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Turkish Press Review, 97-03-20Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWTHURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning.[01] KALEMLI IN BAKUContinuing with his contacts in the Central Asian Turkish-Speaking Republics, Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Kalemli arrived in Azerbaijan yesterday. Initially, Kalemli visited the Martyrs Cemetery in Baku. Later, he met with Speaker of the Azeri National Assembly Murtuz Aleskerov. In a statement following the meeting, Kalemli said that relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan had gained new dimensions with his visit. /Sabah/[02] CLINTON-YELTSIN SUMMITLeaders of the US and Russia will meet today in Helsinki, the capital of Finland to talk about the new security structure of Europe following the Cold War. The summit, expected to focus on NATO expansion, carries great importance for the security of Turkey and stability in the region. /Milliyet/[03] EDUCATION MEETING IN GERMANYThe Turkish National Education Ministry will hold an "Education Meeting for Turkish Children" in Bonn to determine ways of solving the problems of Turkish children living in Germany. During the meeting, Turkish Minister of Education Mehmet Saglam will speak with German education administrators. /Cumhuriyet/[04] REACTION TO KOHL STATEMENTDeputy Speaker of the European Parliament and German Parliamentarian Magdelene Hoff and the Dutch Labour Party representative Piet Dankert arrived in Turkey yesterday to hold meetings with Chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal, regarding the statement previously made by German Prime Minister Helmut Kohl claiming that Turkey could not be a full EU member. Chairwoman of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament Pauline Green and Greek socialist parliamentarian Yiannis Roubatis will also participate in the meetings to be held on Saturday in Ankara. /Milliyet/[05] IMF IN ANKARA ON 1 APRILState Minister Ufuk Soylemez has said that a delegation headed by Director of the Turkish desk of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Martin Hardy, will arrive in Ankara on 1 April. Soylemez stated that the delegation will hold meetings between 1-16 April to evaluate recent developments in the Turkish economy. /Sabah/[06] GREECE TO HOLD BALKAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETINGTurkey has welcomed the call by Greece for a Balkan foreign ministers' meeting even though Turkey has not yet been invited, foreign ministry spokesman Omer Akbel said on Wednesday at the foreign ministry weekly press conference. Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis on Tuesday indicated that they would hold a Balkan foreign ministers' meeting in June. /All papers/[07] CILLER GIVES CONDITIONAL THUMBS UP TO NATO EXPANSIONForeign Minister Tansu Ciller said that Turkey was among the first countries to propose the NATO expansion plan but said that Turkey would not approve the NATO protection plan for Europe. Ciller stated that Turkey was a proponent of the NATO enlargement plan and confirmed her nation's support for the inclusion of eastern European countries in the Alliance. However, Ciller said that, due to Turkey's huge contribution of military force in NATO, Turkey would not accept being excluded from European Union expansion while the Alliance protected all of this territory. /All papers/[08] BOSNIA PEACE MONITORING GROUP TO MEET IN ISTANBULA meeting of the Bosnia Peace Monitoring and Implementation group will be held on April 2 in Istanbul, Foreign Ministry spokesman Omer Akbel said at his weekly press conference on Wednesday. Akbel indicated that Carl Bildt, the U.N. Coordinator for Bosnia, was scheduled to visit Turkey at the same time.Turkey will participate in the meetings as a representative of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. /All papers/ [09] KINKEL COMING TO TURKEYGerman Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel will visit Ankara next week. Germany is the biggest block to Turkey's full membership in the European Union and Ankara is curious to see just what kind of message Kinkel will deliver when he comes.The German Christian Democrat Party in particular leads the movement in the EU that is trying to stall Turkey's membership initiatives, despite the fact that other government leaders and EU officials have declared that Turkey "should be in the EU family." Minister Kinkel has in fact said that Germany was not against Turkey's membership in the EU, but that certain conditions had to be met first. /Cumhuriyet/ [10] PANGALOS SURPRISES ANKARAAnkara officials confess themselves to be most surprised over the recent statements of Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, who has also said that Turkey should be a member of European Union.Officials however, are being cautious about just what Pangalos wants, and wonder why the sudden change of heart. Some have been heard to say that there must be something behind this new support for Turkey. Washington too, is more than just a little astonished, with officials there saying that the comments of Pangalos could just be a reflection of Greek panic in the face of actually crossing swords with Turkey. US government officials note that Athens is still blocking the financial aid that Turkey is entitled to through customs union agreements. /Hurriyet/ [11] BAVARIA CONTINUES BAN ON PKKBavarian Interior Minister Dr.Gunther-Beckstein said on Wednesday that the province's prohibition of the unlawful Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) would continue, the Anatolia news agency reported. Beckstein said that after the PKK was outlawed, the organization - considered to be the most dangerous among extreme leftist foreign groups in the region - had resumed its activities underground. He added that the PKK was continuing its efforts and was ready to carry out violent attacks.[12] 30 MILITANTS KILLED IN SOUTHEASTSecurity forces on Wednesday, backed by helicopters and jets, killed 30 militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) near the southeastern provinces of Siirt and Batman, the Anatolia news agency reported. According to the office of the Emergency Rule Region, in operations to sweep PKK militants from the region 25 of the 30 militants were killed near Siirt's Caci mountain. Three other PKK rebels surrendered to security forces in the southeastern towns of Lice, Kulp and Sirnak, and two members of the outlawed Hizbullah group were also reportedly captured.[13] ERBAKAN MEETS EGYPTIAN ARMED FORCES COMMANDERPrime Minister Necmettin Erbakan on Wednesday received Egyptian military Chief of Staff Maj.Gen. Magdy Anvar Radvan Hatata and the military delegation accompanying him. Erbakan said the cooperation between Turkey and Egypt aimed at achieving peace in the explosive Middle East region also served for world peace. Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Ismail Hakki Karadayi also attended the meeting. Gen. Hatata said he had had very constructive talks with Turkish officials, and emphasized the special status of both countries in the region. /All papers/[14] TURKEY'S TALKS WITH TRNC INTENSIFYTurkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan declared on Wednesday that Turkey will give credit worth $250 million to northern Cyprus. Erbakan made the announcement after a Turkish Industrialist's and Businessmen's Foundation (TUSIAV) award ceremony in Ankara, where the prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Dervis Eroglu, was named statesman of the year in Ankara.After being received by State Minister Abdullah Gul on Wednesday, Eroglu pointed out that the economic protocol between Turkey and northern Cyprus was a deal that will bale-out the Cypriot economy. /All papers/ [15] MALAYSIA TO BUY TWO SUBMARINES FROM TURKEYNegotiations between Turkey and Malaysia over the sale of two 209 AY class submarines reached a peak on Wednesday with the Malaysian side agreeing to go ahead and buy the submarines. /All papers/[16] GOVERNOR OF BLACK SEA BANK HOPES TO OPEN IN MAYThe Turkish Governor of the new Black Sea Economic Cooperation bank, Erol Volkan, seen as the locomotive for the fledging group, said on Tuesday that he hoped to start operations in May. The long delayed bank will be the financial backbone of the 11-nation Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) group, set up in 1993 to help build commercial ties among neighbours and traditional foes in volatile Balkan region. "All member countries have ratified the founding of the bank but some have not put up the money yet. I am hopeful that the depository isuue will be resolved and the bank will begin operations in May," Governor Volkan said. /All papers/[17] TURKS DOMINATE RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTION MARKETTurkish firms have become the leading constructors in the booming Russian construction market, Russian Trade Representative to Turkey Victor Koptevsky has declared. "At present Turkish companies are in the first place in the Russian construction market topping other foreign companies," Koptevsky told a symposium in Istanbul Tuesday.Koptevsky said some 150 Turkish contractors were working on more than 200 construction projects in Russia, with a total value of $ 5 billion. He noted that Turkish contractors had completed 500 million dollars worth of construction work in Russia in 1996. Koptevsky urged the Turkish Eximbank to extend more more loans to Russia for its construction projects and to Turkish firms working there as constructors. The two- day symposium, "Turkey and the International Construction Market" ended on Wednesday. /All papers/ [18] BELGIAN SUPPORT TO TURKEYThe Belgian Foreign Ministry spokesman announced that the Belgian government supported Turco-European Union unity. The spokesman said: "Turkey should not be excluded from Europe and be seen only as a candidate for the European Union. Turkey's candidacy should be discussed within equal conditions with other candidates." /Cumhuriyet/[19] PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR HAN: "D-8 IS NOT A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION"Before President Suleyman Demirel's visit to Pakistan next weekend, Pakistani Ambassador to Ankara Humayun Han said that there were similarities between Turkey and Pakistan within the framework of current political atmosphere. He added that the D-8 group was composed of Muslim countries but did not have a religious character. "Within the framework of the D-8 projects should be developed. Turkey is a door to Europe for the D-8 member countries," Ambassador Han said. /Hurriyet/[20] EU NATIONAL CONSULTATION COUNCIL FORMEDAs a result of efforts by the Joint Parliamentary Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) and Economic Development Bank (IKV), the "Turkey-European Union Consultation Council" has been formed. The Council aims to maintain coordination and sustainability for the realization of the EU full membership target of Turkey. The 72-member Council will hold their first meeting on 21 March in Istanbul. /Hurriyet/[21] PROMOTION CAMPAIGNS IN 30 COUNTRIESThe Turkish Tourism Ministry has started promotion campaign projects in 30 countries in 1997. The projects, with $17 million budget will be heavily conducted in America, the Latin American countries, Britain, Germany, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Asian countries. Within the scope of the campaigns, the Turkish people, history, culture, natural wealth and diversity, dynamism and modernism will be promoted. /Hurriyet/[22] YELTSIN BLOCKS RETURN OF TROY TREASURERussian Federation Head of State Boris Yeltsin has effectively put a stop to the return to Turkey of treasures stolen from ancient Troy and that are now in Russia.Although Yeltsin has not signed into a effect a new Russian Parliament law that would have in itself blocked the return of the treasures to Turkey, Yeltsin has conveyed to Parliament the suggestion that the treasures should remain where they are. Yeltsin has avoided any direct reference to Turkey but the import of his message is clear, note officials. /Cumhuriyet/ [23] HEAVY TRAFFIC ALONG THE BOSPHORUSThe Bosphorus straits are again the subject of international debate. Time magazine in its latest issue warns that heavy maritime traffic up and down the Bosphorus could lead to disaster in the near future.Time magazine claims that the Bosphorus straits are the busiest of their kind in the world, and that the number of vessels using the straits grows daily. The magazine also points out that it is not just the Turkish government that wants to limit the number of vessels using the straits at any one time, it is also a condition imposed by geographic structure of the straits. /Sabah/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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