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Turkish Press Review, 97-02-13
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] $500 MILLION DEAL WITH EUROCOPTER
[02] TURKEY: "WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TURKEY-GREEK TENSION"
[03] FOREIGN MINISTER CILLER TO ATTEND NATO COUNCIL MEETING
[04] TURKEY MONITORING UNREST IN XINJIANG
[05] ALBRIGHT: CYPRUS IS A WEDGE BETWEEN TURKEY AND GREECE
[06] 43 PKK SEPARATISTS KILLED
[07] TRNC COMPLAINS TO RUSSIA AND UN
[08] TURKISH TRADE LOOKING GOOD
[09] TRADE IN FREE ZONES INCREASES
[10] SUPPORT FOR INVESTMENTS IN TURKISH-SPEAKING REPUBLICS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
FEBRUARY 13, 1997
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning.
[01] $500 MILLION DEAL WITH EUROCOPTER
Turkey's controversial $500 million deal with the Eurocopter group to
produce a second batch of 30 Cougar helicopters in a joint production
project with around 30 percent local input is to be signed today in
Ankara between the French firm and the Undersecretariat for Defence
Industries. The deal will increase the number of Cougar helicopters
to 50. The joint production of 30 Cougars will be carried out at the
same Turkish Airspace Industries (TAI) plant which successfully
produces Turkey's F-16 fighter jets. During some stages of the
project, various Turkish firms such as Aselsan will take part in the
production. Under the deal, Turkey will also benefit from some
special offset programs as part of the package. /Milliyet/
[02] TURKEY: "WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TURKEY-GREEK TENSION"
"Turkey is not responsible for tensions with Greece and wants to solve
the problems by peaceful methods," said Turkish Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Omer Akbel at a weekly press conference on Wednesday. Akbel
was answering a question on a radio interview with British Foreign
Secretary Malcolm Rifkind on the BBC in which Rifkind claimed there
was a possibility of clashes in the Aegean. "Turkey still thinks the
problems between Turkey and Greece should be solved by comprehensive
dialogue. We hope the Greek government will also come round to this
viewpoint so a dialogue can start," said Akbel. /Milliyet/
[03] FOREIGN MINISTER CILLER TO ATTEND NATO COUNCIL MEETING
Turkish Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller will attend an extraordinary
meeting of the NATO Council on February 18 in Brussels, Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel told reporters on Wednesday. US
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright requested the meeting after her
recent appointment. /Sabah/
[04] TURKEY MONITORING UNREST IN XINJIANG
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said that Turkey was
monitoring events in China's Xinjiang region following a recent riot
there by the Turkish speaking Uigur majority against Beijing rule.
Following the riot, protestors in Istanbul held a demonstration in
support of the Uýgurs and burned the Chýnese flag. Akbel said that
China had issued no official statement regarding the demonstration in
Istanbul. /All papers/
[05] ALBRIGHT: CYPRUS IS A WEDGE BETWEEN TURKEY AND GREECE
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright emphasized once again the
importance of solving the Cyprus issue during a statement she made
before House of Representatives International Relations Committee.
She said the US was willing to do its share but first the communities
on the island had to agree among themselves to talk. Echoing
President Clinton's statements made in a letter to the House of
Representatives, Albright said that the issue may become a "wedge"
forcing Turkey and Greece even further apart. /All papers/
[06] 43 PKK SEPARATISTS KILLED
It has been announced that during air attacks against Kurdish Workers
Party (PKK) camps 43 PKK terorists have been killed and that most of
the camps have been damaged. After it was learnt that PKK militants
had organized attacks along the Turkish border in northern Iraq, three
military operations were launched during January. Military sources
later reported that the Metina and Zap camps in northern Iraq had been
bombed./Milliyet/
[07] TRNC COMPLAINS TO RUSSIA AND UN
Foreign Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC),
Taner Etkin, has sent notes to both the UN and the Russian Federation
about developments on the island. In his notes, Etkin complained
about the growing enmity on the island and the aggressive moves being
made against the TRNC. This especially in connection with the Greek
Cypriot purchase of Russian-made S-300 missile systems.
Etkin also stressed that new and radical changes would have to be made
in the balance of military power between the two communities on the
island. He warned that if new balances were not found, then serious
consequences could follow. /Milliyet/
[08] TURKISH TRADE LOOKING GOOD
In a list of fifty countries prepared by the European Union (EU),
Turkey comes ninth for exports and twelfth for imports. Overall
figures for trade last year show that Turkey looks quite good in
comparison with the EU as a whole with increases in all the trade
sectors. /Hurriyet/
[09] TRADE IN FREE ZONES INCREASES
Trade volume in Turkey's eight free zones last year surpassed $3.634
billion. Out of the total, $1.6 billion, which amounts to 45.4 % of
the total trade, was in the Mersin Free Trade Zone. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] SUPPORT FOR INVESTMENTS IN TURKISH-SPEAKING REPUBLICS
Halk Bank will extend credits for investments which Turkish small- and
medium-scale enterprises (KOBIs) will make in the Turkish-Speaking
Republics. General Director of Halk Bank, Yenal Ansen, said that the
source of the credits extended to KOBIs would be provided from DM 30
million funded by the German Development Bank. /Cumhuriyet/
END
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