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Turkish Press Review, 98-11-23Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>23.11.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] PROTESTS AGAINST ITALYNationwide reaction against Italy's decision to set free the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is accumulating ranging from high-level protests to individual boycotts of Italian products. Ankara continues to stress that Ocalan should be extradited to Turkey.Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin criticized the latest attitude by Italy, which he pointed out was Turkey's NATO ally. Sezgin made the remarks in Ankara yesterday, saying that Italy had failed the anti-terrorism test, and had contradicted its image as a supporter of human rights. Sezgin also said that Italy had not obeyed the European convention concerning the extradition of criminals. Earlier, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz had characterized Italy's latest move as 'erroneous' and reiterated Ankara's demand for Ocalan's extradition. "Italian people should never bear this disgrace" he said, adding that there would be retaliation from Turkey. State Minister Yildirim Aktuna, who was in Istanbul yesterday, said that he believed Ocalan would be extradited to Turkey after Ankara completes the necessary legal requirements. The Turkish Bars' Association (TBB) urged Italy to either extradite Ocalan to Turkey or try him itself for the killings of 30,000 people. /All papers/ [02] INONU MEETS D'ALEMAErdal Inonu, the former Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and the current deputy chairman of Socialist International, flew to Geneva yesterday to take part in that organization's Presidents' Council meeting. Inonu and Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema held a meeting yesterday. It is reported that during the meeting, D'Alema told Inonu that they could extradite the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to Germany, if it wants to. Inonu talked about the activities of the PKK terrorist organization in Turkey and said that Ocalan should be tried in Turkey. D'Alema noted that Ocalan's demand for political asylum was being examined by a commission and a certain decision has not been taken yet. In his statement to journalists, D'Alema pointed out that they condemn both terrorism and the PKK terrorism. /Sabah/[03] EU PRESIDENCY MAKES WEAK DECLARATION ON APOThe European Union (EU) presidency made a declaration over the weekend "in support of Italy" and "in condemnation of PKK terrorism". The declaration by term-president Austria expressed the EU's "full solidarity with Italy in her determination to fully implement her laws and treaty obligations". "The EU reiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all forms, including acts of terrorism by the PKK, wherever such acts occur and for whatever purpose" the declaration says. "It underlines in this context the importance of relevant international conventions".[04] DEMIREL-YILMAZ MEETINGPresident Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz held a bilateral meeting yesterday. It is reported that during the meeting the censure motion against Yilmaz and State Minister Gunes Taner and the extradition of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan from Italy to Turkey were taken up. /Sabah/[05] GERMANY LAUNCHES INITIATIVES FOR EXTRADITION OF OCALANIt is reported that Germany will launch initiatives for the extradition of the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan from Italy to Germany. A decision has already been given in Germany for the arrest of Ocalan, who killed three people in Germany between the years 1992-1995. The Der Spiegel, a noted German magazine, devoted wide coverage to the decision for the arrest of Ocalan in Germany yesterday. Turkish Ambassador to Rome Inal Batu also confirmed that Germany would launch initiatives for the extradition of Ocalan to Germany. /Sabah/[06] ITALIAN PRESSThe La Repubblica, a leading newspaper published in Italy, claimed that diplomatic contacts between Italy, Germany and Turkey are increasing and a thesis which suggests that the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan will be extradited to Germany is gaining strength. The newspaper also stated that there is another alternative for Ocalan, who can go to Libya via Tunisia. It is also claimed that Ocalan could go to Cuba. /Sabah/[07] EMBARGO AGAINST ITALY ON DEFENSE INDUSTRYDeputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin stated that Turkey would lodge a complaint against Italy because of the policy it has followed on the arrest and release of the PKK leader. Noting that relations in all economic fields will be re-assessed Sezgin said: "We will not invite Italy to any tenders concerning the requirements of the Turkish Defense Industry and the Turkish Armed Forces." Answering a question, Sezgin said: "The release of Ocalan is neither compatible with the state of law nor with the European Extradition of Criminals Treaty or the Agreement on Combatting Terrorism Together." /Hurriyet/[08] MARKETS NOT TO SELL ITALIAN GOODSFollowing the support Italian government has given to the leader of the terrorist organization Ocalan, the boycott against Italian goods is growing every day. Representing 155,000 markets the Chairman of Turkish Markets Federation Bendevi Palandoken stated that they would stop selling goods of Italian origin and called the Executive and Control Boards of the Federations for a conference in Ankara with this purpose. /Hurriyet/[09] TURKEY TO PROTEST TODAYTurkey is going to protest the Rome Court of Appeals on the decision to lift the arrest of Ocalan and release him on condition. The Turkish Embassy in Rome which had the ruling on Ocalan translated will request the maintenance of the validity of the first decision for the arrest of Ocalan and put him into prison and the cancellation of the decision of the Court of Appeals releasing him on condition by entering a protest with the Court of Appeals. /Hurriyet/[10] MEMORANDUM THROUGH TELEPHONEUS Secretary of State Madeleine Albright herself phoned Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini yesterday and said: "Ocalan should be brought to justice. We would like this to take place in Turkey." Expressing its support for Turkey on the fight against the PKK, the US Administration once more called on Italy to extradite Ocalan to Turkey. Secretary of State Albright stated that Ocalan was a terrorist and they had documents proving it. She added that she could send those documents to Italy if the Italian government asked for. NATO General-Secretary Xavier Solana is also asking for the extradition of Ocalan to Turkey. /Hurriyet/[11] ECEVIT: "TRNC STRENGTHENED IN INTERNATIONAL ARENA"Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said yesterday that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) had proven its existence and determination on the international scene. Ecevit, accompanied by his wife, State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel and Transport Minister Ahmet Denizolgun, paid a visit to the TRNC yesterday to participate in the foundation-laying ceremony of Girne Quay. Ecevit noted that an array of EU members had realized the negative impact that Southern Cyprus' eventual membership to the EU would produce.TRNC President Rauf Denktas, for his part, praised the outgoing government for its determined policies on Cyprus. Later in the day, Ecevit and the delegation accompanying him had talks with Denktas, Parliament Speaker Hakki Atun, Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu and his deputy Serdar Denktas. /Sabah/ [12] KIVRIKOGLU IN BELGIUMChief of Turkish General Staff Gen.Huseyin Kivrikoglu went to Belgium yesterday. According to a statement issued by the General Secretariat of General Staff, Gen.Kivrikoglu is attending the 131st Military Committee Meeting of General Staffs in Belgium on November 22-26, the Anatolia news agency reports.[13] DEMIREL OPENS MANY FACILITIESPresident Suleyman Demirel first opened the Umar Medical Centre yesterday. Later, he attended an opening ceremony of the Ozcan Sabanci Girl Vocational School. Afterwards, Demirel opened a sculpture of Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, in the Sincan district of Ankara. Opening many other facilities in Ankara, Demirel delivered speeches and said: "Turkey has to continue to further develop".In his earlier statement to businessmen during a meeting of the Turkish-Austrian Business Council, Demirel stated that Turkey was indispensable for Europe. A package put forth by Demirel shows which investments will be made in Turkey. According to this package, in the upcoming 30 years Turkey will make its biggest investment worth $150 billion in defense industry. The second biggest investment worth $128 billion will be realized in energy. Demirel said: "There is no economy such as Turkey's economy, which is highly dynamic. The Turkish economy presents many opportunities to foreign businessmen". He noted that Turkey should also realize privatization worth $5 billion annually. /Sabah/ [14] 'DETERMINATION AT SEA' MANEUVER ENDSThe Turkish Armed Forces' "Determination at Sea-2_98" maneuver ended yesterday, the Anatolia news agency reports. South Duty Group Commander Rear Adm.Feyyaz Ogutcu stated that the maneuver, which was held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), had been successfully completed.[15] NEW DAMS TO BE CONSTRUCTEDNew power plants and dams will be constructed in an effort to cover Turkey's energy deficit. The State Water Affairs (DSI) General Directorate has included 10 new dams in its construction programme, and the State Planning Organization (DPT) has already given its permission for the projects, the Anatolia news agency reports. All the dams are scheduled for completion for the year 2005.[16] MORE YACHT BERTHS FOR TURKISH RESORTSPreparations to increase the capacity of yacht harbours at holiday resorts have been accelerated. The General Directorate of State Airports and Harbours Construction (DLH), part of the Transportation Ministry, has decided that new yacht harbours are to be constructed. Yacht harbours that are being currently constructed will be finished by the year 2001, creating space for 14,500 new yachts. The objective is to increase revenues earned from yacht tourism from $2 billion to $8 billion, the Anatolia news agency reports.[17] SECOND COUNCIL ON RELIGIONIn a press conference held over the weekend to announce the second Council on Religion opening today, Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, head of the Religious Affairs Directorate, delivered a speech and said: "On one side there is a terrorist organization that has massacred 30,000 of our citizens in order to establish another state, and on the other are the branches of this terrorist organization, which are established in Europe, claiming that they are Muslims, but the activities that they are carrying out to destroy our country are totally against for our religion".The second Council on Religion, to be held in Ankara, will host 41 participants from 32 countries and 235 religious and scientific scholars. Among the topics that will be discussed are: "Dialogue between Religions, "Enlightening Society on Religion" and "Problems Occuring Because of Varying Interpretations of Religion". The council will conclude on November 27. /All papers/ [18] JEWELRY FOR TOURISTSDirector-General of Goldas Hasan Yalinkaya stated that Turkish handwork was appreciated throughout the world and they exported Turkish gold to whole Europe and mainly to Germany, England, and France and the US and the Far East. Ten million tourists who visited Turkey in 1997 bought gifts worth $5-6 billion half of which were gold. /Hurriyet/[19] SIXTH ORDINARY CONGRESS OF MOTHERLAND PARTY (ANAP)There were no surprises at the Sixth Ordinary Congress of the ANAP. The candidates, Chairman Mesut Yilmaz insisted on, were elected to the Central Decision-Making and Executive Board (MKYK). As the MKYK is formed of known names the average age of the new adminstration became younger. The Congress ended without opposition or problems. /Hurriyet/[20] "OCALAN IS A TERRORIST"Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Turkey, Piet Dankert said that the EU regarded the PKK as a terrorist organization and its chief Abdullah Ocalan as a terrorist. On the extradition of Ocalan, Dankert said the issue was not the business of the EU. /Cumhuriyet/[21] ALIYEV: "WE ARE POSITIVE ABOUT BAKU-CEYHAN ROUTE"Vice-President of the state owned oil company, Socar, Ilham Aliyev said that the final decision about main oil pipeline route would be declared on 12 December. During his official contacts in Washington, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan and US administrations shared the same positive ideas about the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. He added that after the Ankara Declaration Turco-Azerbaijani delegation were still discussing the issue. Aliyev also pointed out that Turkey calculated the cost of the project as $2.5 billion which was lower than the price given by the international consortium operation company, AIOC. /Cumhuriyet/[22] TURKISH TOURISM SUPPORTED BY INTERNETAgency 3 Communication Services and Prescom Corp. prepared a tourism web site on Internet for Germany which is the first target of the Turkish tourism. The cite promotes Turkey's touristic facilities and it gives detailed information about the Turkish tourism. The address of the site is www.turkeihotels.com /Cumhuriyet/[23] DEMIREL TO ADANAPresident Suleyman Demirel will go to Adana today to open supplements of the Adana Airport. After attending an opening ceremony of the Kozan highway, Demirel will be presented an honorary doctorate by the Cukurova University, which is celebrating the establishment of its 25th anniversary. /Milliyet/[24] ITALIAN BUSINESSMEN ARE ANXIOUSTurkish and Italian businessmen decided to act together and attracted the attention of their governments. The Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) and the Italian Businessmen's Confederation (Confindustria) started to cooperate to take necessary measures for the prevention of the negative effects of the recent crisis between Turkey and Italy after PKK chief Abdullah Ocalan was seized in Italy. Within this framework, Turkish businessman of Italian origin Also Kaslowski went to Italy to meet the members of Confindiustria. Regarding his visit Kaslowski said that he explained the real identity of Ocalan to his Italian counterparts. Kaslowski said that representatives of the Confindiustria told him: "Italy always supports Turkey's EU membership. We, both Turkish and Italian businessmen, have worked hard to improve economic relations between the two countries. And today we do not let our relations be damaged because of Ocalan." /Milliyet/[25] "TURKEY'S CREDIT RATE WILL BE UP"Director of the Improving Countries of the Duff and Phelps, one of the leading rating institutions in the world, said that they were closely watching Turkish economy. Attending the Finance'98 Fair Wilson pointed out that they would increase Turkey's credit rate if Turkey continued its economic programme. The present government had tried hard to reach its economic targets and had already started to get positive results of its economic programme, said Wilson adding that the dynamism of the Turkish economy protected it from harmful effects of the economic crisis in Russia and in the world. Wilson stressed that they welcomed the determination of the Turkish government to achieve its promises in economy. /Milliyet/[26] 2ND TURKISH MALL IN MOSCOWDespite the economic crisis in Russia, Turkish Koc-Enka joint cooperation will open the second mall in Moscow. The opening ceremony of the shopping-centre will be made on 26 November. There are 80 shops, four cinemas, restaurants and cafetarias and a parking area with the capacity of 600 automobiles. Officials announced that the mall will be opened by the chairman of the Koc Corp., Rahmi Koc, chairman of the Enka Corp. Sarik Tara and Moscow Mayor Yuri Lujkov. /Milliyet/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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