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Wednesday, 18 December 2024 | ||
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Turkish Press Review, 98-11-11Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>11.11.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] DEMIREL VISITS TURKMENISTANPresident Suleyman Demirel will visit Turkmenistan today as the official guest of Turkmen Head of State Saparmurat Turkmenbasi. During the visit, bilateral relations between Turkey and Turkmenistan will be taken up. The visit aims to further develop these relations, the Anatolia news agency reports. Demirel will proceed on to Kyrgyzstan on November 13.[02] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM IN CHILEForeign Minister Ismail Cem was met by a group of students singing the Turkish National Anthem in Spanish during a visit to a school he made on the Chile leg of his South American tour. The previous day Cem had come together with the Chilean Foreign Minister. During the meeting, an agreement on supporting Turkey's candidacy for the UN Security Council was reiterated. /Cumhuriyet/[03] ANKARA CONCERNS OVER IRAQ-UN CRISISForeign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Sermet Atacanli noted yesterday that Turkey as a regional country was concerned over the escalation of the Iraq-UN crisis and Turkey wished that the problem would be resolved without causing a hot conflict. Atacanli held a press conference yesterday and said that Iraq should completely abide by the UN resolutions, the Anatolia news agency reports.[04] NO NEWS ABOUT OCALANForeign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Sermet Atacanli said yesterday that there was no development about the extradition of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan from Russia. Atacanli held a press conference yesterday and recalled that First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Avdayev visited Ankara last week. Atacanli noted that during the meetings, he had reiterated the commitments made by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and said: "We are expecting Russia to carry out its commitments", the Anatolia news agency reports.[05] EU-GREEK CYPRIOT ADIMINISTRATION MEETINGSForeign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Sermet Atacanli said yesterday that full membership negotiations envisaged to be held between the European Union (EU) and the Greek Cypriot Administration would not bring a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem and added that the problem would be even more complex. Atacanli held a press conference yesterday and noted that full membership negotiations between the EU and the Greek Cypriot Administration would be illegal and against international rules, the Anatolia news agency reports.[06] 13 TURKISH SOLDIERS AND SIX VILLAGE GUARDS DIEDuring operations between Turkish security forces and members of the PKK terrorist organization on the Gabar Mountain near Sirnak, 13 Turkish soldiers and six village guards died, while 11 soldiers and five village guards were wounded. Officials noted that operations were continuing in search of terrorists. /Hurriyet/[07] TREASURY ISSUES BONDS WORTH DM 600 MILLIONState Minister Gunes Taner said yesterday that the Treasury Undersecretariat started to issue bonds worth DM 600 million via two international financial institutions. Taner delivered a speech at the Planning and Budget Commission of the Turkish Parliament yesterday and stated that Turkish economy was further developing despite the global crisis. /Hurriyet/[08] CLINTON'S LETTER TO YILMAZUS President Bill Clinton has sent a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz noting that Turkey was a very important country for the US. The letter said: "Turkey is an indispensable ally for the US. We cooperate in every issue especially in the struggle against terrorism. We are very pleased that the Syrian issue has been solved in a positive way. I believe that Turkey will further develop also in human rights". /Hurriyet/[09] UNSUCCESSFUL S-300 POLICY OF KLERIDESWhile the news about the deployment of Russian-made S-300 missiles to the Crete instead of Southern Cyprus are getting more prevalent, the Greek press criticizes Greek Cypriot Leader Glafkos Klerides. Elefterotipia, one of the leading Greek newspapers, said in an article yesterday that the S-300 policy of Klerides failed. The article noted that Klerides would give up deploying S-300 missiles or would have to resign. The article recalled that the US and Europe were against S-300 missiles. /Hurriyet/[10] HALIL MUTLU RECEIVES THREE GOLDEN MEDALSHalil Mutlu received three golden medals during the World Weight-Lifting Championship in Finland yesterday. Mutlu said: "November 10 is the 60th anniversary of the death of Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. It was a very important day for me. I managed to convey my feelings with this success to Ataturk". /Hurriyet/[11] TURKEY-EU JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSIONMagda Aelvoet, who delivered a speech at a meeting of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission which ended yesterday, said that no solution could be achieved without the contributions of Turkey. Observers of the European Parliament also noted that following a declaration issued by France, Holland, Germany and Italy, which point out that a membership without including the Turkish side was out of the question, the atmosphere in the European Parliament would change. /Hurriyet/[12] DRUG OPERATION IN ISTANBULDuring operations in Istanbul, 35.3 kilogrammes of heroin worth TL 1 trillion were seized yesterday. Seven people were taken into custody regarding the incident. In another operation, 6.6 kilogrammes of hashish were confiscated and seven people were taken into custody. /Milliyet/[13] YILMAZ WARNS EUROPEAN COUNTRIESTurkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz has warned European countries over the leader of the PKK terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan. Yilmaz said: "Our determined stance against Syria is continuing. This responsibility belongs to every country, which will shelter the PKK leader". PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who had to flee from Syria to Russia, is looking for a new country.Yilmaz delivered a speech at a meeting of the Motherland Party (ANAP) Group and stated that there were agreements signed under the structure of the UN and NATO for the struggle against terrorism. Yilmaz said: "However some European countries do not abide by the agreements. Some countries have supported the PKK instead of cooperating with Turkey". He added: "A country which tolerates and supports the PKK cannot talk about human rights". /Milliyet/ [14] THE GUARDIAN: "SADDAM PROTECTS PKK"The Guardian newspaper published in Britain has stated that the PKK terrorist organization established close relations with the Iraqi government last year and the PKK opened many offices in the region controlled by Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi Leader. An article written by Ankara correspondent of The Guardian, Chris Morris, pointed out that as a result of operations carried out by Turkish security forces recently, many PKK members had to escape to northern Iraq. /Milliyet/[15] GREEK CYPRIOTS FIRE ON TURKISH CYPRIOT SENTRY-BOXGreek Cypriots fired on a sentry-box of the Security Forces of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) at the border of Pile village under the UN control yesterday. No casualties were reported. /Milliyet/[16] 'KOHL BLOCKED TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP'German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said that the former German Prime Minister Helmut Kohl wanted to block Turkey's full EU membership and noted that this was a great mistake. Pointing out that the EU was a union of common values and interests not a club of religions, Fischer said: "We will not close the door to Turkey". /Milliyet/[17] BACK TO ANKARA PROCESSTurkey's concerns over the Washington Agreement between the two Iraqi Kurdish factions were eased by the declaration of an awaited trilateral statement by London, Ankara and Washington and the assurance given by the two Iraqi Kurdish leaders, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Tuesday. The joint statement underlined the territorial integrity of Iraq, the legitimate security interests of Turkey and the continuation of the reconciliation between the Iraqi Kurdish parties.Meanwhile, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader Celal Talabani, was received by Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on Tuesday and gave assurances on fighting against the PKK. After the meeting, Ecevit said that Turkey should increase monitoring efforts in northern Iraq. Ecevit emphasized the increased security cooperation between the Iraqi Kurds and Ankara, especially following the escape of PKK members to northern Iraq from Syria-controlled areas. /All papers/ [18] WEU MINISTERIAL MEETING NEXT WEEKThe Foreign Ministry announced that the fall term Ministerial Council meeting of the Western European Union (WEU), which will take place on 16-17 November in Rome, will be attended by Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. The ministers will head a delegation of representatives from the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and the General Staff. /All papers/[19] YASED MEETING IN ISTANBULThe Foreign Investors' Association of Turkey (YASED) has decided to revitalize itself following concerns expressed by its members, potential foreign investors and related government offices. Turkey's potential for investments was not being realized, said YASED Board Chairman Christop Urban. He added: "Turkey is listed among the 10 big emerging markets but the whole list only Turkey and Poland are in Europe.One of the issues that YASED is currently lobbying for is the establishment of a single governmental body in Ankara that would be empowered to grant permission for foreign investments. Meanwhile the United Nations (UN) Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) announced the annual World Investment Report. According to the report Turkey attracted an estimated $606 million foreign investment. Turkey foreign investment outflows stood at $ 116 million, the highest among the developing countries. /Sabah/ [20] WASHINGTON TERMS MED TV 'TERRORIST'The US State Department has described an independent pro-Kurdish television channel as the 'voice of terrorists'. State Department Spokesman James Rubin said on Monday that Washington will not tolerate MED TV. MED TV is also regarded by Ankara as the mouthpiece of the outlawed PKK terrorist organization. Rubin told reporters at a press conference that Washinston had always considered the PKK to be a terrorist organization. He also made assurance that no American official would meet any representative from MED TV.Washington also called on Moscow to extradite Ocalan to Turkey if he was hiding in Russia. /Hurriyet/ [21] ISTANBUL CITY COUNCIL TO ELECT NEW MAYORThe city council will vote today for a successor of ousted mayor Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey's supreme administrative court last week removed Istanbul Mayor Recep Tayyip Erdogan from office, ruling that he no longer meets the qualifications for elective office because he must serve a 10-month prison sentence. /Hurriyet/[22] ATATURK COMMEMORATEDCeremonies were held throughout the country to commemorate the founder of the Republic of Turkey on the 60th anniversary of his death. However in Tarsus and at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul two fundamentalists shouted slogans to interrupt the moment of silence observed. /Cumhuriyet/[23] BOOK ON ATATURK"Ataturk- The Founder of Modern Turkey in Germany" prepared by Foreign Ministry Consultant Gursel Demirok in English and German has been published in Germany. The book aiming to enlighten the German public opinion and the new generation of Turks living in Germany which are relatively in the dark on historical relations between Turkey and Germany is made up of six chapters. The book where Ataturk's life, the War of Independence, proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, and reforms implemented are narrated along with historical pictures, the history of Turkish-German relations are written in detail. /Cumhuriyet/[24] GERMAN OFFICIALS WARNED ON TERRORISMDirector General of Security Necati Bilican yesterday stated that it was impossible for Germany to tolerate or shelter the illegal organization called the Anatolian Islamic Federated State which was preparing to massacre hundreds of thousands of people. In a statement to the press at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport Necati Bilican said that he was going to Germany to make contacts within the framework of "Security Cooperation Agreement" signed in 1992 between Turkey and Germany. Bilican added that they had warned German officials that terrorism would spring forth in any convenient atmosphere. /Cumhuriyet/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |