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Turkish Press Review, 99-11-17Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>17.11.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[02] DEMIREL AND YELTSIN TO MEETPresident Suleyman Demirel will hold bilateral talks with the Heads of State coming to Turkey for the OSCE Istanbul Summit. President Suleyman Demirel, who is in Istanbul for the Summit meetings of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (KEI) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, will have a full schedule today. President Demirel will receive the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Georgian President Eduard Sheverdnadze, the Ukrainian President and the Romanian President. President Demirel, after these bilateral talks, will attend the KEI Summit to be held at Musir Fuat Pasha villa at 16.00 hours. Following this, he will meet Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev and later encounter the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin. /Turkiye/[03] CLINTON AND PIPELINE VENTURESAmerican President Bill Clinton delivered a speech during a lunch organized by the Turco-American Business Council and by the Foreign Economic Relations Council at Sale Villa during which he declared, "If we implement the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline and the Trans-Caspian natural gas venture, people will thank us in twenty years' time. These projects are the fastest and most secure means of sending energy across the region to the world." Turkish President Suleyman Demirel said in reply to Clinton, "You will take your place on the pages of history not only as a leader able to ensure economic growth and welfare in your country, but also due to your contributions to world economic growth." Furthermore, President Clinton, while summing up the two countries' economic relations, said, "We are content with the new government's arrangements concerning the international arbitration and social security draft laws. I hope the meetings that will be held in the following days will solve the Cyprus problem and I will also do my best concerning this issue. Democracy and freedom are the conditions for a strong economy and I appreciate the steps that Turkey has taken." /Hurriyet/[04] PRESIDENT CLINTON IN EARTHQUAKE REGIONYesterday morning President Bill Clinton and his family visited the Dogu Kisla tent city in Izmit. During his speech, Clinton pledged to the earthquake survivors that the U.S would help them towards better days. The people showed great interest in the Clinton family. Following their tour they proceded to Istanbul. /Milliyet/[05] FIRST FRUITS OF OSCEThe first fruits of the OSCE Summit were the business agreements worth 30,000 dollars that were signed by Turkish and American firms. The American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, said that America and Turkey had thus increased their commercial cooperation by %50. The Minister of Energy, Cumhur Ersumer, and American Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Michael Copps, signed the declaration concerning a joint irrigation scheme worth 600 million dollars on behalf of the U.S.A. and Turkey. /Hurriyet/[06] THE US TO INVEST IN ENERGY AND GAP REGIONThe US Secretary of State, Madeline Albright, who is in Turkey for the OSCE Summit, attended the ratification ceremony for energy and water agreements between Turkish and American companies worth $ 675 million. Agreements concerning the build-operate-transfer model for the purchase of equipment for the State Water Works (DSI) were signed, witnessed by Secretary of State Madeline Albright and Energy Minister Cumhur Ersumer./Sabah/[07] WORLD CAPITAL: ISTANBULThe leaders of 54 countries are arriving in Istanbul today for the OSCE Summit. Istanbul will host the last Summit of the century. After Clinton, Russian Head of State Boris Yeltsin, French President Chirac, German Chancellor Schroeder and Israeli Head of State Ehud Barak are coming today. The leaders will make the first decisions concerning the 21st century in Istanbul. The convening of the Summit in Istanbul following the Marmara earthquake is in itself of great significance. During the OSCE Istanbul Summit, the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline venture, which is of great importance to Turkey, will be signed./Sabah/[08] CRISIS SIGNAL ON HELSINKI ROADDuring the meeting of the European Union's General Affairs Council, the European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI) was taken up. The Council clarified the attitude of the EU towards ESDI, saying, 'Those countries which not EU members, although NATO members, cannot participate in this decision mechanism'. The current EU President, Finnish Foreign Minister Tarja Halonen, said, "The decision about the future of Europe will be taken by 15 countries; however, contact with the other NATO members and our cooperation partners are also important." This statement made it clear that Turkey and others, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Norway will not have the right of expression or veto on the EU's political decision-making mechanism. This approach, for which final voting will be held during the Helsinki Summit, is far removed from Turkey's expectations. /Milliyet/[09] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM AND CYPRUSForeign Minister Ismail Cem stated that a certain point has been reached due to the labours of Turkey and the TRNC. Cem noted that the latest developments were the achievement of TRNC President Rauf Denktas, and added that Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot demands had now been met and so proximity talks would be held. Cem also said that a text other than that which had been agreed on had been revealed and that was why they had protested. He added that the text they had agreed on was later announced. /Turkiye/[10] OFFICIAL INVITATION FROM THE EU TO ECEVITThe European Union's current Chairman, Finland, has officially invited the Prime Minister, Bulent Ecevit, to an advisory meeting that will be held during the EU Leaders' mini-Summit at the Helsinki Summit. It was stated that Ecevit, who is continuing to prepare for consultations with 15 leaders at the OSCE Summit, has not given a definite answer to the invitation as yet. It is expected that Ecevit will act according to the situation prevailing at the time. It was stated that Ecevit may go to Helsinki if Turkey's candidacy to the EU is certain to be announced. Otherwise, Ecevit is expected to reject the invitation. /Hurriyet/[11] ECEVIT: EXPERTS DEMORALIZEStressing that the geologists' declarations in front of the public are demoralizing people, Ecevit said that experts should avoid that at all costs. He said, "Such speeches cause anxiety among the people. Experts inform us about their expectations, predictions and proposals on how to deal with earthquakes, then we take the necessary precations. Everything else is in the hands of God." /Milliyet/[12] DEATH TOLL: 550The Prime Ministry's Crisis Management Centre announced that 550 people were killed while 3,299 others were injured in the earthquake which occured on Friday and whose epicentre was Duzce in the province of Bolu. Meanwhile, aftershocks are still being felt in the region. /Milliyet/[13] EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS PROTESTEarthquake survivors closed the Ankara-Istanbul road in order to protest against the situation in the earthquake region. Nearly 10 thousand people called for the resignation of Bolu Governor Nusret Miroglu. /Milliyet/[14] DUZCE TO BECOME PROVINCEThe Minister of Reconstruction and Housing, Koray Aydin, has pledged to turn Duzce into a province and Kaynasli into a town. These places were the worst-hit during the last quake. Minister Aydin said that he would propose this to the Council of Ministers next week. /Milliyet/[15] 500,000 DOLLARS FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMSThe Japanese government has decided to donate 500,000 dollars to the earthquake victims. In a statement issued by the Japanese Embassy, it was declared that the Japanese government had resolved to send medical equipment and a team of 19 medical personnel to serve in Turkey for two weeks. In addition, the Japanese government had taken the decision to donate emergency aid (blankets, beds, etc) amounting to 24 million 770 thousand Japanese Yen, plus a 500-thousand-dollar cash donation. /Cumhuriyet/[16] MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY'S BUDGETThe Ministry of Industry's Budget has been discussed by the TGNA's Planning and Budget Commission. The Minister of Industry and Trade, Ahmet Kenan Tanrikulu, stated that agricultural cooperatives had purchased items totalling 336 trillion Turkish Lira in value and that they had paid 100 trillion Turkish Lira to the producers. Tanrikulu added that the remaining debt was 195 trillion Turkish Lira. /Cumhuriyet/[17] 3 TRILLION TURKISH LIRA FOR INTELLIGENCEThe Directorate General of Security has expanded its budget allocation of 937 trillion Turkish Lira by another 56 trillion; now, the amount reserved for the intelligence services has reached 3 trillion Turkish Lira. The budget for the Directorate General of Security was increased, following certain proposals that were presented by the additional payments. Officials from the Directorate General of Security also demanded more money to enable 19,819 vehicles to go out on patrol. Fifteen trillion Turkish Lira, which translates into 10 litres of oil per day, was added to the Security Budget. /Cumhuriyet/[18] TURKISH MARK ON SOUTH AMERICAThe Sabanci Group, which is partner with the world leader, the American DuPont Company, in nylon technology, has established the Dusa Argentina S.A. (DuPont-Sabanci) and Dusa-Brazil S.A. (DuPont-Sabanci) factories. The aim of the companies, which have been launched with a start-up investment of 40 million dollars, is to sell raw material to all of the rubber producers in South America. Kordsa will provide its know-how and technology to the training units in these factories, which will produce tyres. In this way, Sabanci has purchased knowledge on such a delicate issue as rubber and its components in Argentina and Brazil, as it did in Egypt. The Sabanci Holding Company's Executive Branch Chairman, who went to Argentina to attend the opening ceremony of the factory, also visited the former Argantinian President Carlos Menem. /Aksam/[19] APPROVAL FOR EARTHQUAKE LOANThe World Bank and IMF officials, who have worked on financial reforms and prepared a report on Turkey, suggested the Council of Minister's authority to close the banks should be given to the Banking Arrangement and Control Council. The IMF and World Bank delegation, chaired by the World Bank's Finance Sector official, Lalit Raina, have given the latest shape to their report directed towards the financial sector. In the report, it was advised that the Council should be established autonomously structure and begin to work as soon as possible.Furthermore, the World Bank approved a loan of $757,530,000 for Turkey due to the earthquake. The World Bank's Director in Turkey, Ajav Chibber, stated that the earthquake that occurred in Turkey showed that emergency precautions will be supported by the World Bank loan. /Cumhuriyet/ [20] AYDIN DOGAN CARTOON COMPETITION'S DISPLAY IN JAPANA collection of those works which have received awards over the past 16 years in the Aydin Dogan Cartoon Competition is being exhibited in Shimonoseki, Japan. The Mayor of Shimonoseki, Kiyoshi Ejima, the Undersecretary of the Turkish Ambassador to Tokyo, Aydin Evirgen, and the Chairman of the Aydin Dogan Foundation's Executive Board, Orhan Birgit, attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition in the City Museum in Shimonoseki, which was chosen as their twin city by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The exhibition, which has already attracted great attention, will be open until 26th December. /Cumhuriyet/[21] FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...[22] LET'S UNDERSTAND CLINTON - BY CUNEYT ULSEVER (HURRIYET)Columnist Cuneyt Ulsever writes on President Clinton's visit to Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:"President Clinton's address to the Turkish Grand National Assembly on Monday was an historic turning point from our site of observation. The speech should not only be considered in relation to the praises it bestows on the Turkish people, or to American support for Turkey's EU candidacy or to the amount of $ 1 million in financial assistance. The US needs Turkey in the 21st century. However, we do not have any reason to doubt the sincerity of President Clinton. What is more, he reiterates the work which Turkey first has to complete and warns us in the same tones of sincerity. The key word in the President's speech which he delivered at Georgetown university was 'stability'. The questions of "more democracy" and the "human rights issue" the President politely stressed, express the new search for a stable Turkey as far as US policies in the 21st century are concerned. While the President is underlining the issue of "stability", he is unknowingly stepping on the toes of certain people, as the people who are in power still perceive this matter as defending the country against domestic and foreign enemies, as they had learnt from the US during the Cold War period. The new definition of stability covers the acceptance of the Kurdish question and cultural and individual rights in addition to the compromises on Cyprus, leaving aside those subsidies which in fact provide support to politicians from the rural areas and implementing austerity measures in public spending." [23] CLINTON'S INTEREST - BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen comments on President Clinton's remarks during his visit to Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:"From the moment he stepped onto Turkis soil, Clinton's remarks concerning the great importance the US attributes to Turkey bring one question to mind: What is the reason behind the interest the US President is showing in Turkey? We can sumarize the reasons to this question thus: Clinton is closely interested in Turkey and bases his ideas on the evaluation of the administration that Turkey's geo-strategic consequence is increasing with every passing day. American political and economic interests in the region direct her towards forming a tactical partnership with Turkey. Clinton sees a powerful Turkey at the start of the 21st century. He considers close ties with Turkey in such a sensitive region as the guarantee of US interests. In line with US interest, another point Clinton attaches great significance is that Turkey is a role model in the region, especially in the Islamic world, concerning values such as democracy, secularism, and the free market economy. Washington sees great advantages in Turkey's correcting her shortcomings in these fields as soon as possible and is trying to hand out all these messages in a friendly manner. Turkey's economic potential is considered to be an opportunity for American interests. That is to say, Turkey is a large market, in addition to being a partner the US can work with in anarea stretching from the Balkans to Central Asia. Those who consider that the US is merely thinking of her own interests should be reminded that in international relations this is natural. The important point is that mutual benefits should coincide, even though there may be differences of opinion. There is harmony between Turkish and US interests. Therefore, Turkey should evaluate Clinton's interest correctly and, using this as an opportunity, try to get the most out of it." END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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