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Monday, 18 November 2024
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Turkish Press Review, 99-10-01Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>01.10.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] FIRST STEP FROM THE U.S.Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, who is continuing with his official visit to the U.S., stated that he had enjoyed beneficial meetings with U.S. President Bill Clinton and Congress members and said that they had decided to strengthen economic and commercial ties between the two countries. Ecevit pointed out that during the quota negotiations between Turkey and the U.S., an increase of $108 million was decided on for the next two years.Turkey and the U.S. signed a Framework Agreement for Trade and Investment, which allows further steps in the field of trade to be taken. According to the agreement, a council will be formed between the countries where Turkey will be represented by the Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade. Another deal was signed between the two countries concerning struggling against drug smuggling. The U.S. will provide $500,000 for Turkey to help in her fight against drug smuggling. Meanwhile, Ecevit received James Wolfensohn, Chairman of the World Bank. Ajay Chhibber, the head of the Turkish Desk at the World Bank said that the distribution of $3 billion of World Bank earthquake aid was discussed. Ecevit also received Michel Camdessus, the head of the IMF. /Cumhuriyet/ [02] AVNI AKYOL DIESThe Motherland Party's (ANAP) Bolu Deputy, Avni Akyol, suffered a heart attack yesterday and died. Following the heart attack, Akyol was taken to Gerede State Hospital. Despite every medical effort, doctors were unable to save him. ANAP Chairman Mesut Yilmaz went to Gerede, Bolu yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/[03] FOREIGN DEBTS DECREASETurkey's foreign debts decreased by 3.75 % during the last six months of this year, when compared to the end of last year, and dropped to $100.056 billion. Foreign debts totalled $103.956 at the end of last year. Meanwhile, Turkey's international reserves increased by $786 million between September 3 and 10, reaching $36.737 billion. /Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/[04] J.P.MORGAN IN ISTANBULThe international financial company, J.P.Morgan, has opened an office in Istanbul in order to offer its services to its clients in Turkey and to its international clients investing in this country. The office in Istanbul will be run by Andrew Maccormak. /Hurriyet/[05] ENKA COMPLETES BAKU AIRPORTBaku International Airport jointly constructed by Enka and the Burc Company was opened by Azerbaijani Head of State Haydar Aliyev. Turkish State Minister Prof.Suayip Usenmez also attended the opening of the airport whose construction cost $50 million and took 16 months to complete. Baku Airport is regarded as the biggest in Central Asia and Caucasia. /Hurriyet/[06] JAPANESE LOANS FOR TURKEYJapan will offer $200 million in loans to Turkey to help the victims of the earthquake. Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura issued a statement yesterday and said that the loan would be used for the reconstruction of the disaster region. Meanwhile, American Federal Highways Administration officials said that there had been no damage to the Bogazici and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges during the earthquake. /Turkiye/[07] MILITARY COOPERATION WITH LATVIALatvian Defence Minister Girts Valdis Kristovskis, who is currently in Turkey to attend IDEF '99, visited the Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen.Edip Baser yesterday. During the meeting, an agreement which foresees cooperation in military training between the two countries was signed. /Turkiye/[08] MILITARY OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQDuring military operations carried out by security forces in Northern Iraq, 30 members of the PKK terrorist organization were killed. Officials said that a crack-down in the region was on-going. /Sabah/[09] UNICEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VISITS DEMIRELUNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy arrived in Turkey on September 29 to view UNICEF's activities in the quake area and to talk to the quake survivors and listen to their needs. She is also here to hold bilateral talks with the senior government officials in Ankara. Yesterday, Bellamy was received by President Suleyman Demirel. Demirel said, "Turkey has always been an ardent supporter of the work of UNICEF. We are determined to continue to contribute to the noble efforts of your organization". /All papers/[10] TL 18 TRILLION IS NEEDED FOR REPAIR OF HISTORICAL WORKSThe August 17 earthquake inflicted damage on a number of Turkey's historically important sites, including mosques, monuments, museums and other buildings, the repair of which will require 18 trillion TL, General Director of Foundations, Nurettin Yardimci said yesterday. Meanwhile, Kutluay Oktem was appointed as coordinator governor of the disaster region yesterday, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[11] NEW LEGISLATIVE TERM OF PARLIAMENT COMMENCES TODAYParliament's new legislative term will commence today, with an inaugural speech to be made by President Suleyman Demirel. Yildirim Akbulut, the Speaker of Parliament, announced that in addition to new bills on the agenda, the amendment of Parliamentary by-laws will also be tackled in the new term so that Parliament could perform its legislative duties in a more effective and efficient environment. /All papers/[12] SABANCI FOUNDS READY-TO-WEAR LINE WITH BRITISH COMPANYSabanci Group and Britain's second biggest retail chain Arcadia Group Plc. decided on the name of their co-owned corporation as "GIYSA Sabanci Giyim Magazaciligi A.S.". The company will do business in the ready-to-wear clothing sector. The company's 75 % share is owned by the Sabanci Group and it already has its share in capital stock equality $8 million. /All papers/[13] HUGO BOSS OPENS FACTORY IN IZMIRGerman suit manufacturer Hugo Boss has built a giant production complex in the Aegean Free Trade Zone. The complex is investing DM 25 million in the project. The complex has already started production, but the official opening ceremony will be held on October 5. The factory employs some 500 people. /All papers/[14] FOREIGN AID FOR EARTHQUAKE ZONEHolland's Amsterdam municipality will build 48 temporary houses that will provide shelter for up to 200 people in Izmit, one of the cities that was damaged in the earthquake in Turkey. Deputy Mayor Jaap Van Der AA stated that the temporary housing will be completed within a few weeks and will cost in total 600 thousand Florins (130 Billion TL). Van Der AA stated that they will determine what to do in the medium- and long-terms as far as earthquake aid is concerned depending on the observations of the committee currently in the earthquake zone and the meetings carried out by representative of the Turkish Institution in Amsterdam. The municipality had already donated 1 Million Florin to the aid fund that was launched immediately after the earthquake. Moreover, it has been revealed that the total amount of money in the national earthquake aid fund in Holland has reached 60 million Florins, the Anatolia News Agency reports. The death of 6 Turkish citizens who live in Amsterdam and who lost their lives in the earthquake in the Marmara Region on 17 August, was confirmed. But there still remain 35 Turkish students missing who have not returned to their schools. As for the Turkish citizens who live in Rotterdam the number of deaths recorded is 27.[15] TRNC GETS CLOSE TO ITALYUnder the leadership of Prof.Augusto Sinagra, the honorary representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Rome, and with the involvement of well-known Italian citizens, the "TRNC-Italian Friendship Association" and the "TRNC-Italian Trade Office" have been set up. /Aksam/[16] CYPRUS ON THE CONGRESSTurkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, who had listened to various suggestions concerning the Cyprus issue without being pressurized, faced a very different style in the American Congress. Democratic Senator for Delaware Joseph R. Biden Jr. used the term "ensuring measures of mutual cooperation on Cyprus", which was avoided during the White House meeting. Biden said to Ecevit and the members of the TGNA with him, "If you do not solve the Cyprus problem, then I will not approve the financial aid package of 5 billion dollars, which you expect from us, from the Congress."After Biden's words, tension increased. The meeting continued with Ecevit, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem, the delegation of members of Parliament, who represented all of the members of the TGNA, Chairman of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Commission Jesse Helms and members of the Commission present. During the meeting, more or less the Cyprus issue alone was discussed and the Senator Biden declared, "Now it is time to sit at the negotiating table for Cyprus and reach an agreement", trying to convince the Turkish-Cypriot side. Ecevit emphasized the Cyprus Turks' worries and rights and pointed out that they had reached an agreement with President Clinton that "there will be no going back to the period before 1974 as far as safety and security concerned." After these words, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem was permitted by the President to answer and reminded his listeners how relations between Turkey and the U.S. depended on a broad spectrum of cooperation. Cem pointed out that Turkey was on the same side as the U.S. concerning Kosovo and Iraq and that benefits for the U.S. involved good relations with Turkey. Biden implied "As far as we have heard, Turkey needs us socially and financially", which was answered by Cem with these words: "You are wrong." Biden, who did not appear convinced, approached Ecevit after the meeting and said, "I could not get an answer from you to my question." Turkish Prime Minister Ecevit replied, "There are two `separate states' in Cyprus". The other person who supported Biden during the Senate meeting, was Democratic Senator Paul S. Sarbanaes from Maryland. However, Sarbanes preferred a milder style. Ecevit and the Turkish members of Parliament also met the Chairman of the American House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert. During this meeting, members of the House of Representatives signalled their support for Turkey concerning its future membership of the EU. The House of Representatives Chairman of the International Relations Commission, Benjamin Gilman, said to Ecevit, "Solve this problem on Cyprus without wasting time." /Milliyet/ [17] FIRST TURKISH ADMINISTRATOR OF THE OECDTurkey has been a `founder' member of the OECD for 40 years, based in Paris, and since that time there never been a Turkish director of the OECD. Until now, for the first time in the history of the OECD, when electrical engineer and energy economist Dr.Fatih Birol (41) was appointed. The director of the International Energy Agency's Department of Economic Analysis, Dr. Birol has a `staff' team comprising nine experts, three of whom are British, the others rest German, Japanese, French, American, Scottish and Greek. This team is analysing developments that will derive from the production and consumption of the different energy types world-wide in the next 20 years. /Milliyet/[18] TURKEY, THE PERFECT COUNTRYDespite the fact that it is not using the capacity of its production facilities to the full, the world's automotive industry carries on investing. Turkey is especially desirable for new investments in this area, due to its geological position and proximity to potential markets. New motor car investments are expected to be made mostly by the European and Japanese companies, while American companies prefer to invest in commercial vehicles. /Aksam/[19] CYPRUS ISSUE ON CNNPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit was interviewed by the world-famous TV channel, CNN, on the Cyprus issue. Ecevit defended the Turkish point of view; he stressed that the 1974 Peace Operation was legal and just, according to the 1960 Agreement, and it has brought peace and freedom to the nations on the Island. He also pointed out that during his meeting with Clinton, they agreed on the fact that it would not be possible to return to the situation in existence prior to 1974 in seeking a solution to the issue. /Aksam/[20] TENDERS FROM TREASURYThe Treasuary Undersecretariat will put out five different tenders in October. Two of them are the bids for bills of exchange, the others are bids for bonds. According to a statement issued by the Treasury, the tenders, their dates and the amounts are as follows:[21] DATE AMOUNT TERMOct. 4th 700-850 trillion TL 2 years Oct. 5th - 3 years Oct. 5th 700-800 trillion TL 231 days Oct. 25th 344 trillion TL 3 months Oct. 26th 250-350 trillion TL 3 years /Aksam/NOTE: Due to technical reasons, our 'Turkish Press Review' has been shortened today. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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