Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-08-26

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From: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>

26 AUG 1998

CONTENTS

[01] GERMANY PROHIBITS ACTIVITIES OF ''INTERNATIONAL FRANKFURT PEOPLES' HOUSE'' WHICH SUPPORTS THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

[02] EXPLOSION AT FODDER FACTORY IN DENIZLI - 16 INJURIES

[03] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS' MEETING - GUREL, THE STATE MINISTER AND GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: ''INVESTMENTS FOR HIGHWAYS IN SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY WHICH ARE IMPORTANT FOR SECURITY AND THE DRAFT FORESEEING AMENDMENT IN CIVIL LAW HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED''

[04] INQUIRY ABOUT ONE TRILLION TURKISH LIRAS OF THE BANNED RP, WHICH IS MISSING - ANKARA CHIEF PROSECUTION STARTS AN INQUIRY UPON THE SUIT FILED BY SAVAS, THE REPUBLIC CHIEF PROSECUTOR OF SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS

[05] AN ANCIENT TOMB FOUND IN ISKENDERUN

[06] MILITARY PLANE CRASHES - PILOTS SAVED

[07] THE WORLD IN BRIEF - 26 AUGUST 1998 (1)

[08] THE WORLD IN BRIEF - 26 AUGUST 1998 (2)

[09] ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS PROTEST THE TANKER WHICH RAN AGROUND

[10] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ TO PAY OFFICIAL VISITS TO JORDAN, ISRAEL AND PALESTINE BETWEEN 5-8 SEPTEMBER

[11] TRAGEDY OF WORKING CHILDREN - ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF ''12-19'' WORK IN TURKEY

[12] FIVE TERRORISTS KILLED IN KEMALIYE, WHILE ONE MAN DIES AND TWO CHILDREN INJURED IN MINE EXPLOSION IN YUKSEKOVA

[13] GAZIANTEP PROVINCE EXPORTS 17.5 MILLION US DOLLARS OF VEGETABLE OIL AND MARGARINE BETWEEN JANUARY AND JULY

[14] TURKISH PRESS REVIEW (1)

[15] TURKISH PRESS REVIEW (2)

[16] EXPORTS OF HAZELNUTS REACH 961 MILLION US DOLLARS

[17] TURKEY THIRD IN PRODUCTION OF TOMATO PASTE IN WORLD

[18] 500 LARGEST INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES IN TURKEY

[19] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ IN PAMUKKALE - YILMAZ: ''ISSUE OF ENVIRONMENT IS A STATE POLICY''

[20] DRUG OPERATIONS - POLICE SEIZE 26.2 KG OF HEROIN IN TWO SEPARATE OPERATIONS LAUNCHED IN ISTANBUL - NINE PEOPLE CAPTURED CONCERNING THE DRUGS

[21] 927TH ANNIVERSARY OF MALAZGIRT VICTORY - PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ SENDS CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE ANNIVERSARY

[01] GERMANY PROHIBITS ACTIVITIES OF ''INTERNATIONAL FRANKFURT PEOPLES' HOUSE'' WHICH SUPPORTS THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

The Ministry of the Interior of Hessen state said in a written statement that the association was prohibited due to the fact that it has assumed all the functions of the ''Frankfurt Kurdistan Information Centre'' which was banned in November 1995.

Noting that many documents supporting the separatist terrorist PKK organization have been seized in the offices belonging to the association, the statement pointed out that the International Frankfurt Peoples' House, which was established in 1996 works just like the illegal PKK organization.

Stressing that illegal PKK militants were welcomed at this association, which also makes propaganda on behalf of the PKK and holds meetings supporting separatism, the State Ministry of the Interior recalled that many leading names of the PKK including the so-called PKK members responsible for Frankfurt and Southern Germany participated at the foundation meeting of the association.

The ministry said that many posters belonging to Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the PKK and other documents supporting separatism were seized on 19 August 1996 in the offices of the association, adding that a movie about the PKK was shown in March 1997, leading members of the PKK held a meeting in December 1997 and an interview made with Ocalan was shown at the local of the association in March 1998.

''All of these information have shown that the association carries out activities by violating the Constitution and it is a continuation of the banned Frankfurt Kurdistan Information Association,'' added the statement.

[02] EXPLOSION AT FODDER FACTORY IN DENIZLI - 16 INJURIES

The reason for the strong explosion, which happened at about 4:00 p.m. at the factory near the Pamukkale motorway, hasn't been clarified yet.

The explosion at the transformer and flavouring sections caused great damage to the factory.

Witnesses said two explosions occurred in succession, injuring 16 workers. The injured persons were immediately taken to the State Hospital and SSK Hospital in Denizli.

[03] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS' MEETING - GUREL, THE STATE MINISTER AND GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: ''INVESTMENTS FOR HIGHWAYS IN SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY WHICH ARE IMPORTANT FOR SECURITY AND THE DRAFT FORESEEING AMENDMENT IN CIVIL LAW HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED''

Addressing a statement after the end of the cabinet meeting, Gurel stated that the concerned minister gave information to the Council of Ministers about the problems that appear concerning the border trade, pointing out that a commission will be set up and it will inform the Cabinet about its activities from now on at the Council of Ministers' meeting.

Noting that Hikmet Sami Turk, the Minister of State, informed the cabinet about the Human Rights Coordination Supreme Board meeting which was held in the eastern province of Kars, Gurel said that Turk also told the cabinet about his impressions in the region.

Gurel said that Hasan Denizkurdu, the Minister of Justice informed the cabinet about the new draft on the Civil Law, adding that the draft law includes important amendments to the Civil Law.

''The Council of Ministers welcomed the draft law and decided to submit it to the Parliament,'' Gurel said.

Gurel said that 35 million Turkish Liras will be given to teachers as a payment for the new school year.

Responding to a question asking whether Denizkurdu informed the cabinet about Alaattin Cak�c�, Gurel said ''the cabinet did not take up the arrest of Cak�c�. This issue concerns regulations about extradition of suspects between Turkey and France. ''

''Our government is in a full consensus of opinion concerning the decisions made by the National Security Council,'' said Gurel responding to another question.

[04] INQUIRY ABOUT ONE TRILLION TURKISH LIRAS OF THE BANNED RP, WHICH IS MISSING - ANKARA CHIEF PROSECUTION STARTS AN INQUIRY UPON THE SUIT FILED BY SAVAS, THE REPUBLIC CHIEF PROSECUTOR OF SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS

Mehmet Ali Karaatl�, the deputy Chief Prosecutor in Ankara started an inquiry about the issue when he received the petition of Savas accusing the RP administrators including Necmettin Erbakan, the former leader of the RP and the report of the Ministry of Finance about the missing one trillion Turkish Liras.

Karaatl�, who carries out the inquiry himself, set up a delegation of prosecutors and gave the reports to them.

Karaatl� stated that when they finish the preliminary inquiry, they will decide whether to start an investigation or not.

[05] AN ANCIENT TOMB FOUND IN ISKENDERUN

Acting on a tip-off that some unknown persons were carrying out an illegal excavation in Konacik Village of Iskenderun, security forces launched an operation and revealed a Roman tomb from the third or fourth century.

Security forces took under control the location where the tomb was found.

[06] MILITARY PLANE CRASHES - PILOTS SAVED

The ''T-37'' type training plane, which took off from the Izmir Cigli Second Main Jet Airbase Commandership, crashed onto the ground at about 3:50 p.m. on Tuesday. The reason for the plane crash hasn't been determined yet.

The pilot-first lieutenant, Levent Tosun, and the pilot-candidate Hasan Balikci, parachuted into the forested area at a distance of two kms from the place where the plane crashed.

A military helicopter, which later arrived at the forested area, rescued the pilot and the pilot trainee and took them to Izmir.

The detailed and full-scale investigation related to the crash is underway.

[07] THE WORLD IN BRIEF - 26 AUGUST 1998 (1)

The rubles could be sold at 8.41 per US dollar and bought at 7.86 before the ruble fell more than five percent on the country's main currency exchange from Tuesday's fixed rate of 7.86 per US dollar and trading was halted.

In the Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok the US dollar stood at between 7.8 and 9.15 rubles. Bankers there complained that the large banks in Moscow had delayed payments to them and the Moscow banks preferred to buy US dollars instead.

MOSCOW - Russia's acting Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, racing against the clock to avert financial collapse, prepared on Wednesday for a further round of political haggling in his bid to stitch together a new government.

KINSHASA - Rebels and forces loyal to President Laurent Kabila fought on the outskirts of the capital of Kinshasa on Wednesday, with artillery fire near the airport, a government source said.

The sound of heavy artillery explosions could be heard all over the city of more than five million people, residents said. The State radio interrupted its programmes to say that the explosions were due to clean-up operations against infiltrators and urged the population to stay home and remain calm.

Kabila's forces and their Zimbabwean allies had earlier blocked a rebel advance on the road approaching the city from the southwest.

QUETTA - Bomb disposal experts will destroy a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile that crashed into a remote area in southern Pakistan after being fired at suspected terrorist camps in Afghanistan last week, local officials said on Wednesday.

''The cruise missile will be demolished in the same ditch where it is lying as it would be very dangerous to move it,'' a provincial government official said.

Pakistan has protested to the U.N. Security Council about the U.S. violation of its airspace during the attack on claimed guerrilla camps linked to the Islamic militant leader Osama Bin Laden. Pakistan has cited the errant missile as proof of the violation.

The unexploded missile came down in the Shatinger area of Tehsil Basima in Kharan district, about 475 km (295 miles) from Baluchistan's provincial capital, Quetta.

A wall of sandbags has been placed around the 12 foot (four metre) deep crater where the warhead is lodged.

CAPE TOWN - South Africa vowed to find and punish the bombers who killed a woman and wounded about 25 people in Cape Town's popular Planet Hollywood restaurant, apparently in retaliation for the US raids in the Sudan and Afghanistan.

[08] THE WORLD IN BRIEF - 26 AUGUST 1998 (2)

BOGOTA - Suspected leftist rebels injured at least 17 civilians in an attack on Tuesday in the same southeastern Columbian town where a devastating strike against an anti-narcotics base occurred earlier this month.

TUNIS - Libya prepared to tell the world whether she would send two Libyan suspects in the Lockerbie airliner bombing for trial in the Netherlands.

YANGON - Riot police were stationed across Myanmar's capital of Yangon after rare student demonstrations in support of the opposition's vow to summon a parliament.

BELFAST - British Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet with Bertie Ahern, his Irish counterpart on Wednesday for further talks on a massive security crack-down in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A soil sample collected in ''recent months'' from around a pharmaceutical plant in the Sudan showed an ingredient for making deadly VX gas and was a key factor behind the US cruise missile strike, a US Department of State official said.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday approved a 1 billion US dollar loan payment to Indonesia under a global bailout package, rewarding Jakarta for implementing reforms to help end the country's economic crisis.

KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel - Israelis crammed bomb shelters in the Galilee and Lebanese fled border villages as Israel on Wednesday weighed its response to guerrilla rocket attacks on its north.

LONDON - Ten percent of the world's tree species face extinction through felling, forest fires and poor forest management, conservationists said in a report on Wednesday.

MOSCOW - Drummer Ringo Starr became the first former Beatle to perform in Russia, just two weeks after ex-rivals The Rolling Stones gave their debut performance.

''It would have been nice if we could have come a bit earlier, but I tell you it's better late than never'', Starr told a packed auditorium of 2,400 mostly middle-aged fans.

BEIJING - China has trained an army of 10,000 chickens to wage war on locusts in northwestern Xinjiang, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The chickens, backed by tens of thousands of starlings, were called in after attacks by humans and aircraft failed to eradicate swarms of the hungry insects that had infested grasslands, housing complexes and offices, the agency said.

''The chickens undergo a special 60-day training programme shortly after birth'', the report said. It gave no details of the training.

[09] ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS PROTEST THE TANKER WHICH RAN AGROUND

Speaking on behalf of the organization, Zafer Murat Cetintas said that the tanker which ran aground could have caused a serious environmental disaster, adding ''the tanker is guilty, as it was too full, the captain had no other choice than to make the tanker run aground.''

Activists, who approached the tanker with a boat, hung a banner on the tanker saying ''the Bosphorus should be a strait of peace and friendship.'' ''S.O.S., we invite you to wake up, it is enough,'' wrote Zafer Murat Cetintas on the tanker with spray paint.

[10] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ TO PAY OFFICIAL VISITS TO JORDAN, ISRAEL AND PALESTINE BETWEEN 5-8 SEPTEMBER

The Prime Ministry Press Center said that Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, who will leave for Jordan on 5 September for a two-day official visit, will officially visit Israel and Palestine between 7-8 September.

Prime Minister Yilmaz will be accompanied by a delegation including businessmen and reporters.

[11] TRAGEDY OF WORKING CHILDREN - ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF ''12-19'' WORK IN TURKEY

The Turkish government and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) prepared a report titled ''Situation of Women and Children in Turkey'' and the report notes that Turkey is one of the six countries which participated from the beginning in the implementation of the International Programme for the Abolishment of Child Labour, which started to be applied in 1992.

Working children between the ages of 12-19 contribute to the budget of their families and they constitute 22.8 percent of the total labour force in cities and 46.9 percent of the total labour force in rural areas.

Eighteen percent of the children which are between the ages of 6-9 work, while 31.6 percent of the children between the ages of 10-11 work. Child labour is usually observed in the fields of agriculture, metal industry, woodworking, automotive industry, ready-to-wear, leather goods industry, textiles and special services.

The report stresses that 17.9 percent of the child workers' fathers are unemployed, adding that 85 percent of the child workers are studying in primary schools, while only 50 percent of them study at secondary schools - the report was prepared before the adoption of the law on eight years of compulsory primary education.

While the percentage of child workers increase by age, the number of them who study at schools decrease by age.

Noting that 57 percent of the child workers work in unsecure and unhealthy environments, the report said that the working conditions in cities can negatively affect the physical and mental development of children.

The report points out it is not that simple to solve the problem of child labour by firing them from work, adding that the structures of families, society, education and social security systems don't decrease but rather make the child labour permanent.

[12] FIVE TERRORISTS KILLED IN KEMALIYE, WHILE ONE MAN DIES AND TWO CHILDREN INJURED IN MINE EXPLOSION IN YUKSEKOVA

Officials told the A.A correspondent that five separatist terrorists were killed in the rural areas of Kemaliye, including one of the leading names of the separatist terrorist PKK organization.

Security Forces killed three other terrorists on Tuesday in the same region.

Meanwhile, one man died and two children were injured the same day when a mine put by the separatist terrorists exploded on the road which links Akkucak Village to Yuksekova County.

The injured children were taken for medical treatment at the Van State Hospital.

Meanwhile, three village guards who were kidnapped by the separatist terrorists one week ago, were released on Tuesday night.

[13] GAZIANTEP PROVINCE EXPORTS 17.5 MILLION US DOLLARS OF VEGETABLE OIL AND MARGARINE BETWEEN JANUARY AND JULY

In the same period last year, a total of 37 thousand 365 tonnes of vegetable oil and margarine were exported for 32 million 562 thousand US dollars.

The officials from the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters' Union told the A.A correspondent that they exported vegetable oil and margarine in the January- July 1998 period especially to Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Romania and Uzbekistan.

[14] TURKISH PRESS REVIEW (1)

(Derived from the Newsspot of the Turkish General Directorate of Press and Information.)

TANER TO MEET WITH CHERNOMYRDIN
Gunes Taner, the Minister of State, will meet with the Russian Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin today. Gazi Ercel, the President of the Central Bank, Cuneyt Sel, the Deputy Undersecretary of the Treasury, and Faik Oztrak, the Deputy Undersecretary of the State Planning Organization will also participate in the meeting during which Turkey's contributions for a solution to the Russian economic crisis will be discussed. Sergei Dubinin, the President of the Russian Central Bank, and high-level bureaucrats are also expected to attend the meeting. Yesterday morning, Taner visited Ramstore, the largest hypermarket in Moscow. Later, Taner called the Turkish bankers in Moscow to a meeting. Taner asked questions to the Turkish bankers about the Russian foreign exchange reserves and other macroeconomic indicators. Meanwhile, the Russian newspapers published in Moscow noted yesterday that Gunes Taner, the Minister of State and his accompanying delegation were visiting Russia to look into how Turkey could extend financial and technical assistance to Russia. Taner is the first minister of state to visit Russia following the outset of the current economic crisis there. /Sabah/

EXPLOSION IN FEED PLANT: 16 INJURED
Sixteen people including three seriously were injured in an explosion at Abalioglu Feed Industry Facilities on the Denizli-Pamukkale highway. Imren Aykut, the Minister of the Environment, and Yusuf Ziya Goksu, the Governor of Denizli, visited the injured at the local hospital and wished them a rapid recovery. /Sabah/

TURKEY TO DEFEND MEAT PROHIBITION
Turkey will defend a prohibition on animal and meat imports dating from 1996 to support the domestic animal husbandry at a meeting in September in Geneva. On 15-16 September, the World Trade Organization (WTO) will meet to discuss complaints from the US about Turkey, which has prohibited imports of meat, by claiming that Turkey blocks free trade. In order to prepare Turkey's defense, meetings have started among the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade and the other government departments. /Sabah/

SAVAS SUBMITS A REPORT TO ANKARA CHIEF PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
Vural Savas, the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals, has submitted a report to the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office to enable former officials of the now-defunct Welfare Party (RP) to be put on trial and face sentences of up to three years for their involvement in trying to conceal a total of one trillion Turkish Liras from the Ministry of Finance auditors. Savas stated that it was legally required to transfer all of a party's assets to the Treasury upon its closure. /All papers/

TURKEY REJECTS SYRIAN CALL TO CONVENE JOINT WATER COMMITTEE
Turkey has rejected demands from Syria that a joint Turco-Syrian-Iraqi technical committee dealing with water issues be revived in 1998, putting forth ''adverse developments' in the bilateral relations as the reason. The joint Turco-Syrian-Iraqi technical committee convened for the last time in 1992. ''It is too early to revive the water committee process. This doesn't appear to be possible in the near future. First Syria should take steps on a number of disputed issues, including terrorism'' a Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/

[15] TURKISH PRESS REVIEW (2)

(Derived from the Newsspot of the Turkish General Directorate of Press and Information.)

CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF CHANGES, NOT THE POLICY
Gen. Ismail Hakki Karadayi, the Chief of General Staff, who will retire on 30 August, said that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are determined to continue the struggle against fundamentalism and remain the guard of Turkey during his official farewell visits yesterday to the Ministry of National Defense, the Chief of the Gendarmerie and the Air Force. He added that the chiefs may change but the policy remains the same. /All papers/

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM, CULTURE CONGRESS
The ''First International Cultural Heritage, Multicultural Points of Attraction and Tourism Congress'' a joint undertaking of the Bogazici University's Applied Tourism Administration and Research Centre, the Comparative European Studies Centre, the

Economic and Social History Foundation of Turkey and the World Tourism Organization convened in Istanbul yesterday. Turkey's tourism policy will follow world trends in emphasizing diversification of services and products until 2020. The conference will continue until 27 August. /All papers/

DENIZKURDU HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE
Hasan Denizkurdu, the Minister of Justice, yesterday announced to members of the press following an hour-long meeting with Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz that a dossier containing six charges had been prepared and would be sent to France on Monday. A hearing is scheduled for mid-September as to whether or not the French authorities would extradite Alaattin Cakici, the head of a large criminal organization, who faces criminal charges in Turkey. The Minister of Justice further noted that the claim that Cakici could face execution if returnd to Turkey was erroneous. It did not create an obstacle for his extradition because Turkey had only to guarantee that he wouldn't be executed. Therefore, there could be no objection for his extradition to Turkey for trial. /Sabah/

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FAIR IN TURKEY
Turkey will host EMITT'99, the East Mediterranean International Travel and Tourism Fair, in Istanbul between 18-21 February 1999. Nearly 500 organizations from 50 different countries will participate in the fair, which is the largest of all the fairs organized in the Mediterranean countries. /Hurriyet/

BUSINESSMEN MEET IN ISTANBUL
A ''global business policy council'' meeting, organized by A.T.Kearney, a management consultancy firm, will be held in

Istanbul between 1-3 September, when the presidents of 50 international firms will attend. Bulent Eczacibasi, the Chairman of the Executive Board of Eczacibasi and Muharrem Kayhan, the Chairman of the Turkish Association of Industrialists and Businessmen will represent Turkish business circles. /Sabah/

EDUCATION RIGHTS OF KOSOVO TURKS
Turks living in Kosovo are asking for equal rights in education along with Albanians. Albanians who have refused the educational programme imposed by the Serbian administration have been applying their own educational programme for seven years. However, Turkish children are forced to continue their education in government-run official schools. /Cumhuriyet/

DANGER IN BOSPHORUS
A Greek tanker loaded with crude oil ran aground yesterday at Uskudar, Istanbul. According to officials, the tanker called the

'Crudegulf', was transporting 140 thousand tons of crude oil from Russia to Italy and ran aground while passing through the

Bosphorus. A technical fault caused the incident and rescue work was started immediately, noted officials. /Milliyet/

MILITARY PLANE CRASHES
A C-37 type military training plane crashed yesterday in Saruhan, Izmir. According to military sources, the crew of the plane parachuted to safety. After crashing, the plane exploded and burst into flames. /Milliyet/

TURKEY TO JOIN FOREIGN MARKETS IN SEPTEMBER
Turkey is going to join foreign borrowing markets in September because of the instability prevailing in the international markets.

The Treasury officials announced yesterday that Turkey together with Poland and the Czech Republic have the chance to join the international markets following the Russian economic crisis. Despite the economic crisis in Asia, Turkey has succeeded in obtaining the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and international rating institutions. The Treasury will give authority to the international broker institutions for selling securities. /Milliyet/

[16] EXPORTS OF HAZELNUTS REACH 961 MILLION US DOLLARS

The officials from the Black Sea Union of Hazelnut Exporters told the A.A correspondent that they had exported 211 thousand 919 tonnes of hazelnuts for 960 million 988 thousand US dollars in the 1997-1998 export season which will finish on 31 August.

In the same period last year, a total of 185 thousand 939 tonnes of hazelnuts were exported for 730 million 696 thousand US dollars.

Officials said they expect the total income will be at about 965 million US dollars at the end of the 1997-1998 export season.

Turkey, who has the majority in the production and exports of hazelnuts in the world, realizes exports to nearly 80 countries.

[17] TURKEY THIRD IN PRODUCTION OF TOMATO PASTE IN WORLD

Kenan Koklubag, the General Director of the Dardanel Enez Canning Factories, told the A.A correspondent that a total of 300 thousand tonnes of tomato paste is produced during the campaign period between August and November in Turkey that it has an annual production capacity of 420 thousand tonnes.

Turkey, which follows the US and Italy in production of tomato paste, exports 200 thousand tonnes of the total production to several countries and obtained 160-200 million US dollars of foreign exchange income.

Pointing out that Turkey's annual production of industrial and fresh tomatoes has reached 8.5 million tonnes, Koklubag said that Turkey exports tomato paste to the European Union (EU) countries, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Malaysia, stressing that the continuing quota implementation on the imports of tomato paste from Turkey by the EU countries had put a considerable limitation on the exports of that product from Turkey to these countries.

[18] 500 LARGEST INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES IN TURKEY

The Turkish Oil Refineries Corp (TUPRAS) became the largest industrial company with its one quadrillion 122.5 trillion Turkish Liras (TL) in sales excluding the Value Added Tax (VAT) in 1997. The Arcelik protected its place of being the largest company among the private sector companies with its 146.6 trillion TL in sales excluding VAT last year.

According to the ISO's research, the top ten companies are as follows: the TUPRAS, the Turkish Electricity Production-Distribution Corp (TEAS), the Turkish State Monopolies (TEKEL), the Eregli Demir Celik (Eregli Iron and Steel), the Arcelik, the Turkish Sugar Factories, the Petrochemical Holding (PETKIM), the PHILSA, the FORD Automotive and the Mercedes Benz Turk Corp.

The TUPRAS became the first company in sales revenues and the gross added value and the TEAS became the first company in equity capital and net assets, while the TEKEL ranked first in exports last year.

[19] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ IN PAMUKKALE - YILMAZ: ''ISSUE OF ENVIRONMENT IS A STATE POLICY''

Yilmaz who laid the foundation of the Pamukkale Sewerage System and purification installations, addressing the ceremony said that Denizli and Pamukkale were the windows of Turkish tourism opening to the world.

Yilmaz recalled that important investments were realized in the tourism field during their government, adding that eight billion US dollars in income were provided from tourism last year.

Noting that more than 10 million tourists visited Turkey last year, Yilmaz said that Turkey was among the 20 countries having the most income from tourism. Yilmaz pointed out that they were planning to make Turkey among the 10 countries which get the most income from tourism.

Imren Aykut, the Minister of the Environment pointed out that they got 10 million US dollars in credit from the World Bank to save the travertines.

[20] DRUG OPERATIONS - POLICE SEIZE 26.2 KG OF HEROIN IN TWO SEPARATE OPERATIONS LAUNCHED IN ISTANBUL - NINE PEOPLE CAPTURED CONCERNING THE DRUGS

A total of nine persons, two of them foreigners, were taken into custody concerning the drugs.

Officials told the A.A correspondent that the drugs would have been transferred to the several European countries via Turkey.

Meanwhile 11.5 kg of hashish was seized in Adana. The Police have taken two persons into custody concerning the drugs.

[21] 927TH ANNIVERSARY OF MALAZGIRT VICTORY - PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ SENDS CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE ANNIVERSARY

Yilmaz stressed in his message, ''Anatolia which has become the country of Turkish nation with the Malazgirt Victory, has been embracing us for nearly one thousand years. Turkish people will continue to live in peace and security on these lands where many people died for their sake.''

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