Subject: Turkish Press Review (April 3, 1995)
Erdal Inonu, Turkey's new foreign minister, departed yesterday on a three-stop tour to plead Turkey's case in northern Iraq
to two critical European allies (Germany and France) and to the US. The first diplomatic test for Inonu has two
components. First, he will assure the impatient allies that Turkey has no intention of staying longer than necessary in
northern Iraq; second, mainly through his planned media contacts in the three countries; he will reassure the three
capitals, as well as the public, that Turkey is safeguarding civilians in the area. Inonu said: "Our aim is to prevent
misunderstanding of this operation which is completely legal as we support our country. Thus, we will try to continue our
relations with our allies over a strong base as in the past." Inonu evaluated the criticism regarding the match which
Turkish National Handball Team held with Southern Cyprus, and said: "This is only a sports competition. It will be wrong
to derive political implications from this". /All papers/
While keeping up a vast manhunt for the Turkish Kurdish rebels dislodged from their mountain bases across the border, Turkey
on Sunday strove to win the hearts of the Iraqi Kurds by providing them with relief supplies. There were further signs
that the troops might be pulled back soon, with the semi-official Anatolia news agency quoting field commanders as
reporting that only a small rebel presence remains in the operations area, and government officials as boasting of
remarkable successes against the separatist. The security forces killed 24 more rebels since Saturday, bringing the
total rebel losses to 295 dead and 15 captured, according to military officials.
OPERATION"
Interior Minister Nahit Mentese stated that Turkey respected the territorial integrity of all countries and requested other
countries to show understanding to the operation of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in northern Iraq. Noting that
Steel Operation was being successfully carried out in line with the operations within the country, Mentese said: "Every
state has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. It is a legal and indispensable right".
/Cumhuriyet/
In an article by the Sygma Press agency, it is stated that the Turkish army is determined to put an end to PKK terrorism.
Prime Minister Ciller relayed European countries the measures taken in reference to democratization and human rights in
Turkey. 35,000 Turkish soldiers are taking part in the military operation. The article also stated that the Turkish
Army is safeguarding the integrity of the country and is the last fortress of secularism. /Sabah/
Journalists Fatih Saribas and Kadri Gursel, kidnapped by the PKK have not been rescued as yet. Stating that the rescue
operations were continuing, Unal Erkan Emergency Provincial Governor warned journalists on taking night trips. Stating
that every effort was being made to rescue the Reuters and AFP reporters, Erkan said: "I understand your sensitivity
regarding this issue. Necessary attention will be shown in the operations to be made in the region." /Hurriyet/
The Kurdish Patriotic Union under the leadership of Celal Talabani in Northern Iraq, announced that they fully supported
Turkey's plan to have the borders come under joint control of the Turkish Military Forces and Kurdish leaders, after the
completion of the Steel Operation. Representatives from the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that the Iraqi Kurds were
reminded to act within the framework of decision No:688 of UN Security Council in reference to the territorial integrity of
Iraq. In a statement given to the French News Agency AFP yesterday, Sazad Said, Celal Talabani's representative in
Ankara said: "This is the very plan we were defending from the onset. Protecting the borders is our duty and
responsibility". /Hurriyet/
Turkish Ambassador to Bonn, Onur Oymen participated in a panel discussion relevant to the Steel operation on German ZDF
television. Oymen reproached the German social democrats for their conflicting statements and attitude in reference to
mutual trust. /Hurriyet/
Die Welt, which is one of Germany's leading newspapers in its Sunday supplement, made a big blunder by publishing a
photograph of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and indicating below that he was Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic.
This big blunder stirred up Turkish citizens living in Germany. Turkish Ambassador to Bonn, Onur Oymen has also
reacted strongly to this big blunder. Oymen sent a letter to the newspaper demanding an immediate correction. A Kurdish
demonstration was held in Dusseldorf the day before yesterday. PKK sympathizers has demonstrated against the northern Iraqi
operations. German police did not interfere in the demontsrations. They did not want the events to escalate.
Despite the prohibition, the PKK sympathizers took courage and opened giant Apo posters and shouted slogans against Turkey.
A photograph of the demonstrators carrying a giant Apo poster was published. The newspaper contained unbelievable
misinformation. Under Apo's photograph the inscription was that "The demonstrators carried modern Turkish Republic's
founder, Kemal Ataturk's poster". /Hurriyet/
BOTAS, which transports oil via pipelines and is attached to Turkish Petroleum Board (TPAO) became an autonomous State
Economic Enterprise (SEE) by a decision taken by the Council of Ministers. Chairman Hayrettin Uzun said that BOTAS is now
responsible for all oil and natural gas activities. Furthermore, Botas is authorized to open commercial
enterprises within the country and abroad. /Cumhuriyet/
Bosnian authorities want any humanitarian aid from Turkey to Bosnia-Herzegovina to be made either through the Turkish Red
Crescent (Kizilay) or through official channels. The officials told members of a visiting Turkish parliamentary
investigative committee, set up to see whether money collected from Turks had reached Bosnia, that all the aid sent through
Kizilay had been received completely without any portion missing. Officials from the Bosnia- based Merhamet aid
organization denied the allegations that some of the Kizilay aid was received by Serbs. Bosnian President Aliya
Izzetbegovic received the committee and said that the Bosnian people would reach victory sooner or later. /All papers/
The Turkey-US Economic Commission wrapped up a successful meeting in Washington D.C. on March 30, a press release
issued by US Information Service said. The US and Turkey announced the conclusion of two agreements designed to
srengthen bilateral ties: GLOBAL (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment), to increase
cooperation between the two countries on environmental matters, and a cooperative financing agreement between the US
Export-Import Bank and the Export Credit Bank of Turkey, to provide a framework for cooperation between the two banks to
encourage and finance US and Turkish investment in third countries. Significant progress was also made on a treaty to
avoid double taxation. /All papers/
Representatives of European mints are meeting in Ankara today, under the leadership of the Turkish Central Bank (CB), to
discuss technical matters related to the printing of bank notes and ways to combat counterfeiting, the CB announced in a
press release. Delegates from 21 European countries will attend the meeting. /All papers/
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EUROPE (March 30, 1995)
"Ten days into its operation to eradicate PKK terrorists from northern Iraq, Turkey is fighting its
hardest battle on the public-relations front. In fact, if the group that has terrorized Turkey for the last decade
takes a few hits in the field in this round, it may just be Turkish government that incurs the greatest damage.
With leftist propaganda organs working overtime on behalf of the PKK, practically all of Europe has criticized
the Turkish operation as excessive, as violating the rights of Kurds living in nothern Iraq, or usurping the territorial
integrity of Iraq. All of this puts Turkey in a sticky spot. Doing the
job right, according to President Suleyman Demirel, may require keeping up a presence in northern Iraq for up to a
year, a statement that sent shock waves around Europe. Turkey could then wave goodbye to its hopes for a customs
union with the EU, promised German military aid, perhaps some other trade deals.
But the alternative may be equally unpalatable. If Turkey scales down its operation, then it may all be just
another pinprick to the resilient PKK. Isn't national security and stability more important than winning a
popularity contest abroad anyhow? But what really must be asked is whether Turkey's
strike at a decade-long terrorist threat merits the widespread condemnation we have been witnessing in Europe.
At the moment, it's Turkey vs. the PKK, and Europe seems to be siding against Turkey. The PKK unfortunately gets
implicitly depicted as representing Kurdish interests when really this Marxist band has been just as ruthless with the
many Kurds who oppose it as with Turks. Terrorism has always fed on ignorance and fear, and the
PKK's friends have exploited both. The West has a huge stake in helping Turkey preserve itself as a progressive
state, with strong Western leanings, in a troubled part of the world. Its efforts to eradicate terrorism thus deserve
Western support and a recognition that the battle against the PKK will not be a neat, gentleman's war. Turkey
deserves more from Europe and the U.S. than fair-weather friendship."
AP (March 25, 1995)
"...Ms. Shelly (State Department Acting Spokesman) issued a statement saying, "In principle a country has the
right to use force to protect itself from attacks from a neighboring country if the neighboring state is unwilling or
unable to prevent the use of its territories for such attack."
The right to use "necessary and appropriate" force flows from the right of self-defence, the State Department
legal office said."
THE WASHINGTON TIMES (March 25, 1995)
"France and Germany have banned the PKK as a terrorist organization, and Britain and other countries have taken
their own steps against the group."
THE TIMES (March 22, 1995)
"Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a hardline Marxist-Leninist group branded as a terror
organisation by many Western countries..."