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Turkish Press Review, 98-05-15
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
15.05.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] FULL CONSENSUS ON BAKU-CEYHAN
[02] NEW RESIDENCE LAWS FOR FOREIGNERS IN TURKEY
[03] FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES EXCEED $25 BILLION
[04] ATATURK SUMMIT AT PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
[05] MEDIA BRIDGE TO PEACE
[06] 45 BUSINESSMEN INVEST IN SOUTHEAST
[07] CLINTON IN GERMANY
[08] PKK DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF TURKISH EMBASSY IN LONDON
[09] DIALOGUE WITH SYRIA CONTINUES
[10] CEM SLAMS PKK IN SOFIA
[11] FP REFORMISTS' SUCCESS
[12] WORLD BANK PLANS NEW LOANS TO TURKEY
[13] ANKARA: TURKS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN KOSOVO TALKS
[14] WTO SUMMIT IN GENEVA
[15] IMF REPORT ON TURKISH ECONOMY
[16] TURKISH ADVERTISER HEADS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
[17] BRITISH AIRWAYS TOURISM GUIDE FOR TURKISH TOURISTS
[01] FULL CONSENSUS ON BAKU-CEYHAN
Three official delegations from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia have
reached a consensus regarding implementation of the Baku-Ceyhan oil
pipeline project. A Baku-Ceyhan meeting, supposed to be held on May
5-6, was suspended however for various reasons, was held in Istanbul
yesterday. Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Cumhur
Ersumer said in a statement yesterday that main principles regarding the
pipeline project were put forward, and added: "We will hold a press
conference on May 15. This consensus expresses the most concrete point
achieved to date on the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline project. If this text
is initialled, an agreement between the governments will be signed".
/Hurriyet/
[02] NEW RESIDENCE LAWS FOR FOREIGNERS IN TURKEY
The Turkish Parliament General Council yesterday approved two new
laws easing residence regulations for foreigners living in Turkey.
According to the new laws, residence permits for foreigners will be for
five years and can be even further extended by the Interior Ministry if
desired. Foreigners, who go abroad before their residence permits
expire, will not have to renew their residence permits on their return
to Turkey. /Hurriyet/
[03] FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES EXCEED $25 BILLION
Central Bank foreign exchange reserves have exceeded $25 billion.
According to a Central Bank statement, foreign exchange reserves, which
totalled $24.659 billion on May 1, increased by $472 million and reached
$25.131 billion on May 8. Turkey's international reserves rose to
$32.458 billion on April 24. Gold reserves amounted to $1.124 billion,
while commercial bank foreign exchange reserves stood at $8.330 billion
on April 24. Turkey has paid out $4.77 billion in foreign debt payments
since the beginning of this year. /Milliyet/
[04] ATATURK SUMMIT AT PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
The 1998 Ataturk International Peace Award ceremony was held at the
Presidential Palace yesterday. Prof.Bernard Lewis, who was presented
with the award for his contributions to Turkish historical studies,
praised Ataturk at the ceremony hosted by President Suleyman Demirel.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz,
Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi, President of the
Constitutional Court Ahmet Necdet Sezer and many other high-level
officials were also present at the ceremony. /Milliyet/
[05] MEDIA BRIDGE TO PEACE
A meeting on "Securing a peaceful future for Turkey and Greece"
prepared by UNESCO Ambassador Zulfu Livaneli and French director Costa
Gavras of Greek origin was held at the UNESCO General Centre in Paris on
May 12-13. UNESCO General Director Federico Mayor delivered an opening
speech at the meeting, where Turkey and Greece were each represented by
13 journalists. A communique was issued at the end of the meeting which
emphasized the importance of the media in the establishment of peace
between the two countries, and included many proposals for closer
relations between members of the press. /Milliyet/
[06] 45 BUSINESSMEN INVEST IN SOUTHEAST
In order to promote development and overcome the employment problem
in the southeast of the country, 45 businessmen from Diyarbakir are
making investments in the region, kicking-off with a prefabricated
construction plant. /Milliyet/
[07] CLINTON IN GERMANY
US President Bill Clinton, who has been holding contacts in
Germany, said he wanted Turkey to be included in the EU expansion
process. According to The British Daily Telegraph newspaper, during a
ceremony attended by many high-level officials, Clinton expressed
support for the EU expansion process and stressed the importance of
Turkey in the process. But according to an article written by Werner
Kolhof in the "Berliner Zeitung" newspaper, German Prime Minister Kohl
did not share Clinton's sentiments regarding Turkey's inclusion in the
EU expansion process. /Milliyet/
[08] PKK DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF TURKISH EMBASSY IN LONDON
Members of the PKK terrorist organization held a demonstration in
front of the Turkish Embassy in London yesterday. During the
demonstration, when strict security measures were taken by the British
police, demonstrators waved posters of Chairman of the Turkish Human
Rights Association Akin Birdal and PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and
shouted slogans supporting the PKK terrorist organization. /Hurriyet/
[09] DIALOGUE WITH SYRIA CONTINUES
The Syrian Foreign Ministry Undersecretary will visit Turkey in the
near future. Meanwhile, it is claimed that Syria has closed down a camp
belonging to the PKK terrorist organization in the Bekaa Valley.
According to an article in the El Hayat newspaper published in London,
Syrian officials have detained 400 PKK sympathizers during the last few
days. /Hurriyet/
[10] CEM SLAMS PKK IN SOFIA
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, on an official visit to
Bulgaria, slammed yesterday the PKK terrorist organization and its
recent efforts to establish itself in the Balkans. In a joint press
conference with his Bulgarian counterpart, Nadezhda Mihaylova, Ismail
Cem accused Greece, without mentioning its name, of supporting the PKK.
"Another Balkan country should not work against Turkey" he said. Cem
referred to recent press reports by the Agence France Press (AFP), Time
magazine and the Bulgarian daily Duma, which revealed Athens' support
for the PKK. "AFP reports have pointed out that the PKK is seriously
establishing itself in the Balkans" he stated.
The two ministers also expressed their belief that the efforts of
the international community should be concentrated on preparing the
ground and formulating a framework for future talks between the
conflicting parties in Kosovo. Both ministers confirmed support for
initiatives to find a solution in Kosovo through NATO and the Balkan
countries. Cem expressed his satisfaction with the increasing Turkish
investment in Bulgaria. A delegation of 100 Turkish businessmen will
visit Bulgaria in the upcoming days, he added, inviting Bulgarian
businessmen to Turkey. /All papers/
[11] FP REFORMISTS' SUCCESS
The chairman of the Virtue Party (FP), which was established after
the Constitutional Court closed the Welfare Party (RP), has been
replaced following pressure from the reformists within the party. The
last RP leader, Necmettin Erbakan, supported the conservative wing in
the new party. However, the reformists succeeded in ousting the former
chairman. Recai Kutan has been selected as the FP chairman. /All
papers/
[12] WORLD BANK PLANS NEW LOANS TO TURKEY
The World Bank expects to extend $605.8 million in new loans to
Turkey in 1998 under a three-year Country Assistance Strategy (CAS)
project, an official for the bank said yesterday. Ajay Chhibber,
director of the World Bank's Turkey programme, told a news conference
yesterday that the funds were part of a previously announced project to
loan $1.5 billion by 2000. /Hurriyet/
[13] ANKARA: TURKS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN KOSOVO TALKS
Turkey has welcomed the agreement between Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic and the political leader of the ethnic Albanian
majority in Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, to meet without preconditions,
urging that ethnic Turks in the region should be included in the talks.
"Turkey believes that this dialogue will contribute to peace and the
stability of the region and hopes it will bear fruit in a short time" a
statement from the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. /All papers/
[14] WTO SUMMIT IN GENEVA
A World Trade Organization Ministers' summit will be held in Geneva
between 18-20 May. State Minister Isin Celebi will represent Turkey in
the summit during which the effects of multinational trade systems on
the world economy, globalization and countries' development will be
discussed. Diplomatic sources have noted that issues such as quotas on
agricultural products and electronic trade, over which the United States
and the European Union clash, would also be on the agenda.
/Cumhuriyet-Sabah/
[15] IMF REPORT ON TURKISH ECONOMY
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation left Turkey
yesterday, submitting a 12 page-report on the Turkish economy which
covers contacts in Turkey and evaluates economic developments achieved
in the last three months with a view to future economic growth. The
report, repeating previous advice claims that the inflation rate can be
reduced to 50 % by the end of the year as long as the Turkish government
implements structural reforms immediately. /Sabah/
[16] TURKISH ADVERTISER HEADS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
A top Turkish advertiser, Pinar Kilic, chairman of the Pars
McCann-Erickson's company in Turkey, has been unanimously elected as the
president of the International Advertiser' Association's Europe division
in a congress held in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. /Hurriyet/
[17] BRITISH AIRWAYS TOURISM GUIDE FOR TURKISH TOURISTS
British Airways has prepared a guide for Turkish tourists who
intend to visit Britain, Scotland, the USA and Canada. /Hurriyet/
END
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