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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (October 2, 1995)
Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (October 2, 1995)
CONTENTS
[01] STRONG QUAKE HITS CENTRAL TURKEY, DAMAGE REPORTED
[02] ASSURANCE FROM ALIYEV ON AZERBAIJANI OIL
[03] INONU: GREECE NOT READY FOR CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE
[04] ANKARA BELIEVES THAT EU COUNCIL CANNOT POSTPONE CUSTOMS UNION
[05] DEMIREL CHARTS COURSE FOR PARLIAMENT, NATION
[06] TURKISH EXPORTERS TO EXHIBIT AT JAPAN FAIR
[07] US MEDIA PROMOTES TOURISM
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1995
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press
this morning.
[01] STRONG QUAKE HITS CENTRAL TURKEY, DAMAGE REPORTED
A strong earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale shook
central Turkey on Sunday, Anatolian news agency said. It
quoted officials of the Seismological Institute of the
Bosphorus University as saying the tremor struck at 5:57 pm
local time, with the epicentre located between the provinces
of Konya and Afyon.
Turkish state television later said there was "some damage" to
buildings in Dinar, in Afyon province, and Civril, in Denizli
province. A government minister said he expected the final
death toll from a strong earthquake in the southwestern
Turkish town of Dinar to be around 100 after at least 24 people
were reported dead and more than 100 injured.
Anatolian news agency said power and telephone lines in Dinar
were cut off after the quake hit on Sunday. The Turkish Red
Crescent and local authorities in nearby areas sent tents,
foodstuffs and other supplies, as well as rescue teams
including excavation equipment. The casualties had been
taken to hospitals in other towns in Afyon province, to which
Dinar belongs, and to others in neighbouring Isparta provinve,
it said. Turkish President Suleyman Demirel arrived in Dinar
early Monday morning.
[02] ASSURANCE FROM ALIYEV ON AZERBAIJANI OIL
Turkey has received an important assurance from Baku on the
subject of Azerbaijani oil. During telephone conversations of
Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev with President Suleyman
Demirel and Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, Aliyev said he would
support the Turkish viewpoint on the subject of transporting
Azeri oil.
The US administration had proposed a division of the routing,
one to pass through Russia, and the other through Georgia and
Turkey. A Turkish delegation is leaving for London today to
attend discussions on the matter.
Should the project materialize, two million tons of Azeri oil
will be transported through Georgia and Turkey. In addition,
possibilities for transport of Kazakh oil as well will arise.
/Milliyet/
[03] INONU: GREECE NOT READY FOR CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE
Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu, who had just returned from the
United Nations' 50th General Assembly in New York, was speaking
to journalists at Ankara's Esenboga airport about the content
of his talks with his Greek counterpart Carolas Papoulias. "I
have told him that constructive attitude is needed to take up
all problems, but he is not ready for this. We are not running
away from meetings, but we want serious talks," Inonu added.
Inonu also said that he had talks with many of his counterparts
from European Union (EU) countries during the General Assembly.
Inonu said: "There is a tendency in the European Parliament
towards postponing the voting on the customs union. This would
be counterproductive both for Turkey and the EU. Whichever
government comes to power, progress towards the customs union
will continue because it is the will of the people".
Responding to a question on his contacts on the Bosnia issue,
Inonu said that Turkey would be interested in the reconstruction
of Bosnia after the establishment of peace in the
region./All Papers/
[04] ANKARA BELIEVES THAT EU COUNCIL CANNOT POSTPONE CUSTOMS UNION
A senior Turkish official has said that the proposed customs
union with 15 nations of the Eropean Union (EU), scheduled for
January 1, 1996, cannot be postponed by the Association Council
meeting on the grounds of political issues.
Reyhan Atmaca, head of the EU department at the Foreign Trade
Undersecretariat, said that the Council could only come up with
technical reasons to postpone the customs deal but that Turkey
has done enough work to rule this out.
"Prior to the Association Council meeting, Turkey has
successfully completed 85% of the technical harmonization, which
is sufficient to achieve the customs union," Atmaca told the
semi-official Anatolia news agency. She was reffering to a
recent discussion she had with Seger Abou, the European
Commission's director general for the Mediterranean. "Mr.Abou
told me at a Brussel meeting that Turkey's preparations for
customs union harmonization had been sufficient," Atmaca said. She
argued, "The customs union cannot be postponed on such grounds
as human rights, democracy and the Cyprus dispute. I cannot
comment on whether the European Parliament will give the final
go-head. This decision is political," she said.
[05] DEMIREL CHARTS COURSE FOR PARLIAMENT, NATION
President Suleyman DEmirel, in a speech opening the legislative
year in Parliament on Sunday, said Turkey is on course to become
a major regional power, but stressed there are problems and
offered a series of prescriptions.
Demirel said separatist terrorism is being encouraged by
neighbouring countries and some circles in Europe, but stressed
Turkey is about to win the battle against violence. The
president also opposed European pressure on Turkey to improve
its human rights image and implement democratic reforms, saying
"Turkey shall become a part of Europe, not through submission,
but will be welcomed with dignity. Everone should register this
fact. Those attempting to block Turkey's integration with
Europe shall be held responsible before history."/All Papers/
[06] TURKISH EXPORTERS TO EXHIBIT AT JAPAN FAIR
A group of Turkish exporters will be displaying their products
at a Japanese fair on October 2-4. A Turkish trade mission,
chaired by Foreign Trade Undersecretary Nejat Eren, left for
Tokyo at the weekend. There are 47 businessmen representing
Turkey's 25 prominent foreign trade companies in the Turkish
delegation. The Tokyo trip is being organized jointly by
Japan's foreign tradepromotion agency JETRO, which has an
office in Istanbul and the Istanbul Textile Exporter's.
[07] US MEDIA PROMOTES TOURISM
The tourism boom in Turkey has drawn the attention of several US
newspapers, the Anatolian news agency reported on Sunday. The
weekly travel section of the New York Times devoted four pages
to a story featuring Istanbul and giving details about some
important sites, including Dolmabahce Palace, Sultanahmet
Mosque, and the Ayasofya Museum. A spokesman for the tourism
attache in New York said that there has been a tremendous
increase in the number of American tourists coming to Turkey
this year.
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