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Turkish Press Review, 98-02-23
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
23.02.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] WELFARE PARTY CLOSURE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL GAZETTE
[02] VIETNAM AND TURKEY SIGN SECOND ECONOMIC COOPERATION PACT
[03] SEZGIN: "HOPE-INSPIRING AGREEMENT"
[04] CRIMEA CALLS FOR AID
[05] CHIEF RABBI TO VISIT TURKEY
[06] US PEACE PLAN FOR AEGEAN
[07] TURKISH-AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL MEETING IN WASHINGTON
[08] NGOs TO MEET
[09] BLAIR: "OUR DOORS ARE OPEN TO TURKEY"
[10] GOVERNMENT MOVES TO OVERCOME RED-TAPE
[11] TEXTILE SECTOR LEADERS EVALUATE IMPACT OF ASIAN CRISIS
[12] GREEK CYPRIOTS PREVENT TOURISTS FROM ENTERING TRNC
[13] TURKEY WANTS DIALOGUE WITH SYRIA
[01] WELFARE PARTY CLOSURE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL GAZETTE
The justification of the Constitutional Court verdict to close
down the Welfare Party (RP) was published in the Official Gazette
yesterday. In addition to the closure of the Welfare Party, there is
a political ban on six of its former members, including chairman
Necmettin Erbakan. They are expected to face prosecution for
supporting Islamic fundamentalism and opposing the secular system in
Turkey. Erbakan and four other deputies will lose their parliamentary
seats and will not be allowed to become executives of parties for a
period of five years.
The parliamentary balances changed when the decision to close the
Welfare Party was legalized in the Official Gazette yesterday. The
number of empty chairs in Parliament now stands at eight, including
those of two deputies who passed away during this parliamentary term.
The number of independent deputies in Parliament now stands at 160.
/All papers/
[02] VIETNAM AND TURKEY SIGN SECOND ECONOMIC COOPERATION PACT
Vietnam and Turkey have signed a second cooperation agreement
aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem said on Saturday. The first economic cooperation
pact was signed last year and a third one also may be signed, Cem
said. Two-way trade is about $60 million a year, mostly Turkish
exports to Vietnam. "We want to raise the volume and have a better
balance" Cem told a news conference at the end of a brief visit.
He said Turkish contractors are interested in the Vietnamese
construction sector and will look into possibilities of projects for
which they can bid. He said Vietnam has expressed interest in setting
up a trade representative office in Turkey, and added that the two
parties will exchange further visits soon. /All papers/
[03] SEZGIN: "HOPE-INSPIRING AGREEMENT"
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Ismet
Sezgin yesterday noted that the move towards agreement between UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Iraqi Head of State Saddam Hussein in
Baghdad was indeed very pleasing and said that the solution of the
problem through diplomatic means was hope-inspiring. He added:
"Turkey has carried out its responsibilities regarding this issue and
will continue to carry them out in line with developments".
An agreement between Kofi Annan and Saddam Hussein will be signed
today. First reaction by the US is cool: "First, we have to see the
text. Even it is positive, US military units will stay in the Gulf
anyway". It has been officially reported that agreement has been
reached on the UN control of eight presidency palaces allegedly used
to hide weapons of mass destruction. /Milliyet/
[04] CRIMEA CALLS FOR AID
Crimean Tatar National Parliament Speaker Mustafa Abdulmecil
Kirimoglu noted over the weekend that the Turkish and Crimean peoples
were brothers and said: "We do not want only aid for our development,
but also we want Turkish businessmen to make investments in Crimea".
Kirimoglu added that in addition to the official meetings he held in
Ankara, his contacts with business leaders were also very positive.
/Milliyet/
[05] CHIEF RABBI TO VISIT TURKEY
Israeli Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi Doron will arrive in Turkey
today for a two-day visit. Doron, who will first arrive in Istanbul,
will proceed on to Ankara tomorrow and meet with Turkish Culture
Minister Istemihan Talay and Head of the Directorate of Religious
Affairs, Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz. After visiting Ataturk's Mausoleum, he
will return to Istanbul the same day and visit Mufti Selahattin Kaya.
Doron will leave on Wednesday. /Milliyet/
[06] US PEACE PLAN FOR AEGEAN
It is reported that US President Bill Clinton's special Cyprus
envoy Richard Holbrooke has proposed a "Turkish-Greek Agreement" in
order to ease the tension between Ankara and Athens. Ankara views the
agreement, in which "good neighbourly" principles are prominent, as
"positive in principle", while Athens' stance is not clear. It is
reported that there is no consensus of opinion between Greek Prime
Minister Kostas Simitis and Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.
According to an article published in the Greek "To Vima"
newspaper, the Greek Prime Minister prefers a "non-aggressive
agreement", while the Turkish side prefers a "friendship, cooperation
and good neighbourliness" agreement, which has a more comprehensive
content. /Milliyet/
[07] TURKISH-AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL MEETING IN WASHINGTON
Top Turkish energy sector officials are off to the US to discuss
energy investments. The annual Turkish-US Business Council meeting
will be held on 25-26 February in Washington. Energy and Natural
Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer said yesterday that they would
discuss the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Station, the Baku-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline
project, LNG thermal stations, hydroelectric power stations and
privatization in the sector with US officials. It has also been
announced that representatives of the US Amoco, Unocal, National
Powers, Westinghouse, and Mobil companies are in line to meet with
Turkish officials. /Sabah/
[08] NGOs TO MEET
The chairmen of the Turk-Is (Turkish Confederation of Labour
Unions), DISK (Confederation of Progressive Labour Unions), TISK
(Turkish Confederation of Employers Union), TOBB (Turkish Union of
Chambers and Exchange Commodities) and TESK (Confederation of Turkish
Craftsmen and Artisans) Non-Governmental Organizations will meet today
in Istanbul to discuss problems on the domestic agenda. Turk-Is
chairman, Bayram Meral, said that they would especially discuss some
new adjustments to the election system. TISK chairman Refik Baydur,
noted that the aim of the meeting was to seek solutions to Turkey's
problems. /Sabah/
[09] BLAIR: "OUR DOORS ARE OPEN TO TURKEY"
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said over the weekend that the
European Union was not excluding Turkey. In a special statement to
Turkish daily newspaper Sabah, Blair added that it was now the first
time that Turkey's full EU membership candidacy was being accepted at
both statesmen and governmental levels. Blair said: "Doors are open
for Turkey to attend the European Conference. Turkey and Britain are
known for their pragmatic policies, and for policies that will of the
benefit to both countries." /Sabah/
[10] GOVERNMENT MOVES TO OVERCOME RED-TAPE
A conference on public computer networks begins today in Ankara.
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will deliver the opening speech at the
conference which is being held to work out the final details on a
project for the establishment of a single computer network connecting
all public establishments. The project will be instrumental in
fighting bureaucratic red-tape. /Hurriyet/
[11] TEXTILE SECTOR LEADERS EVALUATE IMPACT OF ASIAN CRISIS
Ismet Ozcan, Chairman of the Turkish Association of Textile
Producers, said that by June the impact of the Asian financial crisis
shaking the Far East will also hit Turkey. The Association has
prepared a report on the anticipated results of the crisis in Turkey
and presented it to the cabinet and to Central Bank Chairman Gazi
Ercel. Textile producers are planning to hold a summit meeting to
discuss measures for minimizing the negative effects of the Asian
crisis. /Hurriyet/
[12] GREEK CYPRIOTS PREVENT TOURISTS FROM ENTERING TRNC
Efforts by Greek fanatics to prevent tourists entering the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) continued yesterday at the
Ledra Palace crossing between the two communities on the island. This
time, they were also supported by the other youth groups.
/Cumhuriyet/
[13] TURKEY WANTS DIALOGUE WITH SYRIA
Turkey has again started seeking to renew political dialogue with
Syria that Turkey cut-off because of Syrian support for the PKK
terrorist organization. Ambassador Aykut Cekirge is going to Syria
today. /Cumhuriyet/
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