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Turkish Press Review, 99-07-29Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>29.07.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[02] SPECIAL KOSOVO[03] PRESIDENT DEMIREL TO GO TO SARAJEVOPresident Suleyman Demirel will go to Sarajevo tomorrow to attend the Presidents' Summit on the Southeastern Europe Peace Pact. Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Sermet Atacanli said during the weekly press conference that President Suleyman Demirel, who will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, will represent Turkey during the Summit. Recalling that the Pact was approved on 10 June in Cologne by the European Union Foreign Ministers, Atacanli stated that Turkey had played an active role during every step of the Pact. Atacanli pointed out that President Demirel will meet Bosnia-Herzegovinian President Alija Izzetbegovic at the end of the Summit.Meanwhile, Atacanli said that Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will attend the meeting to be held among regional countries. It is expected that Cem will meet his Greek and Italian counterparts at the end of the Summit, remarked Atacanli. /All papers/ [04] "TURKEY HAS EVIDENCE"Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Sermet Atacanli said in his weekly press conference yesterday that Turkey is anxious concerning the support of Tehran for the PKK. He added PKK activities in Iranian territories cause uneasiness in Turkey. He stated, "We expect that Iran will be as sensitive as Turkey concerning PKK terrorism. Turkey's uneasiness has been expressed to the Iranian at authorities various times and the Ankara administration expects Iran will bring about a clear solution to the issue as soon as possible." Stressing that Turkey sees her relations with Iran as being of great importance, Atacanli noted that the tension between Turkey and Iran would serve to the benefit of both countries. "Turkey has evidence concerning the presence of the PKK on Iranian territories. We expect Iran will make more effort and cooperate with Turkey to solve the issue."/Star/[05] 'IRAN SUMMIT AT CANKAYA PALACE'President Suleyman Demirel received the Head of the National Intelligence Service (MIT), Senkal Atasagun, the Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday at Cankaya Palace to discuss the recent developments in Turco-Iranian relations. After the meeting, Prime Minister Ecevit announced that Demirel had briefed them on his recent visit to Egypt at the beginning of the week and later they discussed the recent tension between Turkey and Iran and the situation of the two Turkish soldiers who are still under arrest in Iran. /Star/[06] IRAN CRITICIZES KIVRIKOGLUOne of the Iranian newspapers, the "Tehran Times", reported 'some of their neighbours are trying to create problems with their neighbours in order to direct the attention of their people towards an artifical agenda instead of their domestic problems.' It claimed, "Generals are in power in Turkey and the political authority in the country obeys the principles of the Generals". Upon the statement by Huseyin Kivrikoglu, the Chief of General Staff, statement yesterday saying that Turkish aircraft hit Northern Iraq without missing their targets, Tehran Radio evaluated it as an 'uncommon' statement. /Aksam/[07] TURCO-IRANIAN DELEGATIONS MEETINGThe Turkish delegation which went yesterday to Iran to inquire into the bombing allegations have completed their visit. The delegation went to Urumiye, the capital of Western Azerbaijan, and met their Iranian counterparts. According to the IRNA News Agency, a Turkish official accepted to pay compensation for the damage caused by the bombing of Turkish aircraft. It is also announced that the Turkish soldiers, who are still under arrest in Iran, will be released today. /Aksam/[08] ECEVIT WELCOMES START OF GREEK TALKSPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday welcomed the start of talks between Turkey and Greece. "Positive messages have started to come from Greece, which up to now had not even used the word 'dialogue' with Turkey. A tendency to seek dialogue can now be seen in Greece. We see this as a pleasing development" Ecevit told his deputies in Parliament. Turkish and Greek diplomats met in Ankara this week for two days of meetings on subjects designed to find common ground between the two neighbours. A second round of talks, dealing with the more substantive issues of terrorism and illegal immigration, is scheduled later this week in Athens.[09] TURCO-ITALIAN TENSION THAWS WITH D'ALEMA'S LETTERThe months-long tension beyween Turkey and Italy entered a process of detente yesterday with a 'message of friendship' conveyed by Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema to his Turkish counterpart Bulent Ecevit. "There are warm messages coming from Italy. This morning I received a message of friendship from Italy's Prime Minister" Ecevit said at his parliamentary group's meeting yesterday."D'Alema says that they see Turkey as a friend, as an ally within NATO and as a prospective partner within the EU. He says that Italy supports Turkey's full membership bid in the EU" Ecevit added. He also welcomed D'Alema's suggestion that a process of high-level dialogue be initiated between Turkey and Italy. /All papers/ [10] CEYLAN HOLDING TO BUILD THREE DAMS IN BULGARIAA contract establishing a partnership in the realization of the Gorna Arda project, under which three dams and hydroelectric power plants will be built, was signed between Bulgaria's National Electricity Institution and the Turkish construction company Ceylan Insaat. The contract was signed in Sofia and envisages the completion of the project within six-and-a-half-years at a cost of $220 million. An estimated 3,000 workers will be employed in the Eastern Rodopi mountains.Bulgaria's National Energy Committee Chairman Ivan Pilyaski said during the signing ceremony that the Gorna Arda project would be realized within the long-term cooperation protocol signed between Bulgaria's National Electricity Institution and the Turkish Electricity Corporation (TEAS). /All papers/ [11] TURKISH INDUSTRIAL FAIR ON THE INTERNETThe Turkish Industrial Fair (TIF) will be on the Internet. Visitors who log on the TIF site on the Internet will find themselves transported to a technological island in the middle of the Marmara Sea which includes all of Turkey's industrial companies which aim at presenting and selling their products to the world. TIF also hopes to help all the sectors that are in economic crisis. /All papers/[12] HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION KICKS OFFIn a press conference yesterday, State Minister responsible for Human Rights and EU Relations, Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik, announced a national programme of 10 years of education on human rights. "We are aware of the short-comings in our democracy and human rights profile, which we also mentioned in our government programme. Our government considers improvement in these areas as one of its main missions. Within this framework we have taken the very first steps, and there will be more coming" Irtemcelik told reporters. "Respect for human rights and preservation of the rights of individuals are matters of education and of conscience" Irtemcelik added.The action plan foresees the education of students and teachers, police, prosecutors, lawyers, prison guards and other security personnel. The plan aims to achieve its goal by enlisting the help of media and social service experts. /All papers/ [13] WASHINGTON REASSESSING ITS CASPIAN STRATEGYUS Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson will be visiting Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan in the second half of August for talks on Caspian oil projects. According to the Anatolia News Agency, Richardson will start his tour of the region on August 18 with a trip to Turkey. In addition to Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, Richardson may also visit Georgia. Quoting energy sources in Washington the Anatolia reported that the US administration was considering to support the transfer of Azerbaijani natural gas to Western markets through Turkey rather than Turkmen gas.[14] TEAS TO LAUNCH TURKEY'S FIRST MOBILE POWER PLANTThe Turkish Electiricity Transmission and Distribution Corp. (TEAS) is going to inaugurate its first mobile power plant in Van. According to information received by the Anatolia News Agency from the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, the power plant will be put into service at the end of this month. TEAS will also cooperate power plants in the southeastern cities of Silopi and Hakkari.[15] KOC IS THE BIGGEST AGAINIn a survey consisting of 500 big industrial institutions carried out by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO), Koc Holding Company continued to be the biggest industrial group of Turkey with its 22 firms and their turnover. Eleven out of 22 firms of the Koc Holding Company were among the first 100. The turnover of the firms of the Koc Holding increased by 28 % when compared to last year and rose to 1.2 quadrillion TL. /Turkiye/[16] CAPITAL MARKET RELAXESA draft law which foresees an amendment to the Capital Market Law in order to accelerate the decision-making mechanism and provide opportunities for the distribution of intermediate profits was approved by the Turkish Parliament's Industry, Trade, Energy, Natural Resources, Information and Technology Commission yesterday. According to the draft law, capital market means and related rights could be followed by a Central Registration Institution, a corporate body. /Turkiye/[17] KOMBASSAN IN THE USHIT OR MISS purchased by the Kombassan Holding has promoted its new models for the year 2000 to its manufacturers in Turkey. Deputy Chairman of the Fashion Company, James Sullivan, said that HIT OR MISS had 236 branches which sell ready-to-wear and accessories for women in the US and added that their aim was to increase this number to 280 by the end of this year. The Company will import ready-to-wear worth $50 million from Turkey by the end of this year. It has been planned that this figure will be increased to $100 million in the year 2000. /Turkiye/[18] DENKTAS WARNS GREEK-CYPRIOTSThe President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktas, called on Greek-Cypriots that the Cyprus problem could not be solved through the force of arms. Denktas recalled that Greek-Cypriots had tried this between 1955 and 1958 and stated that they had not been successful. Denktas proposed Greek-Cypriots that they send the weapons thay had bought outside the Island or throw them into the sea. /Turkiye/[19] CILLER HARSHLY CRITICIZES THE GOVERNMENTThe Leader of the True Path Party (DYP) Tansu Ciller harshly criticized the economic decisions taken by the Government and said that the salaries of civil servants should be increased by 20 % and added that they would present their proposal for an additional increase in salaries to the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA). Ciller delivered a speech at the DYP Group meeting and remarked that they sided with the Arbitration Law, however the draft prepared by the Government would cause many problems. /Turkiye/[20] PRIVATIZATION AT FULL SPEEDInitiatives for the privatization are continuing at full speed. Within the framework of the programme previously determined by the Privatization Administration Board (OIB), research into the privatization of the Turkish Petroleum Refineries Joint Stock Company through the method of block sale of its public shares has been completed. According to this, OIB which received proposals from four firms for the privatization services, has begun to evaluate the proposals from the financial and technical standpoints. /Turkiye/[21] KDP: PKK HAS BASES IN IRANThe Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) headed by Mesut Barzani stated that the PKK terrorist organization had bases on Iranian territories. In a statement, the KDP representative in London, Dilsad Mesut, said: "We are aware of some activities along the northern Iraqi-Iranian border for nearly one year". /Turkiye/[22] STRUGGLE AGAINST MAFIAThe two initial articles of the Draft Law for the Struggle Against Criminal Organizations were approved by the Turkish Parliament's General Council yesterday. The two initial articles foresee that those who set up criminal organizations will be imprisoned to six years and communication means could be listened to. /Turkiye/[23] ISRAEL TO PURCHASE 'WASTE WATER' FROM TURKEYAn Israeli firm has sent a letter to the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Institution (ISKI) and stated that they wanted to purchase a great amount of purified waste water to be used in agriculture. Therefore, ISKI has begun preparations to sell purified waste water to the Israeli firm. /Milliyet/[24] BRANDNAMES IN AEGEAN FREE-ZONEThe Aegean Free-Zone Region holds world-famous brands and their giant production companies within its structure. According to information furnished by the Aegean Free-Zone Region's (AFZR) authorities, there are a total of 330 companies in operation, 261 of them Turkish and 69 foreign. Four thousand workers are employed by these companies and an annual 1.5-billion-dollar trade volume is obtained. In 3 to 5 years, it is estimated that the number of firms in the region will rise to 800 while the number of workers will rise to 800 thousand and the annual trade volume will reach 4.5 billion dollars. In the AFZR, a lot of well-known firms are operating from all around world such as the USA, Canada, Germany, Holland, England, Italy, Spain, Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Japan and Taiwan. /Sabah/[25] FULL MARKS FOR TOURISMThe Britishs have proved that Turkey is a secure place for tourists. The tourism company 'Sunworld' which sends the most British tourists from England to Turkey, has sent its 183 tour guides to different parts of Turkey. They have engaged in research into vacations for one week and in their reports, they gave full marks to Turkey, especially for security and for other subjects. The tourist guides declared that this year a lot of negative news about Turkey has been issued by the British media but their personal opinions and the facts are completely different. /Sabah/[26] NEW PRODUCTS FROM SONYKnown in Turkey especially for its televisions and music sets, Sony is launching a marketing attack also on information technology. The company has signed an agreement with Empa to market all its products in the computer sector. The General Director of Empa, Cemal Alpay, stated that they plan to obtain a 750 thousand dollar to 1 million dollar revenue up to the end of the year from the sale of the Sony Monitors. /Sabah/[27] 30,000 MEGANE IN EUROPEThe 30,000th Megane Wagon was exported to Marseilles from Gemport Harbour in the Gemlik township of Bursa, where Megane automobiles are produced by the Oyak-Renault Automobile Factory. It is announced that at the end of 1999 at least 60,000 Meganes will have been exported to Europe. State Minister Fikret Unlu, who attended the farewell ceremony in Gemlik, said that there was no other way than quality in a severely competitive environment. /Hurriyet/[28] PKK THREATENS MOLDOVIAAfter the capture of the second most important man in the terrorist organization, Cevat Sosyal, last week in Moldovia, the PKK is threatening to launch attacks on the country of Moldovia, claiming that the Moldovian Intelligence Service had helped Turkey. Sending a message to the Moldovian Administration, PKK said that their intelligence service had offered its support to Turkey during the Cevat Soysal operation and that they would take their revenge. /Hurriyet/[29] PKK TO START TV BROADCASTThe number of TV channels which support the terrorist PKK organization has been increasing. After CTV, which is still broadcasting, Medya TV will start its pro-PKK broadcasts today. Medya TV aims at political propaganda. It is also announced that another TV channel in support of the PKK will start broadcasting during next week. /Hurriyet/[30] CEVIK BIR IN IMRALIThe Commander of the 1st Army, General Cevik Bir, visited the Imrali Island, where the head of the terrorist organization, Abdullah Ocalan, was kept under arrest. Bir was informed by the military officials on the Island yesterday. He later went to Mudanya. /Milliyet/[31] UN SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO CYPRUS RESIGNS FROM HER POSTUnited Nations (UN) Special Representative to Cyprus, Ann Hercus, announced that she resigned from her post concerning private reasons. Hercus, New Zeleand's former Member of Parliament, has continued her duty for 13 months. /Milliyet/[32] TURKEY'S PRIDEOne of the leading magazines in Germany, "Focus", reported on those airlines which are greatly preferred by German tourists. Among these airlines, are eight Turkish airlines: Air Alfa, Anatolia, Istanbul Airlines, Turkish-Cypriot Airlines, Pegasus Air, Sun Express and Turkish Airlines. According to the same report Pegasus Air and Sun Air have Boeing 737-800 type airplanes which are produced using the latest highest technology. /Aksam/[33] CAPPADOCIA AIRPORT ENLIVENS TOURISMIt is announced that the Nevsehir-Cappadocia Airport, which was opened by President Suleyman Demirel last year, has enlivened regional tourism. The senior representative of Gulsehir town, Alper Orkun, told the Anatolian News Agency that 4,176 passangers have been transported since April. Orkun added that not only domestic but also foreign tourists have been using the airport a lot. "More than 2,000 foreign tourists have come to the region through the airport. We have direct flights from Germany. Negotiations have been also conducted to start flights from America and Israel. We expect that the passenger capacity of the airport will reach one million in the year 2000," said Orkun.[34] RUSSIAN'S PETROLEUM STRETCHING ACROSS MEDITERRANEANRussia, getting ready to send its petroleum from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, has started cooperation with Greece and Bulgaria in a common petroleum pipeline. During the meetings, it was decided that the Russian part of this project would be undertaken by Russia's private sector.Greece, Russia and Bulgaria started the work to operate the common petroleum pipeline that extends across the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. High-ranking officials from the three countries will meet in Moscow in September in order to discuss the structure of this common firm which they plan to establish. In a statement from the Greek Ministry of Development, during the meeting between the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Valentina Mativienko, and the Greek Minister, Evangelos Venizelos, they reached an agreement in the sense that the part of the project concerning Russia would be undertaken by the Russian private sector. It is estimated that the project will carry 30 or 40 million tons of petroleum along its 320-kilometre length and that it will cost 700 million dollars. There is no official report concerning the project yet, but it was stated that Russia has promised to finish the work that it is responsible for as soon as it is possible. On the other hand, Venizelos and Athens' ex-Ambassador Matvienko solved the conflict between the Greek DEPA firm belonging to the government and the Russian Gazexport, concerning the price of the natural gas. According to Greek sources, last year 2,500,000 cubic metres of natural gas flowed from Russia to Greece but declined to 700,000 cubic metres because the price that was determined in 1989 was not found to be high enough. Greece is paying less than the other EU members for its natural gas purchased from Russia and this amount is 6 dollars per cubic metre. /Cumhuriyet/ [35] TULIPS FROM TURKEYThe Turkish Peace Garden opened in Montreal, Canada, will be full of thousands of tulips coming from Turkey next year. The Turkish Honorary Consul-General in Montreal, Emin Battika, said that next year more than 1.5 million people would visit the Peace Garden opened in the Botany Park, which is one of the most important tourist centre in the city. /Milliyet/[36] THREE MEDALS IN PHYSICS OLYMPICSA Turkish team trained by the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Institution (TUBITAK) received three silver medals and two mansions during the 30th International Physics Olympics held in Italy/Padova between July 18-27 and attended by 291 students from 62 countries. /Turkiye_[37] OFF-ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPThe fourth section of the Turkish Off-Road Championship, sponsored by Chrysler's trade mark Jeep, will be organized by the Istanbul Off-Road Club and will start on the first of August, in Kosuyolu at 11 a.m. During the championship, "6*6 truck" and "Buggy" sections were opened for the first time and the vehicles will perform their power. The members of press will also join the championship and the winners will get the "Jeep Press Cup". In the championship, which will seem to be a festival with its tents extending across a large area, the "parapant show" will make it more colorful. /Cumhuriyet/SHOOTING In Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, the Turkish shooting team's sportsmen won one gold medal and one bronze medal in the World Police Games, reported by the Anatolian News Agency. 10,000 sportsmen from 160 countries took part in the World Police Games and Turkey joined it with its shooting team and cross team with four sportsmen in each team. In the 25-metres' shooting heats, Haci Mehmet Kilic from the Turkish team came first and Demez Ercan came third. The Turkish team came third in the cross heats. [38] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...[39] SENSITIVE BORDERS -BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the disputes between Turkey and Iran. A summary of his column is as follows:"The border region which is claimed to be bombed by Turkish planes is in the territory of Iraq, as announced by Turkish officials. There are documents, which can prove this point, in the hands of the Turkish experts who had started a joint investigation with Iranian officials. Ankara hopes that at the end of this investigation the situation would be clarified, Tehran will take back its claims and the shadow of clouds cast on the relations between the two countries will be lifted. According to information given by an official, the region is a "no man's land". A little further from the region lies the land in control of Talabani. However, the bombed areas are not controlled by the forces of Talabani. The PKK terrorist organization using this complex political geography is based there. When this was determined by Turkish intelligence a limited air strike was made. Turkish officials recalled that similar incidents happened occasionally and they could not understand why Iran waged such a severe campaign against Turkey on the issue. It will be constructive to form common policies which will prevent the repetition of such incidents following meetings to take place at the end of the investigations. As the border region has a complex character and as the PKK is trying to form a base there, these lands are a perpetual source of tension between Turkey and Iran. An effective cooperation on security should be established to hold these sensitive regions under control. Until then an atmosphere of trust is necessary. It is proven by documents that the PKK has tried to use Iran as a shelter after it has been expelled from Syria. However, the main areas terrorists are based on are in Northern Iraq. As the Saddam regime has no power over these lands, from time to time Turkey has to extend her fight to these lands. Turkey carries on the fight in these lands with the local forces, mainly those loyal to Barzani. Despite the efforts of the US, a compromise could not be reached between the forces of Barzani and Talabani and this makes the fight against the PKK more difficult. So long as the slippery background in Northern Iraq persists, it will not be possible to completely eradicate the danger there". [40] ON GOOD NEWS.... -BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)Columnist Oktay Eksi writes on the introduction of a provision covering crimes committed by way of mass media, the improvement of relations between Turkey and Greece and Turkey and Italy. A summary of his column is as follows:"The Government has introduced a provision covering all crimes committed through mass media. Thus, a possibility has been created to hope that Turkey will be rid of the description that she is the country where the number of journalists imprisoned are greater than in any other country. It is our sincere hope that the Government will not find this provision satisfactory and amendments can be made to allow for penalties to be changed from prison terms to high fines on the crimes concerning freedom of expression. We are expecting good news on these subjects as in foreign affairs. Following Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreu's positive attitude in starting a dialogue between Turkey and Greece and his acceptance that our kinsmen in Western Thrace are of Turkish descent, a friendly message from Italian Prime Minister D'Alema came to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. D'Alema states that he attributes great importance to the relations between Turkey and Italy. Touching on the disputes between the countries the Prime Minister expresses his wish to overcome these. He proposes to hold a meeting where all common interests can be discussed to restore the close ties between the two countries. These all seem to be preparations for accepting Turkey as a candidate for full-membership to the EU. " [41] SPECIAL KOSOVO[42] TURKISH AID TO KOSOVORepresentatives from more than 100 countries and international institutions gathered yesterday in Brussels to determine a strategy to meet the urgent needs of Kosovo. According to the European Union (EU) statement, "Turkey, Japan and Switzerland wanted to cooperate with the agency to be established to organize of the aid."The EU Commission and NATO officials said that at least $ one billion is needed to reconstruct war-damaged buildings in Kosovo. It is also announced that Turkey has already offered $ 40 million contribution. /Aksam/[43] KOSOVARS RETURNINGKosovars, who came to Turkey after escaping from the cruelty and massacre in Kosovo, are now returning to their native country, reported by the Anatolian News Agency.In a statement by the Ministry of the Interior, 17,746 Kosovars had come to Turkey by road and by air but yesterday 16,350 of them left Turkey up until 24:00. 284 refugees are still being treated as guests at Kirklareli Gaziosmanpasha Camp. Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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