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Turkish Press Review, 97-12-03Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWDIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER03.12.97Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning.[01] CEM TO MEET ALBRIGHT IN WASHINGTONForeign Minister Ismail Cem, arriving in Washington on Tuesday with a delegation of seven senior Turkish officials including the Foreign Ministry's head of the US desk, is expected to have a meeting with US secretary of State, Madeleine Albright on Thursday. State Department spokesman Jamie Rubin said Cem's talk with Albright would cover a full range of bilateral relations and common strategic interests.It is also expected that Cem will meet with US Secretary of Energy, Frederico Pena as well. US support for the Baku-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline is expected to be on the agenda of the Cem-Pena meeting. /All papers/ [02] DENKTAS, 'YES' TO EU TALKS AS SEPARATE STATETurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas reiterated on Tuesday that they could only join European Union (EU) accession talks as the TRNC on the basis of being two recognized separate states on the divided island, the Anatolia news agency reported.Denktas held talks with EU External Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek in Nicosia on Tuesday, and speaking after the meeting, he said that no new formula had been proposed. "The Greek Cypriot government is treated as the government of the whole island. So their national interests require the preservation of the status quo, not a solution of the problem. The recognition of the TRNC is our just right," Denktas said. Also speaking after the meeting, Broek sent warm messages to the Turkish Cypriots, saying that even if it is not recognized, the TRNC should seriously be taken into account by the EU. [03] EU TERM PRESIDENT WILL PROPOSE NEW PLATFORM FOR RELATIONS WITH TURKEYEuropean Union term president and Luxembourg Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Junker, said in a press conference on Tuesday in Brussels that he would propose a new platform which will give Turkey a more substantial prospect of membership after Ankara had firmly dismissed the plan for a permanent European Conference as a 'watered down' solution. "The European Conference was invented to establish a platform for closer relations with Turkey. But it will have no role in the enlargement process," Junker said. He warned that it would be a serious mistake to exclude Turkey from the EU enlargement process. Pointing out that Turkey was a great and honorable European country, Junker noted that they would find a good response in Turkey to a reaffirmation of their commitment to Turco-EU relations. /Milliyet/Sabah_[04] TURKISH CONSTRUCTION OF MEGA HIGHWAY IN PAKISTANThe first part of the highway from the Turkish speaking republics to the Indian Ocean via Pakistan and Afghanistan was opened with a ceremony. This part, which is 334 kilometers long, was constructed by the Turkish firm STFA. The second part of the highway will be constructed by another Turkish firm Bayindir Holding and President Suleyman Demirel will attend the foundation laying ceremony on 12 December.At the opening ceremony of the first part of the highway, Prime Minister Navaz Sherif thanked the Turkish STFA firm that completed the construction within a six month period. Ibrahim Ozen said for his part that they had shared in constracts worth $ 450 million in Pakistan to date, and that they had another $ 80 million constract to complete. /Milliyet/ [05] "WE HAVE MELTED AWAY"Semdin Sakik, known as the second leader of the PKK terrorist organization, said: "The organization has collapsed because of the mentally disabled PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, it has melted away like a candle and come to the point of exhaustion." PKK leader Sakik made this latest statement in a declaration after Ocalan's statement that the organization a collapsed. Copies of the declaration was seized in recent operations in rural areas of Tunceli and Bingol.Following Ocalan's declaration Sakik said that: "I was shocked by Ocalan's statement that the organization has collapsed. This is true. The PKK has lost the power it had five years ago. The organization has melted away and come to the point of exhaustion in terms of both personnel and logistic support. The reason for this is that Ocalan is mentally disabled."/Hurriyet/ [06] YILMAZ CANCELS MEETING WITH KOHLIn a phone conversation with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said that Ankara will not be satisfied with a European Conference that does not clarify EU full membership perspectives for Turkey. At the same time, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz cancelled his meeting with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl prior to the crucial European Union summit in Luxembourg. Yilmaz told Kohl that there was no need for a second appointment in such an adverse environment. While there is one week left to the Luxembourg Summit, Germany still maintains its positive stance towards Turkey. "We have not compromised anything from our expectations," Kohl told Yilmaz on Monday. /Milliyet/[07] TURKEY AND ARGENTINA AGREE TO COOPERATE IN TOURISMA Tourism Cooperation Protocol signed between Turkey and Argentina has been approved by the Council of Ministers and published in the Official Gazette yesterday. The protocol was signed on October 17 in Istanbul and includes provisions for encouraging cooperation between Turkish and Argentinian tourism establishments. /Cumhuriyet/[08] FRENCH MINISTER: "EU SHOULD NOT BECOME CHRISTIAN CLUB"France has intensified its efforts in support of Turkey's EU full membership bid. French President Jaques Chirac has held a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis to seek ways remove Greek vetos against Turkey. French Minister responsible for European Affairs, Pierre Moskovici, in a statement to Liberation newspaper, in turn invited EU member countries not to view the Union as a "Christian Club". He stressed that Turkey was a country of strategic importance and that everybody would benefit from Turkey's future integration with Europe. Estranging Turkey from the EU however may lead to a number of negative consequences, the French minister pointed out. /Hurriyet/[09] WARM RECEPTION FOR DEMIREL IN OMANAfter talks in Oman yesterday, President Demirel said that both he and his party had been well received by the people and leaders of Oman. "There has been much close interest" noted Demirel.During the second day of his stay in Oman, Demirel was taken on a tour of historical places including the Al-Jalali castle and the military museum of Baist Al-Falaj. Demirel also spoke with Sultan Kabus Bin Said and leading Oman ministers. /Sabah/ [10] AEGEAN MILITARY EXERCISE CANCELLEDIn a gesture directed to Greece, Turkey has cancelled the "Cevik Pence-97" military exercises in the Aegean Sea region planned for later this month, said Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Sermet Atacanl� yesterday. He noted that the December combined naval and military exercises were something of a tradition, but that this year changes had been made to avoid creating tensions and as a goodwill gesture towards Greece. /Sabah/[11] ANTI-PKK OPERATION IN BODRUMSecurity forces in the region around the popular holiday resort of Bodrum have been carrying out operations against the PKK terrorist organization. Reports say that weapons and ammunition have been seized by the security forces. Supporters of the PKK have reportedly been taken to Diyabakir for questioning. /Sabah/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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