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Turkish Press Review, 98-02-12Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>12.02.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] YILMAZ: TURKEY WON'T TAKE RISKSTurkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz asserted yesterday that "No one should expect us to throw ourselves into the middle of everything and take risks", noting that the currently escalating Iraqi crisis would affect Turkey the most. "From now on, we want Iraq to comply with UN resolutions and for the UN to take steps towards fully lifting the sanctions imposed on Iraq" Yilmaz stated, adding that Parliament would decide in the event the allied forces were to ask for military support from Turkey. He also noted that the coalition government is unified on its Iraqi crisis policy. /Milliyet-Hurriyet/[02] GULF CRISIS: RUSSIA ASKS TURKEY NOT TO INVOLVE INCIRLIKThe Russian Federation has asked the Turkish government not to let Incirlik or any other base in Turkey be deployed against Iraq. Russian Ambassador in Ankara Vadim Kuznetsov, in a statement he gave to the French News Agency AFP, said that they were pleased to note Turkey's efforts towards finding a solution to the Iraqi crisis through political and diplomatic channels. Kuznetsov added, "We hope Turkey continues with this policy and does not unilaterally permit anyone to use the bases in its territory against Iraq." /Hurriyet/[03] DEMIREL TO VISIT FRANCEPresident Suleyman Demirel is scheduled to make an official visit to France on February 19-20, the first visit by a Turkish president in over 30 years. President Demirel will be accompanied by state ministers Rifat Serdaroglu, Isin Celebi and Culture Minister Istemihan Talay.After his scheduled meeting with French President Jacques Chirac, Demirel will receive the French ministers responsible for the economy, culture and European Affairs. Demirel will receive French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin on February 20. [04] YILMAZ VISITS UKRAINEPrime Minister Mesut Yilmaz embarks on Thursday on a two-day official visit to Ukraine with the aim of boosting political and economic relations between Turkey and Ukraine. Yilmaz is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, Prime Minister Valeriy Pustovoytenko, Parliament Speaker Olexander Moroz and other high-level officials, as well as representatives of leading economic organizations. He is also expected to visit the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, with which Turkey has deep historical ties. /All papers/[05] CEM: NO SECURITY ZONEForeign Minister Ismail Cem noted that a security zone has not yet been established in northern Iraq and said that if an intensive immigration flow occurs along the border, then military measures will be taken. Briefing members of the Turkish Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission, Cem said: "A committee has been set up within the Turkish government regarding humanitarian aid to be extended to northern Iraq against a possible immigration flow. Preparations regarding measures to be taken are being carried out. There is no security zone at present". /Milliyet/[06] CALL FROM MOSCOW FOR MEDICINE MARKETDeputy Minister of Industry for the Moscow Region, Juri Norontsov, said that they wanted to cooperate with Turkish investors in the Moscow Region, which has a market for medicine and medical equipment worth $1 billion. Arriving in Turkey yesterday, Juri Norontsov declared that the Moscow Region was an area, in which there were plants built to meet the requirements of a highly technological defense industry during the former Soviet Union period. Norontsov said: "We want these plants, which previously produced tanks, to produce refrigerators, and household and medical equipment. We are ready to cooperate with Turkish firms". /Hurriyet/[07] DEMIREL IN PARIS MATCH INTERVIEWParis Match, a noted weekly news magazine published in France, has devoted a lot of space to coverage of an interview held with Turkish President Suleyman Demirel. The magazine gives wide coverage to Demirel's views regarding the Kurdish problem, religion and integration with Europe. The magazine notes that Demirel will pay a visit to France on 19-20 February and says: "Turkey is among the foremost countries trying to persuade Iraq to abide by UN resolutions". /Hurriyet/[08] TURKISH GUARANTEE FOR TURKMENSState Minister Ahad Andican stated yesterday that if the US bombs biological and nuclear weapons bases in Iraq, the Turkish government will take necessary steps to protect the Turkmen people in the region. Andican made these assurances when he received the chairmen of the Eurasian Federation and Iraqi Turks Association yesterday. /Milliyet-Hurriyet/[09] TURKEY CANCELS TALKS WITH THE IMFState Minister Gunes Taner said yesterday that Turkey has cancelled its scheduled talks with the IMF and therefore officials would not be going to Washington next week. Taner, speaking after a Banking Union meeting, said: "The reason we cancelled the talks is obvious. I want to schedule the Washington visit after Parliament finishes debating the tax and social security draft laws". /Hurriyet-Milliyet/[10] ECEVIT CRITICIZES BRITAINDemocratic Left Party (DSP) Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that the US could be sincere in its assurances that Washington is not in favour of the disintegration of Iraq and the setting up of a Kurdish state in the country's north after a possible US attack to overthrow the Saddam regime. However, Ecevit said, the US could be being manipulated by Britain which he believed could be in favour of an independent Kurdish state in the region.Addressing his fellow deputies at the DSP's parliamentary group meeting, Ecevit said that he has softened his attitude towards the US, but added that he was not sure how truthful Washington's latest annoucements were. Ecevit, referred to the latest remarks made by British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, that supposedly appeared in the Daily Telegraph and Guardian daily newspapers, saying Britain would welcome a power vacuum in northern Iraq. He said that there was no possibility that the two respectable British newspapers would fabricate such stories. /Sabah-Milliyet/ [11] GERMAN COURT RELEASES LEADING PKK MEMBERFaysal Dunlayici, the so-called chief of the PKK terrorist organization's European bureau, sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment by a court in the northern German town of Celle yesterday, was later released, as he had already served three years' in prison while waiting for the trial to be completed. The court sentenced Dunlayici, also known as Kani Yilmaz, for committing acts of arson against Turkish institutes in 1993, and for being involved in organized crime in Germany. However, they found no real proof that Dunlayici was indeed the "European bureau chief" of the PKK terrorist organization. /Sabah/[12] PAKISTANI COMMANDER AWARDED WITH MILITARY MEDAL OF MERITPakistani Air Force Commander Gen.Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi was awarded the Turkish Armed Forces medal of merit by the Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi yesterday. Gen.Qureshi said that he promised to further strengthen the currently developing good ties between Turkey and Pakistan, adding that he will wear this medal with great honour all his life.The award ceremony was held at the General Staff Headquarters in Ankara and many top officers and officials were invited. Gen.Karadayi said that Pakistan and Turkey have always supported each other on international platforms, and thus military ties between the two countries were developing day by day in an atmosphere of sincerity. [13] TWO PKK MILITANTS KILLEDTwo members of the PKK terrorist organization were killed yesterday by police security teams in Fatih, Istanbul. Police teams hit a house in the Fatih district early yesterday afternoon, after learning that the premise was being used by PKK terrorists.The terrorists, one of them a woman, ignored police calls to surrender and instead tried to shoot it out with the police. It was later reported that the two terrorists were in fact the militants who murdered police officer Ismail Akkoyunlu on November 28, 1997. False identity cards, two guns, bullets, and many organizational documents were found in the building. /Hurriyet/ [14] UNION LEADER GABAGLIO IN ISTANBULGeneral Secretary of the European Unions Confederation (ETUC), Emilio Gabaglio is continuing with his contacts in Istanbul after completing his visit to Ankara. After visiting the DISK and KESK workers' unions, Gabaglio suggested the formation of a committee to prepare Turkey for European Union (EU) membership. He added that after the Luxembourg summit decisions, the ETUC would help to improve Turkish-EU relations. Gabaglio said: "Turkish public opinion should know that Europe is not against Turkey. However, Turkey has some deficiencies to improve." Completing his two-day visit Gabaglio will leave Turkey today. /Cumhuriyet/[15] VERGAU, "PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION"Germany Ambassador to Ankara, Dr. Hans-Joachim Vergau was interwieved yesterday by Cumhuriyet to daily newspaper. In his comments, Vergau said that Germany still thought that the PKK was a terrorist organization. Stressing that they had not made any bargains with the PKK, Vergau said: "Although German security officials have seriously warned the PKK not to continue with violent activities in Germany, there is no political recognition of the PKK in Germany. We never bargain with terrorists."Referring to the Luxembourg summit Vergau said: "Turkey should not underestimate the positive aspects of the summit. First of all, Turkey's EU membership was accepted at a EU summit by inviting Turkey to the European Conference. Also a supporting strategy was suggested to Turkey to help her on her way to EU membership." Vergau noted that Turkey had "great inner potential". He stressed that Germany was determined that Turkey would become an EU member, and reach Partnership status in the Customs Union agreement. Vergau also pointed out that the EU would propose some further suggestions on strategies and help Turkey to evaluate the results of the Luxembourg summit. /Cumhuriyet/ [16] SEZGIN RECEIVES PARRISDeputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin yesterday received U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Mark Parris. After the meeting Sezgin said that they had exchanged views on current developments in the Gulf region. Noting that both Turkey and America always supported peace Sezgin noted that Turkey was looking for peaceful and diplomatic ways to solve the Gulf Crisis. He added that the only way was to apply U.N. decisions.Ambassador Parris said for his part: "I have to stress that America has not made any decision yet to use military power against Iraq. However, we discussed some issues directly related to Turkey such as the Turkmen region. We want to solve the crisis through peaceful means." /Sabah/ [17] "TURKEY WILL NOT ESTABLISH A BUFFER-ZONE"The Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Office of the Chief of General Staff yesterday held a joint press meeting and made a statement on recent improvements in Northern Iraq. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nurettin Utkan and Head of the Press and Public Relations Department of the Office of the Chief of General Staff, Commander Husnu Dag, answered questions from the press. Answering a question Dag said: "Turkey does not have any plan to establish a buffer-zone to prevent a massive immigration movement. The Turkish Armed Forces however, are continuing with measures in the struggle against terrorist activities. Depending on developments in the Gulf crisis, humanitarian support centers will be established after contacting Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) officials in order to reduce the negative effects of an immigration movement." Dag also denied that Turkey had received offers from the US government for the supply of Patriot missiles.Utkan added that cooperation to solve problems was very important in the Middle East region; and stressed that the period after a crisis was more important than actual crisis period." /Sabah/ [18] DEMIREL APPROVES NEW MIT UNDERSECRETARYPresident Suleyman Demirel yesterday signed into effect the appointment of Senkal Atasagun as the new National Intelligence Institution (MIT) Undersecretary. This new appointment for Senkal follows a seuccessful period as the Head of the MIT Operations Department. /Sabah/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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