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Turkish Press Review, 98-08-18
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
18.08.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] WANTED TURKISH MAFIA BOSS CAPTURED IN FRANCE
[02] TEN ARRESTED JUST BEFORE JOINING PKK
[03] DUFF AND PHELPS REAFFIRMS BB- RATING FOR TURKEY
[04] ANTI-TERRORIST BRANCH APPREHENDS BOMBER
[05] TPAO, AMACO TO JOINTLY DRILL FOR OIL
[06] SLAUGHTER BY PKK IN NORTHERN IRAQ
[07] COOPERATIVE ASSEMBLY '98
[08] FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT FOR KOSOVO
[09] INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS SYMPOSIUM
[10] BEYPAZARI FACILITIES TO BE SET UP BY TURKS
[11] TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
[12] TANER: "RUSSIAN CRISIS NOT EXPECTED TO AFFECT TURKISH ECONOMY"
[13] SIX TURKS TO BE TRIED IN GREECE AFTER RAISING TURKISH FLAG
[14] UZBEK TURKISH-MADE SUGAR PLANT OPENS
[15] 330 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS DETAINED
[01] WANTED TURKISH MAFIA BOSS CAPTURED IN FRANCE
Alaattin Cakici, one of the biggest crime figures in Turkey, was
captured yesterday in Nice, France. As a result of a joint
operation of Turkish National Intelligence Service (MIT),
Marseilles Police and French Intelligence Service, Cakici was
arrested along with a female companion and a bodyguard at a Nice
hotel. /All papers/
[02] TEN ARRESTED JUST BEFORE JOINING PKK
Ten people were arrested in Van as they were about to be sent to
Keleres, the PKK training camp in Iran. Anti-terror teams raided
a house in Van after receiving intelligence that five people were
to be sent to Keleres to be trained militarily and politically by
the PKK. It is reported that fake identity cards, a pistol,
bullets and illegal documents were found in the house.
/Cumhuriyet/Milliyet/
[03] DUFF AND PHELPS REAFFIRMS BB- RATING FOR TURKEY
Duff and Phelps Credit Rating Cooperation (DCR) has informed
Turkey that it reaffirmed its BB long term foreign currency
rating. The US-based agency assigned a long term local currency
rating of BB+.
The Central Bank, with foreign currency reserves of around $ 26
billion, maintains a tight grip on money markets. The country's
fiscal position has shown an improvement this year under an
economic programme monitored by IMF. /Hurriyet/
[04] ANTI-TERRORIST BRANCH APPREHENDS BOMBER
Anti-terrorist branch has apprehended a PKK terrorist who planted
a bomb in the Misir Bazaar in Istanbul on July 9, when seven
people died in an explosion. The terrorist admitted planting the
bomb, and said that he had been trained in Greece, the police
officials say. Another 21 people have also been taken into
custody in connection with the slaughter. /Hurriyet/
[05] TPAO, AMACO TO JOINTLY DRILL FOR OIL
The Turkish Petroleum Joint Stock Company and Amaco, a Dutch
petroleum company, will jointly drill for oil in the
Mediterranean regions of Adana and Antalya. Amaco will share 13
licences allowing TPAO to search and drill for oil in the region.
/Hurriyet/
[06] SLAUGHTER BY PKK IN NORTHERN IRAQ
The Voice of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democracy Party Radio reports
that PKK terrorists staged 170 attacks against civilians in the
Northern Iraq. The report says that the PKK abducted 35 people
and killed 20 including women and children. The leader of the
party, Mesut Barzani, speaking on the radio, called on the PKK to
withdraw from Northern Iraq. /Hurriyet/
[07] COOPERATIVE ASSEMBLY '98
Land, naval and air exercises attended by NATO member countries,
Partnership For Peace (PFP) members and Eastern European
countries started yesterday in Albania. The exercises called
'Cooperative Assembly '98' will end on August 22. Nearly 1,700
troops from 14 countries including Turkey are participating in
the exercises. Admiral Joseph Lopez, Commander of the Southern
European NATO Forces, noted that the exercises were a message to
the conflicting sides in Kosovo. /Milliyet/
[08] FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT FOR KOSOVO
Turkish Foreign Ministry officials said yesterday that they were
pleased with the news which note that Kosovo Albanians will
participate in the meetings to be held with the representatives
of Republic of Yugoslavia. It is reported that the meetings will
be an important step for a peaceful solution to the Kosovo
problem. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS SYMPOSIUM
An "International Mathematics Symposium" jointly organized by the
Kocaeli University, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the
Institute of Mathematics, Colorado University, Nebraska
University and Moscow State University started yesterday in
Sapanca, Iznik. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] BEYPAZARI FACILITIES TO BE SET UP BY TURKS
The establishment of Beypazari Trona (mineral water) facilities,
one of the leading projects opened by Turkey to foreign
investments, will be realized by Turkish firms. A partnership
agreement between the Eti Holding, which has put out a tender for
the facilities, and Bayindir and Park Holding will be signed in
the forthcoming days. The investments will nearly cost TL 100
trillion. Beypazari facilities have the richest mineral water
reserves of the world. Foreign companies have previously proposed
that they could establish the facilities between seven and 10
years. However Turkish firms noted that they could establish the
facilities in five years' time. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
As a result of various accidents throughout Turkey yesterday, 56
people died and 78 people were injured. The traffic accidents
happened in Corum, in the Tarsus district of Icel, in the Ispir
district of Erzurum, on the Isparta-Gelendost highway and in the
Elbeyli district of Kilis. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] TANER: "RUSSIAN CRISIS NOT EXPECTED TO AFFECT TURKISH ECONOMY"
The crisis in Russia will not affect Turkey, believes Gunes
Taner, state minister responsible for economy. Replying to
journalists' questions Taner said that the devaluation in Russia
was not a surprise given the fluctuations in the global economy
and said that none of these developments can affect Turkey.
Russia can survive if it improves its trade relations with
Turkey, which is its second biggest trade partner after Germany,
Taner said.
Meanwhile, State Minister Isin Celebi said that all the necessary
measures had been taken to protect Turkey from the crisis in
Russia. /Sabah/
[13] SIX TURKS TO BE TRIED IN GREECE AFTER RAISING TURKISH FLAG
Six Turks have been arrested and subsequently released in Greece
after raising a Turkish flag on an electricity pole in the port
of the Aegean island of Kilimli and then photographing the scene.
In their testimony before Greek police the Turks reportedly
claimed that they had raised the Turkish flag and took pictures
in front of it "to have a memory for the future." /Cumhuriyet/
[14] UZBEK TURKISH-MADE SUGAR PLANT OPENS
The construction of the first Turkish-made sugar plant abroad has
been completed in Uzbekistan. According to the Anatolia news
agency, the plant in Horezm, Uzbekistan, will begin operation in
September with full capacity. It was constructed by the
partnership of state-run Turkseker and Yuksel Construction
Company. It cost approximately $ 100,000 to build. This was
financed by the Uzbek government and a loan provided by the
Turkish Eximbank to Uzbekistan.
[15] 330 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS DETAINED
Turkish police have detained more than 330 suspected illegal
migrants on the western Aegean costs as they prepared to leave
country, local government officials said on Monday. The Mugla
provincial governor's office said 231 Turkish citizens, 87
Iraqis, seven Nigerians, four Moroccans and Canadians were
arrested late on Sunday while they were waiting to board boats in
woods next to the shore. /Milliyet/
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