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Turkish Press Review, 98-03-12Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>12.03.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] PM YILMAZ RENEWS CRITICISM AGAINST GERMANYIn a statement to the DPA, Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz held Germany responsible for the exclusion of Turkey from the EU expansion process. Yilmaz also told the DPA representative that using the controversial German word "lebensraum" in an earlier statement to the noted Financial Times daily newspaper he was not trying to draw parallels between the present German government and Hitler's Germany.Having voiced strong reactions to the statement of Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, Germany is now toning down its criticism of Turkey. German government spokesman Peter Hausmann said that "emotional statements cannot damage Turco-German friendship". /Milliyet/ [02] DIALOGUE WITH GREECEGreek Ambassador to Ankara Dimitrios Nezeritis was summoned yesterday to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Turkish Foreign Ministry officials conveyed to the Greek ambassador the Turkish desire to find a peaceful solution to disagreements in the Aegean. In a note presented to Neziritis, Ankara stressed the importance of arranging bilateral meetings between representatives of Turkey and Greece. In this connection, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem has sent a letter to his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos, inviting him to Ankara to lay the ground for future compromise. /Milliyet/[03] FOURTH TURKISH SATELLITE ON THE AGENDATransport and Communications Minister Necdet Menzir said that during his contacts with American telecommunications companies during his visit to Washington earlier this month, possibilities for cooperation in satellite communications were discussed. Menzir said that the construction of another Turkish satellite was being considered. The Transportation Ministry has at the same time launched a TL 3.8 billion project for improving the Turkish Internet network. Bid proposals from companies interested in the project until March 19. /Milliyet/[04] TURKISH DEPUTIES IN THE USTurkish parliamentarians are paying a visit to the US at the invitation of the Institute of Representative Government (IRG). The Turkish delegation includes deputies from the newly established FP, as well as from the ANAP, DTP, DSP and DYP parties. In their contacts in the US the deputies will focus on the operation of US democratic institutions. Their programme includes meetings with officials from the US State Department, as well as with representatives of the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS), the Brookings Institute and the Congress Research Service (CRS). /Milliyet/[05] 79 MORE IRAQI REFUGEES APPREHENDEDSeventy Iraqi refugees planning to illegally cross the border into Greece were caught yesterday in Edirne. The refugees will be sent back to Iraq. /Sabah/[06] FRANCE PRESSES FOR SOLUTION TO CYPRUS ISSUEAccording to France, EU membership discussions with Cyprus scheduled to begin on March 31 should be shelved until the two communities living on the island manage to set up a joint contact group. French officials say that nobody should foster expectations about accepting Cyprus into the Union before disagreements on the island are resolved. France says that in this way the Cyprus issue will be carried to the EU platform. Greece reacted harshly to the French proposal and threatened to veto negotiations with the other five EU candidate countries if the proposal is given support. The issue will be discussed during a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers to be held in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the aftermath of the London European Conference commencing today. /Sabah/[07] LARGE-SCALE OPEARTIONS IN IRAQTurkish security forces have launched large-scale operations in the southeast to cope with PKK terrorists infiltrating into Turkey from Northern Iraq. Reportedly, the PKK terrorist organization is planning to stage various attacks all over the country on the occasion of the traditional Spring celebration of Nevruz. 25 thousand soldiers and 10 thousand village guards are participating in the drive to sweep out the terrorists from the region. The operations are being backed with air support. During the last three days, 36 PKK terrorists have been killed. /Sabah/[08] YILMAZ GOES TO GEORGIAPrime Minister Mesut Yilmaz is going to the Georgian capital Tbilisi tomorrow, where he will be received by President Eduard Shevardnadze. Economic relations between the two countries will be the focal issue of the meetings which will last two days. However, political issues, such as the recent second assassination attempt against Shevardnadze because of his efforts to remove Russian military bases from Georgia, will also be included. Yilmaz will be accompanied by a delegation of ministers and statesmen. /Cumhuriyet/[09] TURKISH FILM FESTIVAL IN VIENNAA selection of the latest Turkish films will be shown this week in the "Cinema Turkish-98" film festival, organized by "Station Vienna" an association active in the Austrian capital Vienna. Five short and seven long Turkish films will figure in the festival, which begins this coming friday night. /Cumhuriyet/[10] NO RESULTS WITHOUT TURKEY AT EU MEETINGThe much vaunted European Union (EU) meeting in London starts today. The EU European conference designed to set out the perspectives for an enlarged Europe follows the December EU summit which then decided to exclude Turkey from the expansion process. This decision however, has not altered the fact that for most participants of the Lancaster House meeting, Turkey's absence will be deeply felt.Both the foreign and British press have stressed that Turkey's refusal to attend the EU conference will lead to a lacklustre meeting without concrete results. The British press has in fact, described the meeting as "empty" with leading daily newspaper The Guardian noting that the meeting was starting off on a very bad footing. France and other member countries have sent out last minute calls for Turkey's participation in the London conference, but despite these efforts the meeting is starting without what is seen by most delegate countries as one of the most important guests. /All papers/ [11] ABDULLAH OCALAN IN SOUTHERN CYPRUSIt is reported that leader of the PKK terrorist organization, Abdullah Ocalan, went to Southern Cyprus from Syria via Lebanon two weeks ago and met with head of the Southern Cyprus Kurdistan Solidarity Organization, Lazaros Mavros. Some parliamentarians from the PASOK party, which is in power in Greece, and from other parties, also attended the meeting. Officials from US intelligence agencies, who prefer not to reveal their names, have noted that officials from Greek intelligence units also participated in the meeting between Abdullah Ocalan and the Southern Cyprus-Kurdistan organization. /Sabah/[12] GREEK LOBBY IN NEW DRIVE AGAINST TURKEYIt is reported that during a meeting between leading officials from the Greek lobby in Washington and the American Greek Cypriot Orthodox Patriarch, it was claimed that anti-Turkey propaganda had become ineffectual. It was proposed that new measures should be taken to increase initiatives against Turkey. /Sabah/[13] ANKARA WELCOMES BALKAN INITIATIVE ON KOSOVOTurkey declared yesterday that it expect the Kosovo crisis to be solved directly through the efforts of the people of the region without any external interference. Briefing reporters on Wednesday during the usual weekly press conference, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan evaluated the recent developments in Kosovo. Utkan pointed out that Turkey had openly stated its position on the Kosovo issue and said that Turkey would always be ready to take the necessary steps to contribute to peace in the region. "The Sofia declaration shows that the common view of the Balkan states is improving" Utkan said. Utkan said that the latest step towards a solution of the Kosovo crisis was the joint declaration signed by five countries in Sofia.In a related development, President Suleyman Demirel yesterday said that broader cooperation is urgent for the Balkan region. Pointing out that current developments in Kosovo were causing great concern, Demirel expressed his hope for a solution to the problem without further escalation of tensions. /All papers/ [14] GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES 1998 PRIVATIZATION PLANSFollowing a Wednesday meeting of the Higher Privatization Board, State Minister Isin Celeci, announced the names of state-run industries up for privatization. Along with Celebi, the board meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Minister of Communications, Necdet Menzir, Energy Minister Cumhur Ersumer and Gunes Taner, state minister responsible for the economy.Celebi said the board had decided to privatize partial shares in Is Bank and Petrol Ofisi. Speaking at a press conference at the prime minister's residence in Ankara, where the meeting took place, Celebi said the government coalition members were in agreement with the 1998 privatization plans. Privatization Administration Chairman Ugur Bayar said the privatization of Etibank and Kurtalan Cement were complete and the sale of Havas shares was finalized yesterday. He noted that a number of state-run industries will be privatized this year and that the profit expectations from their sale were put at $12.2 billion. /Sabah-Hurriyet/ [15] CIVIL SERVANTS CONTINUE DEMONSTRATIONSCivil servants continued their demonstrations yesterday protesting against a government draft bill which excludes the right to strike and the right to conclude collective bargaining agreements. All participating civil servants, members of the Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK), gathered in public squares nationwide and staged actions protesting against the government. /All papers/[16] NEW HEALTH INSURANCE REGULATIONSLabour and Social Security Minister Nami Cagan announced at a press conference early Wednesday morning that the ministry has prepared a new draft bill regulating the Fund for Self-Employed Workers' (Bag-Kur) and Bag-Kur agricultural health insurance as well as social insurance rights in Turkey for people working overseas, which has been presented to the Prime Ministry. Minister Cagan said during the press conference that the most important aspect of the new draft bill was the regulation regarding health insurance for agricultural workers and their families.Cagan said in particular that in order to increase agricultural workers' rights in line with the rights of self-employed workers, that his ministry had detailed new regulations. /All papers/ [17] MILLER IN TURKEYAfter completing a two-day visit to Cyprus and holding consultations in Athens yesterday, US State Department's Special Coordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller arrived in Ankara later in the day and had talks with Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. He was also willing to meet with Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and his deputy Bulent Ecevit, but the two leaders turned down his request for an appointment. Miller will now meet with only State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel and Foreign Ministry officials today.Speaking to reporters at Ankara's Esenboga Airport upon his arrival, Miller said that there were profound differences in the attitudes of the Greek and Turkish sides on the island and an ultimate solution was not near, the Anatolia news agency reported. [18] TURKISH WARPLANES PARTICIPATE IN NATO MANEUVERSTurkish F-16 warplanes have flown to Portugal to participate the "Strong Resolve-98" maneuvers which are taking place in Norway, Portugal and Spain. The four fighter planes, which belong to the 182nd Squadron in Diyarbakir, took off from Balikesir for the NATO maneuvers. The Strong Resolve-98 maneuvers will finish on March 21, and 50,000 people from fifteen NATO and 10 Partnership For Peace countries will participate in the exercises. Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin will observe some of the exercises.[19] TURKISH TECHNOLOGY AMONG WORLD GIANTSTurkish companies producing technology will participate the CeBIT'98 technology fair which is the second biggest fair of its kinf in the world, and the first in Europe. 28 Turkish companies will attend the fair between 19-25 March in Hannover. 600 thousand visitors are expected to visit the fair. /Hurriyet/[20] FRENCH 'GROUPE SCHNEIDER' FIRM IN TURKEYJean-Paul Jacamon, new chairman of the French Groupe Schneider firm, a leader in electricity distribution, industrial control systems and automation is visiting Turkey. Jacamon said that they "trusted" Turkey and would continue their investments in Turkey. He added, "We want to make Turkey an investment base in the future. We target to make two million dollars annual investment in Turkey until 2000." /Hurriyet/[21] 'MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE CENTER' IN EDIRNETurkey continues with its initiatives on international platforms to form a "Balkan Multi-National Peace Force" (BCBG) based in Edirne, with the commission to prevent clashes in the Balkans and to support other peace operations.According to Foreign Ministry officials, Turkey aims to contribute to peace and stability in the Europe-Atlantic theatre and to improve good neighbourly relations by establishing the BCBG. /Hurriyet/ Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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