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Turkish Press Review, 97-07-18Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWJULY 18, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL IN KYRGYZSTANPresident Demirel is paying a two-day official visit to Kyrgyzstan on the official invitation of his Kyrgyz counterpart Askar Akayev, the Anatolian press agency reported. Demirel attended the Issyk Kul forum jointly organized by UNESCO and the Foundation for Protection and Development of Humanity. Demirel said he attached special importance to the forum, because it provided an opportunity to examine the differing points of view of internationally acclaimed intellectuals, scientists and politicians. In a speech at the forum, Demirel stressed that Turkey has strived to establish friendly relations with the independent Central Asia republics that emerged in the aftermath of the disintegration of the former Soviet Union. /Milliyet/[02] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS EVALUATE RECENT EU COMMISSION REPORTA delegation of Turkish parliamentarians following developments related to EU integration with Europe, has decided to initiate an intensive campaign, designed to urge the EU to reconsider its decision not to include Turkey in the list of EU candidate countries. The parliamentarians will press for the materialization of various steps that would promote Turkey's position on international platforms. Issues especially targeted by the parliamentarians include steps designed to promote human rights in Turkey, search for a political solution to problems in the Southeast and steps for resolving the Cyprus issue.At its yesterday's session, the European Paliament accepted a decision urging Turkey to initiate measures for improving its human rights record and strengthening the process of democratization in the country. In the same connection, the EU Commission announced yesterday its decision to press for measures aimed at strengthening and promoting the customs union set up between the Union and Turkey. /All papers/ [03] GREECE HAPPY ABOUT EU REPORTGreek ministers and officials have defended the EU decision to go ahead with proposals to include Cyprus in the EU, noting that in the long term, both Turkey and Northern Cyprus will benefit.Although at this stage it looks as though Turkey has been "excluded" from membership in the near future, Greek officials declared yesterday that once Turkey had buttoned-up one or two basic problems, difficulties between Turkey and Greece, and community issues on Cyprus would be resolved that much more easily. /All papers/ [04] FOREIGN MINISTER SENDS OUT A CYPRUS MESSAGENoting the importance of the date of the July 20, 1974, Cyprus Peace Operation in the Turkish calender, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem sent out a message yesterday stressing that problems on the island must be solved through friendship and in peace.Minister Cem said that the problems on the island were common to both sides and thus had to be solved together, with both sides acting in partnership. He also touched upon the latest developments in connection with Cyprus and the EU, and noted the legal and international rights of Turkey and the TRNC in this area of dispute. Foreign Minister Cem was yesterday presented with a medallion to commemorate the 1974 operation by a delegation headed by the TRNC ambassador to Ankara, Nazif Borman. /All papers/ [05] DENKTAS CALLS FOR COOPERATION ON CYPRUSPresident of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktas, has suggested that both the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities should cooperate to ensure that nothing happens when the TRNC celebrates the 1974 Peace Operation this coming weekend.Denktas said yesterday that he had spoken with Glafkos Clerides, the leader of the Greek Cypriot community, and proposed more cooperation to protect the fragile relations between the two groups on the island. Denktas further suggested a Turkish- Greek force to supplement the UN peace force deployed in the "Green Line" zone that divides the island. /All papers/ [06] TURKEY AND GREECE URGED TO STICK TO MADRID AGREEMENTUS State Secretary Madeleine Albright is planning to send a delegation to Ankara and Athens to urge both sides to implement the provisions of the Madrid agreement. The principles accepted in Madrid by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos two weeks ago aim to promote friendly relations between the two neighbour countries.Nevertheless, at a press conference yesterday Greek Parliamentary Speaker Dimitri Reppas complained that Turkey was violating Greek air space and in this way was acting against the spirit of the Madrid principles. /Sabah/ [07] MILITARY BUYS CHURCHILL LETTERSAfter bidding in the highly charged atmosphere of Sotheby's London auction rooms, representatives from the Turkish military walked away with original Winston Churchill letters from the first World War after some tense moments.The three letters, containing details about the Canakkale campaign, were brought for 82 thousand pounds or almost 22 billion TL. /Hurriyet/ [08] NAVY CHIEF IN ITALYNaval Forces Commander Admiral Guven Erkaya flew to Italy on Thursday to participate in a ceremony to hand over the command of NATO's European Allied Naval Forces to the new Alliance Commander. Erkaya is expected to return home at the weekend.[09] CEASE-FIRE BROKEN IN NORTHERN IRAQThe cease-fire set up in Northern Iraq between conflicting Kurdish parties there was broken this week when the Kurdistan Patriotic Front (KPF)jointly with the PKK terrorist organization initiated an attack in the region close to the Iraqi-Iranian border. Two civilians were killed and 14 others were wounded in the attack. The PKK and KPF also suffered heavy casualties.The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has released a written statement denying claims that the KDP and Turkey were making huge profits from illegal trade in Iraqi oil. In a speech on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of Iraqi national day, Iraqi President Saddam Husseyin directed harsh criticism towards Turkey, bliaming Turkey for the instability in Northern Iraq. /All papers/ [10] YILMAZ MEETS WORKERS' AND EMPLOYERS' REPRESENTATIVESYesterday Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz received the leaders of trade unions and employers' associations. During the meeting, Yilmaz pointed out that an Economic-Social Council would be set up to take in hand economic decisions. The present system of imposing automatic price increases on a number of commodities would be abolished, and he pledged that the collective bargaining system would also be reviewed. /Sabah/[11] INCREASE IN VAT RATESState Minister Gunes Taner yesterday said that Value Added Tax (VAT) rates applied on luxury consumer goods would be increased whereas there would be a slight decrease in VAT rates for food and other basics. He added that the government had almost finished studies on the issue and that the new VAT rates would be published within a month./Milliyet/[12] SEVEN PKK TERORISTS KILLEDAs the result of car bomb explosion two civilans were wounded in Tokat. In other regions of the country during security forces operations four Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists were killed in the Kagizman region of Kars and three terrorists were killed in the Olukbasi district of Osmaniye.Meanwhile, during an attack on a private construction work-site in the Suluk district of Yuksekova, PKK terrorists captured three workers. In another incident, PKK terrorists attacked Buklumdere village near Tercan and killed the father of a village-guard./Cumhuriyet/ [13] ENKA WINS TENGIZ OIL TENDERThe ENKA-Bechtel joint venture partnership won the tender for the expansion of the Tengiz oil field. An agreement worth $ 250 million was signed yesterday between the representatives of the Tengizchevroil company and ENKA-Bechtel in Istanbul. According to the agreement Tengiz will construct a new oil and natural gas plant and ENKA-Bechtel agreed to complet $ 100 million share the construction by the end of 1997.Chairman of the ENKA Construction Corp. Sinan Tara, said that almost 3,000 engineers and workers would have new job opportunities as a result of the agreement./Hurriyet/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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