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Turkish Press Review, 98-02-04Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>04.02.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] CEM IN IRAQForeign Minister Ismail Cem will go to Iraq today within the framework of a 'goodwill mission' to cool the crisis between the US and Iraq, and persuade Iraqi Head of State Saddam Hussein abide by UN resolutions. Cem will meet with First Deputy Prime Minister Tarik Aziz in Baghdad. There is also a possibility that Cem will meet with Saddam Hussein. Deputy Undersecretaries of the Turkish Foreign Ministry Murat Sungar and Necati Utkan will accompany Cem. /Hurriyet/[02] CLINTON WANTS SUPPORT FROM DEMIRELUS President Bill Clinton sent a message to Turkish President Suleyman Demirel yesterday requesting support for the US stance against Iraq. Clinton's message was conveyed to Demirel yesterday evening by US Ambassador to Ankara Marc Parris, who took the letter to Cankaya Palace. In his message, Clinton said that if no results could be generated through diplomatic initiatives, the use of force would be unavoidable. Clinton also made reference to Turkey's continued cooperation, which it has been particularly evident since the Gulf crisis, and expressed his hope that Turkey's stance would not change. /Hurriyet/[03] 3,000 TONS OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN IRAQUS Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen.Joseph Ralston, who has given out figures on Iraq's chemical weapons stock, has created great concern in Ankara. Ralston noted that even though Iraq has announced that it has 400 tons of chemical and biological weapons, this figure is actually 3,000 tons. Ralston, who is making contacts in Ankara, said: "Since Turkey is a neighbour of Iraq, Turkey is threatened with great danger". /Hurriyet/[04] YILMAZ WARNS IRAQPrime Minister Mesut Yilmaz has warned Iraq and said: "If Iraq does not take our warnings into consideration, then it will lose its right to show reaction against Turkey's stance in the future". Yilmaz recalled that Turkey was within the range of some Iraqi chemical and biological weapons. Yilmaz said: "It is possible to prevent further action. However the basic responsibility belongs to Iraq". /Hurriyet/[05] TURKEY MOVES TO RAISE SUPPORT FOR FM CEM'S BAGHDAD MISSIONForeign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Ambassador Murat Sungar had meetings yesterday with the ambassadors of Iraq's neighbour countries and the 15 member-countries of the UN Security Council. During the meetings, the ambassadors were briefed about the aims of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's visit to Baghdad which starts today, and were invited to share their views and proposals about the mediatory role assumed by Turkey.Meanwhile, US military officials visiting Turkey are scheduled to meet tomorrow top level Turkish military representatives. Officials from the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the General Staff have outlined a number of measures aiming to cope with the possible flow of refugees from Iraq in case of a hot confrontation in the region. /Sabah/ [06] TURKISH AND GREEK DELEGATIONS MEET IN IZMIRTurkish and Greek journalists, academicians and politicians will come together during a summit in Izmir on 6, 7 and 8 February. The first of these meetings was held on Sakiz island last year when the "Journalists' Platform for Peace in the Aegean and Thrace" convened. 140 people from the two countries will attend this second meeting on "Media and Nationalism". /Hurriyet/[07] KIVRIKOGLU IN ISRAELGeneral Huseyin Kivrikoglu, a senior general in the Turkish Army, arrived in Israel on Tuesday for a three-day visit as part of growing military relations between the two countries.An announcement from an Israeli military spokesman office said that General Kivrikoglu would tour ground and air bases as well as the army's technology and logistics center. He is also scheduled to meet with Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai and army Chief of Staff Lt.Gen. Amnon Shakak. /Hurriyet/Milliyet_ [08] TRNC VISA TO ENGLANDPresident of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktas has announced that the TRNC will start to apply visa restrictions against British vsitors very soon. Noting that England as a guarantour country was acting unfairly against the TRNC, Denktas said that the recent British visa decision against TRNC citizens was totally political and unjust. He added that they had started necessary preparations to apply similar visa regulations against British citizens. Denktas added that different alternatives would be worked out in order not to harm the tourism sector. Denktas also pointed out that he would not meet with Britain's special envoy to Cyprus, Sir David Hanny, until the visa issue was solved. /Cumhuriyet/[09] CELEBI MEETS WITH WTO REPRESENTATIVEState Minister Isin Celebi met on Tuesday with the U.S. representative of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Rita Hayes. Speaking after the meeting, Celebi said that the talks with Hayes are intended to improve economic relations between Turkey and the United States. He added they had discussed ways to compensate for the trade deficit between Turkey and the U.S.Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Mustafa Taser, who also met with Hayes, said that he would insist that the U.S. increase its quotas on Turkish textile. For his part, Hayes said that economic as well as political relations between Turkey and the U.S. will continue to improve. /Milliyet/ [10] TURKEY CONDEMNS KOMOTINI ATTACKThe Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned an attack on a facility belonging to the Turkish Young Peoples Union in Komotini. A statement made by the ministry yesterday said that the attack was made on the night of 1 February and added: "This attack, which constitutes a chain of violent activities aimed at the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, was made during the Ramazan holiday and therefore increased current public sensitivity". /Hurriyet/[11] TURKISH CHILD DIES IN BLAZEA two year old Turkish child died in an apartment blaze in Bremen, Germany. German police officials said that they had started investigation into the fire that started in an apartment where an 11-member Turkish family was living. /Cumguriyet/Sabah_[12] ALIYEV SUPPORTS FOR BAKU-CEYHAN OIL PIPELINEAzerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev in a statement to the American Newsweek magazine said that not only he himself but also the Clinton administration supported the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline project. He added that the Baku-Ceyhan project was important not only for Azeri oil but also Kazak and Turkmen oil. The magazine also reports that Russia, America, Iran and Turkey have tried to increase their ifluences in the region. /Cumhuriyet/[13] GERMAN SUPPORT FOR CLEAN WATER PROJECTWithin the framework of the financial cooperation between Germany and Turkey, Germany will contribute DM 36 million to the Tarsus Clean Water Project. The credit term is 30 years, the first 10 of which will be payment-free. The interest rate will stay at two percent. /Cumhuriyet/[14] BILL GATES INVITES MENZIR TO USThe Minister of Communications, Necdet Menzir said yesterday that Microsoft owner, Bill Gates had invited him to the United States of America. Menzir said that during his visit to America he would meet with the members of the Turkish-American Labour Council and also examine credit opportunities for the Istanbul tunnel project planned to be constructed under the Bosphorus.In the same press conference, Menzir gave details of Communications Ministry details and noted that the Hakkari-Yuksekova Airport project had been included in the 1998 investment schedule. /Milliyet/ [15] FOURTH TURKISH SATELLITE IN THE OFFINGAt a press conference yesterday, Transport and Communications Minister Necdet Menzir said that Turkey was planning to launch its fourth satellite in the year 2000. All technical and administrative preparations for Turkey's third satellite Turksat 2A have been completed, Minister Menzir said, adding that this satellite will be launched in 1999.The minister also gave details about steps designed to improve nationwide access to the Internet, noting bidding for the establishment of a new internet infrastructural network had been opened. /Hurriyet/ [16] TROJAN EXHIBITION IN GERMANYHistorical artifacts brought to light during the city of Troy excavations will be exhibited in Germany. Minister of Culture, Istemihan Talay, declared yesterday that the preparations for this exhibition will be carried out by Professor Dr. Manfred Korfmann, assisted by a group of archeology experts from Baden Wurttemberg Museum of Archeology Talay said that the aim of the project was to make Trojan culture a bridge between Turkey and Europe. /Cumhuriyet/[17] TOURISM MINISTER GURDAL MEETS VATICAN AMBASSADORDuring a meeting with Vatican Ambassador Pierre Lugiti Celata, Tourism Minister Ibrahim Gurdal was invited to attend the 5th World Faith Tourism Congress organized by the Vatican on May 4-7 in Kusadasi. In a statement after the meeting, Gurdal said that the Pope may come to Turkey and that he was planning to take up the matter at a Council of Ministers meeting. /Hurriyet/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |