Turkish Daily News, 96-05-20
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
TURKISH DAILY NEWS
20 May 1996
CONTENTS
[01] Crowds cheer Demirel day after attempt
[02] Fener is champion
[03] Turkey privatized 27 cement factories in seven years, only
two left for sale
[04] Turkish Embassy protests treatment of Turks in Greece
[05] Gonensay off to Washington to discuss arms, the Aegean and
Provide Comfort
[01] Crowds cheer Demirel day after attempt
Caution: Demirel does not want armed attack blown out of
proportion
Turkish Daily News
ANKARA- Crowds filling the May 19 stadium here at the Youth
and Sports Day celebrations on Sunday chanted "Demirel, Turks
are proud of you!" a day after a lone gunman tried to assassinate
President Suleyman Demirel in the northwestern industrial city
of Izmit.
The crowd cheered Demirel as he entered the packed stadium with
his wife Nazmiye and gave them a standing ovation. The President
turned to the crowd and waved back with his famous hat.
After the ceremony, people in the street applauded Demirel's entourage
as it departed from the stadium.
Demirel survived unscathed an assassination attempt by a gunman
allegedly protesting against a military agreement between Israel
and Turkey.
Demirel's bodyguards wrestled the white-bearded attacker to the
ground when he pointed a pistol at the president who was opening
a shopping center in Izmit.
A single bullet slightly wounded a photographer of daily Milliyet
and the president's security director Sukru Cukurlu when the would-be-
killer,
48-year-old Ibrahim Gumrukcuoglu, was pushed to the ground.
Demirel told the Turkish Daily News the incident should not be
blown out of proportion and that he was against a witch hunt.
He said the assailant seemed to be mentally ill and warned against
plot theories.
"The attacker said in his statement that he wanted to protest
against the agreement between the Turkish Republic and Israel,"
Interior Minister Ulku Guney told a press conference on Saturday.
Turkish leaders held a security summit under the chairmanship
of President Demirel on Saturday night.
Turkish newspapers started pointing the finger at the Islamists
in Turkey. Mass circulation daily Sabah said "an Islamic
extremist tried to kill the president." Newspaper columnists
charged there was an Islamic plot against the head of state.
(TDN, 20.05.1996, page1)
[02] Fener is champion
The Istanbul Canaries win the 1995-1996 Turkish Division One League
title after a 7-year hiatus
Turkish Daily News
ANKARA- Fenerbahce is the 1995-96 Turkish Division One
Soccer League champion.
The Istanbul Canaries defied heat and high altitude on Sunday
to beat host Vanspor 3-0 from two penalties by striker Elvir Bolic
and an own goal by defender Abdulkadir at the Vali Mahmut Yilbas
Stadium -- and clinch the coveted title after a seven-year drought.
Going into Sunday's match, Fener had a two-point lead over closest
rival Trabzonspor in the 18-team League. Trabzonspor thrashed
relegated Eskisehirspor 7-0 but that was only enough for the Black
Sea side to consolidate its second place, since Fener also won.
Besiktas finished third and Galatasaray fourth. It is worth noting
that only these four teams have won the League title since its
inception in 1957. Including Sunday's triumph, Fenerbahce is the
winningest team with 13 League triumphs, Galatasaray 10, Besiktas
9 and Trabzonspor 6.
As Turkish League champ, Fenerbahce will represent Turkey in the
European Champions' League next season. Cup holder Galatasaray
will play in the Cupwinners' Cup, Trabzonspor and Besiktas will
bear the nation's flag in the UEFA Cup, while fifth and sixth-placed
Kocaelispor and Gaziantepspor will compete in the Inter-Toto Cup.
Other results on the last day of the season were as follows: Altay
3, Besiktas 0; Galatasaray 1, Denizlispor 0; Kayserispor 1, Kocaelispor
0; Gen‡lerbirligi 1, Bursaspor 0; Samsunspor 2, Ankaragucu
0; Istanbulspor 0, Karsiyaka 4 and Antalyaspor 0, Gaziantepspor
1.
Eskisehirspor, Karsiyaka and Kayserispor have been relegated.
(TDN, 20.05.1996, page1)
[03] Turkey privatized 27 cement factories in seven years, only
two left for sale
Uzan group major buyer in cement sell-offs
Turkish Daily News
ANKARA- Turkey's privatization officials have concluded
the sales of 27 cement factories over the past seven years, leaving
only two under state ownership, official figures have revealed.
Last week, the Supreme Privatization Board (OYK), the ultimate
decision-making body, endorsed the sale of five more cement factories,
lifting the number of sold firms to 27.
The Uzan group, owned by a controversial ethnic Bosnian family,
appeared to be the major buyer in cement sell-offs. It bought
a total of seven factories, paying more than $371 million. That
represents 44 percent of total cement industry privatization receipts
worth $831 million.
Once Ergani and Kurtalan cement factories are sold, the government
will have totally withdrawn from the cement industry.
Block sale has been the principal methods of cement sector privatization.
Of those 27 factories, 20 were privatized through block sale,
five through public offering on the stock exchange and two through
a combination of block sale and public offering.
The privatization of cement factories was launched in 1989, when
French cement group Societe Ciment Francais (SCF) bought five
factories, paying a total of $105 million.
(TDN, 20.05.1996, page2)
[04] Turkish Embassy protests treatment of Turks in Greece
Ramadanoglu loses citizenship; Mufti sent to jail
By Ugur Akinci
Turkish Daily News
WASHINGTON- The Turkish Embassy in Washington has brought
to the attention of the U.S. Congress and human rights organizations
the continuing discrimination and maltreatment of some members
of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, Greece.
Losing citizenship
The first case involved Huseyin Ramadanoglu, a Greek citizen who
was stripped of his citizenship in accordance with the Greek Citizenship
Law. According to Human Rights Watch figures, 42 Turks lost their
Greek citizenship in 1995 after they traveled abroad.
"A resident in Germany as a textile worker, Ramadanoglu and
his family returned home to Greece on vacation, at which time
the Greek authorities issued them new passports," an embassy
press release said. "They made an additional trip to Turkey
and upon returning to Greece, they were informed at the Ipsala
border gate of the Greek government's decision to revoke their
Greek citizenship. As a consequence, the Ramadanoglu family was
unable to reenter Greece despite their newly-issued passports,
which the Greek authorities confiscated on the spot. The Greek
authorities also refused to issue the 'heimatios' document required
for their return to Germany."
The case of Turks who lost their Greek citizenship following similar
travels abroad was discussed at a recent congressional hearing
on the discrimination against the Turkish minority in Greece.
12 months for Mufti
The case of Turkish religious leader Mufti Mehmet Emin Aga is
all the more interesting since at every opportunity Greek officials
remind the world that the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate is mistreated
in Istanbul. Mehmet Emin Aga, the religious leader of the Turkish
minority in Western Thrace, was recently sent to jail for 12 months
by the Greek government for reportedly "usurping the title
and authority of the Mufti."
"The punishment of a religious leader, who has gained the
confidence of the minority in discharging religious duties, is
in no way compatible with the freedom of religion or creed,"
a Turkish Embassy spokesman said. "It constitutes yet another
step by Greece in its consistent policy of eroding the status
and the rights of the Turkish minority of Western Thrace emanating
from international law, primarily the Lausanne Treaty."
"The Athens Agreement of 1913 stipulated the election of
muftis by the Turkish minority which was incorporated into Greek
domestic law in 1920," the spokesman said. "Furthermore,
the Lausanne Treaty guaranteed these rights. However, Greece,
by way of a Presidential Decree, abrogated this law on Dec. 25,
1990 and started to appoint the muftis as it liked. Greece, by
invoking this new decree, intends to block the duties of the elected
muftis in Komotini [Gumulcine] as well as Xanthi [Iskece]."
"All U.S. Congress members as well as human rights organizations
who have shown deep interest in human rights issues are invited
to call on the Greek government to put an immediate end to its
abuses of the Turkish minority," the embassy spokesman said.
"We wish to underscore our expectation that Greece, aspiring
to be a civilized and democratic European state, refrain from
using its legal system to pursue a policy which not only is against
the fundamental human rights of the Turkish minority but also
violates Greece's international obligations. Such behavior, which
further damages the bilateral relations between Turkey and Greece,
should be avoided."
(TDN, 20.05.1996, page 4)
[05] Gonensay off to Washington to discuss arms, the Aegean and
Provide Comfort
Turkish Daily News
ANKARA- Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay flew to Washington
Sunday to discuss delays in U.S. arms deliveries to Turkey, the
future of Operation Provide Comfort (OPC) as well as tensions
between Turkey and Greece.
Gonensay said he would be discussing the extension of the mandate
of Operation Provide Comfort, a U.S.-dominated multinational force
which was set up by the United Nations to protect northern Iraqi
Kurds from attacks by Saddam Hussein.
Parties represented in the Turkish Parliament have voiced their
opposition to the extension of the mandate of Provide Comfort
under the current conditions and demanded at least more Turkish
control over the force. Parliament is due to vote in late June
for a new mandate for the force which is stationed at the Incirlik
airbase near the southern provincial capital of Adana.
Gonensay told reporters the government was working on a new set
of rules for Provide Comfort which are similar to a plan proposed
by Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit who wants
Turkey to have more sway over the command and control of Provide
Comfort. Ecevit's proposals also include the creation of a buffer
zone in northern Iraq on Turkey's border as well as creating a
new democratic environment in Iraq where Kurds can once again
enter the Iraqi Parliament.
The DSP, whose support is vital for the minority government of
Mesut Yilmaz, says it is against the extension of Provide Comfort
in its current form and wants substantial changes.
"I expect some positive results from my contacts in Washington
on Provide Comfort," Gonensay said.
The Turkish foreign minister also said he would discuss the delay
in U.S. arms shipments to Turkey. He said the long-awaited shipment
of ATACAM missiles would start soon after the U.S. administration
signed the delivery order on Friday. He said he expects the United
States to clarify the status of the shipment of three frigates
which it will supply to Turkey. "Once that is sorted out
we will discuss the purchase of Cobra helicopters with the U.S.,"
Gonensay stressed.
The United States has said it will send the frigates to Turkey
soon but congressional sources say the Greek lobby has been active
in blocking the delivery claiming the addition of these frigates
to the Turkish Navy would upset the balance of power in the Aegean
Sea in Turkey's favor.
The sale of the Cobra helicopters has also faced tough resistance
in Congress because there are concerns that Turkey may use the
'copters in against Kurdish civilians in southeastern Anatolia
on the pretext of the fight against terrorism.
Gonensay said he would brief his American counterparts on Turkey's
efforts to solve the disputes with Greece.
He also said he would raise the issue of Caspian oil and its delivery
to the West through Turkey. In recent weeks there have been suggestions
that the United States has been turning a blind eye to developments
that are aimed at bypassing Turkey for the delivery of Caspian
oil to the West by using Russian pipelines.
Gonensay said Turkey and the United States have agreed to enhance
their partnership relations and serve regional and global peace.
"I am happy to say the political will to maintain relations
at the very highest level between Turkey and the U.S. exists in
Washington," he concluded.
(TDN, 20.05.1996, page 4)
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