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Turkish Press Review, 98-11-17Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>17.11.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] CONTROVERSY OVER OCALAN'S EXTRADITION ANNOYS ANKARADuring yesterday's meeting between Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini and Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem in Rome, Dini did not convey a positive attitude towards the extradition of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The Italian government will probably grant political asylum to Ocalan, the La Repubblica newspaper reported yesterday, as well. The paper quoted government sources, however, it said that no decision had yet been made. Dini said that Turkey's demand for the extradition of Ocalan is being discussed at the related commissions of the Interior Ministry.Ankara reacted at the highest level against the matter. Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin issued an oblique warning to Italy that it may face exclusion from lucrative defense industry contracts if it does not extradite Ocalan. Sezgin and Cem, in Rome for a ministerial meeting of the Western European Union (WEU), are expected to discuss the issue with their Italian counterparts. Turkish Justice Minister Hasan Denizkurdu submitted a draft bill to the Prime Minister yesterday to abolish the death sentence and gain the extradition of Ocalan. "If it is enacted by the Parliament, the death sentence will be lifted" Denizkurdu told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz yesterday. Turkey has not carried out any executions since 1984. The proposal to abolish the death sentence will be debated in the Cabinet either Tuesday or Wednesday, Denizkurdu said. /All papers /All papers_ [02] PROTESTS IN TURKEYThe attacks on Turkish reporters by the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's supporters in Rome on Saturday and the indifference of the Italian police were protested against in Ankara yesterday. Demonstrators, who carried Turkish flags and Ataturk posters, laid a black wreath in front of the Italian Embassy in Ankara. In Rome, Turkish journalists protested against the attacks in front of the Italian Foreign Ministry 'Farnesina' and sent a joint statement of protest to Italian press institutions.Meanwhile, a man holding a passport of an Arab country was detained by Italian security forces after he drew suspicions by wandering around the Turkish Embassy in Rome. A sketch of the Embassy was found in his pockets after the check. The entries and exits of the embassy building were highlighted on the sketch. While the man was being interrogated, the Italian gendarmery stepped up security around the Embassy. The exact identity and nationality of the man was not clear. PKK supporters staged demonstrations in support of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in a number of European capitals, including Rome, Moscow, Nicosia, Sofia and Bucharest, as well as an array of German cities. /All papers/ [03] SURPRISING STATEMENT BY ITALIAN PRIME MINISTERItalian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema said in a statement regarding the extradition of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to Turkey: "We cannot extradite anyone to a country where there is the death sentence. We cannot approve of any threat or pressure". D'Alema held a press conference yesterday. He described the leader of the PKK terrorist organization Ocalan as the Kurdish leader. He said: "The juridical process concerning Ocalan has started. The final word will be given by the Justice Ministry. Regarding political asylum, there is an authorized commission and its decision will be valid". He noted that the Kurdish leader has said that he declared a cease-fire. D'Alema added: "If he guarantees that he will not carry out any terrorist activities, we can assume a mediation role for a poltical solution to the issue". /Sabah/[04] BRITAIN: "AN IMPORTANT STEP IS TAKENBritain has stated that they welcome the arrest of the leader of the PKK terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan in Italy. According to a statement made by the British State Department, the arrest of the PKK leader was an important step in the struggle against terrorism. The statement said: "The British government has denounced terrorism on many occasions". /Sabah/[05] ITALIAN LAWYER IN TURKEYTurkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz furnished information about the developments concerning the extradition of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan from Italy to Turkey to journalists yesterday. Yilmaz noted that during a meeting of the Council of Ministers to be held today, legal procedures would be finalized and they would be announced to the public. Yilmaz recalled that the PKK leader would remain under arrest for 10 days in Italy and Turkey's demand was conveyed to Italy through diplomatic means.Yilmaz stated that some questions were posed to the Turkish Justice Ministry by the Italian Justice Ministry and said that regarding these issues meetings with some Italian lawyers were being held and within this framework an Italian lawyer would arrive in Ankara today. Yilmaz pointed out that while the Turkish Justice and Interior Ministries were preparing the file for the extradition of Ocalan, they would consult the Italian lawyer. /Sabah/ [06] DEMIREL VISITS AUSTRIAThe Austrian Ambassador to Ankara Ralph Scheide said in a statement to the Hurriyet daily newspaper yesterday that with a visit to be paid by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel to Vienna, Austria will have an opportunity to give a message to the European Union (EU) regarding Turkey. He said: "It should not be forgotten that the closest country to Turkey within the EU is Austria. Turkey and Austria have friendly relations dating back for many years. It would be better for Turkey to hold initiatives on full EU membership instead of dreaming about the EU".Meanwhile, President Demirel, who will visit Austria today, said that Turkey was expecting a legal confirmation of her full EU membership by heads of state and government of EU-member countries. Demirel pointed out that there could not be a Europe without Turkey and vice versa. He said: "The basic direction of the Republic of Turkey has been towards the West for 75 years". /Hurriyet/ [07] DEMIREL: "WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO ATATURK"President Suleyman Demirel attended yesterday an opening ceremony of the Water Obtaining Facilities, which is a Turkish, Japanese and British joint venture and costs $ 900 million, in Izmit yesterday. Speaking at the opening ceremony Demirel said that Turkey would show its gratitude to Ataturk by re-constructing Turkey. He added that foreign investors believed in the economic potential of Turkey. /Hurriyet/[08] OPERATIONS AGAINST PKK TERRORISTSAs a result of the operations of the Turkish Security Forces against PKK terrorist camps in northern Iraq, a wide area of the region has been taken under control and the Iranian border has also been checked by security forces. Military sources announced that strategic regions from Uludere, Cukurca and Semdinli to northern Iraq were cleared off terrorists. Special Police teams prohibited any passage across the border with northern Iraq and Iran. /Milliyet/[09] US ASKS ITALY TO EXTRADITE OCALANThe US administration insists that PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is not a "political criminal but a leader of a terrorist organization" and that he should be given the 'right of political asylum" neither in Italy nor in any country in the world. The US Spokesman of the Secretary of State, James Rubin said yesterday that the US administration welcomed Ocalan's arrest which was an important step in the struggle against terrorism. /Milliyet/[10] GREEK SUPPORT FOR THE PKKPKK demonstrators started a hunger strike for the release of Abdullah Ocalan in the Klatmenos Square in Athens. It is reported that Greek parliamentarians sometimes attend the demonstrations in support of the PKK terrorists. PASOK deputy Kostas Banduvan went yesterday to Rome to convey a message to the Italian administration inviting Ocalan to Greece. It is also announced that some Greek Parliamentarians will attend a PKK demonstration today in Athens. /Cumhuriyet/[11] WEU MEETING IN ROMEA Council of Ministers of the Western European Union (WEU) meeting, which foreign and defense ministers of the member countries are attending, began yesterday in Rome. During the two-day meeting at which Turkey is being represented by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin, the Kosovo issue, recent developments in Albania and the structure of the organization are going to be discussed. /Cumhuriyet/[12] DISPUTE OVER CENSURE MOTION DEBATEPolitical parties in Parliament have failed to decide on opening discussions on whether or not to include the censure motion debate in the parliamentary agenda this week or next. The opposition True Path Party (DYP), Virtue Party (FP) and Republican People's Party (CHP) last week presented censure motions against Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. Parliament's Advisory Board convened yesterday under the chairmanship of Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin, but failed to reach an agreement, and the opposition is now expected to bring the issue to Parliament's attention today. /All papers/[13] TURKISH BUSINESS CONDEMNS ITALYTurkey's leading business and trade associations have condemned Italy for holding the leader of the PKK terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan. The Union of Turkish Trade Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), the Economic Development Foundation (IKV), the Council of Foreign Economic Relations (DEIK) and the International Trade Chamber's (MTO) Turkish National Committee sent a joint letter to Italy's trade chamber union chairman Danilo Longhi. The letter said: "Keeping the leader of a bloody terrorist organization that has killed 30,000 people, including women and children, and which directs drug trafficking in the region, means that Italy will share his crimes. If, in spite of these undeniable facts, Ocalan is not extradited by Italy to Turkey, we convey to our Italian counterparts that we, as the top official representatives of the Turkish private sector, are determined to review our economic and commercial relations with Italy and boycott Italian made goods".Meanwhile, the president of one of Turkey's top companies, Koc Holding A.S.'s Rahmi Koc, sent a letter to Fiat President Paolo Fresco demanding that all necessary actions be taken to facilitate the extradition of Ocalan to Turkey. Rahmi Koc protested against the beating of Turkish journalists in Rome by PKK militants. The militants were reportedly not restrained by Italian police. /All papers/ _p>KARABUK DEPUTY JOINS DYP Karabuk Deputy Sinasi Altiner, who resigned from the Motherland Party (ANAP) on Saturday, joined the True Path Party (DYP) yesterday. Thus, the number of DYP deputies in Parliament increased to 97. /Sabah/ [14] SUSTAINABLE ENERGY MEETING IN ISTANBULEnergy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer said that his greatest wish was to establish a basis for sustainable energy policies for future generations of the Republic. The First Energy Council will be held in Istanbul between December 7-9 by the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry under the auspices of President Suleyman Demirel. /All papers/[15] TAIWAN TRADE FAIR FEATURES NEW PRODUCTSOrganized to promote two-way trade, investment and economic relations between Turkey and Taiwan, the Taiwan Trade Fair took place in Istanbul yesterday. Thirty-eight Taiwanese companies displayed samples and catalogues of various kinds of newly developed products. The trade volume between Taiwan and Turkey is $520 million. /All papers/[16] TURKISH CENTRAL ASIAN AND CAUCASIAN TELECOMS TO MEETEuroForum is presenting a two-day conference on the Turkish, Central Asian and Caucasian telecommunications companies and sectors in Istanbul. The meeting which started yesterday is being sponsored by Turkcell is a very important international platform to discuss different approaches to the liberalization and privatization of the telecommunications companies in those three areas. Turkish Minister of Transport and Communications Arif Ahmet Denizolgun will deliver an opening speech and the general director of communications for the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Communications, will give the keynote address. /All papers/[17] EXPORTS FROM GAP REGIONExports of agricultural and animal products to European Union (EU) countries from the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region in the first 10 months of 1998 increased by 16.2 % to $89.883 million, the Anatolia news agency reports. Officials of the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters' Union told the Anatolia news agency correspondent that in the first 10 months of the year, they exported $1.565 million in livestock, $1.668 million in grain-cereals, $21.6 million in dried fruits and $65 million in textiles.[18] TL 117 TRILLION INVESTMENT IN S.EASTAccording to the senior official of the Ministry of Finance, Dogan Cansizlar, a total of TL 117 trillion had been invested in the Southeast Anatolia region since the Ministry allocated free land to investors. Cansizlar noted that with the application they aimed to improve the region and increase new job opportunities in the region. He added that 45 of the 55 investments were in the production sector and 8,963 workers were employed. /Cumhuriyet/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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