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Turkish Press Review, 97-09-18
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] MISSILE BRIEFING TO MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
[02] SANTER: TURKEY MAY BE INVITED TO THE EUROPEAN CONFERENCE
[03] FOREIGN MINISTRY MEETING ON EU
[04] WAR AGAINST INFLATION
[05] GREEN LIGHT FOR KURDISH TV
[06] STRUGGLE AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING
[07] TURKEY FOLLOWING RUSSIAN-GREEK EXERCISES
[08] EUROPEAN COMMISSION IS HIDING A REPORT
[09] IRAQI GUARANTEE FOR TURKEY
[10] SLOVAKIAN PRESIDENT KOVAC TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEY
[11] FIRST AIR GAMES GOLD FOR TURKEY
[12] TURKEY TAKES POSITIVE STEPS TO PREVENT TORTURE
[13] US FRIENDS DO NOT FORGET TURGUT OZAL
[14] STRUGGLE AGAINST DRUGS
[15] TURKISH-RUSSIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL MEETING
[16] 12 EURASIAN COUNTRIES TO SIGN PROTOCOL TO IMPROVE STATUS OF WOMEN
[17] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION LEAVES FOR BULGARIA
[18] GERMAN POLICE COMPLETE OPERATION AGAINST 'NATIONAL VIEW'
ORGANIZATION
[19] EXIMBANK SUPPORT FOR TURKMENISTAN
[20] 12 TURKISH BANKS AMONG 500 BIGGEST BANKS IN EUROPE
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER
18.09.97
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press
this morning.
[01] MISSILE BRIEFING TO MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
With the approach of the delivery date of the Russian-made S-300
missiles to the Greek Cypriot administration, diplomatic traffic
intensifies in Ankara. Accordingly, army commanders and high level
officials from the Foreign Ministry were yesterday given a briefing by
the General Staff on missile threats directed against Turkey. Deputy
Chief of the General Staff, General Cevik Bir, gave details on missile
build-up around Turkey. During the briefing, various scenarios
related to the missile threat from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Armenia,
apart from the missiles to be deployed in Southern Cyprus were
evaluated. Possibilities for striking the missile sites were also
considered. Government officials will be given a similar briefing
tomorrow. /Milliyet/
[02] SANTER: TURKEY MAY BE INVITED TO THE EUROPEAN CONFERENCE
EU Commission Chairman Jacques Santer said on Wednesday that
Turkey could be invited to the European Conference that will be held
to evaluate prospects for EU enlargement. Santer stressed that the
process of EU enlargement was a continuous process and that Turkey may
be asked to attend the conference to which all the countries eligible
for full membership have been invited. Hans Van Der Broek, EU
Commissioner responsible for EU foreign affairs said he also supported
Turkey's participation in the conference. /Milliyet/
[03] FOREIGN MINISTRY MEETING ON EU
Relations with the European Union were evaluated yesterday at a
three-and-a-half hour meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz.
In a statement after the meeting, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said
that improving relations with Europe was an issue with major priority
in Turkish foreign policy. Cem added that the EU should give Turkey a
clear perspective about the full membership issue. /Hurriyet/
[04] WAR AGAINST INFLATION
The Yilmaz government has vowed to push through badly-needed
economic reforms and restore balance in the country's finances. At a
press conference yesterday, Treasury Undersecretary Mahfi Egilmez
outlined scenarios for combatting inflation. Egilmez said that
instead of implementing radical measures to pull down inflation, the
government should prefer an approach targetting gradual reduction in
inflation rates over a three-year period.
Egilmez also called for action to reduce Turkey's budget deficit,
and added that the Treasury planned foreign borrowing of $900 million
in the rest of 1997. Economy officials on Wednesday announced fresh
plans to push banking and taxation reforms through Parliament. /All
papers/
[05] GREEN LIGHT FOR KURDISH TV
State Minister Salih Yildirim said TV broadcasts in Kurdish would
not cause any problems. The minister pointed out that the
Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) had helped increase the standard
of living in southeastern Turkey and stimulated a desire for social
stability. According to Minister Yildirim with the completion of the
project, Turkey will set up control over 28 percent of the water in
the region and employment opportunities for 3.5 million local workers
will be created. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] STRUGGLE AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING
Autumn meetings of the Financial Action Group established by the
OECD for the struggle against money laundering will be held in Paris
on 24-26 September. During these meetings, Turkey's situation will be
taken up. A delegation from the OECD will come to Turkey and examine
the methods used in the struggle against money laundering in Turkey.
The delegation from the OECD Financial Action Group will hold contacts
with bureaucrats in November or December. In 1998, a report on
Turkey's struggle against money laundering will be prepared.
/Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/
[07] TURKEY FOLLOWING RUSSIAN-GREEK EXERCISES
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ambassador Omer Akbel said
that they were following developments regarding the joint naval
exercise to be held between Russia and Greece. Akbel held a press
conference yesterday and noted that Russia and Greece signed a
military cooperation agreement last year and recalled that these two
countries held a joint exercise in the Aegean also last year. Akbel
pointed out that Turkey was not concerned about the upcoming exercise.
/Cumhuriyet/
[08] EUROPEAN COMMISSION IS HIDING A REPORT
The head of a Turco-European research center, Hasan Gumrukcu,
claimed that the European Commission was hiding the results of a
1993-94 report prepared by 12 academicians on the rights of Turkish
workers in Europe, the Anatolia news agency reported. According to
Gumrukcu, the report contains a review of the situation and rights of
Turks living in Europe along with proposals for improving their legal
status.
[09] IRAQI GUARANTEE FOR TURKEY
During his visit to Iraq, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur
Oymen received a guarantee from Iraqi officials regarding "more trade
with Turkey". Noting that during his contacts they mainly discussed
issues for increasing trade between Turkey and Iraq within the
framework of UN resolutions, Oymen said that Turkey has made sales
worth $90 million to Iraq to date. Oymen stated that $100 million in
transit fees was earned from the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline.
/Hurriyet/
[10] SLOVAKIAN PRESIDENT KOVAC TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEY
Slovakian President Michal Kovac will come to Turkey between
September 18 and 21 as the official guest of President Suleyman
Demirel. A foreign Ministry statement said Kovac's visit will
contribute to improvement in the two countries' relations. The
statement said restructuring of Europe and regional and international
developments concerning the two countries will be taken up during the
visit. Kovac will proceed to Izmir and Istanbul after concluding
contacts in Ankara. /All papers/
[11] FIRST AIR GAMES GOLD FOR TURKEY
Ozlem Hunakinci won a parachuting title in Selcuk near Izmir
yesterday to clinch the first gold medal for Turkey at the ongoing
World Air Games. Earlier yesterday, a Turkish paraglider, Abdulkadir
Koksal, crashed during the Air Games in Western Turkey and was
hospitalized in a serious condition. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] TURKEY TAKES POSITIVE STEPS TO PREVENT TORTURE
Turkey has signed the first and second protocols of a "Convention
for Preventing Torture", the Anatolia news agency reported. Turkey's
permanent representative to the Council of Europe, Ambassador Riza
Turmen presented the signed documents to Council of Europe
Secretary-General yesterday.
[13] US FRIENDS DO NOT FORGET TURGUT OZAL
The Washington Institute, expert in issues regarding the Middle
East and Turkey, has decided that meetings will be held every year for
the commemoration of Turkey's eighth president Turgut Ozal. A written
statement issued two days ago by the Washington Institute praised
Turgut Ozal. Expressing his views regarding the commemorative
meetings for Ozal, Satlof said: "Turkey is the most important ally of
the US. From the standpoint of foreign policy, Turkey is a very vital
country for the US. However, there is a lack of interest in the US
regarding Turkey. We aim to overcome this lack of interest by holding
a meeting every year to commemorate Ozal. We will invite scientists,
experts, statesmen and politicians to the meetings". State Minister
Isin Celebi will talk about Ozal at the meeting. Washington Institute
officials noted that these meetings will be held in October when
Turkey's Republican Day is celebrated and when Turgut Ozal was born.
/Cumhuriyet-Sabah/
[14] STRUGGLE AGAINST DRUGS
The first meeting of the High Council for the struggle against
drugs will be held in Ankara on 29 September. During the meeting to
be headed by State Minister Isilay Saygin, national strategy and
policy to be implemented in the struggle against drugs will be
determined. Activities of institutions and ministries to share in
this struggle will also be coordinated. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] TURKISH-RUSSIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL MEETING
Addressing a news conference Yavuz Kilic, chairman of the
Turkish-Russian Business Council, briefed his listeners about an
upcoming "Turkish-Russian Business Council 6th Joint Meeting" which
will be held between September 22 and 25 in Nijni Novgrod, Russia,
with the participation of nearly 150 Russian and 70 Turkish
businessmen. Kilic said Russia has become Turkey's second biggest
foreign economic partner due to the improvement of Turkish-Russian
economic relations in recent years, adding that foreign trade volume
between the two countries had reached $ 10 billion. Kilic said Turkey
and Russia could cooperate more in the oil and defense industry fields
and listed prevention of double taxation and promotion of investments
among the measures which will improve trade relations between the two
countries. /All papers/
[16] 12 EURASIAN COUNTRIES TO SIGN PROTOCOL TO IMPROVE STATUS OF WOMEN
Women from 12 Eurasian countries will sign a cooperation protocol
in a bid to improve the status of women and to solve problems,
reported the Anatolia news agency. State Minister Isilay Saygin will
sign the protocol on behalf of Turkey. Saygin said that the protocol
had been prepared to take joint actions in national and international
platforms, to find a solution to problems of women. Saygin said that
besides Turkey, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Georgia, Kazakhistan, the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Macedonia, Uzbekistan,
Romania, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are participating in the
protocol.
[17] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION LEAVES FOR BULGARIA
A Parliamentary delegation, headed by acting Parliament Speaker
Hasan Korkmazcan who also acts as Culture, Arts and Publishing
Committee Chairman, left for Sofia on Tuesday to tour "Turkish
Cultural Works in the Balkans", reported the Anatolia news agency.
The delegation will also pay a visit to Macedonia. Korkmazcan said he
would be received by Bulgarian Head of State Patar Stayanov and that
he would convey a letter from President Suleyman Demirel to him. He
also said he would meet the Bulgarian Parliament Speaker and Culture
Minister. Korkmazcan will proceed to Macedonia on September 20 after
concluding contacts in Bulgaria, and during a meeting with the
Macedonian President he will convey a letter from President Suleyman
Demirel to him.
[18] GERMAN POLICE COMPLETE OPERATION AGAINST 'NATIONAL VIEW'
ORGANIZATION
German police have completed an operation against the 'Islamist
National View' (IGM) organization based in Munich. Munich Judge
Stefan Antor and Chief of Police Bern Kohl held a press briefing
following the operation saying that nine of the members of the
organization had been taken under custody charged with forging false
passports and licences. Kohl added that the number of the members of
the organization was over 5,000 with cash in hand worth between DM 60
-80 million. It was also reported that there were Turkish,
Azerbaijani, Iraqi, Albanian and Algerian members in the organization.
/Milliyet/ Sabah/Cumhuriyet/
[19] EXIMBANK SUPPORT FOR TURKMENISTAN
Turkish Eximbank will extend credits worth $43.76 million for the
modernization of the Turkmenbasi Refinery in Turkmenistan. With this
support, Turkish Eximbank shares in the financial package organized by
the German Bayerische Landensbank for the modernization of the
Turkmenbasi Refinery. /Hurriyet/
[20] 12 TURKISH BANKS AMONG 500 BIGGEST BANKS IN EUROPE
Britain's "The Banker" magazine has announced that 12 Turkish
banks have places among the 500 biggest banks in Europe. Akbank ranks
163rd, while Yapi Kredi Bank ranks 210th and Is Bank ranks 213th.
/Hurriyet/
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