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Turkish Press Review 96-06-14Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWFRIDAY JUNE 14, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] HABITAT II FINISHES TODAYBilled as the "last great conference of the century" the UN sponsored Habitat II conference on human settlements and improvement of urban living draws to a close today.The conference will end in a fanfare of closing ceremonies in the evening that will include fireworks displays, receptions and a twenty-one gun salute. The displays and water traffic, celebrations and gatherings of top officials from many countries will close the Bosphorus Bridge to all traffic for two hours. Vehicles still on the move during the late hours of Friday evening and early Saturday morning, will have the options of using other bridges or extended ferry-boat services between Sirkeci and Harem. /All papers/ [02] BUSY DAY FOR DEMIRELToday will be an exceptionally busy day for President Suleyman Demirel, who has already been more than occupied with chairing large segments of the conference. As the end looms up, today will see the final plans and the Istanbul Declaration passed by the government leaders attending the vital closing sessions. President Demirel has already been involved in many talks with various heads of state and government leaders, and his programme will be just as heavy today.One leader who arrived yesterday attracting huge attention was Cuban leader Fidel Castro. During his first visit to Istanbul, Castro has already spoken with President Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. During his talks with Yilmaz, Castro invited him to Cuba. Yilmaz said in turn that Turkey was ready to sign agreements to further trade ties with Cuba. Castro later attended a reception given by President Demirel. /All papers/ [03] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN INVITED TO WEST BANKAlso attending the final segment Leaders Summit, special representative of Yasser Arafat, Marwan Abdelhamid, also spoke with President Demirel. He later spoke to the Turkish press and issued an invitation to Turkish businessmen to look more closely at Palestinian developments and share in the reconstruction work and new projects planned by his government.Following his interviews with the press and other Turkish officials, Abdelhamid said that he would leave Turkey with hopes that Turkey would help to secure a bright future for the Palestinian people in certain vital areas. /All papers/ [04] DEMIREL SUPPORTS YELTSIN IN RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONSReports say that Turkish President Suleyman Demirel supports Yeltsin against communist leader Zuganov at the weekend Russian presidential elections. It is also reported that President Demirel, who is closely following the Russian presidential elections, discussed the elections during his contacts with leaders who are in Istanbul for the HABITAT II Conference. /Milliyet/[05] SUPPORT FOR BAKU-CEYHAN OIL PIPELINETurkey, which is proposing Baku-Ceyhan overland pipeline to carry Azeri oil to world markets, will start talks with the World Bank in the middle of July for realization of the pipeline.The World Bank plans to carry-out a feasibility study costing $5 million of the pipeline proposal, for which construction is expected to be 2.5 billion dollars. A World Bank delegation held talks with Turkish officials and discussed construction of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline during their contacts in Ankara last week. /Cumhuriyet/ [06] TURKISH PILOTS EXONERATEDAccording to a report by the US Department of Air Safety, the Turkish pilots flying a Boeing passenger plane on lease to the Turkish Birgenair air company which crashed into the sea with the loss of 189 lives, have been shown to be blameless.Instead, the report actually blames Boeing for failing to provide proper warning systems in the pilot's cabin and flight deck. The recent plane crash happened because the pilots were misinformed about flight conditions the report claims. /Hurriyet/ [07] CROATIAN PRESIDENT TUDJMAN TO VISIT ANKARACroatian President Franjo Tudjman will visit Ankara at the invitation of Turkish President Suleyman Demirel and the two countries will sign a military cooperation agreement as well as tourism, technology and science cooperation agreements. Croatia considers a military cooperation agreement with Turkey very important to its goal of becoming a member of NATO, particularly because Turkey has a lot of experience as a NATO member.President Tudjman will visit Ankara for two days on June 19-20 with Defence Minister Gojko Susak and Foreign Minister Mate Granic. During the visit, a protocol will also be signed, which will enable the Turkish International Cooperation Agency to open a bureau in Zagreb. Recent developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina will be discussed during the talks where the Turkish side will reportedly try to promote the importance of strengthening the Bosnian-Croat Federation. /Cumhuriyet/ [08] STATE DEPARTMENT GRATEFUL FOR TURKISH TRAINING OF BOSNIANSThe US State Department praised Turkish efforts to train Bosnians in Turkey and denied that Washington had told Ankara to stop its training programme. Ideally, "we would have preferred that the training would have been delayed until the last foreign fighter left Bosnia" admitted State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns. But now that "the Turks had started", the US was determined "to accentuate the positive" he said. "Turkey is a major supporter of the US initiative. Once the last foreign fighter leaves, then we will initiate our programme. The Turks will be a great part of that" he said."We are grateful for the support of the Turks" Burns added. "Turks are acting consistently with European values. I think that some of the other European countries want to emulate Turkey in this regard". "However, we would appreciate no further initiatives by the Turks until the last foreign fighter has left" he said. /Sabah/ [09] LABOUR MINISTER PROMOTES ILOLabour Minister Emin Kul said fighting against unemployment and inequalities is the first and foremost mission of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Speaking at the ILO's 83rd plenary session in Geneva yesterday, Kul focused upon the cooperation between Turkey and the ILO; in this respect he indicated improvements had occurred putting Turkey in a bridge position between the newly independent Central Asian Republics and the ILO. He stated Turkey strongly desired that an ILO Information Centre project in Turkey should be completed as soon as possible.Kul also pointed out Turkey's efforts to make working conditions and social rights compatible with the ILO's standards, not only by accepting the ILO's contract, but also by reflecting it in internal law. He commented on Turkey's ongoing projects to achieve employment security and unemployment insurance. A reform of the public personnel system and the clarification of public officials' union rights have already been completed, Kul said at the end of his speech. /All papers/ [10] CLINTON CONCERNED ABOUT TURKISH-GREEK TENSIONUS President Bill Clinton, appearing on Wednesday at a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and European Commission President Jacques Santer, was asked a question on the "heightened tension between Greece and Turkey". After saying that he had not discussed the matter with Santer or Prodi, Clinton added: "But I can tell you that I am very concerned about it. Both those nations are our allies and Europe's allies through NATO, and I believe that the future of the region which they both occupy would be immeasurably brighter if they can resolve their problems, and would be immeasurably darker if they cannot". "And so it's a source of great concern to me, and we have invested quite a bit of time on it in the last few months, and I expect to invest even more time on it in the months ahead, and if the people decide (on reelecting Clinton), in the years ahead. The resolution of the difficulties between Greece and Turkey is central to having the kind of future for Europe and particularly for the Mediterranean region that we want".Meanwhile, commenting on the Greek TV channel ET-1 broadcast, US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns said on Wednesday: "I don't think there is a heightened prospect of any altercation or confrontation between Greece and Turkey". Burns noted that working out their problems was completely up to Turkey and Greece. He said that the US would help if it was asked to, "They know our address". Turco-Greek tension also has angered NATO-member countries. Defence ministers of Canada, Germany, France and Portugal have given a message to Athens and Ankara saying: "You must solve your problems as soon as possible". The German Minister proposed mediation for the solution of problems between Turkey and Greece. /Cumhuriyet-Milliyet/ [11] ISRAEL DENIES ANTI-RP COMMENTSIsrael declared yesterday that the "internal affairs of Turkey interests only Turkey". A written statement from the Israeli Embassy in Ankara denied press reports that quoted Israeli President Ezer Weizman as saying that Israel wants the Islamist Welfare Party (RP) prevented from coming to power in Turkey. The statement added: "Israel is sure that a solution will be found (to the current political problem in Turkey) within the democratic process and is ready to cooperate with all the political parties".Commenting on the alleged remark of Weizman, RP leader Necmettin Erbakan said he believed the words attributed to Weizman did not reflect the truth. He recalled that Weizman was a veteran politician who knew that he should not make such comments. /Cumhuriyet/ [12] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASES BY 8.4 %Production in the Turkish industrial sector increased by 8.4 % during the first three months of 1996 compared to the same period last year. According to a statement issued by the State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday, industrial production increased by 12.1 % in the private sector and 1.4 % in the public sector, totally 8.4 %, during the first three months of 1996. Production in the mining industry soared by 2.5 % during the same period this year. Production in the manufacturing industry increased by 7.9 %, 9.3 % in the private sector and 4 % in the public sector. Production in the energy sector increased by 177.1 % in the private sector during the first three months of 1996 compared to the same period last year. /Cumhuriyet/[13] TURCO-GERMAN PATENT COOPERATIONChairman of the German Patent Institution, Norbert Haugg will come to Turkey next week as the guest of the Turkish Representation of the Kondrad Adenauer Foundation and the Turkish Patent Institute. During his contacts, Haugg will give information on the patent laws implemented in Germany. Representative of the Kondrad Adenauer Foundation, Dr.Max Georg Meier, said that this visit would develop cooperation between the two countries regarding sensitive patent issues. /Sabah/[14] 5,000 TURKISH SOLDIERS IN NORTHERN IRAQIn a new cross-border operation in Northern Iraq, Turkish security forces have struck down PKK terrorists reportedly preparing for subversive action against Turkey. The operation in currently being carried out in the border regions with the participation of 5,000 Turkish soldiers. So far 56 PKK terrorists have been killed in the operation.The cross-border operation was ordered by Second Chief of the General Staff, General Cevik Bir, upon reports that large groups of PKK terrorists were gathering in the region close to the Turkish border in preparation for armed attacks against Turkey. /Hurriyet/ [15] "YOU DECIDE ON PROVIDE COMFORT STATUS"US Deputy Secretary of State responsible for Near East Affairs, Robert Pelletreau, expressed his belief that the Turkish Parliament understood the regional importance of the operation, and would extend the period of stay of the Provide Comfort force deployed in Turkey. "Decisions regarding the development of the operation are to be given by Turkish officials" Pelletreau pointed out.According to representatives of the Turkish Foreign and Defence Ministries, contacts with US officials are about to be completed. Aiming to allay misgivings of the Turkish Parliament regarding the future of the Provide Comfort operation, Washington looks warmly at the release of a political declaration against PKK action in the region. On the other hand, Ankara does not find the declaration sufficient and is calling for amendments in operational rules. Nevertheless, both sides, aware of the need for security are refraining from giving too many details about related developments. /Milliyet/ [16] ROMANIA WILLING TO CONSTRUCT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN TURKEYWhile disputes about the establishment of a nuclear power plant in Turkey are still continuing, Romanian President Ion Iliescu has offered a Turco-Romanian cooperation deal for the construction of a nuclear plant in Turkey. During a recent meeting with President Demirel, the Romanian guest gave details about nuclear energy production in Romania and suggested that Turkish and Romanian companies could cooperate in the construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey. /Milliyet/[17] ISRAELI CREDIT FOR TURKISH PHANTOMSIsrael has agreed to finance the modernization of Turkish Phantom fighter planes within the framework of a recent agreement for military cooperation signed between Turkey and Israel. Approximately $410 million of the total amount of $600 million needed for the modernization will be extended by the biggest bank of Israel, Hapoalim. Officials note that the agreement for financing the deal is about to be completed and noted that it will be signed within 15 days. /Milliyet/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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