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Turkish Press Review, 97-06-24
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] YILMAZ STARTS TALKS ON FORMING A NEW COALITION
[02] TURKEY DEMANDS JUSTICE AFTER BELGIAN TERRORIST ATTACK
[03] 65 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
[04] PKK COOPERATES WITH RUSSIAN MAFIA
[05] TURKEY WORRIED OVER GREEK-ARMENIAN COOPERATION
[06] SHARES SURGE 8 PERCENT
[07] ARSON IN BERLIN
[08] SYMPOSIUM ON CRUSADES IN ISTANBUL
[09] TRABZON SUMMIT OF BALKAN COUNTRIES
[10] CYPRUS LAND DEBATE FLARES UP
[11] TURKEY-US-JORDAN COOPERATION AGAINST DRUG SMUGGLING
[12] TURKISH TV EXPORTS INCREASE
[13] TURKISH CASINOS ARE PREFERRED BY ISRAELIS
[14] US PRESSURES GREECE
[15] HAZELNUT EXPORTS TO THE US
[16] COMMITTEE TO HANDLE OUTSTANDING LIBYAN DEBTS
[17] BEKSA IS FINALIST IN EUROPEAN QUALITY CONTEST
[18] TOURISM OSCARS AWARDED TO TURKEY
[19] TURKISH FOOTBALL TEAM IN FINALS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
JUNE 24, 1997
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
[01] YILMAZ STARTS TALKS ON FORMING A NEW COALITION
ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz, asked by President Demirel to form a new
government last weekend, begins today rounds of talks with leaders of
the other parties. On top of the agenda will be his demand for
support for the government he intends to form.
Today, Yilmaz will meet DYP leader Tansu Ciller, DSP leader Bulent
Ecevit, CHP leader Deniz Baykal and DTP leader Husamettin Cindoruk.
These initial talks are expected to give a hint as to whether or not
Yilmaz will be able to form a government capable of winning a vote of
confidence. His aim is to present a cabinet list to the President by
next Monday. /Milliyet/
[02] TURKEY DEMANDS JUSTICE AFTER BELGIAN TERRORIST ATTACK
At a weekly press conference yesterday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman
Sermet Atacanli said that Turkey was deeply concerned about the
terrorist bombing of the Turkish Embassy in Brussels last Saturday and
demanded that the terrorists be caught and punished. Atacanli
recalled that before the attack, Turkey had warned the Belgian
authorities that an attack was possible. He added that Turkey would
ask the Belgian government to pay for the damage caused by the
terrorist attack.
Turkish Ambassador to Brussels, Guner Oztek, yesterday presented to
the Belgian Foreign Ministry two notes of protest - one condemning the
attack and demanding punishment for the terrorists, and the other
asking the Belgian authorities to compensate Turkey for the losses
suffered as a result of the attack. /Sabah/
[03] 65 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
In clashes in southeastern Turkey between Turkish security forces and
PKK terrorists, 65 terrorists have been killed during the last two
days. According to official figures, so far more than 3,000
separatists have been put out of action by the Turkish Armed Forces in
an operation code named "Hammer". Tons of ammunition and food in
addition to various weapons have also been seized. /Milliyet/
[04] PKK COOPERATES WITH RUSSIAN MAFIA
According to US intelligence, the Russian mafia has been selling arms
to the terrorist PKK organization. Weapons were mostly smuggled into
Turkey through the Kapikule and Sarp border gates. According to a
Washington Times newspaper report based on some secret CIA reports,
some high-level Russian officials were involved in the arms transfers
which lasted for nearly one year. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] TURKEY WORRIED OVER GREEK-ARMENIAN COOPERATION
At a weekly press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman
Sermet Atacanli said that Turkey will closely follow relations between
Greece and Armenia, two countries that recently agreed to cooperate in
military intelligence exchange and military training. After an
official visit to Armenia last Saturday, Greek Chief of General Staff
Atanasios Soganis announced that the two countries will exchange
military intelligence, and that both countries were planning the
extension of a joint military exercise programme. /Hurriyet/
[06] SHARES SURGE 8 PERCENT
After ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz undertook the task of setting up a new
coalition, Istanbul stock exchange shares surged over 8 percent. The
IMKB National-100 index leapt 8.04 percent, or 132 points, to end the
day at 1,774, an all-time record. Trading volume also surged to an
unusually high $311 million, more than double Friday's volume. /All
papers/
[07] ARSON IN BERLIN
Berlin police confirmed Monday that a fire which injured eight people
on Sunday night in a building that was home to Turkish families was
the result of arson. The fire started in the basement of a five-story
building. A police spokesman said that if the fire had not been
noticed at an early stage, there would have been a major disaster.
Eight Turks, including three children were hospitalized after the
fire. /Hurriyet/
[08] SYMPOSIUM ON CRUSADES IN ISTANBUL
Scholars from eight countries are in Istanbul for an international
symposium on the Crusades. In a message to the participants President
Demirel said that the Crusades had brought about considerable
economic, political and cultural interaction between two big
civilizations. The three-day symposium is organized by the Turkish
History Institution. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] TRABZON SUMMIT OF BALKAN COUNTRIES
In a move to develop cooperation between the central Black Sea port of
Trabzon and the Balkan and Caucasian countries, an important meeting
was held yesterday to discuss regional developments and take up
matters like visa applications and relations with the European Union
(EU). Governor of Trabzon, Ismet Civelek, noted that the Caucasus was
a huge untapped market. /Hurriyet/
[10] CYPRUS LAND DEBATE FLARES UP
Even before the proposed talks between the leaders of the two
communities on Cyprus take place, argument over the division of land
on the island has flared up again. Although talks have been planned
to take place in New York starting on July 9, during which new
settlement plans at the top of the agenda are to be discussed, new
friction over land has already clouded hopes for a quick solution.
/Hurriyet/
[11] TURKEY-US-JORDAN COOPERATION AGAINST DRUG SMUGGLING
During a joint operation by the American Narcotics Police Department
(DEA), Jordan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
Narcotics Police and the Adana Security Office, 30 kg of heroin and 15
kg of opium has been sezied in Jordan and 21,000 packets of "Captagon"
in Kilis. Adana Security Chief, Mehmet Gundogdu, said that during the
20-day operation, a five-member international drug team was also
uncovered. Gundogdu added: "This operation is an important
indication of the significance Turkish police attach to the struggle
against drug trafficking". Meanwhile, during another operation held
in Hakkari, 40 kg of pure heroin was seized. /Sabah/
[12] TURKISH TV EXPORTS INCREASE
Exports made by Turkish television producers increased by 70 % during
the first five months of this year when compared with the
corresponding period last year. Turkish companies, which exported
457,684 television sets during the first few months of last year,
exported 781,699 TVs mostly to EU countries. European electronics
giants, unable to compete with Turkish and Far Eastern companies, have
begun to go bankrupt. /Sabah/
[13] TURKISH CASINOS ARE PREFERRED BY ISRAELIS
Israeli Director of the National Lottery has stated that Israeli
people spent $440 million in Turkish casinos during 1996. In a
statement, Lottery Director Avraham Katz-Oz noted that casinos were
prohibited in Israel and added that more than 300,000 Israeli tourists
visited Turkey last year. /Sabah/
[14] US PRESSURES GREECE
Greek Defence Minister Akis Tsohacopulos, in the US as the guest of
his US counterpart William Cohen, will meet with experts engaged in
Turco-Greek relations. It is expected that US officials will invite
the Greek minister to pursue a 'more flexible' Greek policy regarding
the implementation of settlement measures in the Aegean. It is
reported that US experts will put pressure on the Greek minister to
ensure that only non-armed flights of Greek military aircraft will
take place in the Aegean. Another issue is expected to be more Greek
effort to persuade the Greek Cypriot Administration to cancel the
purchase of Russian-made S-300 missiles. /Sabah/
[15] HAZELNUT EXPORTS TO THE US
A joint venture has been undertaken by Turkish and American hazelnut
growers in conjunction with importers and exporters to promote sales
of Turkish grown hazelnuts in the US. For this purpose, they have
established a hazelnut council. Cuneyt Zapsu has been elected
chairman of the council. /Milliyet/
[16] COMMITTEE TO HANDLE OUTSTANDING LIBYAN DEBTS
A committee has been formed to follow-up on Libyan debts to Turkish
contractors. The committee is headed by Assistant Undersecretary to
the Prime Ministry Selcuk Polat. Aside from diplomatic contacts,
decisions will also be taken on economic issues. A report will then
be submitted to the prime ministry. /Cumhuriyet/
[17] BEKSA IS FINALIST IN EUROPEAN QUALITY CONTEST
Beksa steel cord industries has become a finalist in the European
Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises Product Quality Contest.
/Cumhuriyet/
[18] TOURISM OSCARS AWARDED TO TURKEY
Tourism Oscar awards distributed by the Austrian Tourism Bureau have
this year been awarded to Turkey. The Turkish tourism sector has been
pleased to see that tourism standards in Turkey are of the highest
order. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism,
some five companies in Turkey have received Oscars. /Cumhuriyet/
[19] TURKISH FOOTBALL TEAM IN FINALS
In the current Mediterranean Games, the Turkish team smashed home the
deciding goal during extratime in a match played against Greece. The
score at the end of normal time stood at 0-0. The Turkish team will
play against Italy in the finals tomorrow. /Hurriyet/
END
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