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Turkish Press Review, 96-10-21Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWMONDAY OCTOBER 21, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL TO PARTICIPATE IN SUMMIT OF TURKISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIESPresident Suleyman Demirel left for Uzbekistan yesterday to participate in the summit of Turkish-speaking countries. Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Presidents will also participate in this fourth summit, which previously has been held in Istanbul, Ankara and Bishkek.Before his departure from Ankara's Esenboga Airport, Demirel said that the main aim was to reconsolidate close ties between brother countries and increase the effiency of Turkish-speaking republics in the international area. Demirel added that the trade volume with these five countries was around $1 billion and because of the intensive cooperation in the field of telecommunication, education and science, the ties between these countries were strengthening day by day. He said that the whole world was watching this friendship between brother countries, and that Turkey's prestige was increasing every day because of this. /Cumhuriyet/ [02] ERBAKAN ENCOURAGES TRADE WITH ARMENIAWith a regulation released on September 13, 1996, Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan undertook steps for increasing commercial relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, including Armenia. According to the regulation, governors of the Turkish provinces at the CIS borders will be given special authority to import various goods with oil on the top of the list from these countries. /Milliyet/[03] NORTHERN IRAQ IS FOR PEACEThe warring Iraqi Kurdish leaders were set to meet a senior US official trying to end their bitter feud while their armies were locked in fierce clashes. Robert Pelletreau, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs is due to begin his talks with the Kurd leaders today in southeastern Turkey.Kurdish sources said Pelletreau will first meet with Kurdistan Democrativc Party (KDP) leader Mesud Barzani today in the Turkish border town of Silopi. On Tuesday he is scheduled to meet with Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Celal Talabani in Ankara. Pelletreau arrived in Ankara yesterday and met with Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Onur Oymen. The first indirect contacts between the two Kurdish leaders since they resumed fighting at the end of August followed a meeting in Washington between Pelletreau and their representatives. Turkish officials also attended last week's meeting in Washington as observers. /Milliyet/ [04] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS CYPRUSRecent developments in Cyprus will be included in the "urgent issues" session of the European Parliament's (EP) general board meetings due to start this week. A draft resolution submitted by Greek parliamentarians to be put on the agenda of the "urgent issues" session scheduled for Thursday claimed that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) had created the recent violent incidents deliberately to try to show that the two populations could not live together in peace on the island.The draft included a claim that Petros Kakulis, the Greek Cypriot who had crossed the border, was killed by the Turkish Armed Forces on purpose. The resolution asked the EU to take a more decisive position against Turkey, referring to the EU decision to postpone the aid which had been granted to Turkey under the customs union agreement. The resoltuion also asked that the EU Commission and Council increase their attempts to solve the Cyprus issue and that the Turkish army withdraw from the island. /All papers/ [05] HUNGARIAN AMBASSADOR PRAISES TURKEY'S EU PROSPECTSHungarian Ambassador to Turkey, Gyorgy Kery, said the customs union agreement had effectively made Turkey a part of the European Union (EU). In response to recent reports that Hungary was to be admitted to the EU ahead of Turkey, Kery said: "To the best of my knowledge, Turkey is closer to the EU than Hungary. Turkey has signed a customs union agreement with the EU. Hungary, despite its strong aspiration, has not been able to conclude such an agreement and the conditions are worse now. With the customs union, Turkey is in effect part of the EU".The Hungarian ambassador said he had no knowledge that Hungary would be among the first countries to be admitted to full membership and said they were trying to bring their economy in line with EU standards. He said: "Turkey is one of the world's top ten developing markets. Hungary, with its population of 10 million, is smaller than even Istanbul. However smaller countries can adapt themselves faster and achieve comprehensive integration. On the other hand, the Turkish economy is developing rapidly and Europe needs such a strong and important country". /All papers/ [06] GREEK CYPRIOTS BIKERS BLOCKADE BORDER AGAINGreek Cypriot motorists attempted again yesterday to stop tourists entering the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The motorists led by Greek Democratic Party deputy Marios Matsakis, set up road blocks at the Ledra Palas border gate and stopped tourists from entering the TRNC. The tourists, who managed to pass through the road blocks, were stopped by Greek Cypriot police at the border.Greek Cypriot protestors sealed off the border again on Saturday. Greek newspapers wrote on Sunday that no tourists were allowed to pass to the Turkish side and so an important source of revenue for the TRNC had been cut. Matsakis was also an investigator of the Derinya border events in August. On 11 and 14 August, Greek motorists had tried to infiltrate the TRNC border and Turkish soldiers had to open fire. Officials of the Greek Cypriot Motorists' Federation say they will continue to blockade the border every weekend and urge similar action at airports and sea ports. /Sabah/ [07] IMF TO HOLD FINAL ASSESSMENTS TODAYThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission in Turkey, led by Martin Hardy, Head of the Turkish desk at the IMF, is to hold the final assessments with Turkish Treasury officials today. The three officials of the IMF carry out an internal review in regard to the main macro economic indicators of Turkey, at the weekend.After today's meeting, the IMF mission is expected to determine possible ways of further cooperation with the Turkish coalition government. /All papers/ [08] EU COMMISSION LUKEWARM ON FURTHER FINANCE FOR TURKEYThe European Commission is lukewarm on further financing for Turkey, according to Serge Abou, head of the Turkish desk at the Commission. Abou was in Ankara last week to evaluate the projects which were submitted to the EU by Turkey. An EU mission will arrive in Ankara next month to make an in-depth study of the five projects concerning health and social issues. Turkey expects ECU 75 million worth of credit from the EU witin the context of the so-called 'fourth package' of these five projects. /All papers/[09] PKK MILITANTS KILL TWO SOLDIERSDuring an operation carried out in the rural areas of the Hasankeyf district of Batman the previous day, two soldiers -Bayram Kaya and Mustafa Yazici-, were killed by militants of the PKK terrorist organization. /Sabah/[10] MINISTRY OPENS LABOUR PACKAGE TO DEBATEThe Labour and Social Security Ministry has prepared a draft bill calling for changes in labour legislation and has opened it for discussion by employee and employer organizations. The draft suggest amendments in the law governing trade unions, strikes and lock outs, and maritime labour laws. It also calls for removal of the 10 % work sector hurdle, an ease on strike bans and provisions to reinstate a worker in the event of an unjust firing. Under current legislation, a trade union must have the support of at least 10 % of the workers in a certain work sector in order to be able to represent them nationwide.While the Turkish Confederation of Labour Unions (Turk-Is) has taken a positive approach to the amendments set forth in the draft, it objects to the section which calls for elimination of the 10 % barrier. Commenting on the ministry's draft, the Turk-Is administrators focused on the importance of launching a solidly-based effort to reform the labour laws. Turk-Is opposes the removal of the 10 % work sector barried because it believes that eliminating the hurdle will encourage a proliferation of trade unions. /Sabah/ [11] AJZMENDIS DETAINED IN ANKARAAt least sixty Ajzmendis, members of a fundamentalist Islamic sect, were taken into custody by police after singing religious hymns and chanting slogans against Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, in front of Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara on Saturday, the Anatolia news agency reported. The police reportedly tried to prevent a group of Ajzmendis, from entering the mosque where a commemoration for the late Said Nursi, an important religious figure, was being held. Later, a row between the police and Ajzmendis erupted.The group refused to leave the area and started to perform their unique religious practices under tight security. The police moved in to arrest the protesters as they chanted slogans calling for bloodshed and insulting Ataturk. Meanwhile several other Ajzmendis were reportedly detained by the police at various other places. [12] DENKTAS WARNS THE EUTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas who is visiting Ankara evaluated the process of EU-Cyprus integration. Denktas warned the EU, that is raising the hopes of Southern Cyprus for EU full membership, noting that Southern Cyprus' application was not a legal one. "If the Greek Cypriots are accepted as full members of the European Union, the possibilities for the outbreak of a war in Cyprus will be greatly increased", Denktas said. /Sabah/[13] PROVIDE COMFORT PROBLEM REMAINS UNRESOLVEDControl flights of American fighter jets over Northern Iraq within the framework of the Provide Comfort Operation remains a problem. Turkey demands that in these flights realized for defence purposes US jets carry only defence equipment and no weapons to be utilized for a possible attack. Talks between Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Onur Oymen and US Ambassador to Turkey Marc Grossman are continuing. /Cumhuriyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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