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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (January 30, 1996)From: TRKNWS-L <trh@aimnet.com>Turkish Press Review DirectoryCONTENTS[01] DEMIREL TO DISCUSS BALKAN ISSUES AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM[02] CILLER TO MEET ECEVIT[03] TURKEY DETERMINED TO PROTECT RIGHTS ON DISPUTED AEGEAN ROCKS[04] EU REPRESENTATIVE TO CYPRUS[05] MESSAGE FROM ATHENS TO CILLER[06] ROMANIAN DEPUTY-CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF VISITS TURKEY[07] TURKEY DRAFTS NEW INCENTIVES TO HELP SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES[08] REACTION TO ATHENS W.THRACE POLICY[09] CYPRUS PROBLEMTURKISH PRESS REVIEWTUESDAY JANUARY 30, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL TO DISCUSS BALKAN ISSUES AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUMPresident Suleyman Demirel will speak at the closing session of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Foreign Ministry officials said that President Demirel would attend a session entitled "Reconstruction of Bosnia" on February 6 and will discuss "how stability and rapid progress can be provided in the Balkans". Demirel will also hold a press conference for foreign press members in Davos. Other sessions will discuss security issues, European monetary union, the World Trade Organization, the struggle against unemployment, the economic situation in Latin America, Asian-Pacific economic cooperation and the free flow of information. /Hurriyet/[02] CILLER TO MEET ECEVITPrime Minister Tansu Ciller will meet with Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit today, and seek support for a "rotating minority government".In yesterday's General Executive Board meeting of the True Path Party (DYP), Tansu Ciller was extended full authority to form a government. Ciller will try to form a DYP minority government together with either the DSP or Republican People's Party (CHP) for two and a half years, after which the Motherland Party (ANAP) will take over the government for the same period of time with the same formation. /Cumhuriyet/ [03] TURKEY DETERMINED TO PROTECT RIGHTS ON DISPUTED AEGEAN ROCKSPledging to defend its rights on the twin Kardak rocks, Turkey demanded yesterday that Greece withdraw its soldiers and remove the Greek flag planted there by them. Emerging from a late night conference with Foreign Minister Deniz Baykal and senior military and intelligence officials, Prime Minister Tansu Ciller said that Turkey considered the rocks as its own territory and had no intention of yielding them. "It is out of the question for Turkey to allow others to have designs on its territory this way or the other" Ciller said. She noted that Turkey preferred a peaceful settlement of the dispute, and was ready to start negotiations immediately. "We are going to settle this matter just as we settled the Avrasya crisis" Ciller said referring to the successful handling of the recent ferry hijacking in the Black Sea by Chechen sympathizers.Echoing Ciller, Foreign Minister Deniz Baykal said that Turkey wanted a diplomatic solution to the issue, but said: "We are prepared for every eventuality" in an indirect confirmation of reports that the armed forces were alerted. Baykal stated that Greek claims were not backed by international agreements. Navy Commander Adm.Guven Erkaya, Deputy-Chief of General Staff Cevik Bir, Security Council Secretary-General Gen.Ilhan Kilic, Chief of the Intelligence Service Sonmez Koksal and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen attended the meeting. The three-hour war council followed a cabinet meeting earlier in the day. Referring to the Turkish note, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said: "We have told them both sides should refrain from unilateral action that could increase tensions. In this context, we have asked Greece to withdraw the Greek troops dispatched to the rocks and remove any sign that tries to prove Greek sovereignty". After the conveyance of the note to Greek Ambassador Dimitrios Nezeritis, Akbel held a second conference to explain Turkey's legal arguments. The Turkish view is that the two agreements made in 1932 between Turkey and Italy, who possessed the islands at the time, are not relevant. Akbel said that the first of these agreements had no relevance to the Kardak rocks and the second -made on December 28 of the same year- was never finalized. "Greeks themselves have implicitly acknowledged the vacuum in the issue, as they wanted to take up the matter with Turkey in 1950 and 1953" Akbel said. Turkey, Akbel said, had agreed to dialogue at the time but no further steps had been taken. Thus, claims the Turkish side, the only relevant agreement on the status of the Kardak rocks is the 1947 Paris Agreement, which refers to "adjacent islets". "However, the Kardak rocks, which are 5.5 miles away from the nearest Greek island are neither adjacent, nor are they islets" Akbel added. Turkey has already briefed US Ambassador Marc Grossman on the subject and will coninue to do so with EU and NATO countries. /Milliyet-Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/ [04] EU REPRESENTATIVE TO CYPRUSYesterday, the European Union appointed a special envoy to Cyprus. During a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, Federico di Roberto, Italy's Ambassador to Moscow was appointed as a special envoy to the Cyprus issue. According to the EU report, di Roberto will prepare a report for the EU Council, working in coordination with the United Nations and US representatives. /Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/[05] MESSAGE FROM ATHENS TO CILLERGreek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis sent a message of thanks to his Turkish counterpart Tansu Ciller who had congratulated Simitis on being elected Prime Minister. In his message, Simitis said that he hoped that Turco-Greek relations would improve, developing mutual benefits, and that the Greek government would continue its efforts to ensure understanding between the two countries. /Hurriyet/[06] ROMANIAN DEPUTY-CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF VISITS TURKEYGen.Dumitru Cioflina, Romanian Deputy-Chief of General Staff, visited his Turkish counterpart Gen.Cevik Bir yesterday in Ankara. The commander is in Turkey as the guest of Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi, Chief of General Staff. Gen.Cioflina was met by Gen.Bir with a military ceremony at the General Staff Headquarters and signed a visitors book. Speaking at the meeting, Gen.Bir said that he was happy to see Gen.Cioflina in Turkey. The commander thanked Gen.Bir and said that he was happy to be in Turkey. /All papers/[07] TURKEY DRAFTS NEW INCENTIVES TO HELP SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSESThe Turkish government is drafting a new program of incentives to support the export activities of small and medium-scale enterprises, Foreign Trade Undersecretary Nejat Eren said yesterday. Eren noted that the new incentives program, currently under discussion at the Money-Credit Board, would grant small and medium-scale enterprises comprehensive support packages to finance their participation in foreign exhibitions, market research activity and personnel training, and research and development activity (R&D).In line with the support program, Eren said that the state-run Eximbank would launch a system in which every export deal secured by Turkish firms would be insured. "The bank will soon disclose an opportunities package for exporters" he added. /All papers/ [08] REACTION TO ATHENS W.THRACE POLICYThe "Consultative Council of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace", using the occasion of the anniversary of a historic march by members of Greece's Turkish minority, and an ensuing pogrom by fanatic Greeks, has issued what it refers to as the "January 29 Declaration", which is addressed to "the attention of Greek and international public opinion". The declaration catalogues a long list of woes, all to do with what it says is an active campaign of assimilation by the Greek authorities aimed at melting down the Turkish presence in that country, with a view to getting rid of this minority altogether. On January 29, 1988 the Executive Committe of the Supreme Council of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace met under the presidency of the late Mustafa Hilmi Aga, Mufti of Xanthi (Iskece), and decided to stage a march in protest against a decision by the Greek Supreme Court to deny their Turkish identity. The march was to commence at the Old Mosque in Komotini (Gumulcine) and end at the governor's office with the delivering of a letter rejecting the Supreme Court decision. Local security forces tried and failed to have the march cancelled, whereupon they banned it and set up roadblocks on roads leading to Komotini.Documenting a long list of pressures and injustices against the Turks in Greece, the declaration accuses that country of "working ceaselessly to confiscate lands held by members of the Turkish minority through administrative pressures". It indicates that in 1923 the Turkish minority owned and worked 85 % of the land in their regions, while today this figure has fallen to 15 %. The declaration goes on to say that "the loss of its main source of production has caused serious damage to the economic base on which the minority depends for its survival". /Cumhuriyet/ [09] CYPRUS PROBLEMTurkish Cypriot envoy to Washington, Namik Korhan, cautioned against expectations of "easy progress" during US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke's Cyprus talks. Korhan said that the Cyprus problem had been dragging on for well over three decades and could not be solved with a trip to the island by Holbrooke. Korhan noted that Holbrooke should ask Greek Cypriot leader Klerides, who often talks about disarmament, why his government spends $2 million a day for arms.Holbrooke's visit to Cyprus may lead to some positive results, said Korhan, in that the US envoy will have an opportunity to understand the real situation in Cyprus by talking with Rauf Denktas, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Korhan indicated that he hoped that Holbrooke would create a new starting point for negotiations between the two sides. He stressed that Greek Cypriots should abandon their claim to represent the whole island, acknowledge the equality of both sides, and accept a federal solution. /Cumhuriyet/ END |
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