TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review(April 21, 1995)
Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review(April 21, 1995)
CONTENTS
[01] CONGRATULATIONS FROM CLINTON TO CILLER FOR ECONOMY SUCCESS
[02] CILLER CONTINUES CONTACTS IN USA
[03] TURKEY CONDEMNS THE NETHERLANDS AT NATO
[04] US DEPUTY ENERGY SECRETARY IN ANKARA
[05] ARMENIAN TEAM IN ANKARA
[06] TURKEY WARNS GREECE OVER PRESS REPORT
[07] OECD: "RESULTS OF THE APRIL 5 DECISIONS ARE POSITIVE"
[08] EXIMBANK MAKES $986 MILLION IN LOANS TO TURKISH-SPEAKING REPUBLICS
[09] TURKEY TO SELL ELECTRICITY TO SYRIA
[10] FORMER RUSSIAN PRESIDENT GORBACOV COMING TO TURKEY
[11] CALL TO THE WEST REGARDING STRUGGLE AGAINST DRUG SMUGGLING
[12] NEW ZEALAND HONORARY CONSULATE
[13] ATATURK "CORNER"
[14] TURKEY COMBATS PKK TERRORISM IN NORTHERN IRAQ
[15] WHY TURKEY IS IN IRAQ
FRIDAY APRIL 21, 1995
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish
press this morning
[01] CONGRATULATIONS FROM CLINTON TO CILLER FOR ECONOMY SUCCESS
Prime Minister Tansu Ciller stated that US President Clinton
said to her: "I really appreciate you because of your
success in the economy". Ciller, during a press conference
at the Turkish Embassy the previous night, noted that
Clinton praised Turkey as its economic development was far
beyond that of Mexico. Ciller said: "Actually, when Mexico
is compared with Turkey, despite aid from the US, Mexico
could not reach the point that Turkey has achieved". As
Ciller is the guest of honour at the Houston International
Festival,US former President George Bush's son, Governor
Bush gave Ciller the key to the city. /Hurriyet/
[02] CILLER CONTINUES CONTACTS IN USA
Prime Minister Tansu Ciller pleased with her contacts in
Washington, said that especially her meeting with President
Bill Clinton had been very positive. After completing her
contacts in Washington, Prime Minister Ciller went on to
Houston to attend the Houston Festival as the guest of
honour.
During her meetings with President Bill Clinton and
Secretary of State Willian Perry, Prime Minister Tansu
Ciller agreed that firm steps should be taken through
bilateral discussions in order to ensure security in
northern Iraq and continue the struggle against terrorism.
In a press conference after the White House meeting, Ciller
pointed out that a solution to the authority vacuum in
northern Iraq must depend on the territorial integrity of
Iraq.
Regarding the Provide Comfort Operation, Ciller noted that
while the American side was for continuing the operation,
the Turkish side was looking for a new solution, one that
would eliminate the auxieties of the Turkish public.
Diplomatic sources have noted that Turkish and American
officials will discuss the mission, aim and logystics of the
UN operation during the next few weeks.
/Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/
[03] TURKEY CONDEMNS THE NETHERLANDS AT NATO
Turkey denounced the Netherlands, which has allowed the
opening of a "Kurdish parliament-in-exile" in The Hague,at
an extraordinary session of the NATO Council in Brussels
yesterday. Turkish Ambassador to NATO Tugay Ozceri accused
the Dutch government of failing to fulfill its obligations
towards a fellow NATO member by allowing the exile
parliament to hold its first meeting in The Hague. Ankara
says the parliament-in-exile is a propaganda tool of the
PKK, waging a separatist war in southeast Turkey that has
cost 16,000 lives since 1984. The NATO Council meeting was
called under a section of the NATO treaty used when one ally
considers its territorial integrity threatened by the action
of another member state. Turkey, due to the 4th article of
the Washington Agreement which is the basis of NATO,
demanded that the Council hold a private extraordinary
meeting for the first time since the Gulf War. According to
this article, when one of the allies sees that its security
and territorial integrity is in danger, then it calls upon
its allies to hold an extraordinary Council meeting for
solidarity. Tugay Ozceri, at the meeting in Brussels
yesterday, said: "This parliament which encompasses PKK
terrorists, is a threat to the territorial integrity of
Turkey. As Holland allowed this meeting, it means that it
has not carried out its obligations to the NATO treaty and
international law". Holland is called upon by Ankara to
respect its NATO obligations. /All papers/
[04] US DEPUTY ENERGY SECRETARY IN ANKARA
US Deputy Energy Secretary Bill White and a senior
delegation arrived in Ankara yesterday for talks with
Turkish officials on energy issues, particularly a proposed
pipeline to transport oil from the Caspian oil fields to the
Mediterranean. The US team, including Congressman Greg
Laughlin, co-chairman of the US-former Soviet Union energy
caucus, is on a tour to seven Caspian and Caucasian
countries. Other stops include Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and Russia. While in Turkey,
the US delegation is due to meet senior Turkish policy
makers and energy officials to discuss issues involving
transport of oil and natural gas, the US Information Service
said in a statement. They will also meet Turkish and US
business representatives to discuss trade and investment
opportunities between the two countries. /All papers/
[05] ARMENIAN TEAM IN ANKARA
An Armenian team arrived in Ankara yesterday for talks with
officials from the Transport Ministry for the reopening of
an air corridor from Turkey to Armenia. Turkey closed the
H-50 air corridor in 1993 following an Armenian offensive
against the Azeri Kelbecer region that ended up with a big
territorial gain for the Armenians. But Prime Minister
Tansu Ciller, on a visit to the US, ordered the reopening of
the air corridor on Tuesday in a "goodwill gesture" aimed at
encouraging the Armenians to accept reconciliation for an
end to an undeclared war with Azerbaijan, officials said.
The corridor's reopening means resumption of flights to
Armenia from Turkish airspace. Ciller stated that she had
taken Azeri President Haydar Aliyev's positive view on this
issue and that she told US President Clinton that a of
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSEC)
peace force, including Turkey, should be sent to the region
as soon as possible. /Hurriyet/
[06] TURKEY WARNS GREECE OVER PRESS REPORT
Turkey has warned Greece over a Greek newspaper report which
depicted two Turkish military attaches in Athens as "spies",
Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu said yesterday. The
ultra-rightist Athens-based Stohos published on Tuesday the
names, pictures and addresses of the military attaches,
accusing them of spying on Greece. Inonu told reporters in
Ankara that Turkey had launched an initiative regarding the
incident. "This is an alarming action. We have asked
Greece to take the necessary security precautions for the
safety of our personnel" he said. Cetin Gorgu, Turkey's
press attache in Greece, was killed in an armed attack in
Athens in 1990. Deniz Bolukbasi, counsellor at the Turkish
Embassy, was heavily injured in another attack in 1993. The
vicious Greek terror group November 17 assumed
responsibility for both attacks. Stohos also last year
accused Turkish Embassy personnel and Turkish journalists in
Athens of "collecting information" for the Turkish state and
published their names and addresses. Meanwhile, the Turkish
Foreign Ministry has also condemned Libyan leader, Muammer
Kaddafi because of his comments in support of the Kurdish
separatists. /All papers/
[07] OECD: "RESULTS OF THE APRIL 5 DECISIONS ARE POSITIVE"
The Organization for Economic Cooporation and Development
(OECD), has evaluated the results of the April 5 decisions
as "very positive" and noted that the Turkish economy will
be improved in 1995 and that the economic future looks "very
bright".
According to a statement by the Treasury and Foreign Trade
Undersecretariat at the end of the February OECD meeting,
the Organization envisaged a 2.8% development rate in 1995,
and 5% in 1996. It was pointed out that the inflation rate
would decrease.
The report of the OECD says: "Customs union with the
European Union will contribute to the development of Turkey.
With short-term measures Turkey can attain important
successes, with more important developments in the future.
Turkey's future will be "very bright" with its rich natural
and human resources and effective dynamism of the private
sector." /Cumhuriyet/
[08] EXIMBANK MAKES $986 MILLION IN LOANS TO TURKISH-SPEAKING
REPUBLICS
Since 1992 Turkish Eximbank has made loans of $986 million
to the Turkish-speaking republics of the former Soviet
Union, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
According to the "Avrasya File", a bulletin published by the
Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency, a portion of the
loans has been allocated for the financing of exports, while
the rest has been used for project-financing.
[09] TURKEY TO SELL ELECTRICITY TO SYRIA
Turkey will build 64 kilometers of the 120 kilometer-long
Birecik-Syria energy transfer line, which will carry Turkish
electricity to Syria, the Anatolia news agency reported
yesterday. The project is expected to cost TL 597 billion
and initially carry electricity from the Ataturk Dam
Hydroelectric Plant.
[10] FORMER RUSSIAN PRESIDENT GORBACOV COMING TO TURKEY
Mihail Sergeyevic Gorbacov, last President of the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and his wife will come to
Turkey on Monday. Noting that there had been no opportunity
to visit Turkey during 1985-91 when he was in power,
Gorbacov said that his aim was to explain the situation in
Russia to the Turkish people as a person really knew the
position. Coming to Turkey as the guest of Yap} and Kredi
Bank (Construction and Credit Bank), Gorbacov will give
talks in Ankara and Istanbul until 30 April. Following a
visit to An}tkabir (Ataturk's Mausoleum), Gorbacov will meet
Husamettin Cindoruk, speaker of the Turkish Grand National
Assembly, President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister
Ciller. In a statement prior to his visit Gorbacov said "
Russia also made contributions in the idea of Turkey
regarding the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Region put
forward a few years ago. There are many opportunities to be
developed in the region. Efforts regarding this issue
should be speeded up and lasting relations should be
established." Commenting on the political situation in
Russia in a meeting of the "Gorbacov Fund" titled "Policy of
the USSR and Russian Federation, Gorbacov rejected the
extension plans of NATO ". /Hurriyet/.
[11] CALL TO THE WEST REGARDING STRUGGLE AGAINST DRUG SMUGGLING
Interior Minister Nahit Mentese, said that the struggle
against drug smuggling should be pushed forward in
cooperation with the West which was the main financial
resource of the PKK terrorist organization because of using
Turkey and the West as targets for drug trafficking.
Mentese yesterday received Dr.Lee Brown, Director of the US
White House International Administration for controlling the
struggle against drugs and a delegation accompanying him.
Stressing that the security forces of the US and Turkey were
in close cooperation in fighting against criminal
organizations internationally, Mentese expressed his
gratitude to the US for supporting Turkey's struggle against
the PKK./Sabah/.
[12] NEW ZEALAND HONORARY CONSULATE
The New Zealand Honorary Consulate will be opened with an
official ceremony on 24 April 1995. The New Zealand Deputy
Prime Minister, Trade and Foreign Minister will attend the
ceremony. As 25 April is the 80th anniversary of the Anzac
soldiers landing at Ariburnu, along the Dardanelles Straits,
Turkish and New Zealand officials will move on to Gelibolu
and participate in an official ceremony there. /Cumhuriyet/
[13] ATATURK "CORNER"
An "Ataturk Corner" organized by the San Jose Peace
University in Costa Rica has been ceremoniously opened by
President Jose Maria Figueres.
President Suleyman Demirel yesterday sent a congratulatory
message to the opening ceremony in which he once again
reminded the participants that " Peace at home means peace
abroad" /Cumhuriyet/
[14] TURKEY COMBATS PKK TERRORISM IN NORTHERN IRAQ
NEWSWEEK (April 17,1995)
Michael Elliott
"U.S. policymakers concede that Turkey faces a genuine
security threat to the southeast. After an army offensive
in Turkey last year, the PKK guerrillas moved their camps
into northern Iraq. But Iraqi Kurdistan is a security
vacuum: Saddam Hussein's writ has not run there since the
gulf war. The Iraqi Kurds, whom a multinational force is
meant to be protecting, are engaged in a bitter war among
themselves. So the PKK was able to operate with some
impunity. A senior U.S. official says that Turkey has a
right to go 'in and out on sporadic missions'..."
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (April 11,1995)
George Melloan
"The Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), a Marxist bunch based
in Damascus, has been running a terrorism campaign against
Turkey for years but only recently has had success in
'internationalizing' the struggle in classical Marxist
fashion. PKK groups operating in Germany have brought
influence to bear on the German press and public opinion.
Letter-writing campaigns on behalf of the PKK have been
cranked up, just like in the old days when masterful
public-relations efforts were mounted in Europe on behalf of
such Marxist groups as Fidel Castro's Sandinistas in Central
America... the PKK, which in fact has a dubious claim to
representing any Kurds other than its members. Ethnic Kurds
are to be found throughout Turkey, occupying responsible
positions in many cases... The Clinton administration, to
its great credit, did stand up, upholding the right of
Turkey to defend its national security against the predators
on its southern flank."
[15] WHY TURKEY IS IN IRAQ
POLICYWATCH, THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE, (April 4,1995)
Alan Makovsky
"Turkey had several reasons for staging its
35,000-troop ground-and-air operation into northern Iraq
March 20. First, Ankara genuinely seeks to put a dent into
the PKK's capabilities. Second, the operation is intended
to send several messages: to the PKK, that the Turkish
military is aggressive and has long reach; to Turkish
domestic audiences, that the Ciller government is resolved
to be proactive against the PKK; to Iraqi Kurdish leaders,
that they should plug their border, as they pledged to do in
1992; and, perhaps most important, to allies in Operation
Provide Comfort - Britain, France, and particularly the
United States - and the rest of the international community,
that the status quo in northern Iraq, with the freedom of
movement for the PKK, is intolerable."
STATE DEPARTMENT DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON (March 27,1995)
Christine Shelly
"We have acknowledged that there were tarrorist actions
being taken against Turkey that originated on the soil of
Iraq... the heart of the problem - which is terrorists
using northern Iraq as a springboard for attacks into
Turkey... there is a vacuum of authority in some of the
places that then, unfortunately, has resulted in the
establishment of PKK terrorist camps across the other side
of the Turkish border... we are certainly mindful of the
problem that they face from the terrorist attacks which do
take place against Turkey which are launched from the
territory of Iraq..."
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