Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-11-23

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

23 NOV 1998

CONTENTS

[01] BATU, THE TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO ITALY: ''WE'LL APPLY TO THE ITALIAN SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS BY REQUESTING ARREST OF OCALAN AND EXCLUSION OF THE JUDGES FROM THE CASE''

[02] TRT CALLS RAI, THE ITALIAN TELEVISION: ''WE WANT TO BELIEVE THAT THE RAI WILL ACT IN THE NAME OF RESPONSIBLE BROADCASTING, WITHOUT HARMING HUMANITARIAN VALUES AND BY REVEALING THE TRUTHS''

[03] DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT IN TRNC

[04] ERDAL INONU, THE HONORARY LEADER OF CHP MEETS WITH ITALIAN PREMIER D'ALEMA - INONU: ''ITALY ENDANGERS HER RELATIONS WITH TURKEY BY ACTING IN SUCH A WAY''

[05] DINI, THE ITALIAN FM: ''IF GERMANY SUBMITS A NEW EXTRADITION REQUEST, OCALAN HAS TO BE ARRESTED AGAIN''

[06] INONU, THE HONORARY LEADER OF CHP EXPLAINS THE TERRORISTIC ACTIVITIES OF SEPARATIST ORGANIZATION AT SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING

[07] THE VILLA WHERE OCALAN, THE CHIEF OF THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION STAYS IN ITALY IS CLAIMED TO BE ALLOCATED BY THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT

[08] SWOBADA, THE EP RAPPORTEUR OF TURKEY: ''NOBODY EXPECTS TURKEY TO TAKE THE CHIEF OF THE SEPARATIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AS INTERLOCUTOR''

[09] TURKEY IN BRIEF - 23 NOVEMBER 1998

[10] TURKEY AND THE US MARKET

[11] THE MONEY OF PKK IN SYRIA - OCALAN IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN SYRIAN BANKS

[12] PISKINSUT, THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE PARLIAMENTARY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION:''WE DENONCE ITALY WHICH GIVES AN ILLEGAL STATUS TO OCALAN, THE TERRORIST CHIEF''

[13] ''TURKEY AEGEAN SHORES AND GREECE AEGEAN ISLANDS ECONOMIC SUMMIT''

[14] PARLIAMENTARY INVESTIGATION COMMISSION CLEARS CILLER, THE LEADER OF DYP IN WEALTH PROBE

[15] UNAL, BILKENT UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: ''THE REPORT OF THE EU COMMISSION NOTES THAT CLERIDES, THE GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER POSTPONED THE DELIVERY OF THE S-300 MISSILES TO APRIL''

[01] BATU, THE TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO ITALY: ''WE'LL APPLY TO THE ITALIAN SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS BY REQUESTING ARREST OF OCALAN AND EXCLUSION OF THE JUDGES FROM THE CASE''

Responding to questions of journalists, Batu said that Turkey has to appeal the verdict of the Italian court till November 30, adding that the lawyers are preparing to appeal the verdict.

Noting that he will apply to the Italian Supreme Court of Appeals, Batu said that Turkey will request the re-arrest of Ocalan and exclusion of the judges from the case.

Batu said that the Italian officials also try to persuade Germany concerning the extradition of Ocalan, the terrorist chief.

[02] TRT CALLS RAI, THE ITALIAN TELEVISION: ''WE WANT TO BELIEVE THAT THE RAI WILL ACT IN THE NAME OF RESPONSIBLE BROADCASTING, WITHOUT HARMING HUMANITARIAN VALUES AND BY REVEALING THE TRUTHS''

TRT Execution Board convened under the leadership of Yucel Yener, the Director General and issued a statement for RAI recalling that 30,000 innocent people were killed by terrorism in Turkey, thousands of innocent children and women, many doctors, teachers, and civil servants were killed.

''These are all crimes against humanity which can't be accepted by the modern world and can't be justified,'' noted the statement, stressing that PKK is a terrorist organization and Abdullah Ocalan is the chief of this terrorist organization, and also PKK is the greatest drug smuggler of the Middle East and this fact is recognized by all European countries and the US.

''When you look at your archives and our archives which are always open to you, you will meet with pictures of such violence which has been continuing in Turkey for 17 years and which have not been seen even in the most cruel wars. In our country, a racist and separatist terrorism has been continuing for 17 years and international law recognizes these acts of violence as terrorism. It is sad to think that justice has disappeared in a country like Italy where the roots of law had been created,'' added the statement.

[03] DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT IN TRNC

Addressing the ceremony, TRNC President Denktas said, ''we didn't make our martyrs feel ashamed. As a result of Turkey's determination, our people understand that our state is permanent.''

''Saying that I have a state means integration and integration means cooperation; further strengthening of the TRNC; more effective assistance of Turkey and integration of our economies,'' Denktas said.

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said for his part that the peace was brought to the island by the Turkish Cypriots, stressing that the confederation proposal was an important step for peace.

Stating that the countries, which didn't officially recognize the TRNC, started to feel an obligation to accept that there is a state on the north of Cyprus, Ecevit said that there were important developments in the world concerning the TRNC and those were the signals for the acceptance of the TRNC'c existence.

Criticising Italy which took the chief terrorist under her wings, Bulent Ecevit stated, ''Italy, which doesn't recognize peaceful and democratic TRNC, protects world's bloodiest terrorist trying to destroy Turkey. This is an embarrassing contradiction.''

[04] ERDAL INONU, THE HONORARY LEADER OF CHP MEETS WITH ITALIAN PREMIER D'ALEMA - INONU: ''ITALY ENDANGERS HER RELATIONS WITH TURKEY BY ACTING IN SUCH A WAY''

Addressing a statement after his meeting with D'Alema, Inonu said that the Turkish-Italian relations are at a difficult point, adding that the tendency of the Italian government to grant political asylum to Abdullah Ocallan, the chief of the separatist terrorist organization PKK plays an important role concerning the outcome of this problem.

Noting that the terrorist organization demands to establish an independent state and it threatens the territorial integrity of Turkey, Inonu said that ''nobody in Turkey can permit others to threaten his/her territorial integrity. The reactions of the Turkish public opinion is directed towards the tendency of Italy which can grant political asylum to Ocalan, who created such a threat in Turkey.''

Stressing that the chief of the separatist terrorist organization has to be tried in Turkey due to his terrorist activities, Inonu stated that he explained his views to D'Alema, the Italian Premier telling him that no political asylum should be granted to Ocalan.

Inonu told D'Alema that if Italy continues to act like this, this will endanger the relations between Turkey and Italy.

D'Alema, the Italian Premier said in his part that the issue is a legal one and they don't wish deterioration of relations with Turkey. Noting that they were not informed about the arrival of Oclan in Rome, D'Alema said that they arrested Ocalan due to the Schengen Agremeent because Ocalan was wanted in Germany.

D'Alema gave such a message to Inonu that if Germany requests the extradition of Ocalan, Italy is in a tendency to extradite Ocalan to Germany.

''We expect the reactions in Turkey to stop and we don't want further deterioration of our relations,'' added D'Alema.

[05] DINI, THE ITALIAN FM: ''IF GERMANY SUBMITS A NEW EXTRADITION REQUEST, OCALAN HAS TO BE ARRESTED AGAIN''

Addressing a statement, Lamberto Dini said that the new arrest warrant of Germany can be considered as the start of a new request of extradition, adding that if this is the case, Ocalan has to be arrested again.

When asked whether or not there is a bargaining among Turkey, Italy and Germany, Dini said that ''there is not a specific barganing. But we hold contacts to find a solution to this complicated and difficult problem.''

Denying the news saying that Ocalan will be transferred to Libya, Dini said that Italy does not have such a proposal, as this will mean deportation.

Responding to a question about the deportation possibility of Ocalan, the Italian foreign minister said that ''firstly the justice should do its task, later we'll decide what to do.''

[06] INONU, THE HONORARY LEADER OF CHP EXPLAINS THE TERRORISTIC ACTIVITIES OF SEPARATIST ORGANIZATION AT SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING

Erdal Inonu, the Deputy Chairman of the Socialist International who participated in the meeting representing CHP addressed to the party leaders and said that the debate which is going on whether or not to grant political asylum to Ocalan, the terrorist chief is unacceptable.

Pointing out that the separatist terrorist organization PKK threatens the territorial integrity of Turkey, Erdal Inonu said that the chief of the terrorist organization has to be sent to Turkey and tried there.

[07] THE VILLA WHERE OCALAN, THE CHIEF OF THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION STAYS IN ITALY IS CLAIMED TO BE ALLOCATED BY THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT

After being released by the court of appeal in Rome, Ocalan, the terrorist chief, who was obliged to stay in a house under security measures, said that he wanted to stay in a place which is close to Piazza Victoria district in Rome as this district is close to the office of ERNK, the so- called political flank of the PKK. However Italian officials rejected this demand of Ocalan because they are concerned about the fact that Ocalan could escape or stage activities against Turkey.

The Italian government is believed to allocate the villa in Infernetto district (meaning small hell in Italian) in order to isolate Ocalan from some activities of separatist terrorist organization PKK and to provide his security.

An Italian official told A.A correspondent that the place where Ocalan stays possible belongs to the Italian intelligence service.

[08] SWOBADA, THE EP RAPPORTEUR OF TURKEY: ''NOBODY EXPECTS TURKEY TO TAKE THE CHIEF OF THE SEPARATIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AS INTERLOCUTOR''

Responding to questions of journalists during the Socialist International meetings, Swoboda said that ''nobody expects Turkey to take the chief of the separatist terrorist organization as interlocutor, but Europe expects Turkey to take reforms in the field of human rights and democracy.''

The report which is expected to be taken up by the EP in December, is described by the diplomatic sources as a moderate report.

[09] TURKEY IN BRIEF - 23 NOVEMBER 1998

Their world tour will take 1.5 years.

BRUSSELS - General Huseyin Kivrikoglu, the Chief of General Staff, arrived on Sunday in Belgium to attend the NATO Military Command meetings.

Kivrikoglu will participate in the Military Committee Chiefs of General Staffs' 131st Meeting in Brussels.

Kivrikoglu will return to Turkey on 26 November.

ANKARA - The budget of the Project for the Development of Animal Husbandry in Turkey was revised, it was reported on Monday.

The budget was increased from 480 thousand 479 US dollars to 483 thousand 371 US dollars.

ISTANBUL - Algirdas Saugardas, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, arrived on Monday in Turkey as the official guest of Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister.

The guest minister Saugardas will attend the Turkish-Lithuanian Business Council meeting in Istanbul the same day.

Saugardas and the accompanying delegation will later proceed to Ankara.

ANKARA - Admiral Salim Dervisoglu, the Chief Commander of the Naval Forces, left on Monday for the Belgian capital of Brussels.

Admiral Dervisoglu will attend the European Allied Forces Commanders' Meeting.

Admiral Salim Dervisoglu will return to Turkey on 26 November.

[10] TURKEY AND THE US MARKET

Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Byrd said that the effect of the Turkish products on the US consumers was increasing gradually and if the Turkish exporters send more products to the US, than the consumers in the US purchase more Turkish goods.

Stating that the Turkish exporters have some concerns about the issue of export to the US, Byrd said the most important concern was the quotas.

''The reason for the failure in business between the Turkish exporters and the US is shown as the quotas. The number of quoted products will be decreased by ten percent and the quotas will be removed in the year 2005,'' he said.

Byrd stressed that the Turkish products can easily find demand if the Turksh exporters market those goods correctly in the US.

''The Turkish exporters should not pretend not to see these two rules while selling goods to the US; the exporting companies should have a very well quality control system and should obey the delivery date. The US is very good market having a high purchase potential for the Turkish products. The US is a reliable and permanent market for the Turkish exporters,'' he added.

[11] THE MONEY OF PKK IN SYRIA - OCALAN IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN SYRIAN BANKS

According to the data of the World Bank, the total tax incomes of Syria is 3,3 billion dollars, her direct foreign investment amount is 89 million dollars and the total credit volume of her banking sector is 8,3 billion dollars.

Thus one billion dollars of the separatist terrorist organization PKK is an important amount for Syria.

It is estimated that the terrorist organization PKK earns annualy an income of 35-40 million dollars from drug trafficking. The terrorist organization puts a big portion of this money to the banks in Syria.

While one billion dollars does not mean much for Turkey, this amount is more than 30 percent of the tax incomes, one fourth of the export incomes, 12 percent of the banking credit volume and 11 times more than the foreign capital amount of Syria.

[12] PISKINSUT, THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE PARLIAMENTARY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION:''WE DENONCE ITALY WHICH GIVES AN ILLEGAL STATUS TO OCALAN, THE TERRORIST CHIEF''

Piskinsut told A.A correspondent that the Parliamentary Commission of Human Rights considers the attitude pursued by Italy towards the terrorist chief as ''contrary to human honor.''

Noting that the Parliamentary Commission of the Human Rights published a declaration and announced the negative attitude pursued by Italy to the public opinion, Piskinsut said that they will send the declaration not only to the Italian government, parliament, NGOs and journalists in Italy, but also to the European Court of Human Rights and to all parliaments of European countries.

The declaration stresses that the chief of the separatist terrorist organization can't be considered as a political criminal.

''Ocalan is a terrorist due to the crimes he committed,'' said Piskinsut, adding that it is not appropriate to reconcile the abolishment of death penalty in Turkey with extradition of Ocalan.

Noting that there are 38 files of death penalty which are pending before the parliament for approval, Piskinsut said that the parliament has not approved them for 14 years.

[13] ''TURKEY AEGEAN SHORES AND GREECE AEGEAN ISLANDS ECONOMIC SUMMIT''

Addressing the opening speech of the meeting, Ekrem Demirtas, the Chairman of the Izmir Chamber of Commerce, gave information about the general economic situation in Izmir and the Aegean Region and their foreign trade potentials.

Pointing out that they arrived there with a 153-member delegation, Demirtas said, ''we load and unload 4.5 million tonnes of products annually at the Izmir Seaport. This amount was the same in 1880. The Aegean failed to use its real potential. Thus we have to be friends and cooperate. The trade between out two countries is limited at 550 million US dollars annually. There is a great and very important potential especially in the fields of trade, tourism and transportation. However, this potential can't be used due to several reasons.''

Stressing that the Turkish people want to develop the relations with the islands and the Turkish businessmen want to realize business with the Greek islands, Demirtas said, ''the existing commercial relations are not at the level between two neighbours. From now on, friendship bridges and free trade markets between the Aegean shores of Turkey and the Greek island should be set up.''

[14] PARLIAMENTARY INVESTIGATION COMMISSION CLEARS CILLER, THE LEADER OF DYP IN WEALTH PROBE

The vote showed the political alliances being tested in advance of a Wednesday confidence vote, which is expected to bring down the government of Prime Minister Mesut Yżlmaz.

The Motherland Party (ANAP) supported Ciller in the 12-2 vote, although Motherland had originally asked for the probe. Parliament is considered likely to follow the panel's decision.

A negative vote would have stripped Tansu Ciller of her immunity from prosecution. Apart from the Motherland Party, the deputies from the True Path Party (DYP), Virtue Party (FP) and the Democratic Leftist Party (DSP) supported Ciller, while the deputies from the Republican Peoples Party voted against her.

[15] UNAL, BILKENT UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: ''THE REPORT OF THE EU COMMISSION NOTES THAT CLERIDES, THE GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER POSTPONED THE DELIVERY OF THE S-300 MISSILES TO APRIL''

Responding to questions of A.A correspondent about the news claiming that the S-300 missiles which the Greek Cypriot side ordered to purchase from Russia were sent secretly to the island, Hasan Unal stated that ''I am cautious about these claims, transfer of the S-300 missiles secretly from Russia to the island is a risky policy in respect of the Greek Cypriot side.''

The Greek Cypriot press claimed last week that the S-300 missiles started to be carried to the island by the decision taken by Glafcos Clerides, the Greek Cypriot leader.

''Turkey strictly monitors the S-300 missiles, Israel is uneasy about the missiles and moreover I don't think that the US would close her eyes to the transportation of the missiles to the island,'' said Unal.

''The EU Commission says in its report concerning the EU membership of Greek Cypriot side that the S-300 missiles is not in harmony with the membership process and the EU and the EU Commission are concerned about this issue,'' he added.

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