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Turkish Press Review, 96-10-22Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWTUESDAY OCTOBER 22, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL ATTENDS FOURTH TURKISH-SPEAKING SUMMITPresident Suleyman Demirel is in the Central Asian republic of Uzbekistan to attend the fourth summit of the Turkish-speaking nations. Demirel addressed the Turkish-speaking republics' heads of state yesterday, stressing the deep bonds between the nations. "We have proven with our mutual support and solidarity that there exists a genuine Turkish world" the president said.Uzbek President Islam Kerimov welcomed President Demirel on his arrival in Tashkent. Uzbek Prime Minister Ozkir Sultanov, the first deputy Prime Minister Seyyid Kasimov, Foreign Minister Abdullaziz Kamilov, Turkey's Ambassador to Tashkent Erdogan Aytun and the ambassadors of other countries, who were there to attend the summit, were also present at the welcoming ceremony. After the ceremony, President Demirel and Uzbek President Kerimov conversed for a while. Demirel later went to the Dormen State Guest-House, which had been prepared for his stay. The two presidents then held a tete-a-tete there. Demirel stated that Turkey would continue to actively encourage wider relations between the Central Asian republics and NATO. "The membership of Azerbaijan and the other Turkish-speaking republics in the evolving European security system will serve both regional and global peace and security" he said. The president also drew attention to links between the drug trade and terrorism, calling on fellow Turkish-speaking countries to support Turkey in its struggle against these activities. On the other hand, it is reported that Turkish businessmen have over 175 plants in 32 countries particularly in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Romania and Uzbekistan. The number of Turkish firms abroad exceeds 490. There are 22 banks established by the Turkish financial sector abroad. Turkish enterpreneurs have transferred $3 billion worth of capital abroad from Turkey. /Sabah/ [02] SECOND EURO-ASIAN ISLAMIC COUNCILForeign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, speaking at the opening of the Second Euro-Asian Islamic Council, said that Turkey was a Muslim country with its 65 million population and that its religious-state relations were not a threat to secularism. "The opinions of those who criticize this structure originate from the fact that these people conceive secularism as a lack of religion. But we consider secularism as the absolute religion and freedom of consciousness" she said.Ciller said she was happy to see the leaders of many Islamic organizations in Turkey for this gathering. The meeting is being attended by representatives of all the independent Turkish-speaking republics and independent Turkish and Muslim communities. Ciller went on to talk of the future for Islam in the coming years. "Our century is the century of enlightenment. Let this Second Euro-Asian Islamic Council be the beginning of a new step for us. We have to inform the world on the tolerance and brotherhood associated with our religion" she said. /All papers/ [03] GUMULCINE MUFTI SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS IN PRISONIbrahim Serif, the elected mufti of Gumulcine (Komotini) in Greece, was tried yesterday in the Thessalonica court of appeals and sentenced to six months in prison. The court then changed Serif's prison term to a fine (at a daily rate of 1,500 drachmas- approximately TL 500,000) and released him upon the respective payment. Serif later said that he would appeal his case to the Greek high court of appeals. /Sabah/[04] 33 PKK MILITANTS DEAD IN RECENT CLASHESSecurity forces have killed 33 militants of the PKK terrorist organization during recent scattered operations in the Southeast. According to the office of the emergency rule region, in operations to sweep PKK militants from the region, six soldiers and one state-paid village guard were killed.Seven terrorists were killed when they attempted to attack a hamlet near the southeastern province of Hakkari's Semdinli township and the others were killed during various clashes in the Southeast during the last five days. Meanwhile, four militants have given themselves up to security forces. /Hurriyet/ [05] US ENVOY MEETS BARZANI IN BID FOR PEACE IN N.IRAQRobert Pelletreau, a senior US official, met with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Mesud Barzani in Turkey yesterday to try and bring a solution to months of bitter clashes between the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Northern Iraq. After his talks with Barzani in Silopi in southeastern Turkey, Pelletreau said he had found the KDP leader willing on the issue of concluding a cease-fire with the PUK.Pelletreau, who was talking to reporters, also said he had impressed upon the Kurdish leader the importance of seeing that neither Baghdad nor Tehran interfered in the inter-Kurdish fighting in Northern Iraq. Pelletreau is due to meet PUK leader Celal Talabani in Turkey today according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. "We are making arrangements for the visit of Mr.Talabani" Sermet Atacanli, the ministry's deputy spokesman said yesterday. Atacanli said that apart from his meeting with the US envoy, Talabani would also hold talks with Turkish officials. A meeting between Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller and Talabani was also on the agenda, Atacanli said. Pelletreau will also meet with Turkmen front leader Sinan Celebi. Atacanli noted that Turkey would use the talks as an opportunity to push for increased rights for Turkmens in Northern Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/ [06] "TURKEY DID NOT ABANDON THE IDEA OF THE SECURITY ZONE"Speaking at a press conference, Defence Minister Turhan Tayan reviewed Turkey's defence industry and its policies. The minister stressed that Turkey's defence priority at the moment was to dry up the "the northern Iraqi swamp". Discussing the plan to set up a security zone inside the northern Iraq border to protect against PKK terrorist infiltration, Tayan said that Turkey never hesitated to take precautions against threats and that the idea had not been abandoned. The minister went on to say that such a zone would be established should such a measure become necessary.Tayan also spoke touched on relations with Greece saying: "According to earlier NATO agreements, a friendship exists between Turkey and Greece but the truth in this is debatable". He added, however, that the two countries should come to an agreement and be good neighbours and called on Greece to demonstrate sincerity in these efforts. /Cumhuriyet/ [07] PEACE SUMMIT OF TURCO-GREEK BUSINESSMEN IN ATHENSTurkish and Greek businessmen are looking into cooperating in tourism, shipping, general trade, contracting and health industries, business leaders from the two countries said in Istanbul yesterday. Relations between Greece and Turkey could improve based on initiatives undertaken by businessmen from the two often hostile neighbours, the businessmen said after a joint meeting of the Turco-Greek Business Council and the Young Enterpreneurs Association of Greece. Greek businessmen invited Turkish businessmen to Athens for a peace summit to be held on December 9, 1996. /Hurriyet/[08] FRANCE BACKS TURKEYVisiting French European Affairs Minister Michel Barnier yesterday assured Turkey of Paris' support for Turkey's bid for closer integration with Europe. Barnier, in Turkey for the 75th anniversary of the Ankara Agreement his country signed with Turkey fighting a liberation war against the World War I victors, made the pledge in a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller after a "working lunch"."We attach great importance to Turkey growing roots in Europe; therefore we think that the Ankara protocol -Turkey signed with the then European Economic Community for associate membership and eventual full membership- should be honoured" the French government official said. The minister said the EU should promote "good neighbourly relations between Turkey and Greece". Ciller reasserted Turkey's determination to enter the EU as a full member and stressed that Ankara did not want to fall behind the Eastern and Central European countries in securing full membership. /Hurriyet/ [09] UN LEADS TALKS IN CYPRUS TO DEFUSE TENSIONUN-sponsored talks have started in Cyprus to defuse tension on the divided island where five people have died this year as a result of the ethnic strife on the island, a UN envoy said yesterday. "The talks are underway and we are going to pursue them very energetically" said Gustave Feissel, resident representative of the UN secretary-general in Cyprus. "We expect the two sides will cooperate with us so that we can reach an agreement very quickly and without delay" he said after a meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Glafkos Clerides.The UN hopes to reach an agreement between the two sides to abandon the sentry posts long the 180-kilometer long cease-fire line dividing the island. The agreement prohibits the use of loaded weapons and establishes a military code of conduct. "It is a technical military step to reduce tension" a UN spokesman said. /All papers/ [10] SOYLEMEZ OPTIMISTIC ABOUT IMF SUPPORTState Minister Ufuk Soylemez said in a press conference in Dusseldorf that the Turkish coalition government's economic programme was aimed at lowering inflation, increasing wages and implementing a structural transformation, and that such a determined and realistic programme would inevitably be supported by international financial organizations."The negotiations with the IMF are continuing on the technical dimension of the issues and afterwards the political authorities will also have contacts with the IMF mission. We will then see if there is going to be a standby agreement in the coming months" said Soylemez. /All papers/ [11] TURKEY GRANTS TL 267.5 TR INVESTMENT INCENTIVES IN SEPT.The Turkish Treasury issued investment incentive certificates worth TL 267.5 trillion for 342 different projects in September, the Treasury Undersecretariat announced. The certificates offer a wide range of financial and infrastructure benefits to foreign investors in approved economic sectors and regions of Turkey. The names of the projects which received investment incentive certificates were listed in the Official Gazette on Sunday. /All papers/[12] A CALL ISSUED TO THE TURKISH AND GREECE PRIME MINISTERSIn an article published in the leading daily in Kathimerini, Greece on Sunday, a call was made to Prime Minister Kostas Simitis to arrange direct meetings with Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan. The article evaluated Turkey's present situation and relations with the West and drew attention to the fact that the Greek government should not turn its back on Turkey. The paper stressed that should a Turco-Greek dialogue be initiated them the Greek government will have to contact the Turkish prime ministry, foreign ministry and the office of the general staff separately, all of which evaluate Turco-Greek relations."Kathimerini recalled that a useful cooperation had been established between the Turkish and Greece offices of the general staff and added that the Turkish foreign ministry in EU oriented and that Greece had to re-evaluate Turco-EU relations. It called upon the prime ministers of both countries to devote themselves to the principle of friendly neighbouring relations. The article also claimed that both Greece and Turkey would be pressurised by other countries if they did not renew the "confidence building measures" signed in 1988 in Athens and in Istanbul. /Sabah/ [13] DER SPIEGEL: "LIBYA SUPPORTS THE PKK"The weekly German magazine Der Speigel claimed in its recent issue that Libya leader Muammer Kaddafi helped the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) and the PKK found backing for its terrorist group with German citizens.The magazine reported that Kaddafi supported the establishment of a Kurdish state and PKK terrorists had been trained in the camps in the Fessan region of northwestern Libya. "Experts teach PKK terrorists how to use weapons and give them military training. After the training PKK terrorists are sent to Istanbul, Diyarbakir and Hakkari to undertake nefarious activities the magazine stated. According to the German State Security Service, and the German Criminal Department and the Intelligence Service 40 German citizens participated in the activities of the PKK terrorist organization. /Cumhuriyet/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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