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Turkish Press Review, 97-05-01
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-EU ASSOCIATION COUNCIL MEETING RESULTS PLEASE ANKARA
[02] CILLER, PANGALOS MEET IN ISTANBUL
[03] US: PKK IS THE MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
[04] TURKEY AND ISRAEL TAKE GIANT STEP IN DEFENSE AREAS
[05] BLACK SEA FOREIGN MINISTERS URGE TRANSPORT COOPERATION
[06] TURKISH POLICE SEIZE 48 KG OF HEROIN
[07] 23 TERRORISTS KILLED
[08] FOREIGN POLICY UNDER DEBATE IN GERMANY
[09] CYPRIOT GREEKS THINKING MORE POSITIVELY
[10] TURKISH DOCTOR APPLAUDED IN THE US
[11] TOURISM COOPERATION WITH CYPRUS
[12] TURCO-GREEK DIALOGUE BEGINS
[13] SOYLEMEZ PERSUADES WORLD BANK
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
MAY 1, 1997
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
[01] TURKEY-EU ASSOCIATION COUNCIL MEETING RESULTS PLEASE ANKARA
Thursday's late-night meeting of the Turkey-EU Association Council in
Luxembourg has pleased Ankara with its results, despite remaining
obstacles such as the continuing Greek vetos on funds owing to Turkey.
The most satisfying result for Ankara is the official confirmation on
the EU side that Turkey remains on course for eventual membership in
the Union provided it fulfills objective criteria applicable to all
prospective members. Turkish officials were also pleased at being
assured that a report being prepared by the European Commission on
relations between Turkey and the EU would not represent a blueprint
for a new kind of relationship between the sides. /Sabah/
[02] CILLER, PANGALOS MEET IN ISTANBUL
Turkish Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller and her Greek counterpart
Theodoros Pangalos met in Istanbul on Wednesday a day after the two
countries decided to establish a committee of "wise men" who will look
into the possibility of settling the seemingly intractable problems
between the two countries. The two foreign ministers got together on
the sidelines of a meeting of a Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSCE)
forum in Istanbul. Both Ciller and Pangalos on Wednesday attended the
meeting of the Turkey-EU Association Council in Luxembourg./Sabah/
[03] US: PKK IS THE MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
The annual U.S. State Department report made public on Wednesday
refers to Greece as a country that lends official support to
anti-Turkish terrorists. "The Greek government continues to tolerate
the official presence in Athens of two anti-Turkish terrorist groups -
the National Liberation Front of Kurdistan, the political wing of the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and the Revolutionary People's
Liberation Front. Referring to the fact that PKK attacks have
noticeably decreased, the report interestingly says this is apparently
not due to the Turkish army's successful campaign. The report puts
PKK strength at between 10,000 to 15,000 'guerillas' and also mentions
that the PKK has 'thousands of sympathizers' in Turkey and Europe.
According to the report, Iran provides safe haven to elements of the
PKK./Milliyet/Cumhuriyet_
[04] TURKEY AND ISRAEL TAKE GIANT STEP IN DEFENSE AREAS
Defense Minister Turhan Tayan, paying an official visit to Israel
between April 30 and May 2, called on his counterpart Itzak Mordehay
and inspected Israeli Aircraft Industries where Turkey's F-4's are
being upgraded, ae well as attending two important briefings. He will
be received by Israeli President Ezer Weizman on Thursday and will
also meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu./Cumhuriyet/Sabah_
[05] BLACK SEA FOREIGN MINISTERS URGE TRANSPORT COOPERATION
The foreign ministers of the 11-nation BSCE, meeting in Istanbul
Wednesday, called for closer ties in telecommunications, transport,
and education. "We have completed our infrastructure," Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller, as term president of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperative, said of the regional pact. Ciller
said several telecommunications projects had already been completed to
link the countries of the region. She urged the member nations to
build the proposed "link corridor", a highway connecting the litorral
countries of the Black Sea./Cumhuriyet/
[06] TURKISH POLICE SEIZE 48 KG OF HEROIN
Turkish police have seized 48 kg of heroin in the western province of
Kocaeli, Anatolia news agency said on Wednesday. Police arrested four
men with 48 kilo packets of the drug in an undercover operation by
posing as potential buyers, the agency said.
[07] 23 TERRORISTS KILLED
Security Forces killed 23 terrorists during military operations in
eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey. Four village guards, who
involved in the operations conducted in northern Iraq, were killed by
terrorists and four security forces members were wounded. Four guards
were killed at the end of attacks launched by PKK terrorists in
Cukurca province of Hakkari. The Emergency Rule Regional Governor's
office said in a statement that 18 separatists terrorists were killed
during military operations which were launched to catch them in
Dargecit township of Mardin province. Nine terrorists were killed in
Ovacik township of Tunceli province. Security operations continue in
the region. /Cumhuriyet/Milliyet_
[08] FOREIGN POLICY UNDER DEBATE IN GERMANY
German people and the German government are all under pressure to
review German policy in connection with the status of foreigners
living in Germany. Old laws from back in 1913 are still in force and
they restrict the application of foreigners seeking naturalization.
A lot of the foreign people now in Germany can no longer be described
as "guests" and the government is being forced into doing something
about their situation even though feeling against foreigners runs high
in Germany.
Turkish workers are especially interested in developments because they
are the target of racist attacks because of their Turkish origins.
/Sabah/
[09] CYPRIOT GREEKS THINKING MORE POSITIVELY
The Greek Cypriot community on Cyprus, led by Glafkos Clerides, is
looking more positively at efforts to resolve the situation on the
island. The Greek Cypriot community has noted that a seven part
Russian proposal package could well lead to new ideas on the Cyprus
issue. /Hurriyet/
[10] TURKISH DOCTOR APPLAUDED IN THE US
Turkish doctor Sukru Emre has won the admiration of his colleagues in
the US for a successful "in-situ split liver transplant" during which
he saved two seriously ill patients. Doctor Emre works at the noted
Sinai Research Hospital where he has already carried 800 successful
specialized liver transplants. /Hurriyet/
[11] TOURISM COOPERATION WITH CYPRUS
Turkish Tourism Minister Bahattin Yucel went to Cyprus two days ago to
sign an "Accord for Cooperation in Tourism" which foresees the
development of touristic relations between Turkey and the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to boost growing tourism potential.
/Hurriyet/
[12] TURCO-GREEK DIALOGUE BEGINS
A statement made at the Turkish-EU Association Council in Luxembourg
said that Turco-Greek dialogue had begun and that the Foreign
Relations Committee would write a report by June at the latest. The
first meeting will be held in Holland with further meetings to follow
in Ankara and Athens. Dialogue between the undersecretaries of the
foreign ministries of the two countries, Onur Oymen and Yorgo
Papandreu, will continue. In a statement to the Turkish Hurriyet
newspaper, Papandreu said that he would continue to meet with Oymen
and would study new formulas for the solution of all the problems
between Turkey and Greece. Papandreu stated that the first meeting of
the two undersecretaries would be held at the Council of Ministers of
the European Council in Strasbourg in the forthcoming days.
/Hurriyet/
[13] SOYLEMEZ PERSUADES WORLD BANK
State Minister Ufuk Soylemez said that Chairman of the World Bank
James Wolfenshon had been impressed with developments in the Turkish
economy. Within the framework of his contacts in Washington, Soylemez
met with US Deputy Secretary of Treasury David Lipton and said: "We
underlined during our meetings that Turkey is a secular and democratic
state of law". He also detailed recent economic, political and social
developments in Turkey. Soylemez noted that Deputy Chairman of the
World Bank Johannes Lynn would visit Turkey in June. /Sabah/
END
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