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Turkish Press Review, 98-05-11
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
11.05.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO BAKU SUGGESTS TACTICS FOR BAKU-CEYHAN
PIPELINE
[02] DEMIREL ATTENDS ALIYEV'S BIRTHDAY AND ECO SUMMIT
[03] DEFENSE MINISTER IN RHODES
[04] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OFF TO RUSSIA
[05] G8 CALLS FOR RESUMPTION OF TALKS ON CYPRUS
[06] EGYPT, IRAN BUILD UP ALLIANCE AGAINST TURCO-ISRAELI COOPERATION
[07] PKK ROCKET KILLS A CIVILIAN
[08] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO BAKU SUGGESTS TACTICS FOR BAKU-CEYHAN
PIPELINE
[09] TURKEY AND RUSSIA TO DEBATE STAKES OVER BOSPHORUS
[10] NATO 'DISTANT THUNDER-98' EXERCISE CONTINUES
[11] EMAS WORKING MEETINGS IN ANKARA
[12] SUPPORT FOR TURKEY FROM CLINTON
[13] US CONCERNED OVER S-300 MISSILES
[14] TURKISH SOLDIERS RETURN FROM JORDAN
[15] EPHESUS: CENTRE OF RELIGIOUS FRATERNITY
[01] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO BAKU SUGGESTS TACTICS FOR BAKU-CEYHAN
PIPELINE
[02] DEMIREL ATTENDS ALIYEV'S BIRTHDAY AND ECO SUMMIT
President Suleyman Demirel left yesterday on a two-day visit to
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Demirel participated in the celebrations
of his Azerbaijani counterpart Haydar Aliyev's 75th birthday in Baku
and then left for Almaty for the summit of the Economic Cooperation
Organization (ECO) on Monday. Aliyev told Demirel in Baku that he
favours the pipeline running from Azerbaijan's capital on the Caspian,
Baku, through Georgia and into the Turkish Mediterranean port of
Ceyhan.
In Almaty, the president will participate in the fifth ECO
summit. Five documents are expected to be signed at the summit.
Among the proposed documents is a framework agreement to resolve some
of the region's transit problems and a deal on fighting contraband and
overcoming trade barriers. /All papers/
[03] DEFENSE MINISTER IN RHODES
Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin went yesterday to the Greek island
of Rhodes to attend a Western European Union (WEU) Defense and Foreign
Ministers meeting. It is expected that Sezgin will meet with his
Greek counterpart to discuss the Aegean issue.
On the other hand, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will not attend
the meeting to protest the uncompromising attitude of Greece and the
WEU's anti-Turkish policies. /Sabah/
[04] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OFF TO RUSSIA
Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadyi will go to Russia on
18 May on the invitation of his Russian counterpart. Karadayi will
ask Russia not to sell S-300 missiles to Greek Cyprus or give support
to the PKK.
Deputy Chief of General Staff Cevik Bir will visit Israel on 25
May to discuss the joint production of anti-missile weapons. /Sabah/
[05] G8 CALLS FOR RESUMPTION OF TALKS ON CYPRUS
The Group of Eight major powers have called for a resumption of
direct talks between Greece and Turkey in Cyprus. G8 foreign
ministers on Saturday, in a communique issued after two days of talks
in London, also expressed concern about possible military build-up
there. "We call upon the parties to resume direct talks under the
auspices of the UN" the communique said. "We urge all concerned to
work for a settlement on the basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal
federation. We particularly urge the governments of Greece and Turkey
to promote good neighbourly relations between them, and to work for
the peaceful settlement of their bilateral disputes".
The G8 ministers added: "We are concerned that new developments
in the military sphere, including any increase in force levels and the
upgrading of sophisticated weaponry, may risk raising tension in this
already unstable region". /Sabah/
[06] EGYPT, IRAN BUILD UP ALLIANCE AGAINST TURCO-ISRAELI COOPERATION
The Egyptian weekly magazine El Ahram El Arabi, has reported in
its latest issue that Egyptian and Iranian foreign ministers have
started talks to strengthen diplomatic and and political relations.
Diplomatic sources in Cairo, in their statements to El Ahram, said
that the two contries aimed at developing an alliance against the
Turco-Israeli military cooperation and added that details of the
accord would be final by the end of 1998. /Milliyet/
[07] PKK ROCKET KILLS A CIVILIAN
Targeting a police unit in Semdinli district near Hakkari, a PKK
rocket destroyed a house yesterday killing the house-owner.
/Milliyet/
[08] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO BAKU SUGGESTS TACTICS FOR BAKU-CEYHAN
PIPELINE
In a press conference held yesterday, Turkish Ambassador to Baku
K. Ecvet Tezcan suggested that Turkey should argue at international
meetings that the Turkish straits are being put into a seriously risky
outdated provisions of the 1936 Montreux Agreement, with a view to
forcing the implementation of the projected Baku-Ceyhan pipeline,
stressing that it is the only solution for the transportation of
Caspian oil. /Milliyet/
[09] TURKEY AND RUSSIA TO DEBATE STAKES OVER BOSPHORUS
The nine-day working period of the security committee meeting of
the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will witness heated
discussions on Bosphorus traffic on Monday. Russia and Turkey are
expected to discuss Russia's proposals to revoke Turkey's control of
the traffic separation scheme of the Bosphorus. Turkey has held the
rights to control traffic in the Bosphorus since 1925 by IMO
consensus. /All papers/
[10] NATO 'DISTANT THUNDER-98' EXERCISE CONTINUES
The NATO exercise "Distant Thunder-98" (DT98), mainly comprised
of Air Force units, will continue in some parts of the Aegean Sea and
the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish, French, Italian, English and US
forces will take part in the DT98. Some of the participants will meet
with members of the press in Konya on Monday. Officials said
yesterday that the DT98 was an annual NATO training exercise that
aimed to strengthen understanding and cooperation between the armed
forces of NATO countries which are mainly in the south. /All papers/
[11] EMAS WORKING MEETINGS IN ANKARA
Working meetings concerning the implementation of the
Environmental Administration and Inspection System (EMAS) in Turkey
begin in Ankara on May 11. EMAS is a project within the framework of
the EU's Life Programme which aims to prevent industrial pollution.
An opening speech at the meeting will be given by Minister of
Environment Imren Aykut. /All papers/
[12] SUPPORT FOR TURKEY FROM CLINTON
US President Bill Clinton will explain Turkey's place and
importance in Europe during his six-day visit, which will start on
Tuesday. Clinton will make suggestions for the realization of a new
perspective towards Turkey at an EU summit to be held in Cardiff at
the end of June.
James Steinberg, Deputy Chairman of the White House National
Security Council, said that President Clinton will bring Turkish-EU
relations to the agenda during his bilateral meetings and the US-EU
Summit. Steinberg said: "President Clinton attaches great importance
to closer relations between Turkey and the EU". The first leg of
President Clinton's visit to Europe is Germany. Clinton is expected
to discuss the Aegean and Cyprus issues during his meeting with German
Prime Minister Helmuth Kohl. /Hurriyet-Sabah/
[13] US CONCERNED OVER S-300 MISSILES
Cyprus Special Coordinator of the US State Department Thomas
Miller said over the weekend that if Russian-made S-300 missiles are
brought to Greek Cyprus, there could be a conflict in Cyprus and in
the Aegean. According to Greek Cypriot radio, Miller, who made a
statement to the Athens Kathimerini newspaper, said that
demilitarization in Cyprus would be a guarantee of security.
/Hurriyet/
[14] TURKISH SOLDIERS RETURN FROM JORDAN
Members of a 99-person Turkish unit, who completed a 20-day
training programme in Jordan within the framework of a Military
Training Cooperation Agreement between Turkey and Jordan, returned to
Turkey yesterday. A Jordanian unit, which also completed training in
Turkey, returned to Jordan. /Hurriyet/
[15] EPHESUS: CENTRE OF RELIGIOUS FRATERNITY
The seventh "Havari Aziz Yuhanna Symposium" organized in Seljuk,
Izmir started yesterday. Vatican Ambassador in Ankara Perlugi Celata,
Izmir Archbishop Giuseppe Bernardini and many Christian
representatives are attending the symposium, which will end tomorrow.
/Hurriyet/
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