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Turkish Press Review, 98-07-28
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
28.07.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] STRATEGY REPORT ON EU-TURKEY RELATIONS
[02] ZAMAN CORRESPONDENT DIES IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
[03] US REPLIES TO STATEMENTS BY PANGALOS
[04] TARGET FOR INCOME EXCEEDED
[05] MOSCOW TURKISH TRADE CENTRE
[06] PARTIES AGREE ON EARLY GENERAL ELECTIONS
[07] STOCK EXCHANGE RISES
[08] HATEMI TRIES TO SOOTHE CONCERNS OVER IRAN MISSILE TEST
[09] TURKISH SCIENTIST WINS R & D AWARD
[10] WORKING GROUP MEETS FOR BLACK SEA TRAVEL SECURITY
[11] 'US SHOULD REVIEW ITS POLICY ON TURKEY'
[12] PANGALOS GIVES FLOWERS TO TURKISH SOLDIERS
[13] SAKIK: "OCALAN HAS HUGE FINANCIAL RESOURCES IN SYRIA"
[14] DIPLOMATS VISITING PIPELINE COUNTRIES
[15] PRODI VISITS TURKEY
[16] ANKARA CRITICIZES SWITZERLAND FOR ANTI-TURKISH ATTITUDE
[17] DEMIREL URGES ACTION ON KOSOVO
[18] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY
[19] DENKTAS: "TRNC SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN CURRENCY"
[20] MOUNT NEMRUT ERODING
[21] TURKISH ECONOMY IS ON RIGHT TRACK
[22] WORLD MARITIME SCIENCE AWARD FOR TURKEY
[01] STRATEGY REPORT ON EU-TURKEY RELATIONS
A strategy report by Turkish officials on relations between the
European Union and Turkey notes the economic imbalance in
economic relations. The report says that the customs union has
created a larger foreign trade deficit for Turkey and that Turkey
has so far been unable to secure sufficient foreign capital from
the EU countries. Criticizing the EU by saying that it has not
fulfilled its obligations, the report concludes that economic
cooperation must be heightened and that the Association Council
must work more effectively. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] ZAMAN CORRESPONDENT DIES IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
Ahmet Duran, 24, a correspondent for Zaman newspaper died
yesterday in a traffic accident near Antalya. Two other employees
of the paper were injured when the car they were in flew off the
road at speed. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] US REPLIES TO STATEMENTS BY PANGALOS
Jamie Rubin, spokesman for the US State Department, replied
yesteday to a statement by Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros
Pangalos in which he called on US citizens of Greek origin to
make financial contributions to the Greek Army. In the same
statement, Pangalos also called US President Bill Clinton a liar.
Rubin said that the "disgraceful" terminology of Pangalos did not
become a minister of a NATO member country, and was an
interference in US domestic policy. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] TARGET FOR INCOME EXCEEDED
In the first six months of 1998, while the targets determined
for national income were exceeeded by 241.4 trillion Turkish
Liras, expenses stayed within the limits of the programme. Thus,
the budget deficit stayed below the target of the programme by
246.8 trillion Turkish liras. The Ministry of Finance yesterday
announced the budget targets for the third three-month period
and said that the government would act with determination, to
combat inflation and keep to the targets of the government
programme. /Hurriyet/
[05] MOSCOW TURKISH TRADE CENTRE
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the construction of a Turkish Trade
Centre in Moscow to be built jointly by the Union of Turkish
Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB)and the Turkish Exporters
Union (TIM) will be held in September with the attendance of
Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Y�lmaz. The trade centre which is
expected to be completed in two years and which will cover 20,000
square metres, will hold 250 offices, shopping centres and
show-rooms. /Hurriyet/
[06] PARTIES AGREE ON EARLY GENERAL ELECTIONS
The coalition parties and the Republican People's Party have
agreed to hold general elections on 25 April 1999. The Turkish
Grand National Assembly (TGNA) will debate this motion before
leaving for summer recess. /Milliyet/
[07] STOCK EXCHANGE RISES
Agreement reached among the coalition partners for early general
elections has boosted stock exchange activity. While share
trading rose by 1.31%, the IMKB-100 Index increased by 56 points
and reached 4.326. The lifting of uncertainty about early
elections and the positive messages given by international rating
firms concerning Turkey's credibility were the main reasons given
for the positive trading start to the week. /Milliyet/
[08] HATEMI TRIES TO SOOTHE CONCERNS OVER IRAN MISSILE TEST
Iranian President Muhammed Hatemi yesterday replied to criticisms
following medium-range missile testing by Iran last Wednesday.
"Iran's ability to defend itself is not a threat against any
neighbouring countries and is in the service of the whole Islamic
world", said Hatemi referring to US President Bill Clinton's
warning that the missiles, called "Sahab-3", will lead to further
instability in the Middle East because many countries in the
Middle East including Turkey, Israel and Saudi Arabia are within
the 1300 km range of the missiles. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] TURKISH SCIENTIST WINS R & D AWARD
Turkish scientist Dr. Ali Erdemir, who is currently working at
Argon Laboratories, affiliated to the US Energy Department and
Chicago University, has won an important R and D award for his
invention of a kind of carbon film plating, which reduces
friction and is more resistant than silver. The award is seen as
the applied sciences "Nobel" award. Erdemir's discovery also won
second place in a competition organized by "Discover" magazine
last month. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] WORKING GROUP MEETS FOR BLACK SEA TRAVEL SECURITY
The first meeting of the "Black Sea Travel Security Working
Group" set up by the countries which have coasts on the Black Sea
started yesterday in Istanbul. The meeting attended by Turkey,
the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Romania and Georgia will last
for three days. Greece is attending the meeting as an observer,
the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. It is expected that
important decisions for bilateral and multilateral projects will
be taken during the meetings.
[11] 'US SHOULD REVIEW ITS POLICY ON TURKEY'
An article on "Turkey's Strategic Importance" in the Washington
Times newspaper yesterday noted that the US should review its
policy on Turkey. The article, written by Prof.Amos Perlmutter
stated that Turkey was the only secular Islam country in the
Middle East and could play an important role in the establishment
of stability in the Balkans. Perlmutter said that Turkey was
acting as a fortress against fundamentalist activities directed
at such countries as Egypt, Jordan and Libya. He pointed out that
Turkey and Greece could use their influence in Cyprus and
persuade the two sides on the island to sit at the negotiation
table. /Sabah/
[12] PANGALOS GIVES FLOWERS TO TURKISH SOLDIERS
Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, who visited Western
Thrace yesterday, gave flowers to Turkish soldiers at the
Turkish-Greek border by the Meric River. Pangalos noted that the
Turkish and Greek nations should live in a peaceful atmosphere.
Turkish soldiers thanked Pangalos, saying: "Efharisto", which
means 'Thanks' in Greece. /Sabah/
[13] SAKIK: "OCALAN HAS HUGE FINANCIAL RESOURCES IN SYRIA"
A leading member in the PKK terrorist organization, Semdin Sakik,
captured by Turkish security forces during an operation in
northern Iraq and later brought to Turkey, yesterday gave a
29-page testimony to the State Security Court in Diyarbakir.
Sak�k noted in his testimony that Abdullah Ocalan, head of the
PKK terrorist organization, was secreting the organization's
financial resources in Syrian banks and said: "If he withdraws
his money, the Syrian economy could be shaken". /Sabah/
[14] DIPLOMATS VISITING PIPELINE COUNTRIES
Two leading diplomats from Ankara and Washington are on a tour of
Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan with letters from US President Bill
Clinton and Turkish President Suleyman Demirel which emphasize
the importance of both the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline and the
trans-Caspian energy corridor. Foreign Ministry Deputy
Undersecretary Yaman Baskut and Richard Morningstar, Clinton's
advisor on Caspian energy issues, will convey their president's
messages to Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev and Turkmen
President Saparmurad Niyazov Turkmenbasi.
[15] PRODI VISITS TURKEY
"We must take concrete steps to decrease tensions in the region
(Cyprus)" said Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. Prodi, on a
one-day working visit to Turkey yesterday, was speaking at a
joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz
in Istanbul, following a Bosphorus boat cruise. Prodi added: "The
situation is damaging the economies of both Greece and Turkey and
is increasing the military spending of the two countries". He
said: "Italy is in favour of increasing relations with Turkey".
The Italian prime minister added that Italy supports Turkey's
membership in the EU. "Turkey and the EU are obliged to go
together in the long run. Their destiny is for cooperation and
mutual understanding. Italy shares a great responsibility for
peace in the Mediterranean and peace between the Christian and
the Muslim world. Turkey is a key country in the equation".
Yilmaz noted that economic ties between Italy and Turkey had
increased over the past five years and that trade volume between
the two nations stood at $6 billion in 1997. He said that 145
Italian companies had direct investments in Turkey at the end of
last year, accounting for 4.5 % of all foreign investment. Yilmaz
invited Italian companies to take part in Turkey's defense and
energy projects as well as its huge privatization programme. The
two prime ministers discussed the escalation in violence in
Kosovo, Turkey's bid for EU membership and the continuing Cyprus
impasse at their meeting, officials from the two countries said.
/All papers/
[16] ANKARA CRITICIZES SWITZERLAND FOR ANTI-TURKISH ATTITUDE
Ankara has condemned Switzerland for permitting the convening of
a Kurdish meeting in Lausanne on Friday, which ended with the
endorsement of statements praising the PKK terrorist organization
and attacking Turkey, as well as allowing an anti-Turkey
demonstration to be held in the same city on Saturday. "We
condemn the Swiss federal government for the insensitive stance
it has adopted on anti-Turkey activities in its country, despite
repeated warnings from Turkey" a Foreign Ministry statement said
yesterday. /All papers/
[17] DEMIREL URGES ACTION ON KOSOVO
President Suleyman Demirel has sent letters to his counterparts
from the Contact Group and some regional countries, calling on
them to take urgent measures adequate to the gravity of the
violent situation in Yugoslavia's province of Kosovo. In the
letters, which he conveyed in the wake of his visit to Albania on
July 14-15, Demirel emphasized that the present situation in
Kosovo was a "serious threat to stability and security in
Southeast Europe" and that Turkey was ready to take part in "any
initiative to solve the problem, including a multinational peace
force" a statement from the Presidential office said yesterday.
In addition, Demirel has also sent a letter to Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic, demanding an immediate dialogue between the
fighting parties, withdrawal of Yugoslav security forces from
Kosovo and the establishment of favourable conditions for
refugees to return. He has emphasized that the growing flow of
refugees fleeing from Kosovo has negatively affected the
international community's conception of the dispute. /All papers/
[18] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY
President Emil Constantinescu of Romania will come to Turkey
tomorrow as the official guest of his Turkish counterpart
President Suleyman Demirel, the Anatolia news agency reported
yesterday. A statement of the Foreign Ministry pointed out that
Constantinescu will visit Turkey within the framework of the
regular negotiations set up between the Romanian and Turkish
presidents.
[19] DENKTAS: "TRNC SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN CURRENCY"
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Rauf
Denktas has said that the country should mint its own currency in
line with structural requirements for an independent state. "We
can put a stamp on Turkish banknotes signifying that this is TRNC
money and tell the world that this is our currency" Denktas told
the TRNC daily Cyprus, according to the Anatolia news agency.
[20] MOUNT NEMRUT ERODING
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Turkey, Mt.Nemrut,
which attracts thousands of visitors each year to see its
wonderful sunrise, is eroding due to natural causes and lack of
proper care. The peak that contain the tumulus of Antiochus the
First has eroded down to 50 metres from 75 in 2,000 years, the
Anatolia news agency reported. Mt.Nemrut, which is among 440
historical sights listed as a "World Heritage" by UNESCO, is also
on the list of the most damaged heritage sites in the world.
The ambassador for UNESCO in Turkey, Zulfu Livaneli, announced
that he was going to bring the damage on the peak of Mt.Nemrut to
the attention of UNESCO. "I will give priority to Mt.Nemrut at
UNESCO meetings, but first of all it's our duty to protect these
historic places" he said.
[21] TURKISH ECONOMY IS ON RIGHT TRACK
Marie Cavanaugh, Turkey analyst for leading US finnancial rating
institution Standard and Poor's, said they would closely follow
the Staff Monitoring Programme the Turkish government has signed
with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), adding that the
programme accord was very important for Turkey's credibility.
Cavanaugh stressed that the economic programme should not be
damaged for the sake of populist policies such as public sector
wage hikes, noting that if the programme signed with the IMF was
strictly enforced, then the inflation rate would drop in the
medium and long-term, the Anatolia news agency reported
yesterday.
[22] WORLD MARITIME SCIENCE AWARD FOR TURKEY
Ass.Prof.Guldem Cerit, Chairman of the Department of Marine
Enterprises and Management at the Dokuz Eylul University who
presented a paper on "Maritime Transports as an Area of
Competitive Superiority in International Marketing" at the
"Eighth Transportation Research Conference" organized in Antwerp,
Belgium, was awarded with the "Maritime Science Award" yesterday,
the Anatolia news agency reported.
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