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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-07-12Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>12 JULY 1998CONTENTS
[01] OPERATION AGAINST ILLEGAL HEZBOLLAH IN KOCAELI - FIVE OF TWELVE PEOPLE, WHO WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY, ARRESTEDKOCAELI, July 12 (A.A) - Five of the accused twelve people, who were taken into custody on charges of aiding and abetting the illegal Hezbollah organization, were arrested.Seven of them, who were transferred to the Court-house following their interrogation, were later released by the Republican Chief Prosecutorship while Adil Tari, Arif Tari, Abdulkadir Tari, Irfan Ilgun and Halil Bulut were arrested. The Kocaeli Provincial Commandership of Gendarmerie revealed that the illegal Hezbollah organization had set up a training camp in Servetiye village in Yuvacik county of Kocaeli province. Gendarmerie officials took into custody 12 people including one non-commissioned officer, who was expelled from the Army as he had been participated in fundamentalist activities. Gendarmerie officials, during their operation, seized one bazooka, lots of long-range weapons, pistols and more than 2,000 bullets. [02] PRIME MINISTER RETURNS TO TURKEY CONCLUDING CONTACTS IN BULGARIAANKARA, July 12 (A.A) - Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz returned to Turkey on Saturday concluding contacts in Sofia, Bulgarian capital.Speaking before his departure from Sofia Yilmaz said his visit was very positive and that relations between Turkey and Bulgaria were in a satisfactory level. Yilmaz also participated in the opening ceremony of Ziraat Bank branch in Sofia during the visit and evaluated recent developments in the region, mainly the Kosovo problems, in a meeting with Ivan Kostov, Bulgarian Prime Minister and Radu Vasile, Romanian Prime Minister. Yilmaz also participated in the signature ceremony of the Free Trade Agreement signed between Turkey and Bulgaria. Yilmaz, who went to Sofia on a one-day work visit, speaking during the opening ceremony of the bank branch said relations between Turkey and Bulgaria were perfect in the recent one year. Noting that with the signature of Free Trade Agreement and with the activation of Ziraat Bank branch, a new chain was added to the relations and expressed belief that this bank branch will contribute to the development of economic relations between the two countries. Meanwhile, Kostov, Bulgarian Prime Minister said this bank branch will play an important role in entrance of Turkish entrepreneurs to Bulgaria. Yilmaz said he reached to a consensus of opinion with Prime Ministers of Bulgaria and Romaia to be in continious and close negotiatons on the issue of developments in Kosovo. Following his meeting with other Prime Ministers Yilmaz said Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania were in an effort to realize an example cooperation in this controversial part of the world. Noting that there was no problem between these three countries, Yilmaz said ''we decided to continue meetings in Premiership level which started in the level of Presidents.'' Yilmaz said the next meeting will be held in Istanbul on Sept 12. Vasile, Romanian Prime Minister said these meetings will help the development of relations between the three countries adding that the meeting in Istanbul will focus on struggle against organized crimes as well as human smuggling. Meanwhile, Cumhur Ersumer, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources aid Turkey was planning to purchase electricity from Bulgaria till the year 2005 and noted that Turkey will pay 80,000 dollars to this country in return for the electricity energy which will be purchased for the year 1998. [03] CREDIT NOTE OF TURKEY - RAWKINS, FITCH IBCA'S REPRESENTATIVE IN TURKEY: - ''WE DID NOT INCREASE TURKEY'S CREDIT NOTE DUE TO ANXIETY ABOUT EARLY ELECTION''ANKARA/LONDON, July 12 (A.A) - Paul Rawkins, the world's third biggest rating organization Fitch Ibca's Representative in Turkey, said that they didn't increase the credit note of Turkey due to concern about early elections although they observed several positive developments in the Turkish economy.Pointing out that they confirmed on 7 July 1998 that Turkey's long-term borrowing note over foreign exchange was ''B+'', Rawkins, the Representative of the biggest rating organization in Europe, told the A.A coorespondent that they observed positive developments in the Turkish economy especially since the beginning of 1998. ''However, Turkey will have an early election in spring of 1999. There is a powerful relationship between the elections in Turkey and the government expenditures. We didn't increase Turkey's credit note due to these concerns, '' Rawkins said. ''The Turkish government announced that the elections will not change its programme, but we should wait and see. Turkey, in her borrowing policy, should pursue a foreign debt policy which can change the domestic borrowing into foreign debt,'' he stressed. Noting that the staff monitoring programme between the Turkish government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was a positive development, Rawkins said that they should wait and see the realizations in the government programme within the framework of the agreement between Turkey and the IMF. Paul Rawkins added that they would re-evaluate Turkey's credit note if the structural reforms in Turkey are legalized and Turkey fully carries out the programme. The Fitch Ibca announced on July 7 that the short-term borrowing note of Turkey over foreign exchange was ''B''. [04] MALTESE FLAGGED TANKER WHICH RAN AGROUND IN FRONT OF HAYDARPASA BREAKWATER HARBOR SAVEDISTANBUL, July 12 (A.A) - A Maltese flagged tanker, loaded with crude oil, which ran aground in front of the Haydarpasa Breakwater Harbor, was saved Saturday by transferring some of its load to a Turkish ship called ''Esram.'' The tanker was later dragged to off shores of Zeytinburnu with the help of a tugboat.The 247 meters long Maltese flagged tanker, named ''Seaselvia'' weighing 54, 000 tonnes, was coming from Russia carrying 80,000 tonnes of crude oil. There had been no leakage from the tanker. Efforts which had started early on Friday morning to rescue the tanker concluded on Saturday evening and the tanker was saved. It was reported that transfer of crude oil from one ship to the other was realized for the first time. [05] FAIRS IN GAP REGION - NINE DIFFERENT FAIRS TO BE ORGANIZED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL GAP '98 FAIR BETWEEN 5 AND 11 OCTOBERANKARA, July 12 (A.A) - A total of nine different fairs will be organized within the scope of the International Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) '98 Fair, which was scheduled to take place between 5 and 11 October 1998 in southeastern Sanliurfa province, it was reported on Sunday.The International GAP '98 Fair, which was supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the GAP Chairmanship of Regional Administration, the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), the Turkish Institute of Standards (TSE), the Chairmanship of Small and Medium Scale Industry Development and Suppor Administration (KOSGEB), the Sanliurfa Governorship, the Turkish Vakifbank and local organizations, will be the biggest fair in Turkey excluding the fairs organized in Izmir and Istanbul. Within the framework of the GAP '98 Fair, Agricultural and Food Technology Fair; Plastics and Packaging Technologies Fair; Construction Industry and Hardware Fair; Durable Consumer Goods, Furniture and Households Fair; Forestry Products Industry Fair; Sports and Hunting Equipments Fair; Automative and By-Industry, Leasing-Banking Fair; Electronics-Computer-hi- tech Fair and Texstiles, Ready-Made Clothing and Fashion Technologies Fair will be organized. The organization of the Fair was undertaken by the Piramit and Ayintap Fair Organization Consortium. The Fair will cost nearly five million US dollars. [06] CREDIT NOTE OF TURKEY - ABAC, FORMER DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF CENTRAL BANK: ''TURKEY NEVER DESERVES THE 'B NOTE' OF INTERNATIONAL RATING ORGANIZATIONS''ANKARA, July 12 (A.A) - Prof. Dr. Selcuk Abac, the former Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank, said on Sunday that Turkey never deserves the ''B note'' of the international rating organizations, stressing that the necessary initiatives should be launched to correct it.Pointing out that the B note meant that the repayment risk in domestic borrowing was very high, Abac stressed that the risk in repayment of foreign debt was not very high. ''Of course, Turkey will not deserve BBB or over than B note in the investor category until she provides economic and financial stability. But there is now a considerable difference between the note in the investor category and the existing note and Turkey has never deserved the B note,'' he stressed. ''The rating failure of the rating organizations made difficult Turke's use of foreign sources. Thus Turkey was obliged to pay additional sources for foreign debt,'' he added. Noting that the Turkish economy bureaucracy should not become an onlooker, Abac emphasized that the economy bureaucrats should launch initiatives to correct that unfairness. [07] ILLEGALLY OPERATED COAL MINE COLLAPSES - ONE PERSON DIESZONGULDAK, July 12 (A.A) - A coal mine in Gelik district in Kilimli county of Zonguldak province in Black Sea region collapsed on Sunday, killing one mine worker.Celal Ermis, 50, who operated the coal mine illegally, died when he had been trapped beneath the debris following the landslide in the mine. [08] CAPACITY USE IN AUTOMATIVE INDUSTRY - RATE OF CAPACITY USE IN FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 1998 WAS 51 PERCENTANKARA, July 12 (A.A) - The rate of capacity use in automative industry in the first five months of 1998 was 51 percent while it increased to 147 percent in midibus, it was reported on Sunday.The Automative Industry Association data shows that the production capacity in the automative industry was 339,530 each in the first five months of the year while a total of 172,027 motor-vehicles were produced and this means that only 51 percent of the capacity was used. The capacity in midibus was 2,770 each while a total of 4,071 midibuses were produced. Thus the capacity use reached 147 percent. The capacity use in midibus was followed by small lorry with a 92 percent capacity use. The capacity in small lorry was 19,250 each while a total of 17,639 small lorries were produced. The rate of capacity use in towing vehicles was 31 percent and the production was 315 each although the capacity was 1,020 each. The capacity use in minibus was 32 percent while it was 42 percent in automobiles. Only 101,389 automobiles were produced although the five-month capacity was 247,500 each. [09] BASESGIOGLU, MINISTER OF INTERIOR: ''WE HAVE POWER TO OVERCOME EVERY THREAT FORWARDED TO DESTROY THE STATE''ISTANBUL, July 12 (A.A) - Murat Basesgioglu, Minister of Interior, said on Saturday that the state has the power to overcome every threat, even if its terrorism or fundamentalism, that aims to destroy it.Addressing the opening ceremony of Bayrampasa Central Military Post, Basesgioglu said they attributed a special importance to Istanbul pointing out that no success can be expected from other sectors if there is no tranquility in a country and city. Recalling that nearly 10 million people were living in Istanbul, Basesgioglu said, the ratio of crime was not so much in Istanbul when compared to the big cities of other countries. [10] SANTA CLAUS FOUNDATION INVITES CHILDREN FROM 70 COUNTRIESANKARA, July 12 (A.A) - Children from nearly 70 countries will visit the grave of Santa Claus. The Santa Claus Foundation invited the children from 70 countries to Demre within the context of the Santa Claus activities. The children, who will visit the grave and the church of Santa Claus in December 1998, will welcome the year 2001 in front of a huge electronic clock to be constructed near the church.Muammer Karabulut, the Chairman of the Foundation, told the A.A correspondent that they would organize the 16th Santa Claus Activities this year. ''We invited children from 70 countries within the context of this year's Santa Claus and Call for the Peace in the World activities. The children will come together in the place where Santa Claus lived and participate in the activities organized in the name of Santa Claus,'' he said. Pointing out that 30 countries welcomed their invitation up until now, Karabulut said that the activities will start in Istanbul on December 1. ''Children will later proceed to Ankara and visit the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey. The activites will then continue in Antalya and Demre. Children, who will come from several countries, will give messages of peace to the world,'' he said. ''We will built a huge electronic clock near the Santa Claus Church. This clock will count back the year 2000. Thi clock will be ten meters in height and will be easily seen from 200 meters away,'' he added. ''We will also construct a monument near the church. The names of the children, who will participate in the activities, the flags of the participant countries and the distances of the places, where all of the wars in the world took place, to Demre will be written on this monument,'' he said. [11] ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS IN SOUTHEASTERN SANLIURFA PROVINCE - DIGGING PROCESS TO BE CARRIED OUT BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS FROM UNIVERSITIES IN THE US, GERMANY, FRANCE AND SPAINSANLIURFA, July 12 (A.A) - Several archaeological excavations will be made at eight different sites in southeastern Sanliurfa province and its counties, it was reported on Sunday. The digging process will be carried out by the archaeologists from several universities in the US, Germany, France and Spain. The most important digs will take place at the worship place and the Tilbes Tumulus which will remain under the Birecik dam.Eyup Bucak, the General Director of the Museum in Sanliurfa, told the A.A correspondent that the digging process, which will take place in Sanliurfa city center, Bozova and Birecik counties would be carried out by Assistant Prof. Patricia Wattenmaker from the Virginia University in the US; Prof. Dr. Harld Hauetmann from the German Institute of Archaeology; Dr. Guillermo Algaze from the California University in the US; Gil J.Stein from the Northwestern University in the US; Jesus Gillfuensanta from Alicante University in Spain and Assistant Prof. Catherine Abodie from Nantes University in France. Pointing out that the digs at the Kazane, Gurcutepe, Gobeklitepe, Titris, Tilbes and Haci Nebi Tumuluses would be accelerated, Bucak said that they were expecting to reveal findings belonging to Helenistic era during the first archaeological excavations at the Anpemeia ruin in Keskince village in Birecik. [12] EARTHQUAKE IN ADANA AND SURROUNDING REGION - STUDIES CONTINUE TO DETERMINE DAMAGEADANA, July 12 (A.A) - The studies to determine the total damage in southeastern Adana province and the surrounding region, which were hit by a major earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, continue, it was reported on Sunday.Dagistan Kilicaslan, the Deputy Governor of Adana, said in a written statement that the pre-studies to determine the damage in the counties, villages, districts and provincial center continue following the earthquake occured on June 27, killing 145 people and wounding many others. According to the latest statistics, a total of 7,539 houses in Yuregir county, its villages and districts were totally destroyed. A total of 6,922 houses were completely destroyed in Seyhan county, its villages and districts while a total of 2,028 houses were destroyed in Ceyhan county, its villages and districts. Meanwhile, a total of 459 houses were totally destroyed in Karaisali, Yumurtalik and Imamoglu counties. The aid organization Kizilay (Red Crescent) sent a total of 9,400 tents and 5,138 blankets to the region. The food and health services for the victims of the earthquake continue without intervals. Meanwhile, the people living in Adana preferred to spend the week-end out of the city. [13] INTERIOR MINISTER BASESGIOGLU: - ''55TH GOVERNMENT IS THE GUARANTEE OF RELIGION'' - ''DON'T EXPECT ANY BENEFIT FROM GIVING SUPPORT TO TERRORISM''ERZURUM, July 12 (A.A) - Murat Basesgioglu, the Minister of Interior, said on Sunday that the 55th Government is the guarantee of religion.Addressing the Provincial Congress of the Motherland party (ANAP) in eastern Erzurum province, Basesgioglu briefed about the one-year performances of the government. Pointing out that it was probable that the fundamentalist activities may be one of the major topics of the agenda in the future, Basesgioglu said, ''our struggle against fundamentalism will continue. We will carry out this struggle within the framework of the laws and rights mentioned in the Constitution.'' ''ANAP has been the guarantee and supporter of the freedom of religion and conscience since 1983. We have been always against the people, who used the religion as an element to provide political benefits for themselves, and we will continue to do so. Nobody is under pressure for their religious beliefs and there is not any limitations. The struggle against fundamentalism does not mean the struggle against Islam. Fundamentalism has constituted a threat for Turkey. Struggling against fundamentalism within the framework of democracy is our duty,'' he stressed. Noting that the terrorist activities staged by the separatist powers constituted a 14-year trouble, Basesgioglu said, ''we have the power to fight against this trouble. We are resolved to continue this struggle.'' Pointing out that Turkey had ''never casted covetous eyes on her neighbors' territories,'' Basesgioglu stressed, ''thus everybody should exhibit the same approach.'' ''If someone casts covetous eyes on our territories, be sure that we will do what is required. We will not allow even the thought of it. Some countries, which try to get benefit and make concession, are giving support to terrorist organizations. There are some neighbor countries that provide logistic support and sheltering opportunities to terrorist organizations. They allow terrorist organizations' setting up camps for training. Nobody has got benefits from their support to terrorism,'' he emphasized. Noting that the Armed Forces and security forces continue to launch a resolved struggle against terrorist organizations, Basesgioglu said, ''we are resolved to struggle against terrorism. The terrorism has nearly come to an end.'' Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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