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Turkish Press Review, 98-09-17
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
17.09.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] YILMAZ HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE
[02] KIVRIKOGLU IN NORWAY
[03] NO CHANGE IN EU
[04] JORDANIAN F-16s IN TURKEY
[05] TURKEY: ARRANGEMENT FOR N.IRAQ SHOULD BE TEMPORARY
[06] ANKARA URGES CANCELLATION OF S-300 MISSILES
[07] ANKARA ACCEPTS LIBYAN EXPLANATION
[08] TURCO-BULGARIAN AGREEMENT
[09] TURKISH-IRANIAN RELATIONS
[10] 53 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
[11] ATES WARNS SYRIA
[12] UNCTAD CALLS FOR RESTRICTION OF CAPITAL FLOW
[13] NARAYANAN IN TURKEY
[14] AKIN BIRDAL: NOMINEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
[15] YILMAZ TO ATTEND UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
[16] U.S SUPPORTS BAKU-CEYHAN ROUTE
[17] BANKING SEMINAR IN ISTANBUL
[18] FRENCH AWARD TO YASAR KEMAL
[19] PRESS COUNCIL WORLD CONGRESS
[20] ARAB UNION DENOUNCES TURKISH-ISRAELI COOPERATION
[21] HUMAN RIGHTS COURT TO DISCUSS RP's APPLICATION
[01] YILMAZ HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE
Motherland Party (ANAP) Leader and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz
described September 30 as a "financial clearance day", when in
accordance with a Finance Ministry circular, all Turkish citizens
will be required to deposit their cash, foreign exchange,
certificates of deposit and similar assets in the bank. Putting
the new tax reform into effect represents a turning point for
Turkey, he stated during a press conference organized on the
publication of the circular. /All papers/
[02] KIVRIKOGLU IN NORWAY
Chief of General Staff, Gen.Huseyin Kivrikoglu has gone to Oslo,
Norway, after attending three-day NATO Military Committee
meetings in Copenhagen, Denmark. Kivrikoglu and his fellow
commanders were welcomed with a military ceremony in Oslo. Later
they watched a display by special units of the Royal Guard.
/Milliyet/
[03] NO CHANGE IN EU
The European Union (EU) Commission issued a call yesterday to
revive political dialogue between Turkey and the EU severed
following the Luxembourg summit. A report written by British
Conservative Deputy Edward McMillan Scott on the customs union
agreement between Turkey and the EU was discussed yesterday at
the European Parliament. The EU Commission's Foreign Relations
Comissioner Hans Van Den Broek said yesterday that political
dialogue between Turkey and the EU should be revived. Broek noted
that the EU did not want to exclude Turkey and called on Turkey
to participate in the Second European Conference to be held on
October 5. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] JORDANIAN F-16s IN TURKEY
Jordanian military aircraft will hold training flights in Turkish
airspace next month. Intelligence cooperation between Turkey and
Jordan is also underway. Jordan, a country with one of the best
intelligence networks in the Middle East, relays information
regarding the activities of the PKK terrorist organization in the
region to Ankara. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] TURKEY: ARRANGEMENT FOR N.IRAQ SHOULD BE TEMPORARY
Turkey said yesterday that any arrangement to fill the authority
vacuum in northern Iraq should be temporary and should lay the
necessary ground for a more efficient struggle against the PKK
terrorist organization. Referring to the ongoing consultations
between the two Iraqi Kurdish leaders, Celal Talabani and Mesut
Barzani, and US officials in Washington, Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Necati Utkan told a press conference that any
arrangement to be made in northern Iraq as a result of these
talks should be a 'temporary order'. Utkan added that Talabani
and Barzani will inform Ankara about their talks in Washington
when they return. /All papers/
[06] ANKARA URGES CANCELLATION OF S-300 MISSILES
Turkey said yesterday that a postponement, and not complete
cancellation, of Greek Cypriot plans to deploy Russian-made S-300
missiles on Cyprus will further aggravate the situation on the
island. "Arbitrary decisions for postponement will not bring a
solution to the present problems, will not change the essence of
the issue and will even cause the present situation to
deteriorate", Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan said in a
written statement. "It is obvious that neither Turkey nor the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) can tolerate the
utilization of the S-300s as a constant element of threat" Utkan
stressed. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] ANKARA ACCEPTS LIBYAN EXPLANATION
Ankara expressed satisfaction yesterday with a Libyan explanation
that members of the PKK terrorist organization had participated
in a recent official parade in Tripoli without the previous
knowledge of the Libyan authorities. Foreign Ministry Spokesman
Necati Utkan told a press conference yesterday that Libya had
assured Ankara that it would take action and investigate the
controversial incident in which PKK members paraded in an
official ceremony organized for the September 1 anniversary of
the Libyan revolution. Tripoli has stated that it would punish
those responsible for the incident, Utkan added. /All papers/
[08] TURCO-BULGARIAN AGREEMENT
The Bulgarian Parliament approved yesterday a 'Free Trade
Agreement' which was signed between Turkey and Bulgaria in Sofia
in July. The agreement, previously approved by the Turkish
Parliament, thus comes into effect. According to the
Turkish-Bulgarian Free Trade Agreement, customs rates for
industrial products between the two countries will be gradually
reduced and be nullified in 2002. The agreement also foresees the
establishment of free trade zones between the two countries, the
Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
[09] TURKISH-IRANIAN RELATIONS
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan held a press
conference yesterday and said that during the visit of Foreign
Minister Ismail Cem to Iran, Iranian officials expressed their
concern over Turkish-Israeli cooperation agreements. Utkan added:
"They noted that Iranian concerns were stemming from Israel not
Turkey". Utkan also stated that the recent situation in
Afghanistan was causing anxiety. He pointed out that during Cem's
visit to Iran, it was agreed that a multi-party coalition should
be established in order to overcome the tension in Afghanistan,
the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
[10] 53 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
It is reported that 29 members of the PKK terrorist organization
were killed during an operation yesterday in the Beytussebap
district of Sirnak. According to Emergency Rule Region officials,
during operations carried out since September 11, 53 PKK
terrorists have been killed. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] ATES WARNS SYRIA
Land Forces Commander Gen.Atilla Ates warned Syria yesterday and
said: "Syria has been sheltering the leader of the PKK terrorist
organization Abdullah Ocalan for a long time. Syria should not
exploit our goodwill". Ates was briefed by military officials
from the Border Command in Reyhanli along the Turkish-Syrian
border yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] UNCTAD CALLS FOR RESTRICTION OF CAPITAL FLOW
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has published
its "Trade and Development Report, 1998". The report was
announced by Economics Professor Korkut Boratav of Ankara
University at the UN Information Centre in Ankara yesterday.
UNCTAD suggests a financial safety mechanism for national
currencies that are under speculative attack. The report defends
the right of countries that have heavy debt obligations to
restrict capital flow and stresses that this right should be
regarded as similar to the safety measures that are required by
the World Trade Organization's rules for foreign trade. /All
papers/
[13] NARAYANAN IN TURKEY
Indian President Shri K.R.Narayanan arrived in Ankara late on
Wednesday for a two-day official visit. Narayanan is expected to
meet with his Turkish counterpart Suleyman Demirel on Thursday
following an official welcoming ceremony. He will later have
talks with Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Deputy Prime Minister
Bulent Ecevit and Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin. /All papers/
[14] AKIN BIRDAL: NOMINEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
The largest political group in the European Parliament, the
Socialists, has nominated Human Rights Association (IHD)
president Akin Birdal, for this year's Saharov human rights
award. The final decision on the winner will be made by the
Parliament's presidency after all the groups determine their
nominees. /All papers/
[15] YILMAZ TO ATTEND UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz is preparing to launch a new
diplomatic initiative to garner international support for Turkey
to become a rotating member in the UN Security Council in 2001,
the Anatolia news agency reported. Yilmaz is scheduled to be in
New York on September 22 and will give a speech two days later at
the General Assembly to announce Turkey's intention to be
nominated for Security Council membership. /All papers/
[16] U.S SUPPORTS BAKU-CEYHAN ROUTE
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer met
yesterday with US special envoy to the Caspian region, Ambassador
Richard Morningstar. At the end of the meeting, Morningstar said
that they supported the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline for the
transportation of Caspian oil to European markets. He added that
the construction of the pipeline should be started by the end of
1998 without further delay. /Sabah/
[17] BANKING SEMINAR IN ISTANBUL
The Turkish Banks' Union and international credit rating
institution, Thomson Bankwatch, will organize a seminar on 28
September in Istanbul. The structure of the banking systems in
countries like China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, South
Korea and Hong Kong will be discussed during the seminar, which
will be chaired by the Hong Kong Director of Thomson Bankwatch.
/Sabah/
[18] FRENCH AWARD TO YASAR KEMAL
"Ecureuil" the Foreign Literature Award of the Bordeaux Book
Fair, France, was given to world-famous Turkish author Yasar
Kemal. Yasar Kemal was presented the award as he was both
regionally and universally popular and successfully represented
his country's culture. Kemal will be presented with his award on
21 September in Ankara by representatives of the French
government. /Milliyet/
[19] PRESS COUNCIL WORLD CONGRESS
The General Council and the World Congress of the World Press
Councils' Union (WAPC) will be held on 19-21 September in
Istanbul. Abuse of the principles of the profession and a
mechanism to examine these abuse will be discussed during the
meeting. /Milliyet/
[20] ARAB UNION DENOUNCES TURKISH-ISRAELI COOPERATION
Foreign ministers from the Arab Union member countries gathered
yesterday in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. Delivering a speech
during the opening of the meeting, Ismet Abdulmecit, General
Secretary of the Arab League said that improvement in Israel's
military relations with Turkey threatened the national interests
of the Arab countries.
Noting that a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu that Israel will develop a regional security system in
cooperation with Turkey, had much worried them, Abdulmecit called
on Turkey to review its relations with Israel. Syrian Foreign
Minister Faruk el Sara also noted the unease Arab leaders felt
because of Israeli-Turkish military cooperation. /Hurriyet/
[21] HUMAN RIGHTS COURT TO DISCUSS RP's APPLICATION
The European Human Rights Court will examine an application by
representatives of the former Welfare Party (RP), which was
outlawed by the Turkish Constitutional Court about a year ago.
Sevket Kazan, one of the senior members of the party, declared
yesterday that their file will be on the agenda of meetings to be
held by the sub-committee of the court between September 19-26.
/Cumhuriyet/
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