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Turkish Press Review, 98-05-06
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
06.05.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] DEMIREL: "TURKEY CAN COPE WITH SYRIA"
[02] FROM CEM TO ATHENS: "DO NOT MISLEAD YOUR NATION"
[03] TURKISH ECONOMIC BOOM IN THE OFFING
[04] ANKARA-TEHRAN RELATIONS RECOVERING
[05] NEW NATO COMMAND STRUCTURE
[06] DENKTAS DUBS HOLBROOKE'S COMMENTS AS 'HISTORIC'
[07] DENKTAS MEETS WITH FEISSEL
[08] ALBRIGHT'S CYPRUS VISIT MIGHT BE POSTPONED
[09] QUALITY SUMMIT IN ISTANBUL IN 2000
[10] ACCLAIMED AMERICAN HISTORIAN DONATES $40,000 TO TUBA
[11] YUNUS EMRE REMEMBERED
[12] INTERNATIONAL MUSIC MAGAZINE IN TURKEY
[13] SENTRASBAT'98 MANEUVER MEETING
[14] TURKISH-SLOVENIAN JEC MEETINGS
[15] AWARDS FOR TURKISH PROJECTS
[16] ENVIRONMENT AWARD TO TURKEY
[17] HARDY: "TURKEY'S PRIVATIZATION PROCESS IS HOPEFUL"
[18] BRITISH PARLIAMENTARIAN IN TURKEY
[19] KINKEL: "I WILL VISIT ANKARA"
[20] 'DISTANT THUNDER 98' MILITARY EXERCISE STARTS
[21] OPERATIONS AGAINST PKK WIDENING
[22] MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL: "TURKEY-ISRAEL COOPERATION IS SUCCESSFUL"
[23] EUROPE: "TRNC SHOULD ATTEND TALKS"
[24] BAKER: "EU ATTITUDE IS PITIFUL"
[01] DEMIREL: "TURKEY CAN COPE WITH SYRIA"
President Suleyman Demirel harshly criticized Syria for its support
for the PKK terrorist organization during his two-day visit to Tunisia.
Demirel also sent out a message to the Arab world, which has reacted
strongly against the development of Turkish-Israeli relations, saying:
"The agreement between Turkey and Israel does not aim at any third
country. And we are able to cope with Syria's enmity against Turkey
without Israel".
During a meeting between Tunisian President Zeynel Abidin Bin Ali
held the previous day, Demirel took up especially the Syrian connection
with the PKK. Demirel also emphasized the issue of Islamic terror
during his contacts in Tunisia. While Tunisian Parliamentary Speaker
Faued M'Bazaa said that they had confronted Islamic terror through
economic and social reforms, Demirel said: "Making Islam political only
harmed the lofty ideals of this religion". /Hurriyet/
[02] FROM CEM TO ATHENS: "DO NOT MISLEAD YOUR NATION"
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem told Greek Acting Foreign
Minister Yorgo Papandreu: "Do not mislead the Greek nation". Greek
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos had previously declared that Cem had
refused to attend a meeting of the Western European Union (WEU) to be
held in Rhodes on 12-13 May. Cem said that his participation in the
meeting had been out of the question from the very beginning and further
noted that National Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin would attend the
meeting because the meeting in Rhodes was related to the military wing
of the WEU. During the bilateral meeting, Papandreu mentioned the PKK
bureau that has been opened in Athens and said that there "was a
misunderstanding". He said that Greece was against terrorism.
Cem, who met with Papandreu in Strasbourg on the occasion of the
meetings of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, also
sent a message to Pangalos, saying: "Either you come to Turkey or I go
to Greece". He added that they should come together and seriously
discuss bilateral problems. /Hurriyet/
[03] TURKISH ECONOMIC BOOM IN THE OFFING
An expert from the American Enterprise Institute, who participated
in the New Atlantic Initiative Conference held in Istanbul, James
K.Glassman, said in an article in the Washington Post newspaper that the
Turkish economy was growing by 7 % annually and a boom was in the
offing. Glassman noted that Turkish entrepreneurs had achieved great
accomplishments in the former Eastern Block countries in the Black Sea
regions and the former Soviet Republics. He pointed out that Turkey was
a wonderful country with its secular republic founded by democrat Kemal
Ataturk 75 years ago. /Hurriyet-Milliyet/
[04] ANKARA-TEHRAN RELATIONS RECOVERING
Turkish Ambassador in Tehran Sencer Ozsoy was received yesterday by
Speaker of the Islamic Assembly Natik Nuri. According to Tehran Radio,
Ozsoy stated that Turkey and Iran were two great Muslim countries in the
region. Ozsoy said: "Cooperation between Tehran and Ankara should be
developed in all areas. The friendship between the two countries plays
an active role in the establishment of peace and stability in the
region". Pointing out that ambassadors were also playing important
roles in the development of bilateral relations, Ozsoy added: "Regional
and international conditions necessitate the improvement of political,
economic and cultural relations between Turkey and Iran". /Hurriyet/
[05] NEW NATO COMMAND STRUCTURE
A spring meeting of the NATO Military Committee, in which Turkey
was represented by Chief of General Staff Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi, was
held yesterday in Brussels. Chiefs of General Staff approved a draft
plan regarding the implementation of a new NATO command structure.
/Hurriyet/
[06] DENKTAS DUBS HOLBROOKE'S COMMENTS AS 'HISTORIC'
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Rauf
Denktas has hailed as "historic" the remarks of US presidential envoy
Richard Holbrooke, saying that "it is a fact that Greek Cyprus does not
represent or have control over the Turkish Cypriot people". "Holbrooke
raised the spirits of the TRNC public by saying that Greek Cyprus is not
the administration of the Turkish Cypriots" Denktas said. Meanwhile in
a press conference before leaving the island on Monday, Holbrooke
accused the EU of upsetting the Turco-Greek balance on Cyprus by
excluding Turkey from its list of full membership candidates while
starting accession talks with Greek Cyprus. /All papers/
[07] DENKTAS MEETS WITH FEISSEL
TRNC President met yesterday with Gustave Feissel, Deputy Special
Representative of the UN Secretary General to Cyprus. The last
developments on the island and the contacts of Richard Holbrooke, US
Special Cyprus Envoy, were discussed at the meeting. Feissel stated
that his task would end in June and he would leave Cyprus at the end of
June. Denktas came together with David Madden, British Commissioner for
Lefkosa, after his meeting with Feissel, the Anatolia news agency
reported.
[08] ALBRIGHT'S CYPRUS VISIT MIGHT BE POSTPONED
Evaluating Richard Holbrooke's latest visit to Cyprus, Turkish
diplomatic sources remarked yesterday that because the visit had been
fruitless, US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright might well postpone
her visit to Cyprus, planned to be made at the end of this month after a
final review by Thomas Miller, Holbrooke's assistant on the island in
the upcoming days. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] QUALITY SUMMIT IN ISTANBUL IN 2000
A European Business Excellence Forum organized by the European
Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM) will be held in Istanbul in
2000. This forum will be held this year in Paris and next year in
Brussels. The foundation has a total of 722 members including 22
Turkish members. /Hurriyet/
[10] ACCLAIMED AMERICAN HISTORIAN DONATES $40,000 TO TUBA
Well-known for his writings on the Islamic world and Middle East
and holder of the 1998 Ataturk Peace Award, American Historian
Prof.Dr.Bernard Lewis, donated 40,000 dollars out of 60,000 dollars
prize given to him, to the Turkish Science Academy (TUBA). /Cumhuriyet/
[11] YUNUS EMRE REMEMBERED
Turkish poet and philosopher Yunus Emre is being remembered by the
cultural activities in the district near Eskisehir where he was born
which will last until May 10. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] INTERNATIONAL MUSIC MAGAZINE IN TURKEY
The fourth issue of the "International Journal of Music in Turkey"
, the first international music magazine to be published in Turkey, is
on the newstands, the main topic is folk music singers. /Cumhuriyet/
[13] SENTRASBAT'98 MANEUVER MEETING
A meeting related to the "Sentrasbat'98", which is one of the
largest military maneuvers in Central Asia that will take place within
the framework of the NATO Partnership for Peace programme, will be
realized in Tashkent between on May 13-14. A delegation from the Office
of General Staff will represent Turkey during the meeting, in which the
representatives from the regional countries and the NATO member
countries will participate, the Anatolia news agency reported.
[14] TURKISH-SLOVENIAN JEC MEETINGS
Rustu Kazim Yucelen, Minister of State, said yesterday that
economic and trade relations between Turkey and Slovenia should be
improved, adding: "The Free Trade Zone Agreement, that will be signed
between the two countries, will make important contributions to the
bilateral economic relations". Addressing the Turkish-Slovenian Joint
Economic Commission (JEC) First Term meeting, Yucelen invited Slovenian
investors to Turkey. Meanwhile, Marjan Senjur, Slovenian Minister of
Economic Relations and Development said that relations between the two
countries would be improved after the signing of the Free Trade
Agreement, the Anatolia news agency reported.
[15] AWARDS FOR TURKISH PROJECTS
Following the presentation to Turkey of the "Best Activity Award",
"Leadership in the Global Field" and "New Horizons in the Southeast"
awards for imaginative projects, a Turkish student has been assigned to
the World Youth Commission. Muratcan Ustunkaya, chairman of the Turkish
General Centre of the AIESEC student exchange programme, said yesterday
that he will be representing Turkey in Rotterdam, Holland, for one year.
Turkey is one of the six countries which are the members of the
International AIESEC Board. /Hurriyet/
[16] ENVIRONMENT AWARD TO TURKEY
The prestigious European Environment Protection Award, has been
presented to Turkey. The Mediterranean Seal Research Institution of the
Underwater Association won the award a "Protection of Mediterranean
Seals in Turkey - Foca Project". During a ceremony held in Topkapi
Palace, Istanbul Chairman of the Henry Ford European Environment
Protection Awards Programme, William Clay Ford presented the award to
Environment Minister, Imren Aykut. /Milliyet/
[17] HARDY: "TURKEY'S PRIVATIZATION PROCESS IS HOPEFUL"
Head of the Turkish Desk of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
Martin Hardy said that the privatization process in Turkey was very
"hopeful" and evaluated future macro economic targets as "very
realistic". Hardy visited the Chairman of the Privatization
Administration, Ugur Bayar yesterday. After the meeting, Hardy said
that privatization would attract more foreign investment to Turkey.
/Milliyet/
[18] BRITISH PARLIAMENTARIAN IN TURKEY
British Conservative Party Parliamentarian, William Cash is in
Turkey to give a series of conferences. In his first conference in
Istanbul yesterday, Cash said that small-scale Turkish enterprises would
leave their mark in Europe. He also drew attention to the Black Sea
Cooperation Agreement adding that Turkey also would have a powerful
future. Regarding Turkey's European Union (EU) membership, William Cash
said although that Turkey was an important ally, Europe did not treat
Turkey as it deserved. /Milliyet/
[19] KINKEL: "I WILL VISIT ANKARA"
German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said that he was ready to
visit Ankara to revive Turkey-German relations. In a press conference
yesterday in Strasbourg, Kinkel said that he had received an invitation
from his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem, and added that he would be
happy to welcome Cem in Bonn. Kinkel did not give an exact date for his
visit to Ankara. /Milliyet/Cumhuriyet/
[20] 'DISTANT THUNDER 98' MILITARY EXERCISE STARTS
The "Distant Thunder 98" military exercise which will be held in
Turkey's western region, the Aegean Sea and Western Mediterranean coasts
has started with the participation of Turkey, the US, France, Britain
and Italy. Greece, which had attended the preparation process of the
exercise, is not actually participating. Naval, air and land forces are
joining in the exercise. /Milliyet/
[21] OPERATIONS AGAINST PKK WIDENING
As a result of the 'Murat', Cudi Mountain', and 'Panther'
operations launched by the Turkish Armed Forces against PKK terrorists,
115 terrorists have so far been killed. The Murat operation which has
been continuing in Kursunlu, Akdaglar, Saggoze and Kulp river regions in
Bingol has led to the death of 82 terrorists and six soldiers have been
killed in action. In the Cudi Mountain operation, which is continuing
in the Cevizduzu, Anilmis and Tusima hillregious, 24 PKK terrorists have
been killed. The Panther operation is continuing in and around the
Yediveren and Cobanpinari regions of Yuksekova, and Hakkari, and nine
terrorists have been killed. /Milliyet/
[22] MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL: "TURKEY-ISRAEL COOPERATION IS SUCCESSFUL"
An article on 'Turkey-Isreal and Syria Relations and Effects in the
Region' in the Middle East Journal published by the Middle East
Institution, says that Turco-Israeli agreements will be the cornerstone
of the future of the region. The article notes that after current
agreements achieved between the two countries, Turkey reached a new
phase in its struggle against the PKK terrorist organization.
/Milliyet/
[23] EUROPE: "TRNC SHOULD ATTEND TALKS"
In a statement to British BBC radio, Hans Van den Broek,
responsible for Foreign Relations of the European Union (EU), said that
they had been looking into including the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) in EU membership negotiations. /Sabah/
[24] BAKER: "EU ATTITUDE IS PITIFUL"
Former US Secretary of State, James Baker said in his speech during
a conference in Washington that increasing relations in trade, economy
and the military between Turkey and Israel was a positive development.
He added: "Turkey is a geo-strategically important country not only for
the US but also for the free world. The European attitude towards
Turkey, which aims to be a part of the West, is pitiful. Turkey is a
NATO ally."/Sabah/
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