Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-12-12

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

12 DEC 1998

CONTENTS

[01] INTERROGATION OF OCALAN, CHIEF OF THE SEPARATIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, BY ITALIAN PROSECUTORS ENDS

[02] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CETIN RETURNS TO TURKEY

[03] MORNINGSTAR DUE IN TURKEY

[04] A TOTAL OF 11 THOUSAND 415 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAPTURED IN EDIRNE THIS YEAR

[05] HOLBROOKE, THE US SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CYPRUS, IN ISTUNBUL

[06] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ DISCLOSES EMERGENCY MEASURES TO RELIEVE TURKEY'S ECONOMIC SECTOR

[07] STRAITS ARGUMENT RESULTS IN WITH THE DIPLOMATIC SUCCESS OF TURKEY

[08] REPERCUSSIONS OF EMERGENCY ECONOMIC MEASURES - EGE, UNDERSECRETARY OF FOREIGN TRADE: - ''MEASURES WILL HELP TURKEY TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS COMING FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES''

[09] PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION LED BY KARAYALCIN, CONCLUDES CONTACTS IN BULGARIA

[01] INTERROGATION OF OCALAN, CHIEF OF THE SEPARATIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, BY ITALIAN PROSECUTORS ENDS

Responding to the questions of the journalists, Luigi Saraceni, the Italian Lawyer of Ocalan and Deputy of the Green Party, noted that Ramon Mantovani, Deputy from the Italian Reconstructed Communism

Party (PRC), had accompanied Ocalan as an official and a friend, in his coming from Russia to Italy.

Ocalan responded to questions that how he came to Italy in 12 November and questions regarding the false passport he has. He noted that he declared the police at the Fiumicino Airport in Rome his real identity and sought for political asylum.

Italian prosecutors also asked questions to Ocalan regarding the assasination attempt against Pope II Jean Paul.

Meanwhile the judicial sources told the A.A correspondent that at least one more person along with Mantovani accompanied Ocalan in his journey from Russia to Italy.

There is an investigation launched against Mantovani, on grounds that he promoted illegal immigration.

[02] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CETIN RETURNS TO TURKEY

At the BSECPA General Committee meeting, Cetin has taken over the ''Term Presidency'' from Gennady Selezniev, the Chairman of the State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament.

Addressing a press conference at the Ataturk Airport, Cetin noted that he had held very positive contacts with the high-level officials of the member countries to the BSECPA.

Cetin stressed that he had also came together with Selezniev and exchanged opinions on the economic, commercial, and educational relations between Turkey and Russia.

[03] MORNINGSTAR DUE IN TURKEY

Officials at the US Embassy in Ankara told the A.A correspondent that Morningstar's contacts in Ankara with senior officials from the Energy Ministry, will focus on the issue of Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline project which will transport the Caspian oil into the Western markets via Turkey.

Morningstar is scheduled to meet with Yurdakul Yigitguden, the Undersecretary of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry on Monday morning. He will later come together with the bureacrats lead by Cumhur Ersumer, the Energy and Natural Resources Minister to convey the US Administration's opinions concerning the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline project. He will also stage a press conference on Tuesday to give information about his contacts in Ankara.

The US Administration describes the Baku-Ceyhan route as the most reasonable route to transport the Azeri oil into the Western markets.

[04] A TOTAL OF 11 THOUSAND 415 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAPTURED IN EDIRNE THIS YEAR

Officials told the A.A correspondent that immigrants including many children and women, are mostly from Iraq.

Noting that a total of 695 incidents occured in Edirne Province in January- November period of 1998, officials added that immigrants paid great deals of money to cross the border.

There are also many Iranians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Egyptians Algerians, Bulgarians and Romanians among the captured immigrants.

Officials also added that the immigrants were deported once the legal proceedings are completed.

[05] HOLBROOKE, THE US SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CYPRUS, IN ISTUNBUL

Officials of the US Consulate General in Istanbul, welcomed Holbrooke at the Ataturk Airport.

Holbrooke will lead the meeting on Sunday where the issues such as culture, telecommunication, trade and environment will be discussed by the businessmen.

Thomas Miller, the Special Coordinator of the US State Department for Cyprus , Kenneth Brill, the US Ambassador to Cyprus, and Jan Egeland, the former Undersecretary of Norwagian Foreign Ministry will also be in attendance at the three day meetings.

[06] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ DISCLOSES EMERGENCY MEASURES TO RELIEVE TURKEY'S ECONOMIC SECTOR

Yilmaz pointed out that studies will continue in this field in various sectors that will cover the issue in medium and long term adding that it was determined that emergency measures were needed to meet the finance requirements of the exporters.

Yilmaz said it was decided to allocate 35 trillion lira source to Eximbank for the needs of exporters and real sector. Also, capital of Turkish Eximbank will be increased to one billion US dollars. Thus the capital of Eximbank will increase to 375 trillion lira from 50 trillion lira. 150 trillion lira part of this will be paid to this bank in Jarnuary and February. He said thus Eximbank will be able to meet the credit demands in the coming two months.

Yilmaz said secondly, the government will end a 6 percent levy on corporate borrowing from foreign banks, and reduce the cost of other loans. He said Central Bank will increase limit of Eximbank to Interbank to 30 trillion lira and also activate 200-million dollar post export credit system, opened by Central Bank but has not been since 1992.

With these measures, the government aims at contributing to the pre-finance of exports sector and help overcoming of bottlenecks and complaints.

Prime Minister Yilmaz said they have decided to start high level contacts with the Russian authorities to determine new methods to provide development of trade relations with Russia.

Yilmaz stressed that several measures will be put into practice in the coming days to add a new dynamism to the shuttle trade between Turkey and Russia an several other countries of the region.

Noting that Council of Ministers decided that it would be benefical to put these measures into practice soon, Yilmaz said Zekeriya Temizel, Finance Minister and Isin Celebi, Minister of State will give detailed information to this end on Monday.

Yilmaz also said studies forwarded to the additional measures regarding various sectors will be carried out and that these will be disclosed to the public afterwards.

Yilmaz said approach of banking sector to these problems was as important as the measures of the government, to overcome the negativity appeared in economy because of the foreign sources and pointed out that the government prepared a legal arrangement to provide the contributions of banks and other finance institutions to prevent a possible crisis and submitted it to the Parliament.

Yilmaz said issuing of the law will increase foreign confidence to Turkish banking system and provide new foreign sources to Turkey.

Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz pointed out that no change will be made in Tax Law and Value Added Tax system adding that bill of the crisis will not be given to the working sector.

''What we should do is to apply to special measures that will overcome the effects of Russian economy'' Yilmaz said adding that they decided to take these emergency measures to prevent this negativity, stemming from Russia, to affect other sectors.

[07] STRAITS ARGUMENT RESULTS IN WITH THE DIPLOMATIC SUCCESS OF TURKEY

Mithat Rende, Turkey's Permanent Representative to IMO, revealed the theses of Turkey defended by Haydar Berk, Foreign Ministry Maritime and Aviation Deputy General Director, Omer Kilic, Maritime Acting Undersecretary, experts of the institutions in question, officials of Naval Forces Commander and a team composed of jurists.

Russia, Greece, Bulgaria and Greek Cypriot side, throughout the discussions, left technical dimensions of traffic regime in Turkish straits aside and carried out their efforts to drag the studies into political considerations. The countries in question wanted to include texts, which were prepared with intentionally, to the Development Report.

Turkey who each time reacted harsly to these efforts was supported by other members of the Work Group. Many countries, mainly Germany and the US, wanted oppositions of Turkish side against these efforts of Russia, Greece, Bulgaria and Greek Cypriot side, to be taken into consideration.

The countries in question stepped back upon the atmosphere created in Work Group also the efforts of these countries to change traffic signs and to speed up traffic in the Straits were not included in the report.

The Development Report, which will be submitted to the 71st meeting of IMO in May 1999, includes details about the radar system which Turkey formed to put regime in the Straits to a more healthy base, change in system to use guide captain and the details about an international agreement related with compensating the loses stemming from oil pollution.

The issue of Turkish Straits will be taken up again by ''Ship Routing Working Group'' in the 71th term meeting.

[08] REPERCUSSIONS OF EMERGENCY ECONOMIC MEASURES - EGE, UNDERSECRETARY OF FOREIGN TRADE: - ''MEASURES WILL HELP TURKEY TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS COMING FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES''

Addressing the journalists at the cocktail organized for the 4th anniversary of foundation of the Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade,

Ege stressed that the studies on economic measures have not been completed yet, noting that Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz stated only the basic elements. He added that Isin Celebi, the State Minister, and Zekeriya Temizel, the Finance Minister, will give detailed information to this end on Monday.

Ege noted that the source which will be allocated to the Eximbank will be given to the exporters and real sector under the current conditions of the bank, but gave no details on whether the credit interest rates will be reduced or not.

Ege also pointed out that the Eximbank can be allocated bugdet sources or other sources.

Yasin Hatiboglu, the Acting Speaker of Parliament and several bureaucrats were also in attendance at the cocktail.

[09] PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION LED BY KARAYALCIN, CONCLUDES CONTACTS IN BULGARIA

Responding to the questions of the A.A correspondent, Karayalcin who came to Sofia as the official guest of his Bulgarian counterpart Asen Agov, described his visit to Bulgaria as very positive and productive.

Karayalcin pointed out that the chairmen of the foreign affairs commissions of the parliaments of Balkan countries will convene in Ankara at the end of January in order to discuss regional problem and cooperation opportunities.

Adding that such an project will also be applied to the other surrounding regions of Turkey, Karayalcin stressed that it will be a great project strengthening Turkey's foreign policy.

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