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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (August 24, 1995)From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)Turkish News DirectoryCONTENTS[01] DEMIREL TO GO TO KYRGYZSTAN[02] DEMIREL RECEIVES GAN[03] "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE EXECUTIONS"[04] TURKISH AMBASSADOR RETURNS TO RIYADH[05] TURKEY WILL ACT WITH INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON BOSNIA[06] BOSNIAN LEADER SEES TURKISH DELEGATION[07] IRAN REASSURES TURKEY ON DISSIDENT GROUPS[08] 50 TONS OF POISON YEARLY[09] SIX PKK MILITANTS KILLED, TWO SURRENDER[10] TURKEY REITERATES SUPPORT FOR IRAQ'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY[11] PKK ATTACKS POLICE STATION[12] NATO CALLS ATHENS TO ACCOUNT OVER TIES WITH PKK[13] FINANCIAL TIMES: "TURKEY PUSHES FOR PIPELINE"[14] ECONOMIC INTEGRATION WITH TRNCTURKISH PRESS REVIEWTHURSDAY AUGUST 24, 1995Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL TO GO TO KYRGYZSTANThe presidents of Turkey and the five mainly Turkish-speaking republics will be meeting next Monday in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan for their third Turkish summit. Mutual relations and project coordination will be discussed. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan will be attending the summit. The Foreign Ministry said yesterday that President Suleyman Demirel will go to Bishkek on August 27 for the two-day summit and the 1000th anniversary celebration of the Legend of Manas. President Demirel will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu and Ayvaz Gokdemir, the minister responsible for relations with the Turkish-speaking republics.
[02] DEMIREL RECEIVES GANPresident Suleyman Demirel received State Council Member and General Secretary of the People's Republic of China, Luo Gan and his accompanying delegation. Chinese Consul in Istanbul Zhi Lang Zhang was also present at the meeting. It is reported that bilateral relations were discussed at the meeting. /Sabah/
[03] "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE EXECUTIONS"Prime Minister Tansu Ciller yesterday asked Turkish people not to worry about the executions in Saudi Arabia, and added that she was optimistic about bringing an end to the beheadings. "It seems that our friend Saudi Arabia will not undertake any steps that could damage our good relations. We hope so" Ciller stressed. Nevertheless, these words of the prime minister do not really suggest that the executions will certainly be stopped and give no ground for rejoicing. /Milliyet/
[04] TURKISH AMBASSADOR RETURNS TO RIYADHThe Turkish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia returned to Riyadh yesterday as part of Ankara's effort to mend ties with the Arab kingdom to prevent further executions of Turks sentenced to death on drug charges in that country. "Our ambassador (Turkekul Kurttekin) has returned to Saudi Arabia" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said at a news briefing. Akbel said Ankara was trying to tone down the adverse publicity given to the issue in Turkey, where the media has overflowed with reports attacking the Saudis as "barbarians" and slamming the strict Shariah law implemented in the Kingdom. "We believe silent diplomacy would be more effective in ensuring that this issue is resolved satisfactorily" he said. "I would also like to point out that our government does not support certain statements and reports hurtful to Saudi Arabia and its king". Akbel said Riyadh had told Ankara the Turks still had an appeals process and other legal stages to complete, and that this gives Turkey hope its citizens will eventually be saved. "I believe no more... will be executed" he said. Akbel also said 70 Turkish citizens were on death row or faced death sentences in Saudi Arabia. "There are 70 Turks in Saudi jails whom we are working to save" he said. /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/
[05] TURKEY WILL ACT WITH INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON BOSNIATurkey has once more repeated that it would act in concert with the international coomunity on the issue of the arms embargo imposed on Bosnia-Herzegovina, a high-ranking Turkish official disclosed yesterday. At the same time, Turkey will continue to actively seek a just and permanent solution to the war in Bosnia, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said in his weekly press conference. Denying press reports, Akbel says that there had been no recent arms trade between Turkey and Malaysia, despite newspaper reports that Malaysia had sent weapons to Bosnia that had been supplied by Turkey. Akbel also expressed Ankara's pleasure over the latest US peace initiative in Bosnia.
[06] BOSNIAN LEADER SEES TURKISH DELEGATIONThe Turkish delegation of intellectuals now in Bosnia to give "moral support" to the war weary people there, was yesterday received by Bosnian President Aliya Izzetbegovic in Sarajevo.During their meeting together, Izzetbegovic noted that his family had roots in Uskudar and expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the delegation to make known the conditions in Bosnia. In the meantime, Serb forces have again shelled refugee camps in Tuzla, and UN forces have returned Serb fire directed at Sarajevo. /Hurriyet/
[07] IRAN REASSURES TURKEY ON DISSIDENT GROUPSIranian Interior Minister Ali Muhammed Beshareti said yesterday that his country did not permit any activity within its borders which targeted its neighbours. According to the Iranian press, the minister stated that Iran's borders were closed to groups that opposed the governments of neighbouring countries. He added that they expected the same treatment toward opponents of their own regime.
[08] 50 TONS OF POISON YEARLYThe PKK is reportedly producing 50 tons of drugs yearly in the Bekaa Valley, and in this way the terrorist organization finances its arms purchases. According to a report prepared by the General Directorate for Security, every year the PKK organization has been sending at least eight tons of drugs to Europe over Turkey, a trade bringing in revenue amounting to massive amounts of money. /Milliyet/
[09] SIX PKK MILITANTS KILLED, TWO SURRENDERSix militants of the PKK terrorist organization were killed during clashes in the Southeast and two militants surrendered. Officials from the emergency rule region said that two PKK militants were killed in Hakkari's Semdinli district, two in Tunceli and two in Mardin's Nusaybin dsitrict. One militant surrendered in Sirnak's Idil district and another in Hakkari's Yuksekova district. Officials added that a total of 12 militants had been arrested in Diyarbakir, Siirt, Tunceli and Tunceli's Nazimiye district.
[10] TURKEY REITERATES SUPPORT FOR IRAQ'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITYForeign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel reiterated yesterday that Turkey supports the territorial integrity of Iraq. Akbel, in response to a question at his weekly press briefing concerning initiatives to establish an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq, told reporters that Turkey had never been involved in such efforts and that it supports Iraq's integrity. Akbel said that a recent agreement, reached by the warring factions in northern Iraq at a meeting in Dublin attended by the US and Turkey, will be formally signed at another meeting to be held soon.
[11] PKK ATTACKS POLICE STATIONIn an attack lasting two hours, PKK terrorists blasted a police station in the Semdinli region wounding nineteen soldiers. Four terrorists were killed in the fighting, two others gave themselves up to the seurity forces.Reports from Tunceli add that yesterday groups of PKK terrorists blocked the roads around Tunceli and taking advantage of a break in security took captive some people travelling in an ambulance. Those kidnapped by PKK terrorists included a nurse and a teacher. Operations set up by security forces later in the day forced the fleeing terrorists to abandon their hostages, who were later described as being unharmed and in good health. /Milliyet-Hurriyet/
[12] NATO CALLS ATHENS TO ACCOUNT OVER TIES WITH PKKKarsten D.Voigt, Chairman of the NATO Parliamentarians Assembly, has called Greek Parliamentary Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis to account for Greek connections with the PKK terrorist organization. Kaklamanis defended the Greek government by saying that the Greek deputies, who went to Lebanon on their own initiative, and stressed that they were not officially representing the Greek Parliament. /Cumhuriyet/
[13] FINANCIAL TIMES: "TURKEY PUSHES FOR PIPELINE"The British economic newspaper Financial Times wrote a headline "Turkey pushes for the pipeline" regarding Chief Adviser of the Turkish Prime Ministry, Emre Gonensay's visits to Baku, Tbilisi and Moscow. Gonensay, who went to Baku yesterday, will convey Turkey's views on the pipeline route for transporting 3.5 billion barrels of Caspian oil to foreign markets, the newspaper reported. Recalling that if the pipeline which Turkey wants to go via Georgia is realized, Turkey will guarantee financing and marketing, the Financial Times noted that Gonensay would go to Moscow next week. It also pointed out that Turkey was insistent on the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey route for early Azeri oil which will begin production in 1997. /Hurriyet/
[14] ECONOMIC INTEGRATION WITH TRNCIn a further step towards closer economic ties with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), yesterday a 142 person delegation of ministers and representatives of the private sector went to the island. There they will lay the foundation for economic integration between the TRNC and Turkey.During the three day visit, Turkish aid for the TRNC, areas for cooperation and investment, two-way commercial development and further studies on import and export will be examined and discussed. Following this major development in integration, there are plans for more frequent meetings of working committees and work and labour councils. The visiting delegation is well aware that it is not just a matter of economic cooperation. There are huge political issues involved, and the massive difference between the economies of the two communities on the island has to be considered. Despite serious problems with power supplies, which has negatively affected tourism, there are other aspects of the TRNC economy which are positive and could provide a foundation for a stronger economy together with support from Turkey. /Hurriyet/ END |
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