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Turkish Press Review, 97-04-07Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWMONDAY, APRIL 7, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning.[01] ISRAELI FM VISITS TURKEYIsraeli Foreign Minister David Levy will brief Turkish leaders about the snags encountered in the Middle Esat peace process and push for the implementation of a free trade agreement in two days of talks here starting on Tuesday. Levy's visit will be the first high-level trip to Turkey from Israel by a top official since both countries formed new governments last summer.Levy will hold talks with Turkish ministers and officials on investments and joint ventures in both countries. He is scheduled to be received by President Suleyman Demirel and his programme includes meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller and State Ministers Ayfer Yilmaz and Ufuk Soylemez. /Cumhuriyet/ [02] GREEK CYPRIOT BORDER ASSAULTS CONTINUEBorder tension on the divided island of Cyprus escalated as gunshots from the Greek Cypr�ot side were fired at a guard post on the Turkish side of the island on Saturday near the Turkish Cypriot village of Duzce, the Anatolia news agency reported. The assault which was also confirmed by the UN peace keeping force on the island, took place about 150 km north of the British base zone. Nobody was hurt or injured. The Turkish side issued a verbal protest about the incident to the UN force and announced that a written protest will also be sent.[03] DEMIREL BACK FROM SLOVENIA VISITPresident Demirel ended his two-day visit to Slovenia late on Friday and returned to Turkey. Turkey and Slovenia signed a civil aviation agreement. At a press conference, Demirel said that during the meetings with his Slovenian counterpart they exchanged views on the Balkans and Albania. "We have emphasized our determination to cooperate. We have also discussed integration with the EU and the expansion of NATO," Demirel noted. /All papers/[04] TURKISH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS GREECETurkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Kalemli visited Athens on Friday upon the official invitation of his Greek counterpart Apostolos Kaklamanis. Kalemli participated in other meetings with Parliament speakers of countries which signed the Barcelona Declaration in November 1995, establishing a Euro-Mediterranean partnership whose main function is to distribute funds to Mediterranean countries. Turkey cannot benefit from the funds because of Greek vetos. /Milliyet/[05] GERMAN POLICE ARRESTS TURK OVER ARSON CASEThe German Ambasador to Ankara Hans-Joachim Vergau confirmed on Friday reports that the arson attack in the German town of Krefeld was actually the work of a Turkish citizen. Earlier Friday, German police detained the suspect, the father and husband of the victims. Refraining from making further comments on the investigation in Germany, Vergau dismissed any connection between the allegedly racially motivated incidents and the remarks of the Christian Democrats, who ruled out Turkey's EU membership. /All papers/[06] SYRIA HELPING THE PKKAccording to Turkish secret service reports, the Syrian Intelligence Services are supporting the PKK terrorist organization by providing trained agents and logistical support. Details of Syrian involvement in PKK terror are contained in a dossier presented to the National Security Council that includes information from officials in the Hatay region of Turkey down by the border with Syria. /Hurriyet/[07] IMF CALLS FOR POLITICAL CREDIBILITYState Minister Ufuk Soylemez, who met with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation over the weekend, will present a programme of Extended Financial Funds(EFF) to IMF Committee Meeting he will chair at the end of this month.Martin Hardy who headed the delegation meeting with Soylemez said that they were in favour of a medium term program but could not depend on the political will necessary for its implementation. Hardy called for "political guarantees" for the agreement./Cumhuriyet/ [08] TURKEY AMONG TOP DEVELOPING COUNTRIESA World Bank report on the developing countries has lots of good things to say about Turkey. Reporting on developments last year, the World Bank says in its report that Turkey has made big steps forward in areas like environmental protection, health and industrial productivity.The report notes that infant mortality has dropped and that more equal distribution of wealth has led to an improvement in the quality of life for more people. Population growth has been lowered and people are leading healthier lives. /Hurriyet/ [09] CILLER: STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE OFFINGTurkey is carrying out sweeping structural changes that will make it one of the world's most powerful economies in the 21st century, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller declared on Saturday. Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul on the third anniversary of the April 5 stability programme, Ciller touched upon structural changes that included customs union with the EU, and stressed: "Turkey has revived the Ottoman power, not by tanks and guns, but by economic competition, democracy and respect for human rights." /All papers/[10] TURKEY-IRAN GAS PIPELINE PROJECTOn April 15, state minister Abdullah Gul will share in a ceremony to mark the start of the construction of a new overland natural gas pipeline between Iran and Turkey.Gul will go to Dogubeyazit on the border with Iran to bring to completion a twenty year old project that it is hoped will help to end Turkey's energy problems. /Sabah/ [11] MONEY LAUNDERING IN TURKEY DISCUSSED AT THE OECDSteps undertaken by the Turkish government against money laundering will be discussed by the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, a coordination body formed by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to combat illegal money transactions, the Anatolian agency reported on Sunday. The meeting scheduled to be held in Rome on June 17-18, is critical because the Financial Action Task Force has previously criticized Turkey for not passing the necessary legislation against money laundering. Since the last meeting of the OECD group, Turkey has enacted a law against money laundering and has formed a commission to investigate financial crimes.[12] BULGARIAN FM VISITS TURKEYDelegations led by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Stoyan Stalev and Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen discussed the enlargement of NATO and the EU during bilateral talks in Istanbul on Friday. "We appreaciate Turkey's support for Bulgaria's membership in NATO and the EU," Stalev told reporters after the meeting. Oymen later expressed his belief that the two countries will take their place in the organization of Europe. /All papers/[13] "TURKEY AND SLOVAKIA SHOULS SET UP JOINT VENTURES"Slovakia and Turkey should establish joint ventures and cooperate in education, visiting Slovak Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar said on Friday. "We want to develop ties in science and encourage joint investment," the Anatolia news agency reported Meciar as declaring in an address to students and teachers at Istanbul's Bosphorus University. Meciar proposed faculty and student exchanges between Bratislava Economics University �n Slovakia and Bosphorus University in Turkey.[14] TURKEY BUYS NEW COMBAT VEHICLESThe Defence Ministry will buy $3.3. millions worth of 10 newly-designed armed combat vehicles for the Land Forces and the Gendarmery. Turkish combat vehicle producers FMB-Nurol and Otokar signed an agreement on Friday with the Defence Ministry for the sale of the vehicles. /All papers/[15] STUDENTS SWEAT IN UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMSThe Student Selection Examination took place on Sunday at 134 different centers in Turkey as well as in Nicosia, the Anatolia news agency reported. A total of 1,398,580 students took the exam this year in 72,604 exam halls. The candidates need to obtain 120 points on the first exam in order to take the second part of the exam, the Student Placement Examination, scheduled for June 22.[16] NO END TO WINTERHeavy snow which started on Sunday paralyzed life in big cities, while cheering up hotel owners in skiing resorts. The snow did not block the traffic and quickly melted in the cities. Hotel owners in major skiing resorts expressed their joy at being able to provide skiers with excellent conditions for the upcoming Feast of Sacrifice holiday. "We have received many reservations for the holiday. We are already 100 percent full," they said. The bad weather looks set to continue. /All papers/[17] TURKEY NEEDS AIDS EDUCATIONThe issue of teaching Turkey's young people about AIDS �s a hot topic at the Third National AIDS Congress that started on Friday at Hacettepe University. Parliament Speaker Mustafa Kalemli, in his speech at the opening ceremony, said that AIDS education should be included in school programmes. President Demirel also gave a speech at the congress and urged measures for combatting AIDS in Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported.[18] THY FLYING TO CHINATurkey's national air carrier THY will soon be flying to Peking in China. Flights will be twice a week from Istanbul and officials note that the flights reflect the changing balance in the region as Hong Kong is handed over to China. /Sabah/[19] TURKISH NATIONALIST LEADER DIESThousands of supporters of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) mourned on Saturday the death of their leader Alparslan Turkes. Funeral services for Turkes will be held in Ankara on Tuesday, the MHP announced. Turkes, 80, died after his heart stopped beating on the way to the Bayindir Hospital where doctors desperately tried to revive him, hospital officials said on Saturday. President Demirel in a message of condolence on Saturday said Turkes death was a "great loss to the political life of Turkey." /All papers/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |