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Turkish Press Review, 98-05-01
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
01.05.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] TURKISH ARMY OPERATIONS AGAINST PKK
[02] IMF STARTS CONTACTS IN ANKARA
[03] TURKISH-SLOVAKIAN CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
[04] 79 REFUGEES DETAINED IN AEGEAN
[05] YILMAZ: GOVERNMENT CONTINUES WITH DETERMINATION
[06] FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES INCREASE
[07] LETTER FROM CLINTON TO DENKTAS AND KLERIDES
[08] BOSPHORUS BRIEFING TO AMBASSADORS
[09] GLOBAL TURKISH BUSINESSMEN'S CONGRESS BEGINS
[10] TIGHT MAY DAY SECURITY
[11] CILLER SPEAKS AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY
[12] US: DEPLOYMENT OF S-300s IN CYPRUS COULD DESTABILIZE REGION
[13] $ 135 MILLION IN CAPITAL PERMITS IN MARCH
[14] PHOTOGRAPHERS' MAGAZINE DEDICATES APRIL ISSUE TO TURKEY
[15] PKK OPENS OFFICE IN ATHENS
[16] ZEKAI SEN: 'SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR'
[17] "TURKEY LIKE A CONTINENT"
[01] TURKISH ARMY OPERATIONS AGAINST PKK
In operations carried out in the region surrounded by the
southeast cities of Diyarbakir, Bingol, Mus, Tunceli and Elazig, the
places where PKK terrorists are known to be hiding are being blasted
by 40,000. In the last three days, 77 PKK members have been killed,
and weapons and ammunition have been seized. /Milliyet/
[02] IMF STARTS CONTACTS IN ANKARA
A delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), headed
by Martin Hardy, held contacts in Istanbul where they met with some
private companies' representatives before they moved on to Ankara
yesterday. They talked over technical issues concerning economic
bureaucracy at the Undersecretariat of the Treasury. The delegation
is also due to meet with Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and State
Minister Gunes Taner. /Milliyet/
[03] TURKISH-SLOVAKIAN CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
A "Cultural Exchange Programme" was signed yesterday between
Turkey and Slovakia. The programme, signed by General Director of
Cultural Affairs of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Metin Goker and
Slovakian Ambassador in Ankara Jan Lisuch, forsees cooperation in
culture, education, science and sports, the Anatolia news agency
reported.
[04] 79 REFUGEES DETAINED IN AEGEAN
The Anatolia news agency reported that 79 refugees, trying to
illegally cross the Aegean Sea by boat from Turkey to Greece, have
been detained. Officials noted that most of the refugees detained
were from northern Iraq.
[05] YILMAZ: GOVERNMENT CONTINUES WITH DETERMINATION
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz noted yesterday that the government
would continue with determination to meet its commitments. Yilmaz
attended an opening ceremony yesterday at the new Bodrum-Milas
Airport. Delivering a speech at the ceremony, Yilmaz expressed the
importance attached by the government to tourism. /Hurriyet/
[06] FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES INCREASE
Central Bank foreign exchange reserves have reached $23 billion,
breaking all records. According to Central Bank data, foreign
exchange reserves, which totalled $22.185 billion on 17 April
increased by $819 million and amounted to $23.004 billion on 24 April.
Meanwhile, Turkey's international reserves rose to $31.353 billion on
3 April. As of 3 April, gold reserves reached $1.124 billion and
commercial bank foreign exchange reserves totalled $8.132 billion.
/Hurriyet/
[07] LETTER FROM CLINTON TO DENKTAS AND KLERIDES
US President Bill Clinton will send letters to Turkish Cypriot
President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot Leader Glafkos Klerides via
US Special Cyprus Envoy, Richard Holbrooke, who will visit the island
today. According to the news on Greek Cypriot Radio, Clinton's
letters include these messages: *Be flexible at negotiations
regarding the Cyprus issue *Act within the spirit of cooperation *Be
ready for uninterrupted meetings to be held under UN control *Avoid
activities and statements which could adversely influence the
atmosphere of the meetings *Keep in mind that the solution will be a
federation consisting of two regions and two communities. /Hurriyet/
[08] BOSPHORUS BRIEFING TO AMBASSADORS
Turkey has launched diplomatic initiatives regarding the
Bosphorus Straits prior to a meeting of the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) to be held in London on 11 May. State Minister
Burhan Kara will head the Turkish delegation at the IMO meeting. Kara
and former commander of the Naval Forces Guven Erkaya gave a briefing
on "Free passage through the Bosphorus and measures to be taken"
yesterday to ambassadors in Ankara. Russian Ambassador in Ankara
Vadim Kuznetsov also attended the briefing. Kara said in his
statement that Turkey would take every measure to protect people's
lives, property and the environment. /Hurriyet/
[09] GLOBAL TURKISH BUSINESSMEN'S CONGRESS BEGINS
The Second Congress of Global Turkish Businessmen, which is
gahering together 1,500 Turkish and foreign (from 43 countries)
businessmen, began yesterday in Izmir with an opening ceremony
attended by President Suleyman Demirel, State Ministers Isin Celebi,
Rifat Serdaroglu and Isilay Saygin, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Izmir
Governor Erol Cakir, Izmir Mayor Burhan Ozfatura, Turkish businessman
Sakip Sabanci and many bureaucrats.
President Demirel said: "All of us must learn to compete with
the world's businessmen, because the world has become a global
village, thanks to rapidly developing communications and computer
technologies". Mentioning that countries in the Balkans, the Caucasus
and Central Asia were taking modern Turkey as a leading example for
themselves, Demirel gave some figures: "As a 75-year-old Republic,
Turkey today is a country whose foreign trade is nearly $100 billion.
At the moment we have 71 universities all over the country". The
president also gave detailed information about the Southeastern
Anatolia Project (GAP) and invited Turkish businessmen to invest in
this region. /All papers/
[10] TIGHT MAY DAY SECURITY
Police have been put on alert in all of Turkey's big cities in
anticipation of possible trouble on May 1. Some 10,000 police
officers will be on duty in Istanbul in case of any violent incidents.
/All papers/
[11] CILLER SPEAKS AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Five women, once prime ministers in their countries were at
Harvard University on Wednesday to discuss how to get more women into
a nation's highest office. True Path Party (DYP) Leader Tansu Ciller
said that 70 % of Turkish women wear headscarves, but only 10 % within
this 70 % have political intentions. Four other former prime
ministers are expected to take part in the meeting that ends today.
They are Pakistan's Benazir Butto, Dominica's Dame Eugenia Charles,
Nicaragua's Violeta Chamorro and Lithuania's Kazimiera Prunskiene.
/All papers/
[12] US: DEPLOYMENT OF S-300s IN CYPRUS COULD DESTABILIZE REGION
White House Spokesman Mike McCurry said on Wednesday that the
introduction of Russian-made S-300 missiles in Greek Cyprus would have
a destabilizing effect on the region. McCurry added that the Greek
Cypriot idea of purchasing such wepaons was a step in "the wrong
direction at a time when we are trying to promote reconciliation and
dialogue" on the island.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said
yesterday that she was troubled by Russia's plan to push ahead with
delivery of advanced air-defense missiles to Greek Cyprus. /All
papers/
[13] $ 135 MILLION IN CAPITAL PERMITS IN MARCH
According to a written statement issued by the Undersecretariat
of the Treasury the amount of foreign capital permits in March 1998
was $ 134 million in foreign currency, the Anatolian news agency
reported. It was said that the biggest share was given to the
manufacturing industry with $ 95.98 million in foreign capital
permits. The agricultural sector was provided with $ 0.6 million; the
mining sector with $ 0.6 million; and the services sector with $ 37.90
million in foreign capital.
[14] PHOTOGRAPHERS' MAGAZINE DEDICATES APRIL ISSUE TO TURKEY
The Anatolian news agency reports that the world famous
photography magazine, Photographers' International, has dedicated its
April issue to Turkey and the work of 13 Turkish photographers. The
magazine, which is published in English and Chinese in Taiwan, has
published samples of the 13 Turkish photographers in celebration of
the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey.
[15] PKK OPENS OFFICE IN ATHENS
The PKK terrorist organization has officially opened an office in
Athens, Greece. High level representatives of the ruling socialist
PASOK party the New Democracy Party and the Left Coalition attended
the opening ceremony yesterday. PKK members said at the ceremony that
this was their first "official" office in Europe and that they aimed
to open new offices in other European centres.
Ankara has reacted strongly to the PKK's opening of its first
official office in Europe. While Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati
Utkan evaluated the situation as "grave", Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz
called on Athens to abandon the enmity agree show to Turkey. He added
that Turkey had always kept to a peaceful foreign policy and that
Greece should stop increasing tension between the two countries. In a
written statement yesterday Yilmaz noted that Greece had tried to
block EU-Turkey developments, increase tension in the Aegean Sea and
to interfere Turkey's domestic affairs. /Cumhuriyet/Sabah_
[16] ZEKAI SEN: 'SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR'
Head of the Meteorology Department of Istanbul Technical
University (ITU) and Chief Advisor to the Istanbul Water and Drainage
Board (ISKI), Zekai Sen, has been elected "Scientist of 1998" by the
International Research Council of the American Biography Institution.
/Cumhuriyet/
[17] "TURKEY LIKE A CONTINENT"
World famous German nature magazine GEO has allocated its latest
issue to Turkey. The magazine promotes Turkey with the title "Turkey:
Like a Continent". It continues: "With its Straits Turkey is like a
continent. It has never been as modern as it is today throughout its
history. Istanbul will always be universal city in the dreams of
travellers." The magazine stressed that Turkey is, infact, a cultural
"mosaic". /Sabah/
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