Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-05-19

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From: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>

19 MAY 1998

CONTENTS

[01] FINAL STATAMENT OF FIRST BLACK SEA DEVELOPMENT CONVENTION: - ''BLACK SEA REGION IS IN THE FIFTH PLACE AMONG OTHER SEVEN REGIONS IN TURKEY ACCORDING TO THE BASIC STATISTICS RELATED TO THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT''

[02] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM RETURNS TO TURKEY

[03] PRESIDENT DEMIREL SENDS MESSAGE TO CLINTON

[04] BAKU-CEYHAN OIL PIPELINE - TURKISH AND NORWEGIAN OFFICIALS TO CONVENE TO DISCUSS THE PIPELINE

[05] KARADAYI, CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF IN RUSSIA

[06] MILITARY VEHICLE CRASHES LAND MINE

[07] OPERATION IN SOUTHEAST - 16 TERRORISTS KILLED, SIX OTHERS SURRENDERED

[08] PRIME MINISTER LAYS FOUNDATION OF SAMSUN-BAFRA-YAKAKENT MOTORWAY

[09] TURKISH-ITALIAN RELATIONS

[10] RESULTS OF BUDGET IMPLEMENTATIONS IN APRIL 1998

[11] VARIETY MAGAZINE PROMOTES TURKEY

[12] BED CAPACITY OF TOURISTIC HOTELS IN TRABZON PROVINCE REACHES 1,930 - MORE THAN 130,000 TOURISTS VISIT TRABZON IN FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE YEAR

[13] DUNLAYICI, SO-CALLED REPRESENTATIVE OF SEPARATIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATION TO EUROPE TAKEN UNDER CUSTODY

[14] VISIT OF ENERGY DELEGATION TO NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - YIGITGUDEN, UNDERSECRETARY OF MINISTRY OF ENERGY: - ''AIOC MAY BE EXCLUDED IF IT DOES NOT ABIDE BY THE AGREEMENT REACHED WITH AZERBAIJAN ON MAY 14-15''

[15] GIANT SPORTS COMPLEX TO ANKARA - CANKAYA SPORTS CLUB TO BUILD SPORTS COMPLEX IN ANKARA

[16] GREEK CYPRIOTS ARREST A TURKISH SOLDIER

[01] FINAL STATAMENT OF FIRST BLACK SEA DEVELOPMENT CONVENTION: - ''BLACK SEA REGION IS IN THE FIFTH PLACE AMONG OTHER SEVEN REGIONS IN TURKEY ACCORDING TO THE BASIC STATISTICS RELATED TO THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT''

Erol Tuncer, the Chairman of the Convention, addressed the final statement of the two-day Convention held at the 19 Mayis University in Samsun.

''It is realized that there has been a considerable recession in the level of development in the Black Sea region in recent years. The basic statistics related to the socio-economic development show that the Black Sea region is in the fifth place among the seven geographical regions in Turkey,'' the final statement said.

''The difference between the development level in the coastal stripe and inside the region reached huge dimensions. There had been a considerable immigration from the Black Sea region stemming from the existing economic conditions. It is real that the basic elements of development: entrepreneuers, qualified and educated personnel and capital, are also leaving the region,'' the statement added.

Pointing out that the tourism and agricultural potential were not evaluated sufficiently and that the industrial sector had been receeding relatively, the final statement said that the lack of physical and social infrastructures, especially transportation, were the factors that were preventing development.

Noting that the approach that had been approved for the planning studies up until now was insufficient for removing the imbalance among the regions, the statement said that the will of the Convention was put forward within determination in order to implement the regional development model as approved in the Sevent Five-Year Development Plan and give the start for the studies related to this model as soon as possible.''

Tha final statement that the government should accelarate its investments for infrastructure and remove the physical and social infrastructural insufficiencies.

''The government should provide the implementation of new inventive measures within the regional level. The potential, which was created by the Turkish Republics and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Region (BSECR), makes the investments in the sectors of industry and services attractive. The industrial investments should be open to foreign competition and should be based on new technology,'' the final statement added.

[02] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM RETURNS TO TURKEY

Cem who returned to Turkey concluding his contacts in Romania and Britain, staged a press conference in Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.

Addressing the news conference Cem said he hold bilateral meetings with his Bulgarian counterpart and took up regional and international issues in Sofia which is the first leg of his tour.

Cem expressed belief that his visit would contribute to the further development of political and economic relations.

Cem said he proceeded to Romania after Bulgaria and held similar contacts with Romanian officials pointing out that they took up several mechanisms which will improve political and economic relations.

Cem said he participated in Bilderberg meeting as speaker after concluding his contacts in Romania and recalled that one of the five issues taken up in the meeting attended by representatives of government and private sector was the ''position of Turkey within the unity of the West.''

Cem said he clearly revealed Turkey's position, expectations and view to the future during the meeting adding that he saw that there was an increasingly interest to Turkey.

Cem said he later proceeded to London and met Madeleine Albright, the US Secretary of State and took up bilateral relations as well as regional and international ones. He also said they took up the Middle East Peace Process, the Caucasus, and pipeline issues.

[03] PRESIDENT DEMIREL SENDS MESSAGE TO CLINTON

Presidential Press Center statement said the message Demirel sent to the US President Bill Clinton mentioned about the importance of the peace process to find a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to Arab-Israeli conflict.

Demirel said success of the peace process is important for the stability, welfare and economic development of the region.

Demirel in the message said bottleneck seen in the peace process and the failure to overcome this caused great concerns adding that he observed in his contacts with various Arab leaders and with Yasser Arafat that Arab world felt deep concern over the situation.

Demirel said ''Turkey feels the concern that bottleneck in front of the peace process will create important problems and negative outcomes for the whole region. We believe that all countries, supporting the peace process, should carry out their efforts to overcome the bottleneck. We appreciate the efforts of the US to overcome the question. We wish the desired outcome will be taken in the near future.''

Demirel said Turkey would continue to support the efforts to this end and ready to contribute to this end.

[04] BAKU-CEYHAN OIL PIPELINE - TURKISH AND NORWEGIAN OFFICIALS TO CONVENE TO DISCUSS THE PIPELINE

The Norwegian Embassy in Ankara and a high-level official from the Ministry of Energy confirmed the request of the Norwegian oil company Statoil that Foreign Minister Ismail Cem had visited recently. The official said that the Ministry of Energy approached positively to that request.

The official said that the studies to fix the date of the negotiations were still continuing and that the Ministry focused on the negotiation process that wýll take place between May 25 and 27 or between June 15 and 19.

This initiative of the Statoil, which repeatedly announced that the cost price of the pipeline was very high, carries great importance for the realization of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

[05] KARADAYI, CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF IN RUSSIA

Officials said economic and trade relations between Turkey and Russia are improving rapidly in the recent years. Nearly 250 Turkish companies currently act in Russia and most of the committments of these companies in Russia were realized.

Officials said Russia will go beyond Germany and will be the number one partner of Turkey. Karadayi's visit, which is the first between the two countries in Chief of General Staff level, is regarded as the begining of a new period in contact and cooperation between the two countries in military level.

Realization of this visit is very important even if it does not have any outcomes.

Karadayi will hold observations in ''KA-52/Alligator'' fleet command center in ''Jukov Air Base'' in Russia.

[06] MILITARY VEHICLE CRASHES LAND MINE

The incident happened on Tuesday morning when a military vehicle carrying Iskenderun Air Radar Position Commandership Ceremony Units crashed into the land mine near Atik plateau, 10 km away from the provincal center wounding 10 soldiers.

Operations underway in the region.

Meanwhile, Gokhan Aydiner, Governor of Hatay, said Turkish people will not be afraid of such treacherous attacks adding that the terrorists will be captured soon.

[07] OPERATION IN SOUTHEAST - 16 TERRORISTS KILLED, SIX OTHERS SURRENDERED

The Emergency Rule Governor's Office said that security forces during the operations in last 24 hours killed five terrorists in the Kavgayeri Hill region in the Cukurca county of Hakkari province; six terrorists in the rural area of Uzumlu village in Eruh county of Siirt province; two terrorists in Tophane region in Kigi county of Bingol province; one terrorist in the rural part of Gercekli village in Genc county of Bingol and one terrorist in Kockapi mountain pass region in Beytulsebap county of Sirnak province.

It said that two separatist terrorists were captured in the rural area in Uzumlu village in Eruh county of Siirt province.

Governor's Office said that six soldiers died in the clashes in the region.

Meanwhile, six terrorists, who had escaped from the separatist terrorist PKK organization, surrendered to security forces in Yuksekova county of Hakkari province, in Eruh county of Siirt province and in Sirnak province centers.

The operations are underway in the region.

[08] PRIME MINISTER LAYS FOUNDATION OF SAMSUN-BAFRA-YAKAKENT MOTORWAY

Addressing the ceremony held upon the laying foundation of the Samsun-Bafra- Yakakent motorway, Prime Minister Yilmaz recalled that he promised in 1996 to construct a ''double-motorway'' on the whole Black Sea shore, adding that now they laid the foundation of the motorway on the Black Sea shore.

Pointing out that the improvement in the relations with the Turkish Republics and Caucasus countries opened a new window for the Back Sea region, Prime Minister Yilmaz said that the Russian natural gas would be tied to the whole country via Samsun province and that natural gas energy would be used in all of these regions.

Stressing the special importance of Samsun and Bafra within the framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), Yilmaz said that they attached great importance to the projects prepared for the development of Samsun and Bafra.

Yilmaz said that the tender opened for the construction of the motorway was concluded, adding that now the responsibility was in the hands of contractors and the General Directorate of Motorways.

[09] TURKISH-ITALIAN RELATIONS

Batu, who started his assignment in Rome, disclosed his views to A.A correspondent regarding relations between the two countries after presenting his letters of credence to Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, Italian President.

Batu stressed that Italy was a very important country for Turkey adding that ''Italy is on the way of becoming a very big world country having assignments in NATO, Council of Europe (COE), European Union (EU), the Mediterranean and the Middle East issues.''

When asked about his views if Turkish-Italian relations improved in the recent years, Batu said ''there is an increase in politics, culture and economy. Changes happen from time to time yet, all these are transistory. They will not chage general line of Turkish-Italian relations.''

Batu said it was very natural that Italy wants the right to speak on Cyprus question being a Mediterranean country and an important member of the European Union (EU). He said Italy wants compromise on Cyprus question which it regarded as an obstacle to Turkey's full membership to EU. We should consider this attitude within the framework of Italy's aid to Turkey.

Recalling the words of Lamberto Dini, Italian Foreign Minister that there were two administrations in Cyprus, Batu said ''Holbrooke has a similar approach today. If an improvement would be recorded in Cyprus question, first of all it should be accepted that Glafcos Clerides was not the elected leader of Turkish Cypriots and the fact that they have a separate administration which came to power through democratic methods.''

Batu said statements about human rights and Southeast may appear from time to time and that they should be regarded as natural ''Turkey has to get used to live with these because the concept of internal affairs is abolished in the world now.''

Batu said Turkey has to learn to live with the criticisms that will be forwarded to itself.

Turkey's Ambassador said all the Europe was within an integration process and that Italy was included within this. ''As a diplomat, I want Turkey to be a part of this synthesis.'

[10] RESULTS OF BUDGET IMPLEMENTATIONS IN APRIL 1998

The Directorate General of Accounts of the Ministry of Finance announced the results of the Budget Inmplementations in April 1998.

According to the results, the budget deficit was 1 quarillion 338 trillion TL.

The half of the budget expenditures in the first four months constituted of domestic and foreign interests.

A total of two quadrillion 132 trillion TL was allocated to the payments of domestic and foreign interests while 445 trillion TL of source was transferred to the social security organizations. The personnel expenditures reached one quadrillion 98 trillion TL.

The total budget expenditures was composed of 125 trillion TL of other current expenses; 113 trillion TL of investments and three quadrillion 27 trillion TL of transfer expenditures.

The transfer expenses was composed of one quadrillion 999 trillion TL of domestic borrowing; 133 trillion TL of foreign debt interest; 49 trillion TL of the transfer to the State Economic Enterprises; 11 trillion TL of Assistance Share of State Enterprises and 122 trillion TL of repudiation and return.

Also, 192 trillion TL was transferred to the Pension Fund; 133 trillion TL to the Social Security Authority (SSK); 120 trillion TL to the Self- Employed Pension Fund and 268 trillion TL allocated to other transfers.

The total budget revenues was composed of 2 quadrillion 287 trillion TL of tax incomes; 369 trillion TL of normal revenues excluding tax; 314 trillion TL of special incomes and funds and 55 trillion TL of added budget net incomes.

The average of budget revenues meeting expenses was 69.3 percent as of the end of April 1998.

[11] VARIETY MAGAZINE PROMOTES TURKEY

''Variety'' allocated 15 pages of this week's issue to Turkey. Articles regarding past, today and future of Turkish cinema, articles of Cavit Kavak, Minister of State and Istemihan Talay, Culture Minister, promotion of Anadolu Ajansi and photographs were included.

Cavit Kavak, Minister of State, started his article saying ''Turkey means business'' and underlined the advantages of Turkey due to entertainment sector adding that foreign entrepreneurs discovered the regional potential of Turkey and invested here.

Talay, Minister of Culture, openly invited people to Turkey and said Turkey was the cradle of history and civilization as well as a wonderland with its unique natural beauties. Talay said Turkey was ready to embrace the people who want to discover these beauties.

An article and photographs promoting Anadolu Ajansi were issued in the back cover of the magazine.

The magazine said the first cinema hall was estimated to be constructed in 1908 adding that cinema was not regarded as a new ''industry'' since 1950.

The magazine said there were 17 tv stations which broadcast internationally and nearly 400 tv stations broadcasting in locally.

''Variety'' magazine is sold is Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Austria as well as US and Britain.

[12] BED CAPACITY OF TOURISTIC HOTELS IN TRABZON PROVINCE REACHES 1,930 - MORE THAN 130,000 TOURISTS VISIT TRABZON IN FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE YEAR

Volkan Canalioglu, the General Director of Provincial Directorate of Tourism in Trabzon, told the A.A correspondent that the number of touristic facilities, together with a newly established three-star hotel, increased to 23 and that the bed capacity reached to 1,930.

Canalioglu said that the number of tourists visited Trabzon in the first four months of the year increased to over 130 thousand.

Meanwhile, the Turkish association of Tourism Investors made a research to specify the level of prices in tourism and to compare them with levels in other Medeterranean countries.

According to that research, Turkey is the third cheapest country for spending holiday after Tunisia and Malta.

[13] DUNLAYICI, SO-CALLED REPRESENTATIVE OF SEPARATIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATION TO EUROPE TAKEN UNDER CUSTODY

Dunlayici, having a code name Kani Yilmaz, will be sent to prosecutorship after being interrogated.

The so-called representative will be interrogated within the context of Spoutnik Operation which is staged against sub-organizations of the separatist terrorist organization in 1996. A research commission was established under the leadership of Jeroen Burm, Belgian Interrogation Judge, after ''Spoutnik Operation'' and this commission carried out an investigation related with the illegal money collection and money laundering of the separatist terrorist organization.

Brussels Prosecutorship earlier said operations against the separatist terrorist organization and its sub-organizations would continue in various European Union (EU) countries.

[14] VISIT OF ENERGY DELEGATION TO NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - YIGITGUDEN, UNDERSECRETARY OF MINISTRY OF ENERGY: - ''AIOC MAY BE EXCLUDED IF IT DOES NOT ABIDE BY THE AGREEMENT REACHED WITH AZERBAIJAN ON MAY 14-15''

Yigitguden visited the Ohi-3 Nuclear Power Plant near the Osaka city of Japan that the Westinghouse and Mitsubishi showed as reference.

Westinghouse and Mitsubishi are bidding for the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant project tender opened by the Turkish Electricity Transfer and Distribution Inc. (TEAS).

Speaking to reporters, Yigitguden said that they had discussed the issue of Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline up until now and that Azerbaijan had gave only verbal commitments.

Yigitguden stressed that the views of the concerned sides for the first time accepted during the meetings in Istanbul on May 14-15 and an agreement was signed.

''At the end of the tripartite meetings among Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia, we signed two agreements. The first agreement is among the governments. The second one is related to the host countries. We will also prepare sub-agreements including commercial issues,'' he said.

[15] GIANT SPORTS COMPLEX TO ANKARA - CANKAYA SPORTS CLUB TO BUILD SPORTS COMPLEX IN ANKARA

Ahmet Yilmaz, an offical from the Club, told the A.A correspondent that the complex, of which foundation would be laid in coming days, would be constructed on 52 acres of land.

Ahmet Yilmaz said that the sports complex would include one olympic stadium, four football stadiums, three basketball fields two volleyball fields, three tennis courts, one olympic swimming pool, one gymnasium, mini-golf, racecourse, sauna, restaurant and cafeteria.

[16] GREEK CYPRIOTS ARREST A TURKISH SOLDIER

Greek Cypriot officials said Turkish soldier was arrested between Akincilar and Greek village Afiyenu. Bozatli was interrogated by Greek Cypriot police.

TRNC officials said UN Peace Forces informed them that a Turkish soldier passed to the Greek Cypriot side yet did not give detailed information.

The Turkish soldier is thought to pass the Green Line by mistake.

Meanwhile, it was reported that TRNC authorities demanded the return of Bozatli.

TRNC officials launched necessary initiatives against the UN peace forces for the return of the soldier.

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