TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (June 15, 1995)
Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (June 15, 1995)
CONTENTS
[01] VISIONS OF A PETROL PARADISE
[02] DREAM OF A BIGGER AND BETTER TURKEY
[03] AWARD FOR PRESIDENT DEMIREL
[04] FOREIGN CAPITAL FLOW TO TURKEY
[05] ANKARA RAPS EURO-PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON EX-DEPDEPUTIES
[06] INTENSIVE DIPLOMATIC TRAFFIC IN ANKARA
[07] POLISH DEPUTY FM TO VISIT TURKEY
[08] SAUDI FM TO MAKE TWICE-POSTPONED VISIT
[09] MACEDONIA MAKES FIRST-EVER PRIME MINISTER LEVEL VISIT
[10] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO MACEDONIA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS
[11] CONFERENCE ON TURKEY HELD IN BRITAIN
[12] TURKISH CARTOONIST RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL AWARD
[13] INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY USAGE RISES TO 81.5 % IN MAY
[14] TURKEY SIGNALS RAPPROCHEMENT WITH AMSTERDAM
[15] STATEMENT OF TRNC MINISTER DISTRIBUTED TO US CONGRESS
[16] 42 PKK MILITANTS AND FOUR SOLDIERS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST
[17] HISTORICAL DAY IN PARLIAMENT
[18] FINNISH HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT VISITS MENTESE
[19] INCREASE IN NUMBER OF TOURISTS
[20] CALL TO MILOSEVIC FROM ANKARA
[21] REACTION AGAINST BIASED GREEK DECISION
[22] US LOBBYING FOR PROVIDE COMFORT
[23] TURKEY OPPOSES NEW APPOINTMENT
WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
JUNE 15, 1995
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish
press this morning.
[01] VISIONS OF A PETROL PARADISE
Following the visit of President Suleyman Demirel to
Kazakhstan for talks with his Kazakh counterpart Nazarbayev,
the vision of Turkey as a petrol paradise has grown that
much brighter.
The concrete steps taken by President Demirel to make sure
that Kazakh petrol is delivered to world markets through
Turkey means that transport income from Kazakhstan,
Azerbaijan and Iraq could reach 500 million dollars a year.
Turkey will also have access to overflowing petrol supplies,
which means that per barrel prices to Turkey will drop.
Turkey will also earn from refinery charges, and the fact
that in future -once final agreements are reached- petrol
will be paid for in cash with no need for credit facilities
which cost money. /Milliyet/
[02] DREAM OF A BIGGER AND BETTER TURKEY
The seventh five year development plan is still being
debated. Nevertheless, when it is finally passed, it will
be the start of a programme that envisions what at the
moment appears to be impossible goals.
The targets for the year 2000 as seen in the development
plan include only 6 percent inflation, growth running at 5
percent and considerable increases in the import and export
sectors. More attention will be given to health and
education. Privatization will take on new dimensions and
those institutions that do not lend themselves to
privatization will become more autonomous.
Progress in the privatization programme will be reflected in
the employment figures. Income from privatization will be
used to train the unemployed in new areas of work. With
Turkey tied into the European Union through customs union
agreements, there will be many more industrial and other
sector possibilities. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] AWARD FOR PRESIDENT DEMIREL
During his visit to Kazakhstan, President Demirel was made
honorary professor of the new Hodja Ahmet Yesevi
International Turk-Kazakh University, during the ground
breaking ceremony held during his visit.
The university project will draw Turkey and Kazakhstan even
more closely together and has been described as one of
biggest Central Asian educational projects.
In line with the university project, money has also been set
aside for the restoration of the historic mausoleum of Hodja
Ahmet Yesevi. According to details from the Vakiflar
Directorate, ten million dollars has already been spent on
the restoration programme, and a further 25 million dollars
will be needed to complete the restoration. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] FOREIGN CAPITAL FLOW TO TURKEY
The capital of the European Union member countries active in
Turkey has exceeded TL 25 trillion. The total sum of
foreign capital in Turkey averaged out at TL 41.2 trillion
at the end of May. Figures show that TL 25.6 trillion of
this capital belongs to 15 EU member countries. EU member
countries have a 62 % share in the total foreign capital in
Turkey. Holland comes first among the EU member countries
with foreign capital investment worth TL 8.4 trillion.
France comes after Holland with TL 6.1 trillion, and then
Germany with TL 4.5 trillion. The number of companies in
Turkey operating with foreign capital averaged 2948 at the
end of May. /Milliyet/
[05] ANKARA RAPS EURO-PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON EX-DEP
DEPUTIES
Turkey, rapping a resolution of the Euro-Paliament linking
the release of jailed Kurdish deputies with ratification of
the customs union, maintained that linking the lucrative
deal with other factors would not benefit any of the sides.
"It is said that the European Parliament (EP) keeps this
issue on the agenda despite our repeated statements that
under the principle of separation of powers, neither the
(Turkish) Parliament nor the government can influence the
judiciary" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said. The
EP, which previously froze its joint parliamentary committee
with Turkey, passed a resolution last Thursday saying it
would oppose the trade deal if their terms were not met.
Akbel, asked about the EP resolution, stressed that there
was no need to link the customs union to other issues when
Turkey is fulfilling its own obligations. Giving a long
itinerary of technical harmonization Turkey has done so far
for the customs union, he pledged that Turkey will fulfill
its obligations on time. However, he reminded reporters
that the EU, for its part, had undertaken the obligation to
provide $3.2 billion in aid to Turkey within five years.
/Sabah/
[06] INTENSIVE DIPLOMATIC TRAFFIC IN ANKARA
During the next few days Ankara will witness intensive
diplomatic traffic with the visits of high-level
representatives from Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Poland and
Macedonia. Yaser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO), arrives in Ankara on June 19. Arafat
was invited to visit Turkey by Prime Minister Tansu Ciller
during her visit to Gazza. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] POLISH DEPUTY FM TO VISIT TURKEY
A Polish delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Stefan
Meller today starts a two-day visit to Turkey. Stefan
Meller and his Turkish counterpart, FM Deputy Undersecretary
Ambassador Gunduz Aktan, will exchange today the
ratification documents of a previously-signed Friendship and
Cooperation Treaty. The accord was signed during a visit
made by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel to Poland in
November 1993. Meller's visit will also provide an
opportunity to discuss regional and bilateral issues and
prospects of cooperation in international organizations.
[08] SAUDI FM TO MAKE TWICE-POSTPONED VISIT
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal will
finally realize his twice-postponed visit to Turkey this
weekend. Al-Faisal is supposed to come to Turkey on June 18
and meet with Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu, Prime Minister
Tansu Ciller and President Suleyman Demirel to discuss the
pilgrim quota of Turkey as well as some problems concerning
Turkish construction companies active in Saudi Arabia.
[09] MACEDONIA MAKES FIRST-EVER PRIME MINISTER LEVEL VISIT
Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski will pay the
first-ever prime ministerial visit to Turkey on June 16-18,
a Foreign Ministry statement said. "We hope that this first
visit will be an opportunity to enchance and further the
cordial ties we have" it said. Crvenkovski and an
accompanying delegation are expected to have high level
contacts with Turkish officials, and is seen as a message to
Greece which refuses to recognize Macedonia. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO MACEDONIA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS
Unal Marasli, the newly-appointed Turkish Ambassador in
Skopje, presented his credentials to Macedonian President
Kiro Gligorov, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
Gligorov said at the presentation that bilateral relations
between Turkey and Macedonia were developing well. Gligorov
wished success to Marasli, the agency reported.
[11] CONFERENCE ON TURKEY HELD IN BRITAIN
In a conference on "Turkey: Current Economic and Political
Issues" organized by the London School of Economics, experts
on Turkish affairs took part in the conference and the
Turkish economy, relations between Europe and Turkey, and
developments in political life in Turkey were discussed.
[12] TURKISH CARTOONIST RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Ali Sukru Fidan, a Turkish cartoonist, received the private
press award given by the Knokke-Heist Cartoon Festival in
Belgium, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
Cartoonists from 58 countries took part in the festival.
Fidan started drawing cartoons in 1990 and has received 13
national and international awards to date.
[13] INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY USAGE RISES TO 81.5 % IN MAY
The State Institute od Statistics (DIE) stated that capacity
utilization in the production sector increased by 81.5 % in
May, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The same
figure was 69.5 % in May of 1994.
[14] TURKEY SIGNALS RAPPROCHEMENT WITH AMSTERDAM
Turkey and the Netherlands, whose ties have been strained
for months due to the meeting of the so-called Kurdish
Parliament in-exile in The Hague, are taking steps to
improve relations, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. "We
have said, from the very beginning, that we maintained the
principle of dialogue in order to improve our relations with
the Netherlands" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said
in the first press conference after his appointment. "Now
we see that the contacts we have had between the two
countries have yielded some progress". While Akbel did not
specify the diplomatic contacts that had taken place, he did
say that a technical delegation -which included security
personnel- would meet in Ankara this week. "This technical
level meeting aims at effective action against the PKK in
the Netherlands. We envisage a step up in our cooperation
against terrorism" Akbel said.
[15] STATEMENT OF TRNC MINISTER DISTRIBUTED TO US CONGRESS
Copies of a statement made by Atay Ahmet Rasit, the foreign
and defence minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC), regarding the situation of Greek Cypriots in
the TRNC have been distributed to members of the US
Congress. Rasit had disclosed that steps were being taken
to ensure better conditions for Greek Cypriots and this was
a gesture of goodwill on the part of the TRNC. There is a
strong Greek lobby in the US Congress.
[16] 42 PKK MILITANTS AND FOUR SOLDIERS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST
Forty-two militants of the PKK terrorist organization and
four soldiers were killed during military operations in the
last 24 hours in the Southeast. Regional officials said
that 31 militants, two of whom were women, were killed in
the Hakkari Yuksekova district, four militants were killed
in the region between Bingol's Genc and Diyarbakir's Lice
districts, two militants were killed in Tunceli's Ahbanoz
district and a militant was killed in the Cudi mountains of
Sirnak. Officials also said that four soldiers were killed
in action during clashes with PKK militants. /Sabah/
[17] HISTORICAL DAY IN PARLIAMENT
The Parliament yesterday allowed the package of
constitutional amendments clear the crucial first hurdle,
agreeing to debate individually 21 articles the governing
coalition and several opposition parties jointly want to be
changed. At the session which 34 deputies did not
participate in, despite 86 "no" votes, there were 298 "yes"
votes. Although the advocates of the upgrade carried the
day, the result did not leave room for too much jubilation
as the number of the yes votes fell short of the required
300 necessary for the eventual passage of the amendments.
According to the Constitution, amendments of a
constitutional article requires two rounds of parliamentary
debates and two separate votes. Secret voting is required
and at least 300 votes must be obtained for passage of the
amendment. However, if between 270-299 "yes" votes are
obtained, a referendum must be held for passage of the
amendments. /Sabah/
[18] FINNISH HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT VISITS MENTESE
Interior Minister Nahit Mentese received Christopher Panico,
a research expert from Human Rights Watch-Helsinki, at his
office yesterday. Speaking at a press conference after the
meeting, Mentese said Panico had come to Turkey to research
the activities of the PKK terrorist organization and the
suffering inflicted on innocent people by this organization.
Mentese noted that the PKK was formed illegally in 1978,
with the aim of damaging Turkey. Mentese added that the PKK
has always targeted innocent people. He stressed that 1,086
innocent people were killed by PKK militants in 1994. Last
week, four babies died at the hands of militants in Hakkari,
he said. "Our struggle is right and our aim is to protect
the innocent. Turkey is one united country and no one can
divide this country" he stated. The minister noted that the
PKK was on the decline and was finished. Panico will meet
with state ministers Necmettin Cevheri, Algan Hacaloglu,
Justice Minister Mehmet Mogultay and some deputies and will
go to Adana and Diyarbakir. /Sabah/
[19] INCREASE IN NUMBER OF TOURISTS
A 13.62 % increase has been seen in the number of tourists
coming to Turkey when compared with last year. In the first
five months of 1995, the largest number of tourists came
from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) 504,990,
and Germany 366,445. 894,611 visitors came from the OECD
countries in the first five months of 1995, which is a 20.47
% increase when compared with last year. There was,
however, a 11.29 % decrease in the number of tourists coming
from East Europe. A big 63.20 % increase in the number of
tourists coming from Africa to Turkey is noteworthy.
Tourists coming from Asia reached 302,785, a 19.89 %
increase. According to the Tourism Ministry, tourism income
increased by 11.56 % in the first three months of 1995.
Tourism income amounting to 441 million dollars last year,
has reached 492 million dollars so far this year. In March
alone, tourism income came to 180 million dollars.
/Hurriyet/
[20] CALL TO MILOSEVIC FROM ANKARA
Following the bargaining between Serbia and the Western
countries in order to end the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Turkey has begun to send diplomatic messages to Serbia
saying that "Turkey is not your enemy" in order to make
Serbia recognize Bosnia-Herzegovina. Meanwhile, the Ankara
government expects Serb leader Milosevic to make a statement
calling for an end to the embargo, with confirmation that
Serbia would recognize Bosnia-Herzegovina government, even
though presently not recognizing the government in Bosnia.
It has been reported that Turkey is also trying to persuade
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic to have the
Bosnia-Herzegovina government accepted by Belgrade. The
Ankara goverment has also supported the establishment of new
ties between the moderate Serbs in Bosnia and the Belgrade
government within the framework of the isolation plan
regarding Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who
supported independency. A delegation from the "Serb
Civilian Group", established by moderate Bosnian Serbs has
held contacts with Serbian officials. A delegation from the
Serbian parliament attended the second congress of the "Serb
Civilian Group" in Bosnia approximately two weeks later. As
a result of the efforts of the Western countries, including
Turkey, Serbian President Milosevic has begun to hint that
he will recognize Bosnia-Herzegovina in return for the
embargo being lifted. Diplomatic sources have suggested
that Milosevic has accepted recognition of Bosnia in
principle but is looking for a formula to make this
acceptable to Serbian public opinion. /Hurriyet/
[21] REACTION AGAINST BIASED GREEK DECISION
It was decided in the Greek-EU Partnership Council meeting
held in Luxembourg that a solution to the Cyprus problem
should not be tied in with membership in the European Union
(EU). Showing reaction against this decision, Atay Ahmet
Rasit, the Foreign and Defence Minister of the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), has stated that the EU
was insistant on accepting one-sided applications while
ignoring legal and political realities in the island. In a
written statement yesterday, following the comment of
President Rauf Denktas, saying that there was no need for
the EU to make contact with the TRNC government any more,
Rasit said: "The TRNC will take the necessary measures
against these developments". /Milliyet/
[22] US LOBBYING FOR PROVIDE COMFORT
Prior to the next meeting of the National Security Council,
U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Marc Grossman has started
intensive lobbying for extending the Provide Comfort
mandate. Grossman is trying to win the support of General
Staff officials claiming that Turkish interests also require
an extended mandate. /Cumhuriyet/
[23] TURKEY OPPOSES NEW APPOINTMENT
The National Defence Ministry has opposed to the appointment
of NATO General Mike Joulwan to mediate a solution to the
headquarters crisis between Turkey and Greece. Defence
Minister Mehmet Golhan has noted that Turkey does not
approve the appointment of General Mike Joulwan and that the
necessary steps in this respect had been taken. /Sabah/
END
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