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Turkish Press Review, 97-08-08Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWAUGUST 8, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning.[01] DISCUSSIONS ON EIGHT-YEAR EDUCATION HEATING UPDebates over the bill for eight-year compulsory uninterrupted education continue at the Parliamentary Plan and Budget Commission. Despite efforts of the opposition Welfare Party to block the bill, Article 1, stipulating that the compulsory education period will be eight years and that it will be uninterrupted was passed by the Commission.Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said that the government was determined to implement the eight-year compulsory education system despite all political opposition. The World Bank has backed the education reform initiated by the Yilmaz government by extending credits worth $1 billion to be spent on financing the reform. /Cumhuriyet/ [02] GOVERNMENT MOVES TO IMPROVE SOCIAL SECURITYAt the 44th General Assembly of the Social Security Institution (SSK), financial problems faced by the Institution were tackled. In a speech, Prime Minister Yilmaz said that the Turkish social security system was in a crisis stemming from poor management of the institution. He stressed that the government had allocated huge amounts of money to help the SSK pay its debts, and added that a reorganization of the system was given major priority in the governmental programme. Measures to deal with the unregistered economy and separating health and insurance services rendered by the SSK from each other were also discussed as measures to overcome social security problems. /All papers/[03] SIGNIFICANT STEPS ON HUMAH RIGHTSThe government has undertaken its first concrete moves towards improving the human rights record of Turkey. State Minister responsible for human rights, Sami Turk, said that "it cannot be denied that there are cases of human rights violations in Turkey." He added that the important thing was "to take resolute action and settle the problems."A seven point package was disclosed at yesterday's meeting of the Human Rights Coordination Board. A press control mechanism will be established to keep human rights complaints on the agenda. A committee will be set up to outline an approach to the issue of missing persons in line with international understanding. Measures to improve prison conditions will be considered. Views of representatives of non-governmental organizations wil also be taken into account in passing steps on enhancing and preserving human rights. State Minister Turk vowed that human rights violations in Turkey will definitely be reduced. /Hurriyet/ [04] GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTS "BITTER PACKAGE"State Minister Gunes Taner said that in September the government will start discussions with IMF and World Bank officials. Taner described stabilization measures to emerge from these discussions as a "bitter package". In fact, the government has launched such measures just after its establishment by imposing a number of price increases on goods produced by State Economic Enterprizes. /Cumhuriyet/[05] REACTION TO AGREEMENT WITH TRNCThe Association Council agreement recently signed on Wednesday between Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has incurred the fierce criticism of Greece. Athens has argued that Ankara was now jeopardizing relations with the EU, and that the agreement would have a negative impact on Turco-Greek relations and negotiations for resolving the Cyprus issue.The Greek Cypriot community has also dismissed the agreement as a "provocation to the international community". At the second stage of the direct talks between TRNC President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafkos Clerides scheduled for August 11-16 in Montreux, Denktas is expected to press for sovereignty, bi-zonality, continuation of Turkey's guarantorship and the establishment of special ties with Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/ [06] PAKISTANI FM IN ANKARAPakistani Foreign Minister Gohar Eyup Han arrived yesterday in Ankara for an official visit. Eyup Han had talks with President Demirel, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. During the meetings, bilateral relations and issues of regional importance were taken in hand. /Milliyet/[07] PKK HAS ANTI-CRAFT MISSILESThe Interior Ministry has warned customs officials at border control points by sending written notes saying that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has bought Sam-7, Sam-9, Strella-2M anti-aircraft and Stringer missiles.The note says, "During the previous operations conducted in Northern Iraq by security forces two Turkish Air Force helicopters were shut down down by these missiles. It is thought that the PKK has obtained these weapons from Syria, Iran, Armenia, Libya, Afghanistan, Greece, the Northern Greek Cypriot Administration, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania and the Russian Federation. It is also noted that the PKK has continued its contacts in Europe to buy more missiles." /Milliyet/ [08] FINANCIAL TIMES: TURKISH BUSINESSMEN CARRY TURKEY TO EUROPEThe British Financial Times daily economic newspaper, said that Turkish businessmen had developed their relations with Europe despite the politicians. The article reported, "Turkish businessmen have strengthened their relations with Europe. President Suleyman Demirel opened a factory in his hometown in Isparta last week, where British cotton is used in cloth-making and will be sold in England. Demirel stressed in his speech during the opening ceremony that that was the way that Turkey had entered Europe." /Milliyet/[09] OPERATIONS ALONG THE BORDEROperations carried out by Turkish security forces against the PKK terrorist organization along the northern Iraqi border continued yesterday in the regions of Hakkari and Herekol. F-4 fighter planes and Cobra helicopters are supporting the operations.Militants of the illegal TKP-ML_TIKKO organizations raided the Almus district of Tokat the previous day. Militants attacked a gendarmerie HQ, prison and military draft office and threw a bomb at a guesthouse. Operations to capture the militants are continuing. In another incident, PKK militants fired at Village Services workers and soldiers at a road construction site yesterday morning in Bilice Village in the Kigi District of Bingol. One soldier, Ali Kayahan, and bulldozer operator, Refik Kayaolcay, died and two soldiers were wounded in the attack. The previous night, terrorists kidnapped Kemal Gunes in Gunalti Village in the Elbistan District of Kahramanmaras. The terrorists, who later killed Gunes, managed to escape. Operations in the region are continuing. /Hurriyet-Sabah/ [10] PERMISSIONS FOR FOREIGN CAPITAL INCREASEIncluding foreign capital permissions, which totalled $138 million in July 1997, the total of foreign capital permissions reached $923 million during the first seven months of this year. The whole foreign capital permission amounted to $21.5 billion. 93 % of the foreign capital came to Turkey from the countries of the Economic Cooperation and Development Organization (OECD) and the EU member countries. /Cumhuriyet/[11] GAMBLING HOUSES CLOSED DOWNA bill on closing down gambling houses was passed yesterday by Parliament. The law, previously vetoed by President Demirel, was passed without any amendments, and the president has no right to put forward any further objections to the law. Within six months after the promulgation of the law in the Official Gazette, all the 78 gambling houses in Turkey will have to be closed down. /Cumhuriyet/[12] FIVE PRISONERS ESCAPE FROM UMRANIYE PRISONFive members of outlawed leftist organizations escaped yesterday from Umraniye Prison. The prisoners escaped through the main exit using the visitor's cards of their friends and taking advantage of the crowd in the prison on visiting day. /Hurriyet/[13] RUSSIAN RADAR ALONG THE BOSPHORUSIzvestiya newspaper published in Russia announced that Russia was willing to undertake the project of modernizing radar systems controlling the busy shipping traffic in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits. According to the Russians, radar equipment presently installed in these areas were emitting electro-magnetic radiation harmful to human health. /Milliyet/[14] UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAM RESULTSThe results of the second stage of the university entrance exams were announced yesterday. Approximately 700 thousand students have won university places. /All papers/[15] NEW PIPELINE CONSORTIUMA new multi-country international consortium will soon be set-up to finance and develop the Baku-Ceyhan petrol pipeline that Turkey is promoting to bring Azeri fuel reserves to world markets.The consortium will include companies in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and some of the US petrol giants. The proposed pipeline will run from Baku in Azerbaijan, round Armenia and across Turkey, down to the Mediterranean port facilities of Ceyhan. /Sabah/ [16] ISTANBUL EXCHANGE SETS NEW RECORDSTrading on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) yesterday broke previous records, with the morning sessions closing at 2061 points. Trading dropped during the afternoon and closed finally at 2050 points.Market trends however, remain cool with foreign exchange having a quiet day's trading and showing an all round drop in rates. /All papers/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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