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Turkish Press Review, 98-02-27Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>27.02.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] NSC MEETINGThe National Security Council (NSC) convened yesterday to review the implementation of recomendations for fighting reactionism presented to the government one year ago. The Council also decided to extend the state of emergency in six eastern and southeastern provinces for four months. (All papers)[02] JOINT OPERATION PLAN WITH JORDANTurkey, which changed its Middle East policy together with the last change in government and took up a leadership role, has found more support for this policy in the Arab world. At the end of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's visit to Jordan, Turkey and Jordan have agreed to act together on issues involving the Middle East.The two countries will announce a joint action plan for resurrecting the Middle East Peace process, and readmitting Iraq into the international community with a declaration they will issue today. The declaration is important with regard to the Middle East policy Turkey will follow from now on. Taking Jordan's full support into account,Turkey will strengthen its role as the "determinator country". /Hurriyet/ [03] US SUPPORTS BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINEThe US Government yesterday declared that it supported the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project for the transportation of oil from the Caspian Sea oil fields.US Energy Department Deputy Secretary, Robert Gee, in a statement to the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, said that the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline was the most suitable option. Gee stressed that the US opposed an Iranian project eventhough it was the cheapest. /Hurriyet/ [04] NO BARGAIN ON STRAITSMinister of Energy and National Sources Cumhur Ersumer told White House National Defence Counsellor Leon Fuerth that Turkey would not discuss the Canakkale or Istanbul Straits within the framework of the Baku-Ceyhan project.Ersumer and Fuerth met yesterday to exchange opinions on Turkmenistan natural gas and the Caspian Sea oil transportation. Giving details about the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project, Ersumer told Fuerth that the Straits are of great importance not only for security reasons but also for their cultural and historic value. /Hurriyet/ [05] TURKEY-TRNC ECONOMIC COOPERATIONAn economic cooperation agreement to strengthen economic relations between Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was signed yesterday. According to the agreement, laws on trade and economic activities are to be harmonized and trade relations between the two countries will be developed. TRNC Prime Minister Derviş Eroglu and the delegation with him are continuing with their contacts in Ankara. They met yesterday with Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi, Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. /Cumhuriyet/[06] HANNAY IN CYPRUSEuropean Union (EU) Term Chairman Britain's Special Envoy to Cyprus Sir David Hannay is visiting Cyprus. Arriving at Larnaka Airport Hannay said that he had two aims, one of which was to continue with efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. He added that the second one was to discuss the possibility of forming a Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot joint representation in EU membership talks. Hannay evaluated the second issue as "very sensitive and complicated." /Cumhuriyet/[07] BRITAIN WANTS SHARE IN TURKISH PRIVATIZATIONBritain has started contacts to share in Turkish energy sector projects in which Turkey plans the biggest privatization and investment developments. An energy conference held under the leadership of British Ambassador to Ankara David Logan started yesterday in Ankara. 33 British firms are attending the conference to look for ways to develop cooperation with Turkish firms in privatization and investment projects in the energy sector. In his opening speech Logan said: "There are many British companies which are active in Turkey. Because they are very satisfied with their positions in Turkey, they are looking for new Turkish partners to develop new projects." /Cumhuriyet/[08] GREEK VETO ON FINANCIAL AID TO BE LIFTEDIt is reported that there has been a development on the way to getting the Greek veto on European Union (EU) financial aid to Turkey lifted. Peter Heinrich Loffelhardt, a German Foreign Ministry official responsible for Foreign Affairs of EU Mediterranean policy, pointed out that Germany was not against Turkey's full EU membership. Loffelhardt further asserted that the Greek veto on ECU 375 million, which the EU is to extend to meet Turkey's losses following Customs Union (CU), and on a further ECU 750 million-credit facility will be lifted. Loffelhardt said: "Because of the Greek veto, Turkey has not yet received the financial aid which was envisaged to be extended following the CU. We are about to persuade Greece to lift its veto. Financial aid will be forthcoming soon". /Milliyet/[09] WASHINGTON: AEGEAN REGION IS DANGEROUSWhile the response of the Greek government to the dialogue proposal made by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is viewed as negative in Turkey, the US regards it as "encouraging". US Deputy Secretary of State, Marc Grossman, noted yesterday that Cem's initiative, begun on 12 February, and the Greek reply on 24 February have "encouraged" the US. Grossman declared that confidence-building measures in the Aegean region made by the NATO Secretary-General should be made functional as soon as possible. He added that regarding the Cyprus issue, the US administration should accelerate its efforts in cooperation with the EU and the UN.Grossman, who was presented with an "elite career" award during an annual conference organized by the American-Turkish Council (ATC), American Friends of Turkey (AFOT) and Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK) yesterday, listed the foremost issues in Turco-US relations as Cyprus, the Aegean, EU integration, human rights, democratization and an alliance against Iraq. Grossman indicated that the US would continue to support Turkey's full EU membership. /Milliyet/ [10] SIMITIS VIEWS GOODWILL AS "CUNNING"Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has described Turkey as an aggressor and declared that Greece was not afraid of threats. Delivering a speech at a session on Turco-Greek relations at the Greek Parliament yesterday, Simitis noted that Athens would continue with its veto policy against Ankara in the EU. Simitis described Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's five-point good-intentioned dialogue proposal as "cunning" and that Greece would not accept an all-out negotiation proposal. He said: "Our reply is to apply to the international legal authorities".Simitis reaffirmed that Athens was extending full support to Greek Cypriot's full membership in the EU and said that EU-Greek Cypriot full membership negotiations would begin on 30 March, and that Greek Cyprus would attend the European Conference in London on 12 March. Simitis declared that the problem on the island would not prevent the full EU membership process of Greek Cyprus. /Milliyet/ [11] ATHENS BLACKMAILING THE EUGreece has declared that it will veto the acceptance of all candidate countries to the EU as full-members if the membership of the Greek Cypriot Administration is blocked. Greek Undersecretary of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yannos Kranityotis, has linked the membership proceesses of the Greek Cypriot Administration and other candidate countries in the EU. "If problems arise in the membership process of the Greek Cypriot administration in the EU, the membership initatives of the countries which are expected to enter the EU will also have no future" he said./Hürriyet/[12] TUPRAS LAUNCHES ENVIRONMENTALIST INVESTMENTTupras oil refinery has launched a program for replacing fuel oil used in Turkey with lead-free oil by the year 2003. Tupras President Ergun Kuran signed an agreement for the construction of the necessary equipment with the Poster Vheeler Italiana Gama consortium. The $160 million project will be initiated in the year 2000. (Sabah)[13] MENZIR SEEKS CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES IN USMinister of Transport and Communications, Necdet Menzir, in the United States, where he is participating in a conference, organized by American-Turco Business Council, is looking for financial support for the Bosphorus underground railway tunnel project. Menzir yesterday informed foreign investors about the tunnel project planned to be transportation problems. Menzir also visited General Motors Company which wants to produce locomotives in Turkey. /Hurriyet/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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