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Turkish Press Review, 97-12-02Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWDIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER02.12.97Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL VISITS OMAN AND UAEPresident Suleyman Demirel embarked on Monday on a four-day official visit to Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aiming to boost cooperation between Turkey and the two countries, and discuss the disputes which are obstructing peace in the Middle East.Speaking at the airport before leaving for Oman, the first stop of his visit, Demirel said that Turkey's stance during the latest crisis in the Gulf had solidified their already friendly relations with Oman and the UAE. He also stated that economic and commercial relations between Turkey and the two countries would be reviewed and new areas of cooperation outlined. After arriving in Oman, a banquet was given in Demirel's honour yesterday at the Palace. After spending two days in Oman, Demirel is scheduled to arrive in the UAE on Wednesday. /Sabah/ [02] NATO'S TOP OFFICIALS MEET IN BRUSSELSDeputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin and Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi flew on Monday to Brussels to attend a series of high-level NATO meetings. The NATO-member countries' defense ministers and chiefs of general staff are gathering in the Belgian capital for four-day talks to discuss the adoption of proposed candidate members into the NATO alliance's structure. Official talks are to start on Tuesday. /Sabah/[03] GENERAL STAFF SENDS MESSAGE TO EGYPTThe army has assumed a balancing policy so that Arab tensions caused by the improved military relations between Turkey and Israel can be calmed down. In this context, Chief of the General Staff General Ismail Hakki Karadayi is preparing to pay a visit to Egypt late in December. /Milliyet/[04] KINKEL VOICES SUPPORT FOR TURKEYGerman Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said that Turkey should attend the European Conference and should be invited to the EU Expansion Committee to be set up following a proposal from Bonn. Observers were surprised by the change in German attitudes, because formerly Germany was against inviting Turkey both to the European Conference and to the Expansion Committee. /Hurriyet/[05] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM TO U.S.Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will go to the U.S. today upon the invitation of his American counterpart Madeleine Albright. It is expected that the two foreign ministers will discuss the Cyprus issue, Turkey-Greece relations, Turkey's EU membership, oil pipelines and the northern Iraq issue. /Sabah-Milliyet/[06] TURKEY AIMS FOR PUBLIC PRICE FREEZE IN FIRST HALF OF 1998Turkey launched a fresh initiative to combat inflation on Monday with a pledge to freeze public prices for the first half of 1998. The plan, announced by Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, is part of a strategy to halve annual inflation and strengthen the economy. "We aim not to raise prices of all products produced by the state sector in the first half of 1998" Yilmaz told reporters. Turkey raised petroleum prices by an average nine percent yesterday. /All papers/[07] GREECE INSISTS ON ITS 'TURKEY VETO'Greece is maintaining its veto on Turkey's invitation to the European Conference and on its becoming a full member of the European Union (EU). Costas Simitis, Greek Prime Minister, organized a press conference following bilateral meetings with French President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. Simitis, speaking at the press conference, stated that Turkey should agree to bring international problems to the International Court of Justice in The Hague and obey the rules on Cyprus set down by the UN Security Council.Indicating that the EU member countries were far from reaching a compromise on the context and the targets of the European Conference, Simitis stated that Turkey's participation in the conference has not been clarified. Simitis added that Chirac had told him that inviting Turkey to the conference would be helpful in solving the problems. /Sabah/ [08] BLAIR WANTS CLOSER CONTACT BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEYBritish Prime Minister Tony Blair urged Greece and Turkey on Sunday to promote closer communication and discuss long standing bilateral problems. "I would like to see a much closer communication between the two governments and a greater effort to discuss differences honestly and calmy" Blair was quoted in an interview with the Sunday newspaper To Vima."The tension between Greece and Turkey is not just a bilateral problem. It limits NATO's effectiveness. It consumes precious time in the EU and is a source of instability and concern in the area" Blair said. He said Athens and Ankara should agree on a long-term plan to solve their disputes and approach problems with greater confidence. [09] SYMPOSIUM ON CYPRUS STARTS AT WAR ACADEMYWar Academy Commander General Necati Ozgen, speaking at the opening of a two-day symposium on Cyprus organized by the War Academy, said that as a result of events, Cyprus had become the stage for discussions and diplomatic initiatives which are an indispensable part of Turkish-Greek problems, security and stability in the northern Mediterranean.Ozgren strssed that the Greek Cypriot and Greek governments have been attempting to bring the issue into the world arena for a long time and that this attempt had recently achieved success. He said that the Greek Cypriot application for membership in the EU was political. /All papers/ [10] "TURKEY PLAYS VITAL ROLE FOR MIDDLE EAST BALANCE"In a meeting with Turkish journalists in Jerusalem, former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres stressed that terrorism should not be allowed to undermine the Middle East peace process. According to Peres, Turkey could assume an important role in establishing regional stability. Commenting on Turkey's rich water resources, the Israeli poltician said that water scarcity will emerge as a major problem in the Middle East adding that Turkey should not waste its water resources but turn them into a source of commercial profit. /Milliyet/[11] SYRIA WANTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH TURKEYWhile Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Abdulhalim Haddam is pressing for a breakthrough in relations with Turkey, Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass has directed fierce criticism against Turkey. In a statement to El-Ahram newspaper published in Egypt, Minister Tlass said that "Turkey has turned its back to the Arabs and was cooperating with the enemies". The Syrian minister accused Turkey of trying to settle itself in Northern Iraq and gain control over oil reserves there. /Hurriyet/[12] TURKISH F-16 AIRCRAFT OVER THE AEGEAN SEATurkish Air Forces Commander, General Ilhan Kilic said that Turkish F-16 aircraft started night flights 20 days ago over the Aegean sea to test Turkish Air Force capability. Adding that Turkish aircraft flew over the Aegean for 24 hours, Kilic noted that F-16 fighter planes were equipped with special system which enabled them to fly at night and in any kind of weather. /Sabah/[13] TURCO-RUSSIAN RELATIONS GAIN ACCELERATIONTurkish and Russian relations have gained acceleration in line with the economic development between the two countries. State Minister Gunes Taner, who went to Moscow on 28 November, met with Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russian Health Minister Tatyana Dimitriyev and Gazprom Chairman, Rem Vyahirev.Taner noted that before Prime Minister Chernomyrdin's visit to Turkey between 14-16 December, Turkish deputation in Moscow had tried to eliminate differences in the contents of the agreements to be signed between the two countries. /Sabah/ [14] INDIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY UNDERSECRETARY IN ANKARAIndian Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Shri Nareshwar Dayal said that "the present moment is the right one for giving a big push for developing Indian-Turkish relations" in an address to an Indian-Turkish relations symposium in Ankara yesterday. Giving extra emphasis to democracy and secularism, milestones in both countries' relations, Dayal said: "Democracy, secularism and opposition to terrorism provide a good foundation on which our two countries can build their ties".The Ankara component of the seminar will cover Indian-Turkish relations in the political, diplomatic and cultural fields whereas the second component of the seminar in Istanbul on December 4-5 will cover economic, commercial and technical exchanges. END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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