Anadolu Agency: News in English, 99-03-31

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

AA Daily

31 March 1999 Wednesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] FIVE-PEOPLE DELEGATION FROM COE DUE IN TURKEY TO COVER HEARING OF OCALAN

[03] RUSSIA INFORMS TURKEY THAT IT WILL PASS SEVEN WAR SHIPS FROM THE STRAITS

[04] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT: ''IT IS CLEAR THAT PRIMAKOV COULD NOT GET A CONCRETE RESULT''

[05] TURKEY FEELS CONCERN OVER NEW REPORTS OF ETHNIC CLEANSING AND MASSACRES IN KOSOVO

[06] ERTUGRULOGLU, TRNC FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTER: ''PILE IS A PART OF TRNC''

[07] PROFILE OF EXPORTATION FROM GAP

[08] BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT CONFIRMS ''COOPERATION AGREEMENT IN THE FIELDS OF ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE'' BETWEEN TURKEY AND BULGARIA

[09] SEVEN RUSSIAN SHIPS ARE PLANNED TO PASS THROUGH STRAITS IN TWO GROUPS

[10] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT: ''WE HAVE BROUGHT FAULTS OF GREECE INTO LIGHT''

[11] RUSSIAN WAR SHIPS MAY PASS THROUGH THE STRAITS TO MEDITERRANEAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MOTREUX AGREEMENT

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

SUPRISING STATEMENT: PEOPLE TO CHOSE PARTNER
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, responding to a question about partnership with the Motherland Party (ANAP) after elections, said ''let the people chose the partner with their votes.'' Bulent Ecevit did not close the doors to Virtue Party (FP).

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

BOMBER OF MAVI CARSI IS CAPTURED
Metin Yamalak who was determined to involve in the bomb attack in Mavi Carsi (Blue Market) that resulted in the killings of 13 people, was captured in southern Mersin province. The defendant who was brought in Istanbul on Tuesday, gave the names of others. Interrogation of Yamak continues in Struggle Against Terrorism Department. Yamalak confessed his crime during the interrogation. Operations are underway to capture the other terrorists.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

WARNING TOUR FROM DEPARTMENT OF RELIOUS AFFAIRS
Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, chief of Department of Religious Affairs, visits provinces and warns religious man not to involve in politics. Yilmaz has three orders: ''Do not make religion a tool of politics'' ''do not tell even a word in favour of or against the candidates'', ''do not be in favour of or against any party.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

BAYKAL: THERE IS A GREAT LOSS IN TOURISM
Deniz Baykal, leader of Republican Peoples' Party (CHP), speaking in southern Antalya province, said elections were important for democratic regime, tranquility and economy and claimed that the government did not expend necessary efforts for the stagnancy in tourism.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

DELEGATION FROM EUROPE FOR APO
Council of Europe (COE), Foreign Relations Commission Chairman and Turkey Rapporteur Andreas Barsony said ''COE determined a five person delegation to participate in the hearing of Ocalan.'' Barsony also said ''I understand Turkey yet what we do is observation.'' Noting that PKK was a terrorist organization and that Ocalan was a terrorist, Barsony said ''if this organization stages bomb attacks on civilian people, this is terrorism.''

YENİ YÜZYIL (LIBERAL)

ECEVIT: THERE WILL BE A CATASTROPHE IF RUSSIA EXTENDS SUPPORT
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said Kosovo problem will end if Russia does not extend support to the Serbs yet, the situation will turn into a catastrophe if Russia extends support to Serbs. Speaking to journalists Ecevit said it was hard for NATO to use land force against Yugoslavia and added that this initiative will not result in positive outcomes. Responding to another question Ecevit said Macedonia expressed concern over the developments due to its confused ethnic structure.

TÜRKİYE (RIGHT)

RUSSIAN DOPING TO TOURISM
Ahmet Tan, Minister of Tourism, who noted that efforts of Greece to prevent Russians to come to Turkey failed. Minister of Tourism Tan said Russian tourists will rush to southern Antalya province. Tan also said Turkey wıll start a counter propoganda.

[02] FIVE-PEOPLE DELEGATION FROM COE DUE IN TURKEY TO COVER HEARING OF OCALAN

Speaking to A.A correspondent Barsony said Walter Schwimmer, Turkey Rapporteur, and Chairmen of political and legal affairs commissions will also come to Turkey together with him.

Barsony said he understood Turkey yet, what they did was observation, adding that he would report the hearing to COE. Noting that PKK was a terrorist organization and Ocalan was a terrorist, Barsony said if an organization stages bomb attacks on civilians and tourists, that was terrorism.

Pointing out that Ocalan and Kurdish problem were different things, Barsony said Ocalan issue was individual and Kurdish problem was more conflicted and based on socio-economic reasons.

Barsony also said COE will stage a special meeting in April related with chief of terrorist organization and added that the report he prepared about Turkey did not finish yet that a part regarding Ocalan can be added to this report. Barsony said this report will be discussed in term meetings in June.

[03] RUSSIA INFORMS TURKEY THAT IT WILL PASS SEVEN WAR SHIPS FROM THE STRAITS

Missile carrier and submarine frigates, an observer ship and escort ships will be included in this group.

Russian Defense Ministry sources said the ships will be send to the Mediterranean due to the situation in Yugoslavia.

These informations are also confirmed by the NATO sources in Brussels, it was also reported that the U.S. State Department felt uneasy about this plan of Russia.

It was reported that seven war ships which Russia wanted to send to the Mediterranean due to the situation in Yugoslavia, are planned to set out on Friday towards the straits.

A source said the main aim of the ships was to collect reconnaissance information around Yugoslavia and the clash region.

[04] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT: ''IT IS CLEAR THAT PRIMAKOV COULD NOT GET A CONCRETE RESULT''

Responding to the questions of journalists before his left for central Anatolian Sivas province, Ecevit said Primakov could not get a concrete result from his meeting with Milosevic on Kosovo issue.

When asked how he evaluated the situation, Ecevit said ''there is not any information at the moment. Yet, according to the impression I got from the news agencies, it is clear that a concrete result could not be gained from the meeting. It is clear that Milosevic wants to apply a tactic to gain time. Unfortunately, there is not a serious sign that he will give up massacre.''

When asked if facilities of diplomacy continue for the solution of problem, Ecevit said ''I can't know this. If Russian Federation, which is the most effective force on this issue, withdraws its political and moral support, especially Milosevic may act wisely. Otherwise, I am not so hopeful.''

Responding to a question if a land operation may come to the agenda after this stage, Ecevit said ''I hope this will not be needed.''

When asked if a demand came to Turkey on the issue of land operation, Ecevit said there was not such a demand.

[05] TURKEY FEELS CONCERN OVER NEW REPORTS OF ETHNIC CLEANSING AND MASSACRES IN KOSOVO

A Foreign Ministry statement said ''we expect Serbs to halt these inhumane acts on civilian people soon, and we believe that the ones who got involved in these crimes against humanity in the eve of 21st century will be punished sooner or later.''

The statement which expressed concern over the big immigrations caused by ethnic cleansing aiming to change demographic structure in Kosovo and the murders to provide this, also pointed out that this immigration reached to dimensions that went beyond the facilities of especially Albania and Macedonia, neighbouring countries, which the Kosovars want to shelter in.

The statement said, ''our government, which extended aid to these two friendly countries, started preparations to send humanitarian aid to the region for a second time. We continue to call all countries and international institutions to send aid to Albania and Macedonia to lighten the burden on these two countries.''

[06] ERTUGRULOGLU, TRNC FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTER: ''PILE IS A PART OF TRNC''

Speaking in Pile, Ertugruloglu said Pile, where nearly 500 TRNC citizens live in, is a part of TRNC, and noted that both Greek Cypriots and U.N. Peace Forces should know this.

Noting that efforts of Greek Cypriots to see Turkish Cypriots in Pile as their own citizens were in vain, Ertugruloglu said lately they tried to prevent Azan to be recited. The minister said Greek Cypriots wanted to use Peace Forces on this issue as it always happened and pointed out that this attitude was unacceptable.

Ertugruloglu said Peace Forces, knowing or not, tolerated the ambitions of Greek Cypriots, and added that ''they can not deprive us from performing our religious obligations.''

Ahmet Sakalli, headman of Pile village, said they will not give concession from their rights and noted that they struggled to this end.

[07] PROFILE OF EXPORTATION FROM GAP

In the same period of last year, exportation worth of 88.6 million U.S. dollars were realized to 51 countries.

In the first two months of this year Turkey has entered to the markets of Malta, Yemen People's Democratic Republic, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Slovakia, Ethiopia, Gambia, South African Republic, Camerun, Nigeria, Sudan, Tunisia, Argentine, Dominician Republic, Mexico, South Korea, India, and New Zealand. Yet, no exportation can be made to Palestinia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Japan.

Abdulkadir Cikmaz, Chairman of Southeastern Anatolia Exporters Union, said they exported textile products worth of 49.3 million U.S. dollars, grains worth of 16.1 million U.S. dollars, industrial product worth of 14.2 million U.S. dollars, dry fruit worth of 7.2 million U.S. dollars and animal products worth of 4.5 million U.S. dollars.

Cikmaz also said the exportation was made mostly to Iraq, Syria, and Italy in the same period.

Cikmaz, mentioning about exportation according to country groups, said in the first two months of this year exportation was made worth of 26.9 million U.S. dollars to Europe, 35.7 million U.S. dollars to the Middle East, 6.5 million U.S. dollars to Turkish Republics. 763 million U.S. dollars to Commonweath of Independent States, 1.4 million U.S. dollars to Africa, 3.9 million U.S. dollars to American continent, 211 million U.S. dollars to Asia and 15.8 million U.S. dollars to other countries.

[08] BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT CONFIRMS ''COOPERATION AGREEMENT IN THE FIELDS OF ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE'' BETWEEN TURKEY AND BULGARIA

Under the framework agreement signed by Ziya Aktas, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Ivan Silakski, Bulgarian Energy Institution Chairman, Turkey will purchase a total of 33.7 billion kilowatt/hour electricity from Bulgaria till the year 2008.

The framework agreement envisages Ceylan Holding to construct 114 km motorway between Orizovo-Kaptan Andrevo in Bulgaria, and construction of three dams in return for the electricity.

Meanwhile, deputies of Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) opposed to the confirmation of the agreement claiming that the agreement was not appropriate to the national interests of Bulgaria.

[09] SEVEN RUSSIAN SHIPS ARE PLANNED TO PASS THROUGH STRAITS IN TWO GROUPS

The statement of Russian Fleet said first part of the ships will pass on April 4 and the other will pass on April 6.

The statement said the ships that will pass from the Straits are ''Warship called Admiral Glovko; Kerch and Sderjanniy, anti-submarine ships; and Pytlivi and Landi, the escort ships.''

The statement said information regarding the ships and the date they will pass were conveyed to Turkey.

The ships are planned to set out on April 2 from Sivastopol Harbour.

[10] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT: ''WE HAVE BROUGHT FAULTS OF GREECE INTO LIGHT''

Addressing to people in an open air meeting of his party in central Anatolian Sivas province, Ecevit said those who are responsible for bomb attack on Ayhan Cevik, Cankiri Governor and the fire in Mavi Carsi (Blue Market) in which 13 people were killed, were captured in a short time.

Ecevit said S-300 missiles could not go to Southern Cyprus, adding that ''we have told all the world that Greece gives training to the terrorists going from Turkey. We have brought facts about Greece into the light.''

Noting that attitute of European Union (EU) in closing its doors to Turkey was not so important, Ecevit said ''we will open new doors as Turkey is one of the most powerful states of the world.''

Ecevit said a group of deputies, known as disgruntled deputies in public, had given a censure motion against the government yet could not put forward a fault about the government ''of course they can not find. We did not involve in corruption and partisanship. We have reduced inflation and captured leaders of the gangs.''

Pointing out that meaning of Islam was peace, Ecevit said ''we will bring peace to Kosovo as we did to Turkey.'' Prime Minister Ecevit also said that Turkey is the guarantee of peace in the Middle East and in the world.

[11] RUSSIAN WAR SHIPS MAY PASS THROUGH THE STRAITS TO MEDITERRANEAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MOTREUX AGREEMENT

Diplomatic sources told A.A that Russia had informed Turkey that 8 war ships will pass through the Straits to the Mediterranean Sea last week. The same sources said that there is no obstacle for the ships to pass through the Straits in accordance with the Montreux agreement which was signed on 1936.

Diplomatic sources said that Turkey can restrict the passage of war ships in case she is under the threat of war or in case of open war state in accordance with the Montreux agreement, but these conditions do not exist. The sources also reminded that Russian war ships can pass through the Straits from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean or vice versa in different periods of the year.

The Russian navy had announced the number of ships which will pass through the Straits to the Mediterranean as 8. The navy said in a statement that the ships will pass through the Straits in two groups; one group on April 4, and the other group on April 6.

A.A

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