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Turkish Press Review, 97-08-18Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWMONDAY, AUGUST 18, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning. [01] NEW ERA IN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMA 130 hour-long eight year compulsory education marathon was completed Saturday when the related bill was passed by Parliament by a majority of 35 votes thus starting a new era in the Turkish education system. President Demirel has approved the law, and implementations have begun. The government has now declared a "mobilization" to fill the lack of teachers and to finance the reforms. Price hikes for cigarettes and alcoholic beverages produced by the state monopoly Tekel and for fuel oil will raise funds for financing the reforms.Radical Islamists protesting the eight year compulsory education clashed over the weekend with police in Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Bursa and Izmit. /All papers/ [02] JOURNALIST ISIK YURTCU RELEASED FROM PRISONThe law calling for postponement of prison sentences for newspaper editors has brought into force. Journalist Isik Yurtcu, along with other journalists, was released Friday evening from Tekirdag Saray Prison and Detention House under the provisions of the law for pardoning press representatives. Yurtcu stood convicted of writing article contravening Turkish laws governing freedom of the press and thought while he was editor of Ozgur Gundem newspaper.The provisional amnesty granted to editors was welcomed by the US as a step designed to improve human rights in Turkey. "We hope the government will take aditional steps to further ensure freedom of expression for journalists and others," US officials said./All papers/ [03] ALEVI HACIBEKTAS FESTIVAL CELEBRATEDThe 34th anniversary of the annual Hacibektas Festivities was celebrated over the weekend in the Hacibektas town in the Central Anatolian province of Nevsehir. Leading state officials, including President Demirel, Prime Minister Yilmaz, Deputy Prime Minister Ecevit and Deputy Prime Minister Sezgin also attended the celebrations.[04] TRNC CONDEMNS MURDER OF TURKISH CYPRIOTThe murder of a Turkish Cypriot on Saturday drew a storm of criticism on Sunday, the Anatolia news agency reported. A hooded gunman shot dead a Turkish Cypriot in the Greek Cypriot coastal town of Limassol. Cihan Necip Hakyemez was killed as he was riding a motorcycle in the Turkish Cypriot neighbourhood of the town by four bullets fired at close range by the gunman.Papers published in Northern Cyprus provided extended coverage of the murder. President Rauf Denktas noted that every Turk living in the south of the island was perceived by the Greek Cypriots as a Turkish spy. Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu noted that the incident has exposed the truth about the Greek Cypriot administration, and has called upon the UN and other international organizations to condemn the murder. [05] SHIFT IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIESForeign Minister Ismail Cem said over the weekend that "Europe does not comprise the whole world". As a reaction to EU hesitation about accepting Turkey into the Union, Turkey will now consider opportunities for improving its foreign and economic relations with the leading economic powers in the world. Within this framework, the Foreign Ministry is considering a free trade agreement with the US, that first emerged as an item on the agenda of Turco-American relations in the aftermath of the Gulf crisis. /Hurriyet/[06] HIGH COORDINATION COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS HOLDS WEEKLY GATHERINGThe High Coordination Committee on Human Rights announced Friday that, until a judicial police unit is established, administrative supervisors will complete the records of the security chiefs, taking into account the opinions of the state chief prosecutors in charge.Hikmet Sami Turk, state minister responsible for human rights, speaking after the fifth gathering of the committee, described what steps have been taken by the government to improve human rights in Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported. Turk also discussed the steps taken by the government to clear up disappearances and investigate the possible involvement of security personnel. He also said that a press department would be established at the Interior Ministry. The council will hear testimony from the leaders of human rights organizations at its next meeting, Turk said. [07] MONTREUX CYPRUS TALKS ENdDeadlocked Cyprus unity talks in Switzerland ended on Friday with no date fixed for a further round, said President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Rauf Denktas.Diplomats said U.N. mediator Diego Cordovez, British Ambassador David Hannay and U.S. and EU envoys tried unsuccessfully to persuade Denktas to drop his opposition. On Wednesday Denktas refused to sign a new, amended U.N. proposal until the EU shelves plans for EU membership talks with the Greek Cypriot administration early next year, saying Cordovez tabled the proposal despite his objection. /All papers/ [08] AIR MONITOR FOR FOREST FIRESForestry Minister Ersin Taranoglu announced that a new type of drone plane, due to be imported shortly from Israel, will enable both the cause of forest fires and those responsible for starting them to be identified, reported the Anatolia news agency reported.Taranoglu, who said that the "plane" will be in Turkey next week together with Israeli experts, added that the air device is capable of searching an area of 100 square kilometers in a short period of time. [09] RUSSIA, TURKEY AND FRANCE HEAD LIST OF COUNTRIES BUYING IRAQI OILRussia and France headed the list of 10 countries that have signed contracts to buy more than 83 million barrels of oil from Iraq in the oil-for-food humanitarian program, the United Nations said Thursday. The Russian government and private companies are buying 20 million barrels, while French companies will buy 11.52 million barrels. Other countries include Turkey with 15.3 million barrels, the Netherlands with 10.8 million barrels, and the United States, Switzerland, Spain and Austria with between 1.8 million and 4 million barrels. /All papers/[10] SIEMENS FORMS LEASING COMPANY IN TURKEYGerman electronics and telecommunications industry giant Siemens has established a leasing company in Turkey, the company announced on Thursday. In a written statement the company said Siemens Leasing-Turkey would participate in Turkey's 1.5 billion dollar leasing sector. "Siemens activities in Turkey are not narrow foreign investment initiatives but a business partnership in a wide perspective over a long period of time," Christoph Urban, chairman of the new company, declared.Bulent Taser was named general manager of the new leasing company. /All papers/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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