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Turkish Press Review, 97-09-01
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY SADDENED OVER DIANA'S DEATH
[02] EU TERM PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS IN ANKARA
[03] NATION MARKS VICTORY DAY
[04] TURKEY TIGHTENS CAMPAIGN AGAINST S-300 MISSILES
[05] TURKEY TO CELEBRATE 'PEACE DAY' TODAY
[06] GREEN TOUR '97 TO PROMOTE THE BLACK SEA REGION IN THE WORLD
[07] TPAO'S KAZAKHSTAN INVESTMENTS
[08] GOVERNMENT SETS UP COUNCILS FOR CENTRAL ASIAN RELATIONS
[09] TURKEY ARMY TO PARTICIPATE IN "CENTRAZBAT-97" MILITARY OPERATION
[10] HISTORIC AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA
[11] TURCO-JAPANESE OIL COOPERATION
[12] GAP SPEEDILY NEARS COMPLETION
[13] ISTANBUL TO HOST INTERNATIONAL HEALTH MEETING
[14] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASES
[15] CROATIAN MINISTER MEETS TURKISH BUSINESSMEN
[16] NATIONAL INCOME INCREASES BY SIX PERCENT
[17] TURCO-ISRAELI OIL AGREEMENT
[18] PLAN TO SALVAGE THE BLACK SEA
[19] BILISIM'97 COMPUTER FAIR IN ISTANBUL
[20] GUCLU WORLD CHAMP IN WRESTLING
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER
01.09.97
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
[01] TURKEY SADDENED OVER DIANA'S DEATH
Turkey's President Suleyman Demirel sent a message yesterday to the
Queen of England to express his condolences over the death on the
weekend of Princess Diana. Demirel expressed his "deepest sorrow" in
his message over the "sudden" and unfortunate death of the princess
who captured the hearts of all the world's citizens including the
Turkish people. "President Demirel conveyed his condolences to her
family and the British nation" a statement released from the
President's press office said.
Speaker of the Turkish Parliament Mustafa Kalemli also sent a message
to the Chairwomen of Britain's House of Lords Betty Boothroyd
expressing his condolences over the heartbreaking death of world's
most popular princess. /All papers/
[02] EU TERM PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS IN ANKARA
The European Union's term president Luxembourg Foreign Minister
Jacques Poos started a two-day official visit to Turkey yesterday
after completing a similar visit to Athens. Poos' earlier references,
made in Athens, to the European Commission's recommendation for the
start of EU membership talks with "Cyprus" next year, meaning Greek
Cyprus were expected to be received cooly in Ankara. Poos told
reporters in Athens there was no change in the EU's proposed timetable
for accession talks with Greek Cyprus.
Poos first met with his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem. He will fly
to Paris today after meeting other Turkish officials. Cem will pay a
two-day official visit to Paris starting today. Talking to reporters
at the airport on his arrival in Ankara, Poos said that Turco-EU ties,
Cyprus and Turco-Greek relations would be high on his agenda during
talks in Ankara. /Sabah/
[03] NATION MARKS VICTORY DAY
Leaders of the Armed Forces laid a wreath at Ataturk's Mausoleum on
August 30, Victory Day. This was the day when invading Greek forces
were defeated and pushed out of Turkey by the Turkish Army led by
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who later founded the modern Turkish Republic.
Military parades marked the day across the country. The 75th
anniversary was celebrated and commemorated throughout the country, in
Turkey's foreign missions and in the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC). President Suleyman Demirel, Parliament Speaker Mustafa
Kalemli and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz also participated in the
ceremonies in Ankara. /All papers/
[04] TURKEY TIGHTENS CAMPAIGN AGAINST S-300 MISSILES
Turkey is tightening its campaign against Greek Cypriot efforts to buy
long range S-300 missiles from Russia. Turkey is intensifying
measures in the Bosphorus by closely monitoring all ships, to see
whether they are carrying any part of Russian missiles or not, in an
effort to prevent the transportation to Greek Cyprus of the
controversial S-300 missiles from Russia via the Bosphorus Straits.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry is reportedly still in contact with the
United Nations Security Council to make a decision banning the sale of
arms to the Greek Cypriots from anywhere in the world. The General
Staff also asked the Foreign Ministry to make an effort to get the
United Nations and other countries to condemn the Greece-Greek Cyprus
Joint Defense Doctrine. /Sabah/
[05] TURKEY TO CELEBRATE 'PEACE DAY' TODAY
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, in his address on the occasion of
the international Peace Day which will be celebrated on September 1,
said the republic's founder, Ataturk, was the "biggest architect of
peace". In his written message, Ecevit said Ataturk established a
"peace network" both in the Balkans and the Middle East regions
following the War of Independence, which took place between 1919 and
1922. He said he even made a truce with the Greeks, after fighting
with them for years. Meanwhile, an "invitation to peace" rally was
held in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul yesterday. The meeting which
took place under tight security was attended by various organizations
and civic societies.
Following the rally, a group of 350 people, calling themselves the
"Musa Anter peace delegation" set out for Diyarbakir. A number of
people who appeared suspicious or who were wanted for various crimes
have been detained. The authorities said they would not allow any
rallies to be held in Diyarbakir. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] GREEN TOUR '97 TO PROMOTE THE BLACK SEA REGION IN THE WORLD
The "Green Tour", which has been organized by the Tourism Ministry
annually for the last three years will begin tomorrow, September 2 and
run till September 11. The tour, aimed at promoting international
tourism in the area, will reveal the Black Sea's most wonderful
natural attractions to the world. This year 35 press members and tour
operators from 18 countries have been invited to take part.
/Cumhuriyet/
[07] TPAO'S KAZAKHSTAN INVESTMENTS
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Cumhur Ersumer stated that
the Turkish Petroleum Company's (TPAO) four-year oil drilling project
in Kazakhstan has been completed. Ersumer said TPAO's investments in
Kazakhstan has reached $228.5 million by the end of June and to date,
14 oil and gas areas, with a potential of 250 million barrels, have
been determined, the Anatolia news agency reported.
[08] GOVERNMENT SETS UP COUNCILS FOR CENTRAL ASIAN RELATIONS
The state ministry responsible for relations with the Central Asian
republics has set up an Economic Coordination Council, as well as a
Social and Cultural Coordination Council to foster better
relationships with these countries, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Anatolia said it learned that the councils had been established as a
result of a circular issued by Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz which
stressed the improvement of relations with the mainly-Turkish-Speaking
Central Asian Republics.
[09] TURKEY ARMY TO PARTICIPATE IN "CENTRAZBAT-97" MILITARY OPERATION
Pentagon said over the weekend that Turkish army will participate in a
multinational joint military operation within the framework of the
alliance set up by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to bring
peace and security to Central Asia in September. Some 500
paratroopers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division will fly nonstop
in September from North Carolina to Kazakhstan for a six-nation
military exercise with Central Asian nations. /All papers/
[10] HISTORIC AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA
Russia and Turkey signed on Saturday a framework agreement for
transporting 16 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Turkey via a
385-km long pipeline to be laid at a depth of 2100 metres in the Black
Sea. Turkish weekend papers describe the agreement as "the most
significant natural gas agreement in Turco-Russian relations". The
cost of the project is estimated at $3.3 billion dollars. The project
is expected to be completed in the year 2000. The agreement will lead
to a reduction in natural gas prices in Turkey. /Milliyet/
[11] TURCO-JAPANESE OIL COOPERATION
Following the signing of a Turco-Russian natural gas agreement,
Turkish and Japanese businessmen are now researching the opportunities
for improving cooperation with Georgia and Azerbaijan, two countries
on the pipeline route. Within this framework, a delegation of 60
Turkish and Japanese businessmen have begun a three-day visit to these
two countries. Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev is also scheduled
to meet representatives of the delegation. /Hurriyet/
[12] GAP SPEEDILY NEARS COMPLETION
Nearly 40 percent of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) has been
completed. According to a report by the GAP Development
Administration, TL 1.7 thousand trillion have been spent on the
project so far. Most of the investments realized thus far within the
framework of the project are related to the energy sector. /Hurriyet/
[13] ISTANBUL TO HOST INTERNATIONAL HEALTH MEETING
On September 15-19, Istanbul will host the 47th meeting of the World
Health Orhanization (WHO) European Committee. The health ministers of
49 countries will be among the 500 delegates expected to attend the
meeting. The meeting will be opened by President Demirel. WHO
General Director Dr.Hiroshi Nakajima and European Director Dr.Jo Eirik
Asvall will also deliver speeches at the meeting. /Hurriyet/
[14] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASES
Industrial production for the second quarter of 1997 rose by 10.5%
compared to the second quarter of 1996. According to figures released
by the State Institute of Statistics (DIE) on Friday,the huge rise in
industrial production for the second quarter was helped in the main by
113.3% rise in manufacturing overall and a 9.5% increase in the
electric, gas and water sector. The total increase for the first six
months of 1997 over the same period of 1996 was 10.3%, the DIE report
said. /All papers/
[15] CROATIAN MINISTER MEETS TURKISH BUSINESSMEN
Croatia and Turkey should expand economic cooperation and trade,
Croatian Economic Minister Nenad Proges told Turkish businessmen in
Istanbul on Friday. The visiting minister also urged Turks to invest
in the war-devastated country, once a part of the Yugoslav Federation.
Proges, accompanied by a group of Croatian businessmen, held meetings
on Friday with the 30-members of the Turkish-Croatian Business
Council, representing industrial, financial and trade companies. /All
papers/
[16] NATIONAL INCOME INCREASES BY SIX PERCENT
The Turkish economy grew by six percent during the first six months of
this year. The growth rate in industry realised a 10.1 percent
increase within the same period of time. According to the State
Institute of Statistics (DIE), national income increased by 5.6
percent in the January-March period and 6.4 in March-June.
/Milliyet-Sabah/
[17] TURCO-ISRAELI OIL AGREEMENT
Israel supports the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, who stopped-over in Baku while returning from
South Korea, suggested to Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev that the
oil pipeline could be extended to Israel via the Mediterranean.
According to official sources in Baku, the meeting between Aliyev and
Netanyahu lasted eight hours including discussing the details of the
pipeline. Israel asked for an additional pipeline from Ceyhan to
Israel to ease fuel supplies to Israel.
According to the Israeli daily newspaper, 'Jerusalem Post', Netenyahu
talked to Aliyev about more cooperation between Israel, Azerbaijan and
Turkey against Iran's fundamentalist ideology and nuclear armament
policy. /Sabah/
[18] PLAN TO SALVAGE THE BLACK SEA
The government will apply a plan to prevent terrorist activities
increasing in central parts of the Black Sea ragion. Giving a
briefing to press members regarding the plan, Interior Minister Murat
Basesgioglu said that a new administrative structure and an
intelligence service will be established in the region, and that the
authority gap would be filled, said Basesgioglu, adding that terrorist
groups were hiding in the Ordu-Gumushane area. Basesgioglu stressed
that the government was developing new measures against the PKK
expansionist strategy in the Black Sea. /Milliyet/
[19] BILISIM'97 COMPUTER FAIR IN ISTANBUL
The Science and Communication Technology Fair will be opened in
Istanbul today by Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. More than 200 firms in
the science and communications sectors are participating in fair.
Within the framework of the fair, the 14th National Bilisim Congress
will be held during which academic and related issues will be taken
up, and seminars working groups will be organised. On 3 September,
the Culture Ministry Modern Folklore Music Group will give a concert
and on 4 September the Halici-Midi'97 composition contest by computer
will be held. /Cumhuriyet/
[20] GUCLU WORLD CHAMP IN WRESTLING
Zekeriya Guclu won the world championship at the 32nd World Free Style
Wrestling Championship in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Guclu beat his Cuban
rival 4-0 in his final match and won the gold medal. /Cumhuriyet/ END
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