolfensohn and IMF Chairman Michel Camdessus. /All papers/ [04] NORTHERN IRAQ PEACE TALKS IN ANKARA ENDThe third round of northern Iraq peace talks got off to a testy start yesterday with one of the representatives of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) lashing out at the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) before US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Pelletreau stepped in. Speaking to reporters before the meeting, KDP delegation chief Sami Abdurrahman accused the PUK of deporting 50,000 KDP sympathizers from the Suleymaniye area, a PUK stronghold.Later, Pelletreau, co-chairman of the talks along with Undersecretary of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Onur Oymen, said he expected that more positive steps and greater cooperation would be achieved during the talks. Pelletreau said his role, as co-chairman of the talks was "to review the positive steps that have been taken to strengthen the cease-fire and the confidence building measures. During the meeting, there was a consensus of opinion regarding the "Peace Observation Force" to be established for the continuation of the cease-fire reached in the region. According to this, along the cease-fire border line between the KDP and the PUK, a 200-person Peace Observation Force mostly consisting of Turkmens will be deployed. In the region, where five observation police stations will be set up, there will be patrols in sensitive areas. Onur Oymen also expressed his pleasure over the progress of the peace talks but expressed once again Turkey's demand that the territorial integrity of Iraq was essential for any deal to be established. Oymen further said he was pleased the parties in the region had confirmed their determination to prevent the presence of terrorist groups in the region. He said the closure of the Atrush refugee camp, which he said had been turned into a terrorist haven, was being followed closely by Ankara. The heads of the Turkmen and PUK delegations, Sinan Celebi and Mohammed Tofiq respectively, both told reporters before the meeting that they wished the peace process would soon produce positive results. The head of the British delegation, Frank Baker, also expressed the pleasure of his government over the progress achieved so far. The Turkish delegation was represented by Ali Tuygan, deputy undersecretary of the foreign ministry. A final declaration of the meeting will be issued today. /Cumhuriyet-Sabah/ [05] PKK MEMBERS ACCUSED OF MASS CRIMES GO ON TRIAL IN GERMANYThe trial of three members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), who organized and participated in separatist activities in Germany, began yesterday at the Dusseldorf State High Court. The court stated that the acccused, Ahmet Yavuz, Haydar Ergul and Nihat Asut, would be tried on charges of arson, taking hostages, assault, manslaughter, and will be tried for being members of a separatist group as well. The three men were arrested by German authorities in 1995.It is alleged that the three organized attacks on 80 Turkish organizations, mostly banks and travel agencies, on June 24, 1993. They are also accused of having organized on November 4, 1993, 200 PKK members who attacked 59 Turkish organizations including consulate buildings. /All papers/ [06] UKRAINE LOOKING SUPPORT TO REPATRIATE CRIMEAN TURKSUkraine is looking for financial support from Turkey to help in the resettlement of Crimean Turks. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Rustam Rustamov, the third secretary of the Ukrainian Embassy in Ankara, said the Ukrainian government had helped more than 250,000 Crimean Turks to return to their homeland. "Ukraine, which has financial and economic worries, has donated $100 million to the Crimean Turks" Rustamov told reporters. He also pointed out that many Crimean Turks also live in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia. /All papers/[07] COTTON EXPORTS INCREASETurkey's cotton exports since the export season began in September, 1996, reached 37,208 tons by January 10 and earned $52.8 million, Aegean Exporters Union officials said yesterday. They said no comparison was available for the same period in the previous 1995_96 harvest year but said Turkey exported a total of 58,465 tons in the 1995_96 export season (Sept.-Aug.) when exports were limited to a quota of 100,000 tons. The government later abolished the quota. Turkey last month revised its cotton output for 1996/97 (Oct.-July) to 792,414 tons from 783,735 tons, down from a record output in 1995/96 of 851,487 tons. /All papers/[08] STATOIL SEALS LPG DEAL WITH TURKEYDen norske stats oljeselskap A.S. has sealed its first contract with Turkey to deliver liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to state-owned energy group Tupras, a company spokeswoman said yesterday. The contract runs for one year and shipments will be made by Norwegian shipowner Bergesen A.S.A. No further details were available on the deal, which marks the opening of a fourth avenue for Statoil to market LPG, company spokeswoman Berit Rynning Oeyen said. Statoil already sells LPG to northwest Europe, some Mediterranean countries and the US. /All papers/[09] THY SUCCESS IN 1996Turkish Air Lines (THY) General Director Atilla Celebi said that in 1996 THY had transported about 10 million passengers. Pointing out that 1996 had been a very successful year for THY, Celebi noted that planes flying on all routes were generally 90 percent full. /Cumhuriyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |