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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (May 7, 1996)
CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY EAGER TO HELP RECONSTRUCTION OF TAJIKISTAN
[02] DEMIREL OFF TO UZBEKISTAN
[03] PM YILMAZ SAYS GOVERNMENT WILL GO ON
[04] TURKEY WANTS FULL WEU MEMBERSHIP
[05] MEETING BETWEEN KOC AND CHIRAC
[06] MIXED SIGNALS FROM GREECE
[07] TURKISH EXPORT DIRECTORY ON DISK
[08] BALKAN MILITARY MEDICAL CONGRESS BEGINS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
TUESDAY MAY 7, 1996
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
[01] TURKEY EAGER TO HELP RECONSTRUCTION OF TAJIKISTAN
Turkey signalled yesterday its eagerness to help contribute to
the reconstruction of Tajikistan. "We consider this visit to be a
good opportunity for assessing the prospects of the
reconstruction of Tajikistan" President Suleyman Demirel said as
he welcomed his Tajik counterpart Imamali Rahmanov. "Turkey
firmly supports the efforts of Tajikistan to restore peace and
stability in its country" Demirel said. "Turkey is ready to
extend any kind of help to its Tajik brethren to carry out the
reforms they desire". During the visit of Rahmanov, Turkey and
Tajikistan signed nine different accords ranging from land
transport to the prevention of double taxation. A joint
communique made by the two presidents said that Turkey supported
UN-sponsored talks among the conflicting groups in Tajikistan and
hoped that a national consensus would be reached to solve the
country's political and economic problems. The communique also
confirmed that "major areas of cooperation" existed between the
two countries and that cooperation was further enhanced by the
efforts of the Tajik Embassy in Ankara and the Turkish
International Cooperation Agency's office in Dushanbe. Demirel
said: "In addition to bilateral relations, Turkey is developing
multi-lateral relations with Tajikistan within the framework of
the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)".
The agreements signed included a legal cooperation accord, a
tourism agreement, a land transport agreement, an education
accord, a consular accord, a health cooperation accord, an
agreement for prevention of double taxation and an agreement for
the encouragement and protection of investments. Demirel visited
Dushanbe last year in a trip designed to assure the Tajiks that
Ankara was not neglecting its ties with this country in favour of
Turkish-Speaking Republics in Central Asia.
Meanwhile, it was decided that the mausoleum of Enver Pasha, who
was the last Chief of General Staff during the Ottoman Empire and
died in Dushanbe, would be brought to Turkey. Noting that Tajik
President Rahmanov approved this, Demirel stated that the
mausoleum would be brought to Turkey on August 4, when Enver
Pasha was martyred on August 4, 1922. Enver Pasha fought against
the Red Army unions with the Turkmens. /Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/
[02] DEMIREL OFF TO UZBEKISTAN
President Suleyman Demirel is to leave for a three day trip to
Uzbekistan tomorrow. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said
at his weekly press conference that Demirel would be accompanied
by State Minister Ayvaz Gokdemir, Culture Minister Agah Oktay
Guner and Environment Minister Mustafa Tasar on the trip,
arranged upon the invitation of Uzbek President Islam Kerimov. He
also said that a joint communique would be issued and agreements
to prevent double taxation and for cooperation on environmental
issues would be signed during the visit. Demirel will also give a
speech to the Uzbekistan Parliament. Demirel will also visit the
Ali Sir Nevai Monument and Semerkant during the trip. The
communique will express Turkey's support for Uzbekistan's
independence and territorial integrity. After completing his
visit to Uzbekistan, Demirel will go to Meshed, Iran and
Turkmenistan between May 12-15 to attend the opening of a railway
connection and a summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization
(ECO). /Cumhuriyet/
[03] PM YILMAZ SAYS GOVERNMENT WILL GO ON
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said yesterday that he saw no reason
why the present coalition government, between his Motherland
Party (ANAP) and Tansu Ciller's True Path Party (DYP), should end
before its time. Yilmaz, who was addressing a key press
conference on his government's economic and political plans,
pointed out that the Turkish economy today did not require an
austerity package to be put into force but did need structural
reforms. He said that realizing these reforms would be his
government's mission. He said the government, during its first
fifty days, not only worked on the current year's budget, but
also on structural reforms. Also promising more devolution in
terms of powers vested in central authorities in Turkey, Yilmaz
went on to say that they intended to convert the Turkish economy
from a rent-based economy to a production-based one. Yilmaz also
touched on foreign policy issues during his press conference and
repeated his previous strong warning to Syria about the country's
support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which aims to
disrupt Turkey's territorial integrity, economic development and
democratic standards. Yilmaz also warned Iran and Iraq. Yilmaz
said: "Iran's state model is its own choice. I want to say that
we have nothing to fault regarding this issue to date. We want
the same respect from Iran. Secularism, which is the most
important principle of Ataturk's heritage, is the basic pillar of
the Turkish state to be protected forever". Yilmaz also indicated
regarding the Iraqi issue that all necessary measures had been
taken to prevent activities against Turkey's territorial
integrity because of the authority vacuum in northern Iraq.
Yilmaz said the government in its first 50 days had managed to
increase confidence in local and foreign financial markets. He
said that the Treasury has succeeded in increasing (domestic)
debt maturity, reducing interest rates and keeping the demand for
government bonds strong. "On the external side, we have raised
$1.2 billions worth of loans with convenient maturity and low
interest rates. In addition to that we have raised another good
$1.150 billions worth of project financing". He described the
days ahead as "days of (economic) restructuring", where the
government will wholly withdraw from every activity the private
sector is able to involve itself in. Yilmaz noted that increases
in productivity would be essential. The prime minister also
explained a package of new tax arrangements.
/Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/
[04] TURKEY WANTS FULL WEU MEMBERSHIP
Ankara is pressing hard for full membership in the Western
European Union (WEU). Turkey will be represented at the spring
sessions of the WEU in Birmingham, England, by Defence Minister
Oltan Sungurlu and Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay, who said
yesterday that "we will begin initiatives for full membership."
Ankara is concerned that so far Turkey has not been seen as a
full member country and wants to remedy the situation as soon as
possible, especially in view of Turkey's role in Bosnia and in
NATO. Turkey nevertheless does have some full member advantages
coming from its WEU ties-particularly in the area of information
exchange. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] MEETING BETWEEN KOC AND CHIRAC
Leading Turkish businessman Rahmi Koc and French President
Jacques Chirac have met together for talks on world trade and
economic development.
Rahmi Koc is the current chairman of the International Chambers
of Commerce (ICC), and in this capacity reviewed the world
situation with Chirac in relation to freedom of trade and
commercial growth. /Hurriyet/
[06] MIXED SIGNALS FROM GREECE
Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has sent out some mixed
signals when it comes to Greek views of ties with Turkey. In an
interview with the French Le Monde newspaper, Simitis says that
both talks with Turkey and the Greek veto against Turkey will
continue.
Prime Minister Simitis also spoke out against the so-called
"Turkish threat" against Greece, saying that Greece would not
tolerate this. Nevertheless, Simitis also spoke about
developments that could lead to a "general" improvement in
relations and even open the way to a solution of the Cyprus
issue. /Hurriyet-Milliyet/
[07] TURKISH EXPORT DIRECTORY ON DISK
The Export Development Centre (IGEME) together with the Foreign
Trade Undersecretariat has prepared a CD-ROM disk covering all
aspects of the Turkish export sector for 1996.
In this improved service, the first of its kind, the export
sector is dealt with in its entirety-from free trade zones to
tourism. From the first production of one thousand disks, 600
will be sent to trade ministries in 105 countries. /Milliyet/
[08] BALKAN MILITARY MEDICAL CONGRESS BEGINS
The first Balkan Military Medical Congress, with delegations from
Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania taking part, is being held
between 6 and 8 May at the Military Museum and Culture Hall in
Harbiye in Istanbul. A spokesman from the Office of the Chief of
Staff stated that the congress was being held under a military
medical education union agreement which was signed in 1995 in
Bucharest by the four member countries. Military officials added
that the aim of the congress is to create an environment of
cooperation in the field of medicine, to share information and
experience and to strengthen ties of friendship between the
participating countries.
Chief of the Turkish General Staff, Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi, is
hosting the congress in the name of Turkey. A total of 568
doctors, of which 216 are foreigners, are participating in the
congress, during which a total of 256 scientific papers are being
read and two major panel discussions are being held. Deputy Chief
of the General Staff, Gen.Cevik Bir, said in his opening address
that this congress was significant it allowing the sharing of
medical information and for creating more cooperation between the
member countries. He added that the congress would contribute to
the peaceful and friendly policies of these countries. /All papers/
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