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Turkish Press Review, 98-07-02
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
02.07.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] 'ANKARA'S EFFORTS ARE PLEASING'
[02] TURKEY TO PURCHASE FOUR AWACS
[03] CEM DUE IN BERLIN
[04] PAKISTAN WANTS TO INCREASE COOPERATION
[05] TURCO-BULGARIAN RELATIONS
[06] GERMANY ASSIGNS DM 2 MILLION
[07] ATHENS WARNS ANKARA
[08] FORMER ANAP DEPUTIES JOIN DYP
[09] SECURITY FORCES KILL 41 PKK TERRORISTS
[10] SYRIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER IN ANKARA
[11] TURKEY-EU ASSOCIATION DISCUSSES OBSTACLES IN TRADE RELATIONS
[12] PIPELINE FROM TURKMENISTAN TO TURKEY AND EUROPE
[13] MARINA TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN GAP
[14] CABOTAGE CELEBRATIONS
[15] "TURKEY WALKING TOWARDS A BRIGHT FUTURE"
[16] TANER IN LONDON
[17] ARAFAT TO VISIT TURKEY
[18] PRIVATIZATION INCOME
[19] US DELEGATION MEETS DEMIREL AND BIR
[20] REINFORCEMENT FLEET TO THE AEGEAN
[21] FOREST FIRES IN MUGLA AND BELEK
[01] 'ANKARA'S EFFORTS ARE PLEASING'
It has been noted on the Internet that the Staff Monitoring
Agreement signed between Turkey and the IMF is "very pleasing". A
one-page article noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
administration has welcomed the agreement, which aims at observation by
IMF experts of Turkey's policy to reduce the rate of inflation. Turkish
officials and IMF experts have been in close contact with each other
regarding the policies to provide macro-economic stability and reduce
the rate of inflation. The IMF administration supports Turkey's efforts
and believes that if the conditions of the agreement are fully applied,
there will be an important decrease in the rate of inflation in 1.5
years' time. Turkey has accepted observations by IMF experts every
three months until the end of 1999. /Sabah/
[02] TURKEY TO PURCHASE FOUR AWACS
Turkey is putting out a tender for the purchase of four AWACS
(Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft equipped with radar
systems to control the Aegean Sea and Turkish airspace. Four companies
will be invited to bid, three of which are from the US and one from
Israel. The firm which wins the bidding will be announced in 1999. It
is planned that the project will be completed in 2002 when the AWACS
become operational in the Turkish Air Forces. /Sabah/
[03] CEM DUE IN BERLIN
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will participate in an international
forum which will be staged in Berlin by Bertelsmann Foundation between
3-4 July, the Anatolia news agency reported. A Foreign Ministry written
statement said that the session will be chaired by Henry Kissenger,
former US Secretary of State, and that Ismail Cem, Javier Solana, NATO
Secretary-General and Richard Holbrooke, US Special Representative to
the UN will address the session.
[04] PAKISTAN WANTS TO INCREASE COOPERATION
Ishak Dar, Pakistani Minister of Trade, said yesterday that several
infrastructural projects, which will be realized, will offer great
opportunities for investors. Ishak Dar and Sehbaz Sharif, Prime
Minister of Punjap Province, who arrived in Istanbul to participate in
the Turkish-Pakistani Business Council meeting, gave a conference at the
Ciragan Palace, giving information about the general economic situation
in Pakistan and cooperation opportunities between Turkey and Pakistan,
the Anatolia news agency reported.
[05] TURCO-BULGARIAN RELATIONS
Dr.Hristo Ivanov Vasilev, Bulgarian Governor of the Haskova region,
and accompanying delegation including 18 people, came yesterday to
Edirne in order to hold contacts, the Anatolia news agency reported.
The delegations of Turkey and Bulgaria will discuss the reports prepared
by the commissions of agriculture, culture and sports.
[06] GERMANY ASSIGNS DM 2 MILLION
Germany has assigned DM two million to people who suffer from the
earthquake, which shook the southern province of Adana and its
surroundings, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
[07] ATHENS WARNS ANKARA
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said yesterday that
Turkey could not blackmail Greece regarding the full EU membership of
the Greek Cypriot Administration. Reppas held a press conference
yesterday and noted that according to a decision taken during the
Luxembourg summit and recalled in Cardiff, the issue of the full EU
membership of the Greek Cypriot Administration is not connected to the
solution of the Cyprus problem. /Sabah/
[08] FORMER ANAP DEPUTIES JOIN DYP
Two deputies who earlier resigned from the senior coalition partner
Motherland Party (ANAP) joined the opposition True Path Party (DYP)
yesterday. Rasim Zaimoglu from Giresun and Ibrahim Yazici from Bursa
joined the DYP during a ceremony held at a DYP parliamentary group
meeting. Including Yazici and Zaimoglu, DYP's seats in Parliament now
number 96. /All papers/
[09] SECURITY FORCES KILL 41 PKK TERRORISTS
In a series of recent operations, security forces in southeast
Turkey have killed 41 members of the PKK terrorist organization, the
Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Two members of the separatist
organization were captured during the operations, which took place
mainly in the province of Hakkari. Three security force members died in
the operations. Regional forces have confirmed that the operations are
still underway. Meanwhile, it has been reported that the PKK has lost
ground in Turkey and in northern Iraq.
Intelligence sources say that seizures of drugs by security forces
have dealt a severe blow to the PKK and the financial resources it gains
by illegal drug smuggling. Within the last one and a half years,
gendarmerie forces in the Southeast have uncovered nearly 300 tons of
narcotics in the hideouts used by the PKK. /All papers/
[10] SYRIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER IN ANKARA
Turkey and Syria are trying to reinvigorate troubled bilateral
relations with a visit by Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Adnan Omran to
Ankara. Talks to jump-start bilateral relations started yesterday with
a meeting between the Syrian team and a Turkish delegation headed by
Undersecretary Korkmaz Haktanir. During the three-hour meeting the
sides exchanged views on various disputes and issues, addressing each
item in order according to its relative importance.
Haktanir said that terrorism issues, which are seriously hampering
relations, were brought up at the meeting in a very detailed way, thus
avoiding a superficial assessment of the problem. Omran is expected to
meet with Foreign Minister Ismail Cem today, before departuring for
Syria. /All papers/
[11] TURKEY-EU ASSOCIATION DISCUSSES OBSTACLES IN TRADE RELATIONS
The Turkey-EU Association Committee met yesterday in Brussels at a
technical level, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. For the
first time, former EU term president Britain gave an official report on
the conclusions of the Cardiff summit to officials attending from
Turkey's Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, the EU urged Turkey to
lift a partial ban on EU meat and livestock imposed for health reasons.
Turkey noted this request and reportedly replied that the EU itself has
internal problems concerning the issue, but that it would neverthless
continue dialogue on the issue.
[12] PIPELINE FROM TURKMENISTAN TO TURKEY AND EUROPE
A consortium set-up to transport Turkmen natural gas to Turkish and
European markets has started to construct a 1200 kms pipeline. The
consortium includes GE Capital, Bechtel Enterprise and the Amoco
Corporation. /Cumhuriyet/
[13] MARINA TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN GAP
Adiyaman Mayor Kadir Calisci said that they began initiatives to
construct a marina at the Ataturk Dam artificial lake. He added that
after the construction of the marina international water sports
competitions would be held at the Ataturk Dam lake. Calisci noted that
they aimed to complete construction before the 4th GAP Water Sports
Festival in October. /Cumhuriyet/
[14] CABOTAGE CELEBRATIONS
The 72nd Cabotage Festival was begun yesterday in Istanbul during a
ceremony which State Minister responsible for maritime affairs, Burhan
Kara and Admiral of the Northern Navy Command Aydan Erol attended.
After laying wreath at the Barbaros Monument, Kara said in a speech that
today Turkey was constructing its ships and yachts in line with all the
rights cabotage offered. /`Hurriyet/
[15] "TURKEY WALKING TOWARDS A BRIGHT FUTURE"
The Prime Minister yesterday opened to traffic the last section of
the Izmir-Aydin highway. Yilmaz said at the opening ceremony that
Turkey was determined to walk towards a bright future and added that
there was a great surge of development throughout the country with
investments in education, culture, the arts and the infrastructure.
Yilmaz also opened an Infrastructure Production Establishment set-up by
Aydin Municipality. /Hurriyet/
[16] TANER IN LONDON
State Minister responsible for the economy Gunes Taner gave a
speech at a conference on "Emerging Markets" in London yesterday. In
his speech Taner said that Turkey had become a rising star in world
markets especially after the crisis in Asian markets. Taner also
emphasized the recent agreement signed between Turkey and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) saying that the agreement was a sign
of the trust, the IMF had in the Turkish economy.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Treasury Undersecretariat yesterday
announced a six-month borrowing programme in line with the agreement
signed with the IMF. According to the programme the borrowing limit of
Turkey for the next six month stands at TL 4.8 quadrillion.
The Turkish business world yesterday announced its support for the
programme, noting that in line with improvements in the economy, the IMF
would increase its support to Turkey. /Hurriyet/
[17] ARAFAT TO VISIT TURKEY
Palestinian Statesman Yaser Arafat will come to Turkey during the
last week of July as the official guest of President Suleyman Demirel.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will pay a visit to Palestine while
returning from Israel after completing his contacts on 6-9 July. Cem
will also meet with Arafat. /Hurriyet/
[18] PRIVATIZATION INCOME
The Privatization Administration Board (PAB) is rapidly advancing
according to the programme it has promised both to the public and the
politicians. By the end of the first six months of this year, the PAB
has brought in $ 3 billion 182.2 million. The PAB aims to realize
privatization projects worth $ 783 million during the third quarter of
the year. /Milliyet/
[19] US DELEGATION MEETS DEMIREL AND BIR
Visiting members of the US Congress Ways and Means Committee
yesterday asked President Demirel about the "danger of fundamentalism,
presidential system discussions and barriers blocking investment
potential" and discussed military matters with deputy Chief of General
Staff General Bir. Committee members expressed their concerns over the
legal arrangements barring non-Turks from investing in the energy
sector./Milliyet/
[20] REINFORCEMENT FLEET TO THE AEGEAN
The US Congress has given permission for the transfer of
battleships that the Pentagon has long promised to give to Turkey and
Greece. The Congress has agreed to give 14 ships to Turkey considered
"old" by the Pentagon. Diplomatic sources state that the paragraph
concerning the transfer to be realized through "leasing" was accepted by
the Conference Committee but was not finalized due to discussions
concerning other topics of the defence budget. /Milliyet/
[21] FOREST FIRES IN MUGLA AND BELEK
After fires broke out in forest near Mugla and Belek in the south
of Turkey, large areas of forest land near tourism centres have been
burned down. /Milliyet/
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