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Turkish Press Review, 98-01-22Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>22.01.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] CEM LIKELY TO MEET KINKELForeign Minister Ismail Cem will meet numerous Turkish counsellors in Bonn to discuss the problems that Turks living in Germany and other surrounding European countries face, the Anatolian news agency reported. Cem will be meeting Turkish counsellors on January 26-27 in Bonn, where he is also likely to meet his German counterpart, Klaus Kinkel, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan told a press conference.[02] SECURITY FORCES KILL 45 SEPARATISTSTurkish security forces have killed 45 militants from the PKK terrorist organization during several clashes in the southeastern part of the country. The Anatolian news agency reported that eight soldiers also lost their lives in the clashes in the southeastern provinces of Sirnak, Batman and Diyarbakir.[03] NSC TO MEET TODAYThe National Security Council (NSC) chaired by President Suleyman Demirel is to meet on Thursday to discuss recent developments, both at home and abroad. Among the most important items on the Council's agenda are possible measures to be taken by the security forces to prevent provocations following the Welfare Party (RP)'s closure by the Constitutional Court last week. Other critical issues to be discussed include the Aegean, Greece and Iraq. /Milliyet-All paperes/[04] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT APPROVES BAN ON CASINOSThe Constitutional Court rejected yesterday an appeal for the cancellation of the law ordering the closure of casinos by February 11, 1998. The high court rejected the applications, filed by certain civil courts in Ankara, Antalya and Silivri, for the annulment of an article in law No:4320, amending the Law on Encouragement of Tourism. In a statement following the court session, Judge Guven Dincer said that the unconstitutionally claim had been rejected nine to two. /All papers/[05] TURKEY, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA BOOST BILATERAL COOPERATIONTurkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina signed yesterday two cooperation agreements in Ankara and vowed to make further efforts to increase cooperation between the two countries. Visiting co-premiers Haris Sladzic and Boro Bosic and Deputy Co-Premier Neven Tomic held talks with Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. The two parties signed agreements related to mutual protection and promotion of investments as well as international road transportation. Yilmaz and Sladzic reportedly discussed the procedures related to the $80 million which Turkey has pledged to grant to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the form of donations and loans. The donations constitute 25 % of the sum -$20 million- of which $10 million has been given out to date. The remaining $60 million will be given in the form of Eximbank loans during the next four to five years and will be utilized in the reconstruction of the war-torn country.Earlier in the day, the Bosnian delegation visited Anitkabir, Ataturk's Mausoleum, and held talks with President Suleyman Demirel, Deputy Parliament Speaker Hasan Korkmazcan, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. Speaking after the meeting, Cem said that the two parties had decided to prepare mutual working plans and determine what could be done for the well-being of Bosnia by combining these plans. The meetings of the Bosnian delegation will continue today in Istanbul. /Cumhuriyet/ [06] HANNAY TO RELAY BLAIR'S EU MESSAGE TO TURKEYBritain's envoy to Cyprus, Sir David Hannay, will meet Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz on Thursday as British Prime Minister Tony Blair's "special envoy" to deliver a message, possibly on the country's troubled relations with the EU. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan underlined that the visit had nothing to do with Cyprus and that Hannay is only expected to meet Yilmaz, and not other Turkish officials. /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/[07] DALEY VISITS ISTANBUL HOUSING PROJECTUS Secretary of Commerce William Daley, on an official visit to Turkey, visited a suburban housing development project in Istanbul yesterday. Daley accompanied by a 64-member delegation visited the Esenkent housing project, 40 km west of the city. A 180 MW cogeneration power plant that will provide electricity and heating for the sururb is being constructed by Edison Mission Energy of the US and Doga Company of Turkey. The US government Overseas Private Investment Corp. (PIC) is financing the $180 million power plant.Daley attended a banquet given by the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) yesterday and said that they supported the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline. However, Iran should not take advantage of this project. Daley also noted that the Trademark and Patent Law should be made more effective and said: "The issue has both economic and political dimensions. Actually, the quotas will be removed after seven years due to the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade". /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/ [08] IMF AND WORLD BANK OFFICIALS IN TURKEYInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank delegations held talks yesterday with Turkish officials on the country's anti-inflation programme, officials said. The two organizations are holding talks in parallel after the World Bank said it may increase its pledged $1.5 billion support for Turkey by $3 billion if Ankara wins IMF support. The World Bank officials were to be joined later on Wednesday by the bank's Turkey director Ajay Chibber. Officials from the prime minister's office said discussions covered budget plans for 1998, structural reforms, central bank data and Turkey's privatization programme. /Sabah/[09] THY, US EXIMBANK SIGN $2.5 BILLION CREDIT AGREEMENTTurkish Airlines (THY) signed a $2.5 million credit agreement with the US Eximbank and the Boeing Aircraft Corp. in Istanbul yesterday to acquire 26 Boeing 737-800 jetliners by the year 2002, the Turkish national carrier reported. Under the agreement, Turkey will have an option to acquire an additional 23 aircraft. The plan foresees THY's phasing out its Boeing 737-400 and 500s and its RJ-100 jetliners, rented from other carriers, over the next five years. Boeing will make the first aircraft deliveries in July. /Hurriyet/[10] ANKARA PROTESTS BRITISH VISA RESTRICTIONS ON TURKISH CYPRIOTSAnkara backs Turkish Cypriot criticism that Britain's moves to end visa-free entry are unjust, summoning the British ambassador to Turkey in order to explain Turkey's reaction to the visa discussion. "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) officials have asserted their reaction and we fully support their stance, but maybe one of the most regrettable things of all is that Turkish Cypriots are obliged to pay in Greek Cypriot currency, which is not valid in the TRNC" Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan told reporters in a weekly press conference yesterday. Britain yesterday rejected criticism by TRNC President Rauf Denktas that moves to end visa-free entry to Turkish Cypriots were politically motivated. /All papers/[11] TURKEY'S BORDERS WIDE OPENCrossing illegally into Turkey from surrounding neighbour countries is no longer the difficult task it once was, according to reports stemming from the recent refugee problems with Italy.New reports show that illegal immigrants can cross into Turkey by using 56 different border crossing points. A twelve page report by the Aliens Department of the Security Police lists all the different places where illegal entry can be made and notes too, that terror organizations like the PKK have not been slow to use the border crossing places for illegal purposes. The report dwells on the matter of illegal transport of immigrants and notes the numbers of people passing through Turkey on their way to countries where they hope they can find a better way of life. Illegal immigrants find their way to Turkey from as far away as Ruanda, Pakistan, Bangladesh and from closer regional countries. /Milliyet/ [12] TURKISH GLOBAL TO PRIVATIZE KAZAKH SEEsTurkish Global Securities will privatize three companies in Kazakhstan and one in Romania. Global Securities will privatize three of the five most important state enterprises including oil producer Aktobemunaigaz, titanium producer Ust-Kamenogorsk and oil producer Mangistaumunaigaz.Global securities which has intense activities in Kazakhstan is also in partnership with Kazakommerts Bank. Romania's only synthetic fibres producer SC Melana will also be privatized by Global securities. /Sabah/ [13] IRAN APPOINTS NEW AMBASSADOR TO ANKARAAccording to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, Iran has appointed Seyid Muhammed Huseyin Lavasani as the new ambassador to Ankara. Lavasani, former Iranian Ambassador to Canada, has recently been working as a consultant to Iranian Foreign Minister Kemal Harrazi.As a result of a diplomatic crisis Turkey and Iran mutually withdrew their ambassadors last February. /Milliyet/ [14] JOINT CONSULTATION COMMITTEE ASSEMBLEDThe Joint Consultation Committee (JCC) of Turkey and the EU, comprised of representatives of employees and employers and including civil institutions of society, is meeting in Brussels. It was noticed that both of the representatives of Turkish and the EU sides severely criticised the decisions concerning Turkey, taken at the Luxembourg summit of the European Union. /Cumhuriyet/[15] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER's ASSERTIONGreek Foreign Minister, Teodoros Pangolos again asserted yesterday that Greek air space was 10 miles and added if Turkey had any doubt about this, it could consult The Hague International Court of Justice. Pangolos stated that Greek air space was confirmed by international laws, in a press conference when he claimed that Turkey was wrong to suggest that Greece would oppose Turkey's application to The Hague International Court of Justice. He also said that even if there was not a country like Greece blocking Turkey's full membership in the EU, Turkey would still not be a member of the European Union because it did not conform to membership conditions. /Cumhuriyet/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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