|
|
Turkish Press Review, 98-07-07
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
07.07.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ IN MACEDONIA
[02] FIRE IN AEGEAN FORESTS
[03] CEM CONTINUES CONTACTS IN ISRAEL
[04] RO-RO TEKIRDAG-TRIESTE CONNECTION
[05] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION UP 8.4 %
[06] TURKISH JEWELERY IN ITALIA
[07] WORLD BANK SUPPORTS TURKEY AGAINST THREAT OF EROSION
[08] TURKISH-GREEK BALANCE IN NATO
[09] SIX VILLAGE GUARDS KILLED BY PKK MINES
[10] SECOND ROUND OF BANK INTEREST RATE REDUCTION
[11] TURKEY REQUESTS FOR THREE BILLION DOLLARS LOAN
[12] 'S-300 MISSILES CAN BE DESTROYED IN SEVEN MINUTES'
[13] NEW ISRAELI AMBASSADOR IN TURKEY
[14] DM 250 MILLION FOR SOUTHEAST
[15] TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS: 45 DEAD
[16] FIRE IN TRNC BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL
[17] ZIRAAT BANK IN BULGARIA
[18] CATCHING UP WITH THE EDUCATION AGE
[19] ECEVIT PROMISES HOMES FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
[20] TURKISH-JAPANESE VACCINES COOPERATION
[01] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ IN MACEDONIA
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, the first Turkish Prime Minister to
visit Macedonia, was welcomed yesterday by his Macedonian counterpart
Branko Crvenkovski in Skopje. After meetings between Turkish and
Macedonian delegations, the two prime ministers signed a joint
declaration for liberalization in trading between the two countries.
Meanwhile the Social Security and labour Ministers of both countries
signed an agreement on ensuring social security between their two
countries.
After the meeting Yilmaz said that they aimed to increase trade
between Turkey and Macedonia, adding that they had exchanged views on
the Kosovo issue. Yilmaz noted that Turkish Airlines (THY)
Istanbul-Skopje flights had already started and that a Turkish Honorary
Consulate in Manastir, where Ataturk graduated from military high
school, would be opened soon. A Turkish Culture Center would also be
activated in Skopje, added Yilmaz. Yilmaz invited his Macedonian
counterpart to Turkey.
Mesut Yilmaz was later received by Macedonian President, Kiro
Gligorou and also met with Parliament Speaker, Tito Petkovski.
/Hurriyet/
[02] FIRE IN AEGEAN FORESTS
Several forests in the south Aegean regions of Anatolia have been
severely damaged by fires. After fires in Datca, Yatagan and Gocek, a
90 kilometres square forest fire was burning in the Mugla region
yesterday. Fire brigades failed to put out a fire which broke out the
previous night in Fethiye. Another 15 kilometres square green area has
been destroyed by fire in Fethiye while a 60 kilometres square wooded
area has been destroyed in a fire in Bodrum, after a short circuit in
energy lines. /Milliyet/
[03] CEM CONTINUES CONTACTS IN ISRAEL
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and an accompanying delegation will
start their contacts in Israel today. It is expected that at the
meetings Israel will ask Turkey to be more active in the Middle Esat
Peace process. Cem will also meet with Israeli Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After completing his contacts in
Israel, Cem will proceed on to the Gazza Strip to meet with Palastinian
leader Yaser Arafat. /Hurriyet/
[04] RO-RO TEKIRDAG-TRIESTE CONNECTION
A Ro-Ro ferry connection between Tekirdag and Trieste, Italy, has
been opened. The Ersen, Gur and Esin transportation firms have joined
to establish EGE RO-RO, which will also transport long-vehicles.
Officials announced that there will be three connections a week, and the
daily loading capacity of Tekirdag harbour has been increased to 2,500
tons. With the Ro-Ro connection between Tekirdag and Trieste, high-way
transportation through Greece will be cut out. /Hurriyet/
[05] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION UP 8.4 %
Production in industry has increased 8.4 percent in the first five
months of the year. According to the State Statistics Institution,
there has been a 16.4 percent increase in mining, 8.1 percent in
production, and a 7.7 percent in the electricity, gas and water
industries. /Hurriyet/
[06] TURKISH JEWELERY IN ITALIA
Turkish jewellers are exhibiting at the Gold Jewelery Fair in
Vicenzaoro in Italy. The fair, which is one of the most important
jewelery fairs in the world, is visited by over 40,000 visitors from 90
countries every year. The Turkish participants have asked the fair
administration to continue to exhibit their goods after the fair closes.
/Hurriyet/
[07] WORLD BANK SUPPORTS TURKEY AGAINST THREAT OF EROSION
The World bank will extend credits of $ 100 million to Turkey,
which will be used to struggle against erosion in the southern and
southeastern provinces of Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported
yesterday. A Turkish delegation, which is currently in the US to
benefit from US experience in the struggle against erosion, has already
visited Colorado and Wyoming. Nevzat Uslucan, the chairman of the
Turkish delegation, composed of 15 experts from the Ministry of Forestry
and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said: "The US has
solved the problem of erosion and Turkey will use the newest methods and
techniques to overcome this problem. New projects will aim to prevent
erosion and to develop forest in Turkey."
[08] TURKISH-GREEK BALANCE IN NATO
In the process of expansion NATO is preparing to change its
military structure. Within the framework of a new military structure to
be completed in December, Turkey and Greece will be turned into "Joint
Sub Region Command Centres". Equal numbers of personnel will be
employed at the Command Centres in both Izmir and Larissa and a balance
between the two nations will be ensured. At the Centres where
multinational NATO command principles will be implemented, Turkish
officers will serve in Larissa, and Greek officers will serve in Izmir.
Command Centres will be responsible for the Aegean during a war./Sabah/
[09] SIX VILLAGE GUARDS KILLED BY PKK MINES
Village guardsmen guarding the road near Semdinli, Hakkari, were
killed by mines laid by PKK terrorists as they were to defuse the mines.
After the incident a large-scale search operation was started in the
region./Sabah/
[10] SECOND ROUND OF BANK INTEREST RATE REDUCTION
Following a recent reduction in bank interest rates, a second
reduction has been made in interest rates by some banks. The Stock
Exchange market, which reached a record high last week, also closed with
a a small record yesterday. The Central Bank has intervened by holding
down the US dollar rate. Deputy General Director of Garanti Bank, Ergun
Özen, said yesterday that as opposed to recent years devaluation was
occuring below the level of inflation, but during the last period it was
going at the same pace. He believed this was done to contribute to the
current balance./Sabah/
[11] TURKEY REQUESTS FOR THREE BILLION DOLLARS LOAN
During a telephone briefing about his contacts in the US, State
Minister Gunes Taner,responsible for the economy, told Prime Minister
Mesut Yilmaz, who is in Macedonia for an official visit, that Turkey's
request for a three billion dollars loan had been receieved positively
by officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World
Bank. /Milliyet/
[12] 'S-300 MISSILES CAN BE DESTROYED IN SEVEN MINUTES'
In the event that the Greek Cypriot National Army deploys
Russian-made S-300 missiles in southern Cyprus and the Turkish General
Staff puts an 'attack' plan into implementation, Turkish jets could
destroy all the missile silos between seven and nine minutes. According
to Fileleftheros newspaper published in the Greek Cypriot
Administration, the Turkish General Staff has been in a dilemma over the
issue of how to retaliate to if S-300 missiles are deployed on the
island. /Cumhuriyet/
[13] NEW ISRAELI AMBASSADOR IN TURKEY
Israel's new ambassador to Ankara Uri Bar-Ner said in a statement
to Cumhuriyet daily newspaper yesterday that military cooperation
between Turkey and Israel had positively affected Turkey's relations
with the Arab world. Ambassador Bar-Ner noted that the Middle East
should decide whether the Turkish democrat or the Iranian Islamic
Republic model would be chosen. He stated that Egypt was afraid that
Turkey would win advantages in the region. /Cumhuriyet/
[14] DM 250 MILLION FOR SOUTHEAST
The European Union (EU) countries have launched initiatives to
extend aid to villages in the Southeast Anatolian region evacuated
because of security reasons. Representatives of international aid
organizations have made observations for a "Return to the Villages
Project" being implemented in the Southeast Anatolian region. The
German government will extend DM 250 million to the project.
/Cumhuriyet/
[15] TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS: 45 DEAD
In various traffic accidents throughout Turkey yesterday, 45 people
lost their lives while 78 people were injured. Those injured in the
accidents were taken to nearby hospitals. /Cumhuriyet/
[16] FIRE IN TRNC BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL
A fire that broke out on Saturday in the Greek part of the island
of Cyprus and, which due to strong winds, passed the demarcation zone
and reached the towns of Yesilirmak and Bademlikoy in the Turkish part
of the island, has been brought under control. Prime Minister of the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Dervis Eroglu noted that the
fire destroyed 2,700 hectares of forest and 1,000 hectares of
agricultural land. /Cumhuriyet/
[17] ZIRAAT BANK IN BULGARIA
The state-run Ziraat Bank will open a new branch in Bulgaria, which
has been passing through a transition process to democracy and a liberal
economy. The new Ziraat Bank branch in the capital of Sofia will be
opened with a ceremony attended by Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz
on Saturday. Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov is also expected to
participate in the ceremony. /Cumhuriyet/
[18] CATCHING UP WITH THE EDUCATION AGE
A seminar entitled 'Catching up with the Education Age 2000
Project' organized by the Education Ministry and financed by the World
Bank to present the advancements made under the newly implemented
eight-year compulsory education system in Turkey was held in
Kizilcahamam, Ankara yesterday. Speaking at the seminar's opening on
Monday, Education Minister Hikmet Ulugbay said that at the time when the
law establishing an eight-year compulsory education system was enacted,
preparations were also made for its successful implementation.
Ulugbay cited the 20 percent increase over last year in the number
of students registered in the sixth grade as proof that the system was
working. The minister praised the administration in its ability to
successfully meet the demands of the public.
Further, World Bank Team Leader Michael Mertaugh said that the
World Bank recognized the importance of the 'Catching up with the
Education Age 2000 Project' and was allocating resources for its
support.
[19] ECEVIT PROMISES HOMES FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
The state will assist Adana residents whose houses were seriously
damaged by the recent earthquake by paying rents for one year, Deputy
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said. In addition to financial assistance
on housing rentals, Ecevit also announced that the state will construct
new houses in the region that will be offered to earthquake victims with
interest-free loans.
Speaking to the press at the Prime Ministry yesterday, Ecevit said
that rescue work in Adana and Ceyhan has been completed, but that
investigations are continuning to determine the full extent of the
damages. Financial aid to the region has so far reached TL 1 trillion,
he added. /All papers/
[20] TURKISH-JAPANESE VACCINES COOPERATION
A joint Japanese-Turkish project begun three and a half years ago
aimed at improving vaccine quality has been completed. The Japanese
International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) representative in Turkey,
Tatsuo Yonebayasi, said that the project on the "Development and
Evaluation of Biological Products' Quality Control" had been successful.
According to the Anatolia news agency, Japan donated apparatus and
equipment worth 303 million Japanese Yen and arranged for 16 Turkish
experts to be trained in Japan.
|