TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (June 14, 1995)

From: [email protected] (Dimitrios Hristu)

Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (June 14, 1995)

CONTENTS

  • [01] DEMIREL MEETS NAZARBAYEV

  • [02] CILLER: "WOMEN REPRESENT CIVILIZATION"

  • [03] IRAN CALLS PKK ITS ENEMY; DENIES GIVING SHELTER

  • [04] TURKISH GASTRONOMY CONGRESS IN NEW YORK

  • [05] SAXONY DECIDES NOT TO DEPORT KURDISH SEPARATISTS UNTILSEPTEMBER

  • [06] POLICE CHIEFS MEETING STARTS IN IRELAND

  • [07] TURK MERCEDES-BENZ TO SELL 350 BUSES TO AZERBAIJAN

  • [08] VIENNA SAYS NO TO PKK

  • [09] BIG MILITARY OPERATION IN TUNCELI REGION

  • [10] WEST INDIFFERENT TO AEGEAN HOT SPOT

  • [11] TURKISH CLIMBER CONQUERS EVEREST

  • [12] SUN SHINING ON AEGEAN FESTIVALS

  • [13] EUROPEAN SUPPORT FOR TURKISH THEATRE

  • [14] DUTCH-TURKISH RELATIONS IMPROVE

  • [15] SECOND F-16 SQUADRON FOR BOSNIA

  • [16] HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION BY ATHENS

  • [17] PROMOTION CAMPAIGNS

    •

    WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF

    DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION

    TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

    JUNE 14, 1995

    Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish

    press this morning.

    [01] DEMIREL MEETS NAZARBAYEV

    President Suleyman Demirel and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev held a meeting in Almaty yesterday. Nazarbayev asked Turkey to extend comprehensive loans to support several Kazakh projects, including a plan to change the Central Asian Republic's capital. Regarding the plan to move the capital from Almaty to the northern city of Akmola (formerly Selingrad), Nazarbayev called for Turkey's help in construction of the new capital. Ethnic Russians constitute up to 40 % of Kazakhstan's population and live mainly in the north of the country, while the Kazakhs, forming 43 %, are concentrated in the south. Almaty is situated in southeastern Kazakhstan, near the Chinese border.

    At the meeting with Demirel, Nazarbayev also asked Turkey to extend $100 million for Kazakhstan's several agricultural projects. Kazakhstan could pay back the loan in terms of agricultural products, he proposed. Turkey's Eximbank has already opened loans worth $200 million to Kazakhstan and a $110 million portion of these has already been used. After the meeting, Demirel and Nazarbayev signed the joint communique. Agreements were also signed on juridical coordination between the two countries and the construction of a power station in Kazakhstan. The agreement on juridical coordination was signed by State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Hikmet Cetin and his Kazakh counterpart Imangali Tasmagambetov.

    Today, Demirel and Nazarbayev are due to lay the foundation of an international university which is named after Hoca Ahmet Yesevi, a 12th century Islamic philosopher widely respected in all Turkish Muslim countries. Demirel yesterday met also with the representatives of Kazakhstan's 150,000 strong ethnic Ahiska (Meskhet) Turks who want to immigrate to Turkey. The Ahiskas, who have the closest linguistic ties with Turkey among all Turkish groups abroad, were forced to leave their homeland in Georgia for several parts of Central Asia during World War II. Demirel said Ankara would do everything to secure protection of the rights of the Ahiska Turks in their host countries, but that their immediate migration to Turkey was not possible under current conditions. /All papers/

    [02] CILLER: "WOMEN REPRESENT CIVILIZATION"

    Prime Minister Tansu Ciller said in a message sent to the conference on "Women in Turkish Law" yesterday, that civilization could not be achieved without the participation of women in every sphere of life. Ciller also said in her message to the conference, organized by Marmara University Law Faculty and the Turkish Association of Women Jurists, that the position of women in society was directly related to full democratization. "One of our targets is to improve the position of women in Turkey. The women of this country should have equal representation in all political, social, economic and cultural areas" said Ciller. Professor Omer Faruk Batiel said in his opening speech that there was no discrimination against women in the legal code. Nazan Moroglu, chairwoman of the Jurists' Association, said that lack of education was the biggest problem facing Turkish women. /Milliyet/

    [03] IRAN CALLS PKK ITS ENEMY; DENIES GIVING SHELTER

    A delegation from the Iranian Interior Ministry High Security Commission was received by Turkish Interior Minister Nahit Mentese yesterday. The meetings of the security committee established between the two countries will last two days. Gulam Huseyin Bulandian, the Iranian deputy interior minister will head the Iranian delegation while his Turkish counterpart Bekir Aksoy will lead the Turkish one. Bulandian said yesterday that the PKK terrorist organization was the enemy of Iran and indicated their desire to make the border between the two countries "a friendship border". Bulandian said that as a country that has suffered the most from terrorism, Iran was prepared to cooperate fully with Turkey to eradicate terrorism. For his part, Mentese said that cooperation between the two countries in areas such as the fight against the organized crime and drug trafficking was ongoing. "We have not and will not allow any sort of infiltration of the PKK and other similar groups into Iran. They have no place in Iran. There are security agreements between Iran and Turkey. According to these accords, we do not allow Turkey's enemies to use our soil and Turkey does the same" Bulandian noted. Bekir Aksoy noted that this visit would maintain the friendly relations between the two neighbours. /All papers/

    [04] TURKISH GASTRONOMY CONGRESS IN NEW YORK

    The 1995 Turkish Food, Wine and Culture Congress has started at the International Hotel in New York, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Turkish foods, wine and culture will be introduced to visitors to the congress. Speaking at the opening, Foreign Trade Undersecretary Nejat Eren invited foreign investors to Turkey. He said that Turkish exports now amounted to $18.1 billion and that Turkey is one of the most important US trade partners. The congress will end on Thursday.

    [05] SAXONY DECIDES NOT TO DEPORT KURDISH SEPARATISTS UNTIL SEPTEMBER

    The government of German Lower Saxony has decided not to deport members of the PKK terrorist organization who have been refused asylum until September, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.

    [06] POLICE CHIEFS MEETING STARTS IN IRELAND

    The 17th annual meeting of European police chiefs has started in the Irish capital of Dublin. Turkey is represented by Orhan Tasanlar, Ankara Police Chief. In a speech on the second day of the meeting, Tasanlar said that drug trafficking had been on the increase in Europe since 1984, the same year that the PKK terrorist organization had started its terrorist campaign in Turkey. He said that approximately 95 % of PKK militants were involved in drug trafficking and over the last eleven years 599 militants had been arrested on drug charges. /All papers/

    [07] TURK MERCEDES-BENZ TO SELL 350 BUSES TO AZERBAIJAN

    Turk Mercedes-Benz has agreed in principle to sell 350 buses to Azerbaijan, the Anatolia news agency reported from Baku. The buses will be used for local transport in the capital city of Baku. All the buses are expected to be delivered by the end of the year and will cost approximately DM 70 million.

    [08] VIENNA SAYS NO TO PKK

    Vienna has turned down an application from the Kurdish parliament-in-exile to hold its next meeting planned for July 12 in Vienna. Austrian government officials said yesterday that any permission would be absolutely refused. They have conveyed their decision on this to the Turkish government.

    Along with other European countries, Austria too realizes that the PKK terrorist organization is using the Kurdish parliament issue to try and drive a wedge between Turkey and the European Union member countries. /Hurriyet/

    [09] BIG MILITARY OPERATION IN TUNCELI REGION

    Following the death of eighteen soldiers and the kidnapping of two more in a clash with PKK terrorists, a large scale military operation has begun in the Tunceli region.

    According to military reports a large group of at least 150 individuals from the TIKKO, DEV-SOL and PKK terrorist separatist groups has gathered together in the region around Tunceli, and now special units from the Third Army are being sent in to deal with it.

    In other parts of the southeast, military units are pressing the PKK hard, with bomb attacks against PKK mountain strongholds and ground forces following up with mopping up operations. /Milliyet/

    [10] WEST INDIFFERENT TO AEGEAN HOT SPOT

    Western countries are showing little interest in the way that Greece is building up military weapons reserves in the Aegean Sea islands that belong to mainland Greece.

    Despite international agreements limiting military activity on the islands, Greece is going ahead with its own plans for the islands. Ignoring weastern alliance agreements that strictly limit militarization of the Aegean islands, Greece is playing off one side against the other in a move to assert itself in the Aegean region.

    Moscow is showing great interest in helping the Greeks set up military depots on the islands, while the US administration stands off and claims that the issue should be settled through civilian channels. /Cumhuriyet/

    [11] TURKISH CLIMBER CONQUERS EVEREST

    Sometimes called the "Snow Leopard", Turkish climber Nasuh Mahruki has joined the list of mountain climbers who have conquered the world's highest peak.

    Sponsored by the Yapi and Kredi Bank, Mahruki climbed the peak supported by a 35 man team after a ten week battle on the mountainside. He left a Turkish flag at the peak after taking advantage of very favourable weather conditions which opened the way to the top. /Hurriyet/

    [12] SUN SHINING ON AEGEAN FESTIVALS

    The summer season's Aegean cultural festivals are in full swing with the 9th International Izmir Festival leading the way with productions in the Ephesus Roman theatre.

    Groups from Italy, France, Russia and other countries will participate in the Aegean festivals with ballet and other productions. The Ankara State Theatre Group will also stage a modern theatre production- Tuncer Cucenoglu's "Helicopter". /Milliyet/

    [13] EUROPEAN SUPPORT FOR TURKISH THEATRE

    The European parliament has voted in favour of supporting a theatre workshop planned for young Europeans in Ankara.

    The theatre programme planned by amateur theatre groups in Turkey wants to link European youth through the medium of theatre, and has a series theatrical activities planned to last throughout the summer months. /Cumhuriyet/

    [14] DUTCH-TURKISH RELATIONS IMPROVE

    Following the critical days of the Kurdish parliament-in-exile issue, when Holland gave permission to extremist Kurdish groups to hold a so-called parliament meeting against the wishes of Turkey, things are starting to look brighter again.

    Turkish and Dutch officials have reached new agreement in certain areas, and even though Holland has refused to give guarantees that permission will not be given again, the two countries will cooperate more in the fight against PKK terrorism.

    Reports say that in the near future delegations from Holland will come to Turkey to discuss areas of cooperation in more detail. Diplomatic ties are also on a more stable footing, note officials. /Hurriyet/

    [15] SECOND F-16 SQUADRON FOR BOSNIA

    During talks with members of the British House of Commons Defence Commission yesterday, National Defence Minister Mehmet Golhan said that a solution to the tragedy in Bosnia-Herzegovina could be found only by the use of force. Golhan noted that Turkey was ready to give land and air support to the Multinational Rapid Reaction Force. Within this framework, a Turkish F-16 squadron will be sent to Italy by the end of June. With an F-16 squadron already carrying out control flights over Bosnia-Herzegovina from the Ghedi Base in Italy, the total number of Turkish planes deployed at the base will approximate twenty. /Cumhuriyet/

    [16] HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION BY ATHENS

    The European Human Rights Commission has asked the Greek government for information with respect to the complaint against Greece made by Sadik Ahmet, leader of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace. Sadik Ahmet, who applied to the European Human Rights Commission last year for the second time, claims that with the 3 percent threshold rule imposed against independent candidates at general elections, the Greek government was violating human rights. /Cumhuriyet/

    [17] PROMOTION CAMPAIGNS

    Turkey has drawn on reserves worth three million 412,000 dollars to promote Turkey throughout Europe and dispel the negative image fostered by a critical foreign press. Led by the Prime Ministry Promotion Fund, promotion campaigns started at the beginning of the year aiming to promote Turkey by revealing the real Turkish identity through cultural, touristic, economic, political and social means, campaigns aim to create a new image by eliminating the wrong image about Turkey that has dominated for many years. To make a decision about which promotion agencies that carry out the campaigns, Prime Minister Tansu Ciller has set up an International Promotion Information Council. /Milliyet/

    END

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