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Turkish Press Review, 98-09-08
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
08.09.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] THIRTY-THREE COUNTRIES SEEK TO REVIVE SILK ROAD
[02] YILMAZ VISITS ISRAEL
[03] TURKISH AND EU EXPERTS TO DISCUSS FISHERY PRODUCTS BAN
[04] CEREMONY MARKS START OF 1998-1999 JUDICIAL YEAR
[05] TURK RECEIVES COUNCIL OF EUROPE REPORTERS
[06] AMERICAN HOSPITAL SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH US HOSPITALS
[07] OPTIONAL DEBENTURE BOND SALE FROM TREASURY
[08] OPERATIONS AGAINST DHKP_C ORGANIZATION
[09] TRNC ASSEMBLY SPEAKER VISITS RUSSIA
[10] MEETING OF EUROPEAN AIR FORCES COMMANDERS
[11] TURCO-RUSSIAN COOPERATION
[12] FREE ZONE TRADE VOLUME TO REACH $8 BILLION
[13] EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION REJECTS PRIORITY PLEA
[14] PHARMACY CONGRESS
[15] URANIUM OPERATION
[16] RABBANI ASKS FOR SUPPORT
[17] DEMIRBANK 45 YEARS OLD
[01] THIRTY-THREE COUNTRIES SEEK TO REVIVE SILK ROAD
High-level representatives of 33 European and Asian countries are
gathering today in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku to hammer out an
agreement on the construction of a vital transportation corridor
linking Europe with the Caucasus and Asia that will revive the
ancient "Silk Road" from China to Spain. The project is entitled
"Transport Corridor: Europe-Caucasus-Asia" (TRACECA). President
Suleyman Demirel, accompanied by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem,
will represent Turkey at the summit.
After arriving in Baku yesterday, Demirel had bilateral talks
with Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev at the airport. Demirel
and Aliyev later laid the foundation of a hotel and business
centre set up by Turkish-Azerbaijani partnership. Demirel said in
his speech that Turkey always sided by Azerbaijan and the Silk
Road summit demonstrated the importance of Azerbaijan in the
world. Aliyev said for his part that Turkish businessmen were
working in free market conditions in Azerbaijan and expressed his
thanks for Turkey's assistance for the Azeris, who flee from
their territories under the Armenian occupation.
Later in the day, Demirel met with the presidents of Moldovia,
Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. On Tuesday, Demirel will with his
Bulgarian and Ukrainian counterparts. /All papers/
[02] YILMAZ VISITS ISRAEL
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz arrived yesterday in Israel, the
second leg of his Middle Eastern tour. Yilmaz met with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is reported that during the
meeting Yilmaz and Netanyahu expressed their concerns over Syria,
which supports terrorism. Netanyahu also stated that Iran, with
its nuclear missiles, would not only be a regional problem but
also a global issue in the future. Netanyahu, who held a press
conference following the meetings during which cooperation
agreements in agriculture and free trade were signed between
Turkey and Israel, said: "In order to achieve an agreement with
Palestine, we need the support of all sides including Turkey".
Yilmaz said for his part that Turkey has some concerns over the
Middle East peace process and noted that Turkey supports the US
plan for the Middle East. Yilmaz added that the agreements
between Turkey and Israel do not aim at any third country.
During the meeting between Yilmaz and Netanyahu, it was agreed
that the water transported from Turkey to the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with huge balloons will also be brought to
Israel and then to Jordan and Palestine. Today, Yilmaz is
expected to visit the Palestinian territories and meet with
Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat. /All papers/
[03] TURKISH AND EU EXPERTS TO DISCUSS FISHERY PRODUCTS BAN
Turkey and European Union (EU) experts meet today in Brussels to
discuss the lifting of a EU ban imposed on the export of Turkish
fishery products to the Union in May. The Turkish delegation,
comprised of high-level officials from the Agriculture Ministry,
will explain the measures taken in order to improve technical and
hygienic conditions in the production of fishery products.
A total of TL 350 billion has been allocated to the Agriculture
Ministry for the setting up of laboratories capable of carrying
out all quality tests required from the EU. The EU will revise
its ban on September 30. /All papers/
[04] CEREMONY MARKS START OF 1998-1999 JUDICIAL YEAR
The 1998-1999 judicial year started with a ceremony at the Court
of Appeals building in Ankara yesterday. President Suleyman
Demirel, Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin, coalition party leaders
Bulent Ecevit and Husamettin Cindoruk, ministers, bureaucrats and
high-ranking judges were present at the ceremony. /All papers/
[05] TURK RECEIVES COUNCIL OF EUROPE REPORTERS
Hikmet Sami Turk, State Minister responsible for human rights,
received Walter Schwimmer and Andreas Barsony, the reporters of
the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly yesterday. The
reporters will also meet with Interior Minister Kutlu Aktas.
After the meeting, Turk said that the Council of Europe has
formed a mechanism to monitor the developments related to human
rights and democracy in the member states. "Within this
framework, Turkey's steps are being monitored" Turk said. "I
informed the reporters on the new developments taken in the field
of human rights" he added. /All papers/
[06] AMERICAN HOSPITAL SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH US HOSPITALS
A cooperation and personnel exchange agreement between the Vehbi
Koc Foundation American Hospital and the New York Prebyterian
Hospital, Cornell University Weill Medical Faculty and Columbia
University Medical Faculty was signed in Istanbul yesterday. /All
papers/
[07] OPTIONAL DEBENTURE BOND SALE FROM TREASURY
The Treasury started to collect offers yesterday for the
three-month (91 days) term Treasury bonds having 21 % period
interest and for the one-year (364 days) term state debenture
bonds over the US dollar and have 3 % coupon rate, the Anatolia
news agency reports. The organizations, which will mediate in
sales, will continue to receive demands on September 8 and 9 to
specify the total limit in sales. The firm sales will be realized
on September 10. The issue date for the three-month term bonds
was determined to be September 10 while their repayment will be
made on December 10, 1998.
[08] OPERATIONS AGAINST DHKP_C ORGANIZATION
According to a statement made by the Istanbul Department for
Struggle Against Terrorism yesterday, nine people, one pistol and
many documents of the illegal DHKP_C organization were seized in
Zeytinburnu, Istanbul, during operations carried out on 3-7
September, the Anatolia news agency reports.
[09] TRNC ASSEMBLY SPEAKER VISITS RUSSIA
Parliament Speaker of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) Hakki Atun went yesterday to Russia. Atun said that the
TRNC proposal to the Greek Cypriot Administration for the
establishment of a "Cyprus Confederation" should be regarded as
an important ooportunity to achieve peace in Cyprus. Atun, who
made a statement prior to his departure to Moscow for the 100th
meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, noted that
he would furnish information regarding the recent situation in
Cyprus to parliamentarians during the meeting and added that he
would also have a chance to explain the just cause of the TRNC,
the Anatolia news agency reports.
[10] MEETING OF EUROPEAN AIR FORCES COMMANDERS
Commander of Turkish Air Forces, Gen.Ilhan Kilic, went yesterday
to Britain to attend the European Air Forces Commanders' Meeting
(EURAC). Gen.Kilic was elected term-president of the EURAC
Conference yesterday. It is reported that three candidates
attended the election for the term-presidency and Gen.Kilic
received nine votes out of 17 votes. Air forces commanders from
17 European countries are participating in the conference.
According to a statement made by the Air Forces Command,
Gen.Kilic will stay in London until September 10 and will hold
official contacts, the Anatolia news agency reports. Meanwhile,
Deputy Prime Minister Ismet Sezgin will also go to Britain today.
[11] TURCO-RUSSIAN COOPERATION
The Council of Ministers approved yesterday "a memorandum of
accord of the second term meeting of the working group for
cooperation in industry and transfer of high-technologies between
Turkey and Russia" which was signed on July 1, 1998. According to
the approval decision published in the Official Gazette
yesterday, Turkey and Russia will cooperate in the areas such as
machinery industry, aviation and space industry, electric and
electronic industry, environmental protection and security
equipment, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
[12] FREE ZONE TRADE VOLUME TO REACH $8 BILLION
The annual trade volume in free zones is to reach $8 billion.
According to Foreign Trade Undersecretariat data, the trade
volume in free zones during the first seven months of this year
increased by 52 % when compared to the same period last year and
amounted to $4.200 billion. The total trade volume in free zones
was $5.508 billion last year. /Hurriyet/
[13] EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION REJECTS PRIORITY PLEA
Welfare Party (RP) closed by the Constitutional Court asked the
European Human Rights Commission to give priority to its
complaint against Turkey but was rejected. In the application
prepared by Sevket Kazan, a former RP deputy, on May 22, it was
claimed that with the closure of the Welfare Party and banning
some members of it from political life, the sixth, seventh,
ninth, tenth, eleventh, fourteenth and eighteenth articles of the
European Human Rights Convention were violated. Kazan had later
asked the Commission to give priority to the examination of the
complaint. This plea was rejected. /Milliyet/
[14] PHARMACY CONGRESS
The second International Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals Science
Congress started yesterday in Istanbul. At the Congress where 350
scientists attended, pre-clinic and post-clinic evaluations of
drugs, the credibility of new pharmaceuticals, scientific and
legal arrangements on the subject were taken up. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] URANIUM OPERATION
Eight people who tried to sell 4.5 kg. of solid uranium, used in
manufacturing nuclear weapons, to police acting as if they were
buyers were arrested yesterday. In a statement by the Financial
Branch of Istanbul Police, it was said that uranium was brought
to Turkey from Russia through illegal means. /Cumhuriyet/
[16] RABBANI ASKS FOR SUPPORT
Turkey has proposed a national compromise conference for the
solution of the Afghanistan problem and stated that it could host
such a meeting. The ousted Afghani leader Burhaneddin Rabbani who
is in Ankara complained of Pakistani approach supporting Taliban
and asked for aid. Leader of the Islamic Society Rabbani,
yesterday met with State Minister Ahad Andican. Andican stated
that the recent developments in Afghanistan were not approved by
Turkey and added that diplomatic channels would be used to reach
a compromisory solution. /Milliyet/
[17] DEMIRBANK 45 YEARS OLD
Demirbank is celebrating its 45th anniversary. General Director
Selahattin Serbest said that they aim to be amongst the top 500
banks of the world in the year 2000. Serbest indicated that
Demirbank's 25 % stake is held by foreign investors. /All papers/
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