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Turkish Press Review, 98-01-15
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] BRITAIN: TURKEY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN EXPANSION PROCESS
[02] NOTE TO GREECE
[03] PKK CAMPS IN GREECE
[04] ARSON IN GERMANY: A TURKISH CHILD DIES
[05] HAVANA-ISTANBUL DIRECT FLIGHTS
[06] PKK SUFFERS HEAVY BLOW
[07] NEW TURKISH AMBASSADOR IN PARIS
[08] HUNGER STRIKE IN ERZURUM ENDS
[09] TURKEY STILL AWAITS CLEAR PICTURE ON HOW GERMANY SEES THE PKK
[10] TURKEY REBUFFS GREEK CLAIMS OVER 10-MILE AIRSPACE
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER
15.01.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
[01] BRITAIN: TURKEY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN EXPANSION PROCESS
European Union (EU) term-president, Britain's Foreign Minister Robin
Cook said that Turkey should be included in the expansion process.
Cook pointed out that EU criteria included market economy, human
rights and democracy. Yesterday, Cook furnished information to
European parliamentarians regarding the British government's
priorities during its EU term-presidency. Cook stated that Turkey's
candidacy for full EU membership should be evaluated with the same
impartial criteria imposed on other countries. Cook noted that
Britain would work for strengthening EU-Turkey relations and added
that Turkey was an important ally.
Meanwhile, Cook has had a phone conversation with Turkish Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem and said that his words regarding Turkey's eastern
borders were misunderstood. Cook made a statement early in January
and claimed that Turkey's eastern borders were undefined and that
minorities were not respected. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] NOTE TO GREECE
Turkey protested Greece regarding opening fire to a Turkish boat
called Burak Reis last week by a Greek security boat. The protest was
conveyed to Greek officials in Turkey yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] PKK CAMPS IN GREECE
While the US press notes that the PKK is a terrorist organization
trying to establish a separate state in southeastern Turkey, the
Washington Times newspaper said: "There are PKK training camps in
Greece". In another comment in the Voice of America (VOA) radio,
immigrations to European countries were mentioned. The radio said
that the problem in Turkey was mainly stemming from terrorism and
Turkey had to fight against the PKK. /Sabah/
[04] ARSON IN GERMANY: A TURKISH CHILD DIES
A Turkish child died as a result of an arson in the Bielefeld district
of Germany. According to a statement made by the Bielefeld
prosecutor's office and the police, it was determined that the fire
broke out following an act of arson. /Sabah/
[05] HAVANA-ISTANBUL DIRECT FLIGHTS
Cuban airlines Cubana de Aviacion are planning to start direct flights
between the Cuban capital of Havana and Istanbul. The flights will be
made once a week and will last 14 hours. This new schedule will
contribute to the improvement of Turco-Cuban bilateral relation.
/Hurriyet/
[06] PKK SUFFERS HEAVY BLOW
Sweeping up operations launched by the Turkish Armed Forces against
the PKK terrorist organization have been instrumental in undermining
PKK power. Many terrorists are trying to escape from the
organization, and others are giving themselves up to Kurdish
Democratic Party (KDP) forces in Northern Iraq. PKK terrorists who
have surrendered to KDP forces say that it an amnesty law was issued
by the Turkish government, many PKK terrorists would consider giving
themselves up to the Turkish security forces. /Hurriyet/
[07] NEW TURKISH AMBASSADOR IN PARIS
Former National Intelligence Service (MIT) Undersecretary Sonmez
Koksal has been appointed Turkish Ambassador to Paris. Fatma Sule
Soysal has been appointed ambassador to the Belarussian capital of
Minsk, and Halil Akinci appointed ambassador to the Slovenian capital
of Ljubljiana. Former Turkish Ambassador to Paris Tansug Bleda, Minsk
Ambassador Tansu Okandan and Ljubjiana Ambassador Ilhan Yigitbasioglu
have all been recalled back to Foreign Ministry headquarters in
Ankara. /Hurriyet/
[08] HUNGER STRIKE IN ERZURUM ENDS
The hunger strike in the Erzurum special and E-type prisons has ended
following intense efforts by non-governmental organizations.
Prisoners have been taken for health controls. The Erzurum Prison
Prosecutor said that after negotiations with the prisoners they
reached a consensus and how hoped that there will not be any kind of
demonstration in the prison. /Sabah/
[09] TURKEY STILL AWAITS CLEAR PICTURE ON HOW GERMANY SEES THE PKK
Following the German Federal Chief Prosecutor's remarks defining the
PKK as a criminal but not a terrorist organization, Turkey has reacted
strongly. Following yesterday's unexpected remarks, German Interior
Minister Manfred Kanther announced there has been no change in the
their original decision which earlier depicted the PKK as a terrorist
organization. Kanther also repeated what his spokesman had said right
after Nehm's statements: that the ban on the PKK still remained in
Germany because PKK crimes were still serious enough to maintain the
ban.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan said during news
conference yesterday that "All responsible members of the
international community should refrain from acts and statements which
could be interpreted as encouraging this organization and terrorism in
general. We are in the process of evaluating the reasons for and the
possible future impact of this decision. But whatever our conclusions
are, we maintain that the PKK is a separatist terrorist organization,
which has carried out brutal attacks on innocent Turkish people and
Turkish territories."
Turkish Foreign Ministry Ismail Cem also said on Wednesday that the
German federal prosecutor's decision to remove the PKK from the list
of terrorist organizations was "a grave mistake." /All papers/
[10] TURKEY REBUFFS GREEK CLAIMS OVER 10-MILE AIRSPACE
Turkey on Wednesday rebuffed recent statements by Greek Defense
Minister Akis Tzohatzopoulos that Greece airspace extended 10 miles
and included all the Aegean islands. Turkey also rejected Greek
accusations of Turkish violations of Greek airspace and of creating
tension in the Aegean. "According to international law, the extent of
national airspace should correspond to the extent of territorial
waters. The only country that does not abide by this international
principle and implements airspace and territorial water rights
differently is Greece," the Foreign Ministry statement said. /All
papers/
END
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