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Turkish Press Review, 98-08-03
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
03.08.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] CHECHEN HEAD OF STATE IN TURKEY
[02] 5000 HOUSES FOR ADANA
[03] NEW YORK TIMES PRAISES TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER
[04] SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL TO CONVENE TODAY
[05] WORLD BANK REPRESENTATIVE LEAVING
[06] FOREIGN MINISTRY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT US-TURKISH JOINT VENTURE
[07] TURKEY TOPS RUSSIAN POPULARITY LIST
[08] FOREIGN BANKS OPENING IN TURKEY
[09] MINE KILLS TWO SOLDIERS
[10] BIDS FOR PRODUCING ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IN TURKEY
[01] CHECHEN HEAD OF STATE IN TURKEY
Chechen Head of State Aslan Mashedov, who arrived at Istanbul's
Ataturk Airport yesterday, made a statement and said that during
his recent meeting with the Prime Minister of the Russian
Federation, protocols signed at the end of the previous meetings
between the two countries were reviewed. Mashedov, who will go to
Washington on August 5 to attend an Organization for Islamic
Conference (OIC) meeting, said: "Arab countries tried to teach us
Islam. However we have taken all the necessary measures and we
have not allowed them to create a disorder in our country. From
now on, a peaceful and brotherly atmosphere will prevail in
Chechenya". Mashedov will stay in Istanbul for four days. /Sabah/
[02] 5000 HOUSES FOR ADANA
The Mass Housing AAdministration will build 5000 houses in Adana.
A decision by the Council of Ministers directing the
administration to build the houses, has been published in the
Official Gazette. The administration will transfer the houses to
the Public Works and Housing Ministry's General Directorate for
Natural Disasters which will be responsible for selling them to
people whose houses were heavily damaged by a 6.3 quake in June.
Payments will be interest-free and will be paid back over a 20
year period. /Hurriyet/
[03] NEW YORK TIMES PRAISES TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER
The New York Times, one of the leading newspapers in the US,
reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem was very
"dynamic and stable" adding that he had started a giant campaign
to improve relations not only with European but also the Balkan,
Central Asian, the Middle Eastern, Latin American, African
countries and also with China. Stephen Kinzer said in his article
published in the newspaper on 2 August that when travelling in
what he calls 'the new Eurasian geography', Turkish Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem was using an approach that was anathema to
his predecessors, in that he portrayed himself as the
representative not only of a 75 year-old republic but also of the
long Ottoman political tradition.
He quoted Cem in an interview as saying: "I am trying to change
the scope of our foreign policy. We no longer perceive ourselves
as a country on the outer periphery of Europe. We are part of
Europe but now we see ourselves as a pivotal country in the
emerging geography of Eurasia." Kinzer said that Cem was the most
intellectual, interesting and thoughtful foreign minister Turkey
had had for time. He quoted a European ambassador as saying, "In
his heart he is pro-European, pro-Western, modern and liberal
minded." /All papers/
[04] SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL TO CONVENE TODAY
The Supreme Military Council is meeting on Monday in the General
Staff headquarters in Ankara. The Council will determine the
Turkish Armed Forces' revised command structure. The opening of
the four-day meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Mesut
Yilmaz. During the meeting promotions and the retirements of
Turkish Armed Forces' personnel will be discussed. The current
chief of General Staff, General Ismail Hakki Karadayi, will be
retiring and is to be replaced by Land Forces Commander, General
Huseyin Kivrikoglu. /All papers/
[05] WORLD BANK REPRESENTATIVE LEAVING
Frederic Temple, the World Bank's representative in Turkey, will
soon depart because his term of office here has ended. Temple
indicated over the weekend that during his tenure of five years,
the Turkish economy had experienced a 27 percent growth. At a
press conference Temple said that despite the inflation rate in
Turkey the country was among the fastest growing nations in the
world. He added that the government had been successful in
implementing efficient measures to reduce the inflation rate.
Temple predicted that in the 21st century Turkey would become a
leading state and due to its geographical location, would
establish strong cooperation with the Central Asian countries and
Russia. /Sabah/
[06] FOREIGN MINISTRY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT US-TURKISH JOINT VENTURE
Foreign Ministry deputy Undersecretary Yaman Baskut said that a
US-Turkey joint venture for a pipeline project to transfer Middle
Eastern and Azerbaijani petroleum and natural gas to Ceyhan, a
port on the Turkish coast, had achieved its goal, the Anatolia
news agency reported on Sunday. During a meeting with journalists
Baskut said that the first target of the joint venture was
overcoming misunderstandings about the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. He
added that the joint venture was also aiming to find solutions to
the dispute between Baku and Ashkabad over sharing crude oil
reserves beneath the Caspian Sea and therefore open the way for
constructing an underwater pipeline to carry Turkmen natural gas
to Azerbaijan.
[07] TURKEY TOPS RUSSIAN POPULARITY LIST
Turkey is the 'most popular country' for Russian tourists.
According to a survey made by the Noviye Izvestiya newspaper
among the staff working at 840 tourism agencies, Turkey ranks
first with 19.43 % votes, while Spain comes second with 17.29 %
votes. The Noviye Izvestiya noted that Turkey's success stemmed
from no visa restrictions, the alternatives presented by tourism
agencies and low prices. /Sabah/
[08] FOREIGN BANKS OPENING IN TURKEY
Two foreign banks, Rabobank Nederland and Credit Suisse First
Boston have both been given permission to open branches in Turkey
from the Treasury Undersecretariat. Currently, there are 18
foreign banks operating in Turkey. /Sabah/
[09] MINE KILLS TWO SOLDIERS
A military vehicle patrolling near the Pulumur district in
Tunceli hit a mine laid by the PKK terrorist organization. Two
sergeants died in the explosion and four other Turkish soldiers
were wounded. Large-scale operations are being carried out by the
Turkish Armed Forces to find the terrorists. /Sabah/
[10] BIDS FOR PRODUCING ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IN TURKEY
According to a statement by the General Directorate of State
Monopolies, Mehmet Akbay, a number of foreign firms including
Pernod Ricard from France, Seagram from Canada and IDV from
Britain have made bids for jointly producing alcoholic drinks.
Currently a rough draft which paves the way for the involvement
of private companies in alcoholic drinks production by the State
Monopolies is on the agenda pf the Council of Ministers.
/Hurriyet/
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