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Turkish Press Review, 98-09-18
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
18.09.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] INDIAN PRESIDENT IN TURKEY
[02] CEM TO FLY TO CANADA ON SEPTEMBER 27
[03] TANER IN GERMANY
[04] TURCO-TAJIK COOPERATION
[05] CEM TALKS WITH MILO
[06] AZERI OIL
[07] ENERGY CONGRESS
[08] INCREASE IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES
[09] KIVRIKOGLU TO VISIT BRUSSELS
[10] GERMAN TOURIST TO BE IMPRISONED
[11] DENKTAS: BRITISH INTERESTED IN CONFEDERATION PLANS
[12] MENDERES, ZORLU, POLATKAN REMEMBERED
[13] GERMAN AIR FORCE COMMANDER TO VISIT TURKEY
[14] EU PARLIAMENT SOFTENS ATTITUDE
[15] ISTANBUL IS PREPARING FOR A NEW SUMMIT
[16] BILL TO CHANGE CIVIL LAW
[17] GOVERNMENT SPENDING 7 MILLION DOLLARS FOR CELEBRATIONS
[18] TURKISH BUSINESSMAN AWARDED IN AUSTRIA
[01] INDIAN PRESIDENT IN TURKEY
President Suleyman Demirel, who hosted his Indian counterpart
K.R.Narayanan in Ankara yesterday, displayed an impartial
attitude on the tense relations between India and Pakistan, also
a close ally of Turkey, and reiterated Ankara's disapproval of
the two countries' nuclear rivalry. Referring to the longstanding
dispute over the province of Kashmir, Demirel stated that Turkey
was "deeply upset" by the existence such a problem between India
and Pakistan.
The two presidents nevertheless praised efforts to improve
bilateral relations and emphasized that there was no major
problem between the two big, secular and liberal Asian
democracies. As a result of talks between delegations from the
two countries, four agreements aimed at improving Turco-Indian
cooperation were signed. The four documents cover mutual
protection and promotion of investments, cooperation against drug
smuggling, improvement of exports, and technological and
scientific cooperation. /All papers/
[02] CEM TO FLY TO CANADA ON SEPTEMBER 27
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will fly to Canada on September 27
after attending a UN General Assembly meeting in New York. In
Ottowa, Cem will meet with his Canadian counterpart Lloyd
Axworthy. Following Cem's trip, President of the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Rauf Denktas will alo visit Canada.
/All papers/
[03] TANER IN GERMANY
State Minister Gunes Taner met yesterday with German businessmen
and bank representatives in Frankfurt. Noting that Asian and
Russian made little negative impact on the Turkish economy, Taner
called on German investors to expand into Turkey. /Hurriyet/
[04] TURCO-TAJIK COOPERATION
A customs cooperation agreement was signed yesterday in Ankara by
Turkish State Minister Rifat Serdaroglu and Tajik Minister
responsible for customs Rahim Karimov. The agreement aims at
developing economic and commercial relations between Turkey and
Tajikistan, harmonizing customs regulations and establishing
cooperation in communications and technology between the customs
administrations of the two countries, the Anatolia news agency
reported yesterday.
[05] CEM TALKS WITH MILO
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem had a telephone conversation
yesterday with his Albanian counterpart Paskol Milo and noted
that Turkey supported the constitutional order in Albania.
/Cumhuriyet/
[06] AZERI OIL
Head of the Azerbaijan State Petroleum Company (SOCAR) Natik
Aliyev said in a statement yesterday that despite the negative
stance of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan regarding the Baku-Ceyhan
project, they aimed to initiate the project by the end of this
year or at the beginning of next year. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] ENERGY CONGRESS
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer who
is currently in Houston, Texas, to attend the 17th Energy
Congress of the World Energy Council said yesterday that Turkey
is a nominee to host the "World Energy Congress" to be held in
2003. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] INCREASE IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES
Central Bank foreign exchange reserves have reached $22.015
billion. Foreign exchange reserves, which increased by $11
million between 4 and 11 September, rose to $22.015 billion on
September 11. Turkey's gold reserves totalled $1.125 billion on
August 28. /Milliyet/
[09] KIVRIKOGLU TO VISIT BRUSSELS
Chief of General Staff, Gen.Huseyin Kivrikoglu, who has already
visited Denmark, is in Norway, where he attended NATO military
committee meetings, went to Trendheim yesterday together with
other NATO chiefs of general staff. Gen.Kivrikoglu, who watched a
demonstration of of Norwegian Air Forces F-16 aircraft, arrived
in Stavanger yesterday evening. Gen.Kivrikoglu, who will
participate in the second part of a NATO Military Committee
Summit in Stavanger today, will leave Scandinavia tomorrow.
Gen.Kivrikoglu will go to Brussels tomorrow and return to Ankara
on Sunday. /Milliyet/
[10] GERMAN TOURIST TO BE IMPRISONED
Eva Juhnke, a German national who was captured by the Iraqi
Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) during a military operation
carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces in northern Iraq, has
been sentenced to 15 years jail by the Van National Security
Court, the Anatolia news agency reports. It was decided that the
11 months Juhnke had already served while under arrest awaiting
trial would be deducted from her prison term. Juhnke has the
right to appeal the verdict.
[11] DENKTAS: BRITISH INTERESTED IN CONFEDERATION PLANS
Rauf Denktas, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC), said that his administration had collected
evidence that the Greek Cypriots do not want federation on the
island, adding that he would hand this evidence over to the
people concerned with a solution to the Cyprus problem, the
Anatolia news agency reported. Denktas yesterday received
Britain's high commissioner in Lefkose, David Madden, and the
Foreign Office's South Europe Desk Director Peter Rickett.
Denktas said that his confederation proposal had attracted the
interest of Britain.
[12] MENDERES, ZORLU, POLATKAN REMEMBERED
Turkey's conservative political parties commemorated the deposed
and executed Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and two of his
ministers at their graves in Istanbul yesterday. Senior
executives from the True Path Party (DYP), the Democrat Party
(DP) and the Rebirth Party (YDP) gathered in front of the Anit
Mezar Mausoleum, which holds the remains of Menderes, former
Foreign Minister Fatin Rustu Zorlu and former Finance Minister
Hasan Polatkan. /All papers/
[13] GERMAN AIR FORCE COMMANDER TO VISIT TURKEY
German Air Force Commander Gen.Rolf H.Portz will visit Turkey
between September 20-24 at the invitation of Air Force Commander
Gen.Ilhan Kilic. Portz will later visit Eskisehir, Izmir and
Istanbul.
[14] EU PARLIAMENT SOFTENS ATTITUDE
Signaling a desire to ameliorate the chilly relations between the
European Union (EU) and Turkey, the EU Parliament endorsed
yesterday a recommendation calling for the release of EU
financial aid to Turkey without preconditions. The EU Parliament
discussed a report on the course of Turkey-EU relations since the
signing of the customs union agreement in 1995, and subsequently
approved a recommendation urging the Union to fulfill its
obligations toward Turkey originating from the customs union
agreement, the Anatolia news agency reports.
The report also referred to the Cyprus problem, demanding that
Turkey contribute to efforts to restart the UN-sponsored
inter-communal talks. The report also called on Turkey to
undertake a more effective struggle against drug trafficking.
[15] ISTANBUL IS PREPARING FOR A NEW SUMMIT
Istanbul is preparing to host an international conference on
"Turkey: A Stepping Stone for Trade with Central Asia and the
Commonwealth of Independent States" on November 18-19, the
Anatolia news agency reports.
[16] BILL TO CHANGE CIVIL LAW
A bill, which includes 1,030 articles proposing changes in the
Turkish Civil Law was presented to the Turkish Grand National
Assembly (TGNA) yesterday. The bill aims to provide equality
between men and women, specifically in the areas of marriage and
divorce. /Hurriyet/
[17] GOVERNMENT SPENDING 7 MILLION DOLLARS FOR CELEBRATIONS
The government will spend 7 million dollars for celebrations
which will be organized in Ankara and Istanbul on October 28-29,
marking the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish
Republic, State Minister Cavit Kavak has sent letters to private
firms, asking them to contribute to the cost. The Lowe Adam
Promotion Services company has been given the responsibility of
organizing the two day celebrations. /Hurriyet/
[18] TURKISH BUSINESSMAN AWARDED IN AUSTRIA
Turkish businessman Haluk Taner was presented with the "Great
Honorary Medal of the Republic of Austria" in a ceremony held in
Vienna yesterday. Taner is currently working as the general
manager of PIMAS, an ENKA Holding subsidiary. Delivering a speech
during the ceremony, after noting Taner's contribution to the
imrovement of relations between the two countries, Austrian
Minister of Economy, Hannes Farnleitner, said that stable
economic improvement was needed within the scope of the European
Union and Turkey was doing this. "Turkey is already a part of
Europe in economic terms. There are some political problems but I
believe they will be overcome" said Farnleitner. /Hurriyet/
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