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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (December 6, 1995)From: [email protected] (Dimitrios Hristu)Turkish News DirectoryCONTENTS[01] CHANCELLOR KOHL REITERATES SUPPORT FOR CU[02] TURKISH POLICE IN BOSNIA[03] NATO COUNCIL MEETING IN BRUSSELS[04] WOMEN MARK SUFFRAGE ANNIVERSARY[05] DENKTAS CLAIMS US PRESSURE[06] US CONDEMNS PKK TERRORISM[07] TURKEY-US COOPERATION IN BOSNIA[08] TURCO-US DEFENCE MEETING TO BE HELD NEXT WEEK IN ANKARA[09] TURKISH AND SLOVAK BUSINESSMEN MEET IN ISTANBUL
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWWEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6, 1995Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish pressthis morning[01] CHANCELLOR KOHL REITERATES SUPPORT FOR CUPrime Minister Tansu Ciller said yesterday that German Chancellor Helmut Kohl had reiterated his support for the establishment of a Customs Union (CU) between Turkey and the EU. Ciller, after her meeting with Kohl, said that she had invited the German leader to Turkey and he had accepted. "You can see that Germany extends full support to Turkey" Ciller said. "Our relations with Europe will proceed further after the CU". At the Ciller-Kohl meeting, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen and Turkish Ambassador to Bonn Volkan Vural were also present. One of the topics at the meeting was cooperation between Germany and Turkey within the framework of joint projects in Caucasia and Central Asia. The first being cooperation with the Germans is the oil pipeline to pass through the region. After attending a luncheon given in her honour by German Federal Parliament Speaker Rita Susmuth, Ciller met with Foreign, Defence and EU Commissions chairmen, deputy chairmen and party group spokesmen at the commissions, and Turkish-German Parliamentarians Friendship Group members. Later, Ciller was interviewed by the German ARD TV channel, and made a statement on NTV TV. Ciller noted that if they were still in power after the election, the emergency rule would be lifted. German Federal Government Spokesman Peter Hausmann, in a written statement, confirmed that Chancellor Kohl supported Turkey for the CU with the EU.The Prime Minister's Chief Adviser, Murat Sungar said Kohl promised to use his influence with the CDU so that they would vote affirmatively for the CU which is expected to come before the European Parliament (EP) on December 13. Sungar that Germany wanted Turkey to participate in the EU summit in Madrid, during which Spain will hand over the term-presidency of the Union to Italy, provided that the CU vote is positive. The question of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) also came up in the talks between Turkish and German leaders. Sungar said that Germany had been duly warned by Turkey when Ankara learned of the meeting of two Germans -a deputy from Kohl's Christian Democrats Union CDU and a security official- with PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Ciller, for her part, said that she was pleased with Kohl's assurance that Germany considered the PKK a "terrorist organization", but her adviser, Sungar, told journalists that Ankara had asked Germany to implement measures against the PKK "more firmly". Problems regarding the two million Turks in Germany were also discussed in detail, Sungar said. /Hurriyet-Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/
[02] TURKISH POLICE IN BOSNIAThe Turkish police force formed to help Bosnian refugees in Croatia to return to their homes safely arrived yesterday in the Crotain capital Zagreb to establish a joint police force with their Croatian and Bosnian counterparts. The force later went on the region of Velika Kladusa in Bosnia-Herzegovina where it will be based. A ceremony was held at Ankara Esenboga Airport to mark the departure of units and officers. Turkey was represented in Bosnia-Herzegovina by its military forces but now was also represented by its police force, said Necmettin Cevheri, acting deputy prime minister, speaking at the ceremony. "The police force will represent the honour of the Turkish Republic" Cevheri said.Interior Minister Teoman Unusan said that, for the first time in the history of the Turkish Republic, Turkish police were taking on duties abroad, a sign of international trust in the Turkish state. "Turkey will do its best to provide peace in the region" Unusan promised, telling the officers: "Remember... the nation is with you". The joint police force is formed of Bosnian, Croatian and Turkish police under a protocol which was signed in Zagreb on November 24. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] NATO COUNCIL MEETING IN BRUSSELSDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Deniz Baykal, in Brussels to attend the 2nd ordinary 1995-meeting of NATO's Council of Ministers, said yesterday that if the current political will over Bosnia had been displayed earlier by the alliance, then the terrible price paid in this former Yugoslav Republic would not have been so high. Byakal, addressing a press conference in the Belgian capital, also pointed to what he referred to as "historic days for the alliance", and recalled the Dayton Agreement for Bosnia and France's decision to return to NATO's military wing. Pointing out that Turkey had fulfilled all its responsibilities in the efforts to end the Bosnia crisis, Baykal underscored the great role played by Ankara in arriving at the present peace agreement worked out at Dayton. Baykal also expressed Ankara's satisfaction at the selection of Javier Solana, the former Spanish Foreign Minister, as NATO Secretary-General.Baykal added that when he addressed NATO foreign ministers he also referred to the problem arising from Russia's refusal to comply with stipulations of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty relating to the Caucasus. Referring to the meeting he had with US Secretary of State Warren Christopher during the NATO Council meeting, Baykal said his US counterpart had reaffirmed Washington's support for Turkey's CU bid with the EU. Baykal said that one of the subjects he had discussed with Christopher was the reconstruction of Bosnia. He said he had told Christopher that Turkey was interested in playing a role in this reconstruction effort. Pointing out that a committee would be set up regarding this issue and Turkey wanted to take part in this committee, Baykal said: "I relayed our demand to the US Secretary of State. He said that they would welcome and support Turkey's participation in the committee". Referring to the current strikes in France, Baykal admitted that there was concern in official Turkish circles that this might prevent Euro MPs from travelling to Strasbourg next week for the vote in the European Parliament on Turkey's CU with the EU. He said that this matter had even led to the Turkish side to consider supplying buses to transport the Euro MPs in order to overcome any logistical problems that may arise because of this strike. /Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet-Milliyet/
[04] WOMEN MARK SUFFRAGE ANNIVERSARYThe 61st anniversary of women's suffrage in Turkey was celebrated yesterday in numerous cities. Nearly 2,000 women visited Ataturk's Mausoleum (Anitkabir) in Ankara. Turkish Parliament Speaker Ismet Sezgin said: "Women have contributed to the institutionalization of our secular republic and our development". State Minister Abdulkadir Ates noted that they were still trying to make amendments in favour of women in the Code of Civil Law.The Turkish Women's Union of Bursa issued a statement protesting the lack of encouragement from Turkey's political parties for women to participate in politics. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] DENKTAS CLAIMS US PRESSUREPresident of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktas, claimed yesterday that the US administration was exerting undue pressure against the Turkish side in an effort to find a quick solution to the island's problems.During a press meeting following his talks with President Clinton's special Cyprus representative, Richard Beattie, Denktas said that although everyone was keen to see a solution, the US had taken it upon itself to exert needless pressure for a fast answer. Beattie is busy in the meantime preparing for the arrival of Richard Holbrooke, the US State Department negotiator who engineered the Dayton Bosnia peace agreement. President Clinton has added to the pressure by saying yet again that he wants to see a "quick solution." The increase of US interest in Cyprus follows Clinton's remark "now that Bosnia is over, Cyprus comes next." However well intentioned, Clinton's comment has not gone down that well in northern Cyprus, where Rauf Denktas has long said that forcing the issue would do little towards resolving long-standing problems between the two communities. /Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/
[06] US CONDEMNS PKK TERRORISMAccording to US administration officials, Turkey's friends should support Ankara's fight against PKK terrorism. The US also agrees that the so-called Kurdish parliament-in-exile, is merely a tool of the PKK.During a programme broadcast on Voice of America (VOA) radio reflecting the official US viewpoint, it was said that the US was strongly against the PKK which was using terror to tear away at Turkey with the aim of establishing an independent state on land belonging to Turkey and neighbouring countries. The US also condemned PKK acts of terrorism against Turkish civilians and the military and security forces. Over in Germany, the PKK has also been given a severe blow by the German government. Two known front organizations for the PKK operating in Frankfurt have been closed down. Interior Minister for the province of Hessen, Gerhard Boekel, explaining the reasons for the action said that the organizations had been recruiting for the PKK and distributing pro-PKK propaganda. /Cumhuriyet-Sabah-Hurriyet/
[07] TURKEY-US COOPERATION IN BOSNIAThe secret services of the US and Turkey are working together in Bosnia in joint efforts to block any future moves to wreck current peace agreements. Turkey's MIT and the CIA have started a huge intelligence operation to control the movements of groups and individuals who could disrupt the fragile peace settlement in Bosnia.US Defence Secretary William Perry said in Washington that special teams would be set up to deal with radical groups and that special preventative measures would be taken by the two countries. Special measures included the use of high-flying "spy" aircraft, added Perry. In a move to reinforce efforts to maintain the peace in Bosnia, it is likely that President Clinton will visit the region later this month, probably after attending the peace agreement signing ceremonies in Paris on December 14. /Milliyet/
[08] TURCO-US DEFENCE MEETING TO BE HELD NEXT WEEK IN ANKARAA defence meeting between the US and Turkey will be held in Ankara between December 13 and 15. The High Defence Group meetings provide a forum in which security and defence relations between the two countries can be discussed. The meeting is expected to focus on the status of the US-led Operation Provide Comfort, military credits and defence requirements. The Turkish delegation will be headed by Gen.Cevik Bir and the US delegation by Deputy Defence Secretary John Lodal. /All papers/
[09] TURKISH AND SLOVAK BUSINESSMEN MEET IN ISTANBULThe Foreign Economic Relations Assembly (DEIK) board chairman and Turkish-CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) Business Council president Nihat Gokyigit declared that Turkey would become the crossroads of strategic oil pipelines and terminals in the near future, and Iskenderun would be the second Persian Gulf. As Turkish and Slovak businessmen met at the Turkish-Slovak Business Council and Slovex Association in Istanbul, Gokyigit said Turkey acted as a bridge between the Central Asian Republics, the EU, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). Gokyigit added that Turkey was placed in a very strategic geogragraphic location and aimed at integration with the world's global economy. /All papers/
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