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Sunday, 1 September 2024
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Voice of America, 01-07-28Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>Dsitrib: no SLUG: 2-278741 Turkey / Economy (L only) DATE: NOTE NUMBER:CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY / ECONOMY (L ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN (ANKARA)DATE=07/28/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278741 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A top official from the International Monetary Fund (I-M-F) has expressed confidence with the implentation of Turkey's economic recovery program. Amberin Zaman in Ankara reports the I-M-F's first deputy managing director said he believes Turkey's three-way coalition is fully behind and full committed to the program. TEXT: I-M-F official Stanley Fischer -- speaking to reporters in
Istanbul after two days of talks with Turkish political and business
leaders -- said the country's economic recovery program is being
implemented successfully.
Mr. Fischer said positive effects of the program could be felt within
a few weeks. But he also said Turkey's inflation rate -- now about 60
percent -- and interest rates are still too high and need to be pulled
down quickly.
The International Monetary Fund has committed nearly 16-billion
dollars in loans to the recovery program which was launched in May to
pull Turkey out of its worst-ever economic crisis. The crisis was
triggered by a public dispute in February between the country's prime
minister, Bulent Ecevit, and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer over the
slow pace of the government's anti-corruption
drive.
The underlying cause of the crisis -- which has seen the Turkish lira
lose about one-half its value -- is largely rooted in the weakness of
the corruption-saddled banking industry. Reform of the banking sector
is among the chief conditions set by the I-M-F for releasing loans for
the recovery program.
Another condition is the privatization of Turkey's heavily indebted
state owned companies, including
the landline telecommunications monopoly, Turk Telekom.
The I-M-F recently threatened to withhold the second instalment of its
loan ackage because of continuing resistance from the nationalist wing
of Mr Ecevit's coalition to the privatization of Turk Telekom.
The nationalists have since eased their anti-I-M-F statements. And
nationalist telecom minister Enis Oksuz stepped down earlier this
month, buoying market confidence. The I-M-F is now expected to release
the third instalment of the rescue package ahead of schedule. (Signed)
[02] MACEDONIA TALKS (L ONLY) BY STEFAN BOS (BUDAPEST)DATE=07/28/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278740 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Macedonia's government and political parties representing the country's ethnic Albanian minority have began peace talks, in what is seen as a last effort to avoid all out civil war in the troubled Balkan nation. Stefan Bos reports the negotiators and Western diplomats are meeting in a presidential retreat near Lake Ohrid in southwestern Macedonia. TEXT: Political leaders representing Macedonia's ethnic Albanians and the country's Macedonian majority seem to hope that the spectacular surroundings near Lake Ohrid, far away from the violence, is the right peaceful atmosphere to reach a deal to end the fighting. Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski earlier suggested the talks be held in Tetovo because of its significance as the unofficial capital of Macedonia's Albanian minority. That plan was aborted however because of security concerns following days of clashes around the town between Macedonian forces and ethnic Albanian rebels. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who visited Macedonia Thursday, told reporters earlier that he is hopeful that the recent withdrawal of Albanian gunmen from the region to their previous position will speed a political settlement. But there are stumbling blocks. The U-S envoy and mediator, James Pardew, says one of the issues is the ethnic Albanian demand to make Albanian the second language of Macedonia. /// PARDEW ACT ////// END ACT ///NEB/SB/JWH Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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