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Turkish Press Review, 97-09-29
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] PM YILMAZ VISITS GERMANY
[02] TURKEY TIGHTENS OPERATION IN NORTHERN IRAQ
[03] CEM RETURNS HOME
[04] NATO EXERCISE IN DARDANELLES STRAIT
[05] TATARISTAN PRESIDENT IN TURKEY
[06] CULTURE MINISTER IN KAZAKHSTAN
[07] KORKUT OZAL NEW LEADER OF DEMOCRAT PARTY
[08] PKK TERRORIST REVEALS OUTRAGEOUS SECRETS
[09] AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN ISTANBUL
[10] UK WISHES TO SEE TURKEY AT EUROPE CONFERENCE
[11] SUMMIT IN BULGARIA
[12] IMF AND WORLD BANK DELEGATIONS TO VISIT TURKEY
[13] TURKISH EXPORTERS TO VISIT MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER
29.09.97
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
[01] PM YILMAZ VISITS GERMANY
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will start today an official visit to
Germany. The visit has been initiated in response to an EU message
that Turkey should seek German support in its drive for integration
with Europe. Observers note that this visit is of special importance,
even though Yilmaz is not expected to achieve a miracle in changing
German attitudes. The Turkish prime minister will stress that Turkey
has abandoned the previous government's policy of threatening to veto
NATO eastwards expansion if Turkey is not accepted into the EU. /All
papers/
[02] TURKEY TIGHTENS OPERATION IN NORTHERN IRAQ
Turkish troops continue with their cross-border operation against PKK
terrorist organization camps in northern Iraq. After a week of air
raids and operations by the Turkish army backed by village guards and
peshmergas of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), many PKK camps
have been destroyed and operations are still continuing in twelve
regions of northern Iraq. Fighting is continuing in the Kani Mazi,
Ekmal, Bervari, Meti, Carcel, Dergele, Irkan and Haciumran regions
where, according to KDP radio, 13 separatists have been killed.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Kurdistan Unity Party has called on the PKK to
withdraw from northern Iraq, while Mesud Barzani of the KDP urged the
PKK to stop its attacks in one month's time. "If not, we will have to
make some facts public", said Barzani, who also described PKK atttacks
against civilians. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] CEM RETURNS HOME
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said on his return on Sunday from a UN
General Assembly meeting in New York that the Greek side had reduced
the entire Aegean conflict to the Kardak issue. During the General
Assembly, Cem met with many of his counterparts, including the Greek
Foreign Minister. "They insist that the problem should be taken to
the International Court of Justice. We have emphasized that we want
to discuss the Aegean problem as a whole. We have been trying to
explain our ideas to the US, the European Union and other countries
for three years now" Cem told reporters.
Cem said Turkey wants to discuss certain practices on the 12 islands,
as well as Kardak, which are in violation of the Lausanne Treaty. Cem
noted that they had also discussed the deployment of Russian-made
S-300 missiles purchased by the Greek Cypriots. Cem also condemned
the comments made by Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos against
Turkey in an interview broadcast by a Greek TV station. In a
statement issued by Turkey's permanent mission to the UN on Thursday,
Omer Akbel, spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said that
Pangalos' remarks were not only impertinent and far beyond the realm
of politeness, but also reflected a psychopathological state of mind.
Akbel said: "The Greek nation does not deserve such shame committed
on its behalf and in its name". /Cumhuriyet/
[04] NATO EXERCISE IN DARDANELLES STRAIT
The "Damsel Fair-97" mine battle maneuvers planned by NATO has begun
in the Dardanelles Strait and the Sarosa Gulf with the participation
of Turkish, French, Italian, US and British navy forces and will last
until October 5. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] TATARISTAN PRESIDENT IN TURKEY
Turkish President Suleyman Demirel gave a luncheon at the Presidential
Palace in honour of Tataristan President Shaipovich Shaymiev
yesterday. Tataristan President Shaymiev will hold contacts with many
Turkish officials during his visit to Turkey. /Sabah/
[06] CULTURE MINISTER IN KAZAKHSTAN
Turkish Culture Minister Istemihan Talay went to Kazakhstan yesterday
to attend the Culture Ministers' Permanent Council meeting of the
Turkish-speaking countries. /All papers/
[07] KORKUT OZAL NEW LEADER OF DEMOCRAT PARTY
Korkut Ozal was elected as the new leader of the Democrat Party (DP)
yesterday. Ozal, who was the only candidate for the leadership, won
the total votes of the voters at the end of the 11th Extraordinary
Congress of the DP. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] PKK TERRORIST REVEALS OUTRAGEOUS SECRETS
A terrorist of the PKK separatist organization has revealed that the
group was protected and aided by Greek security services while
preparing terrorist attacks in Turkey and in London. Seydo Hazar,
living in Germany, gave an interview to the mainstream British
newspaper "The Observer", where he said the PKK plans to use chemical
bombs against civilians and to poison beaches and city water supplies.
According to The Observer's major news story, the plans also involve
targeting British interests in Turkey and in Britain itself, in
revenge for the British government's extradition of Kani Yilmaz,
alleged head of the political wing of the PKK, the ERNK. Hazar has
detailed the descriptions of at least 12 powerful bombs disguised
variously in Nesquik boxes, video cassettes, shampoo and ketchup
containers and designed to cause maximum civilian casualties. He said
the bombs also contained rat poison. Hazar claimed that the PKK had
sold Stringer missiles manufactured under licence in Greece, to the
Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the newspaper revealed. /Milliyet/
[09] AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN ISTANBUL
An international conference will be held in Istanbul between September
30-October 1, attended by President Suleyman Demirel, to discuss
international projects and water issues. Sermet Atacanli, deputy
spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, said that Turkey was not about to
sell water from its transboundary rivers. Asked about the issue,
Atacanli pointed out that Turkey had proposed a three-stage plan to
its southern neighbours.
Stating that the only project on the agenda -regarding national
waters- is the "Manavgat Water Supply Project", Atacanli said that the
project concerns only those interested in it. /Hurriyet/
[10] UK WISHES TO SEE TURKEY AT EUROPE CONFERENCE
The British Foreign Office confirmed on Friday that they wish to see
Turkey at the Europe Conference, which will launch negotiations with
five Central and Eastern European countries along with Cyprus to join
the European Union (EU), due to be held next February. Quoting the
foreign affairs minister for Europe, Doug Henderson, who reassured
Turkey about its future prospects in the European Union, the Foreign
Office stated that they wouldn't like to see Turkey excluded from the
European family. "We certainly would welcome Turkey's attendance at
the conference", a Foreign Office spokesman stated, adding that the
decision to invite Turkey rested with the European Council. /All
papers/
[11] SUMMIT IN BULGARIA
The next few months will witness intensive diplomatic traffic in the
Balkans. The presidents of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania will meet in
Varna, Bulgaria, on October 3, in a move to enhance stability in the
region. Another meeting of defense ministers from six Balkan
countries designed to set up a joint cooperation mechanism will take
place next month. Foreign ministers from the countries that
contributed to calming down domestic turmoil in Albania will meet on
October 17 in Rome. In November, Balkan heads of state and government
will come together in Crete. /Milliyet/
[12] IMF AND WORLD BANK DELEGATIONS TO VISIT TURKEY
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank delegations will
visit Turkey in October. An IMF delegation will come to Turkey on 6
October under the chairmanship of the Head of the Turkish Desk, Martin
Hardy. The delegation will meet with Central Bank, Treasury, State
Planning Organization (DPT) and Finance Ministry senior officials to
discuss the 1998 budget, inflation, privatization, and tax reform
package issues. /Hurriyet/
[13] TURKISH EXPORTERS TO VISIT MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA
Under the coordination of the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat and
Istanbul Mine and Metals Exporters Union, Turkish exporters will visit
Malaysia and Indonesia on 17-21 October to promote Turkish export
goods. The aim of the visit is to increase Turkey's share in of
Malaysian and Indonesian imports. Turkish businessmen in iron-steel,
construction, automotives, textiles, electric-electronics, medicine,
packing, cosmetics and food industries will share in the visit.
/Hurriyet/
END
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