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Turkish Press Review, 98-10-14Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>14.10.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] TURKEY'S PATIENCE WORN OUTTurkey, while expecting Syria to take concrete steps to resolve deepening tensions, is preparing for military exercises in Southeast Anatolia at the beginning of November. Chief of General Staff General Huseyin Kivrikoglu visiting units in the region said: "Turkey cannot allow this situation to go on any longer." In another development Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin said that they were under the impression that Ocalan, the leader of the PKK terrorist organisation, had left Syria. The messages Syria has conveyed to Turkish leaders through the mediation efforts of Egytian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa have been received with caution by political party leaders in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. While Motherland Party (ANAP) deputy Agah Oktay Guner, said that Syrian Head of State Hafiz Esad was trying to gain time, the CHP leader Deniz Baykal said that preparations should not be suspended without seeing concrete developments from the Syrian side." /Cumhuriyet/[02] DEMIREL: "A CLASH IS THE LAST RESORT"President Suleyman Demirel received chairman of the Turkish-Greek Friendship Group, Hakan Tartan, and some members of the group yesterday and stressed that when a situation was a "powder-keg" a small spark would suffice to start a war. He added that an armed clash between countries should be a "last resort" in conflicts between countries. Demirel said: "If we cannot improve the situation we should try at least not to worsen it." He pointed out that in Greece harsh criticisms were directed against politicians who preferred to solve problems through peaceful means. /Cumhuriyet/[03] MOSSAD: "APO IS IN RUSSIA"Following claims that the leader of the PKK terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan (Apo) has left Syria, Israeli intelligence is evaluating claims that Apo may have gone to Russia. It is claimed that Ocalan departed from Syria three days ago and went to Russia. A high-level official from the Israeli Intelligence Service (MOSSAD) said yesterday that he had important evidence that Apo has gone from Syria to Russia. Meanwhile, it is reported by Turkish Intelligence Service officials that their own investigations are continuing. On the other hand, Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Arsen Gasparyan noted that news claiming that Ocalan is in Armenia was unfounded. /Hurriyet/[04] SYRIA SUMMIT IN ANKARAThe Chief of General Staff, the Foreign Ministry and the National Intelligence Service (MIT) held a meeting yesterday in Ankara to discuss the Turco-Syrian crisis. Deputy Chief of General Staff, Hilmi Ozkok, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Korkmaz Haktanir, MIT Undersecretary Senkal Atasagun, Chief of General Staff Action Department Lt-General Yasar Buyukanit and other high-ranking officials attended the meeting. After the meeting it was announced that Syria's response conveyed to President Suleyman Demirel on Monday by Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, and recent information about PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's whereabout were discussed at the meeting. It was also reported that a high-ranking Foreign Ministry official would go to Arab the countries to give brifings about the Turkish-Syrian crisis. /Sabah/[05] "PKK LEADER IS NOT IN SYRIA"National Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin said yesterday that PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan was not in Syria territories. Sezgin noted that Syria had stopped PKK camp activities in the Bekaa Valley. Sezgin added that a committee including officials from the Foreign Ministry, MIT, Office of the Chief of General Staff and the Security Department would inquire into PKK activities in Syrian and Lebanese territories under the control of Syria. /Cumhuriyet/[06] SHARA: "NO OBSTACLE TO AGREEMENT"Following a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Mossa, who visited Damascus after completing his one-day visit to Ankara, Syrian Foreign Minister Faruk el-Shara said that Turkey had always been a friend of Syria and other Arab countries. Shara added that since the beginning of the crisis between the two countries, they had tried to solve the problem through diplomatic ways and did not see any obstacle to new agreements.Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said that they had tried to organize a meeting between Turkish and Syrian Foreign Ministers for sometime next week. On the other hand, Ankara is very careful about the mild statements of Faruk el-Shara, and diplomatic sources yesterday added that Turkey would continue its diplomatic attack supported by military determination. /Milliyet/ [07] SYRIAN OBSTACLE TO TURKISH BORDER TRADESyria aims to decrease the trade volume between Turkey and Northern Iraq by opening up three border customs points. Turkish businessmen examined these customs facilities last week and found that Syria was not applying customs tax on any goods. The businessmen reported that this application was aimed at decreasing the trade volume of Turkey. /Milliyet/[08] JORDAN SUPPORTS TURKEY'S POLICYJordanian Prince Hasan Bin Talal said yesterday in a special interview with Milliyet daily newspaper that the PKK problem was a reality and that Syria should prove with concrete evidence that there were no PKK members in Syria. Turkey has long been suffering from terrorist attacks during which many people have lost their lives. Finally, Turkey's rightful stance should be well understood by international circles, said Hasan Bin Talal, adding that Jordan had always supported Turkey's struggle against terrorism. /Milliyet/[09] YILMAZ-SIMITISAt the end of a meeting of the Prime Ministers of the Southeastern European Countries, Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and his Greek counterpart Kostas Simitis held a joint press conference. Yilmaz said that Turkey could not endure anylonger Syrian support for terrorist activities, adding that the Turkish government was determined to stop foreign support for separatist activities. Simitis said for his part that Greece was against terrorist activities and that Greek security units did not tolerate PKK activities in Greece. On Turkey-Greece relations, Simitis said the authority of the Hague International Court of Justice should be accepted. /Milliyet/[10] 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANKARA'S PROCLAMATION AS THE CAPITALThe 75th anniversary of Ankara's proclamation as the capital of Turkey was celebrated yesterday. President Suleyman Demirel stated that choosing Ankara as the state capital was one of the important turning points in Turkish history and added: "Ankara as the capital symbolizes the existence of the Turkish Republic till eternity." /Cumhuriyet/[11] THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PKK WILL BE EXPLAINED TO ITALYThe Turkish parliament is sending a set of books and booklets, including pictures of children killed during bloody attacks carried out by PKK terrorists, to the Italian Parliament even now preparing to embrace the Armenians after opening their doors to the so-called Kurdish parliament-in-exile. The TGNA will invite a large group of deputies from Italy to explain Turkey's position to them. /Cumhuriyet/[12] YUGOSLAVIA JOINS BALKAN NATIONS IN COMMON POSITION ON KOSOVOIn line with the apparent thawing of Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic's position on the Kosovo conflict, the Yugoslavian delegation participating in the Balkan summit in Antalya reached a compromise with its counterparts, and the summit ended yesterday with a joint declaration calling for the implementation of UN resolutions on the issue. Although the Albanian delegation also made considerable concessions and signed the declaration, it did not openly condemn Yugoslavia.The declaration calls on all parties in the Kosovo dispute to agree to an immediate cessation of violence, the inauguration of immediate dialogue without preconditions, a political solution based on Yugoslavia's territorial integrity and a large degree of autonomy and self-government for Kosovo. Speaking after the meeting, the Turkish Prime Minister defined the summit as a "political and diplomatic success" and emphasized that it had been the only international gathering in which Yugoslavia had participated on an equal footing. The Balkan countries also agreed to increase economic cooperation and signed an agreement on the establishment of a Trade Promotion Centre to be based in Ankara. /All papers/ [13] SPEAKER OF POLISH PARLIAMENT IN ANKARASpeaker of the Polish Parliament Maciej Plazynski will meet with his Turkish counterpart Hikmet Cetin today. Plazynski and an accompanying delegation will first visit Ataturk's Mausoleum today. The delegation will later meet with Hasan Korkmazcan, Acting Speaker of the Turkish Parliament and Chairman of the Turkish-Polish Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. The delegation will visit Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz on Thursday and will also be received by President Suleyman Demirel. Plazynski will leave Turkey on Thursday, while the delegation will depart from Turkey on October 17 after making contacts in Istanbul, the Anatolia news agency reports.[14] WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION PRAISES TURKEYA report prepared by the World Trade Organization (WTO) notes that Turkey's trade agreements with the European Union (EU) have helped the development of the business atmosphere for foreign investors. The report says that together with structural and legal reforms, the Customs Union (CU) agreement signed between Turkey and the EU created access to a more secure business atmosphere and market for all investors in Turkey. The report points out that reforms will provide important benefits for the Turkish economy. The report gives detailed technical information regarding the CU agreement and recalls that Turkey is trying to harmonize its own legal procedures with those of the EU. /Hurriyet/[15] DINCMEN: "CHANGING TARGETS DO NOT AFFECT IMF AGREEMENT"Treasury Undersecretary Yener Dincmen noted yesterday that the revision of inflation targets would not create any problems from the standpoint of the Monitoring Agreement signed between Turkey and the IMF.An IMF delegation led by Turkey-desk chief Martin Hardy arrived in Ankara yesterday. The delegation will hold talks with high-ranking Turkish finance bureaucrats on the economic achievements of 1998 and the objectives for 1999. Before the arrival of the IMF delegation, Treasury bureaucrats announced that the objectives set for 1998 will be achieved and that the IMF is expected to express positive opinions on the performance of the Turkish economy. /All papers/ [16] FIRST FINANCE FAIRAn International Finance, Banking and Financial Technology Fair will be opened in Istanbul on November 19. It is reported that the first finance fair of Turkey carries great importance because it shows not only the developments achieved in the financial sector for 75 years but also demonstrates Turkey's place in the world economy and sheds light on the future of the Turkish financial sector. /Hurriyet/[17] ALIYEV'S GUARANTEE FOR BAKU-CEYHANAzerbaijani Head of State Haydar Aliyev held a press conference yesterday and said that he had always supported the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project. Aliyev added: "When I come to Turkey for the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, I would like to sign an agreement for the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project".Meanwhile, the US State Department made a statement yesterday and said that the US continued to support the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline project. State Department Spokesman James Rubin said: "When Turkish President Suleyman Demirel said that the US supports Turkey regarding the oil pipelines, he was absolutely right. We will continue to keep our promise on this issue". /Hurriyet/ [18] FOREST FIRESA total 50-acres of forests have been destroyed by fire in the Toprakkale district of Osmaniye, and the Kuzuculu and Ulucinar districts of Hatay. It is reported that efforts to extinguish the fires are continuing. /Hurriyet/[19] FRENCH-TURKISH TRADE RELATIONSFrench State Minister responsible for foreign trade, Jacques Dondoux, yesterday evaluated Turkey's political and commercial relations with France. Noting that France was in fourth place among the countries exporting goods to Turkey Dondoux said: "Turkey is our second client after the China-Hong Kong group among the developing markets." State Minister Dondoux also said that they wanted to buy Turkish Telekom which is going to be privatized. /Cumhuriyet/[20] EXPO BUILDING FAIR OPENEDExpo Building "Construction and Building Equipment Fair" to improve trade in these sectors between Turkey and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was opened yesterday. 70 firms from Turkey are participating in the fair. It is aimed at supporting the "bag trade" and erasing the bad image of Turkish products in the CIS. /Cumhuriyet/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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