Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-06-14

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

14 JUNE 1998

CONTENTS

[01] DONALD JOHNSTON, THE OECD SECRETARY GENERAL AND AN ACCOMPANYING DELEGATION ARRIVES IN TURKEY

[02] TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN ESKISEHIR - GAS TANKER AND COACH COLLIDE - 10 PEOPLE DIE, 11 OTHERS INJURED

[03] CARDIFF SUMMIT TO START ON MONDAY - TURKEY AND CYPRUS TO BE TAKEN UP AT CARDIFF SUMMIT

[04] TERRORIST ATTACK IN TUNCELI - THREE SPECIAL TEAM MEMBERS DIE, TWO OTHERS INJURED

[05] TURKEY AND LATVIA TO SIGN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

[06] BAKU-CEYHAN PROJECT - KALITSKY, COUNSELOR OF THE US PRESIDENT: - ''WE WILL PROVIDE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE BAKU-CEYHAN''

[07] 18 TERRORISTS KILLED, FIVE OTHERS CAPTURED AND TWO TERRORISTS SURRENDER - FOUR SECURITY FORCES DIE

[08] IBCA ALSO HAS POSITIVE VIEWS OVER TURKEY

[09] PARLIAMENT'S REPORT ON RELATIONS WITH EU: ''IT HAS BEEN FOUND OUT THAT EU HAS NOT APPROACHED IN A RESOLVED MANNER TO TURKEY'S INTEGRATION TO THE UNION AS A FULL MEMBER''

[01] DONALD JOHNSTON, THE OECD SECRETARY GENERAL AND AN ACCOMPANYING DELEGATION ARRIVES IN TURKEY

Johnston participated in a special dinner hosted by Rahmi Koc, the president of Koc Holding Executive Board the same day. Johnston and the accompanying delegation will proceed to Ankara where he will participate in a conference held by the Bilkent University and in a meeting held at State Planning Organization.

President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz will receive the OECD Secretary General, who will also meet Zekeriya Temizel, the Minister of Finance, Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister and Gunes Taner, the State Minister, who is responsible from economy.

Johnston, who will return to Istanbul on June 16 and address the opening of a seminar there, will leave Turkey on June 17.

[02] TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN ESKISEHIR - GAS TANKER AND COACH COLLIDE - 10 PEOPLE DIE, 11 OTHERS INJURED

The gas tanker driven by Bayi Eskin and the passanger bus driven by Mehmet Hanifi Aydin collided on the first km of the Inonu-Bozuyuk motorway when the driver of the gas tanker somnolently drove the tanker and entered the way of the bus coming from the different direction.

The fire brigades arrived to spray foam on the tanker but four of the ten people were burnt to death and eleven others were wounded in the accident.

Bayi Keskin (48), the driver of the tanker; Mehmet Hanifi Aydın (39), the driver of the coach; Nuran Ozturk (27), Onur Ozturk (3), Guleser Isik (34), Ummuhan Birgen (54), the passangers died in the accident. Officials are trying to identify the other four passangers, who were burnt to death.

The people injured in the accident namely Semih Ozturk, Sevilay Atabay, Abdurrahman Koc, Ahmet Yildiz, Gun Eser, Alaattin Atabey, Yilmaz Isik, Furkan Isik, Sedat Ordu, Burcu Atabey and Muzeyyen Cadirdi, were taken at hospitals in Eskisehir for medical treatment.

President Suleyman Demirel expressed his deep sorrow over the accident.

[03] CARDIFF SUMMIT TO START ON MONDAY - TURKEY AND CYPRUS TO BE TAKEN UP AT CARDIFF SUMMIT

Cardiff Summit, which will be the last summit that will be headed by Britain as the Term President, will also discuss the developments in Kosovo, nuclear tests, the Middle East Peace Process, Turkish-Greek relations and the S-300 missiles which will be deployed in the Greek Cypriot side.

France, which wishes to take up the issue of commencement of full membership negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side once again, is expected to urge the leaders, who participate in Cardiff Summit, to start this discussion again.

On the other hand, Britain, who plans to put her influence in the summit, is planning to take initiatives concerning the financial assistance, which was promised to Turkey.

Britain seems to favour to take up and improve the European Strategy, which is prepared by the EU Commission for Turkey, she also wishes the reflection of the steps that will be taken at the summit to this end in the final declaration.

[04] TERRORIST ATTACK IN TUNCELI - THREE SPECIAL TEAM MEMBERS DIE, TWO OTHERS INJURED

Mehmet Ali Turker, the Governor of Tunceli, said that the security forces car hit the shoulder of the road when a group of separatist terrorists opened fire on the car on its way to a watch-spot three-km far away from the city center of Tunceli. The terrorists opened fire also on the watch- spot.

Halil Akkoc, Olgan Koprucu, and Fatih Tolga Ozer, the members of the Rapid Deployment Force died while their colleagues Yilmaz Ozguner and Mehmet Sukru Kurum were injured when their car hit the shoulder of the road.

Governor Turker said the security forces launched an immediate and large- scale operations in the region.

[05] TURKEY AND LATVIA TO SIGN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

Undersecretariat for Treasury said that the trade volume between the two countries is aimed to increase by the free trade agreement.

Noting that exports have increased concerning the trade between Turkey and Latvia, the statement stressed that ''our exports to Latvia increased by 52 percent in 1997 and it reached 3 millon dollars. Meanwhile, our imports from Latvia decreased by 53 percent and it decreased from 3,4 million million dollars to 1,6 million dollars.''

[06] BAKU-CEYHAN PROJECT - KALITSKY, COUNSELOR OF THE US PRESIDENT: - ''WE WILL PROVIDE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE BAKU-CEYHAN''

Jan Kalitsky met with Eduard Shevardnadze, the President of Georgia; Teymur Giorgadze, the Georgian Minister of Energy and other high-ranking officials in Tbilisi. Addressing a press conference he held after wrapping up his contacts in Georgia, Kalitsky said that the Baku-Georgia-Ceyhan pipeline would be the most beneficial route for the exports of the Caspian oil.

Pointing out that the US is an important partner in the Baku-Ceyhan project, Kalitsky stressed that the pipeline would be an attractive pipeline in respect of trade in future. Kalitsky said that the Foreign Ministers of the concerned countries were attaching great importance to their meeting in Tbilisi in July, 1998.

Kalitsky added that they support the transfer of the Kazak oil via Russia.

[07] 18 TERRORISTS KILLED, FIVE OTHERS CAPTURED AND TWO TERRORISTS SURRENDER - FOUR SECURITY FORCES DIE

Emergency Rule Regional Governor's Office said that security forces killed 16 terrorists in Celeberektepe region between Hakkari and Sırnak provinces, one terrorist in Ceper village of Lice county of Diyarbakır province and another terrorist in Anıl village of Cemisgezek county of Tunceli province.

Four members of the security forces died in the fighting, while five terrorists were captured in Guclukonak county of Sırnak province and Cemisgezek and Pertek counties of Tunceli province.

Meanwhile, two terrorists, who escaped from the separatist terrorist organization, surrendered to security forces in Beytussepap and Gurpınar counties of Van province.

Operations are underway in the region.

[08] IBCA ALSO HAS POSITIVE VIEWS OVER TURKEY

Rawkins told the A.A correspondent that there had been several positive developments in the Turkish economy since the beginning of the year, adding that especially privatization is the most positive economic development in Turkey.

Rawkins said that they will hold the committee meeting regarding the rating note of Turkey after two weeks and they will issue their evaluation about Turkey following their observation on the Turkish economy during this period.

Paul Rawkins added that it was early to increase the note of Turkey in spite of positive developments in the Turkish economy.

The IBCA gave ''B+'' to Turkey in December, 1996 and defined the economy as stagnant.

[09] PARLIAMENT'S REPORT ON RELATIONS WITH EU: ''IT HAS BEEN FOUND OUT THAT EU HAS NOT APPROACHED IN A RESOLVED MANNER TO TURKEY'S INTEGRATION TO THE UNION AS A FULL MEMBER''

The report, which will be discussed by the parliament next week, said that ''Turkish-EU relations have entered into a new and important period after the Luxembourg Summit. The decision taken at the Luxembourg Summit about Turkey is the last chain of a long thinking process. The reality that has come out at the end of the summit is the fact that the member countries have not reached a definite decision about the full membership of Turkey to EU at least in respect of its timing. The Luxembourg Decision, which drew the EU's enlargement borders within a perspective of 20 years, did not oppose to the inclusion of Turkey in the enlargement of EU, but Turkey has not been included to this perspective.''

Pointing out that a full discrimination has been shown towards Turkey at the Luxembourg Summit, the report added that both the internal dynamics in EU and also the problems, which are foreseen to exist in Turkey played in taking that decision.

Stressing that the EU will evolve within a perspective of 20 years, the report added that ''the Copenghagen criteria, which are valid for candidate countries are also valid for Turkey. The criteria concerning good neighbourhood relations can not only be fulfilled by Turkey. Turkey are liable for other criteria. It is known that the decisions taken at EU summits can not change in a short time. In fact, it is wrong to expect EU to revise its decisions, which are taken at the Luxembourg Summit. Therefore it will be suitable to evaluate relations with EU both in short and lung terms.''

Noting that the relations between Turkey and the EU can be improved in short term within the framework of the Association Agreement, the report said that the most important factor which will improve Turkish-EU relations in the medium term is the step which will be taken by EU concerning Turkey's being candidate of Turkey.

The report added that Turkey should also fulfil her responsibilities in the medium term.

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