|
|
|
Turkish Press Review, 97-08-22
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] DEMIREL VISITS HUNGARY NEXT MONTH
[02] DEMIREL SETS HIGH TARGETS FOR TEXTILE PRODUCERS
[03] ECEVIT EXERTING EFFORTS FOR COMPREHENSIVE AMNESTY
[04] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM TO TOUR EUROPEAN CAPITALS
[05] TURKISH CITIZENS MUST REGISTER WHEN VISITING KYRGYZSTAN
[06] TURKEY APPROVES AID TO RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT
[07] TURKEY ACCELERATES EFFORTS FOR GREATER SHARE OF CASPIAN OIL
[08] SEA HAWK HELICOPTER SALE APPROVED BY US CONGRESS
[09] FINANCE MINISTRY SAYS 'DON'T COME' TO OECD
[10] NEW LEGISLATION AIMED AT REDUCING TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
[11] CALL FOR CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT ON LEGISLATIVE IMMUNITY
[12] TURKEY ATTEMPTS TO DERAIL 'PEACE TRAIN'
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 1997
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
[01] DEMIREL VISITS HUNGARY NEXT MONTH
President Suleyman Demirel will pay a two-day official visit to
Hungary on September 3-4 upon the invitation of his Hungarian
counterpart Arpad Goncz. The official delegation will be accompanied by
a large delegation of Turkish businessmen. President Demirel will open
the historic Gulbaba Turbesi dating from the Ottoman Empire. (A 'turbe'
is the tomb of a saint). Demirel will also open an art exhibition
composed of 38 works by leading Turkish painters on the second day of
his Hungarian visit. The exhibition will remain open until September
15. /All papers/
[02] DEMIREL SETS HIGH TARGETS FOR TEXTILE PRODUCERS
In a speech at the opening of the Istanbul Fashion Fair, President
Demirel urged textile producers to work harder, noting that Turkey
needed resources to make new investments. He stressed that trade played
an important role in the process of globalization, and added that
Turkish tradesmem were an effective force in Turkey's drive to catch up
with world standards. Demirel said he expected textile producers to
export goods worth $10 billion next year. /Turkiye/
[03] ECEVIT EXERTING EFFORTS FOR COMPREHENSIVE AMNESTY
Not satisfied with the partial amnesty granted to the press, the
DSP party is pressing now for a general amnesty. The party has
submitted to the Council of Ministers a draft for reduction in the
sentences regulated by some articles of the Penal Code as well as by
Article 8 of the Law on Combatting Terrorism. /Hurriyet/
[04] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM TO TOUR EUROPEAN CAPITALS
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is to start an intensive round of
official visits to European capitals, starting with Rome on August
25-26, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Cem is expected to
meet his Italian counterpart Lamberto Dini. Italy is aiming to
undertake a mediator role in Turkey's relationship with the EU, and to
strengthen Turkey's EU bid. Cem is expected to return home on August
26. Cem will also pay an official visit to France in September and
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will visit Germany the same month. Foreign
Minister Cem and State Minister Ahad Andican will pay an official visit
to Azerbaijan on September 5-7. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] TURKISH CITIZENS MUST REGISTER WHEN VISITING KYRGYZSTAN
Turkish citizens planning to stay in Kyrgyzstan more than 72 hours
are obliged to register with the Interior Ministry Visa and Registration
Office for residence, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced yesterday.
According to the latest information, Turkish citizens will have to pay
47 Sum (approx.$3) registration fee and visitors who stay longer than 72
hours in Kyrgyzstan without registering will be made to pay a 1,800 Sum
($105) fine. /All papers/
[06] TURKEY APPROVES AID TO RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT
The Cabinet has approved a 1994 agreement signed between Turkey and
the Red Cross and Red Crescent international aid federations regulating
the status of their offices in Turkey, the Anatolia news agency
reported. Turkey will provide assistance to the Red Cross and Red
Crescent to help carry out their humanitarian missions, according to the
agreement announced in the Official Gazette yesterday. The agreement
was signed in Ankara on June 28.
[07] TURKEY ACCELERATES EFFORTS FOR GREATER SHARE OF CASPIAN OIL
Turkey has recently increased its efforts to obtain a greater share
in Caspian Sea oil field production. To this end, President Suleyman
Demirel has sent a letter to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Haydar Aliyev,
asking him to do his best in promoting Turkish interests. Complaining
that Turkey is not well-informed about the oil deal signed between eight
leading oil companies and the Azerbaijani government during the recent
visit of Aliyev to the US, a senior bureaucrat from the Turkish
Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) said that they would increase their efforts
to obtain a share of at least 10 to 25 percent of the new projects for
Azerbaijani oil reserves. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] SEA HAWK HELICOPTER SALE APPROVED BY US CONGRESS
Following the US Congress' approval of the controversial sale of
three frigates to Turkey, Congress has also approved the sale of four
Sea Hawk navy helicopters, which are also among the 26 items on the list
of defense equipment on order with the US. Both American and Turkish
defense sources confirmed the approval for the Sea Hawks, which are
destined for the Turkish Navy. The list is made up of 26 items -arms,
military support equipment and ammunition- which Turkey wants to
purchase from the US. Out of these 26 items, 21 items, including a
leased frigate and four Sea Hawks, have been passed by Congress in
mid-August three weeks after July 23 when the list was submitted to
Congress by the White House. For the remaining five items, which
include two donated frigates, the 30-day congressional notification
period expires at the close of business on August 23. Further, Turkish
Parliament Speaker Mustafa Kalemli will pay an official visit to the US
in the second half of September. /Sabah/
[09] FINANCE MINISTRY SAYS 'DON'T COME' TO OECD
The Finance Ministry has refused to allow an OECD anti-money
laundering group from looking into money laundering in Turkey, the
Anatolia news agency reported. At the June meeting of the OECD's
Financial Activity Mission Group, the OECD told Turkey to clean up its
act and gave it a deadline of September. Since then, the Finance
Ministry says it has taken many steps to wipe out money laundering,
including requiring banks to inform the ministry of transactions over a
certain amount.
"Turkey has been implementing the needed regulations related to the
money laundering" Finance Ministry officials said. "By October 1, 1997,
financial circles will start to give information to the ministry. Under
these circumstances, there is no need for the OECD to make research in
Turkey. In the September meeting of the organization, we will present
the results of our work and confirm our determination to stop money
laundering". /Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/
[10] NEW LEGISLATION AIMED AT REDUCING TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
Interior Minister Murat Baseskioglu announced that intercity bus
drivers who are tired and sleepless cause fatal traffic accidents. He
announced that all intercity buses must be fitted with instruments that
will measure the time and distance traveled by the driver. Baseskioglu
said that the new procedure will involve control checks at the arrival
and departure terminals, and buses that don't have the appropriate
instrumentation fitted will not be able to leave the terminal. Also
there will be control points on the highways between the hours of 4 a.m.
and 6:30 a.m. Drivers who disobey the rules will be reported to the
Transportation Ministry. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] CALL FOR CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT ON LEGISLATIVE IMMUNITY
Justice Minister Oltan Sungurlu has sent the parliamentary group
deputy chairmen of all parties a proposal calling for an amendment in
the Constitution which would enable the High Appeals Court Chief
Prosecutor to question the prime minister and ministers without needing
to obtain a parliamentary decision, in cases where they are caught 'red
handed' or have committed ordinary crimes. Sungurlu said that the
Cabinet had accepted the draft proposal which would require a change of
Constitutional Article 83. /All papers/
[12] TURKEY ATTEMPTS TO DERAIL 'PEACE TRAIN'
A group of European deputies, union representatives, human rights
activists, intellectuals, clergymen, Turkish intellectuals and deputies,
poiitical party representatives and unionists are planning to travel
from Brussels to Diyarbakir between August 26-September 1 on a "Peace
Train", in a project aimed at promoting democracy and a political
solution to the Kurdish conflict in southeastern Turkey. Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Sermet Atacanli said yesterday that Ankara considers
the Peace Train campaign, organized under the auspices of the Der Appell
Von Hannover organization, as "an initiative linked to the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)". The Foreign Ministry made demarches in
all the capitals on the train's itinerary and requested they not let the
train pass through their countries. Interior Minister Murat Baseskioglu
said that the people organizing the campaign are people who have close
contacts with the PKK. /Hurriyet/
END
|
