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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (October 16, 195)
Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (October 16, 195)
CONTENTS
[01] PARLIAMENT REFUSES TO GIVE CONFIDENCE VOTE
[02] NEW SPEAKER NEEDED
[03] DEMIREL'S US TOUR POSTPONED
[04] OYMEN POINTS TO ACTIVIST AGENDA IN US-TURKISH RELATIONS
[05] FAO MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY
[06] PKK SUFFERS HEAVY BLOW IN GERMANY
[07] PKK UNDER PRESSURE
[08] CALL TO FREE TURKISH JOURNALISTS
[09] FOREIGN TRADE FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED
[10] BRITISH TRADE MISSION TO VISIT TURKEY
[11] GERMAN DELEGATION TO VISIT TURKEY
[12] TURKEY RANKS 27TH IN TOTAL WEALTH
[13] ANTALYA RECORDS 69 % INCREASE IN TOURISM
WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
OCTOBER 16, 1995
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish
press this morning
[01] PARLIAMENT REFUSES TO GIVE CONFIDENCE VOTE
Parliament yesterday punctured Prime Minister Tansu Ciller's
28-month hold on power, refusing to give the confidence vote
she sought for a minority government for her True Path Party
(DYP) which she wanted to substitute for the partnership she
terminated last month with the social democrats. The
opposition bloc, joined by many DYP deputies mustered 230
no-confidence votes against Ciller's still-born government.
Ciller could attract only 191 votes of support. Six deputies
abstained. After convening her party's executives in a crash
meeting after the no-confidence vote, Ciller said she would
propose holding early elections on December 24. But
opposition parties indicated that they would first try other
government alternatives. President Suleyman Demirel,
scheduled to leave for a working visit to Washington tomorrow,
was expected to meet with party leaders today to discuss the
options. Demirel will hold the first meeting with Ciller and
the second with Chairman of the Motherland Party (ANAP) Mesut
Yilmaz, and then the others. Under the Constitution, only 20
days are left (from the original 45) for a new government to
secure a vote of confidence from the Parliament. At the
expiry of the period, Demirel can dissolve the parliament and
call early elections after consulting with the Parliament
speaker. It was not immediately clear whether Demirel will
proceed with the US visit, which includes a meeting with
President Bill Clinton on Wednesday, or put it off to attend
to the government crisis. /All papers/
[02] NEW SPEAKER NEEDED
One of the side issues of the current government crisis is the
urgent need for a new parliamentary speaker following the
resignation of Husamettin Cindoruk. At the most, the new
appointee can serve for only a year, and with the likelihood
of early general elections this could be shortened to only a
few months. Although a number of candidates have put
themselves forward, no decision has been made. Candidates
have ranged from DYP member Ismet Sezgin, to representatives
from the Welfare Party. Observers reckon that the issues will
be resolved after four rounds of voting. /Sabah/
[03] DEMIREL'S US TOUR POSTPONED
President Suleyman Demirel has been obliged to delay his visit
to the US for a day or two following the collapse of the
minority government on Sunday, when it failed to win a vote of
confidence. Demirel was prepared to set off on his tour of
the US on Tuesday, October 16, but will now wait until a new
Speaker for parliament has been voted in. The issue is
crucial to the forming of a new government strong enough to
lead Turkey to an early general election. Ankara political
circles think that Demirel could leave on Wednesday. /Sabah/
[04] OYMEN POINTS TO ACTIVIST AGENDA IN US-TURKISH RELATIONS
Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen said
relations between Ankara and Washington needed a new direction
for steady growth. Speaking at the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) to a group of Turkish and US
officials, think-tank specialists and journalists, Oymen said:
"We spent too much time in the past just trouble shooting -and
trying to avoid problems in Turkish-US relations. We need to
build-up the relations" in order "not to return to square one"
he said. He emphasized the importance of the expanded role
that could be played by Turkish-Americans. Referring to
intensive Turkish efforts in the past to avoid certain
anti-Turkish amendments in the US Congress, Oymen recalled
that it would be a mistake to approach the Congress as though
every legislator was anti-Turkish by default. "Our aim is to
have more direct contact with all US congressmen. We will
invite more of them to Turkey. The more we explain our
realities, the more friends we'll have" he said. On Friday,
Oymen visited US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Jean
Lodal; Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights John
Shattuck; Washington Post senior editor Stephen Rosenfeld;
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce Jeff Houser; National
Security Council Deputy Director Sandy Berger. Oymen also had
lunch with Assistant Secretary Richard Holbrooke.
[05] FAO MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) celebrates its
50th anniversary today. In a message released on the
occasion, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf praised the fact
that Turkey for years has achieved self-sufficiency in food.
The FAO's theme this year is "Food for All", to draw attention
to the role of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in
eradicating hunger and malnutrition.
[06] PKK SUFFERS HEAVY BLOW IN GERMANY
One hundred and eighty supporters of the PKK terrorist
organization were taken into custody by German police in the
state of Bade-Wurtemberg's Polheim town while they were
holding an illegal meeting. Police spokesmen said that two of
the participants were senior PKK commanders.
/Cumhuriyet-Sabah/
[07] PKK UNDER PRESSURE
The Kurdistan Workers' Party, better known as the separatist
PKK organization suffered some severe knocks over the weekend.
Reports from the problem plagued southeastern regions of the
country say that in Bitlis, Tatvan, Mus, Siirt, Sirnak and
Tunceli, 15 members of the PKK were killed over the weekend.
Among those reported killed in clashes with the regional
security forces were code-named PKK leaders already known for
their involvement in serious acts of violence. Considerable
quantities of weapons and ammunition were also seized by the
security forces. /Sabah-Milliyet/
[08] CALL TO FREE TURKISH JOURNALISTS
Two Turkish journalists arrested while reporting on events in
Bosnia are still being detained. The Turkish Foreign Ministry
has demanded that the two, Anatolia news agency representative
Ali Kocak and Hurriyet newspaper journalist Munire Acim, be
released at once. The Foreign Ministry announced over the
weekend that initiatives for the release of the two
journalists had begun with Yugoslavia Federation. The
ministry has also started contacts with the UN UNPROFOR peace
force command to ensure that the two Turks are freed just as
soon as possible. The two journalists are protected by
international laws and as such are entitled to all the rights
normally extended to journalists everywhere. /Sabah/
[09] FOREIGN TRADE FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED
In a move to boost Turkey's foreign trade in line with world
developments, a new Ankara-based foreign trade foundation has
been set up by the government. One of the main functions of
the foundation will be to direct foreign trade developments
along the most effective and productive channels. /Sabah/
[10] BRITISH TRADE MISSION TO VISIT TURKEY
Seven British companies, offering a broad range of products
and services, will take part in a trade mission to Turkey
organized by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Industry
between October 16 and 20. The mission will visit the Izmit
Chamber of Industry to give presentations and for talks with
local Turkish companies tomorrow, on October 17. /All papers/
[11] GERMAN DELEGATION TO VISIT TURKEY
A delegation from the German Federal Parliament's Defence
Commission will visit Ankara today. German Embassy officials
said that the delegation will visit Foreign Minister Coskun
Kirca, Defence Minister Vefa Tanir, some deputies and also
officials from the office of the Chief of General Staff.
[12] TURKEY RANKS 27TH IN TOTAL WEALTH
The World Bank ranks Turkey 27th in total wealth. The figures
were produced using a new method of calculation and were based
on 1993 figures for the 192 countries evaluated. The seven
indutrialized countries (the US, Japan, Germany, France,
Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom) apparently own 62.2 %
($295.45 billion) of the world's total wealth ($474.74
billion). In the rankings for total national wealth, Turkey
came in 27th with a total of $2.02 billion. The US took first
place with $108.45 billion, Japan was second with $70.46
billion, and Germany was in third place with $32.4 billion.
/Milliyet/
[13] ANTALYA RECORDS 69 % INCREASE IN TOURISM
German tourists are in first place, Russians in second and
Israelis in third place among tourists who visit Antalya. The
Tourism Office of Antalya said that 1.5 million tourists from
23 different countries came to Antalya by sea or plane in
1995, in contrast to last year's 897,325 tourists, an
impressive increase of 69 %. Tourism organizations said that
Germany played an important role in the total increase and
that Antalya was a second home for Germans. Austrian and
English tourists showed a 90 % rise in numbers.
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