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Turkish Press Review, 98-10-27
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
27.10.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] IMF DELEGATION'S CONTACTS IN TURKEY
[02] ERDOGAN RESIGNS FROM VIRTUE PARTY
[03] RUSSIAN MINISTER IN TURKEY
[04] BULGARIA CLEARS LANDMINES ON TURKISH BORDER
[05] DENKTAS CRITICIZES SOUTHERN CYPRUS
[06] TURKEY-IRAN MEETINGS
[07] SAYGIN GOES TO SPAIN
[08] CULTURAL POLICIES SYMPOSIUM
[09] KOC COMPLAINS ABOUT EU
[10] MORNINGSTAR VISITS TURKEY
[11] TOURISTIC CRUISES IN BLACK SEA
[12] NSC MEETING
[13] TURKISH PROTEST IN MOSCOW
[14] PKK CAMP IN RUSSIA
[15] TURKEY EMBARASSES KADDAFI
[16] ITALY DOES NOT ALLOW PKK TO HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE
[17] 10 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
[18] "SYRIA IS FOR GOOD RELATIONS WITH TURKEY"
[19] TALABANI AND BARZANI TO VISIT ANKARA
[20] NOTE TO MOSCOW
[21] COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION
[01] IMF DELEGATION'S CONTACTS IN TURKEY
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Turkey Bureau Chief Martin
Hardy said that deep-rooted reforms, especially in the areas of
financing, agricultural and social security are in urgent need of
legislation by Parliament. Hardy made his comments at a press
conference in Ankara organized jointly with State Minister
responsible for the economy, Gunes Taner. Four months after the
staff monitoring agreement between Turkey and IMF, the
government's 1998 economic programme is in harmony with financial
targets, Hardy said.
He said that in spite of foreign factors like the Russian
economic crisis, which affected the balance of payments, Turkey
would meet its 1998's economic targets if it keeps government
expenditures at the proposed levels. Referring to the
privatization issue, Hardy said: "Privatization should be
continued. Privatization is the way to develop in today's world".
Meanwhile, Taner reminded reporters that the IMF delegation is in
Turkey to observe the fruits of the staff monitoring agreement. A
report being prepared by the IMF delegation is expected to be
released in a few days. /All papers/
[02] ERDOGAN RESIGNS FROM VIRTUE PARTY
Istanbul Mayor Recep Tayyip Erdogan resigned from the Virtue
Party (FP) yesterday. Erdogan sent his resignation through the
10th notary to the FP. He said: "Due to legal obligations, I am
resigning from my party". Erdogan is expected to shortly start
serving a ten-month prison sentence for reciting poetry last year
at a public meeting. His action was demeed divisive by Turkish
courts. /All papers/
[03] RUSSIAN MINISTER IN TURKEY
While Ankara awaits a Russian response to Turkish expactations
regarding the presence in Moscow of Abdullah Ocalan, leader of
the PKK terrorist organization, Russian Foreign Minister Igor
Ivanov will convey messages from President Boris Yeltsin and
Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov to their Turkish counterparts
Suleyman Demirel and Mesut Yilmaz. Russian Embassy officials said
that the minister would be coming to Turkey for the 75th
anniversary celebrations of the Republic of Turkey. /All papers/
[04] BULGARIA CLEARS LANDMINES ON TURKISH BORDER
Bulgaria has started clearing the landmines it had place along
its border with Turkey during the Cold War period, the Anatolia
news agency reported yesterday. Officials from the Bulgarian
Defense Ministry said that a 14-strong team is clearing the total
of 1,640 landmines installed in the region. The operation is
estimated to cost some DM 130,000.
[05] DENKTAS CRITICIZES SOUTHERN CYPRUS
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Rauf
Denktas harshly condemned the six-day joint military exercises of
Southern Cyprus and Greece. Denktas said that during the
maneuvers, the commanders used overblown, hostile and zealous
language against the Turks. Referring to Southern Cyprus'
announcement that a naval base will be built and that two Greek
fighter jets will remain on the island, Denktas called on the
European Union (EU), which will formally start accession talks
with Southern Cyprus on November 5, to realize what kind of
people it would sit with at the table.
[06] TURKEY-IRAN MEETINGS
Ambassador Aydemir Erman, Turkey's coordinator related to
Afghanistan, has gone to Iran to hold meetings on Afghanistan.
Yesterday, Erman met with Deputy of the Iranian Foreign Minister
Muhsin Eminzade, Iranian new Representative in Afghanistan
Ibrahim Taheriyan, former representative Alaaddin Burucerdi and
Afghan Ambassador of the Burhaneddin Rabbani Government to Iran
Seyid Muhammed Hayirhah. Erman will be received by Iranian
Foreign Minister Kemal Harrazi, the Anatolia news agency reports.
[07] SAYGIN GOES TO SPAIN
State Minister Isilay Saygin went to Madrid yesterday to attend a
meeting of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) between Turkey and
Spain. Saygin will return to Turkey on October 28, the Anatolia
news agency reports.
[08] CULTURAL POLICIES SYMPOSIUM
A "Cultural Policies Symposium" will start today in Istanbul.
During the symposium, Cultural Policies in member countries of
the Council of Europe will be discussed. /Sabah/
[09] KOC COMPLAINS ABOUT EU
The CNN television has broadcast a half-hour programme on Turkish
Head of the Executive Board of the Koc Conglomerate, Rahmi Koc.
The programme called "Pinnacle Europe" has given details about
the life style of Rahmi Koc and the company established by his
father Vehbi Koc. Replying to questions of the CNN correspondent
Charles Hodson, Koc criticized Europe's stance towards Turkey.
Rahmi Koc said: "There are some difficulties regarding Turkey's
entry in the European Union (EU). Even though Turkey is a secular
country, we should exert efforts to make Europe view Turkey as a
European country". /Sabah/
[10] MORNINGSTAR VISITS TURKEY
Special Advisor to US President Bill Clinton and to the secretary
of state on Caspian energy diplomacy, Richard Morningstar, will
arrive in Ankara today. Morningstar will meet with many
high-level officials including Turkish Energy and Natural
Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer on the transportation of
Caspian oils to Western markets. Morningstar's contacts will
continue until October 29. /Sabah/
[11] TOURISTIC CRUISES IN BLACK SEA
A giant project will start in tourism. A project designed by 11
member countries of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
aims to make Black Sea a 'sea of tourism'. Within the framework
of the project to be announced to the world in March, tours
covering three or four cities, touristic cruises in Black Sea and
international art festivals will take place. /Sabah/
[12] NSC MEETING
A meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) will be held
today. During the meeting, the recent Syrian crisis, escape of
the leader of the PKK terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan to
Russia, an agreement reached between the Kurdish groups in
northern Iraq and its effects on Turkey and Turcoman will mainly
be taken up. Another important item of the meeting will be the
struggle against fundamentalism. /Sabah/
[13] TURKISH PROTEST IN MOSCOW
A demonstration will be held on October 29 in Moscow by Turks
living in Russia to protest the presence of leader of the PKK
terrorist organization, Abdullah Ocalan (Apo) in this country. A
statement by the organization committee said: "Every Turkish
citizen should fulfil his or her duties to bar sheltering of Apo
by any country." If this demonstration is held it will be the
first one staged by Turks in Russia. /Milliyet/
[14] PKK CAMP IN RUSSIA
Since the Russian government does not deny it, the presence of
PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in Russia seems certain. Meanwhile, a
camp belonging to the organization within miles of Moscow,
silently runs its activities. The owner of the camp is the
International Kurdish Societies' Union established by the PKK and
registered to the Russian Justice Ministry. The newspaper
Komsomolskaya Pravda which first found out the presence of the
camp in Russia stated that injured people were treated there and
that this was an international scandal. The request by
journalists to visit the camp was flatly denied by the camp
officials and it is not known if there is armed training at the
camp. /Milliyet/
[15] TURKEY EMBARASSES KADDAFI
Turkey has supported a draft resolution submitted by the Libyan
representative in the UN to lift the US embargo despite Libyan
leader Muammar Kaddafi's lashing out at Ankara at every
opportunity. The Libyan draft foresees the lifting of the
unilateral embargo implemented by the US against Tripoli. The
draft was accepted. Turkey stated that accepting the resolution
did not mean that it supported Libya. Turkish representative at
the UN Ambassador Tuluy Tanc said that Turkey was against the
implementation of the laws of one country in another, in
principle. /Milliyet/
[16] ITALY DOES NOT ALLOW PKK TO HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE
It is reported that the PKK was not allowed to hold a press
conference at the Italian Senate. The so-called European
representative of the PKK, supported by some deputies from the
Greens Party, was refused to hold a press conference at the
Italian Senate due to initiatives launched by Turkish Ambassador
to Rome Inal Batu. /Milliyet/
[17] 10 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
During operations in the southeast region 10 terrorists were
killed and a soldier died. According to military sources, at the
end of the clashes in the Kiziltepe region of Mardin eight
terrorists and in the Beytussebap district of Sirnak two
terrorists were killed. In addition three terrorists were seized
in Kozluk, Batman with their weapons. Same sources reported that
operations would continue. /Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/
[18] "SYRIA IS FOR GOOD RELATIONS WITH TURKEY"
Syrian Foreign Minister Faruk Al-Shara said that the Syrian
government was for good neighbourly relations with Turkey. In his
statement after the meeting with his Iranian counterpart Kemal
Harazzi, Al-Shara said that they did not want clashes in the
region. /Cumhuriyet/
[19] TALABANI AND BARZANI TO VISIT ANKARA
Leaders of the Kurdish Democratic Union (KDP) and Patriotic Union
of Kurdistan (PUK) Mesud Barzani and Celal Talabani, who signed
an agreement last week in Washington, will come to Ankara next
week. According to diplomatic sources an official responsible for
near east issues of the US Secretary of State, David Welch will
also come to Ankara.
Talabani and Barzani will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and other high-level
officials. At the meetings Kurdish leaders will be asked not to
give support to the separatist PKK organization and it will be
stressed that Turkey will never allow a Kurdish state to be
established in northern Iraq or any other place in the region.
/Hurriyet/
[20] NOTE TO MOSCOW
Ankara gave a note to Moscow for the extradition of PKK leader
Abdullah Ocalan. Turkey's Ambassador to Moscow, Nabi Sensoy
handed the note to the Russian Foreign Ministry last week. The
note asked the Russian officials to extradite the PKK leader
Abdullah Ocalan, who is the only responsible for various bloody
murders in Turkey. A file telling Ocalan's bloody terrorist
activities in Turkey was also handed to the Russian officials.
/Hurriyet/
[21] COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION
National Education Minister Hikmet Ulugbay said that at the end
of this year the ministry would open computer laboratory in 2,700
primary schools. He added: "Within three years all the primary
schools in Turkey will use computers in education. Within this
scope the World Bank will give financial support to Turkey."
/Hurriyet/
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