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Turkish Press Review, 98-10-28
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
28.10.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] NCS MEETING
[02] TURKISH-S.KOREAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION
[03] TDA GRANTS FUNDS TO BOTAS
[04] RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
[05] THE GUARDIAN: "PKK LEADER MAY GO TO ARMENIA"
[06] KAVAK: "TOMMOROW IS THE DAY OF UNITY"
[07] EYUP ASIK'S RESIGNATION APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT
[08] TURKISH FOREIGN TRADE DELEGATION IN CHINA
[09] JIRINOVSKI IN ISTANBUL
[10] TRIPARTITE EXERCISES IN EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
[11] 'WE DO NOT OBJECT TO TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP'
[12] INCREASE IN NUMBER OF FRENCH TOURISTS
[01] NCS MEETING
Turkey's recent crisis with Syria over the latter's support for
the PKK terrorist organization was discussed in the latest
monthly meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) yesterday.
NSC members decided to monitor Syria's compliance with the recent
agreement with Turkey concerning Damascus' promise to stop
providing support to the PKK.
The NSC, which was presided over by President Suleyman Demirel,
issued a statement saying that emergency rule in the southeastern
provinces of Diyarbakir, Hakkari, Siirt, Sirnak, Tunceli and Van
would be extended for four more months starting November 30.
According to the statement, the participants 'agreed to continue
the struggle against Islamic fundamentalism, separatist terrorism
and organized crime with the same determination and efficiency'.
The NSC also assessed possible developments in northern Iraq
against the PKK's activities there. /All papers/
[02] TURKISH-S.KOREAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION
The potential for economic cooperation between Turkey and South
Korea is very high, according to the South Korean Minister
responsible for foreign trade, Dr.Ducksoo Han. Speaking at a
meeting of the Turkish-S.Korean Business Council in Istanbul
yesterday, Han said that the potential was very high but it had
to be evaluated well. Representatives of 20 South Korean
companies and organizations are accompanying the minister on his
trip.
Han signed an agreement on Monday in Ankara to establish
committees for both countries in the area of strategic
cooperation and these committees are to work on overcoming the
problems and difficulties between the two countries. The
committee is expected to finish its official contacts today.
/Hurriyet/
[03] TDA GRANTS FUNDS TO BOTAS
The US Trade and Development Agency (TDA) yesterday provided a
$823,000 grant to the Turkish state petroleum pipeline
corporation, BOTAS, to encourage construction of the Baku-Ceyhan
oil pipeline. The signing of the grant took place in Istanbul
during a seminar on US Trade and Investment in the Caspian
region. The grant will allow BOTAS to access US expertise on
technical, financial, environmental and legal matters associated
with the negotiation of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline project, as
well as the Trans-Caspian pipeline project.
Speaking before the signing ceremony, Richard Morningstar,
special advisor to the US president and secretary of state for
Caspian energy and diplomacy, described the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline
as the most commercially viable route for Caspian oil. "Only a
pipeline route that avoids the Bosphorus can provide a long-term
solution to the problem of Caspian oil exports" Morningstar
declared.
Meanwhile, Newsweek, one of the noted news magazine in the world,
has devoted wide coverage to the transportation of Caspian oils
in its recent issue. The magazine noted that the US Commerce
Department envoy to the region, Jan Kalicki has said:
"Baku-Ceyhan is going to happen. The main reason is that the
governments want it, and politics do matter".
[04] RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
The Russian intelligence service responded to Turkey's assertions
that leader of the PKK terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan was
near Moscow. According to the Anatolia news agency, Russia's
Federal Security Bureau (FSB) said that it had no traces of
Ocalan's presence in Russia. "Contacts with Turkish officials are
in progress. We have asked Turkish officials whether Ocalan might
have entered Russia with a false passport or a false name" said
the FSB.
[05] THE GUARDIAN: "PKK LEADER MAY GO TO ARMENIA"
One of the leading British newspapers, The Guardian claimed in
yesterday's issue that PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan might go to
Armenia and that Turkey and Armenia would live an unexpected
crisis for same reasons. In his report Chris Morris said that the
tension between Turkey-Syria had been eased with the
determination of Turkey. With the agreement reached by Turkey and
Syria, Syria had given Turkey the guarantee to stop its support
for the separatist terrorist organization. Recalling the claims
that PKK leader had went to Russia via either Greece or Armenia,
Morris noted that diplomatic circles believed that Abdullah
Ocalan might go to Armenia. /Hurriyet/
[06] KAVAK: "TOMMOROW IS THE DAY OF UNITY"
State Minister Cavit Kavak said yesterday that the state had
spent $10 million for the celebration activities of the 75th
anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. He noted that the 75th
year gave an opportunity to evaluate Turkey's losses and
earnings. Kavak added that not only public sector but also
Turkish private sector gave support to the celebrations. Since
the beginning of this week, an advertisement about the Republic
of Turkey has been broadcast in American CNN television, added
Kavak. /Hurriyet/
[07] EYUP ASIK'S RESIGNATION APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT
Parliament has approved Motherland Party (ANAP) member Eyup
Asik's resignation from his ministerial and parliamentary posts.
Parliament voted on the issue yesterday, approving his
resignation by a vote of 252 in favour and 65 against. /Sabah/
[08] TURKISH FOREIGN TRADE DELEGATION IN CHINA
Turkey has given priority with her relations with China in recent
years. Within this scope a delegation formed by representatives
of Foreign Trade and members of the Istanbul and Karadeniz
Hazelnut Exporters' Union started a visit to China to organize a
meeting in order to explain a "Hazelnut Promotion Programme" in
China. Turkish officials noted that China with her population
over 1.2 billion was an important market for Turkish exporters.
It was also noted that hazelnut had the biggest share among
Turkey's agricultural products export with an annual $1 billion
revenue. /Hurriyet/
[09] JIRINOVSKI IN ISTANBUL
Russian Liberal Democratic Party Leader Vladimir Jirinovski came
to Istanbul to attend Turkish-Russian Business Council meetings
yesterday. After the meeting Jirinovski said in a press meeting
that "Turkey and Russia are neighbours and their future relations
are very important. Neither Russia nor Turkey support terrorist
activities. We should improve our trade relations to overcome
such problems." Jirinovski went to Antalya for a vacation
following the meeting. /Hurriyet/
[10] TRIPARTITE EXERCISES IN EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
Turkey, Israel and the United States of America have agreed to
hold tripartite exercises in Eastern Mediterranean. In a
statement made by a diplomatic source in Cairo, Egypt, the
exercises will be held between 29 November and 3 December. Israel
was the country which suggested to hold such exercises for the
second time. It is not known whether Jordan which attended the
first maneuvers as an observer will participate in these
exercises. /Sabah/
[11] 'WE DO NOT OBJECT TO TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP'
Greece has stated that it did not object to Turkey's membership
in the EU, but there still was a long way before its neighbour
could be a full-member of the union. Greek Foreign Minister
Theodoros Pangalos, in a report he submitted to the EU Foreign
Ministers' Council meeting in Brussels, said: "Greece believes
that Turkey has a future in the European family. We do not
unconditionally object to Turkey's membership in the EU." In the
report Greece claimed that the reason why Turkey was left outside
the union was that Turkey could not meet the criteria set by the
EU on democracy, economy and human rights. /Sabah/
[12] INCREASE IN NUMBER OF FRENCH TOURISTS
It is reported that there has been an important increase in the
number of French tourists visiting Turkey. According to
information obtained from the Paris Tourism Office of the
Councilor, the number of French tourists who visited Turkey in
the first nine months of this year increased by 31.54 % when
compared to the corresponding period last year and reached
361,735. The total number of tourists who visited Turkey in the
first nine months of this year amounted to 7,843,765, the
Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
Note: On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the foundation
of the Republic of Turkey, Turkish Press Review will not be
published until Monday November 2, 1998.
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