Anadolu Agency: News in English, 99-01-10

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

10 JAN 1999

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] ECEVIT, THE DSP LEADER: ''THE WORK ON GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME HAS BEEN COMPLETED''

[03] ASELSAN TO PRODUCE ''ASSEMBLED-TO-BASE'' STINGER MISSILES

[04] TURKISH AND ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS COME TOGETHER IN ROME

[05] ECEVIT, THE PRIME-MINISTER DESIGNATE: ''WE WILL GIVE THE LAST FORM OF THE CABINET TODAY''

[06] ONE CHILD KILLED, TWO OTHERS WOUNDED WHILE PLAYING WITH FUSE AND EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL

[07] INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: ''TURKEY, WHICH WAS A SHY COUNTRY IN THE PAST NOW ASSUMES A NEW ROLE IN THE WORLD''

[08] UN-CYPRUS - HERCUS, THE UN ENVOY TO RESUME SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY

[09] JOURNALISTS' DAY CELEBRATED - PRESIDENT DEMIREL: ''OUR PRESS SUCCESSFULLY FULFILS ITS DUTY OF BEING A STRONGHOLD SURROUNDING THE REPUBLIC'' - PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ: ''THE PRESS IS THE INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF DEMOCRACY''

[10] PANEL ON NOTHERN IRAQ AND TURCOMEN

[11] NEWS CLAIMING THAT THE TERRORIST CHIEF IS JUST TO LEAVE ITALY IS DENIED

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL) BIG CARELESSNESS
A substance namely Cobalt 60, which could only enter into Turkey by special permission, was imported from the US by Piker Medicine Company. The firm put the substance in a depot rather than sending it back to the US when its usage date expired. The substance was sold to scrap dealers who were later exposed to radiation when they broke the dangerous substance in spite of the warning message on it. The brothers are in the hospital now and the substance can't be found.

PANIC IN ITALY
Augusto Sinagra, Turkey's due to the crisis that erupted after Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the separatist terrorist organization PKK was arrested in Italy, warned the Italian government that three PKK members can come to Rome and this caused a great panic in Italy.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

THREE MESSAGES OF THE ARMY
The statement of the army issued on January 4 stressed that the internal stability has to be installed and the government has to be established, noting that the right to protect democracy against fundamentalism was very important. Politicians did not make any comment on the warnings of the army.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

EREZ PLAYS A BIG GAME
Yalım Erez, the Minister of Industry and Trade who was assigned by President Suleyman Demirel to form the government, but who later returned the mandate, is preparing to be the leader of the Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) and make the party to have a group in the parliament.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

PROGRAMME OF THE GOVERNMENT IS READY
The government programme of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) is ready and first of all the issues of economy, the struggle with the mafia and foreign relations will be dealth with.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

The PIKER company in Ankara had sent the radiative device to a depot in Istanbul. Later, the device was transferred to a neighbouring warehouse and sold to scrap dealers for 10 million TL. A nucleus is still missing. It was revealed that the radiative blocks, which created the first nuclear disaster in Turkey, were the power feed of a radiotherapy apparatus. A total of eight people were exposed to radiation and six other people, who sold the device, were detained.

LIST OF CABINET IS READY
Bulent Ecevit, the leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), who concluded his talks with the political party leaders after meeting with the Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) leader Husamettin Cindoruk, will present on Monday the list of cabinet to the President.

The number of ministers in the new cabinet will be 25.

YENİ YÜZYIL (LIBERAL)

ANAP leader Yilmaz is in straits as there are too many candidates for the general elections. ANAP is trying to find appropriate places for 20 deputies, who are newly transferred to ANAP and ten bureaucrats.

KATANGA WANTS APO
Princess Dacia Valent, the wife of Katanga Prince Tshombe, visited Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of terrorist organization PKK, in his dwelling near Rome, Italy.

The Italian press claimed that Dacia Valent had invited Apo to Africa, saying, ''Come to Africa. You will be in comfort.''

TÜRKİYE (RIGHT)

The third bridge to Istanbul Straits, Izmit Gulf crossing and nuclear power plant are awaiting the foreign loan in question.

OCALAN: ''I WILL CLOSE PKK''
Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the separatist terrorist PKK, is trying to play a trick. He announced that he was seeking a new organization.

Talking to PKK's broadcasting organ, the Med TV, on the phone, Ocalan said, ''PKK can no longer continue like this. Its traditional form and characteristic should be changed.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

During that tour over Istanbul, the children lived the happiness and enthusiasm of getting on a plane and flying for the first time in their lives.

[02] ECEVIT, THE DSP LEADER: ''THE WORK ON GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME HAS BEEN COMPLETED''

The State Ministers Husamettin Ozkan, Hasan Gemici and Sukru Sina Gurel and Hikmet Ulugbay, the National Minister, Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister and Zekeriya Temizel, the Minister of Finance, who came together with Bulent Ecevit the same day completed the government programme.

After the meeting, responding to a question asking whether or not he met with Ciller and Yılmaz, Ecevit said he did not meet with them, adding that ''I don't think that there will be a problem concerning the cabinet.''

Asked whether the list of the cabinet was prepared or not, Ecevit said ''we are not in a hurry, we have worked on the government programme.''

''Have you reached an agreement with Ms. Ciller and Mr. Yılmaz upon the names of Ministers of Interior and Transportation,'' asked a journalist to Ecevit who said that ''I will ask for their views and later determine the ministers.''

Noting that he does not have a secret protocol with the True Path Party (DYP), Ecevit said that the government programme is short, thus it needs time to be prepared. ''We will directly submit the programme to the parliament, those who extend support to us give us full authority,'' he added.

[03] ASELSAN TO PRODUCE ''ASSEMBLED-TO-BASE'' STINGER MISSILES

The tests for those missiles, which will be produced totally by ASELSAN, brought positive results.

The required financing worth of 380 million US dollars for this two-year project will be met from the Defense Industry Development and Support Fund.

The project foresees the production of 208 ''assembled-to-base'' stinger missiles.

[04] TURKISH AND ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS COME TOGETHER IN ROME

Faruk Logoglu, the Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary, Inal Batu, the Turkish Ambassador to Italy participated in the meeting and a delegation headed by Vattini, the Italian Foreign Ministry Undersecretary represented Italy at the meeting.

The Turkish side brought the issue of extradition of Abdullah Ocalan to the agenda of the meeting during the meeting.

Diplomatic sources told A.A correspondent that a concrete result has not been reached, adding that the meeting was realized within the framework of the exchange of view that was earlier foreseen between the two countries.

Logoglu, who represented the Turkish delegation at the meeting returned to Turkey the same day.

[05] ECEVIT, THE PRIME-MINISTER DESIGNATE: ''WE WILL GIVE THE LAST FORM OF THE CABINET TODAY''

Responding to questions of journalists, Ecevit said that they will continue launching efforts to determine the members of the cabinet.

Bulent Ecevit said that the appointments of independent ministers, who will work as ministers of interior, justice and transportation, have not been determined yet, adding that he will announce the cabinet list to public opinion after submitting it to President Suleyman Demirel.

[06] ONE CHILD KILLED, TWO OTHERS WOUNDED WHILE PLAYING WITH FUSE AND EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL

Three children got serious injuries on their hands and faces when the aceton they were playing with flarep up in a hut in Fatih district in Sincan county of Ankara.

Islam Toy, 10, Samet Ugras, 9, and Mehmet Hisir, 11, were immediately taken to hospital but Samet Ugras died in the hospital.

Doctors said Islam Toy was in critical condition.

[07] INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: ''TURKEY, WHICH WAS A SHY COUNTRY IN THE PAST NOW ASSUMES A NEW ROLE IN THE WORLD''

International Herald Tribune, in its last issue included an article written by Stephan Kinzer, who evaluated the internal and foreign policies of Turkey.

Kinzer said that Turkish leaders used the economic growth of the country in a sensible way in order to reach political targets, adding ''they have been very successful in that.''

The article noted that Turkey is just to have a government under the premiership of Bulent Ecevit, the leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), stressing that ''the resolved and pretentious foreign policy of Turkey will also continue in this coming period.''

Pointing out that Turkey's foreign policy is tougher and stronger today compared to the past, the article referred to the Greek Cypriot side which gave up deployment of the S-300 missiles on the island, noting that ''the recent success of the Turkish foreign policy was realized on the tense island of Cyprus.''

Recalling that Turkey warned Syria, which had permitted the chief of the separatist terrorist organization PKK to take shelter in her territories, and wanted her to send him away, the article pointed out that ''Syria submitted to Turkey and deported the chief of the separatist terrorist organization.''

Pointing out to the statement of Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister who said that ''the capacity of Istanbul Strait is full and Turkey won't give priority to the passage of the oil tankers through the straits,'' the article added that Turkey has strong economy, a population of 65 millions, 370,000 soldiers and regional rivals of Turkey such as Iraq, Iran and Russia are very weak.

[08] UN-CYPRUS - HERCUS, THE UN ENVOY TO RESUME SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY

Ann Hercus will come together with Glafcos Clerides, the Greek Cypriot leader on Monday within the framework of her contacts started after the Greek Cypriot side gave up the idea of deploying the S-300 missiles on the island.

Hercus left for New Zealand, her country for the Christmas holiday on December 21. Addressing a press briefing before leaving the island, Hercus said that if there was no progression by the shuttle diplomacy, she would propose to stop the process.

[09] JOURNALISTS' DAY CELEBRATED - PRESIDENT DEMIREL: ''OUR PRESS SUCCESSFULLY FULFILS ITS DUTY OF BEING A STRONGHOLD SURROUNDING THE REPUBLIC'' - PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ: ''THE PRESS IS THE INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF DEMOCRACY''

President Demirel said the Turkish press was successfully fulfilling its duty of being the stronghold surrounding the Republic.

President Demirel said the duty of press in democracies is to carry out a social control, to make constructive criticisms, to guard the right of receiving correct and real news and to be the mediator in reflecting the positive developments to the public, stressing that the press' being a free organ completely was one of the most important conditions required for a democratic society.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister said in his message that the press was the indispensable element of democracy.

''Our press undertakes an important responsibility in creating and protecting a peaceful and tolerant atmosphere. Our press has responsibilities in Turkey's communication with the globalized world and in formation of a participant and guiding public opinion,'' Prime Minister Yilmaz said.

[10] PANEL ON NOTHERN IRAQ AND TURCOMEN

Noting that Turcomen people have to be protected, Sıvgın defended the view that ''more or less there exists a structure of a Kurdish state in Northern Iraq at the moment and this issue can be recognized at the international level by the establishment of the Palestinian state.''

Prof. Dr. Hasan Koni, said in his part that the US is in the tendency of establishing a Kurdish state in Northern Iraq, stressing that Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) put forward the pre-condition of establishment of a state before leaving for the US.

Koni said ''a Palestinian state is being established in the Middle East, there has to be a counter-balance for that which can be the structure that will be formed in Northern Iraq.'' Koni stated that Turkey has to determine well ''whom, when and where she will oppose.''

Mustafa Kemal Yaycılı, the leader of the Iraqi National Turcoman Party said in his part that Turcomen suffer from the pressure imposed on them by the administration in Arbil in Northern Iraq, noting Turcomen are tried to be annihilated by Kurdish people.

[11] NEWS CLAIMING THAT THE TERRORIST CHIEF IS JUST TO LEAVE ITALY IS DENIED

The news agency claimed that the solution of the problem caused by the chief of the separatist terrorist organization PKK was very close adding that Ocalan could leave Italy any time.

The Turkish and Italian diplomatic sources in Rome told A.A correspondent that the news was not correct.

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