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Turkish Press Review, 96-11-18Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWMONDAY NOVEMBER 18, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] HOTEL BLAZE KILLS SEVENTEEN IN LALELISeventeen people died and 41 were reported to be injured by a fire which broke out at a three star hotel in the Laleli district of Istanbul early on Sunday. The fire is thought to have started due to a gas leak on the ground floor of the seven-storey, 60-room Tozbey Hotel. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals.Ahmet Cetinsay, mayor of the nearby district of Eminonu in Istanbul, said that the event was a disaster and that most of the deaths resulted from smoke inhalation. It was reported that most of the guests at the hotel were Ukranian women and suitcase traders. /Milliyet/ [02] EU-TURKEY JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION TO MEET ON TUESDAYThe EU-Turkey customs union, the Partnership Agreement and developments in the expansion of the European Union (EU) will be discussed at the 39th meeting of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission scheduled for November 19-20.Hasan Denizkurdu, co-chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Commission, said that the meeting in Brussels will also cover economic and political issues in both Turkey and Europe, as well as international political problems that concern both sides. /All papers/ [03] NATO ASSEMBLY TO MEET THIS WEEKNATO Assembly's fall term meetings are due to start in Paris on Monday. Sixteen NATO memebrs and 16 former Eastern Bloc countries will be attending the 42nd annual meeting of the NATO Assembly.Turkey will be represented at the meetings with a delegation headed by Cavit Kavak. Issues such as NATO expansion, the future of the Partnership for Peace programme, the Middle East peace process and the restructuring of Bosnia will be deliberated in the various committees of the NATO Assembly. The four-day meetings will be opened on Monday with speeches by NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana, NATO Assembly Chairman Karsten Voigt and the French and Danish defence ministers. /All papers/ [04] TURKISH OFFICIALS IN NEW BID FOR WEU SLOTThe Western European Union (WEU) Council of Ministers will meet in Ostende, Belgium, today to discuss the establishment of a "West European Armament Group". The meeting, bringing together the foreign and defence ministers of the 10 member countries besides three others with "observer status", including Turkey, will focus on European security issues.The meeting of the West European Armament Group (WEAG) starts today and Defence Minister Turhan Tayan is attending the meeting as the representative of Turkey. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller leaves for Belgium today to attend the meeting and a dinner reception to follow. /All papers/ [05] EIGHT PKK TERRORISTS KILLED IN BINGOLTurkish security forces killed eight militants of the PKK terrorist organization in weekend operations in the eastern province of Bingol. Three soldiers were also reportedly killed in the engagements. Two others were injured.Regional officials said that the operations in the region began on Saturday. Authorities said the security forces had found and destroyed a considerable amount of food, equipment and ammunition in the sweep. The operations against the militants are continuing. /Sabah/ [06] INTERIOR MINISTER AKSENER VISITS IRAQI BORDERNew Interior Minister Meral Aksener visited the Habur border gate in the southeastern district of Silopi to attend the opening of the second bridge connecting Turkey and northern Iraq, the Anatolia news agency reported. Upon her arrival by helicopter, Aksener was met by Sirnak Governor Mehmet Acun and had talks with truck drivers who make their living through carrying goods to northern Iraq.Aksener promised to speed up transportation through the Habur gate with the installation of high-tech equipment. She also pledged to crack down on terrorism which she said was the biggest barrier to cross-border trade. After the opening of the second bridge, Aksener also went to Silopi and spoke to the public there. She told the people that the state would continue its fight against terrorism, take steps to resume investment in the region, and stimulate commercial activites. [07] COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR HEATING UPAs steps are taken to privatize the Turkish telecommunications sector, interest by big international leaders is growing. Now a ten company US "Telecommunications Trade Mission" has been busy making contacts in Ankara in moves to glean more details about privatization offers.Company leaders have been sending out feelers, with offers of special terms and foreign capital to speed the process. Company representatives have stressed the need for a sound infrastructure upon which to build privatization of the sector. /Sabah/ [08] EU SLAPS DOWN ATHENSThe European Union (EU), tired of Greek obstinacy, has finally declared that all the disputes between Turkey and Greece should be settled by arbitration in the International Court of the Hague.Greece, determined to block by veto every EU decision in favour of Turkey, has finally worn down EU patience and has been slapped down with a report by term president Ireland which strongly suggests that Athens generated problems with neighbour Turkey should be settled by the Hague. As a result, Athens has been turned upside down, with top level ministers saying that they cannot understand the EU proposal. It is now expected that Athens will try to respond by falling back on its usual threat of insisting on twelve mile limits round Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. /Milliyet/ [09] GAS PIPELINE BETWEEN TURKEY AND IRANIt looks as though the proposed natural gas pipeline between Turkey and supplier country Iran will soon be a reality. Officials say that by the end of this month tenders will be put out for the construction of the pipeline and connected power plant facilities, the first of which will be built in Erzurum. /Sabah/[10] BRITISH DELEGATION IN TURKEYTen British companies are participating in a trade mission to Turkey starting today. The mission has been organized by the Northern Development Company (NDC), the economic development agency representing the northern region of England. Through its Trade Mission programme, the NDC encourages existing and potential exporters to visit overseas markets in search of new business. The trade mission to Turkey is supported by Britain's Department of Trade and Industry. NDC is expecting a successful trip as Turkey last year brought goods and services worth 1.15 billion pounds from the United Kingdom in 1995. /All papers/[11] ISTANBUL TOURISM SUMMITLeading tourism investors will come to Istanbul on November 21-22 to participate in an "Alternative Investment Opportunities in Turkey" workshop. Representatives of 30 countries will participate in the meeting. During the meeting, Tourism Minister Bahattin Yucel will give details about the investment policy of Turkey. The workshop programme includes promotion of hotels and tourism facilities to be privatized by the Privatization Administration and the Pension Fund. /Sabah/[12] TURKISH DELEGATION VISITS BULGARIATurkish Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission members today will visit Bulgaria upon the official invitation of Bulgarian Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Nikolay Kamov. The Turkish delegation, headed by Commission Chairman Istanbul Deputy Sedat Aloglu, will be received also by Bulgarian President Jelyu Jelev and Peter Stoyanov, who will undertake the Presidential duties on January 12, replacing Jelev. /Cumhuriyet/[13] BOMB EXPLOSION IN TUNCELIAs a result of an bomb explosion yesterday night in a restaurant in Tunceli, one person was killed and four others injured. The bomber or bombers were not identified and managed to escape. /Cumhuriyet/[14] LIBYA PAYS TURKEY $33.2 MILLIONThe Libyan government has transferred to Turkey $33.2 million as a payment off its debt to Turkish contractors. The money, deposited in the Turk-Arab Bank, will be distributed to the Turkish companies expecting to be paid for their work completed in Libya. /Hurriyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |