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Turkish Press Review, 97-02-26Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWFEBRUARY 26, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL GOING TO PAKISTANPresident Suleyman Demirel plans to visit Pakistan to paticipate in special meetings connected to Pakistan National Day celebrations on March 23.While in Pakistan, Demirel will meet with top officials and Pakistan President Leghari. /Cumhuriyet-Milliyet/ [02] GEN.KARADAYI MEETS WITH ISRAELI COUNTERPART AND DEFENCE MINISTERChief of General Staff Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi met with his Israeli counterpart, Gen.Amnon Lipkin Sahak, and Defence Minister Izak Mordehay on the second day of his visit to Israel. Karadayi, who is the first Turkish chief of staff to visit the Jewish state, is scheduled to meet with President Ezer Weizman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this week.It is reported that Israeli officials proposed that Israel can sell "Popeye" missiles made in the US to Turkey. The sale of the missiles is expected to total $50 million for Turkey. Israeli Defence Minister Mordehay also proposed to hold aerial and naval exercises jointly with the US, Israel and Turkey. He stated that these exercises would positively affect both Turkey's and Israel's defence security. Noting that he was sure that Turco-Israeli military cooperation would further increase, Mordehay said: "This cooperation will contribute to the Middle East peace process and block the negative effect of radical countries on the peace process". Karadayi, for his part, expressed pleasure over Turco-Israeli cooperation, but noted: "The prior item of this cooperation should be the struggle against international terrorism". Meanwhile, two Phantom fighter aircraft to be revised within the framework of military agreements between the two countries left Eskisehir for Israel yesterday. /Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/ [03] TAYAN: "TURKEY IS NOT BECOMING LIKE IRAN"Turkish Defence Minister Turhan Tayan said that he had met with several officials, diplomats and journalists during recent American-Turkish Council (ATC) meetings and had assured them that Turkey was not losing its secular basis -in other words, Turkey was not becoming like Iran. He said that during his consultations in Washington he had the impression that some felt the Turkish state was losing its secular character. But he also said that none of the US officials he spoke to had that idea about Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/[04] GUL MEETS WITH FINANCE FIRMS IN NYState Minister Abdullah Gul stated that more privatization had been completed in Turkey during the past six months than over the last 10 years. Speaking at a reception organized in his honour by the Federation of Turkish-American Associations (TADF) in New York, Minister Gul said interest rates had decreased from 160 % to 80 % in six months' time.Gul said he had met with representatives of large finance agencies in New York, adding that the meetings had been fruitful. Yesterday the state minister met with officials of Smith Barney, Bear Sterns Bank, and Lehman Brothers and Merry Lynch stock exchange companies. "They have great interest in Turkey; they closely follow developments in our privatization programme especially. They trust in the Turkish economy" said Minister Gul. He noted that the Bear Sterns Bank, among the five biggest US investment banks, wanted to open a branch office in Turkey. Upon the request of bank officials for help in the matter, Gul said they had a preliminary meeting. Officials from New York stock exchange companies said that it was important that Turkey should continue to be a reliable NATO ally and continue with efforts to integrate with Europe. /Hurriyet-Sabah/ [05] D-8 MEETING PLANNED FOR MARCHThe next meeting of the D-8 countries -eight developing Islamic countries -has been planned for March 13-14 in Antalya. Following new initiatives by Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, top level officials from the participating countries will gather together to discusss technical issues involving the D-8 countries. Officials note that the March meeting will be followed later in the first half of the year by a D-8 countries conference of foreign ministers. /Cumhuriyet/[06] ZEYBEK: LONG LIVE THE TURKISH-AZERBAIJAN BROTHERHOODTurkish State Minister Namik Kemal Zeybek declared yesterday that the "border" gates between Armenia and Turkey will be unlocked "on the condition that Armenia withdraws from the Azerbaijani territory it has invaded". Zeybek, acting chairman of the Turkish delegation, opened the two-day Turkish-Azerbaijani first term session of the Joint Economic Commission on Tuesday at the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat. The Azerbaijan delegation was headed by that country's Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sherifov.Noting that general relations between the two friendly nations were relatively good but that economic ties were less than desirable, Zeybek called on the private sector and state officials to step up joint business ventures and services. Sherifov said that President of Azerbaijan Haydar Aliyev will visit Turkey in April and that he was addressed by the president himself to solve any problems that might be encountered in the meetings. The first term meeting. scheduled to wrap up today, will review trade relations in order to increase the trade volume between the two nations and vary the items exchanged. /All papers/ [07] IRAQ VERSUS THE UN IN ANKARATurkey yesterday came under competing pressures from a senior UN official and the Baghdad government regarding its policies on Iraq. While the UN's executive chairman of the Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM), Rolf Ekeus, was meeting with Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen, the chairman of the Friendship, Peace and Solidarity Organization of Iraq, Salah Al Mukhtar, asked for Turkey's help in opposing the UN and passed on the Iraqi government's message to Justice Minister Sevket Kazan. Al Mukhtar also indicated that Iraq opposed the examination of scrapped missile engine parts by the United States and preferred it to be done in Russia or France. /All papers/[08] NEW SECURITY SYSTEM FOR CYPRUSBritain's special representative for Cyprus, Sir David Hannay, has suggested proposals for a new security system for Cyprus. He has suggested in essence that a NATO peace force should be sent to the island. Hannay made the proposal while in Ankara yesterday, talking with General Cevik Bir and Foreign Minister Ciller.Hannay has since left for Athens where he will again take up the issue of security on Cyprus and seek Greek support for solutions leading to a lasting peace. /Cumhuriyet/ [09] GREECE VETOES EU PLAN TO INLCUDE TRNC IN MEMBERSHIP TALKSLeading European Union (EU) countries want the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to participate in discussions to admit Cyprus in the EU, discussions that are set to start six months after the conclusion of a planned Intergovernmental Conference. At a European Council meeting yesterday in Brussels, Germany, England and France said they wanted the TRNC to be represented at the talks but Greece objected to the idea.Hans van Mierlot, Prime Minister of the Netherlands -the current holder of the EU term presidency- said the council would continue sitting, until late if need be, in order to hammer out a compromise on how Cyprus membership talks would be set up. There has also been no agreement by the European Council on a common stance to be taken during Wednesday's EU-Greek Cyprus Association Council meeting. It is reported that during the Association Council meeting, political issues will not be discussed. /Cumhuriyet/ [10] FRENCH POLICE AGAINST PKKFrench police held operations in Paris against the PKK terrorist organization. The operations were initiated under the direction of Anti-Terror Department of the Paris Court Judge, Jean Francois Richard yesterday morning. Following the operations, eight Kurdish businessmen suspected of collecting money for the PKK using illegal methods were taken into custody. /Sabah/[11] CD PROMOTION FOR TURKEYIn line with developing technology, Turkey is moving into hi-tech promotion projects using CD-ROM techniques. A new CD disk that will detail cultural, historical, political, social and economic developments in Turkey is on the way to being completed in Turkish and English.Similar CD disks will prepared in Arabic, German and French. The new promotion CD disks will be made available through Turkish tourism offices and other official representative offices. /Hurriyet/ [12] TOURISM DEAL WITH ALGIERSMinister for Tourism, Bahattin Yucel has signed a new tourism agreement with his Algerian counterpart, Abdelaziz Benmhidi. During the signing ceremony, Yucel noted the vital role of democracy in developing the tourism sector, and hoped that Turkey and Algeria could benefit from their different cultures through tourism. /Cumhuriyet/[13] TURKISH STUDIES CHAIR ESTABLISHED AT HARVARDA Turkish Studies chair has been established at Harvard University in honour of Vehbi Koc, founder and first chairman of Koc Holding, Turkey's largest industrial conglomerate, who died one year ago yesterday at the age 95, the Koc group announced. Family members and top Koc Holding executives commemorated Koc yesterday with a simple ceremony at his grave at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery in Istanbul. /All papers/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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