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Turkish Press Review 96-05-24Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWFRIDAY MAY 24, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] PM YILMAZ VISITS AUSTRIA AND BOSNIAPrime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, who visited Austria on the occasion of the graduation ceremony of his son Yavuz Yilmaz, met with Austrian President Thomas Klestil. During the meeting, Klestil gave details about his visit to Turkey scheduled for June 24-26. Klestil is the first Austrian president to pay an official visit to Turkey. Commenting on the Klestil-Yilmaz meeting, Austrian newspapers point out that the warm reception of Mesut Yilmaz by the Austrian president was an indication of the importance Austria attached to Turkey.At a press conference after his meeting with the Austrian head of state Mesut Yilmaz said that "closing one's eyes to the PKK organization was the same as supporting terror". He pointed out that Turkey expected a positive reaction from Austria towards the PKK and its affiliated organizations. Following his visit to Austria, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will arrive today in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and will meet Bosnian President Alia Izzetbegovic, Prime Minister Hasan Muratovic and the President of the Muslim-Croat Federation Izzedun Kapitanovic. During the meetings, issues such as the reconstruction of Bosnia, Turco-Bosnian economic relations, and overcoming problems faced by the implementation of the Dayton agreement will be discussed. /Milliyet-Hurriyet/ [02] HOTLINE FOR AEGEANA "hotline" between Greece and Turkey, the troubled NATO partners separated by the Aegean, is expected to be set up shortly as the first step of a NATO-sponsored package to improve the atmosphere between the two countries. The hotline is part of a set of proposals by NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana, who visited Ankara after Athens to see if the amosphere was right for implementation of the package.Solana's proposals to Ankara have come under three main headings: -The Hotline: An emergency line should be established between the two capitals in order to provide immediate communication in case of a crisis such as the Kardak conflict. The line would also be connected to NATO headquarters in Brussels. -AWACS to monitor NATO maneuvers in the Aegean: In order to prevent highly-charged and sometimes false accusations of air violations, NATO will use AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems) during NATO maneuvers in the Aegean. The radar system will enable a third-party monitoring of flights, and hopefully have a restraining presence. -A confidence-building measures package: Solana has stressed that confidence-building measures in the Aegean, perhaps an extended programme similar to the package agreed between Turkish and Greek foreign ministers in 1988, should be formulated. "I am basically optimistic. We are discussing ways to improve relations between Turkey and Greece" Solana said at a press conference after his two days of talks. Solana met with President Suleyman Demirel, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi and Defence Minister Oltan Sungurlu. Solana took pains to stress the strategic importance of Turkey in NATO, as well as the role Turkey played in European security and the Bosnian issue. Solana's proposals had already been conveyed to both capitals in a letter in March. During his visit, he received an affirmative answer from Yilmaz on his initiative. It is reported that the first article of Solana's proposals has been accepted by the Simitis government. After his press conference, Solana departed from Turkey. /Milliyet-Hurriyet/ [03] ANKARA URGES NEW DATE FOR BALKAN SUMMITTurkey has suggested a new date for the Balkan foreign ministers' meeting, saying that it would not be able to participate in the summit if it is scheduled for June 8-9. Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay will not be able to participate on that particular date because he cannot leave Turkey during the landmark UN Habitat II conference, which Turkey is hosting. "Turkey has said that a date should be set for the last week of June or the first week of July, in order to maintain full participation" Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said in a written statement. /All papers/[04] ANKARA TESTS WATER ON EXIMBANK CREDITS FOR BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINETurkish Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay has tested the prospects of obtaining US financing for the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline that would transport oil from the rich Azeri reserves to Western markets via Turkey. Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said that during Gonensay's just-completed visit to the US, Turkish officials had met with officials of the American Export-Import Bank (Eximbank) to discuss construction of this pipeline. "But Turkey has not requested credit, because we have to make feasibility studies" Nurkan said. "We explained to US officials that we want to cooperate with Georgia and Azerbaijan by obtaining transit rights for them. We also envisage realizing this project by cooperating with Georgian, Azeri, American and Russian oil companies. This approach was described as a constructive one by US officials" Nurkan said.The Turkish side also talked about the problems of transporting oil though the Turkish straits, Nurkan added. "We explained that the passage of huge amounts of oil through the Straits is impossible in terms of the security of lives and property. They understand our ideas, and they said that they were aware of the security needs of the people who live near the straits" Nurkan said. /Cumhuriyet/ [05] TURKEY MAY SEND PIPELINE TEAM TO BAGHDAD SOONTurkey said yesterday that it may send a technical delegation from its energy ministry and state pipeline company Botas to Iraq for talks on the re-use of an idle oil pipeline from Kirkuk to southern Turkey. "A technical team may go to Iraq to discuss the effects of the pipeline's staying idle for about six years" said Nurettin Nurkan Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman. He told a news briefing the team would include senior officials from the energy ministry and Botas, in charge of operating the pipeline before it was closed as part of a UN trade embargo on Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990. He did not say when the delegation might go. Nurkan denied press reports that Iraq might push the UN for the use of a pipeline to Syria after agreeing terms for Baghdad to sell $2 billion worth of oil over six months to buy humanitarian goods. "There is no article in the UN-Iraq accord which says some parts of the oil should go through Syria" he said. /Cumhuriyet/[06] TURKEY SAYS NO TO JOINT EXERCISES UNDER ISRAEL PACTThe Turkish government said yesterday its military training pact with Israel, a source of anger in the Moslem world, makes no provision for joint exercises. "The military cooperation agreement which we signed with Israel has no clause which refers to holding joint manoeuvres" Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan told a news briefing. "As with other routine accords, this agreement envisages mutual port visits" he said.Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister and Defence Minister Shimon Peres received Turkish Naval Forces Commander Admiral Guven Erkaya, who is in Israel due to the agreement signed between Turkey and Israel for military training cooperation. Bilateral relations and issues regarding military cooperation were taken up at the meeting. /Milliyet/ [07] BRITISH INITIATIVE FOR CYPRUSBritish Foreign Minister Malcolm Rifkind has launched a new initiative to support international efforts for the solution of the Cyprus problem and has appointed former UN Ambassador Sir David Hannay as the Special Representative to Cyprus. Rifkind said that it was very difficult for Cyprus to be in line for full EU membership unless a solution was found to the Cyprus issue. /Cumhuriyet/[08] JACQUES CHIRAC PRAISES TURKEYFrench President Jacques Chirac said that Turkey was one of the most important countries for France. In a statement about the opening of the France'96 Fair, starting today in Istanbul with the participation of 200 French companies, Chirac expressed his trust in the Turkish economy and private sector. "France needs to improve further its economic relations with Turkey", the French president noted. "Turkey has a dynamic economy that helps the country preserve its place among the greatest development centers in the world. Its huge market, the fine qualities of the Turkish labour force, the skills of Turkish companies and the success of Turkish exporters are seen and accepted by everyone. These are only some of the advantages that will help Turkey strengthen its fine position in the future."The fair, that will continue till May 28, is the biggest project organized by a foreign country in Turkey. The facts that France is first among the countries having investments in Turkey and fifth among the commercial partners of Turkey contribute to the popularity of the fair among French businessmen. Even companies having no investments or representative offices in Turkey are taking part in the fair. /Hurriyet/ [09] GREECE TURNS DOWN US PROPOSALReports say that Greek Deputy Defence Minister Nikos Kuris has announced that Greece will not go along with US proposals for measures to increase security in the Aegean Sea regions.According to his comments during a press meeting in Athens yesterday, Kuris indicated that Greece rejected US plans for a "control system" in the Aegean because the Greek view was that it would favour the Turkish side. Kuris added that by accepting the US proposals, Greece would in effect trample on its own rights in the Aegean. /Milliyet/ [10] KURDS PROMISE TO PROTECT PIPELINELeader of the north Iraq Kurdish IKDP party, Mesud Barzani, has promised that he and his forces will fight the terrorist PKK organization to protect the overland Kirkuk-Yumurtalik oil pipeline. Now that the UN has agreed to ease economic sanctions against the Baghdad regime, it is likely that a certain amount of oil will once more flow through the pipeline-now idle for about six years.The pipeline only runs through IKDP controlled territory for about ten kms, but Ankara spokesman for the IKDP, Faik Nerweyi, said yesterday that the party had already taken extensive security measures to protect the pipeline. Nerweyi added that should the PKK try to damage the pipeline it would lose most of the prestige it now enjoys among the people of northern Iraq. /Hurriyet/ [11] SECOND TURKISH SATELLITE LAUNCH IN JULYTurkey's second communications satellite, TURKSAT 1-C, will be launched on July 5, said officials yesterday. The launch will be made using French Aerospatiale facilities. The French company is well-equipped to carry out the launch with its vast experience in the production and development of missiles and rockets for military and civilian use. /Sabah/[12] TURKISH BUSINESS SECTORS ACTIVE IN BOSNIATurkish businessmen are already reaping the rewards of their efforts in Bosnia as they seek a share of the business opportunities there after the war. During a meeting of the Turkey-Bosnia Trade Council in Bosnia, Turkish businessmen signed up a fair proportion of the current projects now in hand in the Bosnia region.Two Turkish companies have been instrumental in opening up the first foreign bank in Bosnia-the Turkish-Bosnia Bank. The giant Anatolia Group is opening an office in Bosnia and Flokser Textiles has signed a contract for artificial leather production. Sector representatives say that current developments are "just the beginning" and that more concrete results are expected. /Sabah/ Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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