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Turkish Press Review, 98-10-15
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
15.10.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] CETIN TO VISIT LAUSANNE
[02] FOREIGN MINISTRY: CONFIRMATION IS REQUIRED ON APO'S WHEREABOUTS
[03] TURKEY COMPLAINS ABOUT SYRIA TO EUROPEAN UNION
[04] SEZGIN: "APO IS NOT IN RUSSIA"
[05] TURKISH ARMENIANS ELECT NEW PATRIARCH
[06] YILMAZ OPENS "EXPO-SHIPPING"
[07] HAKKARI DEPUTY ZEYDAN LEAVES DTP
[08] 48 TERRORISTS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST
[09] TEMA OAK TREE PLANTING CAMPAIGN
[10] CEM: "TURKEY IS DETERMINED"
[11] AMBASSADOR BATU BACK TO ROME
[12] CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THERMAL POWER PLANT
[13] DHKP-C OPERATIONS
[14] AKHISM CULTURE WEEK CELEBRATED
[15] ROMANIAN CLAIM
[16] RESTORATION OF CHURCH OF ST.PAUL
[17] GOOD NEWS FOR TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING IN GERMANY
[18] NEARING THE POINT OF SOLUTION
[19] NO PROBLEMS ABOUT BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINE PROJECT
[01] CETIN TO VISIT LAUSANNE
Turkish Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin will go to Lausanne today
to participate in celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the
Republic of Turkey and the signing of the Lausanne Treaty.
/Cumhuriyet/
[02] FOREIGN MINISTRY: CONFIRMATION IS REQUIRED ON APO'S WHEREABOUTS
The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said that recent claims that
PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan has left Syria, 'have to be
confirmed.' Sermet Atacanli, deputy spokesman of the Foreign
Ministry said yesterday in a weekly press conference that 'Turkey
needs confirmation on whether or not Ocalan is out of Syria'. "If
Syria really wishes to end the tension or prevent that tension
from assuming different dimensions, it should cease supporting
the terrorist organization without questions having to be asked,"
Atacanli told reporters.
Atacanli also said that no meeting between Turkish Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem and his Syrian counterpart, Farouk Al-Sharaa
has been planned. In addition Atacanli reiterated Turkey's
complaints about Greece and their support of the PKK. /Hurriyet/
[03] TURKEY COMPLAINS ABOUT SYRIA TO EUROPEAN UNION
Turkey brought Syrian support of the PKK to the agenda of a
meeting among terrorism specialists from member countries of the
EU, the US, Canada and Israel which was held yesterday by the
European Council. Turkish Foreign Ministry advisor Bahattin
Gursoz told the meeting that Syria continued to permit PKK leader
Abdullah Ocalan to reside in Damascus and that Ankara had
concrete evidence to prove it. He said that normalization of
relations with Syria would be impossible if Damascus continues
its support of the terrorist organization, adding that every
country has the right to self defense if its security is
threatened. Gursoz noted that to date almost 40,000 people have
been killed because of PKK terrorists activities. "Nevertheless
Kurdish society and PKK terrorism should not be linked to each
other," stressed Gursoz. /Hurriyet/
[04] SEZGIN: "APO IS NOT IN RUSSIA"
Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin noted yesterday that there was no
information confirming that the leader of the PKK terrorist
organization Abdullah Ocalan (Apo) is in Russia. Sezgin, who
attended a promotion reception for the upcoming 1999 Defense
Fair, replied to questions from press members and said: "There is
no news corroborating that Ocalan is in Russia. I can say
however, that Ocalan is not in Syria and I hope that Syria will
not harbour Ocalan anymore". /Sabah/
[05] TURKISH ARMENIANS ELECT NEW PATRIARCH
Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan was chosen the 84th patriarch of the
Armenian community in Turkey following an election held on
Wednesday. He received 74 votes from 89 delegates representing
Turkish Armenians and the Armenian religious establishment.
/Hurriyet/
[06] YILMAZ OPENS "EXPO-SHIPPING"
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz opened an international expo-shipping
exhibition in Istanbul on Wednesday and pledged to continue
supporting Turkey's fast growing shipping industry. He urged
foreign companies to invest in the Turkish shipping industry, one
of the most profitable sectors of the economy. The shipping
industry earns at least $2 billion a year for the domestic
economy. /Hurriyet/
[07] HAKKARI DEPUTY ZEYDAN LEAVES DTP
With the resignation of Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) Hakkari
Deputy Mustafa Zeydan on Wednesday, the number of DTP seats in
Parliament have fallen from 20 to 19 and the party has lost its
right to have a group in Parliament. Just after his resignation,
Zeydan announced that he would be joining the True Path Party
(DYP), increasing that party's seats to 96. /Hurriyet/
[08] 48 TERRORISTS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST
Security forces have killed a total of 48 PKK terrorists in
recent operations, particularly in the southeastern province of
Van. According to the same dispatches, a total of 16 members of
the security forces, 14 of whom were village guards, have also
been killed. /Hurriyet/Sabah/
[09] TEMA OAK TREE PLANTING CAMPAIGN
The Turkish Foundation for Combatting Soil Erosion,
Reforestration and Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA) has
organized a 10 billion oak tree seed planting project which was
officially opened yesterday with a ceremony at the Presidential
Palace attended by President Suleyman Demirel. Speaking at the
ceremony, Demirel said: "We are declaring this a national
project, a national movement and a national target, and we are
announcing it to everyone." Environment Minister Imren Aykut said
that the new century world would be saved through mitigating the
damage human beings have done and by attempting to save nature.
/All papers/
[10] CEM: "TURKEY IS DETERMINED"
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said yesterday that Turkey
was determined to resolve the Syria issue. "Syria's stopping
support for separatist terrorist activities is Turkey's top
priority. There have been signs of positive developments but
Syria must bring Turkey concrete evidence about this", said Cem.
He added that Turkey is against the establishment of a security
committee. /Hurriyet/
[11] AMBASSADOR BATU BACK TO ROME
Turkish Ambassador to Rome, Italy, Inal Batu is going back today
to his post in Italy. Batu was called to Ankara to inform the
Turkish government about a meeting of the so-called Kurdish
parliament-in-exile in the Italian Parliament on 28-29 September.
/Hurriyet/
[12] CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THERMAL POWER PLANT
A construction contract for a thermal power plant in Can near
Canakkale will be signed today, the Anatolia news agency reports.
Turkey signed construction contracts for four natural gas
transformation power plants last week. Prime Minister Mesut
Yilmaz is expected to attend the signing ceremony to be held at
the Directorate General of the Turkish Electricity
Production-Distribution Corp. (TEAS). The construction of the
first unit of the plant will be concluded within 34 months and
the construction of the second unit will finish within 36 months
following the conclusion of the contract negotiations.
[13] DHKP-C OPERATIONS
A statement made by the Istanbul Department for the Struggle
Against Terrorism yesterday said that 27 members of the illegal
DHKP-C organization had been taken into custody. The statement
noted that some people working at the Kurtulus newspaper had
extended logistic support to the organization. /Cumhuriyet/
[14] AKHISM CULTURE WEEK CELEBRATED
An "Akhism Festival" organized by the Ankara Municipality within
the framework of Akhism Culture Week was held yesterday. Ankara
Mayor Melih Gokcek and Chairman of the Ankara Union of Chambers
of Tradesmen and Artisans Ali Riza Ercan delivered speeches at
the festival. Ercan said that Akhism, a philosophy promoting
brotherhood, was very important for the future of Turkey.
/Cumhuriyet/
[15] ROMANIAN CLAIM
Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile has claimed that Turkey wants
to purchase 124 fighter-helicopters to be produced jointly by
Romania and the US Bell Textron company. Prime Minister Vasile
said in a statement following a Balkan Summit held in Antalya
over the last few days that officials from the Turkish Defense
Ministry were expected to visit Romania in the upcoming days.
/Cumhuriyet/
[16] RESTORATION OF CHURCH OF ST.PAUL
St.Paul's Church in Antiocheia, an ancient city in the Yalvac
district of Isparta, will be restored and opened for faith
tourism. Director of the Yalvac Museum Dr.Mehmet Taslialan said
yesterday that for the restoration of the church, which is the
oldest and the greatest church in the world, an additional TL 34
billion allocation had been sent. /Cumhuriyet/
[17] GOOD NEWS FOR TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING IN GERMANY
At a coalition meeting yesterday between the Social Democrat
Party led by Chancellor-designate Schroeder and the Union_90
Greens Party, it was agreed that foreigners livin in Germany had
the right to dual citizenship to foreigners Thus a new and
positive era has started for hundreds of thousands of Turkish
citizens living in Germany. Foreigners living in Germany for
eight years without committing any crimes will have the right to
obtain German citizenship without having to abandon their
original nationality. This period will be reduced to five years
for young people growing up in Germany. German citizenship will
be given to third generation foreigners at birth. /Milliyet/
[18] NEARING THE POINT OF SOLUTION
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek yesterday said that within the
framework of a goodwill mission initiated by Egypt to solve the
crisis between Turkey and Syria, they have reached a point where
there is increasing hope for a solution. In a statement he made
during a visit to the Egytian Air Forces Command, Mubarek said:
"We have neared a point which gives hopes for a solution to the
crisis between Turkey and Syria and soon measures will be taken
towards that end." Reviewing his efforts to avert threats to the
stability of the region, Mubarek added that he was pleased to see
that both Turkish President Suleyman Demirel and Syrian Head of
State Hafiz Assad had objectively analyzed various aspects of the
crisis. /Milliyet/
[19] NO PROBLEMS ABOUT BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINE PROJECT
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer who received
French Foreign Trade Minister Jacques Dondoux yesterday stated
that there were no problems concerning the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline
project. Ersumer said that Turkey had invited Azerbaijani
working groups to Turkey to prepare an inter-governmental
agreement to be signed on 19 October./Sabah/
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