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Turkish Press Review, 96-11-29Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWNOVEMBER 29, 1996Summary of political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning [01] TURKEY, UKRAINE TO SIGN MIDEAST OIL AGREEMENTUkranian President Leonid Kuchman, in Turkey for a two day working visit, said Turkey and Ukraine will sign an agreement concerning the transportation of Middlea East oil. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Kuchman said he had discussed the oil issue at length with President Süleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan. Regarding NATO, Kuchman said Ukraine was not against expansion but said it must go ahead slowly.He stressed that he had invited Prime Minister Erbakan to Ukraine and that Erbakan had told him he was aiming to double trade between the two countries, which currently rests at $ 1 billion. He also added that they had agreed on cooperation between the central banks of the two countries. /All papers/ [02] UNHCR TO HELP REPATRIATE TURKISH KURDSThe U.N. refugee agency announced on Wednesday it would help up to 15,000 Turkish Kurds to return to their homes from a refugee camp in northern Iraq."Turkey and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) have agreed to support the work for voluntary repatriation for the refugees, which would be carried out by us," Metin Corabatir, a UNHCR official said. "We know that there are some refugees who want to return. A notice of their repatriation conditions was issued a short time ago. But our plan is at an early stage," he said. Turkish officials have long sought the camp's closure, saying it was used as a base for operations by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "Our contacts and work is continuing for the closing of the camp totally and the returning of our citizens to Turkey soon," foreign ministry spokesman Sermet Atacanli told a news briefing. /Cumhuriyet/ [03] CILLER SAYS TURKEY IN EU WILL GUARANTEE DIVERSITYForeign Minister Tansu Ciller said on Thursday in Holland that Turkey would be a "bridge of peace" within the framework of the European Union and as such would be the guarantor of a Europe where "cultures do not clash and everyone lives under the umbrella of cohabitation and human rights." She said this umbrella would be the European Union, and added that Turkey would definitely take its place within the EU to provide an example of different cultures coexisting together.Providing information about developments in northern Iraq, Ciller is said to have told van Mierlo, as the foreign minister of the country that will take over the EU term presidency from Ireland on January 1, that the people of northern Iraq also agreed with Turkey on the need to combat the PKK terrorist organization. Mierlo for his part stressed the importance of Turkey for Europe, a regional strategically placed country. /Milliyet/ [04] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETSThe Council of Ministers met on Thursday under the chairmanship of Prime Mİnister Necmettin Erbakan. In his opening speech Erbakan said that Turkey aimed to transfer Iraq oil soon, improve trade relations with regional countries and end terrorist attacks.At the end of the meeting, which lasted three hours, State Minister Lutfi Esengul said in statement that issues regarding opening the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik oil pipeline had been discussed. He added that the oil pipeline could be opened very soon. /Cumhuriyet/ [05] KALEMLI PROTESTS MEETING OF KURDISH PARLIAMENT-IN-EXILEParliament speaker Mustafa Kalemli sent a protest letter to his Norwegian counterpart Kirsti Kole Grondahl after Norway allowed the Kurdish "parliament-in-exile" to meet in Oslo.Kalemli voiced the unease both he and the Parliament felt because of the meeting held on November 18-20, and said that the Kurdish parliament-in-exile was the PKK itself. Kalemli said he regretted the tension that had built up because of the meeting. /Cumhuriyet/ [06] UNESCO GIVES TURKISH FOLK SINGER ADDED AUTHORITYThe United Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) has extended the authority of well-known artist and folk singer Zulfu Livaneli, earlier assigned as an ambassador to UNESCO.The general director of the Paris-based organization, Frederico Mayor sent a formal letter to Livaneli, stating that Zulfi Livaneli had been commissioned with the status of ambassador to represent UNESCO in Turkey and throughout the world. Due to this extended status, Livaneli has since initiated a series of visits to different countries to attend formal meetings on behalf of Frederico Mayor. The meetings are scheduled to begin after Livaneli gives a concert on December 1, at London's Theatre Royal. /All papers/ [07] KAZAN: "TURKEY CANNOT BE EXCLUDED FROM EUROPE"Justice Minister Recai Kutan, who is in Strasbourg to continue his contacts with European officials, said Turkey was a European country which could not be excluded from Europe because it had 600 years of history linking it to the continent.Speaking to journalists after the meetings, Kazan accused the European Union countries of lacking sincerity in their relations with Turkey. The Justice Minister also said that he had voiced his concern that the Europeans regarded the terrorism issue in Turkey unilaterally. He said terrorist organizations in Turkey were supported by the West. He added he had discussed improvements of human rights in Turkey./Sabah/ [08] KACHANEVAS WANTS ALLIANCE WITH PKKAccording to a leading Greek daily newspaper, Ethnos, Prof.Theodoros Kachanevas, PASOK deputy, wants an alliance with the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In an interview reported in Ethnos, Kachanevas explained the policy that Greece should follow against Turkey. He described Turkey as an "aggressor" and added that besides the PKK Greece would have to set up an alliance with Syria, Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Serbia and Russia against Turkey.He also claimed that Greece should open a representative in Trabzon. /Milliyet/ [09] COOPERATION WITH ISRAEL UNDERWAYAn implementation plan involving a Turco-Israeli Military Training Cooperation Agreement and Agreements of Cooperation in the Defence Industry was signed in Ankara yesterday. Within the framework of the Training Cooperation Agreement, Israeli Air Forces pilots will undertake flight training in Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/[10] TURKEY PAYS $536 MILLION IN FOREIGN DEBTSTurkey paid off $536.05 million in foreign debts between 1-27 November, 1996. The Treasury paid $420.88 million, the Central Bank $29.54 million, the Defence Fund paid out $27.31 million and other public institutions debt payments totalled $58.32 million.Excluding gold, Central Bank foreign exchange reserves increased by $74 million last week and rose to $17.272 billion on 22 November. /Sabah/ [11] ROCKETS TO TARGET TURKISH BASESWithin a new five-year armament programme, the Greek Cypriot National Guard is planning to purchase rockets to target air bases in Turkey. The new armament programme was ratified at a Council of Greek Cypriot Ministers two days ago and envisages spending over 1 billion Cypriot Lira for aircraft, radar and naval vessels. An article in the Agon newspaper said that the Greek Cypriot Army had made an agreement with Russia for the purchase of two missile systems.[12] ISTANBUL IS PUSHING FOR 2004 OLYMPICSDuring an annual meeting held in the Cancun province of Mexico and attended by the members of the International Olympics Committee Executive Board and National Olympics Committee, 11 nominees for the 2004 Olympics were put forward. Foreign press members participating in the meetings evaluated the presentations and elected Turkey's presentation for Istanbul 2004 as the best one. /Sabah/[13] RED CROSS AGREEMENT RATIFIEDAn agreement signed between Turkey and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Associations' Federation has been ratified by the Turkish Parliament General Council. This international agreement determines the legal statutes of the federation's Turkish representation. The agreement enables the federation to open an official representation in Turkey. /Hurriyet/[14] NASRETTIN HOCA FESTIVAL IN BULGARIAA "Nasrettin Hoca Festival" has been held in Bulgaria after the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) announced the year 1996 as "Nasreddin Hoca Year". At the festival held in Sofia by the Organization Committee, a theatre performance consisting of anecdotes by the noted humorist Nasreddin Hoca was widely acclaimed. /Cumhuriyet/[15] KYRGYZ REPRESENTATIVE ASSIGNED TO TURKISH OFFICEThe Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), set up within the structure of the Turkish Foreign Ministry in order to develop economic relations with Turkish-Speaking Republics, has assigned the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister's brother, Bolotbek Otunbayev, to the Bishkek Representation. /Milliyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |