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Turkish Press Review, 98-08-14Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>14.08.98Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] GERMANY BANS EXTREMIST DHKP-C AND THKP_CGermany has banned the two rival left-wing Turkish extremist groups, the Revolutionary Popular Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and the Turkish Popular Liberation Party/Front (THKP/C) as threats to domestic security, citing growing violence and criminal activity mainly targeting Turks living in Germany. "The ban is the best response that a state based on the rule of law can give to these two extremist groups, who have perpetrated grave crimes and have not hesitated to kill people openly on streets" German Interior Minister Manfred Kanther was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency yesterday.Kanther said that the two groups should cease their activities in Germany immediately and emphasized that the ban would also cover their publications. Their property in Germany would be confiscated, he added. Kanther pointed out that the DHKP-C and THKP_C largely financed their activities by blackmailing Turkish residents and businesses, and have for many years used violence and murder to gain dominance in Germany, home to some 2 million Turks. [02] DEMIREL RECEIVES MEMBERS OF US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESPresident Suleyman Demirel yesterday received Gerald B.H.Solomon, a member of the House of Representatives of the US Congress and his accompanying delegation at the Presidential Palace, the Anatolia news agency reported. The delegation consisted of 22 members of the House of Representatives.[03] TURKEY-TRNC COOPERATIONA protocol, which foresees cooperation in various issues between the Bayrak Radio-Television of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Black Sea Television was signed yesterday by TRNC Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas and Turkish State Ministers Sukru Sina Gurel, Hasan Gemici and Refaettin Sahin. /Cumhuriyet/[04] FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES INCREASECentral Bank foreign exchange reserves increased by $595 million during the first week of August. Foreign exchange reserves, which totalled $25.711 billion on July 31, rose to $26.306 billion on August 7. Meanwhile, Turkey repaid $122.6 million in foreign debts between 3-12 August. Foreign debts paid since the beginning of this year have amounted to $7 billion. /Milliyet/[05] GREECE: S-300s WILL BE DEPLOYED BY EARLY NOVEMBERGreece announced that the controversial Russian-made S-300 missiles would be deployed to the Greek Cypriot Administration by early November. Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Yannos Kranidiotis, who paid a visit to southern Cyprus on Wednesday, said that the arrival of the missiles on the island was expected to proceed in two-and-a-half months, the Anatolia news agency reported.[06] TURKMENS PROTEST BARZANIIraqi Turkmens protested against Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) yesterday, laying a black wreath in front of the party's office. A crowd of 50 Turkmens gathered before the KDP representation headquarters in Ankara, shouting slogans against Barzani and asking Ankara to take urgent steps to defend Turkmen rights.Turkmen leaders Mustafa Kemal Yaycili and Feridun Hurmuzlu were among the protestors. Iraqi Turkmens claim that in an effort to eradicate the Turkmen presence in northern Iraq, the KDP attacked Turkmens in Arbil. /All papers/ [07] GERMANY TRANSFERS $265 MLN IN WEAPONS TO TURKEYGermany reortedly sold DM 449.2 million (approximately $265 million) worth of weapons and military equipment to Turkey in the first half of 1998, the Anatolia news agency reported from Bonn. The number was derived from a response by the German government to a questionnaire submitted by the Green Alliance 90, a united opposition movement, on the transfer of weapons to some countries in recent years. The government statement said that a cargo ship used by the German military had been sold to Turkey as surplus equipment.[08] 'WISE MEN AND SAINTS' CONFERENCE TO ENRICH TURKISH CULTUREThe first International Turkish Wise Men and Saints Conference opened in Ankara yesterday. The conference, which will last for four days, is being held by the Culture Ministry Folkloric Research Centre and the Anatolian Wise Men and Saints Culture and Arts Foundation, the Anatolia news agency reported. Deputy Parliament Speaker Uluc Gurkan, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Culture Minister Istemihan Talay and Democratic Left Party (DSP) Deputy Chairwoman Rahsan Ecevit attended the opening ceremony of the conference.Indicating that wise men and saints played an important role in developing Turkish culture, Ecevit said: "Most of our wise men and saints were folkloric poets. During the Ottoman Empire, when the state language was Ottoman, there was a cultural and linguistic division between the state and the people. But the wise men and the people spoke the same langauge". Ecevit added that wise men taught people tolerance and love. [09] TURKEY RECEIVES FOUR BIDS FOR EREGLI CONSULTANCYTurkey has received four bids in a tender to choose an adviser for the privatization of its sole flat steel maker Eregli Demir Celik Fabrikalari (Eregli Iron and Steel Plants), the privatization administration said in a statement. Bids were received from the following companies: Bankers Trust, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Co Ltd.-ING Barings, HSBC and Salomon Smith Barney. The bidders will present their proposals by August 17, the administration said.[10] INTERNATIONAL ATATURK OIL PAINT PORTRAIT COMPETITIONAn international competition for "Ataturk Oil Paint Portrait" on the occassion of the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic will be jointly organized by the International Herald Tribune and the Milliyet daily newspaper. The competition will also be supported by Kenan Evren Education, Culture and Nature Foundation. /Milliyet/[11] DAMS IN GAP REGIONDogan Altinbilek, the General Director of the State Water Works (DSI) said that seven dams were concluded so far within the context of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) and seven others were under construction and that the two more dams will be constructed in the region. Speaking to the Anatolia news agency correpondent, Altinbilek said that the DSI investments were composed of 13 great projects aimed at the agricultural, energy, services and environmental sectors for the improvement of water and soil sources in the GAP, which is regarded as the greatest investment in the Republican period.[12] DALYAN INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECT TO BE IMPLEMENTEDPrime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will lay the foundation for the "Koycegiz-Dalyan Infrastructural Project" on August 19, which is regarded as the rescue of the Koycegiz Lake and Dalyan Canals in the Koycegiz County of the Aegean Mugla Province. The German KWF Foundation will pay a portion of TL six trillion and the Private Environment Protection Committee will pay a portion of TL four trillion of the project, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.Meanwhile, officials said that Yilmaz is also scheduled to lay the foundation of the purification plant in Gocek and the infrastructural project and solid waste purification plant in Dalaman. The officials pointed out that the region entered into a very significant infrastructural mobilization. [13] FOREIGN CAPITAL PERMITS INCREASE22.4 % of the foreign capital permits has been given by Turkey to French investors. According to the Treasury Undersecretariat data, OECD countries such as the US, Holland and Germany follow France. The total foreign capital permits given by Turkey since the beginning of this year until the end of July amount to $23.245 billion including $5.200 billion for French firms. /Cumhuriyet/[14] SUPPORT FROM THE WORLD BANK FOR NATUREThe GES-2 Project (Global and Environmental Sources) prepared by the World Bank in order to protect Sultansazligi Bird Paradise, will be discussed in Kayseri on August 16, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Timur Erdem, National Parks Engineer from the Forest Ministry, told the Anatolia news agency correspondent that the GES-2 project prepared by French SECA-BRL firm, includes the control of biological diversity and the natural sources in Sultansazligi Bird Paradise, Artvin Camili Gorgit-Efeler Forest, Antalya Koprulu Canyon and Kirklareli Igneada Sakagolu deep area.The project will take its final form at the meeting and a joint declaration will be issued before the project is presented to the Forest Ministry and the World Bank. The project will be put out to tender by the World Bank at the end of September. [15] SECOND CYPRUS PEACE OPERATION TO BE CELEBRATEDSecond phase of the Cyprus Peace Operation which Turkey launched by using its right of guarantorship on 14 August, following July 20, 1974, will be celebrated with ceremonies on the 24th anniversary. Within the framework of the celebrations, ceremonies will be staged the people who were massacred will be commemorated, the Anatolia news agency reported.[16] DEMIREL APPROVES GOVERNMENT DECISIONSA decree which reduces the withheld tax rate from 12% to 6% has taken effect after being published in the Official Gazette yesterday. The decree has relieved the Turkish banking sector which requested the Finance Ministry and ministers responsible for the economy to reduce the withheld tax on the grounds that it will lead to an increase in interest rates. Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, State Minister responsible for the economy Gunes Taner and Finance Minister Zekeriya Temizel agreed to reduce the tax after a meeting held last week.President Suleyman Demirel approved yesterday a decision by the Council of Ministers which reduces the value added tax rate in tourism sector services from 23% to 15%. Demirel also approved a decree related to a 40 million 497.6 thousand dollar loan from Italy to be used for a purification project for the Izmit Gulf. /Hurriyet/ [17] JUSTICE MINISTRY WORKS TO CONFORM AGREEMENTS WITH EUThe Justice Ministry's European Union Coordination Department has prepared a project for developing expert courts for "intellectual and industrial rights" in 12 locations in Turkey. The department will submit the project to the EU to jointly implement the project. The department will also prepare a project for "consumer rights court". /Hurriyet/[18] TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS IN PAKISTANWhile five Turkish construction firms are implementing various projects in Pakistan, 10 other Turkish firms have won tenders and started investing in this country.The economic relations between Turkey and Pakistan, improved by a Pakistan Trade Mission's visit to Turkey in 1997 and efforts by the Turkish-Pakistani Joint Economic Commission, have reached their zenith in 1998. /Sabah/ [19] TWO PKK TERRORISTS KILLEDIn a clash with PKK members in the district of Pulumur near Tunceli two PKK terrorists were killed yesterday. PKK members abducted two shepherds and stole 170 animals in the Kumcati district of Sirnak. Security forces also apprehended three people alleged to support the PKK terrorist organization in the Tercan district of Erzincan. /Sabah/Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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