TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (May 31, 1995)
Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (May 31, 1995)
CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY REDISCOVERS INDONESIA
[02] DENMARK ON TURKEY'S RED LIST
[03] CILLER INVITED TO THE WEU
[04] INONU IN THE NETHERLANDS FOR NATO MEETING
[05] US ASKS GREECE INFORMATION ON THE PKK
[06] A NEW MODEL FOR IRAQ
[07] TURKEY COMMEMORATES "MARTYRED DIPLOMATS"
[08] UN SECRETARY FEISSEL TO TALK WITH DENKTAS AND KLERIDES
[09] FOREIGN MEDIA SUPPORT TURKISH TOURISM
[10] GEORGIA INVITES TURKISH INVESTMENT
[11] BULGARIAN PRESS PRAISES TURKEY
[12] TURKSOY LEAPS FORWARD
[13] NEWSOM COMPLETES HIS CONTACTS IN ANKARA
[14] ATASOY: "GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IS FRIENDLY TO ENVIRONMENT"
[15] OVER 5,000 NEW FIRMS START UP IN APRIL 1995
[16] GERMAN AMBASSADOR VISITS HACALOGLU
[17] NO GREEN LIGHT FOR THE PKK IN ARMENIA
WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
MAY 31, 1995
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish
press this morning.
[01] TURKEY REDISCOVERS INDONESIA
After a visit to China, President Suleyman Demirel this week
opened the door for Turkish diplomats and businessmen to
Indonesia, a long-neglected Muslim country he paid a state
visit to on the last leg of a Far East trip. "This country
has been as close and warm to us as Pakistan, and not like
some other Muslim countries who have been bearing grudges
against us" Demirel said in a seeming reference to the Arab
countries ruled by the Ottoman Turks until the end of the
First World War. Turkey, however, has neglected to give due
importance to its ties with Indonesia until now, he told
reporters. Earlier, in a dinner speech, Demirel paid
tribute to the rebuilding of Indonesia over the past 50
years into a "dynamic regional power of the 21st century"
and called for the "transformation of the deep-rooted
friendship into a comprehensive, concrete partnership".
President Demirel held two meetings with his Indonesian
counterpart Suharto yesterday. The first one was an
"official meeting" and the second one was a "good-bye"
visit. Demirel addressed Indonesian businessmen at a
luncheon given in his honour in Jakarta by the Indonesian
Chamber of Commerce and calling upon cooperation said:
"Turkey is your home". Demirel said that Turkey would enter
the customs union with the EU in 1996, and pointed out that
this was a "very important and historical event". Recalling
that Turkey was both secular and Muslim, and had a liberal
economy, Demirel noted that Turkey was shown as a model by
many observers for other countries. Demirel said: "We want
to have closer economic and commercial relations with you
and are ready to exert efforts to achieve this". He added
that they agreed with Suharto over signing the agreements on
"protection and encouragement of investments" and
"prevention of double taxation" within a few months' time.
Demirel attended a reception at the Turkish Embassy
yesterday evening. At the official meetings in which State
Minister Baki Atac also participated, Indonesian officials
proposed a cooperation in the aircraft industry to Turkey
while the Turkish side called upon Indonesia to take on the
modernization of their F-16 airplanes. Demirel, who
completes his 10-day visit including China, Hong Kong and
Indonesia, will return to Ankara tonight.
/Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet-Sabah/
[02] DENMARK ON TURKEY'S RED LIST
Following Denmark's permission for the opening of an ERNK
bureau in Copenhagen, Turkey has put the country on the "red
list". Stating that companies from Denmark would be
excluded from bidding for any military contracts from now on
an official said: "Turkey's putting Denmark on her "red
list" after Holland is a proof of her determination in the
struggle against terrorism. Turkey hopes that this attitude
will also serve as an example for other European countries
and that they will understand her attitude in not making
concessions regarding this issue." Trade in the military
field between Turkey and Denmark is not developed but the
officials note that this determined attitude of the Ankara
government was a warning to another countries which deal
intensively with Turkey in this sector. The number of
countries with which Turkey suspended trading in arms has
increased to seven with Denmark. Turkey has put Sweden,
Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Holland and South Africa on
her "red list". Meanwhile it has been ascertained that
Germany which has imposed weapons embargo on Turkey has
softened its stand. Stating that the German Foreign
Ministry has decided to lift the embargo, an official said:
"Germany is trying to prepare her own public opinion for
this and will lift the embargo at the first suitable
moment." Germany is on Turkey's "yellow list" which
encompasses countries that are "risky to deal with in
matters of defense". /Hurriyet/.
[03] CILLER INVITED TO THE WEU
Prime Minister Tansu Ciller has been invited to the general
committee meeting of the Western European Union
Parliamentarians Assembly to be held between 19-21 June in
Paris. Giving rights to Turkish deputies to vote in the
general committee will be presented for approval. The right
to vote has not been given to Turkish deputies attending the
Assembly on the grounds that Turkey was only an associate
member to the WEU. Upon the boycott of the Turkish
deputies, the right to vote has been decided upon in the
meeting of the WEU Regulations Commission last week. The
final decision will be given in the General Assembly in
Paris next month. An absolute majority is needed for the
approval. Officials however have pointed out that the
voting in favour of Turkey would not be easy as the Assembly
members were the same as in the European Parliamentarian
Assembly. Ciller has been invited to make a speech at the
session of the General Council during the Eastern
Mediterranean Report which deals primarily with Turkey will
be discussed. Ciller has not as yet given her decision to
attend this meeting. /Milliyet/
[04] INONU IN THE NETHERLANDS FOR NATO MEETING
Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu is to represent Turkey at the
NATO and the North Atlantic Cooperation Council Spring
meetings in the Netherlands.
Regarding the meeting Erdal Inonu said: "Serbian attacks
cannot be tolerated. It is unacceptable to do anything in
the face of these attacks. I explained at the meeting that
the world should take a decision on the Serbs, who have
started their attacks immediately after the ceasefire."
In his speech at the meeting Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu
said that a federation including Bosnian Serbs should be
discussed. While evaluating the recent decision regarding
Bosnia by NATO at Noordwijk Inonu said: "The result
obtained is the best under these circumstances." He added
that the United Nations (UN) should immediately make known
its stand.
In the Joint Comminuque of the meeting of the Foreign
Ministers of the North Atlantic Council, it was stressed
that the unity of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE)
should be preserved. New suggestions tolerant to
international terrorism, and the Nagorno and Chechnya issues
were also put forward into the
communique./Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/
[05] US ASKS GREECE INFORMATION ON THE PKK
The US Administration anxious concerned over the possibility
that the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) and other terrorist
organization will open offices in Athens and Salonica, has
started a wide research in Athens.
Councilor of the US Embassy in Athens and second man, Thomas
Miller, has officially asked for information on the PKK
office in Athens from the Greek Foreign Ministry. The US
attitude regarding PKK's activities in Athens has caused
unease in Athens. /Hurriyet/
[06] A NEW MODEL FOR IRAQ
Turkey pointed out that a de facto Baghdad administration in
northern Iraq did not mean that "it was neccessarily a
Saddam domination".
Diplomatic sources noted that Turkey insists that the
territorial integrity of northern Iraq and the
self-determination right of the Iraqi people be preserved.
Sazad Saib, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
Celal Talabani, said that during the meetings Turkey was for
a solution through dialogue with central on a long term
basis. Saib added that Turkey noted that the northern Iraqi
problem must be solved within the framework of Article 688
of the UN Security Council.
It was pointed out that the two warring sides in the region,
the PUK of Celal Talabani and the Kurdistan Democratic Party
(KDP) of Mesut Barzani, reached a concensus on a federal
system being established in Iraq in which the "Provide
Comfort" forces would act as a guarantor in the region
should an agreement be reached with the Baghdad
administration. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] TURKEY COMMEMORATES "MARTYRED DIPLOMATS"
Turkey yesterday commemorated the assassination of several
of its diplomats by terrorist organizations throughout the
world. "We will always keep in our hearts the memories of
our diplomats and officials martyred abroad in treacherous
attacks" President Suleyman Demirel said in a letter to
Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu on the occasion. Demirel
stated that all states should take pains to protect the
officials and representatives of other countries. Prime
Minister Tansu Ciller and Acting Foreign Minister Onur
Kumbaracibasi also released messages on the "Martyred
Diplomats Day". Since 1973, thirty-four Turkish diplomats,
relatives or officials have been killed abroad, mainly by
the Armenian terrorist group ASALA. In the latest fatal
attack, the counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Athens, Omer
Haluk Sipahioglu, was shot dead by the terrorist November 17
organization in the the Greek capital in July 1994.
[08] UN SECRETARY FEISSEL TO TALK WITH DENKTAS AND KLERIDES
Gustave Feissel, the UN secretary-general's Cyprus envoy,
arrived on the island yesterday to meet with the leaders of
both communities. Feissel's meetings with Greek Cypriot
leader Glafkos Klerides and Turkish Cypriot President Rauf
Denktas were decided on during the "secret" talks in London
between the delegations from the two communities. Feissel
said that his priority was to get the leaders of the two
communities to meet.
[09] FOREIGN MEDIA SUPPORT TURKISH TOURISM
Some foreign newspapers criticized Greece's stand against
Turkish tourism and supported Turkish tourism. Officials
from Turkish Tourism Ministry said that some English papers
criticized Greece for supporting the PKK terrorist
organization. The Sunday Telegraph claimed in one of its
articles that PKK militants receive training in Greece. It
said that Kurdish terrorists were being trained in Greece
for bombing activites in the Aegean coasts and gave photos
and articles regarding the illegal infiltration of
separatist terrorists into Turkey and their relations with
the drug smugglers. The Travel Weekly criticized Greece in
one of its articles and supported Turkey. The Reisrevue
magazine of the Netherlands said in its article that "Don't
change your plans, go to Turkey for your holidays". /Sabah/
[10] GEORGIA INVITES TURKISH INVESTMENT
Georgian Economy Minister Vladimir Papava said yesterday
that his country was completing a revision of its laws and
regulations in a way to encourage foreign investments,
Papava told a meeting in Turkey's Black Sea port of Trabzon
that Georgia expects much from its Western neighbour. "We
want to see Turkish businessmen investing more in Georgia at
a time when we are reaching economic and financial
stability" he said. Meanwhile, the "Naval Agreement" signed
in Tbilisi in 1992 between Georgia and Turkey has been
ratified by the Council of Ministers and published in the
Official Gazette. The agreement foresees that the naval
relations and security between the two countries will be
developed, the best coordination will be provided in
transportation, measures that will harm sea transport will
not be implemented and cooperation in shipyards and repair
work will be established. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] BULGARIAN PRESS PRAISES TURKEY
Daily Standart, a well-known Bulgarian newspaper, published
an article which said that Turkey had been developing very
fast for the past 15 years, the Anatolia news agency
reported yesterday. The article also mentioned that the
world had a misconception of the country because of a
negative propaganda campaign. The article continued with a
description of Turkey's historical riches and its modern
touristic complexes. The report conluded that when several
new projects were completed Turkey would be an even more
modern country.
[12] TURKSOY LEAPS FORWARD
Ercan Karakas, Culture Minister, returned to Ankara
yesterday after the sixth meeting of TURKSOY (the
international organization for the promotion of Turkish
Culture and Arts) in Ashkabad, Turkmenistan. The Anatolia
news agency reported that Karakas felt the meeting had been
very fruitful and that 1996 was going to be a "year of
attack" for the organization. Turkmenistan's ratification
of the TURKSOY treaty is the only step left for it to be
legally recognized. The Turkish Culture Ministry has taken
on the chairmanship of the organization for the next period.
The centre in Ankara will begin functinoning within a few
months.
[13] NEWSOM COMPLETES HIS CONTACTS IN ANKARA
US Principal Deputy Asssistant Secretary of State for
Political and Military Affairs, Eric Newsom, who made
contacts with the Turkish Foreign Ministry and General Staff
on US military aid to Turkey and bilateral security
relations, completed his official meetings in Ankara.
Newsom and his accompanying delegation will leave Turkey
today. /Cumhuriyet/
[14] ATASOY: "GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IS FRIENDLY TO ENVIRONMENT"
Speaking at the "Turkish-Japanese Geothermal Energy
Symposium" in Ankara, Veysel Atasoy, Energy and Natural
Resources Minister said that geothermal energy was the kind
of energy that was cheap, clean and friendly to environment.
Noting that the most important for Turkey among the
alternative energy resources was geothermal energy, Atasoy
stated that Turkey was among the top ten countries in the
world with its 140 fields that have geothermal fluidity over
40 degrees. Japanese Ambassador to Ankara, Takehiro Togo
indicated that the importance of geothermal energy was
perceived after the oil crisis in 1970s, adding that
cooperation between the two countries on geothermal energy
had been continuing for the last 10 years. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] OVER 5,000 NEW FIRMS START UP IN APRIL 1995
In April alone, 5,071 new companies were established, with a
total capital of TL 3.12 trillion, the State Institute of
Statistics (DIE) revealed yesterday. According to the DIE
statement, also in April, 578 firms increased their capital
by a total of TL 37.53 trillion. /All papers/
[16] GERMAN AMBASSADOR VISITS HACALOGLU
German Ambassador to Ankara Dr.Hans Joachim Vergau visited
Algan Hacaloglu, State Minister responsible for human
rights. The ambassador said that reform endeavours in
Turkey are welcomed by his country. In his interview with
journalists prior to his discussions with Hacaloglu, Vergau
stressed that reform efforts in Turkey were being realized
in Parliament on its own initiative. Hacaloglu in his turn
said that "Germany is very important for Turkey which
desires to participate in the European Union (EU)".
/Cumhuriyet/
[17] NO GREEN LIGHT FOR THE PKK IN ARMENIA
Jirayir Libaridyan, Armenian President Levon Ter Petrosyan's
International Policy Adviser and architect of Turco-Armenian
relations says that if relations between Turkey and Armenia
improve, this in turn will help solve other existing issues
inclusive of the Azeri-Armenian problem. Libaridyan denies
claims to the effect that Armenia supports the PKK. He
declares that "they had no dealings with the PKK".
Libaridyan notes that Armenia has established a dialogue
with Turkey and that this process will continue. Libaridyan
says that to improve dialogue, Armenia is using its
influence to stay clear of war in Karabakh. Armenia will
extend support for stability in the region and the agreement
process. In reply to a question whether the opening of the
border gates can create a possibility for terrorists to pass
through Armenia, he says that Armenia will not tolerate any
acts of terrorism nor terrorists. Answering a question as
to whether there is a dialogue with Baku, he states that
there is a relation between the Defence Ministers of the two
countries. He says: "In cases of some border problems and
dangerous situations that may upset the ceasefire process,
Ter Petrosyan directly calls President Aliyev. Azerbaijan,
however, links the subjects of the oil pipeline, the
Karabakh issue and regional relations together. Armenia
considers the Karabakh issue as Azerbaijan's own domestic
policy problem. If relations improve, this will help in
finding a solution to the problem. Libaridyan says that
Armenia has achieved a ceasefire in Karabakh. "Now priority
must be given to withdrawing the troops from most of the
occupied land and lifting the embargo. Withdrawing from
occupied lands is to the benefit of Azerbaijan and lifting
the embargo is beneficial for all" he concludes. /Hurriyet/
END
HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute
news2html v2.09c run on Thursday, 1 June 1995 - 23:04:44