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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-10-04Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>04 OCT 1998CONTENTS
[01] TURKISH-SYRIAN TENSION - PRESIDENT DEMIREL: ''THIS ISSUE IS SERIOUS, I SAY IT FRANKLY'' - ''I'M NOT ONLY WARNING SYRIA, I WARN THE WORLD, THIS CAN'T GO ON LIKE THAT''ELAZIG, Oct 4 (A.A) - Suleyman Demirel, the President said on Sunday that they don't only warn Syria, but the world, adding that ''this issue is serious, I say it frankly. If you ask what is serious, I can say that Turkey has suffered a lot till today, she does not want to suffer any more. What can I say clearer than that?''Responding to questions of journalists about the Syrian crisis, Demirel stated that Turkey expressed her uneasiness over the Syrian attitude, adding that the press called this as ''Syrian Crisis.'' ''Everybody knows that Turkey suffers from separatist terrorism,'' said Demirel, adding that nearly 5000 civilian citizens including children and women were killed by terrorism. ''Protecting our citizens, teritories and borders is business of the state. When the state is doing this mission, 5000 of its soldiers and police officers were killed, Turkey is in pain. Now we warn not only Syria, but the whole world. This can't continue like that. A neighbourinng country can't do this to her neighbour meaning that she can't protect bloody gangs, bandits within her territories and can't permit them enter into Turkey. We want the whole world to hear that. Turkey is in a self-defense and the Syria acted contrary to the Charter of the United Nations (UN). One state can't encourage committing of crime in another country. These elements have been expressed over and over. I say this as the head of the state. What will happen after that, this depends on the developments,'' said President Demirel. Recalling that Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian President wishes to meet with him by coming to Turkey, Demirel said that Egypt is a friend of Turkey and all the Arabic countries are friends of Turkey. ''We explained this bloody terror incident to all of these friendly countries. We told them that ''is it proper in Islam? The ones who were killed by terrorists are moslem. The thing that have been done by Syria is not suitable with humanity, fraternity, islam and neighbourhood. Syrian officials deny that the chief of the separatist terrorist organization is in Syria, but this is true,'' said Demirel. Noting that Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian President will visit Turkey anytime, President Demirel said that Mubarak is the president of a friendly country. ''He can come anytime he wishes, but I suppose that he can come on Tuesday, '' added Demirel. Responding to a question asking whether Turkey has contacts with the US concerning the Syrian crisis, President Demirel said ''the US administration knows what we think, the things I say to you are also said in the US.'' [02] PRESIDENT DEMIREL RETURNS TO TURKEY FROM MACEDONIAANKARA, Oct 4 (A.A) - President Suleyman Demirel, who concluded his official visit to Macedonia, said on Saturday that Kiro Gligorov, the President of Macedonia and he made a full-scale exchange of opinion about the Kosovo issue that threatens the peace in the region.Speaking to reporters at the Esenboga Airport, President Demirel said that his visit was very positive and beneficial for the relations between the two countries. Pointing out that he paid his second official visit at presidential-level to Macedonia after her independence, Demirel said, ''during my visit, I was very pleased to observe the successes of Macedonia in every field.'' Noting that Gligorov and he took up the bilateral relations, President Suleyman Demirel said that they reached an agreement to deepen and further improve those relations in every field. Stating that they signed two agreements in the fields of agriculture and animal husbandry and two protocols regarding the Vardar Plain Project, Demirel said, ''President Gligorov and I made a full-scale exchange of opinion about the Kosovo issue which seriously threatens the peace in the region. Within this framework, a joint announcement reflecting the approaches of the two countries to the issue was made.'' ''I met with the representatives of the Turkish minority in Macedonia. I emphasized that we will continue our support to have them live in peace and prosperity within democracy,'' he mentioned. ''My visit has brought productive and beneficial consequences to further develop the cooperation and solidarity between Turkey and Macedonia,'' President Demirel added. [03] SEZGIN, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE: ''THE MEETING AMONG THE US, BARZANI AND TALABANI WAS HELD WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE ANKARA PROCESS''SANLIURFA, Oct 4 (A.A) - Ismet Sezgin, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of National Defense, said on Saturday that the meeting among the US, Mesut Barzani and Celal Talabani was held within the framework of the Ankara process, stressing, ''there have been dreams for establishing a Kurdish state for 100 years but they turned out to be nothing.''Ismet Sezgin and Husamettin Cindoruk, the leader of the Democratic Turkey Party (DTP), met with Sahabettin Harput, the Governor of southeastern Sanliurfa province. Responding to a question about the meeting between Barzani and Talabani in the US, Sezgin said, ''the meeting among the US, Massaud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and Jalal Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union for Kurdistan (PUK) is held within the framework of the Ankara process. Nothing can be done, if Turkey, the greatest state in the region, doesn't want it. Don't worry about this. For 100 years, there have been the dreams for establishing a Kurdish state there. This will remain as a dream. Such desires and efforts have always been appeared. This will remain like this today and in the future. Next meetings will be held in Turkey as it is mentioned in the agreement in the US. In this agreement, there is not an element of establishing a Kurdish state.'' Pointing out that the Turkish Armed Forces continue their operations against the separatist terrorist PKK organization, Sezgin said, ''the Turkish Armed Forces take every measures against infiltrations from our border and continue to launch operations to prevent the separatist terrorists' raiding villages and attacking the military stations. Necessary things will be done if there is the same danger on the Northern Iraqi border, and we will do this within the framework given to us by the United Nations.'' [04] TURKEY IN BRIEF - 4 OCTOBER 1998WASHINGTON D.C - Gunes Taner, the Minister of State, who is in Washington D.C, the US upon the Autumn Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, started his contacts, it was reported on Saturday.Taner met with Stanley Fischer, the Deputy Chairman of the IMF, and later held a meeting with Luc Hublou, the Executive Director of the World Bank. The IMF, in its last annual report, announced that the Turkish government's struggle against inflation was ''successful''. The Minister of State Gunes Taner is accompanied by a delegation including Yener Dincmen, the Undersecretary of the Treasury, and Gazi Ercel, the President of the Central Bank. ISKENDERUN - The Dynamic Mix '98 (DM '98), the NATO's one of the biggest military exercises in the Southern region, continues, it was reported on Saturday. The number of personnel participating in the DM '98 increased to 2,000. The military exercise, which started on 1 October, will conclude on 21 October. IZMIR - The ''October 3, the National Day of Germany'' was also celebrated in Izmir, it was reported on Saturday. Manfred Unger, Germany's Consulate General in Izmir, hosted a reception at the Princess Hotel in Balcova county. ISTANBUL - The ''First International Competition Symposium'' will start on Monday in Istanbul. The officials from the competition departments of the international economic organizations, the chairmen and deputy chairmen of the competition organizations of the EU member countries and high-level international academicians will attend the symposium. NEW YORK - The 3D paints ''Renkly'', which are produced by the ''PoliUSA'' company established in the US one year ago with the Turkish Polisan corporation, was elected as the ''best toy'' in its category in the competition opened by the ''Family Fun'' magazine, it was reported on Sunday. ANKARA - General Huseyin Kivrikoglu, the Chief of General Staff, left on Sunday for Romania. The Secretariat General of the General Staff said that Gen. Kivrikoglu left for Romania to pay an official visit. GAZIANTEP - The Ministry of Tourism, which prepares itself for the 2000th anniversary of birth of Jesus Christ, continues its Belief Tourism Tour'98- 2, it was reported on Sunday. Following the visits to historical and religious places in southeastern Gaziantep province, the guests will continue their Belief Tourism Tour '98- 2 covering Adiyaman-Kahta, Sanliurfa, Mardin and Diyarbakir provinces. [05] ECEVIT, THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: ''NEITHER CHIEF OF THE SEPARATIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, NOR SYRIA AND IRAN CAN BE ABLE TO DIVIDE TURKEY''DENIZLI, Oct 4 (A.A) - Bulent Ecevit, the Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister said on Sunday that ''neither Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the separatist terrorist organization PKK, nor Syria and Iran can be able to divide Turkey.''Addressing to people in western province of Denizli, Ecevit said that he finds the attitude of European countries, particularly Italy strange, adding that neither Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the separatist terrorist organization PKK, nor Syria and Iran can be able to divide Turkey.' [06] PEACEFUL BRIDGE-98 MILITARY EXERCISE CONCLUDESISTANBUL, Oct 4 (A.A) - The ''Peaceful Bridge-98'' military exercise, which was organized to carry out mutual operation with the Partnership For Peace (PFP) countries in the field of protection of peace and to provide a common understanding, was concluded on Sunday.Addressing the closing ceremony for the Peaceful Bridge-98 military exercise, General Suleyman Canpolat, the Commander of the 66th Armoured Brigade Commandership in Mahmutbey, said that they successfully carried out the ''training and operation at the squad-level for the protection of peace'', which constituted the most important part of the activities of the military exercise to protect the peace. The foreign military units, which participated in the military exercise, will leave for their countries on Monday by cargo planes of the Turkish Air Forces. [07] AKTAS, THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR: ''GURBULAK BORDER GATE IS AN IMPORTANT BORDER GATE FOR TURKEY, IF THERE ARE DEFECTS, THEY WILL BE OVERCOMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE''GURBULAK, Oct 4 (A.A) - Kutlu Savas, the Minister of Interior said on Sunday that Gurbulak border gate is an important border gate for Turkey, adding that deficiences at the gate will be overcomed as soon as possible.Noting that the number of vehicles that use the border gate are around 700 in a day, Aktas said that this number has to increase. ''We'll launch initiatives to correct the entrance-exit conditions of both vehicles and passangers, we'll make this gate better as soon as possible,'' said Aktas. Aktas also met with several Iranian officials at the border for a short time. [08] TURKEY TO PRODUCE MINE DETECTOR AND SWEEPER ROBOTSANKARA, Oct 4 (A.A) - Turkey will produce robotic machines, which will detect and destroy the mines through the information they will receive from the unmanned aircrafts to determine the mines by infra-red cameras, it was reported on Sunday.Turkey joined the project, which was prepared by firms in nine European countries, to destroy the mines by these robotic machines. The project was started within the structure of the European Coordination Committee. The Marmara Research Center (MAM) of the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) represents Turkey in the project titled ''Destruction of Antipersonnel Mines'' started by 14 companies in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Austria, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The project was foreseen to be concluded within four years. [09] SECURITY FORCES CAPTURE 500 PEOPLE TRYING TO ESCAPE TO ITALY FROM CANAKKALE AND GELIBOLUCANAKKALE, Oct 4 (A.A) - Security forces captured on Sunday a total of 500 immigrants including 250 Turkish people trying to escape to Italy illegally from Canakkale and Gelibolu.Security forces also detained 11 persons on charges of planning the escape of the illegal immigrants to Italy by ship. Acting on a tip-off, the Provincial Directorate of Security's Departments of Smuggling, Intelligence and Operation, and Struggling Against Terrorism took measures in Canakkale and Gelibolu. The security forces, which launched joint operations with the Gendarmerie, carried out identification controls in the passanger busses and minibusses arrived in Canakkale and Gelibolu from Istanbul and Izmir. In the operations continued until the morning, a total of 500 people including women and children were detained on charges of attempting to illegally escape to abroad. Questioning these people, the officials said these people were to escape to Italy by an unknown ship at the Kabatepe seaport in the Saros Gulf. Officials said 250 of them were Turkish people while the half of the people were of Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan and Palestinian origins. Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |