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Turkish Press Review, 98-05-21Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>21.05.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS DISCUSSES NEW TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN TURKEY[02] KARADAYI URGES CLEAR RUSSIAN POSITION ON S-300 MISSILE SALEChief of Staff General Ismail Hakki Karadayi has asked the Russians to clarify their position on Moscow's sale of S-300 surface-to-air missiles to southern Cyprus. During current talks being attended by Turkish and Russian delegates, a memorandum of understanding was signed yesterday on mutual military and defense industry cooperation. Karadayi has also briefed the Russians about Turkey's military policies, particularly its struggle against the PKK terrorist organization.Karadayi also had talks on Wednesday with Russian Defense Minister Marshall Igor Sergeyev and Russian National Security Council Secretary Andrei Kokoshin. Karadayi is travelling to St.Petersburg on Thursday and will return Turkey on Friday. /All papers/ [03] ARMENIAN ROW SPARKS SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY BETWEEN TURKEY AND FRANCEIn a period of blossoming relations between France and Turkey, Turkey has reacted against French attempts to revive the decades-old claims of an Armenian genocide. On Wednesday, Ankara asked the French Ambassador to Turkey Daniel Lequertier to convey Turkey's displeasure over a resolution concerning the alleged Armenian genocide that the French Parliament will debate on May 29.On Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Necati Utkan said that specific attempts were being made to create an atmosphere between Turkey and France similar to that of the 1980s. He said that Turkey's Ambassador to France, Sonmez Koksal, would convey a letter by Turkish Speaker of Parliament Hikmet Cetin to his French counterpart. Utkan also noted that Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz had sent a letter to his French counterpart Lionel Jospin expressing Turkey's displeasure. /All papers/ [04] COOK'S HURRIED VISIT TO ANKARABritish Foreign Secretary Robin Cook paid a short visit to Ankara on Tuesday. During his visit he indicated that the UK, which is the current European Union (EU) term president, has worked out ways to overcome the deadlock that Greece has created in Turkey-EU relations should they fail to get Athens' vote on an accession strategy for Turkey.In his weekly press meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesman Necati Utkan said yesterday that Greece was jeopardizing Turkey's rapprochement with the European Union because to its 'capriciousness.' Utkan pointed out that Greece stood alone and was isolated on the issue and that all the other EU members backed the implmentation of a strategy for Turkey. Utkan stressed that the formula developed by the other 14 EU members showed their clear desire to enhance relations with Turkey. /All papers/ [05] ANKARA CONCERNED OVER EU STRATEGYIt is reported that the problem between the European Union (EU) and Turkey involving a meeting of the Turkey-EU Association Council stems not only from difficulties in financial cooperation, but also from a "strategy document" which connects Turkish-EU relations to political conditions. The Turkish government opposes this document, which the EU will announce following the Association Council meeting planned to be held on May 25, because the document quotes another document, which was issued by the EU during an Association Council meeting held on April 29, 1997, and which was also rejected by Turkey.Meanwhile, Turkish officials in Ankara said: "They can work with 14 countries" and wanted guarantees for the implementation of EU proposals. There is intensive diplomatic traffic between Turkey and the EU for a meeting of the Association Council to be held on May 25. EU officials are trying to overcome the Greek veto on financial cooperation between Turkey and the EU. /Cumhuriyet-Milliyet/ [06] US AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY: "THE EU MAKES A MISTAKE"John Kornblum, US Ambassador to Germany, said on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) made a strategic mistake by not including Turkey into the expansion process, the Anatolia news agency reported. Addressing a conference on "The Change and Perception in Europe-Atlantic Relations" staged in Berlin by the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Kornblum said that although the US and the EU were in consensus of opinion on the issue of interests, there was a difference between them on the issue of Turkey. Kornblum said: "The exclusion of Turkey is really a problem that should be solved. Europe is closer to Turkey than the US, so it should see this clearly and bring a clear solution".[07] HEROIN SEIZED IN ISTANBULA team from the Istanbul Narcotics Department seized 82 kg of heroin worth three trillion TL on the street. After finding the heroin hidden in the body of the truck, officials arrested five suspects. Investigations into the incident are continuing. /Sabah/[08] THREE PKK TERRORISTS SURRENDERThree members of the PKK terrorist organization gave themselves up to the Turkish Embassy in Beirut on Monday. It is reported that the three terrorists, who received military training in camps in the Bekaa Valley, fled from the organization and surrendered to Embassy security forces. The three terrorists are expected to be brought to Ankara today. Meanwhile during operations in Bingol, Diyarbakir and Van eight terrorists have been killed.Operations against the illegal fundamentalist Hizbullah organization are also continuing. A total of 35 people have been arrested during the operations. Western observers agree that the PKK terrorist organization's end is near. An article published in the Washington Times newspaper said that following the recent operations carried out by Turkish security forces against the organization, the PKK has lost its power. The article noted that anti-terrorist operations were continuing even as medical, social and agricultural projects for the Southeastern Anatolian people were being initiated. It also quoted a statement by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel who said: "The state of Turkey is united and cannot be divided". /Sabah-Hurriyet/ [09] TEN GROUPS BID IN PETROL RESEARCH OFFICE SALETurkey's privatization administration said on Monday that it had received 10 bids in a tender to sell 51 % of the petroleum products and lubricants marketed by distributor Turkish Petrol Research Office. Negotiations with the 10 groups will begin at the beginning of June.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said yesterday that after the sale successes of the Treasury's 12.3 % shares in Is Bank, the privatization of Turk Telekom and Turkish Airlines (THY) would also be pushed through successfully. /Sabah/ [10] CELEBI RETURNS HOMEState Minister Isin Celebi returned to Turkey yesterday from Geneva where he attended meetings of the World Trade Organization (WTO). State Minister Celebi and Labour and Social Security Minister Nami Cagan held a meeting yesterday. Following the meeting Celebi noted that they had discussed a draft brought to the Turkish Parliament and which foresees the retirement age being set at 50-55. Celebi stated that the retirement age should be at least 57-60. He added that the issue would also be discussed at party chairmen level. /Hurriyet/[11] BATALLI RETURNS FROM LEBANONAfter completing contacts with Lebanese officials, State Minister Mehmet Batalli and the delegation accompanying him returned home yesterday. Batalli said that he had met with the Lebanese ministers of Energy and Public Works, and noted that he believed Turkish contractors could undertake many construction projects in Lebanon. /Cumhuriyet/[12] SPANISH BUSINESSMEN TO VISIT TURKEYSpanish business companies, active in eight different sectors, are seeking ways to reinforce cooperation with Turkish businessmen. To this end a delegation of Spanish businessmen will visit Turkey on June 1-4. /Cumhuriyet/[13] RESEARCH CENTRE SEEKING WAYS TO IMPROVE TURKEY-EU RELATIONSThe Turkish Research Centre has established a working group which will examine the details of Turkey-European Union relations and make suggestions for overcoming the current bottleneck. The group will defend its proposals at meetings with EU experts and politicians and scientists from Germany and Turkey. The first meeting will be held in Bonn, Germany on June 16 with German politicians. /Cumhuriyet/[14] INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL THEATRE FESTIVAL OPENSThe 10th International Istanbul Theatre Festival, organized by the Istanbul Culture and Art Foundation, began yesterday evening when Melih Cevdet Anday, Turkish poet and playwright, and Russian director Yuri Lyubimov were presented with "diplomas of honour." After the presentations Italian performer Milva sang songs by Brecht songs, thus staging the first show of the festival. /Cumhuriyet/[15] GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION TO BRING CYPRUS ISSUE TO UN AGENDAThe Greek Cypriot Administration said yesterday that it was planning to bring the longstanding Cyprus issue to the agenda of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Greek Cypriot administration Foreign Minister Iannakis Cassoulides commented that if the Turkish side did not modify its "intransigent" attitude, the issue would be brought to the agenda of the UN General Assembly. /Cumhuriyet/[16] PENA DISPUTES BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINEUS Secretary of Energy Frederico Pena has disputed the idea that a warming-up of relations with Iran may impede progress on the Baku-Ceyhan main oil pipeline. Since a route through or a "swap arrangement" with Iran is considered much cheaper than the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, the opening up of Iran is regarded by some as a threat to the pipeline as an outlet for Azeri crude oil. Speaking to reporters at a press conference held at the US State Department to introduce the Trade and Development Agency's (TDA) "Crossroads of the World" conference between May 27-29 in Istanbul, Pena said what makes the Iran-alternative, the Trans-Caspian underwater that pipeline, attractive are the "terms and tariffs" that would be applied to it. "Thus, there is an opportunity here for these countries, including Turkey, to make sure that a non-Iranian pipeline remains commercially attractive," Pena said. /Cumhuriyet/[17] ANAP CELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARYMotherland Party (ANAP) Chairman and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, party officials, deputies and members of the party's central administration visited Anitkabir, Ataturk's mausoleum during 15th anniversary of the foundation of the party. /Milliyet/[18] CANADIAN AND AUSTRIAN DEPUTIES VISIT TURKEYAn Austrian parliamentary delegation, headed by Federal Parliament Speaker Heinz Fischer, and the chairman of Canada's parliamentary foreign affairs and international trade commission, Bill Graham, will begin separate visits to Turkey today. The Austrian delegation is expected to meet Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and party leaders. Bill Graham will hold talks with Hikmet Cetin and Tekin Enerem, chairman of the Turkish group in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), during a Parliamentary Assembly on Thursday. On Friday, Graham is scheduled to meet Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Kormaz Haktanir, Parliamentary Foreign Relations Commission Chairman Murat Karayalcin and State Minister responsible for human rights, Hikmet Sami Turk. /All papers/[19] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS DISCUSSES NEW TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN TURKEYState Minister and government spokesman Ahad Andican disclosed the issues discussed by the Council of Ministers at a press conference yesterday. Andican said that projects including a trans-Marmara tunnel in Istanbul and the reconstruction of Tasucu harbour to facilitate transportation between Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), as well as the current flooding in the Aegean region were some of the subjects discussed at the meeting. /Sabah/Hurriyet/[20] TURKEY SENDS AID TO NEEDY TURKISH CHILDREN IN BULGARIATurkey has sent supplies worth $ 100,000 to the children of impoverished ethnic Turkish families living in Bulgaria, reported the Anatolia news agency. The initiative, inspired and personally organized by State Minister Ahad Andican, will provide some 800 needy Turkish children with clothing and school supplies. A ceremony was held on Wednesday at the Kizilay (Red Crescent) office in Ankara as the supplies were sent off.[21] TURKISH-JAPANESE MINING COOPERATIONThe Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Institute of Mineral Investigation and Exploration (MTAK) will organize a seminar on "Research and Assessment of the Underground Sources" between June 1-30, reported the Anatolia news agency on Wednesday. Experts, scientists from Turkey, Japan, the Central Asian countries, Azerbaijan and Bosnia-Herzegovina will attend the seminar.Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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